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The Norwegian was at the double as the champions earned their joint-biggest win of the season in the Premier League

Erling Haaland enjoyed his usual feast against West Ham as Manchester City looked ever-so-slightly like their old selves in a ruthless 4-1 win over Julen Lopetegui's side on Saturday. The Norwegian bagged a double to make it nine goals in six games against the Hammers and rack up 16 Premier League goals this season, just one behind top scorer Mohamed Salah.

Savinho and Phil Foden also shone in a therapeutic win for the champions. City made a ragged start to the game and gifted West Ham two decent early chances but Pep Guardiola's side's nerves were settled in the 10th minute, when Vladimir Coufal stuck out a leg and diverted a Savinho shot into the far end of the net. City continued to be sloppy in defence but they doubled their lead when Haaland towered into the air to head home a pinpoint cross from Savinho.

Savinho, who set up Haaland's headed goal in City's last outing against Leicester, laid on another goal for the striker 10 minutes into the second half, the fifth goal the Brazilian has contributed to in his last two matches. Three minutes later Phil Foden scored just his second league goal of the season to turn a convincing win into a rout, although West Ham did pull a goal back through Niklas Fullkrug.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Stefan Ortega (6/10):

Rarely tested until Fullkrug scored due to West Ham's wastefulness.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Looked far more comfortable and confident than in recent weeks, being resourceful and ambitious with the ball.

Manuel Akanji (5/10):

A little suspect in possession and looked vulnerable whenever West Ham broke. Fortunate the referee gave a foul when Crysencio Summerville dispossessed him by the halfway line.

Nathan Ake (6/10):

Strong and intelligent although he was taken off early as he still does not look fully fit.

Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

Didn't provide his usual attacking threat but looked more solid at the back, making an important early block on a shot from Mohammed Kudus.

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Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

Not focused enough and gave the ball away on a couple of occasions to the fury of Guardiola, who removed him just after the hour mark.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Bright and creative, involved in all of City's best moves.

Kevin De Bruyne (7/10):

His fight and commitment pleased the crowd and he set up Foden's goal.

Getty Images SportAttack

Phil Foden (6/10):

Another positive performance as he fuelled City's attacks with his long passes before scoring himself.

Erling Haaland (8/10):

How he must look forward to playing against West Ham. Their high-line plays to his strengths and he bullied their defenders in the air.

Savinho (9/10):

West Ham couldn't live with his pace and trickery on the left side and he now finally appears to be coming good.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Kyle Walker (5/10):

Could have done more to prevent the West Ham goal but also cut out an attack later on.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Gave City more calmness on the ball after replacing the erratic Kovacic.

James McAtee (N/A):

Introduced in the 80th minute.

Jack Grealish (N/A):

Brought on in the 84th.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

This was more of what he would have liked in attack although his team are not focused enough in defence. He made the right changes to ensure City did not relinquish their early advantage like they did against Everton.

Liverpool have been rocked as one of their squad members has strongly suggested he wants to leave Arne Slot's side in the windows to come.

Liverpool stars on international duty

After Slot's perfect start to the Premier League season, the majority of his players headed off on international duty to represent their nations. As usual, Mohamed Salah impressed for Egypt despite not finding the back of the net in his side's 3-0 win over Cape Verde.

Japan international midfielder Wataru Endo also starred in a 7-0 thrashing of China, with the Liverpool man kicking off the scoring in the rout.

Liverpool struck gold selling Anfield sensation for stunning 1570% profit

He’s never quite recaptured his Merseyside magic…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 10, 2024

Dutch trio Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo all impressed against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the forward getting on the scoresheet in their 5-2 win.

But it was a less enjoyable international break for some of their teammates; Dominik Szoboszlai endured a tough 5-0 defeat against Germany, while Andy Robertson's Scotland conceded five times across their two games on the way to a pair of late losses against Poland and Portugal.

There was also defeat for Ibrahima Konate, who was at the heart of defence during France's 3-1 defeat to Italy and was promptly dropped for their subsequent win over Belgium. At U21 level meanwhile, Jarell Quansah helped England take four points from their two games, keeping a clean sheet against Northern Ireland. Now, the international break has thrown up some disappointing news.

Liverpool youngster wants out after starring for Ireland

That comes as no.2 goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher has confirmed his desire to leave the club, admitting that he tried to do so over the most recent summer transfer window. Kelleher impressed despite ending on the losing side against England in Ireland's Nations League opener, with Irish publications full of praise for his performance.

One report, who gave him the joint highest rating of any player in the Irish side, explained:

"Kelleher made a super one-on-one save up against Anthony Gordon in the lead-up to Declan Rice's opener. He could not have done anything more for either of England's first half goals.

Though his distribution was sometimes lacking, he was a strong presence in the Irish box and was solid when called upon.

Made a brilliant save in injury time to prevent Saka from making it three."

Meanwhile, his 7.8 rating was far and away the best of any of his side according to popular app sofascore, and one prominent Irish football twitter account dubbed him "the only positive" from the defeat.

Caoimhín Kelleher vs England

Minutes played

90

Saves

7

Touches

42

Accurate passes

12/28 (43%)

Rating

7.8

But speaking ahead of his side's second game of the international break, Kelleher emphasised his desire to leave Anfield, with the Reds having agreed to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia next summer.

“I’ve made it clear in the last few years that I want to leave to be number one. Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like maybe that’s 100% my decision but maybe at times it’s not always in my hands as well”, he explained.

He had been subject to offers from Nottingham Forest both in January and in the summer window, with the latter offer consisting of £7m plus Matt Turner, a bid which the Reds turned down. Now, they may be forced to finally cave in to his wishes when 2025 rolls around.

Julen Lopetegui has been backed. West Ham United parted ways with David Moyes at the end of the 2023/24 season after his dynasty entered a solemn twilight stage, and now there is fresh hope that success can be found once again.

Two years on from winning the Conference League, West Ham will not play European football for the first time in three seasons, but this at least gives the new era a singular focus on the domestic front.

The Premier League side have employed a free-spending approach this summer, with technical director strengthening across the park, and while improvements have been made, there may yet be another incoming as the window enters the final fortnight…

West Ham eyeing another midfielder

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham have enquired about the availability of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler as Steidten gears up for a ninth (yes, ninth) signing of the summer.

The experienced Guido Rodriguez has been landed to add some mettle to the engine room but Soler would bring a more dynamic outlook.

The Spaniard is valued at around €20m (£17m) by the Ligue 1 champions, and while the Irons' spending has hit the £120m mark this summer, this could ice the cake nicely indeed.

What Carlos Soler would bring to West Ham

Soler is a technical footballer with a sharp eye for a pass. His innate understanding of tempo allows him to maximise this ball-playing ability and influence attacking sequences effectively.

Goals scored

0.17

Top 13%

Assists made

0.17

Top 19%

Passes attempted

63.51

Top 19%

Progressive passes

6.10

Top 24%

Touches (att pen)

2.59

Top 7%

He signed for PSG from Valencia for €20m (£17m) in 2022, and while he's now completed 63 appearances – scoring eight goals and assisting eight more – he's struggled to secure a starring role in the talent-congested team and would do well to move to an outfit that could see him perform as one of the standouts.

West Ham could offer such a platform. At 27 years old, Soler is in his ostensible prime and must now make good on praise that he is the "complete midfielder", as said by one-time Valencia player Curro Torres, and showcases his skills in the Premier League.

He has the ability. FBref's player comparison model even marks Arsenal's Martin Odegaard as one of his most similar players across Europe's top five leagues – and we all know how well the Norwegian maestro has done on English soil.

Arsenal have fallen a whisker short against Manchester City in the past two top-flight title challenges, though Mikel Arteta deserves all the plaudits after transforming the Gunners into one of the continent's elite outfits. Odegaard has been the fulcrum of such success.

Across the past two years, the all-seeing playmaker has posted 26 goals and 18 assists, awarded the club's Player of the Season for 2023/24 after a magnificent season of the highest influence.

Indeed, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90.

Odegaard is clearly operating at a higher level than Soler, but the PSG man's ability to score and assist with equal consistency speaks of his dynamic attacking skill. Moreover, he's a progressive passer and that is something that could see him emulate Arsenal's superstar.

West Ham keen on £40m striker who could challenge Fullkrug immediately

West Ham could return for striker target even after Fullkrug addition

1 ByConnor Holden Aug 15, 2024

Federico Chiesa has made only three appearances for Liverpool, seeing 18 Premier League minutes, but Mark Lawrenson says he was not a “silly signing”.

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• Italy international snapped up from Juve
• Has seen limited game time for the Reds
• Linked with loan move in winter window

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds moved to snap up Chiesa after seeing the Italy international put up for transfer by Serie A giants Juventus. The 27-year-old winger represented a calculated risk by those at Anfield given his recent injury record.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chiesa is, however, a proven performer at the very highest level and a potential match winner on his day. Liverpool have not seen enough of those, with the Italian struggling to make his mark on Merseyside amid fierce competition for places from the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

• WHAT LAWRENSON SAID

  Liverpool legend Lawrenson has told when asked if bringing in the Euro 2020 winner was a mistake: “Federico Chiesa is not a silly signing for Liverpool because if they wanted to, they could get their money back on him. It was only £10 million so they gambled a little bit and he’s probably the fifth choice forward, so he won’t be playing unless he’s absolutely fit. He’s got to get past the other four and Diogo Jota is coming back this weekend as well.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Lawrenson added on future plans for Chiesa, with there already talk of him being lined up for a move elsewhere in the January transfer window: “If Liverpool want to send him back to Italy to get some games, then they can, but it’s not the end of the world if he stays or goes.”

A decade on from his success in the role for South Australia, Rashid has emerged as an option in the powerplay

Matt Roller13-Mar-2021Ten years have passed since Adil Rashid’s first incarnation as an opening bowler in T20 cricket. As a fresh-faced 22-year-old, he formed part of a three-pronged South Australia attack in the final season of the state-based Big Bash alongside Aaron O’Brien and Nathan Lyon and was thrown the new ball in the last few games of the tournament.”I’m going to go back to Yorkshire and tell them all about this,” Rashid told the at the time. “We’re encouraged to take the pace off the ball and to mix up our deliveries, so I bowl legbreaks, googlies, sliders, the lot – anything to avoid being predictable.”True to his word, Rashid spilled the beans on his return to county cricket and was entrusted with bowling the first over for the majority of the Friends Life T20 in 2011. But after some initial success – he took 13 wickets in Yorkshire’s first five games – the wickets dried up, and he was taken to pieces by Andrew McDonald towards the end of the group stage. One last try in the role followed for South Australia in the 2011-12 Champions League, but as he developed into a canny middle-overs operator over the next few years, it seemed like that would be the final time in his career that he would be seen bowling the first over.Rashid (right) celebrates a Nathan Lyon wicket during South Australia’s title-winning Big Bash season in 2010-11•Getty Images

That was, at least, until Friday night. With England struggling for powerplay wickets in their recent T20I outings and India’s middle order particularly strong against spin, Eoin Morgan threw Rashid the new ball under the Ahmedabad floodlights. Perhaps the move had been pre-planned in the expectation that India would field an exclusively right-handed top four, but with Shikhar Dhawan picked ahead of the rested Rohit Sharma, Rashid managed to cramp the left-hander for room as he went through his repertoire of variations and landed the ball on a good length in a first over which cost only two runs.In his second, Rashid delivered the key wicket. As Virat Kohli backed away to the leg side, Rashid followed him with a flat length ball, pushed through a fraction quicker than usual at 55.7mph/89.7kph towards the top of leg stump. Kohli’s bat turned in his hand, and he failed to clear Chris Jordan at mid-off. Rashid returned to bowl the 11th, finishing with impressive figures of 1 for 14 from his three overs.Ball-tracking data suggests that Rashid extracted only limited turn off the pitch, but his subtle changes of pace and the two-paced nature of the surface meant that India were unable to go after him. While Rashid generally spins the ball sharply, his method on Friday night evoked that of Samuel Badree, the only legspinner to have made a success of bowling the first over of T20 internationals on a consistent basis and a two-time World T20 winner with West Indies.Related

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“It’s completely different bowling with the new ball, [with only] two fielders out,” Rashid said on Saturday. “You’ve got to be clever in that sense. It’s been 10 years and I’ve not actually opened the bowling for anybody [in that time]. It’s a different experience now but it’s something I’ll definitely cherish and I’ll keep in my armoury as well.”You’ve got to be a bit more focused in that sense because you know you’ve only got two fielders out, and the batsmen will be coming a lot harder as well when they know there’s a lot more scoring options. But in terms of my game plan, it’s very similar whether it’s first six or middle.”England will hope that the move allows them to be increasingly specific with their bowling plans ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year, looking to exploit the weaknesses of opposition batting line-ups. The experience of bowling with the new ball for the first time in a decade should mean Rashid is comfortable providing an option against teams with openers perceived to be vulnerable against spin, allowing Morgan to use his quicks – and Mark Wood in particular – as shock bowlers in the middle overs. Against teams with several left-handers in the top order, Moeen Ali may be brought in to bowl his offspin with Rashid reverting to his standard middle-overs role.Rashid removed Virat Kohli in his second over•Getty Images

Having largely bowled in outside of the powerplay in his T20I career, Rashid stressed that he was keen to contribute in all three phases of the game – “first six overs, middle, or death” – and said that he had been practising with Jason Roy in the build-up to the first match of the series to prepare for his new role. Morgan has shown his willingness to using him at the death in 50-over cricket – gambling on him in the 50th over of an ODI against Australia last year, for example – and Rashid said that the backing of his captain was particularly important in his success.”It was good practice for both of us: him [Roy] batting up top, me bowling with the new ball,” Rashid said. “[We were] communicating and helping one another – what pace I’m bowling, and what areas he’s looking to hit. For myself, it was more of me bowling with the new ball, and giving him confidence facing a spinner with the new ball.”[Morgan’s] biggest strength is his emotion, [in that] he doesn’t really show emotion. If things are not going well for the team or a bowler or a batsman, you will never see him down, waving his hands around, or if they’re going really well, you won’t see him really excited. Being level-headed is a big factor, and stands out with him as a leader.”But if he can pull off his plan to remodel Rashid as a viable new-ball option, it may be hard for Morgan to contain his excitement.

Everton are closing in on their fourth signing of the summer as they look to hand manager Sean Dyche a side able to avoid relegation from the Premier League once more this season.

Everton sign Jesper Linsdtrom

Following their Premier League survival last season despite two points deductions for breaching financial fair play regulations, Everton are hoping to be a little more comfortable this time around.

Dyche's side have already made a number of new additions this summer, with Jesper Lindstrom the latest arrival. The Danish international arrived on loan from Napoli in a deal which includes an option to buy the 24-year-old at the end of the season.

“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton. This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit," Lindstrom explained to Everton's official club media.

“I am 100 per cent ready. I’m so hungry. This pre-season feels long because I just want to play football, I just want to be out there in the stadium. Last year was a tough year for me but I’m so happy to be here now and I can’t wait to get started."

Dyche already has an upgrade on £50k-p/w Everton star who could be sold

The Toffees are still looking to offload numerous first-team players.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 27, 2024

He joins striker Ilman Ndiaye in the new arrivals at Goodison Park, with the striker having been signed from Marseille as the Toffees look to bolster their attack, with Dyche's side managing the third-fewest goals in the division in the 2023-24 campaign.

Further back, they have also signed central midfielder Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa, though both Lewis Dobbin and Amadou Onana have headed to Villa Park in the time since his arrival on Merseyside. And they are closing in on another new face.

Everton set to sign defender

Now, it has emerged that the Toffees are on the verge of signing Republic of Ireland international Jake O'Brien from Lyon, with a fee agreed with the French side and talks taking place over personal terms.

That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the club have a "deal in principle" agreed with Lyon and that O'Brien is "ready to accept the five-year contract offered".

The 23-year-old still has three years left on his £9,000-a-week deal at Lyon, having only left the Premier League for France 12 months ago. However, his performances last season caught the eye and have convinced the Toffees to part ways with around £22m to bring him to Goodison Park.

O'Brien vs Everton's current centre-backs 23-24 domestic season

Per 90 Stats via fbref

Jake O'Brien

James Tarkowski

Jarrad Branthwaite

Appearances

27

38

35

Pass accuracy

88.2%

77.1%

79.8%

Progressive carries

0.57

0.39

0.06

Tackles and interceptions

1.29

3.08

3.35

Clearances

3.73

5.03

4.71

Already a regular for the Republic of Ireland, he has drawn praise from former manager John O'Shea, who hailed his "brilliant" rise.

"It’s been brilliant to see what he has done in the last year to 18 months, establishing himself in a top-flight league. It’s been brilliant to see. There’s great competition in that area of the pitch. He’ll have lots of competition but it’s great for us, and me being part of the defensive camp shall we say, that we can help him improve even further over the two games coming up", O'Shea said via Extra.

Now he is looking set to take another step as he heads to Goodison Park.

Coach Justin Langer will assess Joe Burns over the next couple of days and Matthew Wade appears an option to open

Andrew McGlashan15-Dec-20202:04

Justin Langer: ‘We’re going to be really well planned for Virat Kohli’

Australia coach Justin Langer has confirmed that Cameron Green will make his Test debut against India in Adelaide if he passes concussion protocols over the next couple of days with Matthew Wade shaping as a potential opener if the allrounder does play.Langer said there had been “good news” on Green’s progress on Tuesday morning following the blow he took on the side of his head in his follow through against the Indians at the SCG.”If he’s passed fit he’ll definitely play,” Langer said. “We are just going through the protocols. He had another test this morning which we got good news on. He’s a terrific young bloke, obviously an excellent talent, he’s earned the right for selection through his performances. It’s very exciting for Australian cricket for him and his family.”He added that the selection decisions were a “jigsaw puzzle” with “a lot of balls in the air” and whether Green gets the medical sign-off to be available will determine the balance of Australia’s XI.Related

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The other big call that needs to be made is whether to show faith in badly out-of-form opener Joe Burns – who has made 62 runs in nine innings this season – although his experience may still tip the scales in his favour.Langer also confirmed that Marnus Labuschagne would not be considered as an interim opening batsman, with the aim to make as few changes to the batting order as possible in the absence of David Warner, which would point towards an elevation for Wade from No. 6 if Green is available.”I have been backing Joe in the whole time,” Langer said. “He’s a very good player, you don’t lose your talent overnight. He also understands that runs are the greatest currency to any player and he’s been a bit light on. We’ll get eyes on him today, see how he’s going, have a chat to him and we’ll make our decision on who will open in the next day or so.”Marnus won’t be opening, he’s done an amazing job at No. 3. Steve Smith does an amazing job at No. 4. We’ll try and stay as settled as possible while David [Warner] is injured. We’ve got some tough decisions to be made.Cameron Green made a century against the Indians at Drummoyne Oval•Getty Images

“We’ve got to wait and see what happens with Cameron Green first so that’s one part of jigsaw puzzle. We’ll look at Joe and Marcus [Harris] today to see how they are tracking at training. We’ve got to pick our six best [batsmen] and that’s all part of the jigsaw puzzle. There’s a lot of balls in the air, I wish we could be more definite, not only for you guys but more importantly for our players but until we get a few things ticked off we can’t make a decision.”Wade has never opened the batting in first-class cricket, but has done it considerably in the limited-overs game, and him batting alongside Burns was the option endorsed by Ricky Ponting during Channel Seven’s BBL coverage on Monday evening.”He could…he could handle anywhere,” Langer said on Wade going in first. “He’s mentally tough, physically tough, he’s got good footwork, he can counterattack like David Warner. We’ve just got to work out what the best make-up of our team is going to be.”Despite a horror season, Burns gained Ponting’s endorsement to continue in the role although if Green is a success at No. 6 there will be another decision to make when Warner and Will Pucovksi are fit again.”I’m sticking with Joe Burns,” Ponting said on Seven. “I’ve heard a lot of suggestions that he hasn’t scored enough runs to stay in the side but I’m keeping him in there.”He made 40 in his last Test innings, he’s made four Test hundreds, averages almost 40 – I’m sticking with him and showing some faith. I think he’s good enough to get through it.”What I am doing is moving Matthew Wade up to the top of the order to open with [Burns]…I think you’ve got to tell Wade it’s just for one game. Wadey will want to do it. He’ll be excited by this, he’s that sort of character that he’d love the chance to get up there and take on the Indian opening bowlers in a Test match. He won’t shy away from it.”

The summer transfer window has officially swung open its doors but Liverpool are keeping a relatively low profile as Arne Slot works with FSG officials to map out a clear strategy.

While Liverpool have been credited with an active interest in Lille defender Leny Yoro, considered to be a generational talent, by none other than The Athletic's David Ornstein, the bulk of the summer plans remain somewhat obscure.

It is known, however, that a centre-back and a wide forward are among the club's foremost priorities, though if the right opportunity pops up elsewhere, FSG may well sanction a move.

With that in mind, there might be something in reports suggesting that Liverpool are among the contenders to sign one of Europe's most underrated young strikers.

Liverpool lining up new striker

According to German newspaper BILD – via Sport Witness – Liverpool are among a lengthy list of Premier League sides eager to sign Hoffenheim forward Maximilian Beier, who has a €32.5m (£27m) release clause in his contract.

The 21-year-old enjoyed an exemplary campaign in the Bundesliga and has also attracted attention from Germany's domestic invincible Bayer Leverkusen, though it is Manchester United who are said to have the lead in the race after making contact with Hoffenheim.

Whether Liverpool would be willing to meet his buyout remains to be seen but Beier is unquestionably a talented forward with far more to his game than just scoring.

Maximilian Beier's season in numbers

Liverpool have some talented central strikers on the books, with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo joined by Diogo Jota as the regular contenders, but Nunez has been linked with a move away, Gakpo is yet to nail down a specific position at Anfield and Jota spends too much time languishing in the medical room.

Beier would offer something different, with a vibrant and wide-ranging set of skills iced with a sharp finishing ability that has led journalist Antonio Mango to hail him as an "exceptional" goalscorer.

Having earned his stripes on loan at Hannover 04 in the Bundesliga 2. between 2021 and 2023, scoring 15 goals and adding seven assists, Beier has enjoyed his first taste of action as the star man at the top level over the past year and he has certainly taken his chance.

As per FBref, Beier ranked among the top 14% of forwards in the Bundesliga for non-penalty goals scored during the 2023/24 campaign and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90, with that second metric highlighting the ball-carrying ability and innate movements that allow him to find space and to succeed.

1.

Harry Kane

32

36

2.

Serhou Guirassy

28

28

3.

Luis Openda

34

24

4.

Deniz Undav

30

18

5.

Maximilian Beier

33

16

Indeed, Beier finished the campaign with 16 goals from just 29 starts in the German top flight, with his deadly attacking efforts earning him his first national cap and a place in Julian Nagelsmann's squad on home turf in the European Championship.

While Beier played the second-most amount of games of any sharpshooter on the list above, his clinical finishing speaks greatly of his potential, with just 11 big chances missed across the campaign, taking 2.5 shots per game and indeed scoring 16 goals, as per Sofascore.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig even said (in March) that he's "the best German striker at the moment", but Liverpool often target a layer of fluidity in their forwards and Beier certainly has more than just goals in his locker.

Maximilian Beier's style of play

Beier might be 6 foot and athletic but he's limber-framed and uses this to his advantage, deftly weaving past opponents and marrying such physicality with sharp on-pitch intelligence.

Speaking of his countryman's qualities, Germany legend Miroslav Klose said: "He runs an incredible amount, works for the team and rewards himself with goals. I'm sure Julian Nagelsmann has him on his radar."

He did indeed, with Beier now poised to perform on the biggest stage in Europe. He will be expected to add to a frontline containing Kai Havertz and the traditionally-shaped Niklas Fullkrug, and while Beier is indeed a good marksman, he is “much more than just a goalscorer”, according to Kulig.

And so, in that way, the German could be Slot's very own version of Roberto Firmino if signed to Anfield, with the esteemed former Liverpool star joining from Hoffenheim for a fee of £29m in 2015,

Besides the mere fact that Beier plays for the Brazilian's erstwhile German outfit, both are dynamic and purposeful counter-pressing players and both, if Beier signed, would play important roles at the early stage of Klopp and Slot's tenures.

Firmino is one of the most artful and silky-smooth forwards to play in the Premier League and was so important in connecting and binding Liverpool's frontline, often doing the unseen work that allowed Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to wreak havoc with impetuous forward surges, scoring obscene amounts of goals.

Beier could play a similar role, sitting behind, say, Nunez and allowing the electric Uruguayan to find his feet with a unique support network spreading from Beier's skill set.

Moreover, Salah still plies his trade on Merseyside, no longer the avid, invincible speedster but instead the accomplished, been-round-the-block attacking star to latch onto Beier's passes and find space in the pockets wrenched open by the German's defence-dragging movements.

Slot's energetic, high-pressing yet possession-centric style of play would see a player such as Beier dovetail right into the system, and Liverpool must surely make their move to complete the central striking options with a talented young star who's only at the dawn of a wonderful career.

Slot must sell Liverpool star earning more than Diaz & Jones combined

This £19m-rated stalwart might have played his last match in Anfield red.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 14, 2024

With the wounds from last season's disappointing 16th placed finish just about healed, Sunderland now look set to be dealt a further blow as a Premier League side plots a swoop for two of their stars.

Sunderland face battle to keep stars this summer

The latest rumours out of the Stadium of Light have surrounded the future of some of their most important players. Recent reports are claiming that Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Black Cats left back Trai Hume. It is stated that a fee in the region of £8m would be enough to tempt Sunderland into selling the Northern Irishman.

Le Bris must instantly ditch Sunderland gem who's worth more than Neil

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Dan Neil is another name that could be departing Wearside with the 22-year-old reportedly rejecting a new contract at Sunderland. With Leeds United once interested in a move for Neil, there is every chance that the West Yorkshire outfit will reignite their pursuit this summer.

The development that will be of the most intrigue to the Sunderland faithful surrounds the future of Jack Clarke. A recent story by HITC states that Crystal Palace view the £30million winger as a perfect replacement for Michael Olise, who is set to depart Selhurst Park this summer.

With 15 goals to his name last season, losing Clarke would be a devastating blow to Sunderland's chances of making the playoffs in the next campaign. As if that wasn't bad enough, Palace are now looking at another Black Cats star to further bolster Oliver Glasner's side.

Eagles eager to land Sunderland prodigy

As reported on the X account of Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace are working on deal to sign Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland. Romano claims that the South London side view Bellingham as one of the main targets on their shortlist.

The 18-year-old moved to the Stadium of Light in a transfer from Birmingham City last summer. Since making his debut for the Black Cats, Bellingham has developed rapidly, quickly becoming one of Sunderland's most important assets. Bellingham played in all but one of the Wearside outfit's league games, scoring seven goals in the process.

Non-penalty goals

0.17

89th percentile

Shots total

1.39

76th percentile

Touches

2.48

89th percentile

Progressive passes received

4.49

88th percentile

Pass completion %

85.9%

78th percentile

Whilst his brother Jude stars for Real Madrid and England, the younger Bellingham sibling has still managed to make a name for himself through a serious of solid performances for Sunderland. Speaking about the teenager back in December 2023, former Black Cats boss Mike Dodds sang Bellingham's praises, calling him a "wonderful footballer".

In a similar fashion to his brother, Jude has shown his versatility during his time with Sunderland. The youngster has played a variety of roles ranging from a deep lying midfielder to occasionally taking up the mantle as his side's striker.

If Palace are to get deals for Bellingham and Clarke over the line, they would be signing two of the Championship's most promising players both with the potential to go right to the top of the game.

Tottenham are now thought to be the most serious side about signing a £70 million defender who's been called "similar" to star centre-back Micky van de Ven.

Ange admits Spurs could sign another centre-back after Dragusin

The £25 million signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January was thought to be a significant deal for Spurs, as they were starved of quality alternatives to van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the time.

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The latter star's hamstring injury last November seriously exposed Spurs' lack of defensive depth. Indeed, van de Ven's absence midway through 23/24 prompted a brief but poor run of form, and perhaps alerted Lilywhites transfer chiefs to the glaring weakness in Ange Postecoglou's squad.

A move for Dragusin was then swiftly completed in the winter window, with the Romanian seriously helping to bolster Postecoglou's back line. His presence also allowed Spurs to cover for the injured Destiny Udogie at the end of last season, with van de Ven moving to left-back and Dragusin taking his usual spot in the centre.

Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham

6.98

Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham

6.67

Tottenham 2-1 Luton Town

6.61

Tottenham 0-2 Man City

6.49

Fulham 3-0 Tottenham

6.28

However, despite the 22-year-old's arrival at N17, Postecoglou has previously admitted that Spurs could look to sign another centre-back this summer – as they eye even more cover.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, the Tottenham manager said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Tottenham made an offer to Tosin Adarabioyo before he joined Chelsea, as revealed by club insider Paul O'Keefe at the time. Spurs also held an interest in signing Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth, but the Englishman is on his way to Newcastle United instead (Simon Stone, BBC).

With both free deals out of the window, Spurs apparently have their eyes on a far more expensive option in Nottingham Forest star Murillo.

Tottenham most serious side in race for Murillo

The Brazilian, who starred for Forest over his 32 Premier League starts, is also being chased by their north London rivals.

That is according to Football Transfers, who also claim that Tottenham have shown the most interest in signing Murillo at this point. They may need to stump up a considerable transfer fee, though, and it could be as high as £70 million.

FT have also called Murillo "similar" to van de Ven, which is an enticing comparison when considering just how crucial the 23-year-old is to Spurs.