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GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including a big match for Chris Richards' Crystal Palace against Manchester United.

Another weekend, another batch of storylines to latch onto. Life for Americans playing abroad remains a chaotic, ever-shifting universe – but right now, the stars are shining.

This slate could bring more of the same. Chris Richards is the headliner as Crystal Palace take on Manchester United, while Christian Pulisic’s status looms over everything, with the American star potentially set to miss more time through injury. And then there are the others. Ricardo Pepi continues his hunt for minutes at PSV, and a cluster of No. 9s across Europe will look to make their case at a moment when Folarin Balogun has hit a rough patch in front of goal.

GOAL US previews the main storylines among Americans abroad this weekend… 

Getty Images SportChris Richards to have his moment

First, the big one. Playing Manchester United isn’t what it used to be. Ruben Amorim’s side has improved of late, but they remain toothless in attack. They struggle to score, and while Crystal Palace aren’t elite, there are few reasons to fear this United team. Even so, it’s a significant matchup for Richards.

It has been a curious few weeks for the USMNT center back. A month ago, he was earning deserved plaudits for his national team form and consistent performances for Palace. Since then, things have become a bit muddled. Oliver Glasner has taken a few public swipes at Mauricio Pochettino for calling Richards into the October camp despite a calf knock. The defender missed time as a result and went down late in Palace’s last Premier League game.

Still, he has been back in training and is expected to be ready for United. A win would push Palace into the top four – potentially as high as third if results fall their way. It’s a big opportunity.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPulisic looks to build on a massive derby day

Pulisic’s status is suddenly uncertain again, with talk of a fresh knock casting doubt over his availability for Milan’s clash with Lazio. Max Allegri admitted Thursday that the American is questionable, and with the schedule tightening, it’s unclear whether Milan will risk him. It’s an all-too-familiar storyline for a player whose biggest obstacle has always been staying on the field.

And the timing couldn’t be more frustrating. Pulisic is coming off one of his best performances of the season – and arguably his most important – after bossing the Milan derby last week. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 win and controlled large stretches as a drifting second striker, a reminder of just how influential he can be when fully fit. With seven goal contributions already in Serie A, he has a legitimate claim as one of the league’s form players.

But that’s the challenge. For all the quality Pulisic brings, his ability to maintain that level has consistently been shaped by injuries arriving at exactly the wrong moments. This latest concern threatens to interrupt a run of form that had him looking like one of Serie A’s best.

AFPRicardo Pepi back to scoring goals

The USMNT suddenly have a few real questions at striker. Folarin Balogun has generally delivered in a national team shirt – even if his club form is uneven – and Haji Wright has pushed for minutes despite his recent dip in goals. But then there’s Pepi, who was Pochettino’s preferred No. 9 early on and was scoring freely for PSV just a year ago.

In truth, the former FC Dallas standout is still working his way back from a serious knee injury, even if he’s technically available every week. The sharpness isn’t fully there; he’s still a half-beat slow, still thinking before he shoots. Yet Wednesday’s Champions League cameo against Liverpool served as a reminder of why he remains such a valuable option. Pepi was disruptive off the bench, unsettled Virgil van Dijk, and gave PSV a presence up top – even without a goal.

Guus Til, naturally a No. 10, has been getting the starts in recent weeks, leaving Pepi to make his case in limited minutes. A weekend matchup with lowly Volendam should offer a clearer opportunity. For Pepi, who badly needs a confidence-restoring performance, it feels like an important chance to find his scoring touch again.

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AFPThings get trickier for Weston McKennie

Weston McKennie remains one of the trickiest USMNT players to evaluate. On one hand, he’s starting every week for Juventus and looks firmly back in the “indispensable” category after appearing close to a summer exit. On the other, new manager Luciano Spalletti- a recent Serie A title winner with Napoli – hasn’t exactly unlocked some bold new tactical identity. What he done is trust McKennie, who repaid that faith with a Champions League goal on Tuesday night.

The takeaway is simple: McKennie has a role, and a significant one. He has played nearly every minute under Spalletti and, even if he hasn’t been spectacular, has done enough to keep his place. The next step is finding a bit more end product. A weekend matchup with struggling Cagliari should give him the platform to show it.

Sri Lanka last hosted the men’s T20 World Cup in 2012, India in 2016

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Sep-2025

India will attempt to defend their T20 World Cup title at home next year•ICC/Getty Images

The 2026 men’s T20 World Cup is likely to be played between February 7 and March 8. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will comprise 20 teams.The matches will be played in at least five venues in India and two in Sri Lanka. The final will be in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan is playing. India and Pakistan are not playing in each other’s countries due to strained political relations between the two governments at present.While the ICC is still finalising the schedule, ESPNcricinfo has learned that it has identified the window and informed the participating countries.Related

Dates for next three IPL seasons revealed

Italy's long road to T20WC qualification

At present, 15 teams have been confirmed for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup: India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Italy, who have qualified for a World Cup for the first time. Of the remaining five teams, two will come from the Africa regional qualifier and three from the Asia and East Asia Pacific qualifier.The format will be the same as the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, where the 20 teams were divided into four groups of five each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super Eight round, where once again the eight teams were divided into two groups of four. The top two from each Super Eight group progressed to the semi-finals. India are the reigning champions, having beaten South Africa in the final in Barbados. The entire tournament comprised 55 matches.India are hosting several marquee events in the first four months of 2026 starting with the WPL, dates for which are yet to be finalised. The BCCI has earmarked a window between early January and early February for the five-team tournament. The WPL will be followed by the men’s T20 World Cup, after which the BCCI will host the IPL, with the tentative window being March 15 to May 31. India also host New Zealand for ODIs and T20Is from January 11 to 31.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco venceu o Flamengo por 5 a 1, pelo primeiro jogo das semifinais do Campeonato Carioca Sub-17, neste domingo, no Estádio Nivaldo Pereira. Apesar de sair atrás no placar, o cruzmaltino virou e goleou o rival para abrir vantagem no confronto.

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O Flamengo abriu o placar com Dougas Telles, aos 29 minutos do primeiro tempo. Mas nove minutos depois, o cruzmaltino empatou com Bruno Lopes, que também fez o gol da virada aos 43 minutos.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Vasco

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Na etapa final, o Vasco liquidou o jogo de vez, ampliou o placar com Igor, aos 12, e Lukas Zuccarello, aos 14. Nos minutos finais, Alexandre marcou e fechou a conta. Final de jogo, 5 a 1 para o cruzmaltino.

Os times voltam a se enfrentar no sábado (11), às 11h (Brasília), na Gávea. Na outra semifinal, o Fluminense encara o Nova Iguaçu.

An “incredible” manager has now emerged as the leading candidate for the Nottingham Forest job, with Evangelos Marinakis considering sacking Ange Postecoglou.

Ange's future in doubt after terrible start

Ange has made an awful start to life as Forest manager, becoming the club’s first manager in 100 years to fail to win any of his first six games, and things may not improve anytime soon, with some very tricky fixtures on the horizon.

Consequently, it is no surprise the Australian’s future is now up in the air, with the Tricky Trees identifying a number of potential replacements, including Fulham’s Marco Silva, and Rafa Benitez, with the latter recently emerging as a leading candidate.

However, the ex-Liverpool boss is not the only major contender for the job, according to a report from The Telegraph, which states that Sean Dyche has now emerged as the frontrunner to replace Postecoglou in the dugout.

Marinakis is considering parting ways with the 60-year-old, as he is still yet to get a win on the board, and Dyche could be a safe pair of hands, given that he has experience guiding relegation-threatened teams to Premier League safety.

As previously mentioned, Silva has also been considered, alongside Brondby manager Steve Cooper, but with both currently employed, compensation would be an issue, so a move for an out-of-work manager could make more sense.

"Incredible" Dyche could be ideal appointment for Forest

It was always going to be a risk appointing Ange, given that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss is well-known for his attacking style of play, which is completely at odds with Nuno Espirito Santo’s more pragmatic, counter-attacking approach.

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The appointment simply hasn’t worked out, and with some tough fixtures coming up, it would not be a surprise to see the 60-year-old face the sack soon, at which point Marinakis may be concerned about Forest being dragged into a relegation battle.

As such, it would be ideal to bring in a proven Premier League manager, who knows what it takes to avoid the drop, meaning Dyche could be perfect, having kept both Burnley and Everton in the top flight over the years.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has also lauded the 54-year-old, who utilises a 4-2-3-1 system, for the previous work he has done in the Premier League.

Long-term, Dyche may not be the answer, given that he was unable to turn Everton into contenders at the top end of the table, but on a short-term basis, the former Nottingham Forest trainee could make a real impact.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo recebeu o time com grande festa no Maracanã para a final da Copa do Brasil, contra o São Paulo neste domingo (17). Nos últimos dias, a torcida arrecadou fundos para preparar a festa da partida. O Maracanã ficou lindo e totalmente rubro-negro.

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While it hasn’t been the perfect start to the season for Arsenal, it’s been a pretty good one.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to play Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United in the Premier League, and have come out with seven points out of a possible 12 from those specific games.

Add to that thumping wins over Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, and a good 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, and it’s hard not to be optimistic about the campaign ahead.

However, there have still been a few problems here and there, whether it be mounting injuries or a perceived lack of threat, especially when it comes to the club’s new talisman, Viktor Gyokeres.

It’s been a mixed start to life in England for the Swede, which isn’t helped by a former Arsenal striker outperforming him on the continent.

Gyokeres' start to the season with Arsenal

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, it’s worth stating that, despite what some would have you believe online, Gyokeres has not had a terrible start to his Arsenal career, far from it.

However, it’s equally true that, so far anyway, the former Sporting CP star has not been the monstrous goal machine some had thought or hoped he’d be. After all, this is a player who found the net on over 50 occasions last term in Portugal.

He is officially the best striker in the world, so the Ballon d’Or awards would have you believe, anyway, so this certainly wasn’t a poor use of funds over the summer.

However, while he scored a wonderful goal and a penalty against Leeds, and then got himself another against Forest, it would be fair to say that the 27-year-old has struggled somewhat in the big games.

Granted, a significant reason he hasn’t been able to find the back of the net in the big games is the lack of service he’s received from his teammates, but even then, the very best strikers in world football can create their own chances.

His performance against Newcastle was a bit of a mixed bag as well.

While he held up the ball well at times, made some good runs and even won a penalty, which was then overturned, he still failed to do the most crucial thing: score.

Moreover, there were more than a few moments in which he got his feet stuck under himself, or took a touch too many and lost the ball in an advantageous position.

Yet, with all that said, it’s still early in the season, and as his teammates get more and more comfortable with his style of play, there is every chance he becomes that goal machine so many thought he’d be.

However, as things stand, he is currently being outperformed by a former Arsenal star whom Arteta let leave for free.

The former Arsenal star outperforming Gyokeres

While there are probably a few Arsenal players who could fit this label at the moment, the star in question is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabonese striker joined the Gunners back in the 2018 winter window, and to say he justified his £56m price tag would be a massive understatement.

The former Borussia Dortmund star would go on to become the fastest player in the club’s history to score 50 goals; he’d play a crucial role in their 2020 FA Cup triumph and even wear the captain’s armband at points.

However, after the goals began to dry up, and he fell out with Arteta over discipline and his off-the-pitch behaviour, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement in January 2022, which allowed him to join Barcelona for free in the same month.

He’d only stay in Spain for half a season before spending a dreadful year back in London with Chelsea, after which he made his way to Marseille, and once again regained his out-of-this-world ability.

In a single campaign in the South of France, the former Arsenal star scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 51 appearances, but instead of staying on, he made a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League.

Unsurprisingly, the “world-class” striker, as dubbed by Behdad Eghbali, also performed brilliantly in the Middle Eastern state, racking up an impressive tally of 24 goal involvements in 36 games for Al-Qadsiah.

Fortunately, the Laval-born monster felt the urge to return to European football this season and rejoined Marseille in the summer.

Since his return to the French giants, the 36-year-old has once again shown his quality, scoring three goals and providing one assist in just six appearances, totalling 337 minutes.

Aubameyang vs Gyokeres in 25/26

Season

Aubameyang

Gyokeres

Appearances

6

8

Minutes

337′

572′

Goals

3

3

Assists

1

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

0.37

Minutes per Goal Involvement

84.25′

190.66′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 84.25 minutes, which, unfortunately for Arteta and Co, means he’s currently outperforming Gyokeres, and by some margin.

For comparison’s sake, the Swede’s three goal involvements in eight appearances, totalling 572 minutes, come out to an average of one every 2.66 games, or every 190.66 minutes.

Ultimately, it would probably be untrue to claim that Aubameyang is currently a better striker than Gyokeres, but Arsenal fans will be hoping the former Sporting star can start putting the ball in the back of the net more regularly as the season goes on.

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Liverpool enjoyed a barnstorming summer transfer window, with an estimated £415m outlay marking the most ambitious and expensive spending spree in European football history.

Rarely had Liverpool shown even a measure of the willingness to fork out such sums across a condensed period, but the careful construction of a superpower under Jurgen Klopp’s wing hit new heights last year in Arne Slot’s system, winning the Premier League and earning a windfall from finishing first in the Champions League group phase.

Twice the Reds have broken the British transfer record this year, first signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen before winning the interminable battle with Newcastle United for their free-scoring forward Alexander Isak.

But it didn’t all go the Anfield side’s way, having missed out on top defensive target Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day, with the Three Lions star’s announcement earlier in the day thought to be a formality.

Liverpool's miss out on Guehi

Guehi remains at Crystal Palace. The 25-year-old centre-half, who has entered the final year of his contract, had come within a whisker to making a career-changing move to Slot’s Liverpool, but lost out after his club failed to sign a fitting replacement and Oliver Glasner reportedly threatened to walk if his sale was green-lit.

However, Guehi’s arrival was never going to be the be-all and end-all for the Merseysiders, who had already welcomed Giovanni Leoni to their ranks from Parma in Italy for a £26m fee plus add-ons.

The Italy international is only 18, but he has already showcased prodigious potential and is considered to be one of the most talented young defenders in the world.

Liverpool also resisted interest in Joe Gomez last month, and thus have a range of options at the rearguard, with skipper Virgil van Dijk still performing at the top of his game despite turning 34 in July.

In short, there’s not much to worry about, even if Guehi is one of the best on English shores.

Palace might of reneged on their initial agreement with Liverpool due to internal strife, but the league champions have options aplenty to get them through the campaign, with Van Dijk not the only one who might consider himself an upgrade on the England international.

Liverpool already have a Guehi upgrade

Guehi has the makings of a top-class defender, but perhaps he’s not quite there yet. The one-time Chelsea prospect has captained Palace to FA Cup and Community Shield titles in 2025, but it’s perhaps fair to say that he hasn’t yet lived up to the heights of Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.

Konate, 26, hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts to the season, caught out in both of Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixtures, but the Frenchman is typically immense beside Van Dijk, hailed by analyst Josh Williams as a “monster at covering ground and dealing with one vs one situations.”

Across his four seasons at Liverpool, Konate has grown stronger and stronger, both on the field and from a fitness slant, with his title-winning performances last season bearing a likeness to Guehi’s own efforts across the year. It’s clear, then, why Liverpool want to land a player who is comparable to their athletic defender.

Goals scored

0.09

0.04

Assists

0.06

0.07

Touches

62.70

76.82

Pass completion

83.5%

90.2%

Progressive passes

3.94

4.04

Progressive carries

0.65

0.88

Goal-creating actions

0.15

0.25

Tackles

1.79

1.41

Interceptions

0.82

0.60

Clearances

4.80

4.68

Blocks

1.62

1.02

Aerial duels won

2.00

2.60

Like Guehi, Konate is staring at the end of his contract, and despite lengthy efforts to reach a breakthrough, Liverpool have as yet failed to convince the £70k-per-week defender to extend.

However, reports from recent months have suggested that there has been something of a narrative shift, with reporter DaveOCKOP revealing that talks are ongoing underneath the ominous backdrop of Real Madrid’s persisting interest.

And class, as they say, is permanent, with Konate putting in a phenomenal shift against Liverpool’s title rivals, completing all 44 of his passes and standing strong against the waves of Gunner offensives.

Liverpool may feel that they have an exciting prospect in Leoni – and indeed, they are probably right in viewing him as a potential superstar – but Konate has been chiselled into one of the best in the business, and his track record suggests Guehi wouldn’t have so easily displaced him if a deal was done on deadline day.

All this is to say that while supporters might be understandably frustrated by the failed effort to sign Guehi, there is little, if any, cause for panic.

Konate is at the top of his game right now, and if Liverpool do find a breakthrough in negotiations to extend his stay on Merseyside, the tough-tackling giant might just find himself reaching new levels, especially when the time comes for Van Dijk to bow out.

Sofascore’s data even reveals that Konate won a whopping 71% of his aerial duels in the top flight last term, whereas Guehi, much shorter at just 6 feet tall, came out on top just 54% of the time for the Eagles.

After all, it’s hardly a coincidence that Konate won his first Premier League title the same year he sorted his fitness levels out, starting 30 times in the Premier League.

25/26 – 3 (3)

–

1

24/25 – 31 (30)

3

11

23/24 – 22 (17)

–

5

22/23 – 18 (17)

–

7

21/22 – 11 (11)

–

4

Liverpool will still need to sign a centre-back at some stage in the not-too-distant future, and Guehi may well remain at the top of the shopping list as he approaches free agency.

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ByAngus Sinclair Sep 4, 2025

There is an opportunity for both teams to use this series as a kind of laboratory ahead of the Champions Trophy

Alagappan Muthu08-Feb-2025

Virat Kohli hit the nets ahead of the second ODI•Associated Press

Big picture: Kohli fit againCricketers. They’re just like us, from having for lunch to cueing up Netflix with dinner. This deeply normal kind of life may be beckoning a first-choice Indian team member as they continue on their Champions Trophy fact-finding mission.Shreyas Iyer usually plays entertainer, and he did this on Thursday night, his strokeplay containing everything but a backwards step even against extreme pace. He’s got his IPL coach, Ricky Ponting, sitting bolt upright in his seat saying things like “If Shreyas is out in the middle, then he’s as good as anyone” on the ICC review. India can’t keep him on and bring Virat Kohli in and explore the possibilities that Yashasvi Jaiswal presents them as a left-handed, top-order basher. Someone will have to switch to being the one that gets entertained.Related

Virat Kohli fit to play second ODI against England

India's left-arm orthodox spin twins give them a good headache to have

Despite their loss in Nagpur, England will be pleased with the work of Jacob Bethell, the 21-year-old displaying the kind of level-headedness that could prove invaluable over the coming weeks. Another ICC trophy comes up for grabs starting February 19 and although the pressure there will be significantly higher, this bilateral series, with the quality of players involved, should be able to replicate some of it.Performances like Bethell’s, or Shubman Gill’s in the No. 3 role, or Axar Patel’s as a disruptor at No. 5, are important beyond the context of winning and losing, because they offer exactly what all teams want going into a world event – options, a way to stand out, a way to surprise.Form guideIndia WLLTW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LLWLLIn the spotlight: Harry Brook and Virat KohliNinety-one runs in six innings on tour is not the performance England wanted from a player in whom they have made a serious investment. Harry Brook plays all formats for them. He’s captained them. And when on song, he absolutely smashes it for them, but once again he has been unable to find a repeatable and consistent method of handling high-quality spin on pitches that are slower than he is used to. Fifty-over cricket offers batters a little more time and Brook could leverage that to get himself back in form.Harry Brook has struggled against spin on this tour•BCCI

The last time Kohli batted for India, he left the field in a fury, mistaking his thigh for a punching bag. It is unlikely that he thinks he is in decline. At least not to the extent that things can’t be turned around. His fans know things absolutely can turn around, and the switch in format could be just the break he needs to get the good times rolling again. India are weighing upsides. Iyer is already in form, and they know what he can do. If his making way means they get to arm an all-time great with game time and simultaneously find out if Jaiswal can be an asset in ODIs too, that’s probably a win.Team news: A chance to experimentThis trophy doesn’t matter as much as the next one these two teams will be playing for so there is an opportunity to see this series as a kind of laboratory to know what works and what doesn’t. India picked Arshdeep Singh over Mohammed Siraj in their Champions Trophy squad and maybe they’re thinking of bringing him into the XI too. Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to give Rishabh Pant some match practice either.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami.England rested Mark Wood from the first ODI. His pace has always been a point of difference and so there is always a temptation to stick him into a starting XI.England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood/Saqib Mahmood.Pitch and conditions: A reprise of the 2017 thriller?Cuttack hasn’t hosted any ODIs in half a decade but when it last did, it presented itself as a batting paradise. India and England have already experienced these highs when they put up totals of 381 and 366 in 2017. The game is unlikely to come under any threat from the weather with clear skies expected; there might be dew though, given the temperature drops from 30C at 5pm to 23C at 9pm.Stats and trivia: In the last 20 years, England have beaten India in India only five times in 31 ODIs. Cuttack offers more or less equal help to pace (137 wickets at an average of 40.86 and economy rate of 5) and spin (88 wickets at an average of 36 and economy rate of 4.74). Gill has found incredible consistency in ODI cricket. He’s been good enough to score a fifty roughly once every 2.4 innings. Jos Butter is such a regular, and rapid, run-scorer in this format that he’s part of a pretty exclusive club: 5000 runs and a strike rate of 100-plus.

كشفت صحيفة سبورت المقربة من نادي برشلونة اليوم الأحد، عن حقيقة رحيل روبرت ليفاندوفسكي عن صفوف البلوجرانا عقب نهاية هذا الموسم.

ليفاندوفسكي ينتهي عقده مع برشلونة بنهاية الموسم الجاري ولم يتم التوصل إلى اتفاق حتى الآن حول توقيع عقد جديد، حيث يخوض الدولي البولندي موسمه الرابع مع البارسا.

وقدم ليفاندوفسكي مستويات متميزة مع برشلونة خلال السنوات الماضية، ولعب ابن الـ37 عامًا دورًا كبيرًا في حصول الفريق الكتالوني الموسم الماضي على ثلاثية الدوري الإسباني وكأس السوبر الإسباني وكأس ملك إسبانيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ديفيد فيا: جوارديولا جعلني أختار برشلونة.. وسخرية مورينيو أعجبتني

وذكرت الصحفية، أن الاتجاه الأقرب لإدارة برشلونة هو عدم تجديد عقد ليفانكوفسكي وترك مهاجم بايرن ميونخ السابق يغادر في صفقة انتقال حر.

وأضافت أن برشلونة يدرس وبشكل جدي إمكانية تجديد عقد ليفاندوفسكي عقب نهاية هذا الموسم، ومن ثم بيعه بمقابل مادي إلى أحد الأندية السعودية، لكن اللاعب يفضل الانتقال إلى نادي أوروبي بالفعل.

وأوضح تاأن ليفاندوفسكي يفكر كذلك في اعتزال كرة القدم بشكل نهائي، أو تجديد عقده مع برشلونة لمدة عامين حيث تضغط عائلة اللاعب وبالأخص زوجته لكي يبقى في إقليم كتالونيا.

Sunderland have been busy tying Regis Le Bris down to an extended contract on Wearside.

This summer has seen the Black Cats bring in countless new bodies ahead of their Premier League adventure kicking off, but the top-flight newcomers have still found time to ensure the Frenchman sticks it out at the Stadium of Light for the foreseeable, with his improved deal now in play until 2028.

Of course, football is a fickle sport, so it will be intriguing to see if Sunderland extends this same faith to the ex-Lorient manager when times are potentially tough in the brutal division, with more fresh signings no doubt being worked on before August’s opening clash with West Ham United.

Sunderland express interest in £20m-rated talent

The newly promoted side continues to be linked with a whole plethora of exciting names this summer.

Indeed, recent rumours have even suggested that RB Leipzig goal machine Lois Openda is on their shortlist as they attempt to enhance their forward options, alongside interest also popping up in Granit Xhaka’s ex-Bayer Leverkusen teammate Amine Adli to add more quality down the flanks.

They aren’t the only faces Le Bris and Co. are keeping tabs on from the Bundesliga, however, as a new report by Sky Sports Germany indicates that the Black Cats are interested in the possibility of signing Borussia Dortmund star Julian Ryerson before the transfer window closes.

It is stated that Ryerson is comfortable sticking it out with the Black and Yellow, but he might be swayed by the prospect of the Premier League, with the report stating that this is a dream destination for the Nordic right-back.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have also thrown their hat into the ring over Ryerson’s services, with both clubs now having enquired about the potential of bringing the 27-year-old to English shores.

Sunderland winning the £20m-rated defender’s signature – as per his Football Transfers valuation – could see them land an even more entertaining right-back option than Trai Hume, as Le Bris attempts to boost his side all over the pitch, away from hanging onto EFL favourites.

Why Ryerson can be even better than Hume

The Northern Irishman has long been a favourite among the Stadium of Light masses, even before Le Bris’ transformative entry onto the scene.

Indeed, Hume is now up to a mammoth 132 appearances plying his trade on Wearside, with his blistering, high-energy efforts playing a key role in promotion being clinched last season, as the 23-year-old picked up three goals and six assists in league action, on top of tallying up a bumper 17 clean sheets.

Yet, the worry will be how Hume navigates the anxious jump up from the Championship to the Premier League, having only ever played football in his native Northern Ireland, before joining Sunderland’s upward journey in League One back in 2021.

This is where Ryerson could be crucial in helping Sunderland to bridge this almighty gap, having just finished a standout season for Nico Kovac’s men in the unrelenting environment of the Bundesliga.

Games played

29

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches*

61.2

Accurate passes*

36.1 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

Big chances created

8

Ball recoveries*

4.1

Total duels won*

4.0

Ryerson stood out as an expansive, Hume-like figure for Dortmund last season in the gruelling terrain of the German top-flight, with the 27-year-old creating a promising eight big chances in total from his 29 outings for Kovac and Co, while also showing off his defensive grit when averaging four duels won per league clash.

Therefore, picking up Ryerson for around his £20m valuation might be deemed a worthwhile investment to make, with the Scandinavian also boasting 23 Champions League appearances for Jobe Bellingham’s new employers.

Further, Ryerson can offer even more versatility to the Sunderland cause than his ex-Linfield counterpart, having even lined up as a centre-back seven times across his varied career to date, away from also being a capable performer further forward as an out-and-out winger.

That flexibility has been noted by Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who said upon Ryerson’s arrival at the club: “Julian Ryerson is an intelligent and aggressive defender, in a good way. He can play on either side of the back four and in a back three.”

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Le Bris clearly won’t ditch Hume completely, but snapping up the Dortmund number 26 would gift the Black Cats some much-needed quality and experience, so as not to be swallowed whole by the Premier League.

Sunderland could land Le Bris his own Isak by signing “terrifying” £51m ace

Regis Le Bris could secure himself his very own Alexander Isak if Sunderland snap up this £51m star.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 5, 2025