All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Liverpool are looking for reinforcements to strengthen their argument to continue winning silverware and they are now looking to fend off stiff competition for one of South America’s most talented youngsters.

Liverpool kickstart their summer transfer business

The Premier League trophy will arrive at Anfield in a matter of weeks and there is little to be despondent about among the Reds’ support, who have taken to Arne Slot after the Dutchman’s magnificent debut season in charge.

Internally, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have signed extensions to continue their association with Liverpool. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future remains unsolved amid heavy links claiming the Three Lions international could join Real Madrid.

While the wait goes on regarding his long-term plans, Liverpool are eyeing a move for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda to strengthen their forward line following an excellent season for the Japan international north of the border.

Reds scouts have also ran the rule over Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers and it is anticipated that they could make a move to bring the former Manchester City man to Anfield.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is on the radar to provide competition for Andy Robertson after another solid campaign for the Wolverhampton Wanderers man, even if he would cost around £51 million to lure from the West Midlands.

Imagine him & Gakpo: Slot driving Liverpool deal for £60m "game-changer"

Liverpool are set for a shopping spree this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 1, 2025

Several other names will continue to do the rounds and plenty of transfer scenarios are set to be thrown around in connection with Liverpool, given their status as reigning champions under Slot. Tapping into that theme, the Reds have now made an approach to sign one of South America’s brightest talents once the window opens.

Liverpool make transfer approach for Flamengo's Wesley

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have made ‘informal approaches’ to Flamengo over Wesley as they look to land the Brazilian star following over a year of scouting the full-back. Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona are also in contention to sign the 21-year-old, who the Reds see as an ideal successor to Alexander-Arnold should he depart this summer.

Wesley in 2025 – Serie A

Tackles won

9

Successful crosses

8

Completed dribbles

8

Recoveries

28

Goals

0

Assists

1

Chelsea are preparing an opening offer of around £17 million for his signature. However, Flamengo are looking to recoup a fee nearer the £29.7 million mark. Negotiations are expected to pick up pace during the Club World Cup.

Labelled “exceptional” by Felipe Luis, the Brazil international has made 125 appearances for Flamengo in total, registering three goals and five assists. His agent has travelled to England previously to hold talks with Manchester City and Liverpool surrounding a potential transfer, suggesting that there could be legs to this story from more than one angle.

Conceivably, the Reds stand a good chance of landing Wesley due to their position as Premier League title holders. Nevertheless, it will be up to the player himself to determine his next career step.

A “skilful” Leeds United player’s time at Elland Road could come to an end this summer, with “interested parties” emerging to snap him up.

Farke future in doubt ahead of busy summer at Leeds

The Whites are still basking in the glory of sealing promotion from the Championship to the Premier League earlier this week after their 6-0 win at home to Stoke City, followed by Burnley beating Sheffield United at Turf Moor.

It’s now a case of trying to be crowned champions ahead of the Clarets in the final two matches of the season, amid ongoing doubts over Daniel Farke’s future, despite the excellent job he is doing. In fact, Sean Dyche has already emerged as a possible replacement, should the German be relieved of his duties.

In terms of potential summer signings for Leeds, West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has been linked with a move to the club, with the Czech reportedly open to the idea of sealing a switch to Elland Road.

The Whites are also said to be keen on signing Ipswich Town striker George Hirst, who has struggled for playing time in the Premier League this season, starting only three matches in the competition. For that reason, a fresh challenge may appeal, especially as the Tractor Boys are almost certainly heading back to the Championship.

"Skilful" Leeds player wanted by "interested parties"

According to Blick [via Sport Witness], Isaac Schmidt could leave Leeds at the end of the season, potentially not being seen as an important player upon the Whites’ return to the Premier League. The need to strengthen will make it hard for him to earn regular minutes and there are claimed to be “numerous interested parties” in the 25-year-old.

This summer does feel like the right time for Leeds and Schmidt to part ways, even though the two-cap Switzerland international did feature in the aforementioned thumping of Stoke, playing for 13 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

He hasn’t started once in the Championship all season, instead coming on 12 times and playing just 71 minutes in total in the competition, so it’s hard to see his situation changing when the Whites are playing at an even higher level next season.

Appearances

12

Starts

0

Minutes played

71

Goals

0

Assists

0

Tackles per game

0.4

Clearances per game

0.3

Interceptions per game

0.3

Aerial duel wins per game

0.1

Schmidt’s move to Leeds simply hasn’t worked out to date, having arrived from St. Gallen later year, even though Siwzrterland manager Murat Yakin has spoken positively about him, saying: “I really liked Isaac! He was skillful, he won all his duels and he was good offensively.”

For Leeds, it’s now a case of the Whites nailing their summer transfer business, hopefully aided by plenty of funds being made available by 49ers Enterprises.

Leeds could axe Farke by hiring "the most underrated manager in the PL"

Leeds United could be set to make a huge decision over the future of Daniel Farke this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 24, 2025

A big decision needs to be made regarding Farke’s future, too, either retaining his services or hiring a replacement who has enough time to bring in the right players.

Everton’s winless run against Manchester City continues as Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice in the final ten minutes to secure victory.

Not since a 4-0 victory during the 2016/17 season have the Toffees tasted success against the Etihad side, although they did come close to sealing a draw at Goodison this afternoon.

David Moyes’ men held out resolutely throughout the match, but in the end, City’s quality shone through as goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic stole the three points.

With Premier League survival sealed, Moyes can now experiment over the final few matches of the campaign.

Against City, several players starred, whereas others struggled to make much of an impact.

Everton’s best and worst players against Man City

Before coming off with an injury, James Tarkowski enjoyed a solid display. He won 100% of his total duels contested, along with losing possession just four times. Would Everton have lost if he had still been on the pitch? Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Elsewhere, Abdoulaye Doucoure looked solid after netting a late winner last week. He succeeded with all four of his dribble attempts while winning 50% of his total duels during the game.

These two were the standouts, but a few of the starting XI struggled to contribute much. Jack Harrison delivered yet another poor performance on the right wing. He failed to deliver a single accurate cross from five attempts, lost possession 13 times and made just one key pass.

Accurate passes

Ruben Dias (97)

Key passes

İlkay Gündoğan and Omar Marmoush (2)

Tackles

James Garner (6)

Ground duels won

James Garner (7)

Successful dribble attempts

Omar Marmoush (5)

Armando Broja was by far the worst performer in an Everton shirt at Goodison today, however, that’s for sure.

Why Armando Broja must be axed by David Moyes

The on-loan striker had made just nine Premier League appearances prior to the City clash as he has been hampered by injury issues.

Indeed, he was making only his third start for the Toffees at Goodison today, but he failed to offer much threat in the final third.

Throughout his 63 minutes on the pitch, Broja completed just four passes while taking 22 touches, 30 fewer than Jordan Pickford in goal. The Albanian even failed to register a single shot at goal while winning just a single ground duel and losing the ball 14 times.

Moyes must axe the striker, as he offers no major threat when chosen to start as a centre-forward.

Journalist Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo gave the striker a match rating of 5/10, stating that he ‘worked hard to try and make an impression but needed to be stronger as little stuck before he was hooked again’, yet this simply wasn’t good enough for Moyes.

His loan deal expires at the end of the current season, and given his current form, he will return to Chelsea ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Chalkboard

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

Beto replaced him during the City clash, and going forward, he should be the one to start games under Moyes. That’s a certainty.

Moyes tells Everton to sign both Delap and a new "superstar" top target

Moyes wants both in the door.

2 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 18, 2025

An “unbelievable” Everton player has provided a significant update on his future at the club, saying he is open to signing a contract extension.

Another impressive Everton result under Moyes

The Blues picked up one of their best results since David Moyes returned as manager, winning 1-0 away to third-place Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the only goal of the game in the dying seconds, netting a 94th-minute winner amid scenes of joy among the travelling Everton supporters.

Moyes continues to do a superb job in his second stint in charge at Goodison Park, steering his team comfortably away from the relegation zone, and he will now be eyeing the right summer signings to come in and take the Blues up a further level next season.

Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin is one player who has been linked with a move to Everton recently, following an impressive season that has seen him score three goals and register two assists in the Championship. Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko is another rumoured target for the Merseysiders, as they eye potential replacements for Jarrad Branthwaite, should he depart this summer.

Everton hero drops big update on his future

Speaking on Match of the Day on Saturday night [via Goodison News], Doucoure claimed that he would “love” to stay at Everton beyond this season, saying he is open to signing a new deal:

“I can’t talk too much about that but obviously you know it may be my last few months here at the moment. Everything is quiet from the club side. Obviously I love the club, I always said. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”

When further pressed about signing a new deal with the Blues, he added: “Why not? To be honest I love this club. I always said I wanted to stay. Obviously my contract is running out but I love the club.”

The £130,000-a-week Doucoure is a vital player for Everton, as highlighted by his winner at the City Ground on Saturday, so the majority of supporters would surely love to see him stay on.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, and while he isn’t getting any younger, a new deal makes complete sense, given his continued influence.

Doucoure has been such an asset for Everton so long, not least after he scored the goal that kept them in the Premier League against Bournemouth in 2022/23, leading to Jamie Carragher to heap praise on him:

“Unbelievable goal. He’s had a huge influence on the team since he’s come back into the team under Sean Dyche. You think of how many special goals Everton have scored to get them big points, we’ve seen another one today that’s got Everton three points.”

Moyes must instantly drop Everton star who lost the ball every 2 touches

Everton sealed a late victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 13, 2025

Doucoure has made it clear that he is keen to stay on at Everton, so it’s now a case of The Friedkin Group giving him what he wants, within reason.

Sheffield United slipped out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship after they were beaten 1-0 by Millwall at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.

The Blades found themselves 1-0 down after 21 minutes when centre-forward Josh Coburn brilliantly beat Michael Cooper with a well-taken effort from just inside the box.

Chris Wilder was not afraid to make changes in an attempt to turn the game around, withdrawing Southampton loanee Ben Brereton Diaz at half-time after the forward put in a dismal showing.

Ben Brereton Diaz's performance against Millwall

The Chile international had an excellent opportunity to draw the Blades level shortly after they went 1-0 down when he had a free header from around eight yards out, but could only guide his effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Brereton Diaz ended the half with one ‘big chance’ missed – the header – and created one chance, whilst he lost possession six times, which led to Wilder taking him off at the break.

The former Blackburn Rovers attacker is now in danger of losing his place in the starting XI after he failed to make the most of his chance in front of goal, but he was not the only poor performer for Sheffield United.

Chalkboard

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

Wilder must also ruthlessly ditch Gustavo Hamer from the line-up against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park, as the mercurial playmaker was just as bad as Brereton Diaz.

Why Gustavo Hamer should be dropped

The Sheffield United boss must brutally drop the attacking midfielder from the team after a disappointing performance from him against Alex Neil’s side on Tuesday night.

The former Coventry City dynamo did not offer enough quality with his use of the ball on the left flank, letting his team down too often with a poor pass or delivery into the box.

He ended the match, having played the full 90 minutes, with zero shots on target, zero out of two dribbles completed, and zero ‘big chances’ created for the Blades.

Minutes

45

90

Shots on target

2

0

Key passes

1

2

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

0/1

2/10

Duels won

2/3

2/7

Possession lost

6x

22x

As you can see in the table above, Hamer and Brereton Diaz both failed to create a ‘big chance’ for their teammates, but the former failed to do so whilst losing the ball a staggering 22 times, failing with eight of his ten attempted crosses.

It was an incredibly wasteful display from the Dutch whiz, who has now scored one goal and provided zero assists in his last nine outings in the Championship.

Sheffield United needed Hamer, who has eight goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, to step up and provide a bit of quality in their time of need, 1-0 down and trailing for so long against Millwall in front of their home supporters.

Unfortunately, the right-footed flop did not step up to be a difference-maker, delivering a performance just as bad as Brereton Diaz’s, and that is why Wilder should consider axing him from the XI for Saturday’s trip to Plymouth.

Wilder must axe Sheffield United man earning more than Cooper & Campbell

Chris Wilder could soon ditch this Sheffield United high earner.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

While he has made some mistakes, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right during his time in the Arsenal dugout.

The Spaniard has overseen a complete overhaul of the squad, instilled a new philosophy, and turned them from a fallen giant into serial challengers for both the Premier League and the Champions League.

However, there were plenty of moments early on in his managerial career when it felt like he was hanging onto the job by his fingertips, including a period in which Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe practically saved him.

Since then, the former has established himself as the club’s talisman, while the latter has fallen away and been sold to Fulham. Interestingly, there is a player in Arteta’s current squad who once felt like the next Saka but could now be closer to becoming the next Smith Rowe.

How Smith Rowe and Saka save Arteta

Even though the club were coming off their 14th FA Cup triumph, the start of the 20/21 season was nothing short of disastrous for Arsenal.

The North Londoners actually won their two opening games, against Fulham and West Ham United and even picked up a third win of the campaign in their fourth match.

However, the losses started coming thick and fast, and from the 8th of November to Boxing Day, the team didn’t win a single league game.

So, when Chelsea rocked up at the Emirates on Boxing Day, Arteta decided to roll the dice and start Smith Rowe in the ten, a decision that instantly paid off as the Gunners came out 3-1 winners and the youngster provided the assist for Saka’s goal.

From that point, results started to improve, and the two Hale Enders were crucial to that, with the midfielder racking up a tally of four goals and seven assists and the winger doing even better with seven goals and seven assists.

The duo continued to impress the following season, with Smith Rowe producing 13 goal involvements and the mercurial number seven producing 19.

However, a combination of injuries and the squad being strengthened around him saw the Croydon-born gem slowly lose his place in the side over the next two seasons.

Finally, after making just 14 appearances in the 22/23 season and then 19 the year after that, the Hale Ender was sold to Fulham for around £34m, while Saka went on to become arguably the team’s best player.

Interestingly, or perhaps unfortunately, there is currently a potential star in the making in Arteta’s squad today who at one point looked destined to follow in Saka’s footsteps, but might now be more likely to become the next Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal gem who could become the next Smith Rowe

It would be fair to say that, as seasons go, last year wasn’t a particularly enjoyable one for Arsenal fans.

Chalkboard

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

The club looked miles off in the title race and were beset with injuries to key players, only this time they didn’t have the squad depth they do today.

However, there were at least a few bright spots from the campaign, notably the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri.

The youngster had long been a prospect fans were excited about; he became the youngest player in the Premier League, after all.

Yet, it was the injuries to Martin Odegaard and specifically Saka that meant he ended up getting far more first-team minutes than supporters were expecting, and to say he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

For example, the often “unplayable” dynamo, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

In other words, the Hale End phenom averaged a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

It was these numbers, plus the moments of brilliance on the ball and his time out wide, that led many to see him as someone who could and probably would follow in the steps of Saka and become a key part of the squad in the coming years.

However, fast-forward to today, and it would be fair to describe his situation as more akin to Smith Rowe’s in his final seasons at the club.

For example, as things stand, the teenager has made just ten appearances for the first team, totalling 427 minutes.

Moreover, he’s started just three games all season, two of which came in the League Cup and another in the club’s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague.

Worryingly, the Enfield-born gem has also only scored one goal and, like the Croydon-born star before him, has seen fresh competition arrive in the shape of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Appearances

10

Minutes

427′

Goals

1

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

427′

However, it is still early in the season, and while it’s clear that the manager isn’t as keen to pick the Hale Ender as he was last year, there is still plenty of time for things to change.

Therefore, so long as Nwaneri does get more game time across the rest of the campaign, he could still follow in Saka’s footsteps, but if he doesn’t, he could be another Smith Rowe.

Their new Ozil: Arsenal ramp up move to sign £88m "generational talent"

The incredible talent could be a real game-changer for Arsenal and become Arteta’s own Mesut Ozil.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Manchester City moved to within two points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, until they play on Wednesday night, with a thrilling 5-4 win over Fulham.

Supporters of their title rivals may have turned off the game when Phil Foden made it 3-0 before half-time, expecting a simple victory for Pep Guardiola’s side, but the Cityzens made hard work of their three points in the end.

Some questionable game management and defensive work from City almost led to them drawing the match, and there are several players who may not be too pleased with their own contributions to the result.

Ranking Man City's worst performers against Fulham

Whilst the likes of Erling Haaland, Tiijani Rijnders, and Phil Foden shone at Craven Cottage, some of Guardiola’s players failed to deliver quality displays on Tuesday night.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was one of those players. The Italy number one conceded four goals from five shots on target against him, letting in 1.95 more goals than expected, per Sofascore.

Full-back Matheus Nunes also failed to put in a convincing performance. The Portuguese defender was dribbled past twice, per Sofascore, and found defending the likes of Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Kevin a bit too difficult at times.

1

Bernardo Silva

2

Matheus Nunes

3

Gianluigi Donnarumma

4

Nico O’Reilly

5

Savinho

The same was true of Nico O’Reilly, who lost ten of his 15 duels and was dribbled past once, on the other flank, whilst at the other end of the pitch, Savinho struggled off the bench, wasting several chances to counter and put the game to bed late on.

It was Bernardo Silva, though, who was arguably the worst performer on the night for the Cityzens, which is why Guardiola should ruthlessly drop him from the side.

Why Pep Guardiola should drop Bernardo Silva

The Portuguese central midfielder should be put on the bench for the clash with Sunderland at The Etihad on Saturday after an underwhelming display against Fulham.

Chalkboard

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

Commentating for Sky Sports, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton described Bernardo’s flicked clearance that fell for Samuel Chukwueze to score his first goal of the game as “careless”.

A few minutes after that comment, Sutton added that he could not understand why the Portugal international was still on the pitch because he “doesn’t have the legs” that he once did, and that Fulham had “run around” him.

Those comments from the Premier League title winner are backed up by the fact that Bernardo failed to complete three of his four attempted tackles on the night, per Sofascore, which shows that he was a yard off the pace when attempting to challenge Fulham players.

Bernardo also struggled to get up the pitch to influence matters in the final third, with no key passes or ‘big chances’ created from 69 touches of the ball, albeit that was not as important on a night where City scored five goals by the 54th minute.

Minutes

90

90

Tackles won

3/5

1/4

Duels won

9/13

7/11

Ball recoveries

3

2

Pass accuracy

83%

86%

Key passes

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the experienced midfielder was even worse than Nunes, who won more tackles, more duels, and made more ball recoveries, whilst also making more key passes.

Bernardo did well in moments towards the end of the match with his ability to retain possession and calm the play down, but it was partially down to his struggles out of possession and defensively that City were in a position where they had to manage the game in the final minutes.

The left-footed star is, of course, still an important player for Guardiola, having started nine league games this season, but the clash with the Black Cats is one that he should be dropped for after this disappointing showing.

Guardiola could provide Rico Lewis with a chance to play in the middle of the park or play Lewis at right-back and bring Nunes back into his natural role in midfield to see if he can improve on his own underwhelming performance.

Man City now favourites to sign "incredible" £88m star, Pep's captivated by him

City have taken the lead in the race for a Premier League star, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

A game on the bench for Bernardo could, also, keep him fresh ahead of the big match against Real Madrid in the Champions League next week, which is another reason why this could be a good move by the Spanish head coach at the weekend.

Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.

Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.

He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.

That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.

Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.

Who Liverpool could replace Slot with

Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.

Premier League

1x

19/20

Champions League

1x

18/19

FA Cup

1x

21/22

Carabao Cup

2x

21/22, 23/24

Club World Cup

1x

19/20

UEFA Super Cup

1x

19/20

Community Shield

1x

22/23

There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.

Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.

But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.

Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.

Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool

It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.

And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading​ journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.

Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.

This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.

A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.

There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.

Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.

He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.

No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

It would be easy to say that this is becoming a season to forget for Liverpool, but Arne Slot’s Reds have in actual fact sunk so low that this wretched campaign will be seared into the fanbase’s memory for years to come.

The Premier League champions have lost nine of their past 12 matches in all competitions, including twice at Anfield in a space of just five days. This is beyond concerning: this is a calamity.

For all the mitigating circumstances at the Merseyside club, there is simply no excuse for the lack of fight and intensity that fans have watched all too often since the summer, Liverpool having established themselves as title winners and broken the summer spending record.

Alexander Isak is the most expensive player in British history, joining Liverpool from Newcastle United for £125m on deadline day.

His only goal since joining came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. The Sweden striker has not integrated well, though it’s not exactly easy to dovetail into this current Liverpool side.

He needs more support, and that’s why sporting director Richard Hughes is surveying the market for a new wide forward to replace Mohamed Salah.

Why Liverpool want to replace Mohamed Salah

Salah’s struggles this season must be viewed through a wide and balanced lens. The 33-year-old has been wildly out of sorts, but he’s ageing, grieving the passing of his teammate Diogo Jota and playing a tweaked role now that Liverpool have signed big-money strikers.

Taking all this into consideration, he’s still struggling to perform to the expected level. This is perhaps why Liverpool are gearing up for winter bid for Bournemouth’s versatile forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.

But should Liverpool be aiming higher? After all, they need to land an elite winger who will succeed in rekindling Isak’s world-class quality.

Well, they may have found their man in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, with Spanish sources suggesting that Liverpool are prepared to fight for the 23-year-old’s signature next summer.

Olise joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in 2024 and has since staked his claim as one of the most exciting forwards in the business. Vincent Kompany’s side know this and will demand a staggering €140m (equating to £122m) sum for his sale.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen, so Hughes had better roll up his sleeves.

Why Liverpool should sign Michael Olise

It might have been an unhappy return to English shores for Olise this week as his Bayern team were beaten 3-1 at the Emirates, but the right winger still caught the eye, completing three dribbles and winning eight duels.

A fully-fledged member of Didier Deschamps’ France set-up, Olise has proven himself across a range of different levels, and now he is ready to take the baton from Salah and become a superstar at Anfield.

Should Salah find a purple patch within him once again, the fact remains that his £400k-per-week contract expires at the end of next season, and Liverpool are somewhat short of options on that flank.

The two could cohabit on Liverpool’s attacking flank next season, and Olise has the athleticism and output to ensure Isak reminds everyone that he is “the best striker in the Premier League”, as he was hailed by Jamie Carragher for his form with Newcastle during the 2024/25 campaign.

Olise ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, data via FBref.

Harry Kane is a very different type of number nine to Isak, but the Sweden international’s more energetic and mobile playing style might actually give rise to Olise’s finest creative qualities.

Indeed, Isak is fast and furious, skilful on the ball. His ability to split lines open with cleverly-timed runs would play into Olise’s playmaking.

Hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by podcaster Henry Swain, Olise would be taking Salah’s place on the right, whereas Isak is tussling for a starting berth with Hugo Ekitike, who also joined Liverpool this summer.

Should the Reds succeed in adding Olise to their ranks, he has the potential to become their star forward. This is quite a claim, Isak, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are among the attacking options at Slot’s disposal, after all.

But it’s the truth. Here is a player whose proven ability across so many different areas underscores his quality. He is artful on the ball and combative and physical when he needs to be. Isak might have proven himself in front of goal in the Premier League, but his start to life on Merseyside shows that he has weaknesses within his game.

25/26

5 (4)

0 + 1

24/25

34 (34)

23 + 6

23/24

30 (27)

21 + 2

22/23

22 (17)

10 + 2

Olise, after all, has recorded 62 goal contributions from only 74 matches for the German giants, and that after enjoying a talismanic role at Selhurst Park with Palace.

Toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Carragher spoke on Sky Sports of Eberechi Eze and Olise’s brilliance for Oliver Glasner’s Palace. He said those Eagles would fly high at top clubs in the Champions League.

The pundit was right. Olise is a superstar, and given his Premier League and European experience, his flair and gusto, he would be the perfect right-sided forward to take Salah’s place and combine with a striker like Isak to fire Liverpool back into the ascendancy – and keep them there.

But given his potential to succeed Salah, and unenviable task if ever there was one, Olise might even prove a better deal than Isak, whose success perhaps runs counter to Ekitike’s own long-term ambitions at the front of the Anfield ship.

As bad as Konate & Van Dijk: £85m Liverpool duo cannot start together again

Liverpool plummeted to new depths after losing 4-1 to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 27, 2025