West Brom are now one of four sides reportedly chasing a late move to sign a new forward before the transfer window shuts on Monday night, according to a report.

West Brom transfer latest

So far, Championship play-off hopefuls West Brom have enjoyed a quiet January transfer window for the most part. Tony Mowbray’s side have signed Isaac Price to bolster their midfield, while they also moved to land Will Lankshear on loan from Tottenham in a bid to add more firepower in attack, with only Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Bristol City having scored fewer goals than the Baggies in the top half of the Championship.

Currently on the cusp of a play-off spot, they will be hoping that Lankshear’s arrival can help rejuvenate their attack and ensure that they have a fighting chance of promotion back to the Premier League, with the highly rated forward having been wanted by clubs across England’s second tier.

“We have felt since the summer that we would need to prioritise the addition of another striker in this window”, West Brom sporting director Andrew Nestor explained.

“We are pleased now to have brought in Will, who we have been watching for some time and has been among our top targets for reinforcement in this area.”

However, there is still scope for further additions for Albion, and now one report has tipped them to attempt another audacious loan move to land a Premier League forward for the remainder of the campaign.

West Brom in race for "unstoppable" forward

That is according to reliable journalist Alan Nixon, related by Football League World, who claim that West Brom are one of four clubs “eyeing up a loan move” for Chelsea forward Marc Guiu in the final stages of the transfer window.

Guiu only arrived from Barcelona in the summer, penning a five-year deal worth £50,000 a week.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

However, he has struggled to nail down a spot in Enzo Maresca’s squad for the Premier League, and has seen his opportunities largely come in second-string competitions.

In those, he has excelled, with the Spaniard having found the net six times in six UEFA Conference League games. He was hailed by one former Barcelona coach for being “unstoppable” and a “classic 9” before his Camp Nou exit after he found the net on his Barcelona debut.

Appearances

12

Starts

7

Goals

6

Assists

0

Minutes per goal/assist

90

“He is a pure centre forward, a classic ‘9’, a specialist in the area who lives from his physical power. His best virtue is his aerial play. Marc is also very quick and powerful, he is unstoppable with space”, Ivan Carrasco explained.

He has also drawn praise during his time at Stamford Bridge, with Joe Cole likening the 19-year-old to Luis Suarez.

“I liken him to [former Barcelona, Liverpool and Uruguay striker] Luis Suarez”, Cole told listeners on TNT Sports.

“I’m not saying he’s Suarez right now, but he has that instinct and bravery.”

As per the reporter, “Middlesbrough, Burnley, West Brom and Leeds are all jostling for position” in the race to sign the Spaniard on loan should Chelsea greenlight his temporary exit, despite the Baggies having just added Lankshear to their ranks.

Having lost top goalscorer Josh Maja for much of the remainder of the campaign though, Mowbray may well be keen to add another forward to try and guarantee goals should either player struggle to adapt to England’s second-tier.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Charlotte Edwards and Abdul Qadir have been inducted into ICC’s Hall of Fame. The trio will be honoured ahead of the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup at the SCG.Chanderpaul, the 107th inductee on the list, had a 21-year career representing West Indies after making his debut in 1994. His unorthodox batting stance would go on to be his trademark while his patience at the crease became his signature. After spending his initial years in and out of the team, Chanderpaul became a rock in West Indies’ middle order, a role he held till his last cap in 2015.When Chanderpaul announced his retirement in 2016, he finished with 20,988 international runs, 41 centuries and 125 half-centuries across formats.”It’s an amazing honour to follow the footsteps of many legends and so many other great cricketers of the past,” Chanderpaul said in an ICC release. “I’m grateful for the recognition and would like to enjoy the moment with family, friends and most importantly the West Indies cricket fans and fans around the world who passionately supported me throughout my career.”Edwards, No. 108 in ICC’s Hall of Fame, represented England since the age of 16 for two decades, and by the time she finished her international career had also captained the side to an ODI and T20 World Cup title. Her 5992 runs in women’s ODIs are the second most in the game’s history.In 2021, the domestic women’s T20 competition in England was named the Charlotte Edwards Cup in her honour, and the following year Edwards won the trophy named after herself after coaching Southern Vipers to the title.”It’s a massive honour to be included in the ICC Hall of Fame alongside the very illustrious company that has already been inducted,” Edwards said. “I’d like to thank and share this moment with my family and friends, my teammates and all of the coaches that have supported me throughout.”Qadir, the legendary legspinner from Pakistan who died in 2019 aged 63, was the 109th inductee on the list. Qadir took 236 Test wickets in 67 matches and his 9 for 56 against England in 1987 remains one of the best figures in Test cricket. Qadir made his last international appearance in 1993.”On behalf of the family, I want to say thank you very much to the ICC for nominating my father for induction into the Hall of Fame,” Usman, Abdul Qadir’s son, said. “It is a very big honour for the family to hear of this news, we see it as a huge achievement, and one that my father would be very proud of if he was still with us today.”In November 2021, Janette Brittin, Mahela Jayawardene and Shaun Pollock were inducted while ten others – Bob Willis, Vinoo Mankad, Learie Constantine, Andy Flower among them – were also inducted before the inaugural World Test Championship final last year.

كشف محمد أحمد سلامة، عضو مجلس إدارة الاتحاد السكندري، كواليس اجتماع اتحاد الكرة ورابطة الأندية مع أندية الدوري الممتاز، اليوم الإثنين.

وعقد اتحاد الكرة اجتماعًا اليوم، مع رابطة الأندية المحترفة وأندية الدوري، لمناقشة تفاصيل الدوري الموسم الجديد.

طالع | أبو ريدة يعلن نتائج اجتماع اتحاد الكرة مع الأندية.. ملامح موسم 2026 وأيام الراحة قبل المشاركات القارية

وقال أحمد خلال تصريحات عبر “القناة الأولي” لبرنامج “رقم 10”: “اجتماع اتحاد الكرة كان استكمالًا لاجتماع رابطة الأندية، أثيرت مواضيع حُسمت مسبقًا في اجتماع الرابطة، لا يوجد غير إن هناك مقترح بأن الدوري يبدأ يوم 6 أو 7 أغسطس بدلًا من يوم 15 بسبب الارتباطات الدولية للمنتخب”.

وأضاف: “تمت مناقشة عدد اللاعبين الأجانب، النادي الأهلي لم يتكلم في الأمر، ولكن هشام نصر ممثل الزمالك هو من طلب أن يقل العدد وتزيد جودة اللاعبين، وحصلت مناقشات وتم الاستقرار على أن يبقى الوضع كما هو عليه، قيد 5 فوق السن و3 تحت السن”.

وعن استقالة محمد مصيلحي، أوضح: “يوجد اجتماع عاجل الآن لمجلس الإدارة، محمد مصيلحي لن أتحدث عن إنجازاته ولكن كإنسان فهو دائمًا لا يبخل بجهد إداري أو مالي، الأندية الشعبية أصبحت ثقل، الحمل ثقيل عليه”.

وأردف: “محمد مصيلحي يحمل الكثير، وهذا أحد أسباب الاستقالة، يصرف كل هذه الأموال وفي النهاية يُهاجم من الجماهير، لا يصح بتاريخ محمد مصيلحي أن الناس تُخطئ في حقه ويتعرض للسباب”.

وأتم: “كلنا نتمنى أن يتراجع عن قراره، لأن النادي في وجوده مختلف عن عدم وجوده، وربنا يقدرنا ويوفقنا إننا نقدر نعيده، لكني أرى أن هذه المرة الموقف صعب لأن الضغط عليه كبير جدًا”.

New Zealand will still be well-placed even if they lose, though they would likely need to beat Ireland to ensure progress to semi-final

Matt Roller31-Oct-20224:28

Does Stokes fit into this England XI? Are New Zealand favourites?

Big picture
England and New Zealand’s last meeting in this format was an instant classic, a slow-burning epic which saw England’s World Cup hopes go up in flames.Just short of a year on, England will be staring elimination in the face once again, unless they can overcome one of the tournament’s two unbeaten sides at the Gabba. They would still be alive mathematically with a defeat on Tuesday night, but will be relying on Afghanistan beating Australia on Friday, before having to overcome Sri Lanka in their final fixture in Sydney. In short, this is a must-win.Net run rate shouldn’t be a major concern for England at this stage, thanks in no small part to Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker. Australia were heading for a convincing win on Monday evening when Ireland were 25 for 5, but Tucker’s unbeaten 71 closed the margin of defeat significantly. As a result, two wins be enough for England to reach the semi-final; and they have the advantage of playing the last game in Group 1.Related

Collingwood backs Stokes to deliver with England looking to stay alive

The future is uncertain, so savour Boult and Southee while you can

Buttler frustrated by Eng-Aus washout but insists 'right call' was made

New Zealand have been hugely impressive in brushing Australia and Sri Lanka aside, and victory in Brisbane would seal for them a semi-final berth for the third successive T20 World Cup. Moreover, given their net run rate, they will be close to locking in the top spot. New Zealand will still be well-placed even if they lose, though they would likely need to beat Ireland in Adelaide on Friday to ensure their progress.Enough about the permutations and onto the game itself, which could be won and lost in the two powerplays. Trent Boult and Tim Southee, New Zealand’s opening bowlers across formats for most of the last decade, have been lethal with the new ball since arriving in Australia, while England’s top order is yet to fire. Jos Buttler has been very successful against Boult in T20s: but can he take his Rajasthan Royals team-mate down in Brisbane when it matters most?England’s seamers were excellent with the new ball against Afghanistan but were wayward against Ireland; they conceded 59 runs in the first six overs, with Chris Woakes coming in for particularly brutal treatment. Finn Allen is the key wicket: New Zealand blitzed 65 for 1 against Australia when he raced out of the blocks but stumbled to 25 for 3 against Sri Lanka after he fell early on.Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone could be shuffled up after limited opportunities so far this tournament•ICC via Getty Images

Recent form
England LWWWW
New Zealand WWLLWIn the spotlight
“The one person that you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes,” Paul Collingwood, England’s assistant coach, said on Monday. Stokes has managed only 41 runs off 42 balls in his five T20Is since arriving in Australia, and for all his quality as a bowler, fielder and leader, now is the time for him to turn the intangibles into game-defining contributions.England’s batters have targeted Ish Sodhi whenever they have faced him in T20Is: he has nine wickets in as many appearances against them, with an eye-watering economy rate of 10.64 runs per over. Sodhi took the key wicket of Buttler in last year’s semi-final, and will need to be at his best on Tuesday night against a deep batting line-up.Team newsEngland’s selection came under scrutiny after their defeat to Ireland but they were due to play an unchanged team against Australia before the game was washed out. As a result, it seems unlikely they will make changes barring a late injury, though Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali could be shuffled up the order after limited opportunities so far in this tournament. Stokes has hardly trained, but has been declared fully fit.England (probable): 1 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Harry Brook, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Adil RashidNew Zealand might consider bringing Michael Bracewell in to counter England’s left-hand batters•AFP/Getty Images

Mitchell Santner bowled a solitary over in last year’s semi-final, with Kane Williamson reluctant to use him against Dawid Malan and Moeen. England have added an extra left-hander to their middle order this year in Ben Stokes, which could block Santner’s use again; as a result, New Zealand might consider bringing Michael Bracewell, the offspinning allrounder, into their side.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Michael Bracewell/Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie FergusonPitch and conditions
David Hussey describes the Gabba as “probably the best batting pitch in Australia for white-ball cricket”, and the numbers back that up: the average scoring rate there in men’s T20Is is 7.94 per over, the second-highest of any Australian ground. The pitch was on the slow side in Australia’s win against Ireland on Monday, and the same strip will be used on Tuesday, which could bring spinners into play.Bad weather has followed England around over the last week, and the forecast for the match is not the best either, with rain due to fall throughout Tuesday morning. However, the weather is expected to clear up later in the day, and the Gabba’s renowned underground drainage system could ensure the teams get on to the pitch.Stats and trivia
Buttler will become the second player to reach 100 men’s T20Is for England after Eoin Morgan, and will overtake his predecessor as their all-time leading run-scorer in the format if he can makes at least 64. Malan has dominated Sodhi during their previous meetings in T20Is, hitting 105 runs off the 58 balls. It is one of only five head-to-head match-ups in T20I history where a batter has scored more than 100 runs off a single bowler, where ball-by-ball data is available. Allen has the highest strike rate in T20 history among batters with at least 1000 runs. New Zealand have never played a T20I at the Gabba, and have a poor historic record there across formats. They have not won a game in Brisbane in the last 20 years, their most recent victory coming in an ODI against South Africa in January 2002.Quotes
“It’s frustrating when you’ve got the rain around in Melbourne: it was almost like English conditions there. It’s nice to come up to Brisbane where it’s a lot warmer, and we’re all looking forward to getting a full 40 overs in.”
“Our brand of cricket might not look as aggressive as them, but we need to stick to what we have done well for a period of time, and make sure we throw our own punches in our own way.”

Already thinking about reinforcements, Queens Park Rangers are now reportedly expected to attempt a summer move to sign a versatile nine-goal forward, who’s worth £2.2m.

QPR transfer news

It was a fairly busy January transfer window for QPR in the end, with Harvey Vale, Esqerdinha, Ronnie Edwards and Min-hyeok Yang all arriving seeking much-needed game time for their respective developments.

Signing three Premier League loanees, the West London club have endured mixed form ever since with a run of two wins in their last four games summing things up.

Sat mid-table in the Championship, that form has been the story of QPR’s season but one they should welcome with open arms given that it has seen them move beyond a relegation battle.

Now that any relegation concerns have been eased, however, Marti Cifuentes should be keen on taking the next step in charge of QPR – starting with summer reinforcements.

The Championship has seen how things can change within the space of one season, with Sunderland being the most recent example, and if those at Loftus Road get things right then they may not have to settle for mid-table mediocrity.

Related Every Championship Golden Boot winner since 2004/05

From King and Ebanks-Blake to Mitrovic and Pukki, these players bossed the second tier.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Feb 19, 2025

With that said, they could reportedly turn towards a talented, versatile forward this summer. According to Fotboll Direkt in Sweden, QPR are expected to attempt a summer move to sign Noel Milleskog from Swedish side Sirius this summer.

The West London club reportedly attempted to sign the forward, who can lead the line and play off the right, in the January transfer window before failing to meet his £2.2m valuation.

Now, when the summer arrives, they could return in pursuit of his signature and perhaps even match that price tag to make the 22-year-old one to watch in the remaining months of the campaign.

"Tidy" Milleskog is one to watch

Whilst they didn’t get their man in the January transfer window, QPR could have ample opportunity to make up for lost time this summer. Milleskog, in the meantime, is likely to pick up where he left off in Sweden last season in a campaign that saw him find the back of the net 11 times in all competitions.

Earning plenty of praise as the transfer rumours came thick and fast both last summer and in the winter window, Swansea City fan pundit Jordan Webber described Milleskog as a “tidy player” as he got his name on the scoresheet.

With Michael Frey now 30 years old and likely to move past the peak of his powers sooner rather than later, QPR could certainly do with a fresh face to lead the line and that’s exactly where Milleskog should come in this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo produced a bizarre reaction to Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League elimination on Wednesday, after missing late chances to score.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ronaldo missed chances to scoreAl-Nassr eliminated from Asian Champions LeagueSuperstar reacts bizarrelyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo hit the post with a first-half effort before missing late opportunities in Al-Nassr's 3-2 defeat to Kawasaki Frontale. He was then spotted remonstrating with himself on the pitch.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Al-Nassr's defeat means they are set to go trophyless once again this season, with Al-Ittihad six points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League with five matches to play. Al-Ahli will take on Kawasaki Frontale in the Champions League final.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

It has at least been another successful season for Ronaldo individually, with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star scoring eight goals in the Champions League and sitting as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 23 strikes.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo will next feature when Al-Nassr take on Al-Ittihad next Wednesday.

Manchester City made four signings during the winter transfer window in a bid to salvage something from the second half of the season.

Three started against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as the club secured a well-deserved 4-0 win over the Champions League chasing Magpies.

Omar Marmoush lived up to his £59m transfer fee by scoring a wonderful first-half hat-trick at the Etihad, with the first one being the pick of the bunch, as the Egyptian star lobbed the ball over Martin Dubravka in the Toon goal.

To round off the win, James McAtee scored the fourth during the final few minutes and Pep Guardiola will surely be pleased with his team. The result prepares the club well for the second leg of their Champions League playoff tie against Real Madrid next week.

Omar Marmoush was incredible against Newcastle

The former Eintracht Frankfurt gem had to wait 165 minutes to score his first Premier League goal for City but proceeded to score three in the space of 14 minutes during a frantic first half.

The winger also delivered three accurate crosses into the opposition penalty area, attempted two dribbles, and won three ground duels in what was a superb display.

Metric

Highest-Ranked

Accurate passes

Nico Gonzalez (98)

Shots on target

Omar Marmoush (3)

Tackles

Lewis Hall (7)

Ground duels won

Lewis Hall (8)

Key passes

Phil Foden (3)

Guardiola will hope this is a sign of what’s to come from the 26-year-old. He wasn’t the only one to shine against Eddie Howe’s men, however, as Savinho on the opposite flank was just as good.

Savinho’s game in numbers vs Newcastle

The young winger has been so impressive since arriving at City last summer. Across 32 games in all competitions, the 20-year-old has scored twice while registering eight assists for City.

Guardiola unleashed the Brazilian on the right against Newcastle, where he and Marmoush tore apart a fragile defence.

Savinho may not have scored, but he did everything else right. Not only did he grab an assist, but he also completed 90% of his passes during the game, took 70 touches, and created a big chance.

Elsewhere, the former Girona sensation attempted a staggering nine dribbles throughout the 90 minutes. Yes, he may have succeeded with only three, but his desire to take on his opposite number proved he wanted to get involved as often as possible.

Journalist Sam Lee hailed his dribbling ability, saying: “Savinho has absolutely no fear of Hall at all. He’s going at him every time.”

Defensively, he lost the ball 16 times while winning six ground duels contested, but this facet of his game may improve as time goes on.

At the present moment, all Guardiola will be looking for is Savinho to cause chaos for opposition defences, something that Newcastle found out the hard way on Saturday.

Marmoush will likely get all the plaudits, yet the Brazilian delivered an equally vital performance for City as they moved up to fourth in the Premier League table.

Man City now entering race to sign new "phenomenon" who could replace KDB

He’s a World Cup winner…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 15, 2025

Celtic have made just one signing in the January transfer window, but it has been an addition that has certainly been a sentimental one for the Bhoys. Portuguese attacker Jota returned to the club after 18 months, for £8m, and grabbed a goal on his second debut.

The Scottish outfit will be hoping to add one or two more players to their squad on deadline day. With time ticking, Brendan Rodgers’ side could make a late move for one midfield starlet.

Celtic's deadline day activity

According to a report from The Scottish Sun on Sunday evening, Celtic ‘could launch a fresh deadline-day bid’ to sign Motherwell’s young midfield star Lennon Miller. They have reportedly already had an offer for the 18-year-old rejected.

They are set to face competition for his signature from Italian side Udinese, who have also seen bids rejected. Motherwell are believed to want £4m for their number 38 if he was to leave on deadline day.

Why Miller would be a good signing

It has been a really impressive campaign so far for 18-year-old Miller. He has played 26 times for the Well so far this term, scoring four goals and grabbing six assists in 26 games across all competitions. That includes both goals in a 2-1 win at home to St Mirren.

There are certainly a few benefits to signing the Scotland under-21 international. One of those is the fact he would add leadership to the Bhoys squad, despite his age. This term, he has captained Motherwell ten times, including once against Celtic in the Premiership.

He would also add versatility to Rogers’ squad. The midfielder can play in a variety of positions in the centre of the park, having played as a number six and a number ten nine times this term, and slotting in the number eight role on six occasions.

Should Celtic bring Miller to the club on deadline day, he could be the perfect upgrade on midfielder Luke McCowan.

The 27-year-old has been an important player for Rogers this season and has five goals and three assists in 24 games across competitions, albeit with that return falling behind Miller’s own tally of ten goal involvements

If there is one area in which Miller excels over the Celtic number 14, it is his defensive ability. The 18-year-old, having played as a defensive midfielder this season, just brings that defensive nous that you need as a deeper lying player.

This is certainly backed up by the stats on Squawka. For example, per 90 minutes this season, Miller has won 6.1 duels compared to just 5.2 for McCowan. His on-the-ball quality is also there, as his 54.55% take-on success rate shows. In comparison, the Celtic man has a 45.45% take-on success rate.

This could be a fantastic deal for the Bhoys. Not only would they be adding versatility and leadership to Rogders’ squad, but Miller can bring that extra ability out of possession, something helpful in the Champions League knockout stages.

£4m seems like a worthy investment for a midfielder who football analyst Ben Mattinson believes could “become world-class” at some point in his career.

Dream Kvistgaarden alternative today: Celtic could sign "brilliant" £8m ace

Celtic could land dream alternative to Mathias Kvistgaarden by signing this player on deadline day.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 3, 2025

Sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, alongside now officially being in the EFL Cup final after breezing past Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, Liverpool were very much loving life under Arne Slot’s expert guidance.

That was until they arrived in Plymouth, seeking to make it into the fifth round of the FA Cup. Like most games this term, this should not have been an arduous task for the Reds but they were on the end of one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s recent history, losing 1-0.

The ex-Feyenoord manager might well feel aggrieved by the lacklustre performances of some

attackers in recent games, notably against Argyle. Mohamed Salah has been in red hot form this term, as too has Cody Gakpo but the likes of Darwin Nunez – who continues to fire blanks – and Diogo Jota were not able to get their team across the line on Sunday.

The numbers behind Liverpool's attack this season

Whilst Salah is way out in front as Liverpool’s top scorer this season with an unbelievable 26 strikes from 34 games, other forwards at Slot’s disposal haven’t always been so clinical.

Indeed, the aforementioned Uruguayan is still struggling when given chances to impress, with a poor return of four strikes from 18 Premier League games worrying those at Anfield.

He won the decisive penalty in the EFL Cup to gift Liverpool a 2-0 lead over Spurs, but he still wouldn’t bury a chance even when Ange Postecoglou’s men were all at sea, as three chances in the open contest went begging.

1. Mo Salah

26

2. Cody Gakpo

16

3. Luis Diaz

12

4. Diogo Jota

8

5. Darwin Nunez

6

6. Dominik Szoboszlai

5

Jota is another figure up top that has fallen victim to wasteful finishing too, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers ace only managing a weak return of two goals from his last five Premier League encounters, away from an unmemorable cameo against Spurs.

With some recent transfer rumours even seeming to indicate that Jota could be off this approaching summer, Liverpool must lament letting go of a sharpshooter when they did who has since blossomed into a sublime top-flight striker.

The former Liverpool striker who's now outscoring Jota & Nunez

Liverpool have been prone to a transfer blunder in the past when it comes to strikers flopping, with the likes of Christian Benteke and Iago Aspas sticking out from yesteryear, away from Nunez’s current woes.

Dominic Solanke arguably falls into this dud category, considering the Reds must have purchased the young forward back in 2017 hopeful that the former Chelsea youngster would immediately explode into life in his new surroundings as a raw and exciting talent.

Unfortunately for Solanke, the move just wouldn’t work out for him, with a justification for his poor performances at Anfield coming from the fact he had barely played senior football by this stage of his fledging career, away from a loan stint at Vitesse.

Liverpool didn’t possess the patience at the time to stick with him, with the now three-time England senior international only managing to pick up a dire one goal and one assist from 27 pitiful displays.

He didn’t let this setback completely demoralise him, however, with his next move away from the Reds in AFC Bournemouth putting him on a path to stardom, which has led to him scoring sumptuous strikes like the one above on a regular basis with Spurs.

At the Cherries, Solanke would definitely find the goalscoring groove that was lacking throughout his torrid time in a Liverpool shirt, with a bumper 77 strikes coming his way from 216 contests.

24/25

29

11

6

23/24

42

21

4

22/23

35

7

7

21/22

50

30

7

20/21

45

15

9

19/20

36

4

1

18/19

10

0

1

Off the back of these goalscoring heroics on the South Coast, Postecoglou’s side would cough up a weighty £65m to win the deadly 27-year-old’s services last summer, with that spending spree now viewed as a worthwhile splurge when glancing at the table above.

Across his debut season in North London to date, Solanke is outscoring both Nunez and Jota with 11 strikes next to his name from 29 games, with this sterling output seeing him live up to his previous tag as a “monster” by football journalist George Sessions.

Both Nunez and Jota can only boast six goals and eight goals apiece, in contrast, as Liverpool are just left to wonder now what could have happened if they had persevered with the 6 foot 2 striker instead of prematurely ditching him.

Slot has hit gold on Liverpool "superstar" who's worth more than Gakpo

He’s one of the biggest unsung heroes of this high-flying Liverpool team.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 7, 2025

After a poor continental showing in 2024-25, the Bianconeri look to emerge as contenders in Club World Cup

It's been a troubling trend for Juventus. Always competing for a Serie A title, always flashy at one point or another in European competition – but without a trophy in the domestic league since the 2019-20 season, and without a UCL title since 1996, nearly 30 years.

Once home to Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero – all legends of the game – the club has stagnated over the past five years. Could this summer be their return to the top?

Led by U.S. men's national team star Weston McKennie and winger Tim Weah, Juve have a lot of hills to climb. On their third manager since last spring, the Italian club aren't flourishing. They can't seem to find a consistent striker to lead their line, multiple formations have been used amid different coaching philosophies and despite having a plethora of attacking options, they're not scoring at winning rate.

Again, though, it's Juventus. They always manage to impress at some point. The Club World Cup could present them with a sort of reset button. And if they manage to do so? The rest of the field should look out.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.

Next up is Juventus, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Italian side at the tournament.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The basics

  DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Italian Serie A

  CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: Making their first appearance

  GROUP: G (Al Ain, Juventus, Man City, Wydad Casablanca)

  OPENING MATCH: Al Ain – June 18, 9 p.m. ET, Washington D.C.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  How they got here

  The qualified through UEFA's ranking pathway. They earned a spot by being one of the highest-rated European teams through performance in the UEFA Champions League from 2020-2024.

• AFP
  

  The player to watch

  Weston McKennie has become a mainstay for Juventus this season, and has been a crucial member of their XI in both central and wide roles. He will be representing the at the Club World Cup rather than at the Gold Cup with the USMNT – as the two tournaments coincide.

  A threat on set pieces and physical presence in the middle of the pitch, he's been one of their most reliable players this season.

  In the attack, forward Kenan Yildiz has been one of Italy's most electric players in 2024-25. Breaking out with the senior team this season, the Turkey international and 19-year-old budding star has eight goal-contributions in this Serie A campaign.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Realistic expectations

  Realistically, Juventus should be competing for a first-place finish in the group, with advancement to the knockout the bare minimum. As one of two Italian clubs competing in the competition, the will have high expectations.

  Both Al Ain and Wydad should be winnable matches, which would virtually guarantee advancement to the next round. Where competition will truly arrive will be against Pep Guardiola and Man City. Both teams primarily use three central defenders, which would make for an interesting attacking affair.

  Juve will need to be resilient defensively against the likes of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Savinho, while their attack will need to be at their best against a physical City side. All-in-all, this is a club that should be aiming for a semifinal spot, if not contending for a CWC title.