Bayern Munich's Harry Kane replicated Ronaldinho's iconic celebration after a free-kick challenge against Thomas Muller.

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Kane replicates Ronaldinho celebrationTook on Muller in free-kick challengeBayern striker aiming to break trophy duck in 2024-25WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldinho challenged the pair to recreate his free-kick for Barcelona against Bayern in a pre-season game for the Joan Gamper Trophy. At Camp Nou back in 2006, the Brazilian struck the ball over and around the Bayern wall and past Oliver Kahn, who was rooted to the spot. After scoring, the legendary Brazilian footballer pulled out his trademark celebration. Kane and Muller attempted to recreate the goal and even after the former missed, he could not resist the chance to do the celebration.

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Few footballers have matched the talents and personality of Ronaldinho in football. The former Ballon d'Or winner is enshrined in footballing legend and became an idol for so many players and supporters. While Muller and Kane do not embody the same flair as the Brazilian, their infatuation of the Brazilian icon is evident. Muller suggested that the Ronaldinho effort was similar to the Englishman's strike against Union Berlin last season and, despite scoring in that game, Kane just missed the target during the free-kick challenge. Muller joked that recreating the celebration did put Kane 1-0 up.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

After an incredible, record-breaking debut season at Bayern, Kane has very little to improve upon. However, with Bayer Leverkusen completing a league and cup double, the English striker ended the season trophyless. Despite his extensive list of individual honours, Kane is yet to lift any form of silverware with either club or country – with his most recent failed attempt in the European Championship final against Spain.Maybe next season will be the one.

Two Leeds United players are not expected to play again this season and one of them could soon be on the way out of Elland Road, according to a new update.

Leeds pushing for immediate Premier League return

The Whites are currently top of the Championship, with Daniel Farke now preparing his side for a crucial run-in with the games coming thick and fast.

Leeds have been in unbelievable form in 2024, winning 12 of 13 second-tier games, conceding just three goals during that time. Now, just eight league fixtures remain, starting this Friday against Watford before a home meeting with Hull City on Monday.

Leeds' Championship form in 2024

Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City

1st January

Cardiff City 0-3 Leeds United

13th January

Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End

21st January

Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

24th January

Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United

2nd February

Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United

10th February

Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United

13th February

Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United

17th February

Leeds United 3-1 Leicester City

23rd February

Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United

2nd March

Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City

5th March

Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United

8th March

Leeds United 2-0 Millwall

17th March

The Whites have a number of injury concerns ahead of the trip to Vicarage Road, though, with Georginio Rutter having minor surgery after the recent win against Millwall.

Meanwhile, Connor Roberts appeared to suffer an injury for Wales on Tuesday, whereas Junior Firpo won’t return from international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo until Thursday.

Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas remain long-term absentees, with Farke sharing news on Wednesday that the former has undergone surgery and will return in pre-season, and it looks like we won't be seeing Dallas in a Leeds shirt any time soon either.

Journalist shares Stuart Dallas update

It is now approaching two years since Dallas suffered a serious leg injury against Manchester City. The 31-year-old hasn’t returned to action since, suffering a number of setbacks during that time. Farke said last month: “With Stuart, the same. He gets all the time he needs. He’s been out for so many months, it is not possible to speak about days. We give him all the time. He’s seen different consultants.

“We’ve tried everything in order to work with him in the most-professional way and hope it works out in the end. We try everything to support him and don’t want to put any pressure on him.”

Meanwhile, Dallas recently said on his condition: “I’m doing okay. It’s almost two years since the injury but I am doing okay and working towards trying to get back before the end of the season. I’m doing everything I can to do that.”

Now, Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has said that Dallas is not expected to play for Leeds again this season and is likely to leave Elland Road when his £45,000-a-week contract expires in the summer.

He states that there is ‘no timeline’ for Dallas’ comeback at Leeds and that he’s set to be released this summer in what is a heartbreaking update for the player and everyone associated with Leeds, with the Northern Ireland international a fan favourite in Yorkshire.

There has been a suggestion this week that Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou doesn't want one player in his Spurs set up, with concerns surrounding his "attitude and application".

Spurs players who could leave this year

While much has already been made in regard to who could join, as Spurs are linked with a new winger, central midfielder, fourth centre-back and back-up full-back in the last fortnight, there are a few members of Postecoglou's squad who appear destined to go the other way.

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Spurs are set to lose a prodigy.

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Fabrizio Romano shared this week that midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who apparently garnered plenty of Serie A interest in the build up to January, has now changed agents – which could be an indication that he is preparing for the next move of his career.

The Dane has started just six top flight games this season with the vast majority of his 25 league appearances coming from the bench. A far cry from his mainstay status last term under Antonio Conte, you could be forgiven for thinking Hojbjerg is open to potentially seeking a new challenge.

Meanwhile, Spurs starlet Bryan Gil has been tipped to leave this summer after deciding to stay in the winter. Postecoglou hasn't exactly rewarded the Spaniard with opportunities since then, so perhaps a move away is best for all parties.

There is also the small matter of Tottenham's loaned out players, of which there are many. Club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele will be a very interesting case in particular, amid claims he is failing to impress on his temporary spell at Galatasaray.

No way back for Ndombele under Ange at Tottenham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Dean Jones has suggested that Postecoglou doesn't want Ndombele in his Tottenham set up and the "writing has been on the wall" for the Frenchman.

"I don't see a way back for Ndombele in this Tottenham setup," said Jones. "He is going to go down as a transfer flop. I think that he had an opportunity when Postecoglou first came into the club, and he didn't impress. The writing has been on the wall for him for a long time now. This could have gone very differently because when they signed them, they were signing a really good player. But whatever it is, and it does feel like a lot of it is attitude and application, is not good enough."

This has been a pretty whimpering end to the Spurs career of someone who came with such promise, with Arsenal star Declan Rice actually rating him pretty highly in terms of ability.

"The perception of him, it shouldn’t be what it is because I tell you now, he is one of the toughest I have played against," said Rice in 2022.

“He is top. Just a street footballer on the pitch. He takes the ball anywhere, little flicks and tricks. Like he doesn’t care. He does everything so confidently. With players like that, you just have to let them play. Give them the freedom to go out and do whatever they want. When we played against Lyon in the Europa League, he was incredible. He’s a top player.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and defender Levi Colwill have spoken about Enzo Fernandez's return to the squad after recent controversy.

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• Fernandez back with Chelsea squad after Copa America
• Midfielder has been caught up in racism storm
• Chelsea players say issue has been dealt with

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fernandez is back with his club side for pre-season following a summer where he made headlines for all the wrong reasons after footage emerged of the midfielder singing a racist chant during Argentina's Copa America celebrations. The video was condemned by team-mates, including Wesley Fofana, and Chelsea subsequently instigated disciplinary proceedings.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

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  The saga threatened to derail Chelsea's season before it had even begun. However, Fernandez issued a swift apology on social media and has since met face-to-face to talk to his team-mates after rejoining the squad. Maresca and Colwill have now been asked about the mood within the squad and have opened up on how the situation has been dealt with internally.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  The Chelsea boss told a press conference: "To be honest, we all feel very comfortable. Enzo is back, he had a chat with all of us to clarify there were not any bad intentions. The lads all accepted. Since last night, everything was like before; they were together, all laughing – normal situation. The meeting was between Enzo, some of his mates, Wesley was there. They spoke with each other. It is normal sometimes the first reaction is not good. They know Enzo better than me and they know he is a good guy. There is nothing more to add. We all make mistakes. Enzo apologised already four or five times. Since yesterday's session, last night, the situation is completely normal. It is what I expected. There were no bad intentions. They are all good people, but all of us sometimes can make mistakes."

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• WHAT COLWILL SAID

  Colwill also spoke about Fernandez. He added: "We are a team. We move forward together. Everything that happens stays between us and we are really excited ahead of the new season."

After spending over £1b on transfers since the takeover of Todd Boehly in 2022, Chelsea had to sell players to try and balance the books to avoid any potential punishment for breaking the Premier League's PSR and FFP rules.

The Blues allowed the likes of Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to depart Stamford Bridge over the last couple of transfer windows, with the club raising needed funds.

The club announced a pre-tax loss of £90.1m for the last financial year, with the west Londoners still needing to shift more players out of the door to allow for more wriggle room in the battle against any punishment.

Despite the fire sale at Stamford Bridge in recent times, Mauricio Pochettino's side may live to regret allowing one player to depart the club with the former Blue excelling away from the club this season.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's stats at Chelsea

Youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi broke into the Chelsea first-team back in January 2018, during the FA Cup tie against Newcastle United, with his performances catching the eye of sides all over Europe.

The winger would go on to be a squad player for the Blues over the next couple of campaigns, with arguably his best performance coming in the Europa League against Malmö back in 2019.

His subsequent performances led to major interest from German side Bayern Munich offering a deal worth up to £70m for the attacker, with Chelsea rejecting the offer for the academy graduate.

However, a spell of serious injuries such as hamstring and Achilles problems saw him miss large parts of the 2020/21 season, before an unsuccessful loan move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2022/23, which saw him score just one goal.

The club would sell Hudson-Odoi to Nottingham Forest during the summer of 2023 for a lowly fee of just £3m, less than three years after the interest from Bayern Munich.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's stats at Nottingham Forest

He made an instant impact on his first start for the Reds, scoring a goal-of-the-season contender against Burnley – securing a vital point for his new team.

The "sensational" talent, as described by scout Antonio Mango, has gone on to score four times in the Premier League this season, with the attacker also creating two assists for his teammates.

Despite his impressive creative input, Hudson-Odoi has controversially been dropped by boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the former Chelsea man having to settle for a place on the bench in recent matches.

Enzo Fernández

3

Conor Gallagher

2

Noni Madueke

2

Christopher Nkunku

2

Armando Broja

1

The winger may have only started once in the last three league outings, but his market value has soared since his move to the City Ground.

Hudson-Odoi now has a market value of £12.8m as per Transfermarkt – an increase of 328% compared to the £3m fee Chelsea sold him for less than seven months ago.

The youngster is definitely benefitting from more consistent game time away from Stamford Bridge, with the Blues potentially living to regret his departure given his impressive season for the Reds.

Ashley Cole 2.0: Chelsea may regret 2020 sale who's now worth 9100% more

Chelsea let an exciting talent leave for less than £1m who could be the next Ashley Cole

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 29, 2024

As Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's men gear up for life in League One, here's everything you need to know about their pre-season.

Wrexham celebrated back-to-back promotions at the end of the 2023-24 season and will be eager to push on once more in their bid to scale the heights of the Premier League.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Welcome to Wrexham venture has breathed life into the Welsh team, with a growing fanbase in the United States and across the world.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Wrexham's pre-season plans ahead of the 2024-25 season, plus ticket information, where to watch games live and more.

GettyWrexham 2024 pre-season fixtures & results

Jul 13Hanley Town 1-5 Wrexham8am ET (1pm BST)Low-cost Roofing Stoke Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, EnglandJul 20Wrexham 1-1 Bournemouth7pm ET (00:00am BST, Jul 21)Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, CAJul 24Chelsea 2-2 Wrexham10pm ET (3am BST, Jul 25)Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CAJul 27Vancouver Whitecaps 1-4 Wrexham7:30pm ET (00:30am BST, Jul 28)BC Place, VancouverAug 3Wrexham 1-0 Fleetwood Town10am ET (3pm BST)SToK Cae Ras, Wrexham, Wales

First up, the Red Dragons defeated Hanley Town 5-1 on July 13.

Wrexham's pre-season tour of the United States and Canada was dubbed the 'Wrex Coast Tour'. It saw them lock horns with Premier League and MLS teams over the summer, with fans on the West Coast getting the chance to see their favourite players in the flesh.

The tour kicked off with a 1-1 draw in Santa Barbara, California against Bournemouth on July 20 (local time) at the home of the UCSB sports teams, the 17,000-capacity Harder Stadium.

After that, Wrexham collided with Premier League giants Chelsea at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara on July 24 and the game, which was not without incident, finished 2-2.

Then, on July 27, the Welsh team headed north to Canada, where a meeting with Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps took place, with the Red Dragons winning 4-1.

Wrexham ended their pre-season schedule with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town on August 3.

AdvertisementWrexham 2024 pre-season tour ticketsBuy Wrexham tickets at Ticketmaster USCheck availability

Tickets for Wrexham's pre-season 'Wrex Coast Tour' are available to buy now.

Tickets for Wrexham vs Bournemouth @ Harder StadiumTickets for Chelsea vs Wrexham @ Levi's StadiumTickets for Vancouver Whitecaps vs Wrexham @ BC Place

Read our comprehensive guide to buying Wrexham tickets here.

How to watch Wrexham pre-season games on TV & livestream online

Although complete TV details of Wrexham's pre-season games are not available, fans in the US can watch the games against Bournemouth and Chelsea on ESPN+, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Fubo (sign up for a free 7-day trial), DirecTV Stream and Sling Orange.

The friendly game against Chelsea may be available to watch on Chelsea's official website or the 5th Stand App, which usually broadcasts the Blues' friendly matches.

Read more about how to watch Wrexham games live.

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When does the 2024-25 season start for Wrexham?

The 2024-25 EFL League One season is scheduled to start on August 10, 2024. That means Wrexham will have approximately two weeks between their final pre-season game and their first competitive match of the season.

Games will come thick and fast for the Welsh side once the season begins, with the Carabao Cup usually kicking off in August too.

The legspinner appeared to have turned the game on its head but the Sydney Sixers lower order had other ideas

Andrew McGlashan08-Jan-2020Sydney Sixers 8 for 137 (Khan 4-22) beat Adelaide Strikers 136 (Weatherald 47, Curran 4-22) by two wicketsRashid Khan turned on the magic with a hat-trick but could not quite carry the Adelaide Strikers to victory in a low-scoring thriller against the Sydney Sixers. The unlikely matchwinner with the bat was Josh Hazlewood, the day before he flies to India with the ODI squad, as he struck his first three balls for four to seal the win with eight deliveries to spare.The batting of both teams fell away from very similar positions: the Strikers were 2 for 79 in the 10th over before eventually losing their last seven wickets for 25 then the Sixers 3 for 79 in the 11th, and seemingly in control, when Khan removed Daniel Hughes which created havoc in the middle order.The Sixers’ bowlers had more-than done their job. Hazlewood, in the role he is more accustomed to, sent down 12 dot balls across four one-over spells, Lloyd Pope took two in his last over and Tom Curran claimed 4 for 22. Curran’s batting then came to the fore again as he got the Sixers close to their target. His dismissal appeared to open the door for the Strikers, but Hazlewood had other ideas.Even early tussleIn the first half of the Strikers’ innings, each time either side was taking the ascendancy the other would hit back. Jackson Bird produced an excellent delivery to find Phil Salt’s edge and Matt Short was beaten by Ben Dwarshuis’ yorker as the Strikers ended the powerplay on 2 for 53. Jake Weatherald, who is having a good tournament, was building another promising innings as he took on Bird, taking 15 off the fourth over, and was 34 off 18 balls at the end of the fielding restrictions. Then the Sixers started to squeeze and the final ball of the 10th over from Curran was a yorker that beat Weatherald for pace. It would prove a key momentPope bounces back to prompt collapseAlex Carey struggled to get his innings off the ground, reaching 15 off 19 balls, but the 13th over from Pope looked as though it could be the moment to bring lift-off as consecutive fours – breaking a series of 20 deliveries without a boundary – were followed by five wides. However, having conceded 30 off three overs, Pope, who was selected ahead of a fit-again Steve O’Keefe, showed his character by having a big impact in his last over. He had Jono Wells caught at deep midwicket and pinned Michael Neser lbw four balls later. Two balls into the next over, from Curran, the dangerous Khan made a poor choice with a cross-batted swipe and the innings was falling away. In the end, the Strikers couldn’t even make their 20 overs as Curran claimed two in the final over.Rashid Khan the T20 kingKhan was used unusually early, sending down the second over of the innings, and was taken for 11 runs before being held back until the powerplay was finished. The Sixers were reasonably steady on 2 for 46 despite early inroads by Neser, but then Khan started to get to work. Hughes was brilliantly caught at slip as he went for a cut, the ball reaching Short in the blink of an eye, with Khan then withdrawn from the attack again. It was the 11th over, immediately after the timeout, where it looked as though he had changed the game as he nicked out James Vince and won an lbw verdict against Jack Edwards which replays showed was missing leg. With the first ball of his next over another googly spun through Jordan Silk to give him his third T20 hat-trick.Sixers’ lower order hold their nerveKhan had five balls left but could not add a fifth wicket and he was finished by the 14th over. When Dwarshuis edged a swipe against Peter Siddle the Sixers were 7 for 97 but not for the first time Curran showed his batting pedigree. He had earned the Sixers a Super Over against the Sydney Thunder last month – which they went on to win – and here whittled the requirement down to 12 off 13 balls only to play around a full delivery from Harry Conway. It left a run-a-ball for the last two wickets to try and score, but after a single by Bird it only needed three shots from Hazlewood – an upper cut, an edge wide of the keeper and a perfect cover drive – against his former Australia team-mate Siddle to get the job done.

Nails perfect yorkers as Strikers defend 12 off the final over to remain unbeaten

The Report by Shashank Kishore27-Dec-2019Peter Siddle experienced ecstasy and agony within the space of three deliveries. He’d just dismissed the rampaging Glenn Maxwell for a 25-ball 43. This was Adelaide Strikers’ game to lose now, but in the same over, he saw Nathan Coulter-Nile back away and put him into the stands to bring the game in the balance again, with Melbourne Stars needing 24 off 12 balls.Siddle would once again be called in to defend 12 off the final over with Ben Dunk and Coulter-Nile still at the crease. He responded by nailing three yorkers – five full deliveries in all – as Strikers squeezed home by five runs to remain unbeaten after three games. Siddle’s international career may or may not be over, his BBL career certainly isn’t, for there’s still enough fuel burning inside. Stars, meanwhile, registered their first loss in three matches.Peter Siddle’s experience has often come good in the BBL•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Dale Steyn’s BBL initiationDale Steyn’s first four balls in his BBL career had people wondering briefly if they’d be able to see magic from him. Jake Weatherald thumped the first ball to mid-off, and then hit him for a sequence of 6,6,4,4. The method was simple: stand inside the crease, get under the length and go over the top. The third of those boundaries was off a slower ball. Weatherald 1-0 Steyn.In his previous T20 outing, on December 1 at the Mzansi Super League, he’d conceded 10 runs in four overs combined. Now, Steyn was properly under pressure now. Having seen the full deliveries disappear, he shortened his length and cramped Weatherald for room, and had his man when the batsman toe-ended another lofted hit off a thickish inside edge to Glenn Maxwell at mid-on. Weatherald 1-1 Steyn.Legspinning twins pull it backMaxwell immediately took Steyn off and introduced Adam Zampa, who struck off his second delivery with some drift and fizz off the pitch. Having watched Weatherald thump boundaries, Phil Salt tried to leave his mark too, and he may have erred in playing for turn as this one gathered pace after pitching to beat his slog and castle him. It could’ve been a double-strike had Marcus Stoinis not put down Matthew Short first ball at extra cover when he stepped out to drill a half-volley.However, Short’s stay was short-lived – no pun intended – as he was foxed two overs later by Nepal leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Having seen Alex Carey caress the ball inside-out for six only two balls earlier, Short tried to do the same. Except, he didn’t pick the googly and didn’t have the length to get underneath it. Bowled. Strikers 53 for 3 after the Powerplay.Glenn Maxwell is very good at playing some unbelievable shots•Getty Images

Carey lends control, Wells rides luckCarey had driven sublimely through covers and mid-off so far in the season. His drives had produced 44 runs (four fours and three sixes) off just 19 balls. And he showed those imperious driving skills by hitting Zampa and Maxwell with the spin to clear long-off and the extra cover boundary. It was evident why three IPL teams were in a frenetic bidding war for Carey.At the other end, Jonathan Wells struggled on the face of some tight spin bowling in the second half. And every time he looked for a release shot, he found fielders who reprieved him. First, Hilton Cartwright put down a simple chance at deep midwicket on 20. Then Zampa himself put one down on 25, running backwards from point. It didn’t help that Steyn kept the pressure on with a tight second over with four dots, including a 148.3kph thunderbolt that swung away late to beat the outside edge.Fortunately, Wells fought through and after pottering to 17 off his first 20 deliveries, he made 51 off his last 26 deliveries; his 13-ball stand of 32 with Rashid Khan, including the dismantling of Nathan Coulter-Nile for three successive fours in the final over. Suddenly, a 155-160 total had been lifted to 174 for 4.Stars’ contrasting powerplay approachWhere Strikers had a turbocharge in the powerplay, Stars seemed intent on taking the chase deep after losing two early wickets. They played out 29 dot balls in the first 10 overs; in comparison the Strikers’ innings had just 40 dots. This slow-steady-boom approach also brought with it the risk of having to negotiate Rashid Khan, who was held back until the ninth over – in the second half.Marcus Stoinis struggled for timing. He tried to back away and flick, back away and scoop, back away and slash – just about anything. But it just didn’t come off, barring the one hit into the top tier for six in the 10th over. But two balls later, he was out to an excellent reflex catch off his own bowling by medium pacer Cameron Valente. Enter Maxwell.Siddle pips Maxwell Wells will tell you why cricket is a great leveller. His unbeaten 46-ball 68 fired Strikers to a score far above what they looked like getting at one stage. But later in the evening, his reprieve off Maxwell with the Strikers seemingly in control could have been a massive moment on another night.On 5 off 9 with Stars needing 79 off 39, Maxwell swung a length ball over wide long-on, only to see Wells tip it over for six. From there on, he brought the chase within sniffing distance with some of the most audacious hitting to make 43 off just 25 balls. When he fell, looking to reverse hook a short ball, from Peter Siddle, Stars still needed 34 off 14 balls.Coulter-Nile, who leaked 17 off the final over, then came in and clobbered a clutch of sixes to bring the chase within sniffing distance, only to run into Siddle, who nailed yorkers at will to finish with 3 for 24 as Strikers stole victory under Stars’ noses.

Replacing Jurgen Klopp is almost as impossible as it sounds, but it's something that Liverpool must do this summer following the German's exit announcement a few months ago. Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen stay has since made that task even more difficult, but a fresh update on Ruben Amorim has offered the Reds some positive news.

Ruben Amorim to Liverpool update

Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have been left with no choice but to pivot away from Alonso following the Spaniard's announcement that he will be staying at Leverkusen for at least another season. In an ideal world, one of Europe's hottest prospects in the managerial world would've been on his way to Anfield, alas Alonso made his choice and Liverpool must look elsewhere.

Since the Alonso news, the main two names mentioned have been Roberto De Zerbi, who has done an excellent job at Brighton & Hove Albion, and Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, who has equally impressed in Portugal. Reports have suggested that the Brighton man is currently not near the top of the Reds' shortlist, however.

Meanwhile, according to Pedro Sepulveda, Liverpool have formally opened negotiations over welcoming Amorim to replace Klopp this summer and are leading the race to sign the highly-rated 39-year-old. The deal won't come cheap though, given that the manager's release clause allegedly sits at a hefty €20m (£17m), though that could yet be re-negotiated in the coming months and may even be set lower for clubs outside of Portugal.

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He’s not made a competitive appearance for the club since October 2021.

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Sepulveda, of course, initially broke the news that Liverpool were signing Darwin Nunez and now looks to have provided further positive news for those at Anfield ahead of a busy summer window. If negotiations are successful, then the Reds may have found their replacement for Klopp.

"Talented" Amorim can replicate Klopp's intensity

No matter who comes in to replace Klopp, they must be as close in style as possible to the Anfield legend. And Amorim, whilst still having a number of differences, can replicate Klopp's desire for intensity on the pitch, with his system implementing a similarly suffocating press to how the current Liverpool boss first aimed to set up his team when arriving in 2015. That said, this is not without its risks, as The Athletic's Alex Barker explained last month.

Still a young manager at 39-years-old, Liverpool would need to give Amorim time to adjust to the Premier League, but just like Klopp, it may well be worth it in the long run. What will undoubtedly help is the fact that Klopp is leaving behind a squad currently on course to win the Premier League with academy players thriving more than they have since the days of Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.

Described as "talented" by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, the Premier League may see exactly what Amorim has to offer sooner rather than later.

Despite having not yet appointed a Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), the BCCI has put out an advertisement to fill positions in the national selection panels including the men’s committee where two members were on extension. On Sunday, the BCCI advertised to fill up the following positions: two slots on the senior men’s selection committee, all five in the senior women’s selection committee, and two on the junior men’s selection panel. Applicants need to apply by January 24.All applicants need to have retired from the game at least five years ago. Candidates applying for the senior men’s positions should have played a minimum of seven Test matches, or 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches. Applicants for the senior women’s positions should have played for the India women team, while the junior men’s candidates should have played a minimum of 25 first-class matches.Out of the five members on the current men’s selection committee, former India and Andhra wicketkeeper MSK Prasad and former India and Rajasthan batsman Gagan Khoda have been on an extension, having finished their original four-year tenures in November 2019. Both Prasad and Khoda were originally appointed in 2015, as part of the previous selection panel led by former India batsman Sandeep Patil.Prasad’s panel picked its final squad on January 12 for India’s tour of New Zealand. The selectors were originally scheduled to announce three squads for the tour, which comprises five T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests. However, the BCCI released only the T20I squad, without providing any information on when the ODI and Test squads would be announced.It remains unclear whether Prasad’s panel will convene one last time to pick those two squads. The ODI series starts on February 5 while the Tests will commence on February 21.In 2016, the BCCI for the first time picked selectors based on interviews, discarding the long-standing process of picking members from each of the five zones. Joining Prasad and Khoda were three new members – former India offspinner Sarandeep Singh, former India and Bengal batsman Devang Gandhi and former Mumbai captain Jatin Paranjpe. Prasad, being the most experienced, was appointed chairman of selectors.A productive tenureIf this is the end of the journey for Prasad’s panel, they have plenty to feel proud of. The biggest thing Prasad has stressed in his interactions with the media has been the desire of his panel to solidify India’s bench strength. About three dozen debuts have been taken place across the three formats, with the selectors focused on creating back-ups for every position.During this panel’s tenure, India reached the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, won a historic Test series in Australia, solidified their position as the world’s No. 1 Test team, and made the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup. The most contentious call Prasad’s panel had to make concerned the former India captain MS Dhoni, whose wavering batting form raised questions over his place in the limited-overs teams. The selectors kept faith in Dhoni until the 2019 World Cup, but he hasn’t played since the end of the tournament, with Prasad remarking that the selectors had “moved on”. Dhoni’s name was missing from the list of BCCI-contracted players released on Thursday, but the questions over his future haven’t yet been decisively answered, even as Prasad moves on himself.Aunshuman Gaekwad, Kapil Dev and Shanta Rangaswamy have all resigned from the CAC•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo

Uncertainty hangs over CAC situationEven though the BCCI has issued a call for applicants, it is not clear who exactly will conduct the interviews to pick the new selectors. Even as it has retained the eligibility criteria as mentioned in the constitution that were formed as per the RM Lodha Committee’s recommendations, the board still needs to appoint the CAC, which has been tasked specifically with picking the men’s selection panel. Since last November there has been no CAC, after all three members of the previous panel stepped down in the wake of conflict-of-interest charges filed against them.The BCCI, which elected a new administration last October led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, has found itself in a spot trying to find new members for the CAC. Ganguly said appointing a new CAC would be one of the first tasks of his administration, but he has admitted that the existing conflict-of-interest rules have proved to be an obstacle, with former players not keen to serve on the committeee. Nonetheless, three former India players – Madan Lal, Gautam Gambhir and Sulakshana Naik – had recently given the BCCI their nod for joining the CAC.The BCCI, however, has not yet made the news public, mainly because it is still waiting for the Supreme Court to respond to its plea concerning various amendments to the board’s constitution including relaxing the conflict norms. The court has not yet fixed a hearing date, leaving the BCCI restless.