Liverpool believe both Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and midfield superstar Adam Wharton want to move to Anfield in 2026, and FSG are willing to sell one of their stars to Real Madrid to fund the deals.

The Reds missed out on the signing of Guehi on deadline day in September, despite the 25-year-old agreeing a £35m move to Anfield. Since then, Liverpool have leaked goals at an alarming rate, with Ibrahima Konate producing too many sloppy performances and new signing Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.

It would be a surprise if the Premier League champions didn’t return for Guehi in 2026, though they may now face competition from the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, while Inter are the latest team to be linked with the England international.

Crystal Palace meanwhile may be facing a massive rebuild with manager Oliver Glasner yet to commit himself beyond next summer, and now the Reds are looking to poach another Eagles star.

Liverpool willing to sell Mac Allister to seal Wharton deal

Sources tell Football FanCast Wharton is keen to join Liverpool in 2026, and FSG are considering caving to Real Madrid’s interest in Alexis Mac Allister in order to fund the move.

A calm figure who oozes class on the ball, Wharton is reportedly valued at a whopping £150m, and the Reds believe his youthful exuberance could replace what Mac Allister is lacking since suffering an ongoing injury last year.

If Liverpool were able to sign both Wharton and Guehi next summer, it would be fantastic business, immediately giving them so much added quality and depth in two key areas. The former is one of the most exciting young players in the country right now, with Eberechi Eze describing what a great teammate he was at Palace last year.

The former Blackburn youngster would be a long-term acquisition with the potential to grow into an elite midfielder, and with Mac Allister struggling for form and fitness, he could fill the void left by the Argentine.

Liverpool's £280k-per-week talent is looking like Slot's own Keita signing

Liverpool looks to have dropped the ball already, splashing the cash on this £280k-per-week star.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 31, 2025

Signing Guehi is arguably even more important for Liverpool, though, especially if Konate also moves to Madrid, with the England international one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

Latest on Liverpool's move for Guehi

أصدر نادي برشلونة بيانًا بشأن أزمة دخول الجماهير لملعب كامب نو قبل لقاء ديبورتيفو ألافيس، المقرر إقامتها عقب دقائق ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويستضيف فريق برشلونة نظيره ديبورتيفو ألافيس، مساء اليوم السبت، وذلك في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

مباراة برشلونة وألافيس تأتي ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025/2026 على ملعب “كامب نو”.

ويحتل برشلونة في الوقت الحالي، المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإسباني برصيد 31 نقطة، على بعُد نقطة واحدة من ريال مدريد المتصدر في حين أن ألافيس يمتلك 15 نقطة ويحتل المركز الرابع عشر.

وواجه جمهور برشلونة أزمة في دخول ملعب اللقاء بسبب وجود مشكلة في استلام التذاكر من التطبيق الخاص بها.

اقرأ أيضًا | بديل ليفاندوفسكي.. عامل إضافي قد يقرب برشلونة من ضم نجم الدوري الألماني

وأصدر برشلونة بيانًا جاء على النحو التالي: “كانت هناك مشكلة في تنزيل بعض التذاكر من تطبيق الأعضاء، تم حل المشكلة الآن بإرسال ملف PDF جديد مع تذاكر جميع الأعضاء الذين لديهم تذاكر لمباراة اليوم ضد ألافيس”.

وأتم البيان: “هذا يضمن إمكانية وصول الجميع إلى مدرجات كامب نو على Spotify دون أي مشاكل”.

وفقًا لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” تم فتح ست نوافذ لتزويد الجمهور بتذاكر ورقية بصيغة PDF بعد تحديد رقم عضويتهم وجهاز تحديد أماكن التذاكر، طوابير الانتظار طويلة جدًا بسبب استمرار المشكلة، الأعضاء الذين وصلوا إلى ملعب كامب نو قبل المباراة بساعة ولم يتمكنوا من الوصول إلى مقاعدهم، ينتظرون منذ حوالي 40 دقيقة.

S’ha produït una incidència en la descàrrega d’algunes entrades a l’aplicació de socis. El problema ja ha quedat resolt amb l’enviament, a tots els socis i sòcies amb localitat per al partit d’avui davant l’Alabès, d’un nou PDF amb les seves entrades. Així, garantim que tothom… — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) November 29, 2025

Florian Wirtz has been compared to Luka Modric, with Liverpool's struggling £116m signing being backed to silence his doubters just as the former Real Madrid midfielder did. Wirtz was considered one of the brightest midfield talents in the world at Bayer Leverkusen, but the Germany international has experienced a major dip in form since moving to the Premier League.

• Wirtz's underwhelming start to Anfield journey

  Liverpool spent a whopping £116 million ($154m) to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer transfer window. The talented German midfielder had also attracted interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but he opted to join the Premier League champions.

  Anfield fans were very excited at the time of Wirtz's arrival as they expected fireworks on the pitch from a world-class talent, but the 22-year-old has failed to live up to his potential and has been a disappointment at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. The Germany international has faced fierce criticism in England, but it has not affected the midfielder or his family, as his father Hanz recently told : "My thought from the very beginning was to wait and see how the first ten league games went," he said. "We and Florian are perfectly happy with that. The incredible speed, the back and forth, that was very impressive for the first few games. The distances covered and the speed were significantly greater. The style of play is sometimes enormously different because it doesn't seem as organised, but rather more focused on pace."

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• Getty Images
  

  Wirtz compared to Modric

  Amid all the negative chatter around Wirtz's performances, former Premier League star David Bentley has come to the midfielder's defence while drawing a comparison to Real Madrid and Croatia legend Luka Modric. When Modric initially arrived at Tottenham Hotspur, he was initially panned by critics, however, the Croatian eventually went on to establish himself as one of the greatest footballers of all time, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018.

  Speaking to , ex-Spurs winger Bentley said: "He is an unbelievable player, so talented, fans and pundits have to stick by him. Yes he’s exactly the same [as Modric]. When Modric came through the door, he was exactly the same in the way he receives the ball, scans, he knows what he is doing. He was an unbelievably technically gifted player, and both can set the tone and tempo of a football match, so you have to stick with him."

• Nagelsmann defends Reds star

  Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has also backed Wirtz during this difficult period of his career. He even aimed a dig at the Liverpool attackers for failing to convert the chances Wirtz has been creating. Speaking to reporters, the Germany boss said: "Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates. They somehow don't like to shoot the ball in. To be honest, the overall situation doesn't make it easy for Flo either. The whole club isn't as stable this year as it was last year. It's much harder to slip into the team now. If you look at the game against [Manchester] City, they were actually the worse team over the 90 minutes. So it's also difficult for Flo to make a big impact. Ultimately, the overall situation is such that he just needs a little more time, which is normal; you see that with other players who move to the Premier League too. 

  "We all know what he's capable of, and it's perfectly normal for a player of his age to go through a bit of a dip in form. We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight. Instead, we all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates. That would be one idea, because he does not create few chances, it's just that… they somehow don't like to shoot the ball in, that's also part of the truth."

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  Wirtz eyes comeback with Germany

  Wirtz has made it into the Germany squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches despite his poor club form. The former Leverkusen star will hope to make the most of the chances he gets during the international break to help Germany secure a World Cup berth and regain his form before returning to Anfield later this month. Germany are scheduled to take on Luxembourg on November 14, before facing Slovakia three days later.

With 14 needed off the last over, Shamar Springer bowled four dot balls to Kieron Pollard to give Falcons the match, and the No. 1 spot on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025

Obed McCoy struck twice in the fifth over•CPL T20 via Getty Images

It came down to 14 runs needed off the last six balls. Nathan Edward took a single on the first ball, bowled by Shamar Springer, putting Kieron Pollard on strike. Game over, you’d think, and two-in-two for Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL 2025. Except that Pollard swung and missed the first two, got enough bat on the fourth ball but chose not to run, and then connected well but not well enough to get the ball to the fence. Four dot balls. He dug a yorker-length ball out for a four off the last, but Springer was the hero for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, while Pollard had fluffed his lines.Knight Riders came into the game having won their first match, and gave themselves enough chances to earn their first win over Falcons after two losses last season. In the end, though, they let the game slip through their fingers.First, all the bowlers bar Sunil Narine – 4-0-17-0 – got at least wicket, and Falcons looked out of it at 77 for 5, all their premier batters gone, by the 14th over.Fabian Allen scored quick runs towards the end to give Falcons a competitive score•CPL T20 via Getty Images

But Fabian Allen walked out, took off straightaway, and smashed 45 in 20 balls, to go with Imad Wasim’s unbeaten 27-ball 39, to take them to a competitive 167.The second ball Allen faced, off Usman Tariq, went for six over long-on. Then overs 15, 16 and 17 went for 22, 17 and 15, Allen doing most of the hitting, but Imad was slow only by comparison. Knight Riders needed to stop the bleeding, and Narine’s last over was the answer. It went for just four runs, and Narine could have had Imad’s wicket, except the ball was hit with great power back towards him, and though the bowler stuck his hand out, he couldn’t make it stick.Mohammad Amir picked up his 400th T20 wicket in the next over, that of Allen, but Imad and Springer finished strongly, taking Edward for 18 runs for the momentum to well and truly be on Falcons’ side at the break.Kieron Pollard’s innings featured some big hits and plenty of dot balls•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Enter Colin Munro, and the advantage swung Knight Riders’ way quickly. Not instantly, as Imad gave away just three in the first over, and Jayden Seales nine in the second. But in the third, by Imad again, Munro went 4, 4 and 6 off the first three balls, and finished with another four, to put Knight Riders on their way. Fifteen came off Seales’ next – all Munro, with Alex Hales, the other opener, facing just eight balls at that stage and scoring just 4.At 47 for no loss, Knight Riders were on top, but for the second time in the game, Falcons hit right back. This time, through Obed McCoy, who sent back Hales and Munro in the fifth over.That was a proper momentum-breaker, and from the end of the fifth to the end of the tenth, Knight Riders scored just 20 runs, and lost the wicket of Nicholas Pooran. The script didn’t change after the ten-over mark either, with 13 runs coming off the next three, plus the wicket of Darren Bravo. And at 83 for 4 after 13, and the asking rate at 12.14, the chase looked dead in the water.Keacy Carty got some sort of impetus going with a 16-run over, the 14th, but it was back to single-digits after that: 7, 3 and 8. Till it came down to 36 from 12. Pollard, at a-run-a-ball 17 at that stage, finally found his hitting range – he took three sixes and a four off the penultimate over, bowled by McCoy, to put the game in the balance. And then came that last over from Springer.

Kathryn Bryce spearheads bowling as Freeborn-Wraith stand falls short of rescuing Warwickshire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025A rain-hit 50-overs match on a club ground might bear little resemblance to a T20 at the Kia Oval but The Blaze will draw some confidence from a 47-run victory over Warwickshire Women in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as a dress rehearsal of sorts for Sunday’s Vitality Blast semi-final.After Marie Kelly’s List A career-best 66 and opening partner Georgia Boyce’s 46 had laid the foundations for a total of 218 for 6 after opting to bat first in a match reduced to 39 overs-a-side, The Blaze dismissed Warwickshire for 171, despite a determined effort by Abbey Freeborn (56 off 73 balls) and Nat Wraith (75 off 71) to give the visitors a chance after being reduced to 13 for 4.Kathryn Bryce (3-18), Georgia Elwiss (3-26) and Grace Ballinger (3-26) shared the bowling honours for The Blaze, for whom Sarah Bryce had made an unbeaten 32, with two wickets each for Warwickshire’s Georgia Davis and Amu Surenkumar.Winning the toss and electing to bat in a match reduced to 39 overs per side after morning rain at the Lindum Sports Club Ground in Lincoln, The Blaze established a strong foundation as Kelly and Boyce shared an opening stand of 106, Kelly hitting eight fours and a six.Kelly, making her first List A appearance of the season, pulled Surenkumar for her maximum early in the innings, generally driving and pulling strongly. She found the boundary three times in the same over off Davis, completing a 47-ball half-century against her former county when she swept Millie Taylor for her seventh four.Taylor, making her List A debut for Warwickshire and unique in the English county women’s game as a left-arm wrist spinner, broke the stand when she turned one past Kelly’s bat for a stumping. Boyce, back with The Blaze after playing for Yorkshire in the Women’s Vitality Blast, was in sight of a fifty of her own when she miscued to mid-off.Kathryn Bryce – reprieved when given out leg before on 13 on the grounds of being distracted by bowler Hannah Baker’s cap dropping out of her pocket – added another 10 before she was stumped.Elwiss, Heather Graham and Ella Claridge all fell cheaply, but Sarah Bryce (32 off 19) and Sarah Glenn added 37 off the last 18 balls of the innings – 26 at the expense of England seamer Issy Wong.Needing to chase at 5.6 an over, Warwickshire suffered a disastrous start, slumping to 13 for four inside five overs.After Bethan Ellis had been caught at square leg off the next, Ballinger took wickets with the last ball of her second over and the first of her third as Lucy Higham took a fine catch at backward point to remove Davina Perrin and Sarah Bryce an easy one as Sterre Kalis skied a top edge, Kathryn Bryce holding a return catch as Surenkumar departed.An inswinging delivery from Bryce accounted for Katie George, leaving Warwickshire 28 for 5 after 10 overs.Freeborn and Wraith rebuilt well, the former clocking up her third half-century off 60 balls, Wraith her second of the campaign off 50, with three boundaries each and some enterprising running between the stumps, their partnership passing 100 in the 28th over.Yet once the breakthrough came, breaking the stand at 112, the home side made it count. Freeborn, who had survived a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Kirstie Gordon on 52, fell shortly afterwards, leg before attempting to ramp Elwiss. Wong then came and went quickly, top edging Elwiss into the off side, before catcher Glenn combined with Elwiss again to run out Taylor off the next ball.Ballinger returned to have Davis caught on the legside boundary before Wraith departed as the last wicket to fall, caught at wide mid-off off Elwiss.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has a chance to recalibrate now that the Premier League has put the brakes on for the November international break.

It has not been good enough this season. Ahead of the latest pause, Newcastle needed to get something from their trip to the Gtech. It didn’t happen, and Keith Andrews’ side emerged 3-1 victors and with Dan Burn sent off to boot.

The truth is that the Magpies need a reset. It was always going to be tough to match the form of last season, with Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak charging an incredible winter winning run that led to triumph in the Carabao Cup. Isak has been sold, and the summer transfer window was a turbulent one.

Everton

13th

28.0

Aston Villa

6th

27.9

Newcastle

14th

27.6

Fulham

15th

27.6

Burnley

17th

27.1

But United are getting old. Too many starters this season ripened some time ago, and in this, Howe must work toward developing further the younger members of his squad.

Newcastle must promote their future

Newcastle might have a somewhat elderly Premier League squad, but that’s not to say they lack up-and-coming stars.

For example, injuries have kept Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall on the sidelines for much of the campaign. 22 and 21 respectively, the dynamic full-backs will be integral to the rekindling of Howe’s system. Last season, Alice Talks Footy hailed Hall as “the best left-back in the league”, and his fellow Cobham graduate as a “super impressive” up-and-comer.

Likewise, Lewis Miley has shown signs of development this season, growing into his skin in central midfield. The Geordie talent has impressed alongside Tonali and the all-action skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, and he could end up replacing a teammate in Joelinton, who has flattered to deceive at times this term.

Has the 29-year-old Joelinton exhausted his physicality? Undoubtedly, the Brazilian is missing some of his usual sharpness and intelligence in the middle of the park.

25/26

1.4

4.2

24/25

2.0

5.7

23/24

2.0

4.9

22/23

2.2

7.0

21/22

2.1

6.9

20/21

1.1

6.0

19/20

0.9

7.5

Joelinton has played so much football at Newcastle, no holds barred, that it’s understandable he might be slowly winding down.

However, there’s another Toon star whose form this season has been more concerning, for they have yet to reach their prime, and there is a worry that so many injuries have knocked this talent too far out of kilter.

"The future of this club" is now struggling

Newcastle have always been resilient and organised under Howe’s wing, and even amid the frustration of wretched away form this term, Newcastle’s xGA (expected goals against) total stands at just 11.1 in the Premier League, a more impressive figure than all in the division save for Manchester City and Arsenal.

But, even so, improvements need to be made in central defence, and the form of Sven Botman is admittedly becoming a concern for Howe as he waits for his star man at the rear to click into gear.

Sports writer Joel Bland actually commented on Botman’s “embarrassing” effort to clear one of Brentford’s notorious long throws at the weekend. The ball was cannoned in after the interval, Newcastle one goal to the good after Harvey Barnes’ first-half finish, but Botman’s tame clearance allowed Kevin Schade to nod home from close range.

You might call it a schoolboy error. When dealing with aerial danger, it is well-known to sweep the ball away, not divert it cross-box and into the melee.

In this, Botman failed in his duties, and newspaper Chronicle Live saw it fit to brand the centre-half with a 3/10 match rating, having been ragdolled by Igor Thiago all afternoon besides.

Botman needs to recover his former level of security and completeness at the back. He was redoubtable in front of Nick Pope in 2022/23, his debut year in England, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding only 33 goals all season, the joint-best record, shared with champions Manchester City.

It was only at the start of the current campaign that Bruno described the Netherlands star as being “the future of this club”, along with Malick Thiaw, who swapped AC Milan for St. James’ Park in a package worth around £35m this summer.

But Thiaw has outperformed his counterpart this season, and that having suffered regular injury issues of his own in Italy over the past several years. With Botman having spent plenty of time in the thick of the Premier League action this term, having started seven matches in a row, he should be sharper and more commanding at this point.

The fact that this is not the case is bound to be on Howe’s mind, though the manager may feel that the reintegration of Hall on the left side of the backline could smooth out some creases and allow Botman to connect with a more natural wide fit that Burn, whose industriousness can only stretch so far.

This all comes with the addendum that Botman has indeed been ravaged by injuries in recent years, stripped bare by setbacks after that tremendous debut campaign in England’s north east.

It is only natural he would take some time to rebuild himself to that one-time level, but Newcastle need quick results if they are to shape this campaign, and the £90k-per-week defender has entered the penultimate year of his contract, and he will need to convince PIF that they would be foolish not to extend his career on Tyneside.

But the Dutchman needs to improve – fast. His form has slumped in recent weeks, and he is paling in comparison to Thiaw beside him, the summer recruit very quickly establishing himself as the cream of Newcastle’s defensive crop.

As bad as Botman: Howe must drop Newcastle dud who lost the ball 20x v Bees

Newcastle United had another away day to forget in the Premier League when losing 3-1 versus Brentford.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025

The left-arm spinner had been due to return to the T20I side in Cardiff before the last-minute injury

Firdose MoondaUpdated on 12-Sep-2025

Keshav Maharaj had been set to return to the T20I side•Getty Images

South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of their T20I series against England after tweaking his groin in the warm-up of the first match in Cardiff.Maharaj, the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world, had been named player of the series in their 2-1 series win in the 50-over leg of the tour. However, he has now been withdrawn from their squad for the remaining two fixtures, at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner who had been preparing to play for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday, has been called up in his place.After the Cardiff match, which South Africa won on by 14 runs on DLS, captain Aiden Markam confirmed Maharaj had been due to play the game but was forced out with the injury and replaced by Corbin Bosch. Maharaj had been recalled to the T20I squad after being left out in Australia and Zimbabwe.Related

South Africa's T20 concerns: Markram's spot, bowling combo, injury management

Scott Currie relishing 'dirty work' as Hampshire target more Blast success

England 304 for 2; Salt 141* sets up crushing 146-run victory

South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

Earlier on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring strain. Ngidi returned home on Thursday and faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s next assignment – the start of their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan which begins on October 12.Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been added to the squad in Ngidi’s place and is available from the second match at Old Trafford on Friday.On Tuesday, David Miller was also withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a hamstring strain during the final week of the Hundred. No replacement has been named for him in the squad.In better news, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lizaad Williams all returned to action in the rain-affected affair. Rabada did not play the ODIs in Australia or England after suffering ankle inflammation but bowled the opening over in Cardiff.Jansen made his comeback from the thumb surgery he underwent after the WTC final in June and Williams returned from knee surgery, which has kept him out of action for most of the year. Jansen bowled two overs in the match but Williams was not used at all.This story was updated at 5.41pm BST following Maharaj’s withdrawal from the squad

A war of words has erupted between La Liga and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) following scathing criticism by president Javier Tebas. The Spanish league chief used a recent appearance at a sports summit in Argentina to lament the state of football in the South American country and the way its institutions are managed, drawing a sharp rebuke from AFA president Claudio Tapia.

Tebas laments state of Argentine club football

Tebas has sparked a row with the AFA following highly critical remarks made during the 'Olé Summit' conference in Argentina. Tebas took advantage of his platform to express his views on the current state of Argentine football, particularly focusing on the domestic club game and its management.

"My first feeling is sadness because a country with so much passion, so many fans, and such a strong sense of belonging doesn't have football and clubs with the performance level to become a world power at the club level," Tebas stated during the conference. He went on to point out what he perceives as a "lack of potential" within Argentine football and claimed to feel Argentine by adoption, adding that he suffers "because of the state" of the sport in the country.

AdvertisementAFPAFA President Tapia hits back at Tebas

The comments from Tebas were met with an almost immediate and sharp response from Tapia. The AFA president took to social media platform X to address the La Liga president's criticisms, labelling them as an insult to Argentine football and its history.

"Our tournament isn't a league for the few: it's popular, competitive, and developmental," Tapia wrote in the first of two posts responding to Tebas. "To belittle it is to ignore our history and the contribution we make to world football. What can we expect now, if you've already criticised even the Club World Cup?"

Tapia continued his defence in a subsequent post, highlighting Argentina's status as current world champions and rejecting Tebas's interference. "We are the League of World Champions, and we don't accept insults from those who should be promoting respect between institutions," Tapia stated. He also addressed Tebas's comment about feeling Argentine by adoption with a parting remark: "And to be clear, you don't need to 'become a citizen.' Argentinians are born wherever they want."

Tebas also takes aim at Saudi Pro League

During the same conference in Argentina, Tebas also addressed the current standing of La Liga following the departures of global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While acknowledging he would prefer to have such players in the league, Tebas argued that the strength of a competition lies in its clubs and competitiveness rather than individual stars.

"I would prefer to have Messi, Cristiano, Mourinho, Guardiola, all of them… But that’s not the key to sustaining growth. Players are temporary; what makes you great are the clubs and a strong competition," Tebas said.

He then used the Saudi Pro League as an example to support his argument, suggesting that the influx of star players does not guarantee a league's status as one of the world's best. "Take the case of the Saudi league, which has major stars, but still hasn’t taken off as one of the best in the world," Tebas claimed. He insisted that La Liga's structural model and strict salary-cap rules have preserved its growth and that broadcaster contracts remained stable even after Messi's departure.

Tebas maintained that La Liga remains the second-best league in Europe behind the Premier League and is narrowing the gap. "In Europe, the Premier League is on top, but we come right after them. Below us are the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the French league. You can also see it in followers and engagement on social media. We’re growing every day, widening the gap with other competitions and narrowing the distance with the Premier League."

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AFPWhat next for La Liga and the AFA?

The public spat between Tebas and Tapia is likely to strain relations between La Liga and the Argentine Football Association. The exchange highlights a clash in perspectives on football development and management, with Tebas advocating for a European model focused on club performance and financial controls, while Tapia defends the Argentine approach, emphasising its "popular and competitive" nature and its success in producing world-class talent and winning international tournaments. This incident adds to the list of public disagreements involving Javier Tebas, who has also recently had exchanges with players like Thibaut Courtois regarding La Liga's plans to play matches overseas. The long-term consequences of this latest row remain to be seen.

Glasgow Rangers are currently enjoying the last international break of the year before their season runs through until March 2026, which means that Danny Rohl has two weeks to assess his start to life at Ibrox.

The German head coach came in to replace Russell Martin in the dugout, after the Scottish boss endured a dismal tenure in Glasgow, and was thrust straight into action with a Europa League clash against Brann within a couple of days.

Rohl has already managed six matches as the Gers head coach, winning three of them, and this international break is his first chance to settle down and take time to plan for the future.

The January transfer window is less than two months away and it will be interesting to see what moves the former Sheffield Wednesday boss wants to make with the squad.

It has already been reported that Genk central defender Mujaid Sadick is a target for the Scottish giants, with an enquiry having been made, which suggests that Rohl wants a new centre-back to bolster his backline.

Whilst incoming signings will be on the agenda, it will also be interesting to see who the head coach decides to part ways with when the January transfer window opens for business.

Rangers players whose futures may be in doubt

There are several players in the first-team squad whose futures at Ibrox are in doubt because of their lack of minutes on the pitch in the 2025/26 campaign.

Per Transfermarkt, Clinton Nsiala has not played a single minute of football under Martin, Stevie Smith, or Rohl, and that may put his future into doubt unless that changes in the next few weeks.

Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that the 21-year-old centre-back should be given an opportunity to shine, after the Gers won seven of the 11 matches that he played in the Scottish Premiership last season.

So, whilst his future may be in doubt, Rohl should look to provide the French talent with an opportunity to impress before making a final decision on his situation.

Attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami is another player who may be considering his future at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window, due to his lack of minutes on the pitch this season.

The Albania international, who was signed from Sassuolo in the summer of 2024, has only played 170 minutes across ten appearances in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Dundee

Unused substitute

Hibernian

Not in matchday squad

Kilmarnock

Not in matchday squad

Dundee United

Unused substitute

Falkirk

7

Livingston

8

Hearts

13

Celtic

14

St Mirren

Not in matchday squad

Dundee

Not in matchday squad

Motherwell

17

As you can see in the table above, the former Serie A playmaker has rarely been used in the Premiership this season, with zero minutes under his belt under Rohl in the division.

It was reported that there were offers on the table for Bajrami in the summer transfer window, which suggests that there may be enough interest in January to finally cash in on him.

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What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Whilst rarely-seen players like Nsiala and Bajrami may be moved on in January, rightly or wrongly, Rohl and Thelwell should also look to cash in on a player who is currently considered a first-team star, Mohamed Diomande.

The central midfielder was compared to Zidane by Turkish legend and TV pundit Nihat after the 3-1 win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League in March of last season.

After an assist in the win for the Gers, Nihat said: “Mohamed Diomande was brilliant – like the best of Zinedine Zidane – thank God they substituted him.”

However, eight months on from that incredible comparison to the Real Madrid and France legend, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on the midfielder in January.

Why Rangers should cash in on Mohamed Diomande

Turkish side Besiktas reportedly made an offer of £10m to sign the Ivorian midfielder from the Light Blues during the summer transfer window, but that was not enough to tempt them into selling. He was also linked with a possible move to Premier League side Everton.

This suggests that there are teams who are interested in signing the left-footed star from the Gers, which means that there could be an opportunity to cash in on him when the January transfer window opens for business.

If a team are willing to pay £10m or more for the central midfielder in January, it would represent a great deal for the Light Blues because they only paid £4.3m to sign him from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2024.

The 24-year-old star did impress in the 2024/25 campaign, with six goals and nine assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt), including a goal against Celtic at Parkhead in March.

However, the central midfielder’s form has taken a nosedive in the current season, unfortunately, and it may be the right time to cash in on him at the start of next year.

Appearances

36

8

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.45

Goals

4

0

Key passes per game

1.2

0.5

Assists

7

0

Duels won per game

4.4

2.9

Ground duel success rate

57%

46%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

25%

As you can see in the table above, Diomande’s performances in and out of possession in the Premiership have declined significantly, as he has struggled in all phases of play in the league this term.

On top of his struggles domestically, the central midfielder has started one match in the league phase of the Europa League this season and was sent off for a challenge on Genk’s El Ouahdi.

Because of his inconsistency, from last season to the current one, and his dismal performances in the Premiership, it could be the right move for Thelwell and Rohl to part ways with the midfielder in January.

Selling Diomande in January could avoid a situation where his performances continue to decline and he is worth even less in the future, and it would provide the new manager with funds to bring in his own players.

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Of course, the risk is that the Ivorian could recapture his best form elsewhere, but this could be the best course of action given what has happened so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

Both of them got ‘stuck in’ to rise to the occasion at Newlands for the New Year’s Test

Firdose Moonda03-Jan-2025The first hundreds Temba Bavuma and Ryan Rickelton scored this summer – in Durban and Gqeberha respectively – were knocks of relief. Before Kingsmead, Bavuma had returned from an elbow injury, with no red-ball match practice ahead of the Test, and only two Test hundreds after a decade in the game. Before St George’s Park, Rickelton had played eight Tests with a top score of 42 and had shown little sign he could transfer his domestic dominance to international success. As both of them raised the bats they proved a point: we can and we will. By the time they got to Cape Town, everybody knew that.So these hundreds, Bavuma’s fourth and Rickelton’s second were laced with what Rickelton called “enjoyment,” because, “I played the game the way I want to play the game.”South Africa were in a touch of trouble at 72 for 3 at lunch but after the tension of their two-wicket win at SuperSport Park, which confirmed their participation in June’s World Test Championship (WTC) final, Newlands was always going to be something of a riot. They were helped by one of the flattest pitches seen at this ground in recent memory – likely an overcompensation for last year’s aberration where the Test ended in 107 overs – and an uninspired Pakistan attack that lacked genuine pace. But they still had to get the job done, each under their own microscope.Related

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• Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma centuries drive South Africa's day

Rickelton was opening for the first time in a Test after spending most of his short career at No. 5. Promoted to No.3 in Gqeberha, he said he preferred playing against the new ball because it tightened his game, and he has some experience of opening at domestic level. So, he was a natural replacement for Tony de Zorzi, who was out injured, but came with the knowledge that this was the only place for him to play. “I just want to bat,” Rickelton said. “It doesn’t matter where, I just want a bat I get stuck in. I just want to play in this team and bat and score Test runs.”That desire was evident in the way he played: aggressively. Pakistan offered boundary balls and he cashed in. His century came off 135 balls, and his strike rate of 75.86 is his highest in any innings where he has scored more than 8. It was an indication of his proactivity.

A moment to remember!

Verreynne hands over the match stump to Temba Bavuma after the skipper’s brilliant 4th Test century yesterday.

Inspirational leadership and class at the crease! #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/F1st41CtoQ

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 4, 2025