While West Ham United have certainly signed some real talents over the last few years, they’ve unfortunately made more than their fair share of poor signings.

For example, the likes of Andy Irving, Mads Hermanssen, and Gianluca Scamacca are either failing to make the grade or have already failed, and that’s just from the last few summers.

Yet, perhaps the most disappointing addition the East Londoners have made in recent years is Niclas Füllkrug.

Fortunately, it looks like the German could be moving on sooner rather than later, although West Ham should make sure they get rid of another flop at the same time, someone former manager David Moyes was particularly excited about.

Füllkrug's West Ham disaster

When West Ham splashed £27m on Füllkrug last summer, there was a fair deal of excitement from some in the fanbase, as while he was certainly on the older side, he had just come off a stellar season for Borussia Dortmund in which he reached the Champions League final and chalked up 15 goals and provided ten assists in 43 appearances.

As if that wasn’t enough, he had also just spent the summer playing for Germany in the Euros.

Unfortunately, even those with the lowest of expectations for the veteran striker have since been disappointed with his efforts in East London.

In his first campaign with the club, injuries limited him to just 20 appearances, totalling 877 minutes, in which he scored just three goals and provided two assists.

This season has not been much better, as before his current injury, the 32-year-old had failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances, totalling 385 minutes.

Füllkrug’s West Ham career

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

20

7

Minutes

877′

385′

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

0.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

175.4′

N/A

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So, with the former Dortmund star being both woefully ineffective and injury-prone, most fans weren’t too upset when news broke of his desire to leave the club in the winter window.

It now looks like such a move will occur, with several Bundesliga sides readying offers to take him off the Hammers’ hands.

Füllkrug will probably end up doing alright back in Germany, but his departure would be best for all parties involved, which is also the case for another West Ham dud Moyes once thought would be a success.

The West Ham star who must be sold

Aside from Füllkrug, the West Ham player most in need of being sold in the winter window is, unfortunately, James Ward-Prowse.

First Impressions

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

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The expectations around the Englishman’s £30m move in the summer of 2023 were even higher than for the German’s arrival, with then-manager Moyes highlighting his “leadership qualities” as a reason why he could become a “big voice” in the dressing room.

Now, to his credit, the former Southampton captain didn’t have the worst of starts during his time in the capital and actually ended his first campaign with a reasonable enough tally of seven goals and 12 assists in 51 appearances.

However, the wheels very quickly came off the following season as new manager Julen Lopetegui didn’t fancy him in his midfield and sent him away on loan to Nottingham Forest.

Unfortunately, Nuno, who was in charge of the Tricky Trees, also quickly realised he did not want the Englishman in the heart of his midfield and barely gave him any game time.

So, the Irons recalled the 31-year-old, and under Graham Potter, he once again became an important part of a team.

However, whether it was age, poor form or something else entirely, the former Saints star came back and looked miles off it and continues to look off the pace into this season.

He simply didn’t have the physicality or athleticism to do the defensive work required of a central midfielder, and he also became far more ineffective going forward.

So when Nuno was appointed manager in September, it was not a surprise to see the Portsmouth-born ace left out of the squad entirely.

Since the Portuguese manager has been in the dugout, the 11-capped international has not even featured in a match-day squad, and it is therefore fair to say his time at the London Stadium is well and truly over.

Therefore, like with Füllkrug, West Ham should sell Ward-Prowse as soon as possible.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

حقق فريق نادي بيراميدز، الفوز على المقاولون العرب، بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء اليوم الثلاثاء.

والتقى فريقا بيراميدز والمقاولون العرب، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الرابعة عشر من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وسجل هدف بيراميدز الأول، البوركيني بلاتي توريه، في الدقيقة 9 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، وذلك بتسديدة متقنة من على حدود منطقة الجزاء.

وأضاف الهدف الثاني لبيراميدز، اللاعب مروان حمدي، في الدقيقة 82 من عمر اللقاء من ركلة جزاء نجح في تنفيذها. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز والمقاولون العرب اليوم في الدوري المصري

وبهذا الفوز، يرتقي فريق بيراميدز إلى وصافة ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 23 نقطة.

ولعب بيراميدز، حتى الآن في بطولة الدوري 10 مباريات فقط حقق الفوز في 7 مواجهات وتعادل في مباراتين وتلقى خسارة واحدة.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يحتل فريق المقاولون العرب، المركز الثامن عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 10 نقاط، من 14 لقاء.

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, dual-national midfielder Richard Ledezma has made his intentions clear: he wants to represent Mexico. The Chivas playmaker, who has featured for the U.S. at both youth and senior level, says wearing El Tri’s colors on home soil would fulfill a lifelong dream – one he believes is within reach if he performs in Liga MX.

Getty Images SportLedezma wants to play for Mexico

Ledezma has stated his intention to represent Mexico at the 2026 World Cup. The Chivas midfielder, who previously appeared for the United States at the youth level and in one senior friendly cap, said he is aiming to compete for a place under Javier Aguirre.

The 24-year-old joined Chivas this summer following a stint with PSV and discussed his ambition in an interview with . With Mexico managing injuries and inconsistency at right back, Ledezma noted that he believes opportunities are available.

“If it’s my turn, it’s a dream of mine to go to the World Cup… I’d love to represent Mexico. If we have a strong league campaign with Chivas, I think I can get in,” he said.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhere Ledezma potentially fits…Right-back has become one of El Tri’s biggest concerns – Rodrigo Huescas is injured, and neither Jorge Sánchez nor Kevin Álvarez has locked down the position. Ledezma’s versatility as a midfielder and fullback gives him a potential opportunity within Aguirre's squad. 

Playing at Chivas, he says, has played a role in his decision. 

“My teammates tell me it wouldn’t be bad to play for the national team, and I told them I’m more prepared than ever. Now it’s just seeing when my turn comes.”

Getty Images SportEligible thanks to FIFA’s one-time switch

Ledezma remains eligible for Mexico because he has never played an official senior tournament. A one-time switch would make him available instantly.

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Getty Images SportA return to his roots ahead of a historic World Cup

Born in Arizona but raised in a Mexican household, Ledezma says choosing Mexico feels natural – especially with the World Cup coming to North America. His path now depends on his form with Chivas and whether Aguirre sees him as part of the solution on the right side.

Jaker Ali will continue as captain with Litton Das ruled out by a side strain

Mohammad Isam28-Sep-2025Soumya Sarkar has made a comeback to the Bangladesh T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan after captain Litton Das was ruled out due to a side strain. Jaker Ali will lead the side in Litton’s absence, while the rest of the squad that played in the Asia Cup in the UAE was retained.Bangladesh’s team physio Bayjedul Islam did not specify a timeframe for Litton’s return. “He (Litton Das) had missed the last two matches of the Asia Cup with a side strain. An MRI scan has revealed a grade 1 strain on the left abdominal muscle,” Bayjedul said. “He is undergoing recovery and will not be available for the T20 series. The medical team will continue to manage his rehab and monitor his progress.”Sarkar, 32, returned to the side after injuries forced him out of the T20I series against UAE and Pakistan earlier this year. He last played a T20I in the West Indies in December 2024.Jaker led the side in Bangladesh’s last two Asia Cup matches against India and Pakistan but wasn’t able to thrive as a designated finisher; he has single-digit scores in his last three games.Bangladesh will play three T20Is against Afghanistan on October 2, 3 and 5 – their second T20I series in Sharjah. They had lost to the hosts UAE 2-1 in May and also lost a T20I against Afghanistan in 2022 at the venue.Bangladesh squad: Jaker Ali (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar

In years past, Arsenal fans would have to watch an England team full of players from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

It was a damming indictment of where the club was at that time, but over the last four or five years, things have changed.

It’s not unusual to see three or four of Mikel Arteta’s players in the Three Lions squad these days, and few from the white side of North London, which might explain the team’s uptick in quality and performances.

Thursday was another example of how important Arsenal have become for the national team, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scoring the goals and Declan Rice marshalling the midfield.

There is no sign of this relationship between club and country slowing down either, especially as Hale End could be brewing England’s next superstar, who could follow in the footsteps of Rice and Saka.

Rice and Saka's England careers

So, while Arsenal fans would love to take the credit for moulding Rice into one of England’s most important players, West Ham United should get more of the credit.

Chalkboard

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

After all, he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2019, while playing for the East Londoners, and was still a Hammer for the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.

However, he has arguably become more instrumental to the national side since his move to the Emirates, and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in March 2024.

So far, the all-action midfielder has won 71 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored six goals and provided six assists and nine of those goal involvements have come since his £105m in the summer of 2023.

Now, an England star Arsenal can take full credit for is, of course, Saka, who is Hale End’s greatest product in a generation.

The 24-year-old made his debut for the national team against Wales in October 2020 and has since gone on to amass an impressive tally of 47 caps, in which he has scored 14 goals, provided nine assists and been named England’s Player of the Year twice in succession.

Moreover, he has played a significant role for the country in every major tournament since, despite receiving horrific abuse after the 2021 Euros final.

In all, so long as they remain fit, Rice and Saka should, and will, be two of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet at the World Cup, and in a few years, they could be joined by another Arsenal star, someone who could even surpass them in importance.

Arsenal's next England star

While the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are surely going to become regular starters for England, the Hale End gem who could well become a superstar for Tuchel and Co is Max Dowman.

Despite still being just 15 years old, the teenager has been one of the most talked-about players at Arsenal this season, although for those in the know, he has been a subject of interest for longer than that.

For example, in September of last year, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

As if that wasn’t praise enough, just a couple of months later, Hale End expert Will Balsam called him “the biggest talent in England” and described him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Now, while that all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, and perhaps to an extent it is, it’s not hard to see where they were coming from, considering he was just 14 at the time and destroying defenders in the U18S and even the U21S that season.

For example, he ended last season with a tally of 19 goals and five assists in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this saw him included in the club’s pre-season tour, where he made his first appearance in front of the fans against a physical Newcastle United side, but instead of shying away, he, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”

Since then, he has made his Premier League debut, become the youngest ever starter for Arsenal, and broke the record as the youngest player in Champions League history.

In other words, the Hale Ender is looking like a generational talent, and he’s already making his impact felt on the international scene as well.

Even though he’s not turning 16 until New Year’s Eve, the Chelmsford-born gem is already a regular feature for England’s U19S, making six appearances for them, in which he’s scored one goal and provided two assists.

With his incredible performances, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is handed his first senior England cap.

Ultimately, Saka and Rice are currently two of England’s most important players, but in a few years from now, Dowman could be up there with them, if not more important.

Carragher gave Arsenal star a grilling last season, now he's undroppable

The international star has rediscovered his form for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

Newcastle United are reportedly still keen on Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, as talk of a January exit continues to gain pace. The Magpies were keen on recruiting the Italian international this summer but the exit of Inter manager Simone Inzaghi led to him staying put. But as his minutes continue to dry up under current boss Cristian Chivu, a Toon switch could be on the cards.

• Inter exit on the cards for Frattesi

  According to Sport Witness, Newcastle were keen on signing the 26-year-old this summer but he ended up staying with the Italian giants. But after playing less than 200 minutes in Serie A this season, a Nerazzurri exit is in the offing. Indeed, Tuttomercatoweb reports that the Italian's path to the first team is being blocked by the likes of Petar Sucic and Piotr Zielinski, ergo, a January exit is 'very likely'. Inter rejected Newcastle's approach over the summer but that could be revisited in 2026.

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• AFP
  

  Howe gives little away

  Back in August, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe did admit he would like another midfielder, in light of injuries to Joe Willock and Lewis Miley.

  At the time, he said: "We want six [midfielders] and now we are down to four. That is an issue for us and it is a position we are looking at."

  Eventually, in what proved to be an eventful transfer window, which involved the Alexander Isak saga, they went on to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa. But that may not satisfy Howe's midfield needs with a lot of the season still to play. 

  The former Bournemouth boss also downplayed Newcastle's chances of re-signing Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, who was sold to the Tricky Trees last year to ease the Magpies' PSR (profit and sustainability) issues. 

  "Sentiment never comes into it – it is always about finance. We have not had any discussions on the January window. We're too focused on the amount of games we have. That will take focus for now," he said. "Certainly paying fees like that (£100 million), and I am not sure we are going to be in a position to do that. I am talking about that without any knowledge on January. It is just not really a window that big fees are usually paid. There is always a long-term management of PSR and long-term management on our financial situation. We can’t let one transfer unbalance that."

• Frattesi gets some game time

  While Frattesi is not playing a great deal at Inter, with his last start coming back on October 4, he is still featuring for his country. The Italian played in his nation's 4-1 defeat at home to Norway earlier this month, a game they led for a significant portion of the match. With Norway winning their World Cup qualifying group, Italy will have to go through the play-offs to reach the 2026 World Cup.

  After the game, Frattesi said: "It was two games in one. In the first half, there was only one team on the pitch; in the second half, we showed that we are a bit fragile. After the first goal, we fell apart. The group stage is over, and we have to focus only on the March playoffs.

  "Maybe it was a result of always being a bit on the back foot in the group. We knew that, with the goal difference, we wouldn’t be coming into tonight’s match with a good chance to qualify. Once we realized it wasn’t possible, it’s not easy mentally.

  "Explaining a 4-1 result is difficult, but I wouldn’t call it humiliation. They didn’t completely dominate us. At least, that’s how it felt to me on the pitch. They proved they deserved to win the group, so calling it humiliation is an exaggeration."

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• Getty Images
  

  What comes next for Frattesi?

  It remains to be seen if Inter will entertain bids for Frattesi, whose contract runs until 2028, in January and if Newcastle are still keen on signing him. The winter window is notoriously difficult for business as clubs ask for inflated prices for their players. Before then, his Inter side are away at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League whereas Newcastle take on Marseille in the south of France on Tuesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Anunciado nesta quinta-feira (11) pelo Santos, o atacante Guilherme defendeu as cores do Fortaleza na última temporada e revelou como estava o ambiente da Vila Belmiro na partida que decretou o descenso do Peixe à Série B.

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O jogador, que pertencia ao Grêmio e defendeu a equipe nordestina por empréstimo em 2023, atuou como titular no duelo. Na ocasião, o atacante foi substituído na segunda etapa e citou “tristeza no olhar” dos jogadores do Alvinegro.

– Eu confesso que foi um dia bem triste. Nós (Fortaleza) ganhamos o jogo, obviamente como profissionais, nós viemos aqui para ganhar aquela partida, mas, particularmente para mim, foi um dia triste. Não porque hoje eu estou no Santos, pelo contrário. Eu havia sido substituído ao longo do segundo, dava pra ver a tristeza no olhar dos meus companheiros de trabalho. Eram meus adversários naquele dia, porém, são companheiros de trabalho. Se tratando de Santos, eu confesso que a minha torcida não era para que o Santos caísse por toda grandeza – afirmou Guilherme.

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Na sequência, ele fez um pedido ao presidente Marcelo Teixeira, para que o mandatário adie as obras previstas na casa santista. Na visão do jogador, é fundamental que o Santos atue na Vila Belmiro durante a disputa da Série B. O estádio pode fechar para reformas a partir da metade de 2024, e ideia do Alvinegro Praiano é mandar suas partidas no Pacaembu.

– Estou torcendo para que essa obra se estenda por algum tempo. Já viemos jogar aqui algumas vezes e é difícil jogar aqui. É uma tradição, história do clube. Na minha vez eu vou jogar fora da Vila? Não quero. Quero jogar aqui. É o ano mais importante da história do clube. Não estar aqui nesse ano, não fazer parte da história que será escrita, não seria tão legal. Eu penso que se puder falar para o presidente jogar essa obra para o ano que vem – finalizou o atleta.

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Guilherme foi contratado pelo Santos por R$ 4,8 milhões, que adquiriu 60% dos direitos econômicos do atleta. O contrato é válido por três temporadas.

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Santos

The two spinners, from MP, claimed 16 wickets between them in the final and were “very difficult to play on this pitch”

Ashish Pant15-Sep-2025

Rajat Patidar, the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy-winning captain, hailed the “great character” shown by Central Zone not just in the final but throughout the tournament. He particularly heaped praise on the two spinners, Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, who shared 16 wickets between them in the final as Central Zone won their first Duleep Trophy title since 2014-15 by defeating South Zone by six wickets.”They have played a lot of matches together, Kartikeya and Saransh [for Madhya Pradesh] and they have the skill and are very difficult to play on this pitch,” Patidar said after the game. “The track was really good to bat and our bowlers dominated and made it tough for the other team. That was a positive sign.”It’s been a flawless tournament for Central Zone, where they cruised through the quarter-final against North East Zone and the semi-final against West Zone, qualifying for the final by virtue of gaining first-innings leads. Then, in what had been a high-scoring tournament, Central Zone bowled first in the final and skittled South Zone for just 149, which paved the way for a comfortable win on the final day.Related

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“This wicket was slightly dry, and that is why we decided to bowl first,” Patidar said. “We wanted to bowl them out in the first innings as early as possible. That was our aim and it made the game easier.”We predicted that it would help the fast bowlers, but I wanted to give one spinner at least an over to see how the pitch is responding. I realised there was more help for the spinners rather than the fast bowlers.”L Balaji, the South Zone head coach, meanwhile, lamented the first-innings collapse and missing out on a few runs in the second as the major reasons behind his side’s disappointing performance. Chasing 65 on the final day, Central Zone lost three early wickets but despite the surface doing plenty of tricks, the chase was never going to be daunting.”The last day panned out to be bowler-friendly. Had we got more runs in the first innings or the second, had the partnership [between Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth] been extended, it would have been a solid game,” Balaji said. “[A target of] 150 would have been an ideal kind of fourth-innings target for the bowling unit to fight hard.”Kumar Kartikeya kisses the Duleep Trophy silverware•PTI

South Zone’s team combination for the final was also a talking point. They went with three fast bowlers and one spinner in a bid to extend their batting line-up. It backfired with the Central Zone spinners finding plenty of purchase through the game, and the lone South Zone spinner, Ankit, bagging six wickets without any spin support from the other end.”We played three seamers in the previous game and wanted to stick with pretty much the same combination,” Balaji said. “All the bowlers bowled their heart out. Had we won the toss, the third seamer would have come into play. But I felt the boys did well selection-wise. We were consistent when it comes to the combinations.”Balaji also agreed that some of the shots played by the batters in the first innings “were a little bit unnecessary” as South Zone collapsed. But he was confident the experience of playing a major final would keep the players in good stead.”There are a lot of ifs and buts,” he said. “Shot selection-wise, some shots we could have been a little bit restricted. But on the field, when they are instinctively playing, you just have to give them the freedom to play their shot. But it was okay. This is a young batting unit and they will learn from this.”Balaji was also impressed by Siddharth’s temperament in the second innings. The 19-year-old fell for just 12 in the first innings but ensured he made up in the second, scoring an unbeaten 84. He stitched a 192-run seventh-wicket stand with Ankit, keeping the Central Zone players waiting.”We were put under pressure and he came up with a solid knock which we required at that time,” Balaji said about Siddharth’s knock. “That partnership was needed, and yes, coming not out is very important as a cricketer. He will learn. On the way, he will definitely learn a lot from this exposure and from this experience. I am sure he has got the talent to go higher.”

The longer this goes on, the noisier it will get for Liverpool and their new signings and their recruitment strategy when viewed through a wider lens.

Five defeats from six in the Premier League have snuffed out any hopes of Arne Slot retaining his throne at the top of the division. Arsenal are eight points ahead at the summit, but it is the stark polarity in technical implementation and fluency that is a greater threat to Liverpool’s campaign.

That and the Reds’ startling defensive fragilities. Ibrahima Konate has been at the centre of Liverpool’s problems this term, and Virgil van Dijk is hardly at his best either. A variety of full-back pairings have yet to provide sustainable results, and Alisson Becker’s absence through injury hasn’t helped matters.

But Liverpool are all wrong, and it has at times felt as if Slot it trying to put square pegs into round holes. To solve this crisis of confidence and cohesion, sporting director Richard Hughes appears to be getting ready to add a high-level midfielder to the Anfield ranks.

Liverpool looking to sign a midfielder

Liverpool have got plenty of creativity in their ranks, even if Slot is not wielding his playmakers’ abilities to the max at this moment. But Liverpool need more in the way of build-up play.

Ryan Gravenberch is one of the most talented midfielders in the Premier League, and he has excelled since Slot shifted his countryman into a deep-lying central berth.

But Liverpool are embroiled in a pressing conundrum this season, lacking the intensity and physicality and drive to recycle possession. This was painfully clear on Sunday against Manchester City, who outperformed Liverpool across almost every department.

The Merseysiders also look a bit lost, tactically. That’s a disquieting thing to say, and the dichotomy between Slot’s first and second terms at Liverpool are illustrated clearly through this point.

What Liverpool need is a genius midfielder to rival Gravenberch at number six and revive Liverpool’s energy and build-up and pressing. Gravenberch is great, but Fabinho’s presence is missed in the Liverpool midfield, that Brazilian anchor whose composure under pressure and crisp, intelligent distribution paid dividends under Jurgen Klopp.

It is perhaps for this reason that Hughes and FSG have centred their sights on Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the Portugal international ahead of the turn of the year and are willing to offer a staggering €130m (about £114m) fee. Arsenal and Juventus are also understood to be keen on the 25-year-old.

This won’t be an easy one to pull off, of course. Vitinha is contracted to the Parc des Princes until 2029, and he is considered by PSG to be one of their most untouchable players.

What Vitinha would offer Liverpool

Vitinha is rather good at football. It seems obvious that he would raise the level of Liverpool’s midfield, having dominated under Luis Enrique’s wing, winning a historic quadruple last season and continuing to dazzle at the heart of the PSG super-team this term.

Described by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez as being “the best midfielder in the world”, Vitinha has been instrumental in Paris’ golden footballing age, playing 169 times across all competitions for the club since joining from Porto for £34m in 2022.

Here is a midfielder who has played in the Premier League before, featuring 19 times and starting five of those fixtures in 2020/21 while on loan with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

This was a bit-part role for a young and raw player. Vitinha is now levels above that one-time player whose passing and skill have found a maturity befitting a team at the very top of the European pyramid.

It is such a player who could turn things around for Liverpool, perhaps even establishing himself as the Redmen’s finest midfielder since those days of Fabinho in Klopp’s system.

These players do not share that many stylistic similarities, but Fabinho was considered among the finest in the world when tackling his way through the Premier League, and Vitinha, as mentioned already, is believed by some to be the very creme of the world crop, finishing third in the men’s Ballon d’Or rankings this year.

1.

PSG

Ousmane Dembele

2.

Barcelona

Lamine Yamal

3.

PSG

Vitinha

4.

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

5.

Barcelona

Raphinha

This is a midfielder who can do it all. His passing is out of his world, and his is a scholarly footballing mind. As per data-led platform FBref, Vitinha ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe over the past 12 months for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90.

Moreover, Vitinha has won 60% of his ground duels in Ligue 1 this season, emphasising the underrated combativeness to his game.

Gravenberch is mobile and crisp on the ball and progressive when the right chance presents itself, but he is not as skilled on the ball as Vitinha, and while Klopp’s heavy-metal system demanded an enforcer like Fabinho, Slot’s more centralised build-up patterns demand a profile like Vitinha, especially now Trent Alexander-Arnold has up and left.

This is why Vitinha would be such a credit to the project, very much becoming Slot’s own version of Fabinho without matching the 32-year-old, who now plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, in regard to the deeper analytical dive of his playing style.

The ripple effect of such an acquisition would be astounding. Energy and movement and belonging would give rise to the likes of Konate and Van Dijk’s latent brilliance as a defensive partnership. Vitinha would direct play and orchestrate from the middle. Here you would find Wirtz unlocking his skills once again, and the web of passing patterns would strengthen across the central and attacking thirds.

Liverpool said their farewells to Fabinho a time ago, and success has been had in the years since his sale. But Liverpool miss him still, and while Vitinha is a wildly different profile, his technical skills and ability to navigate his way through intense pressure underscore the importance of getting this one over the line and reviving the Slot machine.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Manchester United have improved drastically in the forward areas this season, though they could now be prepared to offer a platform for Real Madrid star Endrick to shine ahead of the World Cup if circumstances align.

Benjamin Sesko has endured a mixed time since joining the Red Devils. Two goals in 11 matches haven’t exactly set the house on fire, though he has been an impressive presence within build-up play under Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, his recent performances have not escaped Gary Neville’s attention, who told NBC Sports that the ‘jury is out’ on whether he will be the right fit through the middle long-term.

He said: “I’m no further forward with him. The jury is out. He’s well off it compared to the other summer signings that Man United made up front in Cunha and Mbeumo.

“He looks awkward, he had a couple of really good opportunities in the first half – when balls got played over the top. And his touch wasn’t quite right.”

Quite clearly, Sesko has the potential to come good. Other than him, Joshua Zirkzee has had limited minutes at Manchester United this season, and he is now reportedly in the sights of Everton with the World Cup taking place next summer.

At this point, it is unclear whether he will be allowed to leave in January. If he is permitted to go, the Red Devils will likely target another forward to pick up the shortfall for the second half of the campaign, even temporarily.

As the transfer window draws closer, Manchester United may now have a plan in place to land a world-renowned talent to bolster their attacking options.

Man Utd target Endrick tells agent he wants loan from Real Madrid

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United target Endrick has told his agents that he will seek a loan move in January, with the only way of that being likely to change if his minutes improve at Real Madrid.

The Brazil international has been frozen out by Xabi Alonso and has played in a single match this season. Aston Villa have also come to the table if uncertainty over his future is set to linger.

Endrick since joining Real Madrid

Appearances

38

Goals

7

Assists

1

West Ham United and Juventus have been mentioned in dispatches as alternative suitors, with the 19-year-old fearful that a lack of games may prohibit his chances of going to next year’s World Cup.

In the scenario where any deal is concluded to send Endrick on loan, Real Madrid want his next club to pay his wages in full for the duration of a spell away from the Spanish capital.

Man Utd are also pushing hard to sign an England international

Mid-season always promised to be an important time of year at Old Trafford, and it now remains to be seen whether they can secure the youngster in a deal that would make headlines across the world.