Category Uncategorized

Liverpool are pressing ahead in their hunt for new signings and could now turn to a star who Hugo Ekitike has previously shown admiration for due to their blistering pace.

Liverpool keen to support Arne Slot in transfer window

Arne Slot has endured a frustrating campaign in charge of Liverpool, and they have failed to replicate their exploits of last season, finding themselved in a battle for Champions League qualification.

Arsenal and Manchester City may well be out of reach, albeit stranger things have happened, but the Reds know that bringing in new faces during the January window will be pivotal if they are to stake a claim for silverware in any competition.

Defensively, both Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet have been earmarked by Liverpool, with their rearguard becoming more of a priority amid Geovanni Leoni’s absence.

England international Adam Wharton is also a long-term Reds target. However, it is difficult to envisage the Eagles parting ways with someone they value at around £61 million in mid-season.

Nine matches unbeaten before Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal may sound commendable. Nevertheless, there have been four draws within that run, and tougher tests against the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester City remain to come in the next few weeks.

Some supporters have lamented the tempo of Slot’s football this campaign and others have questioned the mentality of his side. Either way, it is always difficult to defend the Premier League title, and they are hardly the only club to ever experience second season syndrome.

Now, the Dutchman appears primed to fight back against recent events as Liverpool plot a move for a winger who could eventually become Mohamed Salah’s replacement.

Liverpool preparing bid for Bradley Barcola

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are preparing an offer of over £86 million to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola and the Frenchman is keen to leave his current employers after his minutes were compromised under Luis Enrique.

Attracted to the possibility of a move to Anfield, Barcola has registered five goals and three assists in 22 appearances this term, though he has only started nine Ligue 1 matches out of a possible 16.

Related Liverpool now tracking £35m Guehi alternative who's been dubbed Saliba 2.0

The Reds desperately need a centre-back

Posts ByTom Cunningham

Labelled “crazy fast” by countryman and potential future teammate Ekitike, the 23-year-old has created 19 chances and completed 19 successful dribbles on league duty this term, per Fotmob, thriving against his marker in the French top-flight.

Subscribe for Transfer Insights on Liverpool Targets Gain deeper transfer analysis by subscribing to the newsletter: focused coverage on targets, tactical fit, squad planning and how potential signings could reshape Liverpool’s lineup. Clear, informed context to follow transfer decisions.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Notably, strained relations between Slot and Liverpool icon Salah may lead to the Egyptian star departing in the near future, and Barcola has been identified as the man to bring pace, power and explosivity to their forward line should the former decide to call time on his glorious Anfield stay.

Barcola is clearly open to a change of scenery and there is potentially room for him on Merseyside, albeit it remains to be seen whether a deal can be forced over the line in January.

More defenders, Mikel, are you sure? When Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera over the summer, you could hear the ironic laughs.

The Gunners did bolster their forward line during the last transfer window but very rarely does a market go by without Mikel Arteta spending on the defence.

Well, thank heavens they did. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White have already missed a decent portion of the season while William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristian Mosquera have also missed matches due to injury.

It’s left Arsenal in a tricky spot. Christian Norgaard filled in at centre-back against Club Brugge a few weeks ago while Declan Rice even featured at right-back against Brighton last weekend.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that they’re targeting more defenders heading into 2026.

Games played by Arsenal defenders – 2025/26

Player

Games

Mins played

William Saliba

19

1,535

Gabriel

17

1,356

Jurrien Timber

24

1,848

Piero Hincapie

12

771

Riccardo Calafiori

20

1,493

Cristhian Mosquera

16

823

Ben White

12

604

Myles Lewis-Skelly

19

829

Marli Salmon

1

7

Arsenal chasing highly-rated defender

Despite injuries, Arsenal’s backline looks well set up for the future.

Mosquera has walked into the Arsenal team with relative ease and ensured that when Saliba was absent, he wasn’t hugely missed. The way in which the young Spanish defender performed at Anfield on his first start in the 1-0 defeat at the start of the season spoke volumes.

Combine his presence with Hincapie’s breakthrough, both at centre-back and left-back, and you sense Arteta has plenty of ways he can configure his backline.

Add another defender to the party and his options become even more dreamy.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Reports from Fabrizio Romano back in the summer suggested that Arsenal had an interest in Rennes centre-half Jeremy Jacquet.

Well, according to Caught Offside, that interest very much remains. They claim that he is on the club’s shortlist heading into 2026 and that ‘informal discussions’ about the player have taken place regarding the player’s situation.

The report does state, however, that no bid has been made yet.

Jacquet is valued at around £35m according to reports back in November. It’s a high price for a 20-year-old defender but certainly one worth paying. For context, Saliba cost £27m as an 18-year-old and look at him now.

Why Jacquet would be a good signing

If Arsenal added the young French centre-back to their squad, then believe it or not, their defence would get even better.

This is a player very much cut from a similar cloth as Saliba. Like Arsenal’s number 2, he made his breakthrough as a teenager in Ligue 1 and has been earning rave reviews since.

He is yet to be capped at international level but it surely won’t be long before the young centre back makes his way into Didier Deschamps’ squad. A move to Arsenal might well propel his chances.

Already described as a player with “top five centre-back in the world potential” by scout Ben Mattinson, fellow scout Jacek Kulig suggests he’s an “insane centre-back in the making.” It’s easy to see why.

Like Saliba, he plays in an effortless manner. His composure for someone so young is incredible. As Mattinson further outlines, he “plays with a maturity beyond his years.”

Subscribe to the newsletter for Arsenal transfer insight Want deeper takes on Arsenal’s defensive targets? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage: scouting breakdowns, transfer analysis and tactical context that sharpen your understanding of player fit and club strategy.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Similarly to Saliba, he’s also got lengthy strides that not only help him to recover quickly and eat up ground swiftly, but it also means he’s particularly strong in the ground duel, winning 62% of his ground battles this season and 60% in 2024/25.

Not just content with being difficult to beat inside his own box, Jacquet also has a bit of Gabriel about him. He’s a “dominant” presence from set-pieces, according to Mattinson, only adding further allure to this young defender.

Said to be “scarily talented” by Mattinson, there is very little the Rennes sensation cannot do. From the same academy as PSG superstar Desire Doue, there is plenty to like about this 20-year-old.

If Arsenal can get their hands on him for as small a price as £35m, they’ll have Europe’s next top centre back, someone ready and waiting to replace Saliba.

Victoria 251 (Hussey 84, White 61, Magoffin 5-67) and 0 for 17 trail Western Australia 9 for 428 dec and 5 for 277 dec (Marsh 96, Voges 79*, Ronchi 61) by 437 runs
Scorecard

	Shaun Marsh fell just short of a century © Getty Images

Victoria face a monster fourth-day chase as they fight for Pura Cup final-hosting rights, after Shaun Marsh’s 96 set up a lead of 454 for Western Australia. The Bushrangers reached 0 for 17 at stumps with Nick Jewell on 6 and Lloyd Mash on 9, meaning they required a further 438 for an unlikely win.Western Australia could have enforced the follow-on after the Bushrangers were dismissed for 251, at which point they trailed by 177. Cameron White began the day as their primary hope but he could only add five to his overnight score and at 61 became Steve Magoffin’s fifth victim.Shane Harwood and Bryce McGain grabbed two wickets each in the Warriors’ second innings, however Marsh and Luke Ronchi got the home side away to a strong start. Ronchi was promoted to open as Justin Langer rested his sore back and his 61 from 62 balls set the scene.Adam Voges continued to extend their lead with 79 not out before the declaration came at 5 for 277, giving Victoria a nine-over period to face late in the day. Although they have built their reputation on chasing big targets in recent years, the Bushrangers’ current task would be one of their greatest achievements if they could pull it off.Victoria and New South Wales have already reached the Pura Cup decider and the teams are equal on points, meaning the hosting rights will be determined by the current games and the final round, which starts on Friday. New South Wales also failed to claim first-innings points in their match against Tasmania.

Dav Whatmore says his side can improve on the ten-wicket loss against John Buchanan’s Australia © AFP

The coach Dav Whatmore is desperate for Bangladesh to avoid a bottom-placed finish in the Super Eights and is hoping for an improved performance against the No. 1-ranked South Africa in Guyana on Saturday. Bangladesh played above expectations in their group matches, but they have failed to keep up the momentum and are without a point after losses to Australia and New Zealand.”We don’t want to finish at the bottom,” Whatmore said. “We are not last in the whole tournament, but we are now at the bottom in the Super Eights. Our objective is always to go higher [than Ireland], but the reality is that we are ranked No. 9 and we will be playing to change the rankings.”Bangladesh lost to Australia by ten wickets and to New Zealand by nine wickets, but Whatmore said the side could do better. “Our objective is to push the opposition and this is what we want to do in the remaining matches,” Whatmore said. Bangladesh face England, West Indies and Ireland after South Africa.”We need to up our performance in the second round,” he said. “What we have done here is something we had not done in the past. We were once considered minnows, but we are no longer minnows now.”We achieved our objective in the first round as we played pretty well to qualify for the second round. We had just one bad game against Sri Lanka, but we played three matches and we deserved to be in the Super Eights.”Whatmore said he was looking forward to a better performance from his batsmen in the remaining matches after they scored 174 against New Zealand and 104 for 6 in 22 overs against Australia. “We need to make more runs,” he said. “We were not able to score upfront in the last two matches.”

Hit first, remorse later: Ramnaresh Sarwan was felled by a Shane Bond bouncer © Getty Images

Scott Styris, the New Zealand allrounder, has accused the West Indies players of “laughing and joking” when he and three of his team-mates were hit on the helmet during the first Test in Auckland.Styris adopted the holier-than-thou attitude that the New Zealanders always show compassion in similar circumstances. “There was a little bit of disappointment when their guys were laughing and joking when our guys got hit,” Styris said during New Zealand’s practice session in Wellington yesterday. “I mentioned it to Fidel [Edwards] after I got hit [by him], just their lack of checking out to see if we are fine. You want to play the game hard, you want to play the game fair, but you always want to make sure the other bloke isn’t hurt,” he added.Styris claimed that the New Zealanders ensured Ramnaresh Sarwan was okay after he was felled by a bouncer from Shane Bond in the West Indies’ second innings. “That’s why we got pretty grumpy and disappointed with [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul and [Daren] Ganga when Jamie How got hit under the lid,” he explained, referring to the blow to the helmet to the short-leg fielder when Chanderpaul pulled a ball from Daniel Vettori.Brendon McCullum was heard through the television stump microphone telling Chanderpaul to move away when he approached to see if How was alright. “You didn’t show any concern before,” McCullum, the talkative wicketkeeper, said.Styris conceded that the West Indies players “finally showed a bit of concern for someone, but we thought it was a little too late. I don’t know if there is an international understanding but you expect natural consideration for someone who is hurt,” he said. “You want to get him out, you want to intimidate him to get him out, but you don’t want to see a guy carried off on a stretcher.” “We certainly don’t, and I know Bondy [Shane Bond] doesn’t, and he’s mentioned that,” Styris added. “He’s trying to hit him but he’s not trying to knock the guy out and if he does hit him then he is looking to see if he is okay.”The New Zealand media has picked up the theme with Jonothan Millmow citing the alleged “lack of remorse” shown by the West Indies as “probably a legacy of their upbringing”. “They will have been raised on stories of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner breaking bones as regularly as they broke stumps and of home crowds delighting in batsmen being carted off injured,” he wrote.

Duncan Fletcher: will have control over a greater number of players © Getty Images

The ECB name the 25-man development squad, on Thursday, which will be under the direct control of Duncan Fletcher, the England coach.The squad will include the 12 players who already have 12-month central contracts, with the remaining places being taken by the one-day players, fringe candidates for the Test side and the Academy players who toured UAE and Sri Lanka last winter. The selectors are unlikely to spring too many surprises, as the size of the squad allows them to include most players who are in contention for an international call-up.The stars of the Academy tour – Matt Prior and Ian Bell – are certain to be included, with the successful pace bowlers from the trip – Sajid Mahmood, Jon Lewis and David Harrison – also set for selection. With Prior a certainty for the squad, following his impressive efforts in Sri Lanka and strong start to the domestic season, there will be further disappointment for Chris Read, as it is unlikely that three wicketkeepers will make the squad.Probable 25-man development squad Michael Vaughan*, Kabir Ali, James Anderson*, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Mark Butcher*, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff*, Ashley Giles*, Steve Harmison*, David Harrison, Matthew Hoggard*, Geraint Jones*, Simon Jones*, Robert Key, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss*, Graeme Swann, Graham Thorpe*, Marcus Trescothick*, Alex Wharf

Darrell Hair, Australia’s most high-profile umpire, has announced that he will be moving to England to live early in the New Year. He will continue to be a member of the ICC’s international panel.”I’m looking forward to what lies ahead but I will certainly miss Australia,” Hair admitted. “Being on the international Test umpiring panel, and with all the travel that is involved with this role, it does not really matter where I’m based. The ICC doesn’t appoint an umpire to any international matches in their home country, so in many respects, moving to London will cut down a lot of my travel."The announcement effectively ends Hair’s career in Australian domestic cricket, and as he is not on the English panel of umpires, it would seem to be international games or nothing for him from now on."I intend to be actively involved in umpiring for the next few years, whether it be with the blessing of ICC or village matches in Steeple Bumpstead,” Hair told his New South Wales umpiring colleagues. “Hopefully there will also be some other options arising from time to time to help fill in my days.”

A hat-trick from Boland’s Wallace Albertyn stopped Northerns Titans’ bid for a Standard Bank Cup semi-final place dead in its tracks as the home side slipped to an 11-run defeat at SuperSport Park on Friday while Western Province crushed Eastern Province by eight wickets in Port Elizabeth and North West swept to a 101-run victory over Easterns in Benoni.Albertyn picked off Mulligan George, Friedel de Wet and Dewald Senekal in the 44th over of the innings as the Titans faltered in their chase for Boland’s 213 for eight. Alberty finished with four for 31 as the Titans eventually managed only 202 for nine in their 45 overs. Boland’s James Henderson took the man of the match award for his 77 which provided the basis of the Boland score.In Benoni Easterns were bundled out for 161 in reply to North West’s 262 for five with Eugene Moleon (three for 16) and Garth Roe (three for 46) doing most of the damage. Grant Rowley’s 88 and a 50 from Dirkie de Vos had lifted North West to their imposing total earlier in the day.Despite having to chase a revised target of 203 in 41 overs, WP made light work of EP at St George’s Park with Graeme Smith (73) and Lloyd Ferreira (62) putting on 142 for the first wicket.EP had earlier struggled to 185 for seven in 41 overs.

With a lead of 160 runs, Pakistan was in the driving seat when it resumed the innings at the score of 341 for 5. They were determined to carry on with the innings to build up a +challenging lead but one could not imagine the level they ultimately achieved. The heroic innings by Younis Khan and Wasim Akram led them to a mammoth total of 600 runs, providing Sri Lanka, a sky high target of 420 runs to win in two days and 25 overs. It was Pakistan’s day of fantastic cricket.Younis Khan and Abdur Razzaq started with full confidence of staying at the crease and piling up runs. With an impressive lead at the back, they were scoring a four in almost every over. In 129 overs, the pair hoisted Pakistan’s 400 on the board. By lunch, the score rose to 427 with Younis Khan (72) and Razzaq (35) holding the crease.The bowlers not making much of an impact, the batsmen were almost dictating terms. Sri Lanka, however, achieved the important break through when Abdur Razzaq was bowled by Muralitharan after scoring an invaluable 48. Pakistan lost the 6th wicket at 446.Wasim Akram was again promoted in the batting order, rightly to enhance the pace of scoring. Comprising of a stream of fours and sixes, the partnership between Younis Khan and Wasim Akram created unprecedented excitement among the crowed. They punished the bowlers so severely and consistently that even the master spinner like Muralitharan was reduced to ashes. On one occasion Wasim Akram hit him for a fabulous six and four, his over conceding 13 runs. By smashing Herath to the square leg boundary, Younis Khan hoisted his second ton in test cricket. The first one, he scored in his debut test at Rawalpindi, also against Sri Lanka.Having piled up a fabulous total of 500 runs and Younis Khan’s century on the board, the players were now at liberty to embark on the path of adventurism. There came a spate of fours and sixes, especially from the bat of Wasim Akram.Contrary to expectations, Pakistan did not declare the innings closed, to provide the batsmen at the crease the chance to score their highest. To pile up runs quickly, they adopted the policy of “hit out or get out.” As a result Younis Khan was caught at the boundary line after playing an excellent innings of 116 runs. Pakistan was now 556 for 7. With Wasim Akram also heading for a century, the time was not ripe for a declaration.Continuing with his repeated shots to the boundary, Wasim Akram completed his superb century with a cheeky single. He accomplished the magnificent task of scoring a 100 in 87 balls, with the help of 6 huge sixers and 8 fours. Just as Pakistan lost its 8th wicket at a score of 600, skipper Moin Khan batting at the other end declared the innings closed.With a lead of 419, Pakistan left Sri Lanka with a target of 420 runs to win in 2 days and 25 overs.Sri Lanka 2nd inningsSri Lanka opened the innings apparently not looking under pressure. The two batsmen Jayasuriya and Atapattu kept scoring at the normal pace. They, however, lost their 1st wicket at 33 when Jayasuriya was out after scoring 21 runs.At the close of play Sri Lanka was 45 for 1 with Atapattu (17) and Russel Arnold (4) holding the crease.The magnificent centuries by Younis Khan and Wasim Akram and above every thing a colossal score of 600 for 8 by Pakistan were the highlights of the day’s play.

As per Bild, later translated and relayed by Sport Witness, a big transfer update has come to light involving Borussia Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland and Manchester City.

The Lowdown: City chasing striker signing…

The Sky Blues’ latest triumph, a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Everton, wasn’t pretty on the eye but comes as a huge three points as Pep Guardiola’s side maintain their position at the top of the Premier League.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-developments-2/” title=”Man City latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Phil Foden’s opportunistic close-range finish in the final 10 minutes was enough to seal a precious Goodison Park win and extend the gap between City and title rivals Liverpool to six points.

Surviving a late handball scare, Guardiola’s men arguably could have put the game to bed before that point, with the English champions having been denied on numerous occasions by Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford.

City have been superb again this season with their use of the false nine system, but a prolific, world class striker with physical presence up front could be the final missing piece of the jigsaw.

As such, the club and sporting director Txiki Begiristain have been tipped by reliable sources to sign a forward as Bild share the latest update on Haaland.

The Latest: Man City turn attention to Haaland…

According to the German source, City have now turned their attention to signing the Dortmund superstar after cooling interest in Harry Kane, who the Citizens believe is joining bitter rivals Manchester United.

Furthermore, in a promising claim, Begiristain and co can offer Haaland ‘exactly what he wants’ in the form of title contention and can ‘easily’ pay his €35m (£29.4m) per year wage demands and his €75m (£63m) release clause.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Rated at around £135m by Transfermarkt, the fact that City can sign him for lesss than half of that amount due to his clause makes this move a real no-brainer.

Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola, who also represents ex-City fan favourite Mario Balotelli, could be a slight obstacle given his and Guardiola’s disdain for one another over the years, but a compromise to sign the Norway star simply must be struck.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The 21-year-old’s 16 goals and six assists in just 14 Bundesliga appearances this season highlight that he is a menace in the final third, and Haaland’s towering 6 foot 4 stature comes as an added bonus.

Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk heaped praise on the ‘special’ forward late last year, and it’s safe to say that he could come as a mega signing for the Sky Blues.

In other news: Man City also eyeing £200,000-per-week ‘monster’ who Pep says ‘does everything’…find out more here