Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been at his best for Liverpool this season, but he’s still Virgil van Dijk.

This is one of the best defenders of his generation, and though he turned 34 in June, the Netherlands and Anfield skipper renewed his £350k-per-week contract at Liverpool until 2027, and more stable defensive foundations would bring the Dutchman back to his usual imperious level.

A mini-revival in recent weeks has eased the pressure on Arne Slot’s shoulders, but there’s no question that the Reds need to sign a centre-back.

Liverpool's plans to sign a centre-back

FSG thought they had completed the perfect summer transfer window, but FSG thought wrong. So many things haven’t gone to plan for Liverpool this season, and the failure to sign an elite centre-half is chief among them.

Sporting director Richard Hughes did, in fairness, fork out £27m to bring Giovanni Leoni to Anfield. But the talented Italian, only 18, ruptured his ACL against Southampton on his debut, and we will not see him back on the grass for some time yet.

With Van Dijk getting on a bit and Ibrahima Konate having plummeted to the nadir of his career form, so many error-strewn and unconvincing performances, the Merseysiders surely need to sign a defender, with depth proving a massive issue for Slot.

According to TEAMtalk, that man might yet be Marc Guehi, who came within a whisker of joining Liverpool last summer, a deal falling through at the eleventh hour on deadline day.

Despite that, the central defender is still ‘hopeful’ of living out his childhood dream of playing for Liverpool, according to the report. He is said to be ‘very keen’ on a move to Anfield.

The England international has been immense this season, as he was last year, and while he is set to leave Selhurst Park on a free transfer at the end of the season, chairman Steve Parish would allow him to leave for a not-so-small fee of £35m in January.

Why Guehi could usurp Van Dijk as Liverpool captain

In short, stability and dynamism in defence, two areas in which the Reds have been decidedly lacking this season. Guehi is not only a “monster in defence”, as he has been described by Crystal Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi, but an intelligent, calculated player, instrumental in the build-up.

In the Premier League this season, there have been few better. Guehi has played 14 of the Eagles’ 15 fixtures, missing out once due to injury, and he has captained Oliver Glasner’s squad on each of those occasions.

Could we be looking at the man who will take the armband from Liverpool’s titanic captain? For sure, Guehi has what it takes to steal Konate’s starting berth from him, so far removed from the Frenchman’s abject performances.

Matches (starts)

14 (14)

15 (15)

Goals + assists

2 + 2

0 + 0

Clean sheets

6

2

Touches*

65.4

74.3

Accurate passes*

44.9 (86%)

54.7 (90%)

Chances created*

0.6

0.3

Recoveries*

4.0

2.7

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

2.1

Clearances*

5.1

6.1

Duels (won)*

5.9 (67%)

6.3 (66%)

Errors

1

4

Guehi rarely makes a mistake. He is calm and composed, and composure and calmness have been in short supply across Liverpool’s backline this season.

Moreover, he would help fix Liverpool’s struggles in the build-up. Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid was always going to force a rewiring of passing patterns, and Konate has been left exposed.

Guehi, however, ranks among the top 8% of Premier League defenders this season for progressive passes, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for tackles won per 90, as well as the top 8% for aerial duel success rate.

This is a complete defender at the top of their game, and with his prime years still in front of him, such an inspiring leader must be brought over to Anfield. Second time lucky? Liverpool could certainly do with a centre-back who has what it takes to grab the baton from Van Dijk.

He'd revive Isak: "Unstoppable" PL star decides he wants to join Liverpool

Liverpool could be edging closer to a marquee January move…

ByRobbie Walls 5 days ago

Manchester United are now accelerating their move to sign a Premier League star, who’s already been contacted about a move to Chelsea, according to reports.

Man Utd debt breaks $1bn after summer window

It’s not getting any easier for INEOS and Manchester United. After they splashed out over £150m in the summer transfer window, the club’s net debt has reportedly broken the $1bn barrier for the first time. This is despite INEOS taking several controversial cost-cutting measures and highlights just how important it is that United get back into the Champions League this season.

In the club’s first-quarter accounts, which were released on Thursday, their noncurrent borrowings were reported at £481 million ($644m). Add in the £105m from their revolving credit facility, however, and that takes their total borrowings to £268m and their total net debt has grown to £749m ($1.002bn).

Yet, the transfer rumours ahead of 2026 continue to arrive. Reports earlier this week even claimed that Man United have made contact in the race to sign Arda Guler from Real Madrid. The Turkish superstar is reportedly worth £88m, however, and would once again add to the club’s growing debt.

INEOS also continue to remain patient with Ruben Amorim, insisting that he’s the man to take the Red Devils back to Europe’s top table. It’s a delicate balance. United need reinforcements, Amorim needs to get the best out of his current squad, and debt must not reach new records.

Bruno 2.0: Man Utd accelerate talks to sign "best CM prospect in the world"

A successor to Bruno Fernandes could be on the cards in 2026 for Manchester United.

ByRobbie Walls 4 days ago

With that said, rather than a move for such expensive targets, United are reportedly looking to sign Sunderland star Noah Sadiki ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Man Utd accelerating move to sign Sadiki

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Man United are now accelerating their move to sign Sadiki after the Sunderland star received contact from Chelsea back in October.

The central midfielder also received contact from United at the beginning of the season in an attempt to get ahead of the chasing pack. As of right now, though, those at Old Trafford find themselves head-to-head against Chelsea in the race to secure the 20-year-old, who joined Sunderland for around £15m in the summer.

It’s easy to see why Sadiki has attracted such interest so soon after arriving in the Premier League. He’s played a pivotal part in Sunderland’s incredible start to the season and it’s the type of rise that their sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman saw coming in the summer.

He told the club’s website after signing the midfielder: “Noah’s enjoyed a great level of experience at a relatively young age, and alongside his drive to improve, this makes him an exciting addition to our squad.

“During his time at USG, he’s played in domestic and European competitions regularly, and the Premier League is a natural next step in his promising career.”

Upgrade on Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of Europe's most in-form STs"

Crystal Palace are now battling Arsenal for the signature of a new forward, who is regarded as “the best” player in his league.

Palace looking to sign new attacker amid Mateta uncertainty

With Jean-Philippe Mateta yet to sign a new contract to extend his stay at Selhurst Park beyond 2027, his future as a Palace player is up in the air, and the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool have been named as potential suitors.

It would, of course, be a real blow to lose Mateta, given that the striker is the Eagles’ top scorer this season, amassing 11 goal contributions across all competitions.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s record in 2025-26

Goals

Assists

Premier League

7

0

Conference League

0

2

Conference League qualifiers

1

0

Community Shield

1

0

The South Londoners are determined to keep hold of the Frenchman, and there is still plenty of time to agree a new deal, but with his future still not secured, a new attacker has been identified as a target ahead of the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Crystal Palace are now rivalling Arsenal for the signature of HNK Rijeka attacking midfielder Toni Fruk, alongside Benfica, Atletico Madrid and a number of other top European clubs.

Rijeka president, Damir Miskovic, has set an asking price of around £13m, with Fruk’s new agency, Niagara Sports, recently holding talks in London, although it is unclear whether Palace were involved in any negotiations.

The Eagles have scouted the 24-year-old on a number of occasions, such is their level of interest, and there is a belief he would be a perfect fit for Oliver Glasner’s style of play.

Fruk named as "the best player" in Croatia

Agent Andy Bara recently described the Croatian as “the best player” in the HNL, and it is clear to see why, given that he has amassed ten goals and two assists in all competitions this season, outscoring Mateta.

At the end of November, the Rijeka star put in a particularly impressive performance against Hajduk Split in the HNL, scoring a hat-trick within just over half-an-hour, while also grabbing one assist, which earned him a SofaScore match rating of 10.

On that day, the five-time Croatia international featured at left-wing, but he is very versatile, having also featured in attacking midfield and at centre-forward regularly throughout his career to date.

Related Crystal Palace determined to agree deal with £150k-p/w star who Glasner loves

The Eagles are looking to tie down one of their most important players to a new contract.

Posts ByDominic Lund 5 days ago

Fruk is clearly ready to take the next step in his career by moving to one of Europe’s major leagues, and it would be a real coup if Palace were able to get a deal done, given the interest from some top clubs.

أعلن الألماني هانز فليك، المدير الفني لبرشلونة، تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في بطولة الدوري الإسبني، والمقرر خوضها مساء اليوم الثلاثاء.

ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه أتلتيكو مدريد، على ملعب “سبوتيفاي كامب نو”، في مباراة مقدمة من الجولة التاسعة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وتنطلق مباراة برشونة وأتلتيكو مدريد في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مص، الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية (يمكنك مطالعة القناة الناقلة والمعلق من هنا).

ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 34 نقطة، ويأتي أتلتيكو مدريد في المركز الرابع بـ 31 نقطة. تشكيل برشلونة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد اليوم

حراسة المرمى: خوان جارسيا.

خط الدفاع: جول كوندي، باو كوبارسي، مارتن، أليخاندرو بالدي.

خط الوسط: إيريك جارسيا، بيدري، داني أولمو.

خط الهجوم: لامين يامال، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، رافينها.

البدلاء: فيران توريس، كريستينسن، ماركوس راشفورد، كاسادو، بيرنال، تشيزني، درو، روني باردجي، كوشين، تومي، خوفري.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl must surely be looking forward to the January transfer window after his side were beaten 2-1 by Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

The Light Blues boss arrived after the summer transfer window, led by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he has not had a chance to bring in any of his own players.

Rangers made 12 signings in the summer, though, and that means that they may have to part ways with a few players to make room for new signings to come through the door at Ibrox.

Players who could leave Rangers in January

Clinton Nsiala and Rabbi Matondo could be candidates to move on because they are the only two senior outfield players who have yet to play a single minute in any competition, per Transfermarkt.

If they want to play regular football in the second half of the campaign, Nsiala and Matondo may need to force their way out of Ibrox, on loan or permanently, next month.

Kieran Dowell, meanwhile, played six games under Russell Martin at the start of the season and has now been linked with a loan move to Hull, which could see him see out the rest of his Rangers contract down south.

Another player who has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in January is Djeidi Gassama. He is a reported target for Spanish side Villarreal, who are said to be ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal for the winger next month.

Villarreal’s interest in signing the Frenchman presents the Light Blues with an intriguing dilemma ahead of the January transfer window, as they may have a big decision to make.

Why Rangers should sell Djeidi Gassama

Rangers signed the 22-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £2.2m in the summer, and they should ruthlessly cash in on him if the Spanish team are willing to offer a decent profit on that.

The Frenchman’s performances for the Gers this season have been inconsistent, at best, and his recent displays on the pitch suggest that he should be dropped from the team.

Rangers have four more Scottish Premiership matches before the January window opens and he should not start another match for Rohl before being sold to Villarreal in January, as he has not done enough to warrant a starting berth.

As you can see in the table above, Gassama has only produced two goals in 21 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, despite starting almost every game, which shows that he has not been reliable in front of goal.

His dismal form in the final third in those competitions came as a bit of a surprise after he started his career at Ibrox with four goals in six matches in the Champions League qualifiers.

The 23-year-old attacker has been unable to live up to the hype that his early burst of goals created, with just two goals in all competitions since the end of the Champions League qualifiers.

Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson said that Gassama has “been a ghost” since those early weeks of the season, and it is hard to argue with that assessment when you consider his form in the Premiership and the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore, who has scored two goals in his last three appearances, and Findlay Curtis, who created a ‘big chance’ off the bench against Ferencvaros (Sofascore), are waiting in the wings to take his place on the left flank.

As Rangers have two other viable left-sided options, in Moore and Curtis, Rohl can afford to take Gassama out of the starting line-up for the next four matches, using him as an impact substitute instead.

This would then give the other two players a chance to prove that they have what it takes to hold down that position moving forward, allowing Rangers to ruthlessly cash in on Gassama if Villarreal come knocking in January.

Selling the French ‘ghost’ could also provide Rohl with funds to bring in his own players in other positions, depending on how much the Spaniards are willing to pay for his services.

Aasgaard upgrade: Rangers "could" re-sign £70k-per-week star in 2026

Rangers have been tipped to sign an attacking midfielder who would be a big upgrade on Thelo Aasgaard.

By
Dan Emery

4 days ago

Therefore, placing Gassama on the bench for the next few weeks before selling him in January could be a move that is in the club’s best interests, if Villarreal’s interest is serious.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza venceu o Sport por 4 a 1 neste domingo (26), na Arena Perbambuco, pela semifinal da Copa do Nordeste. Os gols do Leão do Pici foram marcados por Moisés, três vezes, e Hércules, ainda no primeiro tempo; Gustavo Coutinho diminuiu para o Leão da Ilha. Com o resultado, o Tricolor está classificado para a decisão e encara o CRB em dois jogos.

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

continua após a publicidade

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Fortaleza atropelou o Sport, sobretudo no primeiro tempo. Logo aos oito minutos, Moisés abriu o placar em chute rasteiro de fora da área. O atacante do Leão do Pici ainda marcou outros dois gols antes do intervalo, além de dar assistência para Hércules também balançar as redes.

No segundo tempo, o Tricolor diminuiu o ritmo e, apesar seguir criadondo as melhores chances, não conseguiu amplicar o placar. Nos minutos finais do duelo, Gustavo Coutinho descontou para o Leão da Ilha e deu números finais à partida.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ CRB derrota o Bahia nos pênaltis e está na final da Copa do Nordeste

📅 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O Sport visita o Goiás na Serrinha na sexta-feira (31), às 21h30, pela oitava rodada da Série B. Por sua vez, o Fortaleza recebe Sportivo Trinidense na quarta-feira (29), às 21h, pela rodada final da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

Tudo sobre

Copa do NordesteFortalezaSport

“Every game we play now is a big lead up opportunity. It’s about filling in the gaps with guys who have left.”

Firdose Moonda02-Dec-2025

Temba Bavuma will be back to lead South Africa’s ODI side as they seek to square the series in India but has not confirmed where he will bat while the team continues to tinker with top-order combinations.Bavuma missed the opening match with illness, where South Africa stuck to their new(ish) combination of Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, with Quinton de Kock at No.3. With the series on the line, they may look to return to the more successful and experienced combination of de Kock and Bavuma at the top, especially given their record. While Markram and Rickelton have opened together in just seven innings, and scored 306 runs at 43.71, de Kock and Bavuma have been South Africa’s second-most prolific opening pair since 2016 with over 1,000 runs together from 19 innings at 56.42, and would appear the better choice.On the eve of match two, Bavuma was non-committal about where he stood in the line-up. “Where I fit in, generally being in that top three, I’m easy whichever way is best for the team, as long as I’m still contributing,” Bavuma said in Raipur, where he also had a long net session, confirming his return to health. “At the moment, it’s about creating depth. There is versatility in that guys who generally bat at the top of their order have used in the middle. In this team, a guy like Matthew Breetzke, who generally sees himself at the top in one-day cricket, but he’s doing that job more than well now at No.4 A guy like Tony (de Zorzi) – he’s getting that opportunity to bat at five.”Related

South Africa hope to cross the line in Raipur after Ranchi thriller

South Africa find reason for ODI optimism despite top-order tangles

In the absence of Heinrich Klaasen (retired), Tristan Stubbs (dropped) and David Miller (not in this ODI squad), South Africa have effectively created a top five out of five different opening batters with Dewald Brevis in at six. The only reserve batter is Rubin Hermann (also a top three batter for the bulk of his List A career) and Bavuma explained their reasoning for stacking the squad with top-order players.”Going back to South Africa, there’s always that element of batsmanship that you need. I know there’s a big craze about guys hitting sixes in the middle order, but you need a little bit of batsmanship. A guy like Tony, he has the characteristics.,” Bavuma said. “I guess now it’s just to keep putting on the performances to justify why he should do that.”De Zorzi has played 21 ODIs for South Africa, scored 688 runs and averages 36.21. He has a strike-rate below 100 and though he is strong against spin, is seen more as someone who can build an innings and rotate strike rather than a big-hitter. It’s that type of player South Africa think they will need, not only in the subcontinent but as they build their resources for the home ODI World Cup in 2027.The tournament is just less than two years away but South Africa will only play, according to the FTP, nine ODIs after this series, all at home. That could change especially as the FTP only runs to April 2027 and the World Cup will be held in October but the time to experiment is now, which is exactly what South Africa are doing.”Every game we play now is a big lead up opportunity. It’s about filling in the gaps with guys who have left,” Bavuma said. “Especially from a resource point of view, we want to make sure if we do have a situation where one of our main bowlers is out that we do have young guys to step in. We’re seeing guys like Nandre Burger, they are putting up their hands. So creating depth and then seeing where guys can be filling in those roles.”Bavuma feels Matthew Breetzke is pulling his weight and more at No.4•BCCI

With Kagiso Rabada out of the series. Burger led the attack in the first match with support from three other seamers: Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen. South Africa also have Lungi Ngidi, who is certain to play a role at some stage, in the squad, but for now, seem to be leaning more towards allrounders. Bosch and Jansen were both crucial in South Africa’s attempt to chase 350 in Ranchi and could keep their places as the series goes on. Jansen, in particular, has had a coming of age tour of India, and has made himself central to South Africa’s XI in all formats. Expect to see much more of him in this series.”I don’t know where the rankings sit but I’m sure Marco Jansen in any one of those formats will definitely be in the top 10. His contributions with the bat, with the ball, sometimes even both, have been immense to our success. Marco is still a young guy but he’s had a lot of international cricket that is under his belt and he’s only growing into his own and he’s becoming a lot more comfortable in his skin.”Currently, Jansen, who scored 93 and took seven wickets in the Guwahati Test, is sixth on the ICC’s Test allrounder rankings but 35th on the ODI list. His returns in Ranchi, where he scored a 39-ball 70 and took 2 for 76, could be the start of his climb up the charts.

With Kagiso Rabada missing the Kolkata Test with a rib injury, the visitors have bolstered their fast bowling stocks

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2025Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been added to South Africa’s squad for the second Test against India in Guwahati which starts on Saturday.Ngidi’s inclusion suggests Kagiso Rabada, who missed South Africa’s sensational victory in Kolkata with a rib injury, is a doubtful starter again. The visitors’ other fast bowling options on tour are Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder.Ngidi joined the team at their Kolkata hotel on Tuesday before their scheduled departure to Guwahati on Wednesday.Ngidi has played 20 Tests in his career so far, but only three since making a comeback in Cape Town against India in January 2024. His last red-ball appearance was the World Test Championship final against Australia in June. He has played just one Test match in India, going wicketless in Ranchi in 2019.Related

India-South Africa Guwahati Test to have tea break before lunch

Rib injury sidelines Rabada from first Test against India

With 'small hands' and strong instincts, Bavuma shows self-assurance of a player at his peak

Ngidi does have overs in his legs having been part of South Africa’s ODI and T20I series in Pakistan in October and November. Last week, he played a game for Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge.At Eden Gardens, South Africa’s quicks sent down 40 overs and returned six wickets as the team registered their first Test win in India since 2010. That Kolkata pitch provided enough assistance for the seamers but it is still unclear what the conditions in Guwahati will be like given the venue has never hosted Test cricket before.

Former New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite, as well as Anna Peterson and Sarah Tsukigawa have been appointed female pathway leads for their respective regions of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago. Sara McGlashan, a former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter, is leading the group of regional pathway managers.”Having three former players step into pathway manager roles is enormously valuable,” McGlashan said. “Their experience allows them to connect with players in a way that truly accelerates development, and inspires the next generation on where their journey in cricket can take them.”From strengthening relationships with clubs and schools to driving high-quality training environments, they’re helping create thriving pathways for young cricketers. Environments where players feel supported, inspired, and confident to push their potential is pivotal to their development.”Satterthwaite is the most experienced member of the trio, having represented New Zealand in 145 ODIs and 111 T20Is. She retired from international cricket in May 2022 after being told she would not receive a new central contract, and went on to join the Adelaide Strikers support staff as their assistant coach ahead of WBBL 2022-23. She led New Zealand in 13 ODIs and 12 T20Is too.Peterson, meanwhile, played 32 ODIs and 33 T20Is in a New Zealand career that ran from 2012 to 2020, and Tsukigawa, the oldest of the three at 43, played 42 ODIs and 19 T20Is between 2006 and 2011.In addition to the appointments of Satterthwaite, Peterson and Tsukigawa, former Northamptonshire and Middlesex coach Luke Pomfret has joined the Northern Districts pathway team.

Lamine Yamal has been crowned La Liga Player of the Month after a sensational November in which the 18-year-old produced goals, assists and match-winning performances that powered Barcelona to a perfect month in the league. His three goals and three assists established him as the competition’s leading creator, reaffirming his return to form after an injury-ridden start.

Yamal wins La Liga Player of the Month award

Yamal delivered a dominant run of form across Barcelona’s four La Liga fixtures in November, scoring against Elche, Celta Vigo and Deportivo Alaves while adding two assists in the Catalan side’s emphatic win over Athletic Club. Yamal’s standout moments included a two-assist display on Barcelona’s return to Camp Nou and another goal-and-assist performance against Alaves to close out the month.

Yamal's decisive impact in each fixture reinforced the sense that he had fully rediscovered rhythm and confidence after a previously difficult period. The 18-year-old explosive contributions helped Barcelona win every league match during the month, propelling him past rivals including Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann in the final vote for La Liga's Player of the Month for November.

AdvertisementAFPYamal helps Barcelona get back on top of La Liga standings

Barcelona’s strong domestic form was driven in large part by Yamal’s resurgence, placing the Catalans at the top of the La Liga table after 15 rounds. His performances helped calm concerns following a difficult El Clasico loss, which left them five points off Real Madrid, and demonstrated his ability to shoulder responsibility at a critical moment.

Yamal bagged six goals and assists in four games

Yamal’s final November tally of three goals and three assists extended his league-leading creative total to eight assists, underlining a level of productivity rare for a player still in his teens. He had already shown flashes of elite output earlier in the season, but November marked his most consistent stretch yet, with decisive contributions in every match.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportYamal crucial for Barcelona's crucial winter period

Barcelona now prepare for a tricky away trip to Real Betis, where Yamal’s creativity will again be central to their approach against a top-five opponent. His form will also be crucial as the club shifts focus back to the Champions League, hosting Eintracht Frankfurt in a match vital to maintaining momentum across competitions.