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The most important player in the history of the New York Mets glances dozens of times a day at a photo of himself in a Washington Nationals uniform. 

For more than five years, Juan Soto’s iPhone lock screen has borne a photo of him hoisting the World Series trophy in 2019. He kept it when he rejected a $440 million, 15-year contract extension offer from the Nationals in ’22; when they traded him to the San Diego Padres that July; when the Padres, shedding salary, traded him to the New York Yankees a year ago. And that photo was beside him this week as he signed the largest contract in the history of sports, $765 million over 15 years, with the Mets. He will change it, he has long said, only when he wins his next title. 

The Mets got him in large part because they convinced him that would happen in New York, and it would be soon. 

Two days before Soto made his decision, Mets owner Steve Cohen hosted him for lunch in Boca Raton, Fla. Soto, 26, asked how many championships Cohen planned to win in the next decade. Cohen, who at his opening press conference after buying the team for $2.4 billion in 2020 said he would consider it “slightly disappointing” if the Mets did not win a title in the next five years, said, “Two to four.”

Soto liked that answer, he said in his own opening media session on Thursday at Citi Field. 

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said, adding, “We look at everything, we look at the chances, and we look at what other teams wanted to do, and what everybody wants to do for the next 15 years, and I think we have the best chance to win here.”

Read that again. Sure, the Mets offered more than $300 million in real value more than the previous richest contract. (Two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is mostly deferred and comes out to about $461 million in current money.) But they also offered, in Soto’s estimation, his best chance to win. When is the last time someone said that about the Mets?

This is the Cohen effect. The hedge-fund chief is the richest owner in the sport by a factor of three with what estimated this fall to be a net worth of $21.3 billion. But more than that, he is a collector of beautiful things. He and wife Alex own more than $1 billion worth of art, including works by Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Cohen grew up a Mets fan in Great Neck, six stops east of Citi Field on the Long Island Rail Road, and when he took over the franchise, he said he wanted to change its perception as a group of losers, the forever little brother to the Yankees. 

That starts with stars. Shortly after Cohen arrived, the Mets traded for shortstop Francisco Lindor, then signed him to a 10-year, $341 million extension. They re-signed homegrown outfielder Brandon Nimmo for eight years and $162 million, and popular closer Edwin Díaz for five years and $102 million. They ran their payroll to $264 million (second in the sport), and then to $331 million (first). But no one has ever done a deal like Soto’s.

“One thing I’ve learned a long time ago,” Cohen said on Thursday, “if you want something that’s amazing, it’s going to be uncomfortable. It’s never going to be comfortable. And so I always stretch a little bit, because I know that’s what it takes to get it done.”

The unprecedented money mattered, certainly. But the Yankees were reportedly willing to go to $760 million, and Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, said he did not ask the other teams in the bidding—the Yankees, Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays—to top Cohen’s final offer. The Mets boast the No. 13 farm system in the sport, according to MLB.com, but the Red Sox’ and Dodgers’ are better. Los Angeles just won the World Series and employs four former MVPs. Soto loved the Blue Jays’ presentation. 

But in the end, Soto believed in Cohen’s vision for his team’s future, in part, Boras said, because Cohen promised he’d be there for it. Cohen has said he sees his ownership of the Mets as a civic investment. He said on Thursday that he did not consider the off-season closed. “We still got stuff to do,” he said. 

By that point, Soto was on the dais posing for photos with his family. But he heard similar language from Cohen during the negotiations, and he liked it. So he signed with the Mets, where he could change franchise history—and his own lock screen.

Leeds United central midfielder Sean Longstaff has established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet in the middle of the park since his move to the club in the summer.

The Whites swooped to sign him from Premier League rivals Newcastle United in a deal worth up to £15m to compete with the likes of Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, and Ilia Gruev.

Longstaff’s experience in the top-flight with the Magpies has helped him to hit the ground running at Elland Road with some impressive showings in midfield.

The 27-year-old star’s breakout performance for Daniel Farke’s side came in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last week, as he scored and assisted a goal.

His fantastic strike, as shown in the clip above, should have been enough to claim all three points for Leeds, but a stoppage-time equaliser meant that they had to settle for one.

Unfortunately, though, the English midfielder was not at his very best in the club’s narrow 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road on Saturday.

How Sean Longstaff performed against Spurs

The former Newcastle man lined up in the middle of the park alongside Stach and Ampadu once again, as they have started to form an impressive unit in midfield.

However, Longstaff did not continue his impressive form. Instead, the Englishman was a bit too easy to play against at times for the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons.

The experienced star was dribbled past three times in midfield, losing half (5/10) of his duels, per Sofascore, which shows that the Spurs players got the better of him too many times.

His part in Mathys Tel’s opening goal summed up his overall performance. Longstaff failed to control a bouncing ball in the middle of the park and then got outmuscled by Bentancur on the turn, which then teed up Mohammed Kudus to set Tel away for his strike.

The Newcastle academy graduate could have prevented the goal by adjusting his body to control the ball from the initial header forward from Spurs, shielding Bentancur out of contention to take it off him.

Minutes

90

Key passes

5

Shots

4

Shots on target

0

Tackles made

4

Dribbled past

3x

Duels won

5/10

As you can see in the table above, it was not an utterly dreadful performance from the central midfielder, who created five chances for his teammates and made four tackles.

However, all four of his shots failed to find the target, he was dribbled past three times, he lost half of his duels, and he was partially to blame for Tel’s goal.

His underwhelming display should not be a cause for too much concern, though, because it was against the Europa League champions and he has shown that he can put in some excellent showings for Leeds.

Meanwhile, though, one of his teammates put in another concerning performance that may sound some alarm bells, as he is on course to become a flop if things do not improve.

Chalkboard

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

The Championship champions swooped to add some Premier League experience to their frontline during the summer transfer window, with the addition of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer from Everton.

Unfortunately, though, there have been more worrying performances than there have been impressive ones since he made the switch to Elland Road in August.

Why Dominic Calvert-Lewin may become a Leeds flop

Bringing the 28-year-old in, even on a free transfer, was always going to be a gamble by the club because of his output in recent seasons for the Toffees.

Calvert-Lewin scored three goals from 6.75 xG in the 2024/25 season, seven goals from 12.93 xG in the 2023/24 season, and two goals from 5.84 xG in the 2022/23 season in the Premier League for Everton, per Sofascore.

This shows that Leeds signed a player who had struggled badly in front of goal for at least three seasons, underperforming against his xG in all three of those campaigns.

Calvert-Lewin’s debut for Leeds, as shown in the graphic above, did little to ease any concerns about his ability in front of goal, as he missed four ‘big chances’ and a penalty in the club’s loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.

The former England international did score an impressive header against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3-1 win for the Whites last month, but that is his only goal for the club to date.

Calvert-Lewin had a big chance to find the back of the net against Spurs on Saturday, when Noah Okafor pressed the defence into a mistake, but the experienced striker fired his effort high and wide of Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.

The English centre-forward was even worse than Longstaff against the Lilywhites because he struggled with his play in and out of possession of the ball.

Minutes

90

Shots

2

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

0

Dribbles completed

0/3

Ground duels won

0/6

Aerial duels won

2/5

Fouls committed

3

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin lost the vast majority of his duels, failed in all three of his attempted dribbles, and missed a ‘big chance’, which was the aforementioned one that he fired over the bar.

This shows that he was even worse than Longstaff, who at least won half of his duels and created five chances for the team, and the striker is now in danger of becoming the next Pierre-Michel Lasogga at Elland Road.

The German striker spent the 2017/18 campaign on loan at the club in the Championship and scored ten goals in 31 league matches, but his general play was less-than-impressive.

Former Leeds forward Noel Whelan once criticised the brute number nine, who was on loan from Hamburg, saying: “He looked heavy, he looked leggy, he looked slow.”

Unfortunately, some of those criticisms could also be levelled at Calvert-Lewin, who has lost 63% of his duels and completed just 17% of his attempted dribbles in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, to go along with one goal and five ‘big chances’ missed.

The former Everton attacker is in danger of becoming the new Lasogga at Elland Road because of how clunky he has looked on the ball and how sloppy he has been in front of goal.

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Calvert-Lewin must finally find his form in front of goal and start to become more reliable with the ball at his feet and in duels with opposition defenders if he wants to avoid going down as a flop in West Yorkshire.

Sheffield Wednesday fans have been urged to show their support and help the club survive following distressing news the Owls have been placed into administration. The four-times English champions will now be handed a damaging points deduction, which will leave the club on MINUS six points. The devastating development comes following years of mismanagement from owner Dejphon Chansiri.

• Writing on the wall for Wednesday

  Chansiri's management of the Yorkshire club has led to repeated transfer embargoes, points deductions, and unpaid player and staff wages. Adding to the financial instability, he controversially sold Hillsborough stadium to a separate company which he also owns, all while facing claims that he underinvested in the ground's maintenance. High manager turnover and refusing multiple takeover bids by demanding an unrealistic £100 million ($133m) asking price have further highlighted the instability and lack of viable alternatives under his leadership.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Dark cloud hanging over Sheffield giants

  News of Wednesday's administration has been met with sadness, particularly from fans who have long protested against Chansiri's ownership. Joint-administrator Kris Wigfield, a Wednesday fan himself, said: "The joint administrators have taken over the running of the club with immediate effect to protect the interests of creditors, and to ensure Sheffield Wednesday can continue operating while we seek a new owner as swiftly as possible. Like many football clubs, it has been trading at a significant loss for several years, with those losses historically funded by the former owner Mr Chansiri, who was no longer willing to provide that financial support. While the recent fan boycott has not directly caused the insolvency, it has increased financial pressure on the club. As a result, the owner has chosen to place the club into administration. 

• Plea to fans to fill Hillsborough

  Wigfield said: "Supporters are the backbone of any football club. The money they spend at the gate and in the ground is vital. I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1984 and know first-hand the passion of this fanbase. Now, more than ever, we need fans back in the ground – buying tickets, merchandise, pies and pints. Every penny spent will go directly to supporting the day-to-day running of this club, not to the former owner or professional costs. This will help stabilise the club while we secure a suitable buyer."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bleak future for Owls

  When a football club goes into administration, an administrator takes control of its finances and day-to-day operations. The administrator's primary goal is to find a buyer or restructure the club's debts to prevent liquidation, potentially by selling off assets like players. The EFL imposes an immediate points deduction, but the club is protected from legal action by its creditors during this process. The long-term outcome depends on whether a suitable buyer is found and a financial agreement is reached with creditors. 

  While the future is uncertain, one thing that is guaranteed is a full house and a raucous atmosphere at Hillsborough for the visit of Oxford United on Saturday. 

  Another of the joint administrators, Paul Stanley, said: "There should be no interruption to the fixture schedule and we are in close contact with the EFL to ensure that the effects of this administration on the employees, supporters, the community and the players are minimised as far as possible.

  "Sheffield Wednesday is a massive, historic club with a loyal fan base in a city that lives and breathes football. If more fans return to Hillsborough, the club can cover its day-to-day costs and move towards a viable sale to a new ownership capable of restoring long-term stability. With the right ownership structure, we are confident that the club has a bright future and will meet all EFL regulatory obligations."

India took a six-run lead into their second innings at Headingley

Matt Roller22-Jun-2025

Harry Brook had a big part to play in shaping the Headingley Test match•Getty Images

Harry Brook threw his head back in despair after picking out long leg but his innings of 99 set up a tantalising one-innings match at his home ground. India had three first-innings centurions to England’s one and Jasprit Bumrah completed a dazzling five-for to prove he is a class above any other bowler on show, yet only six runs separated the two teams after eight sessions.Reprieved before he had scored a run on the second evening thanks to Bumrah overstepping, Brook made India pay for their profligacy. He was dropped twice – on 46, then on 80 – but played several outrageous shots as he approached his first Headingley Test hundred, only to fall into a short-ball trap by pulling Prasidh Krishna down Shardul Thakur’s throat.Related

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But England’s lower order ensured that they raced towards parity. Where India had lost their last five wickets for 24, England added 189 in 35.5 overs, with Chris Woakes pulling back-to-back sixes to reach 2000 Test runs. Bumrah cleaned up his stumps, then Josh Tongue’s, to clinch his third five-wicket haul in England and give India a slender lead.It meant the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy would be determined by both teams’ second innings, and KL Rahul batted with characteristic class to lay the early foundations for a steep England target. But Ben Stokes’ late wicket of B Sai Sudharsan, three overs before rain brought an early close, left the match in the balance heading into the final two days.After his near-miss on Saturday night, Brook made his intentions for Sunday morning clear by cutting Prasidh for four and swiping him over midwicket for six in the very first over, and then charging down to slap Bumrah’s first ball through the covers. It was audacious batting, but underpinned by Brook’s trust in the reliable bounce of his home pitch.Ollie Pope could only add six runs to his overnight 100 not out, fiddling Prasidh behind off a short, wide ball, but Jamie Smith joined Brook and matched his attacking tempo. India rotated their seamers from one end while Ravindra Jadeja kept things tight at the other, and it was Jadeja who had Brook put down first, Rishabh Pant failing to gather an outside edge.Jasprit Bumrah has three Test match five-wicket hauls in England•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesSmith was given out in single-figures, but successfully reviewed an lbw decision after being hit on the shin by a full toss; Thakur thought he had dismissed him, but remained largely anonymous and leaked 38 runs in the six overs he bowled. After three days, Shubman Gill must rue the decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav carrying the drinks.India resolved to test England’s patience with a bouncer barrage, and Smith could not resist the temptation. He crunched Prasidh over square leg for six with a vicious pull, but miscued a wider short ball two balls later and fell to a smart relay catch as Jadeja parried the chance up to Sai Sudharsan in the deep. It was an ill-timed brain fade: the new ball was due at the end of the over.Brook resolved to use it to his advantage, blazing consecutive boundaries off a fired-up Mohammed Siraj, who let him know what he thought of his aggression. Bumrah covered his eyes in frustration when Yashasvi Jaiswal shelled Brook at gully, and Siraj soon backed off when Brook launched him over long-on for a towering straight six.On 99, Brook lined up his opportunity to reach three-figures with a boundary; instead, he was left to drag himself off the field. That prompted Woakes to become the aggressor, taking only 36 balls to add 50 for the eighth wicket with Brydon Carse before Siraj and Bumrah (twice) left the stumps splayed.5:39

Manjrekar: ‘All possibilities open’ in the last two days

Woakes held his back hip while receiving treatment during his 38, and his average speed with the new ball dipped below 80mph. But Carse cranked it up to 90mph running up the hill, and struck an early blow with a snorter to Jaiswal which angled in from around the wicket, bounced steeply and took the outside edge.To the backdrop of a boisterous Western Terrace, much livelier than it had been through the first two days, Rahul was the calmest man at Headingley. He drove Carse for two fours in three balls: the first down the ground and the second pinged through the covers, and seized on Shoaib Bashir’s early drag-down.Sai Sudharsan walked out on a pair and guided his first ball to the boundary, playing late and building a substantial partnership with Rahul for the second wicket. But he fell to Stokes for the second time in the match, chipping an inswinger to short midwicket and failing to punish Ben Duckett for a drop at gully.Light but persistent rain brought the day to an early, anticlimactic ending, but with the sense that another Headingley classic is brewing.

Big picture: Time running out for KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) aren’t out of the playoffs race yet, but the margin for error has all but vanished. They can still reach 17 points, but that requires a perfect run in their final four games. Two of these games are at Eden Gardens, where they’ve managed just one win in four completed matches this season. Saturday afternoon’s match marks their penultimate home game.To stay in the hunt for a top-four finish, KKR need to break new ground this season by stringing together back-to-back wins for the first time. Their last game, against Delhi Capitals (DC), wasn’t perfect, but a few performances offered some hope that there’s still fight left in them. Rinku Singh and Andre Russell found their spark, Sunil Narine dismissed three high-quality batters, and the openers finally laid a solid foundation. For KKR, replicating all of that – and getting more out of Venkatesh Iyer – is essential for their playoff hopes. A loss wouldn’t eliminate them outright, but it would leave them hanging by a thread.Up against them are Rajasthan Royals (RR), already eliminated, but a side that’s hurting. The Vaibhav Suryavanshi – Yashasvi Jaiswal show against Gujarat Titans was scintillating, but what followed was a tame submission against Mumbai Indians, when they went down by 100 runs.Lifting themselves up to produce a performance with Sanju Samson still injured and Sandeep Sharma out of the tournament will be difficult, but a hurting side with nothing to lose can be a dangerous unit. And as their bowling coach Shane Bond suggested on the eve of the game, there’ll be some players waiting to make full use of any opportunities afforded to them in their last few fixtures, with the management having one eye on IPL 2026 and beyond.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLWL
Rajasthan Royals: LWLLL

The big question

KKR have three overseas players locked in: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Narine and Russell. But how do their best use their fourth? It appears Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje are not in the mix right now. Rovman Powell, the current preference, has been carded at No. 8 for their last two games, and a batter at that position averages fewer than six balls per game.

In the spotlight: Venkatesh Iyer and Dhruv Jurel

Venkatesh Iyer is being plagued by inconsistency. In seven innings this season, a struggling top order has offered him ample opportunity. But he has been out in single digits four times, and has crossed 40 only once. Compared to last season, Venkatesh’s average has dropped from 46.3 to 20.3, while his strike rate has fallen from 159 to 139. Only Rishabh Pant and and Abdul Samad have poorer averages this season (minimum 100 runs). With the batters above and below Venkatesh beginning to stitch together scores, it’s time for KKR’s vice-captain to do the same with qualification for playoffs still a possibility.5:35

What all went wrong for Rajasthan Royals this IPL?

RR have shown a lot of faith in Dhruv Jurel, but his role this season has been a bit muddled. He has always been inventive and attacking against pace, but at both No. 4 or No. 5, his game against spin has been tested. Jurel strikes at only 110 against spinners this season, and it’s 179 against pace while boasting an average of 81.5. Is it time for RR to utilise him differently?

Team news and probable XIIs

With only two right-handers in the RR top five, and KKR trusting Russell more with the ball, Anukul Roy, who picked up 1 for 27 against DC, might make way for Ramandeep Singh to get more batting power. Ajinkya Rahane had his right hand bandaged after being injured against DC, but Powell suggested he should be available.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Rovman Powell/Moeen Ali, 9 Ramandeep Singh/Anukul Roy, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Vaibhav AroraAkash Madhwal got his first opportunity with Sandeep’s injury in RR’s last game, and should keep his place. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya remains a tempting option against KKR’s line-up. Wanindu Hasaranga could be back for his googlies against Russell.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana/Wanindu Hasaranga, 10 Fazalhaq Farooqi/Kwena Maphaka, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Yudhvir Singh/Kumar Kartikeya

Pitch and conditions

A look at the surface showed rough marks outside both off and leg stump, and it could be a drier pitch that assists spin just a bit more. The last few days have been hot, with a short stormy period to cool the city down every evening. Chances of the game being affected by rain remain high.Yashasvi Jaiswal has struck four fifties in his last six outings•BCCI

Stats and trivia

• RR’s spinners have the second-lowest average (36.7) and economy (9.4) this season. Only SRH are worse.
• While Angkrish Raghuvanshi has a dazzling strike rate of 170 in his first ten balls in IPL 2025, it dips to 106 by the time he moves on to play his 21st ball and beyond.
• Jaiswal has struck four fifties in his last six outings. He has also hit the most sixes (18) in the powerplay this season. It has helped RR maintain the highest powerplay run rate (10.8) this time.
• The middle-order struggles for KKR and RR are evident in their dot-ball percentage between overs 7 and 16: KKR (37.2%) are the worst, while RR (32.9%) are right behind them.

Quotes

“Whatever happened before in the first half of the competition is history. We all know that in the IPL, it is important for teams to find their momentum at the back end of the competition. If we can do that, we give ourselves the best chance of being back-to-back champions.”
“Regardless of whether you’re in the competition or not, you’ve got the RR badge on your chest, and you’ve got players with the attitude of wanting to turn up, compete, win, and that shouldn’t matter if you’re in the competition or not. So that energy and intensity is expected from the players regardless of the points table, and we didn’t do that very well the other night [against Mumbai Indians]. It will be a hot day in Kolkata, and it will be challenging, but that’s what’s expected, and I want to see that from the boys.”

When Liverpool signed Luis Suarez from Dutch giants Ajax in January 2011, there was a general acceptance that a deal was possible because Europe’s leading clubs, of which Liverpool were not one in that former phase, were dissuaded by his conduct.

Suarez, now 38 and playing Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, will retire as one of the most decorated and greatest strikers of his generation. He will be remembered by many for his incredible goalscoring record and mesmeric movements and ability to blend with attacking teammates.

But he will also be remembered for his volatile and aggressive nature. Suarez plays with his heart on his sleeve, but not always in a sporting fashion. He is both bark and bite.

Even so, he was a superstar for Liverpool, and many others besides. Trumping him would take some doing at number nine, and for all their success under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot, it is something the Reds have not achieved yet.

Well, not until this summer. Now, Liverpool may have not one but two new centre-forwards capable of emulating the Uruguayan’s Premier League legacy.

Liverpool's new strikers

Meet Liverpool’s new strikers. Hugo Ekitike has already familiarised himself with the Anfield crowd, scoring three goals and supplying an assist across his first three matches for the club.

Liverpool won a charged race for his signature, beating off a number of competitors, notably Newcastle United, to sign the French forward in a £69m deal, plus £10m in add-ons.

And he’s repaying the faith. Ekitike looks at home in the Premier League, leading the line. Still only 23, perhaps the most exciting part is that Ekitike has so much potential, and there’s little question that FSG have hit the jackpot, even given his lofty price tag.

Aleander Isak hardly needs an introduction. Liverpool signed Newcastle’s star striker in a British record £125m deal on transfer deadline day, ending a month of speculation that was as contentious as it was compelling.

The Sweden international scored 27 goals across all competitions in 2024/25 and won the Carabao Cup, scoring as Eddie Howe’s side beat Liverpool at Wembley.

Erling Haaland is the only player to have scored at a more clinical rate in the Premier League since Isak left Real Sociedad in Spain and joined Newcastle for £63m. Even Mohamed Salah, in all his brilliance, hasn’t provided the same frequency.

Erling Haaland

101

90 (0.89)

Mohamed Salah

112

68 (0.61)

Alexander Isak

86

54 (0.63)

Ollie Watkins

112

50 (0.45)

Chris Wood

96

39 (0.41)

Bryan Mbeumo

105

39 (0.37)

No doubt, Isak hopes to leave a legacy comparable to that of Suarez, and Ekitike will too. However, Liverpool’s new version of the South American star is actually another member of Slot’s squad.

Liverpool's new version of Suarez

Suarez was a maverick, a game-changer. Rarely has the Premier League seen such boundless quality in one man, and he almost single-handedly dragged Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool to the top-flight title in 2013/14, scoring 31 goals and assisting 13 more as he plied a campaign for the ages.

But he didn’t quite hit the ground running a few years earlier, when he joined from Ajax. Suarez scored off the bench on his Premier League debut, netting against Stoke City in a 2-0 win.

Then the goalscorer would go on to bag just once across his first eight starting appearances in the competition. The circumstances differ, but this curious fact could be applied to contextualise the slow start of Florian Wirtz.

Wirtz, 22, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a record-breaking £116m fee that was swiftly superseded by Isak. The attacking midfielder is one of the most talented footballers in the world and has earned acclaim for his performances in his German homeland.

Fleet feet and a sharp assist for Ekitike in the Community Shield issued a solemn warning to the rest of English football, but four games into the league campaign, the £195k-per-week talent has yet to break his duck.

Journalist Declan Carr conceded that the marquee arrival “has struggled since joining Liverpool”, but there is little reason for concern. As journalist Sam McGuire noted, he is a “statistical unicorn” – a “final third freak”.

Devastating in the Bundesliga and equally as mesmerising across his exploits in the Champions League, Wirtz has proven himself on every stage, and in spite of his relative struggles so far, data from Sofascore reveals that he is averaging two key passes per game for Liverpool, also winning 50% of his ground duels and completing 60% of his dribbles.

In a similar way, Suarez was always going to be a star on Merseyside. Perhaps he outgrew his reputation and potential, becoming one of the best to do it, but still, the forward just needed a bit of time to find his feet.

Suarez might not have made the fastest start in Premier League history, but he played and fought and won like a man possessed once he got going.

And Wirtz carries himself with the air of the footballing elite. You can see it when he takes a deft touch, scans and rolls his way through and into space. There’s a tenacity in his play and an undercurrent which is just waiting to erupt.

Has it been a disappointing start? Perhaps. Wirtz has not been bad, by any stretch, but those who expected him to set the English game aflame from the get-go would be forgiven, as he cost a significant sum, after all.

But Wirtz is young and adapting to a new league; Liverpool, let’s not forget, are adapting to a new system, and have emerged from a summer transfer window characterised by upheaval and change.

It is a matter of when, not if, and if Wirtz keeps on as he has been, he will soon find himself playing with all the gusto of Suarez in his Liverpool prime, and the plaudits will follow.

The new Rooney: Liverpool already sold Salah's heir in "world-class" talent

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Pakistan captain scored just 46 runs off 77 balls during a middle-overs slowdown which cost his side

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-20251:31

Urooj Mumtaz: Rizwan chewed up too many dot deliveries

The loss to India has all but pushed Pakistan out of their home Champions Trophy, and it had a lot to do with a middle-overs slowdown. They ended the first ten overs at 52 for 2, but the next 14 overs netted them just 42 runs. Urooj Mumtaz lay the blame squarely on captain Mohammad Rizwan, who, she said, had played too many dot balls in that period.”Rizwan, time and again, is at fault of chewing up too many dot deliveries. Then there is one release shot that comes out,” she said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “He was on 40-odd from something like 70 deliveries at the point where he looked like taking another release shot. He was 30 off 68 [24 off 53] at one point when he hit that one four. Saud [Shakeel], on the other hand, is not the normal aggressor; it is Rizwan who is normally the aggressor when he does get going and does get set.”During the period in question [overs 11 to 24], Rizwan faced 45 deliveries, and 29 of those were dots. He didn’t hit a single boundary, and got only 16 singles. Eventually, Rizwan struggled his way to 46 off 77 balls. He fell when he skipped down the pitch to try and loft Axar Patel, but missed and was bowled.Related

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Rizwan had slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav for four off the first ball he had faced. His next boundary only came on the 49th delivery he faced off Ravindra Jadeja in the 25th over. Another – the third and last – came off Jadeja in the 27th. When he was dismissed by Axar in the 34th over, Rizwan’s partnership with Shakeel was worth 104, but it had taken 144 balls.”I think Rizwan, in his 46 off 77 – strike rate of 59 – just wasn’t good enough because we’re talking about a team where the best batter in the team [Babar Azam] is obviously out of form, hasn’t been churning out those big runs… and he got out early,” Mumtaz said.”Imam [had] that unfortunate run-out. So it was down to Rizwan as captain to put his hand up and show that brave attitude. Maybe even not just trying to botch everything down, but maybe just better strike rotation, [the lack of] which I thought was a massive fault, and probably applied a little bit more pressure on Saud as well.”

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke watched on as his side held Spanish side Valencia to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in their latest pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The Whites are continuing to prepare for their Premier League opener against Everton later this month, as they return to the top-flight after a two-year absence.

Dutch centre-forward Joel Piroe smashed the ball in from close range to equalise against Valencia on Saturday, and it remains to be seen what kind of role he will play next season.

The former Swansea star scored 19 goals in the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign, but Football Insider claimed that the club have doubts over his ability to make the step up to the Premier League.

Whilst there are doubts over Piroe’s suitability to play at that level, it is also worth adding that Farke will need to find goals across the pitch from his players, not just from his centre-forward.

When Leeds were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa back in 2020, the Argentine head coach had a host of stars who carried a threat in the final third, including Mateusz Klich.

Why Leeds need the next Mateusz Klich

Farke needs to find his own version of the Poland international, because the central midfielder was a crucial part of the club’s success when they returned to the Premier League five years ago.

Klich produced five goals and seven assists in his first two years in the English top-flight with the Whites, which shows that he offered a decent threat from a midfield position.

The right-footed dynamo was particularly important to the team in the 2020/21 campaign, immediately after promotion, with a return of four goals and five assists for Bielsa.

Klich handled the step up to the Premier League, after a haul of six goals and five assists in the Championship in the season before that, to make himself a valuable player for the West Yorkshire outfit.

20/21 Premier League	Mateusz Klich	Percentile rank vs CMs
xG	3.02	Bottom 48%
Goals	4	Top 45%
xA	3.13	Top 30%
Chances created	44	Top 20%
Assists	5	Top 27%
Possession won in the final third	19	Top 18%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Polish star ended up with an above-average goal tally for his position, despite having a below-average xG created for him.

The former FC Twente star also ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of creative statistics, which shows that he helped to create goals for his teammates as well as offering a goal threat himself.

Providing attacking contributions from midfield helped to take the weight off the likes of Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford, which is why Leeds need to find their own version of Klich to ease the pressure on Piroe.

Leeds in the race to sign Championship star

According to A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Southampton central midfielder Mateus Fernandes this summer.

The report claims that Leeds, Aston Villa, and Atletico Madrid are all interested in a deal to snap up the Portugal U21 international before the end of the transfer window.

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It reveals that the 21-year-old talent, who only signed for the Saints from Sporting last year, is open to making a return to the Premier League after being relegated earlier this year.

Sport Witness adds that A Bola previously reported that Southampton are looking for a fee in excess of €35m (£30m) for the midfield talent this summer.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds, or either of the other two interested clubs, are prepared to spend that much on Fernandes to bolster their squad.

Why Leeds should sign Mateus Fernandes

The Whites should push to win this race with Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid for the Southampton central midfielder because he could be Farke’s own version of Klich at Elland Road in the coming season.

Like the former Leeds star, Fernandes is a central or attacking midfield player who provides dynamic and energetic performances in the middle of the park, adding a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Southampton finished rock bottom of the Premier League with just 16 points and two wins on the board, which means that the midfielder did not get to showcase the very best of his abilities, as he was in a team that struggled badly week-in-week-out.

However, the 21-year-old talent, who was once praised for his “exceptional” passing quality by analyst Ben Mattinson, was still able to end the season with a solid return of three goals and six assists in all competitions for the Saints, which is not dissimilar to Klich’s haul from the 2020/21 campaign for Leeds.

Fernandes created six ‘big chances’ and 3.64 xA in the Premier League in a dismal Southampton side, which suggests that he could offer a very decent threat in the final third in a team that is better equipped for a shot at avoiding relegation from the division.

The Leeds target, who ranked within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for successful take-ons (1.52) per 90, was able to shine and showcase some of his qualities on the pitch in spite of the team that he was playing for.

Most similar CMs to Matues Fernandes in 24/25 Premier League
Player	Similarity rank
Yasin Ayari	1
Elliot Anderson	2
Daichi Kamada	3
Mikkel Damsgaard	4
Sandro Tonali	5
Tyler Dibling	6
Joao Gomes	7
Joelinton	8
Bruno Guimaraes	9
Ryan Christie	10
Via FBref

As you can see in the table above, his statistics in the Premier League last season earned him comparisons to some top players in the division, including the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joao Gomes.

The dynamic midfield star, who averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game, could come in as Farke’s own Klich because he is a Premier League proven midfielder who can provide quality in front of goal and out of possession by winning tackles and interceptions for his side.

That is why the Whites should be pushing to bring Fernandes to the club to alleviate some of the pressure from their attacking players, by signing a midfielder who can offer a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Crystal Palace have started off the campaign with a trophy to their name and could now be set to go toe-to-toe with Nottingham Forest to sign a talented midfield operator, per reports.

Crystal Palace lose CAS appeal after winning Community Shield

Oliver Glasner and his club have been involved in a turbulent couple of days that saw them win the FA Community Shield against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, though the joy of another day in the sun has been blighted by recent developments.

Taking to social media platform X, journalist Ben Jacobs delivered that Crystal Palace have lost their CAS appeal against Europa League expulsion, and they will now have to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League this term.

He said: “Crystal Palace have lost their CAS appeal and will play in the UEFA Conference League this season. Nottingham Forest will replace them in the Europa League. Palace will consider all legal options.”

Nottingham Forest will replace Crystal Palace in the Europa League, igniting more fire between both clubs ahead of their meeting on matchday two of the Premier League season next weekend.

Chelsea await in their opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and the Eagles will hope to bring Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss into the fold as soon as possible, even if his arrival depends on Eberechi Eze leaving the club.

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Veteran Raheem Sterling has held talks over a move to Selhurst Park and may be another option to provide a spark of creativity across the forthcoming season.

However, Glasner also appears to be focused on legs in central areas and could now be set to try and trump Nottingham Forest in the process.

Crystal Palace battle Nottingham Forest for Yunus Musah

According to reports in Italy cited via Area Napoli, Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato has confirmed Crystal Palace have joined Nottingham Forest in the race to sign AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah.

Napoli are also keen on the United States international and although the Rossoneri could ask for just under £26 million, even a fee of £21.6 million may be enough to prize him away from the Serie A giants.

Yunus Musah in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

40

Goals

0

Assists

3

Capable of playing in a variety of central midfield roles or on the right flank, the 22-year-old is a versatile presence who can deputise where needed. It should be noted that Napoli are looking to sell Giacomo Raspadori before accelerating their pursuit.

Labelled a “complete player” by Stefano Pioli, the AC Milan star completed 21 dribbles and won 19 tackles in the Italian top-flight last term, illustrating why he is a competent operator in several positions.

After losing their Europa League place to Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace could make a statement by bringing him to Selhurst Park as they now look forward after kicking the new term off with an encouraging victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield.

After dropping out of the race to sign Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their focus towards improving their backline with the addition of a Premier League rival.

Newcastle drop out of Ekitike race

In the end it seemed to be a choice of either opening the door for Liverpool to make their move for Alexander Isak or miss out on Ekitike for Newcastle, who swiftly chose to prioritise their Swedish star. As per Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies have now walked away from any potential deal to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt forward, allowing Liverpool to advance.

It’s a frustratingly familiar story for those at St James’ Park this summer. Despite doing well to welcome Anthony Elanga and with James Trafford likely on his way, Eddie Howe has been forced to watch on as the likes of Joao Pedro and now Ekitike head elsewhere. Back to square one on the transfer front, Newcastle must now assess their options.

With pre-season underway and around one month to go until the Premier League is back, there are a number of options that Newcastle could turn towards after missing out on Ekitike, but Yoane Wissa remains the standout name.

The Brentford forward scored 19 Premier League goals last season – more than Ekitike managed in the Bundesliga – and is certainly ready for a big move away from West London.

He remains one to watch, and the same can be said for another Premier League rival as Newcastle look to welcome further fresh faces before the end of August.

Newcastle pushing to sign Disasi

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now pushing to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea after opening negotiations with those at Stamford Bridge. There is reportedly some belief that the Magpies could land a deal for just €30m (£26m), which would be a cut-price from the Blues’ €35m (£30m) valuation.

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Although the Frenchman’s move hasn’t gone exactly to plan at Chelsea, he could quickly rediscover his best form with a summer switch to St James’ Park. It’s there that the 6’3 defender could act as instant competition for Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, before eventually replacing the ageing latter.

Minutes

854

412

2,934

Progressive Passes P90

3.37

1.52

3.62

Tackles Won P90

0.95

1.96

0.64

Ball Recoveries P90

3.16

3.04

4.11

Finally gaining some much-needed game time on loan at Aston Villa last season, Disasi impressed at times and began to live up to the praise of U23 scout Antonio Mango, who previously described the defender as “brilliant”.

If Newcastle can land a deal worth just £26m too, then they should consider that an impressive bargain for a defender who should be at the peak of his powers at 27 years old.