All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United are now likely to make a move for an “excellent” attacker if they are promoted from the Championship, with his club setting a £20m asking price, according to a report.

Leeds storming to promotion

Leeds’ dramatic turnaround against Sunderland earlier this month felt like a big moment in the season, with Pascal Struijk bagging a late double to secure a 2-1 victory against a fellow promotion-chasing side at Elland Road.

However, the Whites have since followed it up with an even more impressive win, defeating Sheffield United 3-1 away from home in a real statement victory last time out, moving five clear of the Blades at the top of the Championship table in the process.

Daniel Farke’s side have lost just three league games all season, and they have given themselves a great chance of returning to the top tier next season, but the manager will be aware of the need to strengthen in the summer if his side are to return to the Premier League.

Leeds expected to move for "fantastic" £15m striker; he's "keen" on joining

The Whites have been tipped to make a summer move for a forward who is excited by the prospect of moving to Elland Road.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 25, 2025

Some loan players have played a key role in Leeds’ promotion push, namely Joe Rothwell and Manor Solomon, and there has been talk of a potential move to sign the latter player on a permanent basis in the summer.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, it is now likely the Championship leaders will enter negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal for Solomon, should they achieve their aim of promotion to the top flight.

Spurs are willing to sanction the winger’s departure this summer, but he could be a relatively expensive signing for the Whites, as the asking price is now believed to be £20m, which is an increase from the previously reported number between £10m and £15m.

Everton have also been named as potential suitors for the 25-year-old, who is keen on a return to the Premier League, so there may be competition for his signature.

Solomon has been "excellent" in 2025

The Israeli’s loan spell got off to a slow start, often being utilised as a substitute, while also missing a number of matches due to a hamstring injury, but he has been in red-hot form in 2025.

The Spurs loanee has now amassed 14 goal contributions in the Championship, with eight of those coming since the turn of the year, having now established himself as a regular starter.

CBS Sports’ Jake Winderman lauded the left-winger as “excellent” for his performance against Norwich City, and he has also put in some impressive performances in the top flight in the past, scoring four Premier League goals for Fulham in the 2022-23 campaign.

As such, there are signs that Solomon is ready to make the step-up back to the Premier League, so Leeds should definitely pursue a move this summer, although a fee of £20m for a player with very limited top-level experience feels a little high.

Former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard claims people didn't have his 'best interests at heart' when he signed for Nottingham Forest in 2022.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Lingard opens up on failed Forest move
• Claims it wasn't his decision
• Now enjoying life in South Korea

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lingard joined the then newly-promoted club at the end of his Manchester United contract in 2022, despite interest in his services from West Ham, who he had enjoyed a successful loan spell with in the 2020-21 campaign. And the former England international has now opened up on where things went wrong that summer.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Lingard told: "The Forest deal, when we were going through that – and I don't want to go into too much detail – but I wasn't in control of anything at that time. I basically didn't have a choice. I knew what I wanted to do, I knew what offer was on the table from West Ham and what was on offer from Forest – there was a place I'd have preferred to go. But people have their own say and at the time I didn't really feel like I could voice my opinion. Now I can see people didn't have my best interests [at heart]. But obviously West Ham didn't happen. I went to Forest."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard played just 20 times for the Midlands club, scoring two goals and creating two more in his one season at the City Ground. He has since moved on to FC Seoul, where he says he has "found peace" having made "100% the right choice".

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

  Lingard, whose deal with the South Korean club ends in November, said of his future: "Other possibilities are out there – of course you are going to think about it. We are only human. We will see what happens when the transfer window opens."

Leeds United have held opening talks over an exit for a £90,000-a-week player to leave this summer, as he’s not set to be in Daniel Farke’s plans.

Leeds racing for Championship promotion with Sheffield United and Burnley

Some may have thought that automatic promotion from the Championship was all but guaranteed for Leeds after late wins over Sunderland and Sheffield United last month.

However, a 1-1 draw at home to West Brom last time out, coupled with both the Blades and Burnley picking up wins at QPR and Cardiff, has seen Leeds’ lead at the top cut.

Both promotion rivals play before Leeds’ trip to Portsmouth on Sunday as well, meaning Farke’s side could be level on points with Sheffield United and just two ahead of the Clarets, should they both secure wins.

£30m star failed big time at Leeds, now he's outscoring Summerville

Leeds United have been the home to numerous stars, including one player who’s now outscoring Crysencio Summerville.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 5, 2025

Despite this, those behind the scenes at Elland Road already have one eye on the summer and have agreed a first senior exit for defender Ramus Kristensen, currently on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Denmark international is now set to join the Bundesliga side on a permanent transfer, with Leeds accepting an offer from Frankfurt worth an initial £5m which could rise to £6.5m with add-ons.

Another player who departed the club on loan following Leeds’ relegation was Jack Harrison. The winger has spent over 18 months on loan at Everton, where he is on £90,000-a-week.

The Toffees look unlikely to make a move permanent, though, leaving Leeds with a question of what to do with Harrison in the summer.

Talks held for £90k-p/w Leeds player to leave with Kristensen

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, there is a chance that Harrison could leave Leeds and return to the MLS, after a spell with New York City FC when he was a youngster. It is claimed that ‘exploratory conversations with club representatives in the United States are understood to have taken place’, however, no official approaches have been made.

Harrison, who is now 28, is under contract with Leeds until 2028 after signing new terms when the Whites were in the Premier League back in 2023.

The YEP also claim that Harrison is unlikely to be in Farke’s Leeds plans ahead of the 2025/26 season, where they are hoping to be playing Premier League football.

As can be seen, Harrison has not produced much at Goodison Park, contributing just seven goals in more than 60 appearances. He hasn’t registered a goal or an assist in the Premier League during the current campaign, so it’s no surprise that Everton look likely to pass up on their chance to sign the Englishman permanently.

Leeds also have four exciting wingers on their books currently in Dan James, Manor Solomon, Largie Ramazani and Wilfried Gnonto, although Solomon is currently on loan from Tottenham.

Selling Harrison and signing Solomon on a full-time deal could be a wise move from the 49ers, with the Israel international having experience in the Premier League and impressing under Farke this season.

Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Larsson joked that Xabi Alonso is unlikely to sign him despite reports the Spanish giants are showing interest.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Larsson linked to Madrid this summer
• Midfielder recalls being subbed vs Leverkusen
• Dismisses rumours of summer transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 20-year-old midfielder Larsson addressed rumours linking him with a summer move to Madrid. Speaking to the Swedish press, Larsson played down the speculation with humour, saying the Madrid's new coach may have a negative image of him after he was substituted off at half-time as Frankfurt were demolished 5-0 by Bayer Leverkusen.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Larsson is regarded as one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe and has been on the radar of top clubs, including Madrid. However, with Frankfurt qualifying for next season’s Champions League, the young midfielder appears focused on staying and continuing his development in the Bundesliga.

• WHAT LARSSON SAID

  After being asked about the mounting transfer speculation linking him with elite clubs like Madrid, Larsson reflected on how such rumours have followed him for years: "I feel like these rumours of joining a big club have followed me since I was 16 or 17 and started to stand out. It's a bit similar now, although it's about bigger clubs and bigger things. I approach it a bit the same way I did before.

  "I've read things and there will continue to be speculation, but I'm a person who never stresses about anything. Now we have the Champions League next season with Frankfurt. It will be a lot of fun."

  When asked specifically about Madrid and manager Alonso, Larsson couldn’t help but joke, recalling a tough Bundesliga clash earlier in the season: "In one of the games we lost 5-0. I was substituted at half-time, so I don't think Alonso would like me."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LARSSON?

  While rumours will persist, Larsson has suggested he is not entertaining a transfer just yet. With Frankfurt’s Champions League campaign on the horizon, the Swede’s future looks set.

He might have scored a goal in the Champions League last week, but it seems fair to say that starting Mikel Merino up top has not worked for Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder saved the day against Leicester City last month, and while he’s done certain parts of the job well, he’s not someone who can be relied on to step into the role amid an injury crisis.

Fortunately, Gabriel Martinelli returned to the team yesterday afternoon and can hopefully start down the middle until the end of the season.

However, with Gabriel Jesus out until next year and Kai Havertz not coming back until preseason at the earliest, Mikel Arteta and Co need to sign a new number nine as soon as possible, and the good news is that recent reports suggest that they may have found the perfect option, a player who’d be a colossal upgrade on Merino.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have drawn up a list of seven striker targets for the summer, with Lautaro Martínez near the very top.

Transfer Focus

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

In fact, the report claims that there is currently speculation that the North Londoners are planning to make an offer for the Argentine superstar of around €120m, which comes out to £101m.

However, as things stand, it’s unclear if that will be enough to tempt Inter Milan into selling their prized centre-forward, who was their top scorer last season and is second on that list this year.

It will almost certainly be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line this summer, but given Martínez’s immense ability, it is one well worth pursuing, especially as he’d be a massive upgrade on all of Arsenal’s choices, including Merino.

Why Martínez would be a game-changer for Arsenal

Now, while there are several reasons Martínez would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal, from his track record of winning major trophies to his slick, free-flowing style of play, the most important is that he is a reliable scorer of goals and provider of assists.

For example, in just 44 appearances for Inter last season, the World Cup winner scored 27 goals and provided three assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.46 games.

In comparison, Jesus produced 16 goal involvements in 36 games, while Havertz hit 21 in 51, equating to a goal involvement every 2.25 and 2.42 games, respectively.

Interestingly, even though the Argentine, who renowned football podcaster Angelo Valdes described as “the best 9 in the world,” has been a little less effective this term, he’s still comfortably ahead, with a tally of 17 goals and six assists in 38 appearances.

In contrast, the Gunners’ Brazilian forward has nine goal involvements in 27 games, and the German has hit 15 goals and five assists in 34 games.

For his part, Merino actually has the best goal involvement-to-game ratio of the lot, as he’s found the back of the net three times and provided one assist in five appearances up top.

However, two of those goals came against Leicester, while the other and his assist arrived in the 7-1 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven.

In the other games, against West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, he looked entirely out of his depth with football.london’s Tom Canton awarding him match ratings of just 5/10 for each encounter.

Ultimately, Arsenal have a number of talented forwards, but none can be described as prolific, and while Arteta couldn’t rely on Merino to step up when he needed him to, Martínez’s incredible trophy haul suggests he very much could be relied upon.

Berta can land Rodri 2.0 for Arsenal in one of "the best CMs in the world"

The incredible international would improve Arsenal’s midfield.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 8, 2025

Wrexham are keeping tabs on proven Championship midfielder Barry Bannan as they prepare to play at their highest level since the Hollywood takeover.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Wrexham monitoring Bannan
• Owls captain nearly out of contract
• Armstrong & Ward also of interest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Accrding to , Wrexham are keen on Bannan, who is only two weeks from the end of his Sheffield Wednesday contract. The Owls have also been struggling financially, not able to pay players for the past two weeks, which is advantageous for Wrexham given the budget made available by co-owners Ryan and Rob McElhenney.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham's march from non-league to the Championship has been underpinned at each step by big name veterans like Ben Foster, James McClean, Steven Fletcher and Jay Rodriguez. Bannan, who was likened by legendary coach Gerard Houllier to Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta as he was breaking through at Aston Villa in 2010, would be a continuation of that tried and tested pattern in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.

  The 35-year-old former Scotland international has spent the majority of his career in the Championship, having first joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2015. During that time, he helped the club to the Championship pplay-off final, 90 minutes from reaching the Premier League, and has helped them reconsolidate in the second tier since relegation and promotion in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham's interest in Championship-calibre players doesn't stop there. The same report from notes that Stuart Armstrong, currently a free agent after leaving Sheffield Wednesday and formerly also a Premier League player with Southampton is of interest. Another target is goalkeeper Danny Ward, who came through the ranks at Wrexham before his career took him to Liverpool and Leicester City, among others.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Getting Bannan to north Wales might not be that straightforward, even with his contract ending and Sheffield Wednesday in the position they are. He is something of a modern day legend at Hillsborough and , the city's local newspaper, has reported that he'd actually like to stay – the suggestion is that a fresh deal has already been agreed in principle. And, even though he has family ties to Wrexham through his grandfather, a former player in the 1950s, Bannan wants to commmit to Wednesday.

Leeds United potentially have a huge summer on their hands under Daniel Farke, especially if they were to complete the job and secure promotion from the Championship.

The Whites are in pole position to end their two-year top-flight exile, sitting top of the table with just eight games remaining – whilst also having the best run-in of any side in the title race.

Should they replicate their form from the last few months, there’s no denying Farke will add a third promotion to his CV, but he would face his biggest task in management should he achieve the feat.

Staying in the Premier League after promotion now looks a huge ask given the failures of other clubs in recent years, looking almost certain that all three sides who went up last time around are to drop back down.

Recruitment is vital for any chance of maintaining their top division status, with the hierarchy needing to back the manager, leading to one name already being touted with a move to Elland Road.

Leeds targeting summer move for £20m talent

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of multiple sides plotting a summer move for Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin should they be a Premier League outfit in 2025/26.

The 24-year-old also has admirers from Aston Villa and Brentford, with the Whites potentially facing a battle for his signature in the summer should they want to complete a deal for his services.

The report claims the Scottish side value the Belgian international at around £20m, a figure undoubtedly bolstered by his national team debut during the current international break.

Raskin has made 39 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, registering two goals and six assists from his central midfield role, whilst also posting solid defensive numbers – winning 4.3 tackles per 90 this campaign.

Whilst it may appear like a hefty fee for a player in a non-top five league, but he possesses some serious talent, potentially being a better option than another player touted with a move to Yorkshire.

Why Raskin would be better than Phillips for Leeds

Kalvin Phillips has been touted with a fairytale return to Leeds this summer, three years after leaving his boyhood side in a £45m deal to join Manchester City to further his career.

However, his move to the Etihad has been nothing short of a disaster, making just 31 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men, subsequently being sent out on separate spells to West Ham and Ipswich Town.

He’s currently spending the campaign on loan at the latter, but has once again struggled to make an impact, with a move back to Yorkshire potentially getting his career back on track.

However, City are also demanding £20m for his signature, a figure that may be too high given his lack of impact in recent years, with the club needing to put their focus in Raskin as a result.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from 2024/25, the Belgian has outperformed Phillips in various key areas, further adding to the argument as to why they should steer clear of any reunion.

Raskin, who’s previously been dubbed “superb” by Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge, has registered more progressive carries per 90, whilst also completing more of the passes he’s attempted – highlighting his impressive ability in possession.

He’s also managed to win more tackles per 90, whilst posting more interceptions made per game, showcasing his excellent ball-winning capabilities, making him the perfect box-to-box midfielder in Farke’s system.

Whilst it would be another pricey addition for the 49ers this summer, it’s one that needs to be made to hand the club the best possible chance of survival should they achieve promotion.

Phillips will remain a modern-day club icon after his previous stint in Yorkshire, but his lack of form since his move is a cause for concern, with the hierarchy needing to act with their head instead of their heart this summer – subsequently targeting Raskin over the former fan-favourite.

Not just Bamford: 49ers must sell Leeds dud who's rinsed them of £20m

Leeds United need to brutally offload Patrick Bamford and one other star this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 26, 2025

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is reportedly set to become Tottenham's new manager, with the reason for the delay in his appointment coming to light.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Tottenham sacked Postecoglou
• Frank set to become Spurs boss
• Reason behind delay revealed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  state Tottenham agreed terms with Frank following the departure of Ange Postecoglou but there has been a hold-up in getting the deal over the line. The report adds the delay was down to the Bees' efforts to keep Frank's 'highly-rated' assistant Justin Cochrane, but he too will now head to Spurs.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Many Tottenham fans have still been left reeling by the sacking of Postecoglou, mere weeks after their Europa League triumph. All sorts of top managers have tried and failed at Spurs in recent years and now Frank will be given the difficult task of leading the club to more success from next season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cochrane is said to be regarded as one of the most promising coaches in the English game. The 43-year-old, who spent almost a decade as a youth coach at Tottenham, will be joined by coach Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton at the north London team.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It seems to be just a matter of time before Frank and his Bees entourage will be sworn in at Tottenham. The Dane has done a remarkable job at Brentford, but now he will have to prepare for the biggest test of his managerial career.

Mic'd Up: The ESPN FC analyst spoke candidly about all things USMNT, and why he commits to being "as honest as possible"

After one of Herculez Gomez's first studio shows at ESPN, veteran analyst Craig Burley had to sit the former U.S. men's national team striker down. Burley offered a key piece of advice, telling Gomez that he was still pulling his punches – and when that camera light turns on, that simply wasn't going to work.

"He pulled me aside, "Gomez recalls, "and he said, 'Look, man, if you want to do this for a living, if you want to be here for a while and be good at it, you have to be honest with yourself and be honest with our viewers. You can't be afraid to hurt someone's feelings. You have to be honest.'

"I've maintained that ever since. That's the right way of doing things and, while there may be people who think my way is negative, I've learned that you've got to be as honest as possible."

In a summer defined by a war of words between the face of the USMNT's current generation and many of the faces of the national team's old guard, Gomez has not been short on opinions. He, like Christian Pulisic, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, has worn the USMNT shirt and knows the weight that it carries.

He also knows that it all comes with a bit of nuance – which can easily be lost in an echo-chamber of podcasts and social media chatter and outrage, some real, some just for show. That nuance may be lost, at times, but now – looking at the game, and this team, from a broader view – Gomez say it is vital.

The Gold Cup is underway, and despite the USMNT's 5-0 blowout of Trinidad and Tobago, the big picture remains the talking point. And Gomez admits all of the bluster risks a fractured USMNT fan base.

"This is highly unlikeable, what's going on right now," he said. "I don't think it's healthy at all. It seems like a big p*ssing contest to me, and I don't think fans want to see that in today's climate… You look at the Club World Cup and it seems that, despite having no local connection to those teams, some people are enjoying that. I don't know if any fan right now can enjoy anything about the USMNT."

Gomez discussed Pulisic's decision to skip the Gold Cup, the mood around the USMNT and his growing admiration for Diego Luna in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  ON PULISIC'S DECISION AND THE FALLOUT

  GOAL: Let's start with the obvious one here. Everyone is talking so much about the Christian Pulisic situation and, while it's a nuanced discussion, everyone has their own feelings. As a guy who has played for the national team, and now covers that team, how do you even interpret all of the chaos that has come from his decision?

  Gomez: There are two kinds of thoughts here, right? As a player in the national team, I would never miss a game. I'd be there every single game, no matter what. Then there's the other train of thought as an analyst, where I think about how this Gold Cup is being treated like a secondary tournament. More importance has been placed on the Nations League, and this guy is coming off two seasons where he's played over 114 games and has been a pretty injury prone player. You look at who's being called in and it's a B or C team, and he's probably thinking to himself, 'I need some time and, while Milan can't give it to me, maybe U.S. Soccer will'.

  With this, U.S. Soccer and Christian Pulisic both come out looking terrible. It could have been a joint communication from all parties involved. But instead it was U.S. Soccer putting out a statement wanting everyone to know that this was on Christian Pulisic. He asked for that time off, and it has since become a he-said, he-said sort of thing. It's a dumpster fire. You have Christian feeling like he's attacked by U.S. Soccer. Ex-players like Landon Donovan and Tim Howard are given access to the head coach of the USMNT for their podcast, and now he's seen Mauricio Pochettino kind of go off on him, and feels like he has to defend himself. I think it's just an unfortunate situation all around that could have easily been avoided, but here we are.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  ON THE LOCKER ROOM

  GOAL: You've obviously been in locker rooms where things like this have happened, where there's been a disagreement that has snowballed like this. How do you handle that in the locker room? What do other players think?

  GOMEZ: I don't think the players in there right now think anything about it. Realistically, of the guys that played against Trinidad and Tobago, only Chris Richards and Tim Ream are ones who have really sniffed the starting XI in recent years. The talk in that locker room is going to be different and they're going to be going on on the same page. I think it's more about Pulisic and Mauricio Pochettino. We've seen what happens when a star player and a coach are at odds, and it never ends well. We just saw Robert Lewandowski with his coach in Poland, and he had to go. I saw it with Jurgen Klinsmann and Landon Donovan and it never ends well.

  Now, this isn't the first CONCACAF player to not play the Gold Cup. It's very relatable to Keylor Navas refusing to play in the Gold Cup for years. Why? Because, at some point, it wasn't worth it for him and it was better for him to rest for his commitments to Real Madrid. He was heavily criticzed for it. You go back in time and we've seen it before with U.S. Soccer. Granted, though, this is the last tournament before the World Cup, so I think that's what gets people up in arms, but who are we really trying to get these top player integrated with? Looking at the roster, 90 percent of it won't be around next summer. Pochettino can get something out of it by identifying players. I don't know how many, but I don't know how much Christian Pulisic would have gotten from tournament. That said, I wouldn't have taken it off, and I understand that frustration from fans.

• Getty Images
  

  ON THE MOOD AROUND THE USMNT

  GOAL: Obviously, this has overshadowed the Gold Cup, and that's a negative because the focus should be on this tournament. If anything, this summer has very much laid down a marker about how much people care about this team. Is there anything good to take from all of this? Is it a positive thing that this is happening one year out from a World Cup?

  GOMEZ: Oh this isn't healthy at all. I don't think that this is confirming that people care; I think it's the opposite, really. I think people are starting to be like ,'You know what? F*ck this thing. This is not the team I grew up watching and not the team I want to cheer for.' This is highly unlikeable, what's going on right now. I don't think it's healthy at all. It seems like a big p*ssing contest to me, and I don't think fans want to see that in today's climate.

  Tickets are expensive and times are tough and people have to pick and choose what to spend money on. Why would they spend money on this team right now? What makes this likeable or enjoyable and makes you want to spend your hard-earned money? I sympathize with that. Look, I work in this business and make my living off the U.S. men's national team and soccer in America. You look at the Club World Cup and it seems that, despite having no local connection to those teams, some people are enjoying that. I don't know if any fan right now can enjoy anything about the USMNT.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  ON LUNA'S BREAKOUT

  GOAL: All of that said, is there anyone that has stood out to you? Obviously, a good win over Trinidad and Tobago helps correct things a bit. Is there anyone in this current team that you're really enjoying?

  GOMEZ: It's a small sample size, but I continually come out talking about Diego Luna. At first, it was like 'It's got to be more than just running and mentality.' But every game he comes out had is a little bit better at everything. He's showing something where that, regardless of what happens going forward, it's going to be difficult to ignore him being a part of this roster. This is a player that I really criticized for doing exactly what Christian, in a sense, is doing right now. He refused to go to that Olympic team because he was going to be an alternate, but here we are.

  I'm cheering on this kid because I think he's highly relatable to a ton of Americans. I really enjoy watching and rooting for him. He's a guy that has raised his hand and said, 'Hey, I'm not going anywhere', and I don't think he is going anywhere. It would be difficult to put out a roster and he wouldn't be part of it.

  GOAL: During a USMNT press conference recently, Luna was speaking about what drives him. He was saying how he plans for his family, for his parents and their sacrifice, for his own child and his future, and it was hard not to notice that Pochettino was smiling at his answer.

  GOMEZ: We have a soccer culture here with pay to play and the college system that brings up a majority of our players, and most players have never had that type of struggle. When you look at this sport around the world, this sport is looked at as hope or a means out. It wasn't any different for Mauricio Pochettino and it's not any different for someone like Diego Luna. When you hear something like that, that's someone that the emajority of Americans, and the majority of people, can relate to. He's just a highly-likable individual who is, right now, working his ass off for an opportunity to play at a World Cup.

Liverpool are now keen on signing a “total footballer” in the summer transfer window, but there is set to be fierce competition from a number of rival Premier League clubs, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Reds set to continue Premier League title pursuit vs Everton

Despite Arsenal’s 2-1 victory against Fulham on Tuesday, the Reds remain in a strong position to win the Premier League title, and they have the opportunity to restore their 12-point lead at the top of the table in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Having crashed out of the Champions League before going on to lose the EFL Cup final, the league title is the last remaining piece of silverware up for grabs this season, but if they manage to go all the way, it will undoubtedly still be considered a successful campaign.

One of the slight criticisms that could be made of Arne Slot’s side this season is perhaps their overreliance on Mohamed Salah, with Diogo Jota struggling with injuries while the likes of Federico Chiesa and Darwin Nunez haven’t exactly set the world alight.

Liverpool make contact to sign "world-class" £62m striker ahead of Arsenal

The Reds are now in the race to sign a “world-class” striker, having made the first move towards getting a deal done.

1

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 1, 2025

As such, Slot seems intent on bolstering his attacking options this summer, and Liverpool are now keen on signing RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, as reported by Romano for GiveMeSport.

There is a concrete chance Simons is on the move this summer, despite only recently signing for Leipzig permanently from Paris Saint-Germain, and several other Premier League clubs are also in the race for his signature, such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

The Dutchman could be available for a fee of around £58m – £62m, and the Premier League is one of the top destinations in his mind, particularly with Barcelona’s financial issues making it difficult for the La Liga side to compete for his signature.

"Total footballer" Simons could be destined for the top

Freelance scout Ben Mattinson is clearly a huge admirer of the 21-year-old, having lauded him as a “total footballer”, while also claiming he has “superstar potential” and the IQ to play all over the pitch.

Since then, the attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has continued to impress for RB Leipzig, picking up seven goals and four assists in 19 Bundesliga outings this term, building on an impressive first season in Germany.

The Netherlands international has also been in top form for his country during the recent international break, being lauded as a “game-changer” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig after scoring against European champions Spain.

Liverpool could do with some more attacking depth if they are to compete on all fronts next season, with Jamie Carragher of the belief there are four or five players Slot doesn’t rate in his current squad, and Simons has proven he could be an excellent addition.