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Liverpool have a talented squad that is more than capable of leading Arne Slot toward success, though, without question, reinforcements are paramount this summer.

Leading authorities such as The Athletic's David Ornstein have revealed that FSG are going to target a central defender and a wide forward to ensure that Liverpool stand a good chance of closing the distance on Manchester City and Arsenal, though recent news suggests that the midfield could face further work in the months to come.

Jurgen Klopp countered last summer's midfield exodus by making sweeping changes, but now that Thiago Alcantara has departed upon the end of his contract there is possibly room for one more star in the centre of the park.

Liverpool now frontrunners for former Slot star

According to Calciomercato, Liverpool are leading the race for Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners, with Chelsea and Juventus also in the mix for the Dutchman, who has been valued at €60m (£52m) by the recently-crowned Europa League champions.

Koopmeiners, aged 25, has played a leading role in Piero Gian Gasperini's side's campaign but has recently suggested that he hopes to close the door on his Atalanta career, opening the door for Slot's Liverpool.

Given that Liverpool's new head coach has previously worked with his countryman when he led AZ Alkmaar, Koopmeiners featuring 58 times under the 46-year-old, it might be the perfect opportunity for the Reds to complete their engine room with a quality addition.

Why Liverpool are interested in Teun Koopmeiners

If you had to pin down Koopmeiners' ability to one performance, look no further than his display against record-breaking near-invincibles Bayer Leverkusen in this week's Europa League final.

The Netherlands star earned an 8/10 match rating by 90min after a tireless effort, with the publication writing: 'Picked up some dangerous positions deep in Leverkusen territory and produced some incisive passes to open up their defence.'

Koopmeiners wasn't at his best, winning just four of 12 contested duels and failing to make a key pass, as per Sofascore, but he fought brilliantly to subdue Xabi Alonso's indomitable Bundesliga champions.

Let's not forget, only one month earlier Koopmeiners produced a masterful two-legged performance to knock Liverpool out of the continental competition, winning 12 duels and making seven tackles across the two matches.

Hailed for his "complete" skill set by Dutch legend Ruud Krol, the 6 foot 1 talent has showcased some pretty impressive skills this season, scoring 15 goals and adding seven assists in all competitions, with his creative, tenacious and robust style drawing comparisons to none other than Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes.

1.

Aleksandr Golovin

AS Monaco

2.

Florian Sotoca

Lens

3.

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

4.

Angelo Fulgini

Lens

5.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

A dynamic midfielder, Koopmeiners ranks among the top 20% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 19% for passes attempted, the top 13% for progressive passes and the top 5% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

Let's compare that to the Red Devils captain: Fernandes ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes and clearances and the top 13% for tackles and interceptions per 90.

Erik ten Hag's side might have struggled to impress this season but Fernandes has maintained his position as a beacon of strength for a fallen giant – creating the most chances in the Premier League – and adding a player of similar quality and commitment to the balmy conditions at Anfield would only strengthen Slot's accord.

Slot should ditch Liverpool star earning more than Diaz & Jones combined

Jamie Carragher noted that this Reds player was “so poor” this season.

ByAngus Sinclair May 25, 2024

Erik ten Hag put the blame on Manchester United defenders for leaving Joao Pedro unmarked during Brighton's late winner.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• United succumbed to a 2-1 loss
• Pedro struck late in stoppage time
• Ten Hag furious with his full-backs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pedro headed home a 95th-minute winner to inflict the season's first defeat on United after Amad Diallo cancelled out Danny Welbeck's winner. An unchallenged Simon Adingra swung in a cross, with full-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui both culpable in allowing the winger to cut inside. The striker made no mistake to score, leaving Ten Hag frustrated with his players.

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  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  "We didn't stop the cross," Ten Hag said. "There were three players [around Adingra], and he's a right-footed player. We should have forced him down the line, kept him wide, instead of letting him cut inside and deliver the cross. We have, of course, to talk about this, how we act in that situation as a team. There were more than one mistake on that occasion and it has a big impact on the score."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pedro's 95th-minute strike was not an isolated incident; it was the sixth time in two years that Manchester United has conceded a goal after the 90th minute under Ten Hag's management. No other Premier League club has suffered as many late-game losses in that period, a worrying trend that Ten Hag acknowledged but was quick to defend.

  "Conceding in added time] is very disappointing, yeah," he admitted. "Because in the Community Shield, we concede just before time, we should be more clinical in such situations, read the game, take the point if you can't win any more. We were close to winning this game but definitely don't lose the game.

  "I think we also often did the right things, that we often had success. For instance, when we win the trophies and there were many other big games we take the points. On this occasion today we should do better. On many occasions, we have done very well in situations where we brought the score over the line and took the result."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite the disappointing result, Ten Hag found some positives in United's performance, particularly in the first half.

  "Not only counter-attacking but build-up, possession, how we defend," he added. "I have seen some good parts, there were parts in the game, especially the second part, we should keep more control in the game. But there were very good parts but we have to build up, be more clinal, and be more aggressive."

West Ham United manager David Moyes made a host of changes last weekend, presumably in preparation for this evening's clash against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg, the indomitable Bundesliga champions fashioning two late goals, the Hammers are up against it. A two-goal lead is needed at full-time just to stay in the tie. Xabi Alonso's team have not lost all season. West Ham have two wins in nine.

But defeat at home against Fulham in the Premier League was simultaneously a blow to the most probable route into continental competition next season and United's confidence, which will be key against Die Werkself.

Still, London Stadium will bring the noise and West Ham produced a promising performance last Thursday – Moyes said his squad has "half a chance", which might just be enough.

West Ham team news

Lucas Paqueta got himself suspended for this one in the first leg in a crushing blow to West Ham's chances of qualification. The absence of the club's creative linchpin will be keenly felt.

Tough-tackling defender Emerson Palmieri will also be absent due to suspension in a hammer blow to Moyes' Irons, while Konstantinos Mavropanos will miss out with injury.

However, in a huge boost, Moyes has confirmed that talisman Jarrod Bowen is fit to face Bayer Leverkusen after returning to training on Wednesday after injury.

He will be a massive threat, but not the only one who could cause problems tonight.

Why West Ham must unleash Tomas Soucek

The man in question is Tomas Soucek, who has been praised for his "sensational" motivating, leadership qualities by his manager, something that will be paramount ahead of the European clash.

Jarrod Bowen

40

19

Mohammed Kudus

39

13

Tomas Soucek

46

9

Lucas Paqueta

38

8

James Ward-Prowse

45

6

Bowen has scored 19 goals and added eight assists from 40 matches for West Ham this season and the visitors will likely view him as the biggest threat. After all, he was the scorer of the Hammers' winning goal in the Conference League final. Soucek is just as important, however, potentially striking from sitting deep and at the centre of the action if his side is to prevail.

This season, in all competitions, Soucek, aged 29, has posted nine goals, with his innate ability to find opportunities and take them providing Moyes' side with an invaluable added dimension.

On top of this, the Czech midfielder ranks among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions and the top 1% for clearances and aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.

The Athletic's Roshane Thomas remarked that Soucek had "rediscovered his verve to become West Ham's talisman" this season, having flattered to deceive across large portions of the 2022/23 campaign.

His blend of attacking and defensive attributes bespeak his importance and influence, capable of contributing in many different ways and posing a problem against Alonso's side.

Furthermore, he was crucial in rebuffing the German team last week, dropping deep to add a layer of protection in the defensive third, blocking three shots, making two interceptions and making three crucial clearances, as per Sofascore.

It won't be easy; Leverkusen have probably been the best team in Europe this season and are charging toward an undefeated treble, but with Soucek's industriousness used to quell the beast in the first half, his rangy goalscoring prowess could be activated after the break to find space and fire his side toward victory.

Chalkboard

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

نجح منتخب إنجلترا في تحقيق فوز كبير على نظيره أيرلندا بنتيجة 5/0، في إطار منافسات دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وواجه منتخب إنجلترا خصمه المنتخب الأيرلندي، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من منافسات المجموعة الثانية في المستوى الثاني من دوري الأمم الأوروبية على ملعب “ويمبلي”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. محمد صلاح يوجه نصيحة لـ عمر مرموش ويحذر الجماهير: ما يحدث معه غير مقبول

انتهى الشوط الأول سلبي النتيجة في شوط شهد سيطرة المنتخب الإنجليزي على مجريات اللقاء، وسط تراجع من لاعبي منتخب أيرلندا للدفاع عن مرماهم.

مع بداية الشوط الثاني وعند الدقيقة 51، تلقى مدافع أيرلندا ليام سكيلز البطاقة الصفراء الثانية ثم الحمراء، عقب ارتكابه لخطأ داخل منطقة الجزاء.

ومن علامة الجزاء وقع هاري كين على أول أهداف إنجلترا بحلول الدقيقة 53.

وضاعف أنتوني جوردون نتيجة المباراة بإحرازه الهدف الثاني للمنتخب الإنجليزي بصناعة من ليفرمينتو بالدقيقة 56.

وتمكن كونرو جالاجير من تسجيل الهدف الثالث لأصحاب الأرض بحلول الدقيقة 58، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من مارك جويهي.

الهدف الرابع للمنتخب الإنجليزي جاء عن طريق جارود بوين عن الدقيقة 76، بصناعة من جود بيلينجهام.

وبتمريرة عرضية من بيلينجهام، أحرز تايلور هاروود الهدف الخامس للأسود الثلاثة من ضربة رأسية في شباك كويمين كيليهر.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد منتخب إنجلترا إلى النقطة 15 في صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الثانية، بينما تجمد رصيد أيرلندا عند النقطة 6 في المركز الثالث.   اهداف مباراة انجلترا وايرلندا 5 0 دوري امم اوروبا 

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo, mesmo com jogadores reservas, bateu o Sporting Cristal por 3 a 0, no Morumbi, pela sexta rodada do Grupo E da Libertadores, passando para as oitavas de final em segundo do Grupo E da competição continental.

ATUAÇÕES: Bruno Alves, Hernanes e Rojas lideram reservas do São Paulo em vitória na Libertadores

Após a partida, o volante Rodrigo Nestor analisou a vitória do Tricolor sobre os peruanos e ressaltou a força do elenco são-paulino para triunfar de maneira sólida diante de um adversário tradicional.

RelacionadasSão PauloBruno Alves, do São Paulo, leva terceiro amarelo e não joga a ida das oitavas da LibertadoresSão Paulo25/05/2021Futebol NacionalJogando em Cotia, Flamengo vence o São Paulo pelo Brasileiro Sub-17Futebol Nacional25/05/2021São PauloCom reservas, São Paulo goleia Sporting Cristal e passa em segundo no Grupo E da LibertadoresSão Paulo25/05/2021

– Importantíssima a vitória, para ressaltar a força do elenco. Alguns jogadores estavam sem jogar muito, casos do Shaylon, Everton Felipe, até mesmo o Hernanes. Deram conta do recado. Impressionante a força do elenco e o foco que todos têm – disse o jogador, em entrevista coletiva.

Perguntado sobre o Sporting Cristal, Nestor elogiou a equipe peruana, apesar da eliminação do time na chave são-paulina.

– É um time muito bom. Não é a toa que chegou na Libertadores. Eles deram bastante dificuldade para nós, mas conseguimos impor o nosso ritmo e acabou dando tudo certo – finalizou Nestor.

O São Paulo volta a campo neste sábado (29), às 19h, contra o Fluminense, pela primeira rodada do Brasileirão, no Morumbi.

West Ham United chiefs think an "outstanding" tactician is "gettable", and he's now seen as the favourite to replace David Moyes if he leaves.

Moyes' future still uncertain as West Ham contract winds down

The Scotsman has been one of their most successful managers in history, guiding the club to successive campaigns in Europe and helping them to win their first piece of major silverware since the 1980s last campaign.

Related West Ham working on forward with 15 goals and 14 assists this season

The Hammers failed to sign a new forward in January.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 12, 2024

West Ham's Europa Conference League triumph in Prague will go down in the memory of every supporter as a Moyes era-defining night, and it was the perfect end to a topsy-turvy campaign where the Hammers were flirting with relegation domestically.

On paper, Moyes' achievements since he's come in have been extremely noteworthy, but there are those who believe the 60-year-old has taken West Ham as far as he possibly can.

West Ham's league finishes under Moyes

Season

14th

22/23

6th

21/22

7th

20/21

16th

19/20

While their European record has been sublime under the former Man United boss, West Ham's league form since the summer of 2022 has shed doubt over the suitability of Moyes long-term.

They finished 14th last season and were stuck in a battle to avoid the drop for a large portion of 2022/2023, so much so that Moyes was close to being sacked by West Ham last season as well.

The Irons boss' contract expires this summer, and it is believed that technical director Tim Steidten has been looking at potential Moyes replacements in the background at West Ham.

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, while provisional talks have taken place over a new contract for Moyes, the club will wait to assess the situation before putting it on the table.

"He quite confidentially spoke to the press and said he has a contract offer and that it is him that is deliberating for now and not the club," wrote Ex.

"This story isn’t entirely what my sources had led me to believe. I think the terms and conditions of the have been discussed and are probably close to agreement. I do, however, believe that the deal has effectively been put off being completed until the end of the season when we are able to properly assess the achievements this year. I feel that this is the best decision for all parties."

Graham Potter favourite to replace David Moyes at West Ham

Football Insider, sharing an in-depth report on the managers who could succeed Moyes if he departs, have an interesting line on Graham Potter.

Indeed, according to the website, West Ham's board see Potter as "gettable" and he's currently the favourite to replace Moyes as things stand.

Out of work since being sacked by Chelsea, the 48-year-old is apparently still held in high regard, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola previously calling him "outstanding" for the job he did at Brighton.

Tottenham Hotspur maintained their bid for Champions League qualification with a last-gasp win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend, with summer signing Brennan Johnson lashing home at the back post in the sixth minute of stoppage time to grab all three points.

That crucial victory also marked the welcome return of influential captain, Heung-min Son off the bench, the South Korean star making his return to action after enduring Asian Cup disappointment in Qatar.

While Spurs have performed admirably in the 31-year-old's absence, the north Londoners are undoubtedly a better team with him in it, showcased by the fact that it was Son who teed up Johnson for the game's decisive goal.

Now firmly out of Harry Kane's shadow, the former Bayer Leverkusen man leads the way for his side this season with 12 Premier League goals, while his latest contribution also ensures that he now has six assists to boot in the top-flight.

Such devastating form has once again illustrated just how lucky the club are to have the wing wizard on their books, with it likely to be a case of when and not if the forward pens a new deal, with just over a year left on his existing contract.

Although there is currently no need to think about replacing the £190k-per-week marksman due to his continued heroics, it may be wise for Ange Postecoglou and co to have a succession plan in place, if and when Son does eventually depart or see his form begin to dwindle.

Players who could replace Son at Spurs

In his absence while on international duty, the one-time Hamburg man saw his left-wing berth taken up by January arrival, Timo Werner, with the former Chelsea flop making a solid start with two assists from his first four league outings for the club.

With Spurs having the option to make the German's loan deal permanent for just £15m this summer, it looks as if the 27-year-old will be part of Postecoglou's plans over the next few years – unless something goes drastically wrong over the next few months.

Whether the RB Leipzig man is of the desired quality to eventually fill Sons shoes on a long-term basis is another matter, however, with the Lilywhites likely to be wary of his dismal stint at Stamford Bridge, in which he scored just ten league goals in two seasons.

With alternatives such as Manor Solomon having been hampered by injury – and with both Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson typically featuring off the right flank – Postecoglou may have to search elsewhere to find a suitable successor to Son.

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Of course, future transfer windows could aid in that pursuit, although there is perhaps a chance to look closer to home, with academy sensation Yago Santiago seemingly deserving an opportunity to impress at first-team level before too long.

Yago Santiago's style of play

The former Celta Vigo youth star – who arrived in England from his hometown club back in 2019 – has operated in a variety of attacking roles during his time in north London, albeit while typically thriving off the left flank this season.

The 20-year-old has been dubbed the 'total footballer' by reports in Spain of late, with the Galicia Press suggesting that he is getting 'closer and closer' to making his senior bow under Postecoglou, having been named on the bench in the Premier League and FA Cup this season.

With academy colleague Jamie Donley having already been handed a handful of brief cameos in recent times in the senior set-up, Santiago could well follow the England youth star, having become hard to ignore with 15 goals and eight assists in 63 games for the club's U23 side.

A talent with a "really bright future" at the club – in the words of Tottenham presenter Matt Tarr – the silky Spaniard has received glowing reports over recent seasons, with superhotspur hailing him as looking 'effortless with the ball at his feet' as he is 'so composed'.

As per the same source, the promising wideman – who previously trained with the first-team during Antonio Conte's stint in charge – has particularly impressed due to 'his pace and running in behind the defence', ensuring he could fit in smoothly to Postecoglou's approach.

Yago Santiago's season in numbers

Now on the cusp of the first-team, Santiago is doing all he can to catch the eye of the former Celtic boss amid his dazzling displays at youth level, having chipped in with six goals and four assists in just nine Premier League 2 appearances in 2023/24.

A right-footer like Son who seeks to cut in from the left, the Vigo native also caught the eye against senior opposition in this season's EFL Trophy, playing the full 90 minutes against both Colchester United and Peterborough.

Despite not scoring in those two outings, the future Spurs star did still impress having averaged three key passes per game as a marker of his creative prowess, with Son, for instance, averaging just 1.8 in that regard in the top-flight – albeit across 21 games.

Equally, what also sets Santiago apart is his 'excellent' work rate – as noted by superhotspur – having averaged 2.5 interceptions and two tackles per game in the competition, while also averaging seven balls recovered per game.

2 games (2 starts)

3 key passes per game

87% pass accuracy rate

2.5 interceptions per game

2 tackles per game

7 balls recovered per game

2 successful dribbles per game

Stats via Sofascore

With two successful dribbles per game also under his belt, the emerging sensation appears to have it all in his locker, with it hopefully just a matter of time before this young diamond can sparkle in the senior ranks.

There may be a long way to go before he is rivalling the likes of Werner and Son, but all the signs point to a player who supporters can fall in love as the South Korean's dream successor.

Arsenal reannounced themselves as genuine Premier League title contenders last night with a comprehensive 3-1 home win over rivals Liverpool.

The entire team were excellent from the first whistle – bar a comedy of errors in the 45th minute – but two players who have perhaps not received the praise they deserved are Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White.

Both full-backs – and White in particular – were electric in the first half, but a minor injury to Zinchenko and a lack of depth at right-back in the absence of Takehiro Tomyasu and Jurrien Timber is a genuine concern.

With this in mind, it makes sense to see links to Jeremie Frimpong in recent months, but Mikel Arteta might be able to save the club a lot of money by promoting one of Hale End's most exciting youngsters, someone who has been compared to Reece James.

Arsenal's pursuit of Jeremie Frimpong

Like most of their rivals in England, the Gunners endured a rather barren transfer window last month in which they made no new signings and either sent players out on loan or authorised permanent exits.

However, that didn't stop numerous high-profile players being touted for a move to N5, and while many of said rumours would have been baseless, the links to Bayer Leverkusen's Frimpong looked genuine.

According to German publication BILD (via TEAMtalk), the north Londoners plan to sign the young full-back in the summer by activating his £34m release clause, which only comes into effect in the summer.

Now, while that might not seem like an awful lot of money in the modern game, last month's lack of spending suggests that it might once again be viewed as a significant investment, and if that's true, it might be wiser to promote from within and save those funds for a more pressing matter; a clinical forward.

And it should be easier for Arteta to do that with Brooke Norton-Cuffy waiting in the wings at Arsenal.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy's promising career so far

Described as a 'marauding right back with bags of pace and superb technical ability' on the Arsenal website, Norton-Cuffy is easily one of the most exciting young prospects to come out of Hale End in quite some time, and unlike a lot of young academy players, he has quite a bit of senior football under his belt already.

Described as Arsenal's "own Reece James" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Norton-Cuffy – like James – has spent a significant amount of time away from north London already, with loan spells to League One side Lincoln City and Championship sides Rotherham United, Coventry City and Millwall.

He has been able to make an impact at each club he has played for, and has already made 27 appearances for Millwall in the second tier this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and being described as "an exciting player with a lot of potential" by manager Joe Edwards.

In James' 45 Championship appearances, he managed to score just three goals and provide three assists, so while the "insane" Arsenal youngster, as described by Mattinson, still has a long way to reach the level the Chelsea man has, he's almost certainly going to beat his tally, considering he has another 18 games in which to do so.

Moreover, while his attacking output still lags behind Frimpong's, his defensive abilities are already more impressive.

Norton-Cuffy

Frimpong

0.18

0.53

0.09

0.30

1.26

0.59

0.99

0.30

1.57

0.53

4.93

3.91

1.52

0.53

For example, his non-penalty expected goal and assists number is just 0.18 to Frimpong's 0.53, but he wins significantly more tackles, makes more interceptions, more clearances, more ball recoveries and wins more aerial duels per 90.

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Ultimately, with money potentially at more of a premium in the future and a striker being an area of need, it would make far more sense to promote Norton-Cuffy next season over signing Frimpong, and if Mattinson is correct, that he could end up emulating James, then Arteta will have an imposing array of full-backs to chose from going forward.

Leeds United are pushing for automatic promotion in the Championship, and there have now been claims they could look at signing a free-agent midfielder.

Leeds United’s January transfer window

The Whites left it late in the winter market to secure their only signing of the month, with right-back Connor Roberts joining on loan from Burnley. Daniel Farke arguably needed a new full-back, especially after Djed Spence’s season-long loan was terminated early and Luke Ayling left for Middlesbrough and was delighted at signing Roberts, saying:

“So we wanted to bring a specialist in. “We found one with Connor Roberts, in a perfect age, experience, we wanted to add a bit of experience. Great, great CV. Even last season he was in the Team of the Year in the Championship as a right-back.

“One hundred and eighty games on this level, 40 Premier League games, top-class character, available right now and also fully committed. I’m pretty happy with him. “So it feels a bit like half of the Welsh national team is meanwhile with us, but I also quite like the mentality, so we will prepare them properly for a play-off final against Glen Kamara’s Finland.

“Overall, a really good signing and we had to be patient with this one because we wanted to bring a proper one in and also someone who improves our group.”

Roberts arrived too late to make his debut against Bristol City and was cup-tied in the week, so he could be in line to make his debut against Rotherham United. There were more Elland Road departures last month as well, with Darko Gyabi, Ian Poveda and Sean McGurk joining Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon Town respectively.

Even though the window is shut, Luis Sinisterra has made his move to Bournemouth permanent, and with the free agent market always open, there have been claims of potential targets.

Leeds free agent transfer claim

Leeds Live shared a story in the last 48 hours, looking at four free agents who Farke could consider bringing to Elland Road to help Leeds continue their promising start to the calendar year. One of those was midfielder Josh Onomah, who has actually been without a club since the summer after leaving Preston North End.

“Onomah has experience both at Championship and Premier League level, most recently representing Preston North End. His career began at Tottenham Hotspur, who he represented 32 times before joining Fulham in 2019. His first goal for the Cottagers ironically arrived against Leeds in December of that year and he remained with the London club until moving to Preston in January 2023. Still only 26 years of age, Onomah could serve as a useful option in central midfield between now and the end of the campaign.”

Onomah, a former England U21 international, has made ten or more appearances in four different midfield roles, so the 26-year-old would bring plenty of versatility to his next club.

However, with Leeds having Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, Archie Gray and Ethan Ampadu as options in the middle of the park, you could make an argument that someone like Onomah isn’t desperately needed in Yorkshire.

Without the worry of qualifying, South Africa begin the series of long farewells to Tahir and Duminy from 50-over cricket

Liam Brickhill27-Jun-2019Big pictureIt was only three months ago that Sri Lanka travelled the length and breadth of South Africa, only to be walloped 5-0 in the ODIs and 3-0 in the T20Is. Their bowlers were flayed all around while the batsman were repeatedly tormented by a fiery attack. Lasith Malinga struggled for impact and looked spent, grumpily berating his team-mates’ attitude. What a different three months can make.Malinga might still be the World Cup’s grumpiest uncle, but he’s also fired his team up to keep them still very much in contention for a semi-final spot. The South African camp, meanwhile, have their pride (and jobs) on the line after five defeats in seven games. South Africa’s failure has been as incomprehensible as Sri Lanka’s success, but here we are.For South Africa, this match – and their final game against Australia – will present an opportunity to bid farewell, at least in this format, to JP Duminy and Imran Tahir, who are all set to retire from ODIs after the World Cup. For the moment, they are a team in limbo, with one foot in the past even as they eye the future.Sri Lanka aren’t quite done with the business of this World Cup, and their focus is very much in the present. Their victory over England and England’s subsequent defeat to Australia have opened up the qualification race, and Sri Lanka could still reach 12 points if they win all three of their remaining games, potentially with a little wriggle room in the top four. They may well need it, if their mercurial run through this tournament so far is anything to go by.Their two victories have been counterbalanced by two massive defeats – by 10 wickets and 87 runs – and the weather has also followed them around, with two of their matches rained off. The weather shouldn’t be an issue this time around, and against a team who are out of contention and deep in introspection, Sri Lanka’s biggest challenge could be to overcome their own inconsistencies.Form guide South Africa: LLWLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLWLWAFPIn the spotlightRassie van der Dussen is possibly the only South African who will leave this World Cup with his reputation enhanced. Van der Dussen has not scored enough runs to outweigh South Africa’s general inadequacies with the bat, but two fifties and an average of 54 in his very first World Cup campaign are not to be sniffed at. He has made a start in every innings, with scores of 50, 41, 22, 67* and 36, and looked to be proactive when set, hitting more sixes (6) than anyone else in his team so far. As South Africa look to move forward after the World Cup, it’s possible that van der Dussen could be asked to play a crucial role – possibly even as a captain, with the incumbent Faf du Plessis suggesting he has “massive leadership potential”.How much does Lasith Malinga have left in the tank? He turned back the clock with the four biggest wickets in England’s top order to help set up a 20-run win in Sri Lanka’s last outing, and in the last two years he has been Sri Lanka’s go-to bowler in every phase of the innings. When Malinga does well, Sri Lanka tend to also, and they need more of the same in their last two group games.Team newsSouth Africa’s selections are somewhat academic at this point, but they may look to give JP Duminy an outing ahead of what could be the final ODI of his career against Australia.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Aiden Markram/JP Duminy, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran TahirNuwan Pradeep is down with fever and could miss out. Suranga Lakmal is likely to come in.Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Jeevan Mendis, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsThis is Chester-le-Street’s first match of the World Cup, and a fresh pitch could well encourage the bowlers early on. The average first innings score at this ground in the last five ODIs played here is a modest 262, and the team that bowls first has won three of those games and nine times out of 16 overall. Fortunately, the weather is expected to be fine on Friday.Strategy punt Dhananjaya de Silva’s offspin could form the basis of a solid game plan against Quinton de Kock, who walloped three half-centuries and a hundred in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in March. De Kock hasn’t exactly struggled against Dhananjaya in the past, averaging 40.5 against him, but has been out to him twice. On his part, three of the five wickets Dhananjaya has picked at this World Cup have been left-handers. Almost a quarter of de Kock’s dismissals in ODIs have been to offspinners, against whom he averages 38.4 (compared to a career average of 45.23). Against him, Dhananjaya could be Sri Lanka’s secret weapon. Lungi Ngidi is yet to take a wicket in the Powerplay this World Cup, and has conceded runs at 7.2 an over at the top of the innings. Should South Africa consider using him as a first change bowler? While he has been ineffective with the new ball, Ngidi has taken all seven of his wickets at the death, and his economy rate of 6.4 in the last 10 overs is one of the best in the tournament. If South Africa allow Chris Morris, who has an economy of just 3.3 in the first 10 during this tournament, to partner Kagiso Rabada with the new ball, Ngidi could be given an extended spell at the back end of the innings.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have never lost an ODI at the Riverside Ground, having played here twice. This will be South Africa’s first game in Durham Ngidi has taken 18 wickets in 9 innings against Sri Lanka at an average of 18.8, his best against any top 10 ranked opposition in ODIsQuotes”What’s left to play for is really ourselves. We’ve dedicated the last two years to coming here and winning the tournament. We can’t let two weeks’ work reflect badly on us.”
“We think that we have a good chance because we are coming off two wins and a very good win against England, although we didn’t play our best cricket to win the game in terms of batting. I think we had a perfect bowling display, defending that target.”