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Player complaints have led to the Premier League simplifying the handball law for the 2024-25 campaign.

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Complaints that too many handballs given last seasonPremier League agreed to simplify lawExpected to be more lenient in 2024-25WHAT HAPPENED?

At the end of the 2023-24 Premier League season, several clubs raised the issue of too many handballs being given by officials in matches and that the law was too harsh. After listening to the arguments, the league have decided to simplify the law to give defenders the benefit of the doubt in certain situations, according to .

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Under the new simplified law, it will not be expected that every touch off a player's arm or hand is an offence. Defenders will also be able to play without holding their arms behind their backs. If a player's arm is in a justifiable position, referees will not give a penalty should the ball hit them via a deflection, if they are falling or are close to the ball. Officials will be expected to use their own judgment to decide whether a player has their arm in a natural position.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the 2023-24 campaign, 108 penalties were given in total in the Premier League. However, England's top flight has one of the lowest rates for spot-kicks given due to handball.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PREMIER LEAGUE?

The relaxation of the handball rule should lead to less controversy in matches for the upcoming campaign. It may take some getting used to for all parties, particularly fans, but players can now put their bodies on the line without fear of being unfairly penalised by officials.

Leeds United will hope Patrick Bamford can start firing in goals again soon to help in their ongoing quest to win promotion back to the Premier League, with the 30-year-old striker enduring a barren patch in front of goal lately.

The 6 foot 1 forward has failed to score in his side's last six Championship clashes, after recapturing his Whites best at points this campaign with seven second-tier strikes tallied up.

Even with Bamford firing blanks as of late, Leeds wouldn't turn back time to have this former attacker back on their books who has seen his transfer value fall at an alarming pace since leaving Elland Road behind.

Kemar Roofe's time at Leeds

Kemar Roofe was a particular favourite under Marcelo Bielsa during the iconic Argentine manager's time in charge of the West Yorkshire titans, amassing 122 appearances in total for the Whites predominantly under Bielsa's watchful eye.

Roofe would also come into his own under the eclectic manager's celebrated spell, scoring 15 goals during his final season in a Whites shirt and accumulating 33 strikes in total from 122 games.

Leeds would decide to cash in on the now 31-year-old forward after this final impactful campaign in front of goal, managing to sell Roofe on for £7m to Anderlecht in 2019 which has proven to be a fantastic call in hindsight

Struggling to find the back of the net this season playing for Rangers, after managing just one campaign out in Belgium before moving to Ibrox, the Jamaica international's transfer value now has fallen to lower than that of Liam Cooper.

That's the case even as the Scotsman looks to be nearing towards the end of his time at Elland Road as a fringe figure, showcasing how much Roofe's value has dropped off.

Kemar Roofe's transfer value in 2024

Roofe has had a difficult campaign after becoming a reliable source of goals for Rangers previously, only managing one goal for the Scottish giants from 11 games in the league.

He hasn't been helped by recurring injury problems however, having been absent from the last few months of action by regularly being in the Ibrox treatment room.

That has resulted in Roofe's estimated worth falling all the way down to a pitiful €0.4m (£342k), a far cry away from the millions Leeds managed to get for the 31-year-old when Belgium came calling.

1. Karl Darlow

€0.3m (£256k)

2. Sam Byram

€0.4m (£342k)

3. Sonny Perkins

€0.6m (£512k)

4. Liam Cooper

€0.7m (£598k)

5. Jamie Shackleton

€0.8m (£683k)

In Daniel Farke's camp currently, Roofe would tie with Sam Byram as being Leeds' second lowest valued asset with Cooper being worth just a little bit more at €0.7m (£598k).

That is despite Cooper failing to provide adequate backup in the centre-back positions recently to Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon, run ragged by the Watford attackers when the Whites had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road to end March.

It feels as though Cooper will be the next major announcement from a Whites perspective confirmed to be leaving the club at the close of this season, following on from Stuart Dallas' emotional retirement news.

Roofe still comes in as being worth less than Cooper despite all of this however, with the former Leeds man in desperate need of breathing life back into this Rangers career when he is given a consistent run of games injury-free.

As has been seen in his Rangers career previously before a slog of injury setbacks – with 38 goals managed from 98 games – he should be able to turn around his stuttering time in Scotland or face having to find another new club soon.

Leeds already have their next Dallas in "unbelievable" star who Farke loves

Leeds United will hope this blossoming young star becomes their next Stuart Dallas over time.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 11, 2024

Hosts sitting on 1-0 lead with another poor forecast for pink ODI in Johannesburg

The Preview by Alan Gardner08-Feb-2020Big pictureAfter the dampest of squibs in Durban, the three-match series concludes at the Wanderers, a ground known for its fireworks. But with another poor forecast for Sunday’s pink ODI – normally a vibrant affair in support of breast cancer awareness – there is unfortunately every chance of this contest fizzling out to an unsatisfactory end.The Kingsmead washout left South Africa sitting on the 1-0 lead they carved out in Cape Town, and means that Quinton de Kock will start his tenure as ODI captain with either a win or a draw against Eoin Morgan’s world champions. England haven’t been beaten in a multi-match bilateral series since the India tour of 2016-17, so the tourists will be hopeful of getting a game in between the thunder-showers up on the Highveld.That said, Morgan stressed after the abandonment on Friday that this series is “not about immediate results” for England, with priority given to handing experience to the young players in their party. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have sat on the sidelines so far, with Matt Parkinson entrusted as the frontline spinner, while up-and-comers such as Tom Banton, Sam Curran and, ahem, Joe Denly push their cases for middle-order/allrounder spots.The T20 World Cup in Australia later this year looms as the white-ball focal point for 2020, and that places greater emphasis on the three T20Is to come next week. For that reason alone, Morgan said, Moeen and Rashid could come into the XI in order to give them game time (both last played competitively at the Abu Dhabi T10 in November).After defeat in the Test, not to mention the disappointment of last year’s World Cup, holding off England in the ODIs would provide a timely lift for South Africa. They have Dale Steyn back for the T20Is, when de Kock will continue as Faf du Plessis’ stand-in as captain, and will hope for more encouraging signs from the likes of Temba Bavuma, Jon-Jon Smuts and Tabraiz Shamsi in Johannesburg. So long as the weather plays ball.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)South Africa WWWLL
England LT*WWWIn the spotlightHe looked good in between the showers in the second ODI, and Reeza Hendricks would doubtless love another chance to impress his credentials as the heir apparent to Hashim Amla at the top of the order. A century on ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2018 was followed by a stop-start run of form and omission from the World Cup squad. With Bavuma and the uncapped Janneman Malan also options at opener, and the potential for du Plessis to return at some point, Hendricks will be hoping to nail down his spot alongside de Kock.With England having moved on from Liam Plunkett after the World Cup, they are in need of a middle-overs partnership-breaker. Could Tom Curran be that man? He has most often been used at first or second change during his 19-ODI career, but the majority of his wickets have come during the death overs, when his variations (and chutzpah) come to the fore. A canny competitor, in good form after his time with Sydney Sixers at the Big Bash, he is a good bet to make his mark at some stage in South Africa.Team newsLungi Ngidi sat out the Durban “game” as he continued a staged comeback from recent injury – although his replacement, Bjorn Fortuin, didn’t see much more action himself on debut. Ngidi reclaiming his place at the Wanderers is perhaps the only likely change.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Jon-Jon Smuts, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Beuran Hendricks, 9 Lutho Sipamla, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi NgidiGiven the stated aims for this series, England must weigh up the benefits of bringing back a couple of senior players ahead of the T20Is. Tom Banton has only had one opportunity with the bat so far, and isn’t part of the T20I squad, so seems likely to keep his place, while in the spirit of fact-finding there could be a debut for Saqib Mahmood. Moeen, Rashid and Dawid Malan all wait in the wings.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Joe Denly/Moeen Ali, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Matt Parkinson/Adil Rashid.Pitch and conditionsThe ball flies at the Bullring, venue for the highest-scoring ODI in history, and this game has been sold out since the Test there a couple of weeks ago. However, the weather looks pretty ordinary, with a high chance of rain throughout the day, as well as the usual Highveld thunderstorms. Expect Duckworth-Lewis-Stern charts to be at the ready.Stats and trivia Five of the last six ODIs at the Wanderers have been won by the chasing team, including South Africa’s one-wicket win over England in 2015-16. No South African has scored more than de Kock’s three ODI hundreds against England. If Rashid is included, he will win his 100th ODI cap. England, who share a kit manufacturer with South Africa, will also sport pink in Johannesburg, with their World Cup jerseys given a fuchsia refit.Quotes”It’s a big day for the team. It’s one of the days we look forward to at this time of the year. Obviously, we are representing quite a big thing and we’re excited to get out there and do our bit. Everybody is going to dress up in pink, guys bat stickers are going to be pink and it’s going to be an awesome day.”
“Yes, we want to win, but we also want to know a lot more about other guys come the end of the tour, with a longer-term plan in place.”

The upcoming summer transfer window for Arsenal could depend on how their season ends in the Premier League and the Champions League.

They are still competing to win both competitions and their success in those tournaments could decide the level of target they are able to attract ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

However, despite there still being a number of weeks left to play before the end of the season, Mikel Arteta and Edu are already hard at work to identify targets.

The Premier League giants are reportedly looking at a central midfielder to bolster their options in the middle of the park, with a replacement for Jorginho possibly on the cards.

Arsenal looking for Jorginho replacement

According to CaughtOffside, the Gunners have identified Real Sociedad maestro Martin Zubimendi as a potential addition ahead of the summer transfer window. The report claims that the club are likely to consider him as their priority target in that midfield position, as they do not believe a deal for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz is realistic at this moment in time.

It states that they are leaning towards a swoop for the Spain international due to there being a release clause in his contract that would allow Edu to get a deal done for €60m (£51m), and they believe that Luiz would be considerably more expensive to sign from their Premier League rivals.

CaughtOffside adds that Zubimendi could be lined up as a replacement for Jorginho, whose contract expires at the end of the season, at the base of the Gunners midfield.

The outlet claims that Italian giants Juventus are interested in a deal for the former Chelsea metronome and have already been in contact with his representatives ahead of a summer move, which would then open up a space in Arteta's squad for the Sociedad star.

Martin Zubimendi compared to Jorginho this season

At the age of 32, Arsenal may see it as the right time to allow Jorginho to depart on a free transfer, rather than extend his deal by another 12 months, to replace him with Zubimendi.

The 25-year-old La Liga star has been in impressive form at the base of his team's midfield this season, where he has showcased his defensive quality.

Appearances

30

22

Sofascore rating

7.06

6.94

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

1.5

Ball recoveries per game

5.4

2.1

Dribbled past per game

0.6

0.5

Duel success rate

54%

56%

Pass accuracy

86%

90%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish battler has offered more to his side than Jorginho when it comes to winning possession back through tackles, recoveries, and interceptions. This suggests that he could be more useful to Arsenal in big games, domestically and in Europe, when they will need to be strong out of possession to secure the win.

However, the Gunners man boasts the superior passing accuracy and that is something Arteta could work on with his compatriot to improve his all-round game over the years to come.

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ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2024

Zubimendi, who was once dubbed an "incredible" talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, still has plenty of time left to develop and improve over the years to come, at the age of 25, and could be a long-term signing for Arsenal.

Manchester United have joined the race to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha as they look to push out Antony this summer.

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Man Utd eye move for RaphinhaWant to push out Antony this summerBarca need to sell players to register new signingsWHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sport, the Red Devils are looking to sign Raphinha from Barcelona this summer as they consider parting ways with Antony and Jadon Sancho. The Catalan giants need to make sales to register the players they have roped in this summer. If the Premier League club agree to match their €60million (£51m/$65m) asking price, Barca will consider selling the Brazilian.

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Raphinha has also been linked with a move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, however, the former Leeds winger has claimed that he has no plans of leaving Camp Nou this summer despite his reduced game time at the club since the rise of Lamine Yamal last season. In the United camp, Antony too has attracted the interest of Cristiano Ronaldo's club and claims he is now 'close' to exiting Old Trafford, while Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-German have shown interest in Sancho.

DID YOU KNOW?

Before the transfer window closes on August 30, the Blaugrana are eager to add more players as they have eyes on Athletic Club's Nico Williams and out-of-favour Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, however, any further new signings will only be possible if the club makes some marquee sales, which gives United hope of landing Raphinha.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Erik ten Hag's side will begin their 2024-25 Premier League campaign on Friday as they take on Fulham, while Hansi Flick's men meet Valencia a day later in their La Liga opener. It remains to be seen if Raphinha will feature in Barca's first game of the new season.

Bangladesh registered their largest victory in ODIs in terms of margin of runs

The Report by Liam Brickhill01-Mar-2020Bangladesh stormed to a 169-run win in Sylhet, their largest in ODIs. They rode on a ton from Liton Das and swift cameos from Mohammad Mithun and Mohammad Saifuddin to reach 321 for 6 before Zimbabwe’s chase imploded. Saifuddin did the early damage with an opening spell of 2 for 6 in five overs and the visitors never really recovered, bowled out for 152 with Bangladesh’s bowlers sharing the wickets around.On a hot, humid afternoon, Das appeared more troubled by the conditions than he was by Zimbabwe’s attack. Opening the batting alongside Tamim Iqbal, he crunched the sixth ball of the innings to the cover point boundary and added three more fours inside the Powerplay to set the tone of the innings. Iqbal raised Bangladesh’s fifty in the 11th over with a rasping cut, but otherwise played within himself and was fortunate to survive a strong lbw shout soon afterwards when Carl Mumba pinged his front pad with a full, angled delivery.Zimbabwe declined the review even though replays showed Iqbal would have been out. There was some iffy judgment with regards to the DRS from both sides as Iqbal then burnt Bangladesh’s review when Wesley Madhevere, the 19 year old debutant, trapped him in front with an offbreak that rushed on with the arm.But there was no doubt about Das’s acumen with the bat in hand and he progressed steadily, in almost complete control, putting the fielders under pressure with some swift running and cashing in on anything loose.At the other end, Najmul Hossain Shanto was similarly sharp in calling for quick singles, and he peppered the boundary with a couple of crisp strokes of his own as the pair added 80 for the second wicket in quick time. Bangladesh cruised past 100 in the 20th over, but Iqbal’s injudicious use of the review earlier came back to haunt Shanto when he was given out lbw to a ball from Tino Mutombodzi that would have missed the off stump.The dismissal slowed Bangladesh’s progress somewhat, and they went seven overs between the 26th and 34th without a boundary before Das ended the drought with a whip through midwicket to raise his hundred. He shifted through the gears thereafter, swiping Tiripano for three boundaries in the space of an over and then heaving Madhevere over midwicket for his second six. But, having struggled with cramp for some time in the sweltering heat, Das was then forced from the field.There was little respite for Zimbabwe, however, as Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah plundered 68 runs in the space of nine overs before Mahmudullah was removed, on review, by a Chris Mpofu yorker. Mithun raised a 40-ball fifty with his fifth four before he, likewise, was undone by an indipping yorker from Mpofu, but Saifuddin ensured Bangladesh would not be slowed by the quick strikes. He cleared the ropes with three massive hits in the final over of the innings to breach 300 and lift the hosts to an imposing total.Mohammad Saifuddin appeals•BCBSaifuddin transferred his batting momentum into his bowling effort, and Zimbabwe’s chase was almost immediately derailed. With his fourth ball, he caught Tinashe Kamunhukamwe flat footed in the crease, the ball ricocheting into the stumps via the inside edge. Six overs later, Saifuddin nipped one in off the seam to strike a shuffling Regis Chakabva in front of his stumps – a review confirming his downfall – and captain Chamu Chibhabha then aimed a desperate heave at Mashrafe Mortaza only to slice a simple catch to mid-off.Zimbabwe were three down inside the Powerplay, with the required rate already ballooning above seven an over and their innings looking increasingly rudderless. It was left to Madhevere to give it some impetus and a veneer of respectability.He shrugged off the loss of Brendan Taylor, fluffing a slog sweep to be bowled by Taijul Islam, with a couple of crisp strokes which showed his potential to succeed at this level and briefly rallied alongside Sikandar Raza. They added 35 for the fifth wicket – the highest stand of the innings – before Raza top-edged a pull at Mustafizur Rahman and Zimbabwe’s slide began in earnest.Madhevere followed him to the pavilion soon afterwards, swatting a catch into the covers, and with the match out of their grasp Zimbabwe’s lower order decided they would go down swinging. Wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami flogged two big sixes before he was run out, and Tiripano was aiming for a boundary of his own when he slammed a stinging return catch back to Mehidy Hasan.After two big hits, Mumba’s merrymaking was ended by a full, straight delivery from Saifuddin that clattered into the stumps, but it was left to Mortaza to bring the innings to an end. In the 40th over, Tino Mutombodzi swiped underneath a short one to present a steepling chance to Saifuddin at deep square leg and give Mortaza his 100th ODI wicket as captain in his final series in charge of the one-day side.His milestone was one of several bright points for Bangladesh took a 1-0 series lead, but Zimbabwe failed to turn up in any department today.

Another significant report has emerged regarding the potential takeover of Everton Football Club on Monday, with yet more concerning news coming the club's way.

Everton off-field latest

On the pitch, Sean Dyche's side picked up a welcome 2-0 victory at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, acting as a huge shot in the arm in the Premier League relegation battle. It was a massive step in the right direction, not to mention a welcome boost during a season that has seen so many obstacles to overcome.

Away from the action, Everton have had to deal with points deductions drama, initially seeing 10 points taken away, only to see that amount drop to six. Since then, another two points have been lopped off their tally in the league, although they are appealing that decision with the hope it will be reduced or erased.

If that wasn't bad enough, the ongoing saga surrounding 777 Partners' purchase of the Blues has also acted as an unwelcome distraction to on-field matters, with Everton's proposed next owners continually seeing their credentials called into doubt.

While the majority of supporters want to see Farhad Moshiri leave as the current owner, it would also be foolish to accept whichever buyer comes along. The longer the situation surrounding 777 Partners goes on, the more of a concern it feels, and a new update will do little to change that feeling.

Fresh Everton takeover blow

Taking to X on Monday, journalist David Hellier admitted that the takeover of Everton is in danger of falling through, with Deliotte struggling to find new financial backers: "The latest on Everton's 777 deal: Everton FC’s main financial adviser is scrambling to find new backers to save a takeover of the club by US investment firm 777 Partners amid fears that the deal could collapse, sources say."

In his article for Bloomberg, Hellier says that "Deloitte has been seeking fresh funding from sports-focused investors and lenders to get 777’s deal over the line", adding that behind scenes sources believe the "current preference is to attract a partner for 777 instead of getting an entirely different bidder".

This really does sum up Everton this season, with so little to shout about even when a positive result is picked up in the Premier League. It feels like one negative after another for anyone associated with the club, and at this point, many may simply wish to see the back of 777.

Even if their takeover does go through, there have been too many worrying updates regarding them to instill genuine confidence in the fanbase, but then there is the issue of having to go all the way back to square one if a different buyer is found.

Everton hit jackpot offloading Silva signing who cost them £19m in wages

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ByEthan Lamb Apr 22, 2024

One day, the hope is that all these points deduction and takeover issues will have blown over, with Everton in a shiny new stadium and still in the Premier League, but for now, that still feels a long way off.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze says referee Samuel Barrott has admitted it was a “mistake” for his free-kick to be ruled out against Brentford.

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England star found the net for EaglesFoul awarded while ball in the airBees went on to claim all three pointsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international playmaker thought that he had fired the Eagles in front during a derby date in west London. His quick thinking saw a 30-yard free-kick curled into the back of the net from wide on the right flank.

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Eze caught the Bees defence napping, with goalkeeper Mark Flekken beaten at his near post, but said effort was to be controversially chalked off. That is because Barrott blew for a foul by Will Hughes on Nathan Collins while the shot was in the air – despite the pair being nowhere near where the ball ended up.

GettyWHAT EZE SAID

Eze told afterwards, having spoken with the match officials: “It’s tough to take, but I think the main thing is [putting in] good performances, and over the course of the season you're going to win more games. It’s difficult to take, but we'll move on.

“I was told that he blew too early, he said he made a mistake. It's something that maybe could have changed the game, but we have to deal with it. We had so many more chances as well, so it's not like that was our only chance. But it was a good performance, I think if we put in performances like that we will do well so it’s something to build on.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Brentford took the lead shortly after Eze was left frustrated, with Bryan Mbeumo opening the scoring. An Ethan Pinnock own goal restored parity before the hour mark, but Yoane Wissa was to have the final say in a contest that finished 2-1 to the hosts.

Liverpool will play Aston Villa. And then they will host Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the Premier League season. Then? Jurgen Klopp will unleash one last salvo of fist bumps into the Anfield stands.

He will wave goodbye to Merseyside. There will be song and sadness. Liverpool will remember of the historic journey that has seen success across nearly every possible front. The Premier League and the Champions League? Both conquered.

Klopp's squad swerved away from their finest form in recent months and have now crashed out of the Europa League and FA Cup while slumping in the English top flight, pulled away from a gripping title race.

But FSG did not rest on their laurels and, after bringing Michael Edwards back as their new CEO of Football, have moved to appoint Feyenoord boss Arne Slot. It's not yet finalised but the Dutch manager's move to Liverpool has been cut and dried.

Slot mirrors Klopp in implementing a high-energy, heavy-metal brand of football and he will demand his players to be extremely active in both attacking and defensive moments.

His tactics could be perfect for Mohamed Salah, who has received his share of criticism in recent weeks but remains one of Europe's finest forwards.

Mohamed Salah's season in numbers

Salah has scored 25 goals and added 14 assists for Liverpool this season but has been culpable of some below-standard displays in recent weeks to coincide with Liverpool's toothless run of poor results.

However, he returned to form with a bang as Liverpool thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 last time out and while he's out of contract at the end of next season, The Athletic's ever-reliable David Ornstein has recently suggested that the 31-year-old will remain at Anfield next season.

As per FBref, the Egyptian winger ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and assists made per 90.

He might be struggling at the moment, having failed to score in four successive Premier League matches before Spurs, producing a limp attacking effort as Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League against Atalanta – who have now reached the final – and even coming to blows with Klopp on the touchline during April's 2-2 draw against West Ham United.

Under Slot, the esteemed Egypt international could be revived, especially given that the tactician operates with a 4-2-3-1 formation, which could spark a transformation within Liverpool's central midfield.

Currently, Klopp employs an industrious and multi-approaching engine room to charge his high-octane brand, and while Slot has stylistic similarities to his German counterpart, he uses a No. 10 to spark creativity and maintain fluency in build-up play.

It's a move that could see Dominik Szoboszlai reach new heights next season, consequently lifting Salah back to the top of his game.

How Salah & Szoboszlai could thrive under Slot

Liverpool signed Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig last summer after activating his £60m release clause, and while he started ferociously, the Hungary international has waned as the campaign has entered its later stages.

The 23-year-old has been affected by injuries but there's no excusing some of the wayward performances that have derailed the fight for trophies, with reporter Lewis Steele even speaking of the "stinker" displays he has produced recently.

Matches played

31

31

Matches started

28

25

Goals

0.22

0.13

Assists

0.29

0.09

Pass completion

80%

82.5%

Shots taken

2.13

2.47

Shots on target

1.03

0.56

Shot-creating actions

5.51

4.76

Progressive passes

5.55

6.41

Progressive carries

2.76

3.16

Successful take-ons

1.95

1.04

Ball recoveries

5.55

7.27

The comparison table highlights Szoboszlai's decreased prolificness since moving to Liverpool, noting his rise in progressive passing and carrying, a product of his deeper-lying, more creative central midfield role.

But he's beating a defender – successfully taking them on – at almost half the rate that led him to be described as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller while plying his trade in Germany.

Most importantly, perhaps, Szoboszlai is unable to provide the goalscoring support that earned him such acclaim in his pre-Liverpool days. Despite this downswing, he is actually taking more shots than he did last year, though on its own this metric is misleading given that the Hungarian hit the target almost twice as often in the Bundesliga last season.

By playing further forward, in a central or wide attacking midfield role, Szoboszlai could grow considerably as a Premier League star, with the tactical tweak under Slot's guidance possibly even forging a new partnership between the players.

Salah, for example, might be one of the finest finishers that the Premier League has seen but he has also moulded his game into a more dynamic spread that adds emphasis on creativity.

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

22

2.

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

20

3.

Dwight McNeil

Everton

17

3.

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

17

5.

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

16

5.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

16

Szoboszlai has showcased his fleet dribbling skills and deft playmaking qualities both during his first year at Liverpool, but there's no doubt that he has been shoehorned into a deeper, more tightly configured role than he might have preferred within Klopp's Reds system.

It's a new era at Liverpool and while Slot will assess, assemble and reassemble his Liverpool squad as he chews over the optimum starting 11, Szoboszlai has all of the talented needed to forge a successful, trophy-laden career for himself under the Dutch coach's guidance.

Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio sign: Arne Slot's dream XI at Liverpool

Things could be looking rather different at Anfield come August.

ByAngus Sinclair May 9, 2024

In his favoured position, he might just be the creative linchpin of a fearsome frontline.

Comments from a Manchester United legend may have contributed to a proposed deal for Adrien Rabiot falling through in 2022.

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Rabiot deal fell through in 2022MUTV comments may have contributedMan Utd considered 2024 approachWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United were in talks to sign Rabiot from Juventus during Erik ten Hag's first summer at the club in 2022. But after a £15 million ($19.7m at today's exchange rate) transfer fee was agreed with Juve, United legend Lou Macari questioned, during an appearance on MUTV – the club's own in-house channel – why the Frenchman wasn't being pursued by other big sides.

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United famously struggled to hammer out personal terms with Rabiot's mother and agent, Veronique, which would certainly have helped scupper any deal. But, two years on, has now revealed that the player was allegedly so upset by apparent criticism before he had even arrived that it made him think twice. From United's perspective, they then questioned his ability to handle the scrutiny that comes with joining the club. They did show interest in him again this summer following his release from Juventus as a free agent, but wound up landing primary target Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain instead.

WHAT LOU MACARI SAID

Macari said: "[I have] a bad feeling about the guy."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Macari made 404 appearances for Manchester United between 1973 and 1983, winning the FA Cup and playing in two others finals, as well as helping the club back into the top flight in 1975.