A 2-0 lead is the worst lead. So goes the footballing cliché. But it’s a saying aptly applied to Arne Slot’s Liverpool as they continue to face adversity when two goals to the good this season.

Three times had Liverpool ceded their lead when two goals up before meeting Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

After a barnstorming start to the all-Liverpool clash, the Reds looking back to their ferocious best, old habits crept in, with Idrissa Gueye pulling one back after the interval and casting an anxious blanket across most of Anfield.

However, this time Slot’s men didn’t need to dig deep and find a last-gasp winner, instead coming together to repel the impressive Toffees and see the game off.

Five wins from five in the Premier League. The hosts might have made a slight meal of things in the second half, but they got the job done once again, with a series of players stepping up.

Liverpool's best performers vs Everton

Virgil van Dijk is imperious as Liverpool’s leader and centre-back supreme, but Ibrahima Konate performed very well indeed against Everton, putting that shaky start to the season firmly behind him.

Against Everton, the France international won seven of eight aerial duels that came his way (data courtesy of Sofascore), while making eight clearances and two tackles, showing off that physical robustness when powering forward to stamp out danger or cover a wandering midfielder.

In the first half, Liverpool won 55% of the duels, but after the break, it was Everton who showed more impetus in the challenge, flipping that to a 56% success rate against the Anfield side.

That doesn’t tell the full story, though, and Dominik Szoboszlai is a testament to that, having only won half of his eight duels but thrived in an all-action midfield role, leading the press and showing off his first-rate stamina as the match wound down, instrumental to snuffing out a late comeback.

(GK) Alisson Becker

6/10

(RB) Conor Bradley

6/10

(CB) Ibrahima Konate

8/10

(CB) Virgil van Dijk

7/10

(LB) Milos Kerkez

6.5/10

(CM) Ryan Gravenberch

9/10

(CM) Alexis Mac Allister

6/10

(RW) Mohamed Salah

7/10

(AM) Dominik Szoboszlai

7.5/10

(LW) Cody Gakpo

6/10

(ST) Hugo Ekitike

9/10

Record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak both entered the fray either side of the hour mark, but neither could write their names into the headlines as the visitors applied pressure and pushed for an equaliser.

That pairing have the skills and styles to emerge as Liverpool’s new version of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, but it’s two higher-flying members of Slot’s squad who are emerging as such stars of old.

Liverpool's new version of Gerrard & Torres

Torres and Gerrard formed one of the most iconic partnerships in Premier League history, turning aside opponents from every which way. Liverpool’s legendary skipper once said El Niño was “the best striker in the world”, before he up and left for Chelsea.

Hugo Ekitike has some stiff competition in Isak at number nine at Liverpool, but he’s playing like a man who knows it right now, having scored his fourth goal of the season after calmly collecting from a delicious Ryan Gravenberch pass and sending the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool’s £69m striker built on Gravenberch’s earlier goal, an incredible finish, dinked up and over Pickford and down and into the net after Mohamed Salah lobbed into space.

The duo have been incredible this season; they are proving invaluable proponents of Slot’s tactics, so coolly hitting the right heights under the head coach’s guidance.

Last season, Gravenberch announced himself as a major contender for a top side, but he now appears to have taken his game to the next level.

Peter Crouch remarked after the match for TNT Sports that he believes Gravenberch “has been Liverpool’s best player this season”, and it would be hard to contest that, so influential has he been across every corner of the midfield.

Now that he’s kindling a devastating attacking side to his game, the Dutchman is truly shaping into a new, modern version of Gerrard, who was the king of complete performances when in his heyday.

Moreover, Gerrard was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, with no man having scored more in the Merseyside derby than him.

Steven Gerrard

Liverpool

9

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

8

Divock Origi

Liverpool

6

Robbie Fowler

Liverpool

6

Tim Cahill

Everton

5

Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool

5

Torres was hardly a pushover on derby day, either, scoring three times against the Blues over five appearances as a Liverpool player; all three strikes came during his first two contests.

Ekitike appears up for the task of emulating the one-time hero, and he might even be playing with an air of the Spaniard’s flair too, with former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster saying during the game that the 23-year-old “looks like prime Fernando Torres running around Anfield”.

There was something Torres-esque about the way Ekitike worked overtime, just as it should be in a meeting of intense rivalry. The Frenchman completed all four of his dribbles, won seven duels and made two tackles for Slot’s side.

Isak, to be sure, has his work cut out this season and beyond. But Liverpool want to defend their Premier League title while challenging for silverware across all the other fronts too this term, and the duality of elite options at centre-forward will go a long way toward achieving that.

Boasting a combined Transfermarkt valuation of £130m and showcasing a budding partnership when Grav threaded through for his new frontman, there’s plenty of reason to be excited on the Red half of Merseyside, with such players already shaping this new charge toward the title.

Gravenberch, too, shares the midfield with a host of world-class players, but it’s hard to argue against the Netherlands international being the first name on the team-sheet right now, immovable and brilliant in the middle of the park.

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West Ham United are looking to build some momentum under Nuno Espirito Santo, though they now appear to have suffered an injury blow at the London Stadium.

Nuno Espírito Santo makes early judgements on West Ham squad

Nuno has only been in East London for a matter of weeks. However, the former Nottingham Forest boss is already laying down the law as he aims to secure Premier League survival at a minimum this term.

Coming as a surprise to some, West Ham have put James Ward-Prowse up for sale, with Guido Rodriguez also an apparent target for Saudi Pro League clubs.

Nevertheless, the Argentina star reportedly rejected a switch to the Gulf region despite being offered a £30,000 pay increase, as an unnamed agent delivered the lowdown on his situation, via Claret & Hugh.

They said: “Rodriguez had five interested clubs in the summer but didn’t want to move. One offer from Saudi would have given him an extra £30k per week, but he said no.”

On the other hand, Ward-Prowse has been withdrawn from West Ham’s matchday squads against Arsenal and Everton, signalling that Nuno isn’t willing to offer any chance of redemption to players he doesn’t believe will fit his tactical framework.

Taking decisions for the benefit of his group, Nuno will be keen to add a sense of physicality to his side, who have been too passive this term and easy to cut through, conceding more than anyone else in the top-flight with 16.

The Hammers have also scored the joint-second fewest goals at just six, and they may now be struggling for firepower even more following the latest developments coming out of the international break.

With George Earthy out until November after sustaining a hamstring problem (ExWHUemployee), Nuno has been dealt another injury blow.

West Ham star Niclas Füllkrug suffers injury blow

As relayed by Kicker, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann confirms that West Ham striker Niclas Füllkrug has suffered a “torn muscle bundle in his thigh” on international duty, and will now be out for ‘several weeks’ as he looks to work his way back to fitness.

The 32-year-old has gone through a series of unfortunate absences since arriving in London and will now be out for the foreseeable, leaving Callum Wilson and youngster Callum Marshall as Nuno’s only two available strikers for Brentford.

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The incredible game-changer could become like Bowen for West Ham United and Nuno this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 10, 2025

Struggling to get his West Ham career off the ground, Fullkrug, on around £90,000 per week at the London Stadium, has netted three times in 27 appearances for the club and is yet to get off the mark this term.

Jarrod Bowen may also be a candidate to feature through the middle in his absence, with Nuno searching for his first win ahead of a potential six-pointer next weekend.

Luck hasn’t been on Fullkrug’s side since joining the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund, albeit everyone connected with the club will hope he can make a speedy recovery as West Ham look to kick on after a poor start to the campaign.

Mousley takes T20 best 4 for 19, Alex Davies puts Bears run-chase on course with 42 off 24

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jun-2025Birmingham took the local derby honours against Worcestershire Rapids with a thrilling one-wicket Vitality Blast victory in a low-scoring nerve-shredder at Edgbaston.The Rapids, put in, floundered to 134 all out in 18.4 overs in the face of the experienced Bears spin attack. Dan Mousley took a T20 best 4 for 19, Danny Briggs 2 for 20 and Jake Lintott 2 for 27 as no batter reached 30.Warwickshire then scraped to 135 for 9 with three balls to spare. Alex Davies supplied a violent start and, after Fateh Singh (3 for 18) and Ben Dwarshuis (3 for 32), forced a collapse, last pair Sam Hain (38 not out) and Lintott took the Bears over the line.The Rapids charged to 39 from 21 balls before Mousley struck twice in three balls. Seventeen-year-old Isaac Mohammed, a product of the Edgbaston youth system before joining Worcestershire earlier this year, showed his class with a glorious six over long-off off Ed Barnard but then missed a full toss and was bowled. Jake Libby, off-balance, sliced to extra cover and it was three wickets for four runs from ten balls after Kashif Ali made a porridge of a pull at Briggs and was bowled.Adam Hose struck four fours to restore some momentum but his demise accelerated the collapse. Hose chipped Mousley to deep midwicket, Gareth Roderick swept Lintott’s first ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Davies and Ethan Brookes drove Briggs to extra cover to supply the bowler’s 300th wicket in all T20 competitions across the world.Mousley’s fourth scalp arrived when Tom Taylor slogged to long-on. Dwarshuis socked Lintott for three successive sixes but, after the sequence was broken by a shrewd off-side wide, hoisted the next ball to long -off.Eight wickets having fallen in 12 overs, the Rapids’ last two wickets found themselves with 26 balls at their disposal. They gathered 15 runs before Jacob Duffy holed out to Barnard to cap the catalogue of carelessness that was the Rapids’ innings.Birmingham soon lost Tom Latham, who skied a slog at Dwarshuis, but were put on course for victory by Davies’ cameo. The captain hit 34 of his 42 runs in fours and sixes before lifting Singh’s first ball to Taylor at long-off.The Bears then emulated the Rapids’ collapse. Taylor took another calm catch in the same position when Mousley attacked Duffy. Warwickshire were still well in control, needing only six per over, but Moeen Ali and Barnard tried to go big and only sent up catches. When Barnard and Kai Smith, pinned lbw, fell to successive balls from Singh, the home side were 86 for 6.The Rapids were on a roll but Hain and George Garton applied some belated intelligence to the batting to add 25 in five overs before the latter was brilliantly caught at point by Mohammed off Duffy. With 21 needed from three overs, the Bears were leaning, as so often, on Hain.Hasan Ali slogged six and glanced four from successive balls in the penultimate over from Dwarshuis to take his side within three of victory. The Pakistan star then skied to deep extra cover but the Bears needed three from the last over, with Hain on strike – and the Bears’ talisman, with mature support from Lintott, saw his side home.

AC Milan have high hopes and expect a lot from new signing Christopher Nkunku, who joined the club on a five-year contract from Chelsea this summer. The French international, who was integrated into the squad back in August, is yet to get a start in Milan colours, but head coach Massimiliano Allegri has hinted at handing him his first start to the campaign in their upcoming encounter.

• Nkunku yet to get his first Milan start

  Eight games into the Serie A campaign, and Nkunku is yet to get a place in Allegri's starting lineup. However, when Milan travel to the Gewiss Stadium to face Atalanta on October 28 in a high-octane league clash, the Italian manager might consider giving him his full debut in the league. The 16-time capped French international has received only 63 minutes of playing time in the Serie A across four games. But his extraordinary technique, as mentioned by Allegri himself, might just be enough to make sure Nkunku accompanies Rafael Leao up front on Tuesday. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Allegri reveals expectations for ex-Chelsea forward

  Speaking to the reporters on the eve of the Atalanta clash, Allegri shed light about his team's probable attacking setup against the Bergamo-based side: "Leao can score a good number of goals, his fitness is improving, and he's becoming more confident in his abilities as a striker. He needs to improve in the penalty area, he needs to be more clinical. He can grow, like the rest of the team. Nkunku had been sidelined for a few days; he has extraordinary technique. I'll decide whether to start him or not: we expect a lot from him."

  The head coach further spoke about the hectic schedule his team has to go through and the preparations ahead of tomorrow's game. He mentioned: "The schedule until the next break is difficult, but now we're focusing on tomorrow. Playing in Bergamo is tough and will be a direct blow, given that Atalanta is one of the contenders for the top four. We need to be consistent; we'll have to play well technically against a physical, quality team. We're doing well, and we're not thinking about the absentees; we have many other good players. The squad is strong, and as a whole, we'll improve further."

• Allegri sheds light on injury concerns

  Although Milan had some injury concerns, Allegri has provided some good news for the fans. He has emphasised on the recovering players and outlined a possible game for their return. 

  He said: "[Ruben] Loftus-Cheek is here. [Pervis] Estupinan is ready for Roma, and we hope to at least have Pulisic on the bench against Parma. After the break, against Inter, we hope to have the entire squad available. [Ardon] Jashari? He'll be back in the squad on Wednesday, but he'll need time: we'll be playing a friendly during the break, and that will be useful for him. The limited squad is my choice, and the club's. Let's look on the bright side: AC Milan players like [Davide] Bartesaghi, [Koni] De Winter, and Samuele Ricci have emerged."

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  What comes next for Milan?

  Sitting third on the Serie A table, Milan's dreams of the Scudetto are very much alive. They have a one-point deficit with league leaders Napoli and second-placed Roma, who have the same points (18). Before the November international break commences, they will play three important games against Atalanta, Roma, and Parma. They have the joint third-best scoring form in the competition alongside fifth-placed Bologna. Only Inter (19) and Napoli (15) have more goals than them. The probable inclusion of Nkunku against Atalanta or in the upcoming fixtures, might come in handy in increasing their scoring tally this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo is officially a billionaire.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which ranks the world’s richest people based on their net worth, has included the Real Madrid legend for the first time, revealing his net worth – which includes career earnings, investments and endorsements – has now reached $1.4bn (£1.04bn).

The 40 year-old Portugal star is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers and goalscorers of all time, and has earned lucrative contracts throughout his career with Manchester United, Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr.

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He also has endorsement deals with global companies such as Nike and Armani, as well as his own CR7 brand that sells clothing and fragrances worldwide.

Ronaldo’s contract in Saudi Arabia makes him the highest-paid player in football history, taking home an estimated $400m (£298m) from the two-year deal he signed this year.

Highest paid footballers: in pictures

But while the goalscoring machine is now hundreds of millions ahead of rival Lionel Messi, he does not rank first when it comes to net worth amongst active footballers.

Brunei prince is world's richest footballer

The richest player in the world is Faiq Bolkiah, a winger for the Brunei national team and Ratchaburi FC, a Thai football club.

Bolkiah is the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei, and his net worth is believed to be around $20bn (£15bn), despite receiving a monthly salary of just $2,900 from his club.

Boasting over 250,000 followers on his Insatgram page, Bolkiah unsurprisingly lives a lavish life away from the pitch, trying his hand at modelling and reportedly owning a pet tiger, while his father is thought to own in excess of 2,000 cars.

Born in Los Angeles, USA, the 27 year-old was raised in the United Kingdom, and began his footballing career at A.F.C Newbury, in Berkshire. A winger by trade, he joined the famous Southampton academy in 2009, where he spent four years and played alongside the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Luke Shaw and James-Ward Prowse.

Bolkiah signed a two-year youth contract at Chelsea in 2014 after an unsuccessful trial at Arsenal, but after failing to break through in West London eventually landed at Leicester City, where he penned his first professional deal at the age of 17 and lived in a converted hotel.

Despite spending four years with the Foxes, Bolkiah never made a first team appearance, but did play five times in the UEFA Youth League in the 2015/16 season, registering an assist in a 2-1 defeat to Club Brugge.

With a breakthrough into senior football difficult to come by in England, he joined Portuguese side Marítimo in 2020, a move he later he admitted was a mistake: “Marítimo said to me, ‘You’ll come here, you’ll play’, so I said, ‘I just want to be here for a year. The main thing for me is I want to play.’ Obviously, that didn’t happen.

“I definitely regret moving there. I feel like there was a lot of politics to do with it as well, why Marítimo wanted me. I didn’t feel like they were being fully honest.”

Bolkiah then moved to Asia in 2021 to join Thai outfit Chonburi, where he spent two years before the switch to his current club, Ratchaburi. They are third in the Thai League 1, the top flight of the Thai football league system, but Bolkiah has played just 35 minutes so far this season.

He has also scored once in six caps for his national side of Brunei, but has not featured for them since 2018.

Smriti Mandhana vs Lauren Bell. It’s a contest Bell, spearhead of England’s seam-bowling attack, couldn’t wait to get stuck into on the eve of the opening match of India’s tour, the first of five T20Is at Trent Bridge on Saturday.For Mandhana’s part, she is looking forward to reprising her opening partnership with Shafali Verma, who is making a comeback – in this format at least – having fallen out of favour after India’s group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup last October and lean ODI returns at home against New Zealand later that month.Mandhana stood in for an unwell Harmanpreet Kaur at India’s pre-match press conference on Friday but expected her captain to be fit to play the first match. She was full of praise for Shafali’s efforts to earn her recall through the domestic circuit and the WPL, where she was the fourth-highest run-scorer with 304 runs at a strike rate of 152.76.Related

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“She’s had an amazing year,” Smriti said of Shafali. “Once the setback had come, she went to domestic cricket, scored bucket-loads of runs and had an amazing WPL.”No one had any doubts about her talent, the way she had come into the Indian team and dominated. She is a world-class player and always will be, but for her to go back and do what she did in the last year was amazing to watch. She deserves this comeback and I’m really excited to open with her again.”Shafali was the leading run-scorer in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy (527 runs, 152.31 strike rate, 75.29 average) and the Senior Women’s One-Day Challenger Trophy (414 runs, 145.26 strike rate, 82.80 average) – as captain of Haryana.Shafali Verma was the fourth-highest run-scorer at WPL 2025•BCCI

Mandhana and Shafali are second on the list for most partnership runs as an opening pair in women’s T20Is with 2636 runs and a partnership run rate of 7.90.Bell was keen to catch up with Mandhana, her Southern Brave team-mate in the Hundred, albeit on opposing sides.”I’m looking forward to bowling at Smriti,” Bell said. “I’ve obviously played with her, we’ve had a few net battles at the Brave before, so that’ll be a good challenge, playing against her. It’s exciting to be up against some of the best players and that normally brings the best out when you’re playing against the best.”The last time I played India, it’s always been Smriti and Shafali opening the batting, so it’s a challenge we’ve had before and one that is really exciting. They’re both very talented and play differently, so I’m hoping it just brings the best out of us. As an England player, you really look forward to these series and thrive off the challenge and how good the opposition are.”Last summer, as England went unbeaten through their twin white-ball series against New Zealand, Bell was working on changes to her action, which is now more upright and allows her to swing the ball both ways. She is satisfied with where she’s at but by no means feels that she is the finished article.”In terms of that whole chapter, I’d say I’ve got into a really good place and I feel really, really happy,” Bell said. “But I don’t think you can ever say you’re complete as a bowler.0:56

Bell: ‘Looking forward to bowling at Mandhana’

“There’s always stuff that I want to get better, but the big shift and the big change, I’m feeling in a really good place… hopefully we’ve moved on.”Bell was the leading wicket-taker during the T20I leg of West Indies’ visit, which – like the ODI series – England swept 3-0, with seven wickets at an average of 9.72 and economy rate of 5.66.Her series-best figures of 3-28 in the second T20I at Hove were eclipsed by fellow seamer Em Arlott, with a Player-of-the-Match-winning 3 for 14 having made her international debut just two days earlier in encouraging signs as England prepare for a tougher test from India.”They’ll pose us a few more challenges,” Bell said. “We had people making debuts and some people playing different roles, so they can take a lot of confidence from that. It was a really good series to have first up in the summer.”Meanwhile, India have some new faces in their seam attack, handing maiden T20I call-ups to Kranti Goud and Sayali Satghare for a squad missing the experienced Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar.Mandhana said: “The WPL has been good in terms of finding new people and of course the domestic system as well, the amount of matches the girls play nowadays. All the girls have rich experience in the domestic format.”I’m really excited to see them. Young talent, whenever they come in, it’s always very exciting. Everyone’s been prepping well and what better place than England to come in as a pacer? Of course, they’ll take a lot of lessons out of it and I’m sure they’ll do the job for the team.”

Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid are circling Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, with the German defender’s contract talks at a standstill. Bild reports that Schlotterbeck, whose current deal runs until 2027, has rejected Dortmund’s latest offer and is demanding a wage closer to €14 million per year, a figure the Reds are reportedly ready to offer him next summer.

Liverpool still remain interested in Schlotterbeck

Liverpool’s interest in Schlotterbeck has once again reignited headlines, as Bild claims the Premier League side remains firmly in the mix despite Sky Germany's recent dismissal of their involvement. The 25-year-old has reportedly turned down Borussia Dortmund’s opening offer of €8 million plus bonuses, a figure significantly lower than what he feels reflects his value. With Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also keen, Schlotterbeck’s future at Signal Iduna Park is increasingly uncertain as Europe’s elite line up to test Dortmund’s resolve.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDortmund unlikely to be able to offer Schlotterbeck's desired wages

Dortmund, historically a selling club, have made strides in recent years to keep their key players, but the wage gap remains stark. Even as Die Schwarzgelben look to offer Schlotterbeck an improved deal worth around €10 million annually, competing with Liverpool, Bayern, or Real Madrid, who can all comfortably reach the €14 million mark, is proving a tall order.

For Dortmund, the issue goes beyond money. The club’s strategy of developing and retaining domestic stars is being tested once more, as Schlotterbeck’s emergence as a cornerstone of Niko Kovac’s defence has made him indispensable. Seen internally as a potential future captain, his leadership and consistency have elevated him to one of the league’s top centre-backs. Losing him would not only create a defensive void but also disrupt the long-term project Dortmund are attempting to build.

At the same time, Bayern Munich’s looming presence complicates matters further. The German champions have long admired Schlotterbeck, and with Dayot Upamecano’s contract talks stalling due to hefty demands, they are once again exploring alternatives. Real Madrid’s inclusion in the chase adds a continental dimension, with Antonio Rudiger nearing the twilight of his career and Eder Militao still recovering full match sharpness, the Spanish giants see the left-footed German as an ideal long-term successor in their defensive rotation.

Schlotterbeck's rise sees him in demand next summer

Schlotterbeck’s reluctance to sign a new contract stems from both sporting ambition and financial reasoning. Having become a fan favourite since joining from Freiburg, he’s now among Dortmund’s most consistent performers. His ability to progress the ball and organise the backline has drawn praise across Europe, with statistics backing his rise as he is one of the Bundesliga’s top defenders in aerial duels won and successful passes under pressure this season.

Liverpool had initially stepped back from the race, with Sky Sports Germany suggesting the Reds cooled their pursuit despite failing to secure Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. However, the situation in their defence, following an ACL injury to Giovanni Leoni and uncertainty around Ibrahima Konate’s future, has drawn them back. The Merseyside club, who are struggling this season, reportedly have the financial muscle to meet Schlotterbeck’s €14 million-a-year wage demand if the opportunity aligns with their long-term defensive plans.

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AFPDormund could allow sale in 2026 if contract extension talks halt

Borussia Dortmund now face a critical juncture in their negotiations. While they are determined not to lose Schlotterbeck in the short term, the growing interest from Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid has shifted the balance of power firmly toward the player. With his contract running until 2027, Dortmund retain leverage in the market, but their options are narrowing — either meet his €14 million expectation or risk seeing him run down his deal.

Internally, Dortmund’s management remains hopeful of finding a compromise before the winter transfer window opens, but Bild suggests that patience is wearing thin. If no agreement is reached, a summer sale in 2026 could become increasingly likely, especially if one of the European giants puts forth a compelling offer. For now, Schlotterbeck’s camp is said to be biding its time, aware that the next World Cup cycle could further enhance his value.

Rizwan, Haris and Fatima Sana are the other three Pakistanis in the BBL and WBBL drafts

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2025

The Pakistan quartet of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan are part of the first overseas draft list of BBL 15, which was released on Tuesday. The draft will be held on June 19 with Brisbane Heat holding the No. 1 pick and having the first chance to pick a player.Sam Curran and Alex Hales from England, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee from New Zealand, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera and West Indies’ Shamar Joseph are the other six players in the first draft list of ten players.In the WBBL, the Indian pair of Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues are in the first nomination list, alongside Deandra Dottin of West Indies and Fatima Sana of Pakistan.Related

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England’s Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt-Hodge are part of the list too, as are the South African pair of Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon.The draft for the upcoming BBL and WBBL seasons have been brought forward to June to provide clubs more certainty about player selection. According to a CA statement, over 600 overseas players have registered interest for the BBL and WBBL.The teams have already started building their squads. Jamie Overton and Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers), Colin Munro and Nadine de Klerk (Heat), Chris Jordan (Hobart Hurricanes), Tim Seifert and Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades), Tom Curran and Marizanne Kapp (Melbourne Stars), Finn Allen and Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers), Amelia Kerr (Sydney Sixers), Sam Billings and Chamari Athapaththu (Sydney Thunder) are the overseas players to have been pre-signed. Hurricanes have not named a pre-signed player for the WBBL yet and the same is the case for Sixers in the BBL.This season, Heat and Sixers will have first picks for the BBL and WBBL drafts respectively. Both drafts consist of four rounds, with all teams receiving one pick in each round. Teams can select a player who has made themselves available to be drafted in one of four overseas player salary bands: Platinum (round 1 or 2), Gold (round 2 or 3), Silver (round 3 or 4) or Bronze (round 4 only). Teams must use at least three picks including pre-signed players and can pass once.

Pedro Neto believes Chelsea have learned fast on their Champions League return after their campaign got going with victory over Benfica.

A first-half own goal was all that separated the Blues from Jose Mourinho’s visitors in a game of few clear-cut chances but, after being outclassed in their opener at Bayern Munich, this win got Enzo Maresca’s side back on track after three defeats in four in all competitions.

Neto and Alejandro Garnacho combined in the 18th minute to force the only goal from midfielder Richard Rios, who bounced the ball past his own goalkeeper as it fizzed across the six-yard box.

"Neto reveals Chelsea resilience"

“We learned a lot from the first game and we are really happy,” Neto told Chelsea’s website.

“I think the team did really well. We knew the difficulties we had in the first game (3-1 loss at Bayern on September 17), and we tried to work hard to manage moments in this game. I think today we showed the resilience of the team.

“Benfica are a tough team to face at home. We knew we would have to work hard tonight. We played well, we could’ve controlled the match more with the quality we have, but we are really happy with the three points.”

Chelsea had taken the match to Bundesliga champions Bayern two weeks ago in what was their first Champions League outing in nearly two and a half years, but were undone by poor concentration at key moments and their opponents’ greater experience.

There were no such tribulations on Tuesday as, even amid the circus surrounding three-time Premier League winner Mourinho’s homecoming, they got the job done with minimal fuss.

For head coach Maresca the downside was a third red card in four matches, Joao Pedro dismissed in the final minute of added time for a high boot which earned him a second yellow card. The forward will miss Ajax’s visit to Stamford Bridge later this month.

But otherwise it was a satisfactory night as the team registered a first Champions League win since the side managed by Graham Potter beat Borussia Dortmund in March 2023.

For Neto, it was further evidence of his growing indispensability to the side, particularly with Maresca facing an injury crisis ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against champions Liverpool.

He said: “I always try to improve and do the best for the team, and I think today we worked hard as a group, and we are really happy. It’s a really important win.

“A win in this competition, the Champions League, shows what we can do, and I think we can do even better. We will be ready to play against Liverpool.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras empatou em 0 a 0 com o Boca Juniors, na quinta-feira (28), e completou mais um jogo sem marcar gols nesta fase de “vacas magras”. Esse fato tem incomodado o torcedor, mas Abel Ferreira prefere olhar por outro prisma que é a atuação da defesa, vazada apenas uma vez nos últimos dez jogos. Como diz o hino, é a “defesa que ninguém passa”, mas a linha atacante não marca.

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Desde que Dudu sofreu sua lesão no joelho, que o afastará dos gramados por cerca de um ano, o Verdão marcou apenas dois gols. De lá para cá são seis jogos disputados. Se fizermos um recorte sem o duelo com Vasco, quando aconteceu a infelicidade com o Baixola, o retrospecto é de apenas um gol nas últimas cinco partidas.

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O único gol anotado nesse período foi de Breno Lopes, nos acréscimos da vitória sobre o Goiás, no Allianz Parque. Ou seja, o ataque parou. E olha que nos jogos diante do Deportivo Pereira, do Corinthians, do Grêmio e do Boca Juniors, o Alviverde teve chances de balançar a rede, mas erros “bizarros” na conclusão acabaram não permitindo a comemoração.

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+ ANÁLISE: Empate com o Boca e irritação de Abel escancaram erros do Palmeiras na temporada

Em entrevista coletiva após o empate na Bombonera, Abel Ferreira se incomodou com os questionamentos sobre o ataque e a falta de gols. O treinador chegou a ser ríspido com os repórteres e destacou a eficiência do setor defensivo, que mais uma vez saiu de campo sem ser vazado. Na Libertadores, são seis partidas seguidas sem tomar gol, incluindo as cinco de mata-mata.

Dos últimos dez duelos do Palmeiras na temporada, a defesa viu sua rede ser balança apenas uma vez, que foi na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Grêmio, fora de casa, com gol de João Pedro. De resto, o gol anterior sofrido foi de John Kennedy, diante do Fluminense, no início de agosto.

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+ Aperto, correria e horas de espera: o perrengue da torcida do Palmeiras na Argentina

Nas fases anteriores da Libertadores, o Alviverde venceu seus jogos fora de casa tanto contra o Atlético-MG, quanto contra o Deportivo Pereira. Por isso o 0 a 0 nas partidas de volta acabaram sendo suficientes para a classificação. Agora, contra o Boca Juniors, com o 0 a 0 como visitante e mesmo mantendo a “baliza zero”, será necessário fazer gol para se classificar no tempo normal, caso contrário a decisão será nos pênaltis.

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