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Arsenal are very worried that a “world-class” player in their squad will miss a month through injury, as manager Mikel Arteta is currently dealing with a real injury crisis.

Arsenal's injury and absentee list

Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney are just some of the names who have been sidelined at various points through injury so far this season.

Arsenal star just dropped an "outstanding" 9/10 display for his country

The Arsenal star’s season just got even better on the international stage.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 13, 2024

Havertz withdrew from the Germany squad for their game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Holland due to a knee injury. However, it is believed Havertz won’t be a long-term absentee, which is some much-needed good news for Arteta and co.

Thomas Partey staying behind and not representing Ghana also caused quite a stir and real worry, given the 31-year-old’s mainstay status in Arsenal’s midfield. It is understood, though, that Partey’s withdrawal from international duty was a precautionary measure and the midfielder has been suffering with illness rather than injury.

Supporters feared the worst when star winger Bukayo Saka limped off during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece last week, clutching his hamstring, but current Three Lions interim boss Lee Carsley has since confirmed that it is not expected to be a lengthy lay-off.

“Bukayo would have been close, but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him,” Carsley said ahead of their win over Finland.

“He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”

While these are encouraging updates on key players, Arteta does have numerous other concerns at London Colney. The Premier League title hopefuls will be without their chief creator and club captain for the foreseeable future, with Odegaard still out injured for weeks after his ankle ligament injury on international duty.

Gabriel Martinelli picked up a calf problem over the weekend on international duty with Brazil too, and Arteta will be anxiously waiting on the extent of his issue.

Arsenal "seriously concerned" Takehiro Tomiyasu will be out for a month

Despite only just returning from a knee injury, featuring for six minutes in Arsenal’s latest 3-1 victory over Southampton, versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could now be set for another spell out.

The Japan international is now thought to be suffering from a potential reoccurrence of his knee problem, and Arsenal are now “seriously concerned” that Tomiyasu will miss another month as a result.

The news is yet another worry for Arteta, who has been dealt numerous setbacks over key players this term, and it doesn’t bode well for their title challenge if players keep falling like dominoes.

While Tomiyasu hasn’t played a big role lately, and is more of a squad player right now, there is little doubting the 25-year-old’s ability when fit and available.

“Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him,” said defender and teammate White to DAZN Japan (via The Metro).

“Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning he’s completely understood English and speaks as well as I do.”

Manchester United have parted company with Erik ten Hag. It has been a poor season for the Red Devils so far, and they currently find themselves languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, with just 11 points to their name.

As a result of the Dutchman’s sacking, he has been replaced by club legend, and assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy on an interim basis. The former United striker will take charge of the 13-time Premier League champions as a temporary measure, ‘whilst a permanent head coach is recruited’, as the club explained in a statement.

Ten Hag’s United record

Ten Hag’s reign at Old Trafford comes to an end after just over two seasons in charge at the club. He won two trophies in each of his two full seasons, winning the Carabao Cup in 2022/23, beating Newcastle United, and the FA Cup last term, winning a historic final against Manchester City.

Overall, his record at the Red Devils is not quite what he no doubt would have hoped, despite the trophies he managed to win during his tenure. The former Ajax boss oversaw 128 games at the English giants, winning 72 of those matches.

Another concerning stat is the loss rate Ten Hag had during his Old Trafford spell. As per Opta Sport, the Dutchman lost a disappointing 31.8% of games. In the Premier League era, David Moyes is the only manager who has a worse win rate than the Dutchman, with 32.4%. Impressively, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has the third-best on the list, with 22%.

Ultimately, things did not work out for the Dutchman in the Old Trafford dugout. That does leave Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his newly-appointed INEOS board with a big decision to make, as they search for a new manager. One of the people who has been linked with the job is Gareth Southgate.

Man United's interest in Southgate

According to a report from Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News, former England boss Southgate is one of the options favoured by Ratcliffe as the hunt for a new manager begins. The journalist cites his ‘working relationship’ with Dan Ashworth and ‘friendship’ with Sir Dave Brailsford as the reason he can be considered a contender for the role.

The former Middlesbrough boss is a manager who is known to create a good ethos and working environment for his team. He once explained in an interview that having “empathy with people” is a key part of his coaching. It could be exactly what the Red Devils need at the moment, as they look to salvage the season and turn around their poor form so far.

However, England’s style of football under the 54-year-old was often not the most exciting thing to watch, despite the fact he reached two finals and a semi-final in tournament football. His record with the Three Lions was 64 wins, 20 draws and 18 losses in 102 matches. The historic Euro 2020 tournament will live long in the memory of England fans, despite a heartbreaking loss in the final to Italy.

Emmanuel Petit, a member of France’s 1998 World Cup winning squad, was critical of the Three Lions’ play style in the most recent major tournament, Euro 2024 in Germany. He called it “boring” and blamed the manager for the tactics employed on the pitch.

Indeed, he could end up being another version of Solskjaer at Old Trafford; that is to say, a nearly man, who could not quite get his side over the line in major finals. The Norwegian striker lost four semi-finals and one final, the Europa League in 2021.

Simon Jordan even compared the two on talkSPORT, branding Southgate as a “bland” manager, while calling him “Solskjaer in an international guise”.

This needs to be an appointment INEOS get right. Not only must they appoint a manager who brings success back to Old Trafford, but they need to pick someone who will capture the imagination of the United fans once again, someone who plays exciting and expansive football.

Only time will tell if that person is Southgate, but it is certainly a critical time for the club.

Former Man Utd player who publicly wants job under consideration by INEOS

Man Utd may look to another former player as a replacement for Erik ten Hag.

By
Brett Worthington

Oct 28, 2024

Ahead of the summer transfer window, clubs in the Netherlands are reportedly eyeing rising Seattle Sounders star and Mexico international Obed Vargas

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• Dutch clubs eyeing Vargas
• Offers expected in summer
• Sounders set to play in Club World Cup

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Seattle Sounders' rising young player Obed Vargas is reportedly earning interest from the Netherlands, with multiple clubs said to be interested in signing the 19-year-old midfielder. Offers are expected to come in this summer as several clubs continue to keep tabs on the Mexico international.

  Vargas, who has also drawn interest from clubs in Liga MX, made the one-time switch to represent Mexico in 2024, making his first appearance as a late sub in 's win over the U.S. men's national team in October. On the club level, the Alaska-born teenager has already made 89 appearances for the Sounders.

  The interest in Vargas was first reported by GiveMeSport.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Interest in Vargas won't come as a surprise, particularly to Seattle Sounders boss Brian Schmetzer, who spoke to GOAL last month at MLS Media Day about that potential interest. The Sounders are set to play in the Club World Cup this summer, which will put players like Vargas in the shop window for clubs all over the world. Schmetzer believes that Vargas is the type of player who can take advantage of that chance and perhaps earn a move abroad.

  "Young Obed Vargas, let's just say he has a good game against Atletico Madrid," Schmetzer said. "Let's just see, and does that make his market value go higher?"

  The Sounders will face Botafogo, Atletico Madrid, and PSG at home in that competition, with the group stage running from June 15-23.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Vargas' big break came early in 2022, when he starred in the Sounders' historic run through the CONCACAF Champions Cup. At the time of his debut, which came at 15 years and 351 days old, he was the third-youngest player in MLS history.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE SOUNDERS?

  The Sounders will be in action on Wednesday night as they visit Antigua GFC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The Danish striker has made an impressive start to life at the Stade Louis II, raising questions over why his former club let him go so cheaply

"Signing for Arsenal was a good memory," Mika Biereth said in his first sit-down interview with Monaco's official website earlier this month. "Having the opportunity to be on the bench for the first team on several occasions was great, even if the fact of never having had the chance to come in was a bit frustrating. But that’s part of football, and it still allows you to gain experience, and to be the player I am today."

That is an impressively mature outlook from a 22-year-old with only one full season of senior football under his belt. It goes some way to explaining why Biereth has made an immediate impact at Monaco, who signed the Danish frontman from Sturm Graz for £13 million ($16m) in the winter transfer window.

Biereth has scored seven goals – including two hat-tricks – in his first seven appearances across all competitions for Monaco, emerging as one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe, and Arsenal fans across north London must be scratching their heads as to why the club let him go for a measly £4m fee last summer. Oh, how the Gunners could use a man of Biereth's unique talents right now, with Mikel Arteta facing an injury nightmare upfront that is threatening to derail their latest bid for Premier League glory.

The "frustrating experience" Biereth endured at Arsenal would have broken a lot of young players, but he's used it as fuel to reach the next level, proving his former club wrong in the process. The question is: what makes Biereth such a special prospect? GOAL is on hand with everything you need to know below…

• Where it all began

  Biereth was born in London on February 8, 2003, and was raised by a German-Danish father and a Bosnian mother. He showed promise as a budding young footballer and eventually caught the eye of Fulham, who drafted him into their youth ranks in 2017.

  The talented centre-forward made his debut for Fulham's Under-18s just days before his 15th birthday, stepping off the bench in a 4-0 win over Reading, and went on to sign a two-year scholarship deal with the Cottagers in July 2019. Biereth also joined up with the U18s squad permanently, and didn't take long to repay Fulham's faith.

  Biereth started to attract attention from top clubs across England with his performances in the 2020-21 season as Fulham stormed to their second-successive Premier League South title. He contributed 21 goals and 13 assists to their cause, registering stunning hat-tricks in comprehensive wins over Tottenham and Leicester.

  Naturally, Fulham tried to tie Biereth down to his first professional contract, but their plans were scuppered when Arsenal came calling. Biereth chose to reject Fulham, officially signing for the Gunners in July 2021, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

  "It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t really turn it down," he said at his unveiling. "I think now with the recent track record of youth going into the first team, I thought it was a great project to try and be a part of."

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• The big break

  Biereth was thrown straight into the Arsenal U23s line up, and recorded five goal contributions in his first five Premier League 2 games, including a treble in a 6-1 win over Chelsea at Kingsmeadow. The pick of those goals was set up by now-United States star Folarin Balogun, who found Biereth with a brilliant long-range pass into the box, which his team-mate dispatched brilliantly on the volley after ghosting in at the back post.

  Arsenal's head youth coach, Kevin Betsy, was blown away, as he told : "The recruitment team did a terrific job in bringing him to the club and he’s a boy who has a fantastic character and attitude. His willingness to work for the team is excellent, his movement to get into space behind is also very prominent in his game and he can finish. He’s a really good finisher."

  That bright start led to Denmark calling Biereth up to their U19s squad for the first time, and he would go on to finish the campaign with 11 goals in 21 Premier League 2 appearances, while also making it onto Arteta's bench for four senior matches. Incredibly, though, Biereth would never make his first-team debut for the Gunners.

  His progression stalled after an injury-ravaged loan spell at RKC Waalwijk in 2022-23, where he only managed 300 minutes for the Dutch club, scoring twice, and was loaned to Motherwell the following season.

  The move to Scotland helped Biereth rediscover his confidence, and when Arsenal recalled the youngster in January 2024, Biereth had six goals and five assists to his name from 14 Scottish Premiership appearances, along with some Denmark U21 caps. He was then loaned out again, this time to Austrian outfit Sturm Graz.

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  How it's going

  Biereth kept a positive mindset despite once again despite being denied a senior chance at Arsenal, and played a key role in Sturm Graz's run to their first Austrian Bundesliga title in over a decade. He racked up eight goal contributions in the league, and found the net three times in the Conference League, leaving his new club in no doubt about signing him on a permanent deal.

  Arsenal accepted a £4m bid, happy to make pure profit on an academy graduate whose path to the first-team line up was blocked by the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. “We are so proud of the progress Mika has made since joining us," Gunners sporting director Edu said after confirmation of the sale. "This new opportunity with Sturm Graz is great for Mika, and it’s a good example of what a strong loan development plan produces. Mika will be playing Champions League football when the season starts again, which he deserves due to his mentality and performances in recent seasons."

  Since then, Biereth has done everything within his power to make Arsenal regret that decision. Graz built their team around the Danish starlet and he delivered as their first-choice number nine with 14 goals in the first half of the 2024-25 season, as two of those efforts came in the Champions League.

  The opportunity to reunite with Balogun in one of Europe's big five leagues then cropped up in January, which proved to be too good to turn down. Biereth signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at Monaco, and the Ligue 1 giants have seen an instant return on their investment.

  Biereth has already hit a pair of hat-tricks against Auxerre and Nantes, along with a crucial goal in a 3-2 win over Rennes, making him only the second player to score seven goals in his first five Ligue 1 appearances this century, after former Paris Saint-Germain superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Next up, Monaco will head to Portugal to face Benfica in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie, and if Biereth is in the mood again, Adi Hutter's side have a real shot at overturning a 1-0 aggregate deficit.

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  Biggest strengths

  "I’d say I’m a worse hybrid of (Harry) Kane and (Erling) Haaland," Biereth told last year. "I like to run in behind like Haaland and try to do what Kane does in the way he combines with his team-mates." That was a shrewd self-assessment from the Denmark U21 international, who is already an accomplished poacher and link-man.

  Biereth's intelligent off-the-ball movement makes him a nightmare for defenders, and he's remarkably composed in front of goal. He's a clinical finisher who is equally deadly with both feet and he possesses a brilliant first touch, giving Monaco the perfect outlet when they turn over possession.

  Indeed, Hutter's 4-2-3-1 system appears to be tailor-made for Biereth. The former Arsenal prospect stretches defences and creates space for the likes of Takumi Minamino, Maghnes Akilouche and Eliesse Ben Seghir to wreak havoc, while his natural instincts in and around the box have added a new dimension to this Monaco team with Balogun still out of the picture as he continues to recover from a serious shoulder injury.

Glasgow Rangers secured a much-needed Premiership victory against St Mirren on Sunday afternoon, making it two wins in four days.

The Ibrox side were made to work for the win, however, as the Buddies looked a solid attacking threat throughout the game and if it were not for a marginal offside call in the second half, they could easily have taken something from the game.

The performance wasn’t as fluid as against FCSB, but hopefully, this can inspire some confidence ahead of the clash against in-form Aberdeen on Wednesday evening.

Best and worst performers for Rangers vs St Mirren

Mohamed Diomande was moved to a more advanced position and scored the opening goal within 15 minutes, winning four of seven duels, succeeding with 100% of his long balls and managing three total shots.

Vaclav Cerny continued his recent goalscoring form, netting the winner and looking lively at times down the right flank.

Hamza Igamane was given a rare start, hoping to continue where he left off against FCSB. The striker failed to register a single effort on goal and was subbed off at half-time, with Cyriel Dessers coming on for him.

The Moroccan summer signing is still a work in progress. The more he plays, the better he will get. Robin Propper, however, is an experienced professional, yet he was bullied by the St Mirren attack.

Robin Propper’s game in numbers vs St Mirren

The centre-back has begun to establish himself as one of the first-choice defenders in the squad, partnering John Souttar regularly over the previous few weeks. Against the Buddies, Philippe Clement went with Leon Balogun as the Dutchman’s partner on Sunday.

Balogun was excellent yet again, oozing class despite his advancing years. The same can not be said for Propper, however, as the former FC Twente defender struggled.

Indeed, the centre-back lost five of his nine contested duels during his 60 minutes on the pitch, was successful with just three of his eight long ball attempts, made zero interceptions and was dribbled past once.

The statistics suggest he wasn’t at the races, but it was more how the Dutchman couldn’t quite cope with the physical threat posed by Toyosi Olusanya, who took full advantage of Propper’s lack of physicality.

He was given a match rating of 6.4/10 by WhoScored following his poor display during the 2-1 win, with more criticism coming elsewhere.

Writer Graeme Hanna criticised Propper after the game, saying: “Said it after Tannadice, Propper doesn’t have the physicality for our league and the opponents we face. He’s another questionable first choice signing.”

At 31, Propper is approaching the final few years of his career, which suggests he was signed as someone to plug the gap left by Connor Goldson, rather than someone who could have a bright future in Scotland.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Against Aberdeen, Clement must surely go with a defensive partnership of Balogun and Souttar in order to prevent the Dons securing another league win against the Light Blues on Wednesday evening.

Clement has struck gold on Rangers star who's worth 2x more than Kent

Rangers have already hit the jackpot on star who just joined this summer…

By
Ross Kilvington

Oct 26, 2024

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is doing “important things”, but Fabio Capello says the teen sensation “doesn’t have Lionel Messi’s genius”.

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• Both graduates of La Masia academy
• Messi has earned GOAT status
• Yamal hoping to tread similar path

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inevitable comparisons have been drawn between La Masia academy graduates of past and present. Messi stepped out of that fabled youth system in Catalunya to become an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and arguably the greatest player of all-time.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal, at just 17 years of age, is hoping to head down a similar path. He has already sent records tumbling as a European Championship winner with Spain and holder of the prestigious Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards. There is the promise of plenty more to come from him.

• WHAT FABIO CAPELLO SAID

  Many have been quick to talk up Yamal’s claims to being Messi’s rightful heir at Barcelona, but former Real Madrid boss Capello is not convinced that the youngster will ever hit those heights. The Italian said at the Laureus Awards ceremony when asked about Yamal: “He’s a kid who is doing important things. When he started at Barcelona, it was said that he was the new Messi. He doesn’t reach that level. He’s an extraordinary, spectacular, top player, but he doesn’t have Messi’s genius.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Yamal has continued to star for Barca in the 2024-25 campaign, with there still three more trophies for him to try and chase down before the season is done. Messi, meanwhile, has opened his quest for MLS Cup glory in 2025 with current employers Inter Miami.

Nottingham Forest have not been shy about spending big money since they returned to the Premier League three seasons ago. After two campaigns battling against relegation back to the Championship, they have flown out of the traps this term.

Impressively, the Midlands club sit third in the Premier League table, one point ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea, their nearest challengers for a top-four spot. They have been superb defensively, conceding just seven times, the second-fewest in the top flight, behind only Liverpool.

So far, the men in Garibaldi Red have had a superb season. They are no doubt desperate to maintain this form and have been linked with a player who could add great strength to the squad in January.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

The player in question here is Bayern Munich and French under-21 international attacker Mathys Tel. The 19-year-old has struggled for game time at the German giants, and could well depart the club in the 2025 winter transfer window.

According to a report from Florian Plettenberg, the Midlands club are “interested” in signing the French winger, and “have already made contact” with Bayern over a potential deal. They will not be alone in their hunt for his signature, however, with German outfit Werder Bremen also chasing him.

Any potential deal would reportedly just be a loan rather than a permanent move at this stage, There could, however, be a crucial stumbling block to signing Tel this winter, with Plettenberg reporting that he “has no plans to leave” Bavaria on a temporary deal.

Why Tel would be a good signing

It would be a fantastic statement of intent to sign such a hot prospect this winter from the Midlands outfit. Interestingly, he is a player whom Edu reportedly wanted to sign at Arsenal. The Brazilian will join Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis in an unspecified boardroom role following a shock resignation from Arsenal. There is certainly a link between Tel and Edu.

It has been a tough start to the season for the young Frenchman. Under new boss Vincent Kompany, his minutes have not really increased, playing 224 minutes across seven games so far, two of which include starts. The dynamic winger has yet to find the back of the net, either.

With that being said, the teenage sensation, described as a “jewel” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has a good record for the Bavarian side. He has played 76 times so far scoring 16 goals and grabbing six assists in just 2230 minutes, equivalent to 24 full 90 minutes.

Should the Midlands outfit bring in the attacker, who is valued at £33.5m by Transfermarkt, he could be an upgrade on Callum Hudson-Odoi. The Chelsea academy graduate has been an important player for the Midlands side this term, scoring two goals in ten Premier League games, but statistically, Tel edges him in many metrics.

When looking at the pair’s stats from last season, there is a clear difference between each. It is worth considering that one played for a high-possession, attacking side in Bayern, whereas Forest were scrapping against relegation. However, in some metrics, there is still a clear gap.

As per FBref, Bayern’s starlet averaged more passes into the final third, with 1.97 each game, and more passes into the penalty area, with 1.62. In contrast, the English winger played 0.97 passes into the final third and 1.55 passes into the penalty area.

The Frenchman also had more success in take-ons last term than the Forest number 14. He completed 3.16 per game, with a 55.2% completion rate, compared to just 2.09 for Hudson-Odoi, who completed 53.8%.

It would certainly be a statement of intent from Forest – and the incoming Edu – to bring Tel in. Not only could he challenge and potentially upgrade Hudson-Odoi, but they would be adding a highly-rated youngster who can play right across the forward line.

In terms of signing a young, hungry player who would continue to fuel a shock European charge, there are perhaps few better.

Edu and Nottingham Forest make contact to sign "machine" versatile attacker

Evangelos Marinakis is set to triple Edu’s salary.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 5, 2024

Liverpool could be set to lose a member of their squad in the winter window as it emerged they were ready to cut ties with one man currently out of favour under Arne Slot as soon as January.

Liverpool flying high in the Premier League

After 11 games of the season, Liverpool are top of the Premier League. The Reds have lost just once all season – a shock defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest – and have already managed to open up a five-point gap over reigning champions Manchester City, while last season’s runners-up Arsenal sit nine points behind a quarter-way through the season.

Their success has been mirrored in other competitions too; Arne Slot’s side are top of the Champions League table as the only side with a 100% record in the competition, while they have also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they face a last-eight trip to St Mary’s to take on Southampton.

This has all been achieved with just a single outfield signing since the departure of Jurgen Klopp, though Federico Chiesa has managed just a single start for his new club since joining from Juventus.

Following the November international break, Liverpool will be asked more questions as they face a tricky run of fixtures against the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, but such is their buffer that even minor blips may not prove fatal, and they have shown themselves to be firmly in the title race.

However, not everyone is enjoying the newfound success, and one man could now be set to leave in January.

Liverpool ready to sell wantaway midfielder

That comes as a fresh report reveals Liverpool are ready to cash in on wantaway midfielder Wataru Endo, who has been used sparingly by Slot since his arrival at the club.

Signed 18 months ago, Endo endeared himself to the Liverpool fans with his work-rate under Jürgen Klopp, and the former Liverpool boss dubbed him a “machine” after one particularly impressive outing.

“He’s a machine. He is footballing-wise exceptional. His defensive brain is outstanding”, the German explained.

However, Slot has decided to use Ryan Gravenberch at the base of midfield, leaving Endo on the bench more often than not. The Japanese midfielder has managed just 19 minutes of Premier League action across five appearances, and is keen to move away for more game time amid interest from the likes of Ipswich Town and Fulham.

Biggest gem since Trent: Liverpool have found an £89m star in the making

Liverpool have an academy talent who could be every bit as good as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 12, 2024

Endo still has two and a half years left to run on his £50,000-a-week deal at Anfield, but could be set to leave much sooner than that.

Now, Football Insider reports that Liverpool are ready to accept offers for the 31-year-old in January, but they will only sanction a deal “if they make a signing of their own” to bolster that position.

Endo is clearly out of favour, and now at 31 years old, is rapidly approaching the end of his peak years. With Liverpool having already missed out on signing Martin Zubimendi in the summer, the desire to upgrade on the Japan star is clear, and January could offer the perfect opportunity to do so.

Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca has been handed a hefty nine-month ban after clashing with a referee in an ugly confrontation in Ligue 1.

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• Fonseca in ugly confrontation with referee
• Has been slapped with severe sanction
• Banned from touchline until end of November

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fonseca was shown a straight red card during Lyon's 2-1 win over Brest at the start of March and reacted angrily by squaring up to the match referee and pushing his head into the face of Benoit Millot. The Lyon boss subsequently apologised but has now been hit with a nine-month ban for his actions and is barred from the touchline, the bench, the dressing rooms and any official functions before, during or after matches until November 30.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Millot spoke out about Fonseca's behaviour after the match. He told: "He rushed toward me with an intimidating attitude and I decided to send him off directly. There was, it seems, a slight contact with the nose. [It was] a particularly intimidating, aggressive attitude, which one can hardly imagine from a professional coach."

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  President of the disciplinary committee, Sebastien Deneux, said: "The commission deplores that once again, a major player in Ligue 1 has adopted such behaviour and renounced a requirement and an ambition of responsibility. Mr Fonseca is a Ligue 1 coach. He is above all an educator. It goes without saying that this attitude is strictly incompatible with these functions. The committee found that Mr Fonseca's attitude, throwing himself towards the referee, yelling at him, to the point that they found themselves head to head, is an attitude characteristic of intimidating and threatening behaviour. The committee therefore sanctions Mr Fonseca with a suspension from the touchline and referee's locker room until 30 November 2025. Because it also finds that this is a serious misconduct, this sanction will also cover access to his own locker room before, during and after the match until 15 September 2025."

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  WHAT NEXT

  Fonseca only arrived at Lyon in January after being sacked by AC Milan. His tenure at the club has gotten off to a disastrous start, but it remains to be seen how the ban will affect his team. Lyon currently sit in sixth place in the Ligue 1 table and take on FCSB next in the Europa League.

Denmark coach Brian Riemer has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the "scariest" and trumps Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate "every day".

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• CR7 still going strong at 40 years of age
• Takes great pleasure in silencing doubters
• Chasing down more major honours in 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Two superstars of world football have spent the best part of two decades battling it out for the right to be considered the greatest of all time. Many have Messi at the top of that chart, with the Argentine icon now the most-decorated player in history – with eight Ballons d’Or and a World Cup crown figuring prominently on his glittering CV.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo, though, has five Golden Balls of his own and has also broken countless records down the years. He is showing no sign of slowing down at 40 years of age, as he remains a talismanic presence for Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.

• WHAT DENMARK COACH SAID

  CR7 is back in trophy-hunting mode at present, as Portugal prepare to face Denmark in the Nations League quarter-finals, with Riemer telling when asked if Ronaldo still offers the biggest threat to any rival: "Yes, what a player! I think I've been asked, curiously, in the last three or four interviews I've done: ‘Messi or Ronaldo?’ For me, it's Ronaldo, every day!

  "I've always admired this guy. I think he's not only achieved incredible numbers throughout his career – top scorer, trophies, there's no arguing about that – but he's also a great example for young people. His professionalism, the way he looks after his body, the way he's managed to continue all these years at the highest level."

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Riemer added: "I think the big mistake a lot of people make with Ronaldo is that they've been too busy writing him off in recent years and every time they try to write him off, he becomes the top scorer, like now in the Nations League. So I have the deepest respect for him.

  "I think he's still one of the scariest players you can face and I think he's in great shape. He's not the same as he was before, he's a different footballer now, but that doesn't make him any worse. He's different but he's still a great player. We have a lot of respect for him and we're looking forward to facing him."