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Pep Guardiola had his say on the GOAT debate as he called Lionel Messi "the father" of "monster" Cristiano Ronaldo as Ballon d'Or controversy rages.

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Rodri edged out Vinicius for Ballon d'OrGuardiola commented on the resultsHailed Messi as the GOAT over RonaldoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City's Rodri edged out Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr to the Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in Paris on Monday. However, the spectacle wasn't without drama as Los Blancos, bitter over the result, declined to attend. Meanwhile, City’s party extended well into the night, with club officials and players such as Ferran Soriano, Txiki Begiristain, Rodri, Ruben Dias, and Savinho enjoying the victory before returning to Manchester early on Tuesday.

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Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, City manager Pep Guardiola addressed Rodri's Ballon d'Or win, taking the opportunity to discuss the under-appreciated impact of Spanish players on international football.

"I think Spanish football in the last decade made an incredible thing, with different national trainers, with incredible players in the past, with winning the World Cup, the Euros Cup, and never, never were able to win this award," Guardiola said.

"And I think Rodri represents perfectly, of course City because we are so proud, but Spanish football – their influence in world football in the last 10, 15 years, it has been massively important. Not just winning trophies, the way they play, the generations of managers, generations of players. And I think maybe in that time I remember three players from the Barcelona Academy, La Masia, were nominated all three to win the Ballon d’Or, and Xavi and Iniesta could not win because there was a monster there."

AFPGUARDIOLA'S TAKE ON THE GOAT DEBATE

Xavi and Iniesta's midfield mastery set new standards in football, yet individual awards eluded them due to the simultaneous dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who won the Ballon d'Or 10 times collectively between 2008 and 2017.

Reflecting on their misfortune, Guardiola commented, "And Messi, nobody could beat him. Just Cristiano. Cristiano was a monster, and the father of the monster is Messi. And both have done something incredible in the last 15 or 20 years. And maybe in that moment, Xavi and Iniesta deserved the Ballon d’Or as well. So I think Rodri, yesterday, got what Spanish football deserved worldwide."

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Messi and Ronaldo, both regarded as two of the most prolific scorers in football history, continue to dazzle fans across the globe. Together, they have amassed over 1,700 goals in club and international play, with Ronaldo scoring 907 and Messi close behind at 849. Ronaldo first took home the Ballon d'Or in 2008, before Messi captured four consecutive awards. Ronaldo later reclaimed the title in 2013 and 2014 before Messi’s fifth win in 2015. As the years passed, the two continued to dominate, with Messi securing three more Ballon d'Or wins in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Locked I, J and K stands will also be thrown open to the public

Varun Shetty02-Feb-2021It’s official now. Crowds up to 50% capacity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium will be allowed for the second India-England Test in Chennai, as reported by ESPNcricnfo on Monday.The BCCI had informally given a nod to TNCA on Monday, and the clearance was then subject to the approval of the Tamil Nadu government, which has been received. The first Test will be played behind closed doors, as originally planned. This was confirmed via a press note from RS Ramaswamy, the TNCA secretary.The move to allow crowds signals a change in course from the BCCI and the TNCA, who had recently informed its members that the MA Chidambaram Stadium would not allow crowds for the two Tests. But the decision comes in the wake of the Indian government revising its guidelines pertaining to spectators at outdoor sports in the country last weekend.”For outdoor sports events spectators will be allowed to full seating capacity,” the Indian ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said in a circular updated on January 29. The circular, titled ‘Standard Operating Procedures for opening up of Stadia for sports events’, revised the ministry’s previous guidelines issued on December 26 which had stated spectators can be allowed at 50% capacity for outdoor sports.In another development, the I, J and K stands, which have been locked to spectators for over nine years due to issues between TNCA and the local municipality, will also be thrown open to the public, with necessary clearances obtained by the TNCA.It is understood that media personnel will be allowed at the stadium starting from the first Test, which is another change in flavour for Indian cricket, whose seven venues in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy had neither spectators, nor media personnel.Tamil Nadu is currently seeing a decline in active Covid-19 cases, and life in Chennai has slowly crawled back towards normalcy in recent months, with movie theatres allowing up to a 50% capacity indoors.

Vincent Kompany has given most of his Bayern Munich players the week off, but Harry Kane will not benefit after joining up with the England squad.

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Kompany gives week off to Bayern's non-internationalsTraining cancelled until SundayKane without rest after joining England squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After an anonymous display against St. Pauli, Kane will be hoping to get back among goals with England and has wasted no time joining the Three Lions camp this week to gear up for significant Nations League fixtures against Greece on Thursday and the Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Alongside Kane, several Bayern Munich stars have also been summoned for international duty including Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Dayot Upamecano, Michael Olise, Kingsley Coman and Konrad Laimer.

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According to , Kompany has decided to offer a week off to the Bayern players who are not involved in this month's internationals. Training at Sabener Strasse will not resume until Sunday, an approach that will separate Kompany from predecessors such as Thomas Tuchel, who typically held sessions during international breaks. The former Belgium international appears keen to show his willingness to view matters from a player's perspective.

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As a key figure in Lee Carsley's squad, Kane will be expected to lead a reshuffled team, given the absence of several top players who have been sidelined due to injuries – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer, Aaron Ramsdale, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka have all dropped out. England have called upon Jarrod Bowen, Jarrad Branthwaite, Tino Livramento, James Trafford, and Morgan Rogers to reinforce the team.

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Once his international commitments are over, Kane will be back on German soil to resume his duties with Bayern, who take on Augsburg on November 22 in the Bundesliga.

Glasgow Rangers continue to ramp up their pre-season preparations by playing a glamour friendly at Murrayfield Stadium this weekend against Manchester United.

With the opening Premiership fixture taking place in just two weeks, Philippe Clement will be hoping to bring at least another two or three players to Ibrox, thus bolstering his squad.

If he doesn’t, then the starting XI against Hearts could look fairly similar to the one that ended the 2023/24 campaign, featuring the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Scott Wright in some capacity at Tynecastle.

Hopefully this isn’t the case, but with every passing day of no new announcements, it could turn into a reality when the league season begins.

Despite numerous links in recent weeks, transfer activity has been laboured. Could this change in the coming days? As a fresh update has been provided.

Rangers showing interest in former Championship starlet

At the start of the year, Football Insider claimed that the Light Blues were interested in signing then Stoke City centre-forward Tyrese Campbell this summer.

He had just six months left on his deal with the Championship side and Clement was keen on a deal to bring the Englishman north of the border once the season concluded.

Campbell’s deal with Stoke expired, and he is now a free agent, which could give the Belgian coach a boost, especially as the Daily Mail state Rangers are just one of the clubs showing interest in the player.

A raft of second-tier sides, including QPR, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United are all keen on signing Campbell, but the chance to win trophies and play in European football should be plenty of incentive for the striker as he seeks his next move.

It won't be the first time the club have signed a player who shone in the Championship, as Todd Cantwell had made his breakthrough at Norwich City in the second tier.

Could the Englishman emerge as Cantwell 2.0 for the Light Blues should he join the club this summer?

Todd Cantwell’s Rangers career in numbers

The Englishman was one of Norwich’s prized assets just a few years ago after shining in the Premier League during the 2019/20 season, scoring six goals in the top flight.

In the summer of 2021, the Canaries valued him at £40m amid interest from Aston Villa as they sought a replacement for Jack Grealish.

In January 2023, however, his career appeared to be at a crossroads, falling out of favour at his boyhood club. Michael Beale rescued the midfielder from his purgatory and the move to Ibrox looked like a smart piece of business.

Indeed, his first six months in Glasgow saw Cantwell score six goals while grabbing five assists, not bad for someone who cost just £1.5m.

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

Goals

6

7

Assists

4

5

Key passes per game

1.3

1.7

Big chances created

5

7

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

1.2

Last season saw the former Norwich starlet register 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – despite missing several games due to injury issues.

He ranked fourth in the squad for goals and assists (12) in the Premiership throughout 2023/24, along with ranking third for big chances created (seven), fourth for key passes per game (1.7) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.2), showing how impressive he was in the final third.

Campbell may play in a more advanced position than Cantwell, but there is no doubt Clement can get him firing should he make the move to Ibrox this summer.

Tyrese Campbell’s season in numbers

Campbell missed six matches due to a hip injury last season, while falling out of favour upon his return to full fitness, making just 24 appearances for Stoke.

This meant he managed to score just four goals and grab two assists, hardly numbers which demonstrate his potential.

Cantwell failed to score or assist in the six months prior to his move to Rangers. Perhaps Campbell – who has been described as "always a handful" by former boss Michael O'Neill – could come to life next term in new surroundings.

The 6 foot striker still managed to average 2.1 shots per game while succeeding with 0.5 dribbles per game – a success rate of 55% – despite averaging only 52 minutes each game.

Again, not earth-shattering, but with more opportunities in the starting XI, these could have improved further, indicating there is plenty of potential there.

What Tyrese Campbell could offer Rangers

Despite a poor 2023/24 campaign, Campbell demonstrated his vast talents the season prior. Indeed, among his Stoke teammates, the striker ranked first for goals and assists (14), along with ranking first for shots per game (2), third for big chances created (six) and second for successful dribbles per game (0.8), showing how impressive he can be in the opposition third when at full fitness.

Football writer Ollie Walton dubbed the player as a “great talent” earlier this year, but it is time for him to add some consistency to his game, which could come with a move north of the border.

His statistics when compared to his positional peers over the previous 365 days are certainly impressive and prove that he is more than just an out-and-out striker.

Not only does he rank in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90 (2.79), but Campbell even ranks in the top 9% for total shots per 90 (3.69) and in the top 13% for both progressive passes (2.64) and touches in the attacking penalty area (6.03) per 90.

These figures are certainly encouraging and if interest in the centre-forward is concrete, then it could be a solid enough signing which adds some depth to Clement’s attacking department.

The reality is, Rangers will have to sell a few players in order to raise funds for future arrivals. While free transfers might not be all that glamorous, they are key to beefing out the squad, which is exactly what Campbell will do.

Hopefully, he can remain fit and healthy should he join the Gers in the coming weeks, as his skillset could be perfectly suited to Scottish football, making him a decent option to call upon.

Rangers could land "impressive" signing who's a dream Cantwell replacement

The Light Blues are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the talented teenage maestro.

ByDan Emery Jul 16, 2024

Real Madrid legend Luka Modric has been urged to rejoin one of his former clubs to finish off his career in fairytale style.

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Modric began professional career at ZagrebLeft in 2008 to join TottenhamHas been with Real Madrid since 2012Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Modric is now 39 but he has a contract that expires at the end of the season, and Dinamo Zagreb head coach Nenad Bjelica has talked up the prospect of bringing their legendary former midfielder back to Croatia. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner began his career with Zagreb before moving to Spurs in 2008, and then on to Real in 2012, where he has further burgeoned his legend.

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Modric has a simply ridiculous trophy cabinet, including six Champions League titles and four La Liga championships. During his time with Zagreb, he won the Croatian league three times, and there is hope that he will choose to bring down the curtain on his career in his homeland.

WHAT BJELICA SAID

Bjelica said in an interview with Radio MARCA: “Luka Modric back to Dinamo? Who wouldn’t like to have Modric in their team? I hope he will finish his career at Dinamo Zagreb.”

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Modric has continued to pull strings for Croatia and will next be in action on Monday against Portugal. His next action for Real Madrid will come on Sunday, November 24 against Leganes, before he heads to Anfield for a mouthwatering clash with Arne Slot's Liverpool in the Champions League.

Manchester City are just over a week away from their opening game of the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to face off against Manchester United in the Community Shield.

Pep Guardiola may have been disappointed by his side's trophy haul last season as they only came away with one piece of silverware – the Premier League title.

The Spanish boss may want more success in the cup competitions, domestically and in Europe, this time around as the Cityzens go in search of another treble.

There has not been much change to the City squad during the summer transfer window, though, as they have only made one new signing so far.

Brazil international Savinho has signed on a permanent deal to bolster Guardiola's options on the right side of the attack, after spending last season on loan with Girona in LaLiga.

There is still a few weeks left to go before the summer transfer window officially slams shut, however, and this means that there is still time for the Premier League champions to make further alterations to the group, with outs and ins.

Potential attacking transfers for City

TEAMtalk recently reported that Manchester City forward Jack Grealish is a target for his former club Aston Villa ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The outlet claimed that the Villans are keeping a close eye on his situation at The Etihad and are weighing up a move for his services, after they qualified for the Champions League last term.

It stated that Unai Emery's side would like to sign the England international on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to make it permanent next summer. However, there was no mention of how much they would be willing to pay for him.

Guardiola could sanction an exit for Grealish amid this interest from Villa by swooping to sign another attacking midfielder to take his place in the squad.

The Sun reported last month that the Cityzens are one of the teams eyeing up a potential swoop to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace this summer.

It was claimed that City and fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in landing the England international and would be willing to pay his £60m release clause if they decide to go ahead and pursue a move before the end of the window.

The Eagles wizard could come in as a fantastic signing for Guardiola who would allow the ex-Barcelona boss to brutally ditch Grealish from the team.

Jack Grealish's struggles with Man City

Man City showed huge faith in the English attacker when they smashed their transfer record to pay a whopping £100m to sign him from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.

Given the money spent to prise him from Villa Park, the 28-year-old winger has endured an underwhelming time on the pitch with the Cityzens so far.

He has racked up 14 goals and 18 assists in 125 matches for the club in all competitions over the last three seasons combined, and has not hit double figures for goals or assists in any of his Premier League campaigns.

Appearances

20

Starts

10

Goals

3

Assists

1

Key passes per game

1.4

Dribbles per game

0.9

As you can see in the table above, Grealish is coming off the back of a disappointing year in the top-flight with the Cityzens, having been directly involved in just four goals in 20 appearances in the division.

He ranked within the bottom 24% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for assists per 90 (0.09), which illustrates how poor he has been at creating chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.

For £100m, the England international has not provided consistent quality as a scorer or a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield position, which is why Guardiola should be open to allowing him to re-join Villa this summer.

His exit would leave the team light in the wide areas, particularly on the left flank, though, and that is why the club should swoop to sign Eze.

The Palace star's arrival would then allow City to brutally ditch Grealish without having to worry about being left short for depth ahead of next season.

What Eberechi Eze could bring to City

Whilst the current Cityzens forward has failed to provide enough quality in the final third in recent seasons, Eze has been in impressive form for the Eagles.

He could come in as a big upgrade on Grealish and offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield role for Guardiola.

In the Premier League last season, Eze contributed with 11 goals, four assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 27 appearances for the London outfit.

The 26-year-old wizard ranked within the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.44) and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.82), which shows that he excels at scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates to shoot.

Appearances

65

Goals

21

Assists

8

Big chances created

13

As you can see in the table above, Eze has been directly involved in 29 goals in his last 65 Premier League appearances for Palace over the last two seasons.

He has hit double figures for goals in each of the last two campaigns in the top-flight – a feat Grealish has failed to achieve in any of his seasons with City.

These statistics suggest that the £60m-rated star, who was once described as a "delight to watch" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could come in and improve Guardiola's squad.

Eze could arrive as an upgrade on Grealish, due to his superior quality in the final third, and add more firepower to the Spanish manager's forward line, which could help them to compete on all fronts.

Another Palmer situation: Pep at risk of losing "electrifying" Man City ace

He could leave on a loan or permanent deal

1 ByJoe Nuttall Jul 28, 2024

Therefore, signing the Palace magician would then allow the Premier League champions to send the former Villans captain back to his former club this summer.

“We want to be a side that plays free cricket, not have any baggage of lack of [batting] depth”

Saurabh Somani11-Mar-20211:34

Kohli promises India’s batsmen will play more freely

India are set to embrace a more dynamic approach to their T20I batting, which has tended in the past to blend caution with aggression. The main ingredient that prevented India from being more aggressive in the past, according to captain Virat Kohli, was a lack of batting depth. The squad picked for their five-match T20I series against England has addressed that issue, in Kohli’s view, while also adding several “X-factor” players.”The kind of players we have added into the squad is precisely to give our batting line-up more depth and not play in a similar kind of pattern that we have played with in the past,” Kohli said on Thursday, the eve of the first T20I. “We want to be a side that plays free cricket, not have any baggage of lack of depth and one guy having to bat long enough to make sure we get to a big total.”We have explosive batsmen in the team now, who can change the game at any stage even if you are two or three wickets down. That’s exactly what we’ve tried to address in picking this squad. So this time around, you will see guys a bit more expressive in terms of approaching the innings, and playing more freely. Not worried about whether we have enough batsmen to take care of things if we lose a couple of wickets early, which was the case before to be honest. We didn’t have enough depth in the batting to be able to play freely throughout the first 10 or 12 overs. But I see us being much more positive and free from this period onwards.”Related

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Spin questions for England as India try on new big-hitting avatar

In the past India leaned towards the conservative approach of keeping wickets in hand for a final-overs charge, as against the strategy favoured by teams like England and West Indies (when at full strength), who bat deep and consequently go hard from the start. The presence of players like Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, alongside allrounders such as Washington Sundar and Axar Patel and newcomers like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, is likely to free up the top order and allow them to be more expansive.That also means that of the three openers in the squad – Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan – only two can be fitted into the XI, and Kohli said Rohit and Rahul are India’s first-choice options.In the past, India have leaned on their top order to bat deep into T20 innings•BCCI”If Rohit plays, then it’s quite simple, KL and Rohit have been consistently performing at the top of the order for us and those two would start,” he said. “In a situation where Rohit takes rest or KL has a niggle or something like that, then Shikhi obviously comes in as the third opener. But the starting composition, Rohit and Rahul will be the ones who start.”Earlier, one of the openers or Kohli at No. 3 have tended to take on the anchor’s role, and India haven’t done too badly with that approach. But the evolution of the T20 game has meant it’s time to take the next step. Since 2018, while batting first, India’s run rate while batting first in T20Is is 8.79, behind only England (9.05) and New Zealand (8.87). However, their run-rate during powerplay overs, a key indicator of the strategy adopted by the top order, is 7.99 in this same time-frame, fifth best among the top ten sides.On the other hand, in that same period, India’s batting average of 35.24 is the only one above 30 among the top ten sides. And their powerplay average of 45.95 is the second best overall, behind Australia’s 48.38. Now, with more batting depth, they can trade-off average for run rate – batsmen going harder would typically mean more wickets falling, but also give them a better chance of putting on extra runs.With the firepower of Pant and Pandya available in the middle order, and the added freedom for them of having bowlers who can bat in the lower order – especially when Ravindra Jadeja returns – India have recognised that keeping wickets in hand could be counter-productive.”I think we have played with a certain kind of pattern in the past. We didn’t probably have a big tournament to work towards, but if you look at the squad and the additions we’ve made, we’ve tried to address a few things that we needed in specific: guys who can be X-factors with the bat, do things which are the need of the hour in T20 cricket,” Kohli said. “These guys have done so in the IPL on a regular basis. We have tried to cover all those bases.”Now it’ll be interesting to see how they go about things in these five games because these are the only games we have as a team before the World Cup and we want to see how these guys fare out there in the middle. I feel like the squad right now with what we have, barring Jaddu [Jadeja] who will come back whenever fit, is the squad that I feel is the most balanced in terms of all the options readily available for us to take on the field as and when we want.”

Director of cricket holds talks with player’s agent, two years after banishment from England set-up

Andrew Miller11-Mar-2021Ashley Giles has given the strongest hint yet that Alex Hales may be offered a route back into England’s white-ball set-up, almost two years after he was axed from the 2019 World Cup squad for failing two tests for recreational drugs.On Thursday Giles, England’s director of cricket, held what have been described as “positive” talks with James Cross, Hales’ agent, shortly after recording an interview for Sky Sports’ Cricket Show, in which he admitted that “the door can’t be closed forever” to a player who is regarded as one of the foremost batsmen on the T20 franchise circuit.”We all know what a good player Alex is,” Giles told Sky. “There has to be a way back in. In these times bringing someone back in – trying to reintegrate them – has been difficult to do because we’re living bubble life. But I certainly hope there are opportunities to do that this year.”Since his banishment from the England squad, Hales, 32, has carved himself a niche on the franchise circuit with a run of eye-catching performances – most recently at Australia’s Big Bash, where he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 543 runs for Sydney Thunder.And the longer his exile has gone on, the more the questions have begun to stack up for the England management – not least the captain Eoin Morgan, who accused Hales of a “complete disregard” for the team’s values in the wake of his sacking, and has repeatedly stated that that such a fundamental loss of trust can only be rebuilt over time.Last month, Hales pleaded to be given closure on the matter, one way or the other, describing himself as “desperate” to return to the England set-up after the “sickening” manner in which his career crumbled on the eve of the World Cup.He claimed to have made significant lifestyle changes since his fall from grace, including a move to a village outside Nottingham, and during the recent BBL, his coach at Sydney Thunder, Shane Bond, criticised the ECB for failing to enquire after a player who would walk into most T20I line-ups in the world.Related

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Though Morgan has not yet spoken to Hales in his attempts to rebuild bridges between the pair, it is understood that he could be involved in a further round of talks with Hales’ management next month.Certainly, his stance appeared to have softened a touch when he was asked about Hales’ status on the eve of the first T20I in Ahmedabad.”A lot of players who aren’t in the squads have had really good winters,” Morgan said. “Alex is one of those, as is James Vince. The truth is it’s a very difficult side to get into at the moment.”Given the challenges around Covid, what we would normally do, if it wasn’t around, is try and have players that we perceive may be a part of the future coming in and spending time around the side, maybe two days out before the game,” he added.”Given that the regulations are being eased throughout our summer, that could be an opportunity for players outside of the squads to come in and be around the team, and Alex is in that place.”Giles added: “He is a high-class player. We are lucky at the moment we are blessed with a lot of high-class players in our T20 line-up particularly, but the door can’t be closed for ever. We all know that trust is a really important thing and that has to be won back.”

Liverpool fans have taken a huge hint about the futures of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk after seeing the 2025 calendar.

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Liverpool release calendar for next yearThree stars placed in interesting monthsReds could lose trio at end of the seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The three Reds stars could leave the club at the end of the season as their contracts expire in the summer. Liverpool are hopeful of convincing all three to stay at Anfield, but the release of their official calendar for next year has fans talking.

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Journalist Sam Munnery pointed out that the trio all appear in the early months of the new calendar, with Alexander-Arnold chosen as the face of February, Salah appearing in March and Van Dijk's picture placed in April. Should any of them leave in the summer, they will not be appearing on fans' walls during the 2025-26 campaign.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Liverpool would prefer to keep Salah, they are already said to be lining up a successor with Omar Marmoush and Ryan Cherki linked to the Reds. Van Dijk, meanwhile, has said that "discussions are ongoing" between him and the club over a new deal, while Alexander-Arnold has stayed silent amid reports he is on his way to Real Madrid next year.

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Liverpool are top of the Premier League with a five-point lead over Manchester City. Arne Slot's side are in action again on Sunday when they visit Southampton, but it has been reported that Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk are injury doubts.

A Chelsea player is said to be open to the possibility of joining Manchester United this summer, coming after Dan Ashworth and co made contact with his agents.

Players who could still leave Chelsea this summer

Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr, Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson, Michael Golding and Lewis Hall have already departed Stamford Bridge this summer, helping to bring in around £89 million worth of transfer fees in total.

Bid pending: Chelsea plot move for "Haaland-esque" £58m Duran upgrade

He’s been described as having “Haaland-esque” properties…

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 27, 2024

Their exits have also worked wonders to trim Enzo Maresca's bloated squad, but the Italian could be set to watch on as co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley seek new homes for more surplus Chelsea players.

Romelu Lukaku is a drain on the club's wage bill, and it is believed Todd Boehly is eager to find a buyer for the Belgian. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, that suitor could well be Napoli, as the Serie A side are becoming increasingly open to the prospect of a part-exchange deal involving Victor Osimhen.

Meanwhile, it is also believed by some that Atletico Madrid are locked in talks with Chelsea over signing Conor Gallagher. The England midfielder's exit would be a very unpopular one considering his status among Chelsea supporters, but Gallagher's contract expires next year, so Boehly and co are faced with the difficult decision of selling for pure profit while they still can.

Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei have also been linked with exits in the last few weeks, but a far more interesting name attracting plenty of debate is Trevoh Chalobah.

Chelsea left the Cobham academy graduate out of their pre-season tour, which sparked fury among sections of the fanbase, especially when factoring in just how impressively he performed towards the back end of 2023/2024. Chalobah started seven of Mauricio Pochettino's final 10 Premier League games last term, earning plaudits for his displays, while the Englishman helped to guide his club to a Conference League qualifying place.

"He was probably our best defender in the last 10-15 games last season," said Chelsea season ticket holder Bert Barrett to GOAL.

"No coincidence our form improved massively with him in there instead of Disasi and [Benoit] Badiashile."

Chalobah would consider Man Utd move from Chelsea after agent talks

The 25-year-old's contract doesn't expire until 2028, but it is believed Chelsea could green-light his sale for a fee of around £25-30 million.

TEAMtalk suggest that Man Utd could well take this opportunity in their search for defenders, with Old Trafford director Ashworth and his team reaching out to the "impressive" Chalobah's agents to gauge the conditions of a deal.

They add that Chalobah would think about a move to Man United from Chelsea if the opportunity arises. Erik ten Hag's side are also looking to raise funds by selling winger Antony for a cut-price £25 million, despite signing the Brazilian for around £81 million.