With CONCACAF arguably the deepest it's ever been, GOAL looks at the North American stars ruling the region

Who is the best player in CONCACAF? The debate rages on – and rightfully so. With around 400 days until the 2026 World Cup, all eyes are on the region, especially as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico prepare to host. This month's CONCACAF Nations League offered another stage for the region's biggest stars to shine, and it's safe to say Mexico's triumph at the end of it all shook things up.

Determining the best isn’t easy. CONCACAF is arguably deeper than ever in terms of talent. For years, the U.S. and Mexico dominated, but that’s no longer the case. The rise of teams like Canada, Panama and Jamaica has made this debate more intriguing, thanks to their own standout players.

Panama, the competition's underdog, defeated the U.S. to book a date with Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League finale, and it was only a late penalty call that undid their quest for a trophy. And Canada denied the U.S. any sense of redemption by winning the third-place game over the three-time defending champions.

When evaluating the best, several factors come into play, but none more than form – at both club and international level. The truly great players deliver no matter the jersey. That’s what sets them apart.

So who are the best players in CONCACAF right now? And who is No. 1? GOAL takes a look.

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  7Tyler Adams: USMNT 🌟

  He's back healthy, and what a difference that makes for club and country.

  For the USMNT, that difference didn't lead to overall team results, but the eye test made it quite clear how much Adams adds to the midfield. The debate rages on when it comes to him having another defensive-minded midfielder next to him, and the fact that it is a debate illustrates just how much ground Adams can cover on his own.

  He's been thriving for Bournemouth, earning the club's Player of the Month honors for February. His injury issues seem behind him, knock on wood, which means Adams can now reclaim his place among the best in CONCACAF.

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  6Alphonso Davies: Canada ⬇️

  A tough one for Davies, who will soon fall off this list after sustaining a serious injury. The Canadian star tore his ACL in Canada's win over the USMNT, which will knock him out for an extended period of time. The good news is that he'll be back in advance of the World Cup, but he'll need to rebuild his body after this unfortunate setback.

  On his day, Davies might be the best player in this region. There's a reason he's just signed a new Bayern contract, ending any hopes of a Real Madrid move, and that reason is obvious: Bayern need him. To be such a key player at a club that big is an incredible success story, although that story just took a big blow with this injury.

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  5Santi Gimenez: Mexico ⬇️

  His strike partner did all of the heavy lifting during the Nations League, but EL Tri fans have plenty of reasons to remain high on their young AC Milan star.

  He assisted Joao Felix in his Milan debut, scored his first goal just a few days later, and then netted in the Champions League defeat to his former club Feyenoord. In total, he has three goals in his first 10 games in all competitions, a respectable haul given the leap in level.

  More importantly for Mexico's sake, though, he proved he can play as a second striker during the Match window, helping lead the Mexico attack in the Nations League win. Gimenez still has a lot of growing to do if he's going to be the prolific goalscorer many think he can be on the international level but he's clearly on a good track.

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  4Antonee Robinson: USMNT ↔️

  His incredible form showed during the first half of the season has slowed down a bit, but it still remains true: there are few Premier League players that can say they're having a better season than Robinson.

  Only one, Mohamed Salah, has more assists in England's top flight this season – with the Liverpool star at 17 to Robinson's 10. So what does that mean for Robinson? Well, it means he's playing at a ridiculously high level.

  If you didn't believe that before, just look at how much the USMNT dropped off without him in the XI in the Nations League. With Robinson injured, the U.S. struggled with width, something that the Fulham star adds to the team every time he's on the field.

  As modern fullbacks go, Robinson can do it all. He contributes those assists, is very good defensively and his pace and timing allow him to make multiple key plays a game on either side of the field. With or without the ball, Robinson does vital things for club and country, which is why he continues to stay right near the top of this list.

Having only just returned at the end of November, Callum Wilson has reportedly suffered yet another injury setback at Newcastle United, which will keep him sidelined for a number of forthcoming games.

Newcastle injury news

Injuries have followed the former Bournemouth forward all throughout his career and especially at Newcastle. It took him until the end of last month to make his first appearance of the season, featuring against West Ham United. But four games later and Wilson has been sidelined once again. It’s further proof that those at St James’ Park must simply find a replacement for the Englishman.

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On that front, names such as Bryan Mbeumo have already been linked with a move to Tyneside and there’s no doubt that the Brentford star would make quite the impact. Given his ability to play both as a winger and as a forward, Mbeumo would kill two birds with one stone by replacing both Wilson and Miguel Almiron, who is also likely to depart this summer.

Wilson, of course, is currently set to depart as a free agent at the end of the campaign when his current contract expires. And as things stand, he’s set to bow out with a narrative surrounded by injuries rather than in a starring role.

According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Wilson is now set to miss a further two months of action after picking up a hamstring injury in his latest setback. It’s a blow that could impact Newcastle on and off the pitch, since they’re now unlikely to be in a position to cash in on their forward who looks destined to leave on a free next summer.

The Magpies must now hope that Alexander Isak avoids a recurrence of his recent injury issues, which would compile their misery once and for all in the middle of the Premier League’s busiest period of fixtures.

Which games will Wilson miss?

If Wilson is set to miss another two months of action, then he is unlikely to return until the middle of February, skipping the January transfer window and the busy festive period of fixtures – just when Newcastle need their squad depth the most. If sidelined for that long then the forward will miss a total of 11 games and may return to face Manchester City on February 15.

Games Wilson will miss	Date	Competition
Newcastle vs Leicester City	14/12/2024	Premier League
Newcastle vs Brentford	18/12/2024	League Cup
Ipswich Town vs Newcastle	21/12/2024	Premier League
Newcastle vs Aston Villa	26/12/2024	Premier League
Man Utd vs Newcastle	30/12/2024	Premier League
Tottenham vs Newcastle	04/01/2025	Premier League
Newcastle vs Bromley	12/01/2025	FA Cup
Newcastle vs Wolves	15/01/2025	Premier League
Newcastle vs Bournemouth	18/01/2025	Premier League
Southampton vs Newcastle	25/01/2025	Premier League
Newcastle vs Fulham	01/02/2025	Premier League

Missing notable games against Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the battle to reach the European places, Wilson should be desperate to return and finally make his mark in the current campaign.

Glasgow Rangers chiefs will not be pleased with the way the season has gone so far as the club already look set to miss out on the Scottish Premiership title.

The Light Blues are 16 points behind rivals Celtic in the top-flight and it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will be able to leapfrog their rivals to win a first title since the 2020/21 campaign under Steven Gerrard.

Philippe Clement’s side also missed out on the chance to secure a piece of silverware last month when they lost to Celtic on penalties in the final of the League Cup at Hampden Park.

The Light Blues must, now, focus their efforts on the SFA Cup and the Europa League in terms of ending the season with at least one piece of silverware to show for their efforts.

Clement and Nils Koppen could look to use the January transfer window to improve the squad with a view to giving the team the best chance of competing in those two competitions.

There are still around two weeks or so left to go before the deadline at the start of next month and one thing the Gers could look to do is manage their wage bill.

The highest earners at Rangers

The Light Blues moved on a number of experienced, high-earning, players last summer when they allowed the likes of John Lundstram, Todd Cantwell, Kemar Roofe, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, and Connor Goldson to move on from Ibrox.

Rangers do still, however, have a number of players on significant contracts who have not performed in line with their salary, when you consider the performances of some of the players earning less than them.

Rangers

Weekly wage

James Tavernier

£30k

Cyriel Dessers

£27k

Vaclav Cerny

£27k

Danilo

£26k

Jack Butland

£25k

Rabbi Matondo

£23k

Dujon Sterling

£22k

Tom Lawrence

£22k

Ianis Hagi

£21k

Nicolas Raskin

£19k

Wages via SalarySport

As you can see in the table above, a number of duds who do not start for the Light Blues on a regular basis are in the top ten earners at Ibrox, which is something that Koppen and Clement should look to address.

If you exclude Cerny, who is only on loan from Wolfsburg, Ianis Hagi is the only attacking midfielder or winger in that list who has started matches regularly this season, whether through form or fitness.

Hagi and Hamza Igamane, who is reportedly on a weekly wage of £7.2k, have both been standout stars for the Gers in the Premiership with their impressive performances at the top end of the pitch this term.

Igamane and Hagi's form for Rangers this season

Neither of them started the 2024/25 campaign as starters in their respective positions but have catapulted to first-choice status and now seem undroppable.

Igamane joined the club last summer and was initially behind Cyriel Dessers in the pecking order. The Morocco U23 international has plundered an incredible 11 goals and two assists in his last 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues.

As you can see in the highlights above, the 22-year-old centre-forward recently scored his first hat-trick for the Scottish giants in the 3-3 draw with Motherwell.

He has emerged as a consistent and lethal attacker for the Light Blues this season, whilst Dessers – who earns almost £20k more per week – has only scored six goals in 19 league matches.

24/25 Premiership

Ianis Hagi

Hamza Igamane

Appearances

12

18

Starts

9

11

Goals

1

8

Big chances created

4

5

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

Assists

4

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Igamane and Hagi have both provided plenty of quality at the top end of the pitch for Clement in the Premiership this term and have emerged as crucial players for the club.

There is an attacker in the squad, however, who earns more than both of them and should be ruthlessly sold by Koppen and the Gers boss before the end of the transfer window – Rabbi Matondo.

Why Rangers should sell Rabbi Matondo

As shown in the table earlier, the Wales international is the fifth-highest earner at the club, excluding loanees, on £23k-per-week and has not done enough to justify that over the last 18 months.

The 24-year-old winger has only started two of his six appearances in the Premiership this season and has been an unused substitute in three of the last four matches, featuring in two of the last six since his return from injury.

Matondo has produced two goals and two assists in those six games, but all four of those goal contributions came in a 6-0 thrashing of Ross County, with zero goals or assists in the other five matches.

The Rangers flop missed 17 competitive games with a hamstring injury before his return to action in December, and that has been the story of his time at Ibrox to date.

Matondo has not offered much in the way of consistent contributions in the final third and has been absent far too often with fitness-related issues, which is why he is not a reliable player for Clement, particularly in comparison to Igamane and Hagi.

Rabbi Matondo’s injuries at Rangers

Injury

Length of injury

Games missed

Unknown

January 2023 – April 2023

20

Knee

September 2023 – November 2023

13

Muscle

February 2024 – March 2024

6

Hamstring

September 2024 – December 2024

17

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh attacker has missed a whopping 56 competitive games since his move to Glasgow from Schalke in the summer of 2022.

Matondo has also only produced eight goals and 12 assists in 67 appearances for the Light Blues in all competitions during that time, which shows that he has not offered much to the team on the pitch in almost three seasons at Ibrox.

It was recently reported that Torino and Lecce are both interested in signing the forward and that a fee of £2m could be on the cards, and Clement must push for a deal to go through before the end of the window.

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The Rangers boss must ruthlessly ditch the winger from the squad because he has not offered enough, in terms of performances or availability, to justify the high wages he is on.

Looking to sharpen their attack in 2025, Manchester United are now reportedly plotting a move to sign an impressive forward who their scouts just watched shock Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have plenty of work to do when 2025 arrives, as exposed by their recent inconsistency under new manager Ruben Amorim. What certainly hasn’t helped the former Sporting boss, however, is the comments of Marcus Rashford. Attempting to rebuild and finally turn things around at Old Trafford, the last thing that Amorim needed was one of his star players setting his sights on a fresh challenge.

Sending clubs around Europe on red alert, Rashford now seems destined to leave Old Trafford as a case of what might have been given the impact that he made when he first broke through into the Manchester United side. As one star departs, however, another could swiftly arrive.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Manchester United are now plotting a move to sign Benjamin Sesko after sending scouts to watch the RB Leipzig striker score within just two minutes against Bayern Munich, only to eventually find himself on the wrong end of a 5-1 mauling in the Bundesliga.

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Reportedly valued at €70-75m (£58-62m), Sesko certainly won’t come cheap but if Manchester United are looking to sharpen what has been a blunt attack at times this season, then splashing out on a striker of his calibre may well be the way forward.

"Weapon" Sesko is ready for big move

Having decided to stay put last summer instead of completing a move to Arsenal, Sesko has since solidified his place as one of the most exciting rising stars in European football. And now, one year on from rejecting the Gunners, he’s more ready than ever to depart Leipzig and complete a move to the biggest stage, which is where Manchester United could come in.

Just 21 years old, Sesko has been the star of the show ever since joining RB Leipzig and that has only remained the case in the current campaign with 11 goals and three assists from 23 games in all competitions. Earning deserved praise as a result, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the Manchester United target “the Slovenian weapon” back in October.

Signing Sesko would certainly be one way to steal the headlines away from Rashford’s potential exit and there’s no doubting the impact that he would also make on the pitch.

أدلى لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي آرسنال، ديكلان رايس، بتصريحات صحفية، عقب خسارة فريقه أمام باريس سان جيرمان في منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفاز باريس سان جيرمان بنتيجة 2-1 على خصمه آرسنال، في إياب دور نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، في نظامه الجديد على ملعب “بارك دي برانس” (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

بهذه النتيجة، يتمكن باريس سان جيرمان من التأهل إلى نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا للمرة الثانية في تاريخه، بفوزه في مجموع المباراتين أمام آرسنال، بنتيجة 3-1، ليضرب موعدًا مع إنتر ميلان في نهائي البطولة.

وقال ديكلان رايس في تصريحات إلى قناة “TNT SPORTS”: “أعتقد أننا كنا مسيطرين اليوم، إذا سجّلنا فرصة واحدة في أول 15-20 دقيقة، فستكون فرصتنا في المباراة أكبر”.

وأضاف رايس: “ارتكبنا خطأين منّا وسجّلوا هدفين. بذلنا قصارى جهدنا، ولم يكن ذلك مقدرًا لنا. إما أن نتأهل أو نخرج من هذه البطولة. خلال مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، كان بإمكاننا تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، لكن دوناروما كان مذهلاً، ولم يكن ذلك مقدرًا لنا”.

وتابع رايس: “أحيانًا، يجب أن نخسر بعض المباريات لنفوز ونتجاوز العقبات لنتطور كلاعب وكمجموعة، نمرّ بهذه المرحلة حاليًا في الدوري ودوري أبطال أوروبا – لقد شاركنا هنا موسمين متتاليين، نتطور كفريق، لكننا بحاجة إلى مواصلة العمل والإيمان. نشعر بخيبة أمل كبيرة، سنكون أقوى بعودة لاعبينا الذين غابوا لفترة طويلة”.

عن الإصابات: “الأمر صعب، لقد أمضينا الموسم بأكمله بدون خمسة أو ستة من أفضل لاعبينا، لذا فإن ما حققناه أمراً لا يُصدق. لقد بذلنا قصارى جهدنا، الفريق بأكمله، الجميع كان في قمة تألقه، والجميع آمن بقدراتنا”.

وأشار: “جميعنا يريد الفوز بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا. لهذا السبب نلعب كرة القدم، نريد الفوز بالألقاب، نريد أن نكون في القمة، ونفوز بكل شيء، لسببٍ ما، لم يكن ذلك مُقدّرًا لنا، كنا قريبين جدًا، وهذا ليس كافيًا”.

واختتم قائلاً: “يستحق أرسنال السعي للفوز بالألقاب، ولكن لا يوجد الكثير مما يمكننا فعله. لقد عانى العديد من النجوم من الهزائم للوصول إلى القمة، إنه لأمرٌ مؤلم، كما ترى اللاعبين، والمدرب، أردنا التواجد في ميونخ، لكن هذا لا يُحددنا، وسنعود”.

He top-scored with 51 off 33 as India racked up 198 for 8 and then took four wickets to dismantle England

Matt Roller07-Jul-20221:26

Is Bhuvneshwar Kumar now a certainty for India’s World Cup squad?

The post mortem into India’s group-stage exit from last year’s T20 World Cup was long and gruesome, but perhaps the diagnosis was simple: they are a different team with a fully-fit Hardik Pandya in their middle order.Hardik was a bit-part player at the World Cup following back and shoulder injuries, facing 45 balls and bowling only four overs across five games, but at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday night, he was the driving force behind India’s 50-run win. He top-scored with 51 off 33 as India racked up 198 for 8, playing with plenty of attacking intent, then took three wickets with the new ball to dismantle England’s top order, before finishing with 4 for 33.Related

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Rohit Sharma, returning to competitive cricket after contracting Covid-19, chose to bat first on an excellent pitch, and set the tone with 24 off 14 before edging Moeen Ali’s arm ball through to Jos Buttler, in his first game as England’s full-time limited-overs captain after Eoin Morgan’s international retirement.Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav both contributed with fast-scoring cameos, putting England’s attack under pressure, though Chris Jordan’s impressive spell of 2 for 23 in four overs, eschewing his usual yorker plan for hard lengths, kept India below 200.England needed a fast start but slumped to 33 for 4 against the new, swinging ball. Arshdeep Singh, on debut, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar both found prodigious movement as the sun went down, Bhuvneshwar bowling Buttler for a first-ball duck with a hooping inswinger.Hardik struck twice in his first over, removing Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone, then removed Jason Roy with the first ball after the powerplay for an uncharacteristically scratchy 4 off 16 balls. Moeen and Harry Brook added 61 for the fifth wicket in six overs to keep England’s hopes alive, but Yuzvendra Chahal removed both of them in the space of five balls to end the game as a contest.2:26

Jaffer: Arshdeep Singh ‘a very skillful bowler’

High risk, high reward
India went hard against England in the powerplay, and Moeen in particular. Buttler introduced his offspinner to bowl the third over, matching him up against the left-handed Ishan Kishan, but after Kishan knocked a single, Rohit slog-swept him for consecutive fours through square leg.He fell immediately after, edging through to Buttler, but Hooda continued to take Moeen on, launching consecutive sixes over long-on to move to 12 off three balls. Kishan fell to his second ball from Moeen as Buttler had planned, top-edging a sweep to short fine-leg, but India finished the powerplay 66 for 2, with Moeen’s two overs worth 26.Hard lengths pay off
England have struggled big time at the death over the past year, epitomised by their defeat to New Zealand in last year’s World Cup semi-final, and made a distinctive shift in their plans in a bid to address that issue. Jordan tends to rely heavily on his yorkers, but used the long square boundaries at the Ageas Bowl to his advantage, banging the ball into the pitch and hitting 89mph/144kph.From 150 for 4 after 14 overs, India’s innings fell away somewhat. Matt Parkinson, playing as England’s main wristspinner with Adil Rashid making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, dragged his figures back after an expensive start but was thrashed for six by Hardik to bring up a 30-ball half-century.He fell to Reece Topley shortly after, slashing to deep point, and despite a couple of late boundaries from Dinesh Karthik, India fell short of the 200-plus score that had looked like an inevitability for much of the innings.1:45

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Win the powerplay, win the game
Bhuvneshwar’s first over was a masterpiece, moving four balls away from Roy before hooping an inswinger through Buttler and into the top of his leg stump. Arshdeep, the left-arm seamer who starred for Punjab Kings at the IPL this year, shared the new ball on his debut and moved it both ways, starting his international career with a maiden to Roy.Malan hit England’s first four boundaries, three of them in the space of four balls, as he found his timing against length balls. But then he dragged Hardik’s nip-backer on to his own stumps as he looked to guide him away through third. Hardik struck again in his second over, following Livingstone as he shuffled across to scoop, inducing a glove through to Karthik, and when Roy miscued the first legal ball after the powerplay to third, India had the game sewn up.Moeen and Brook kept England alive, attacking Chahal and Axar Patel, but Brook picked out midwicket and Moeen was stumped in the same Chahal over to end any faint hopes of a comeback win. Hardik claimed his fourth wicket when Sam Curran edged behind, and Arshdeep marked his debut by dismissing Topley, caught behind off a slower ball, and Parkinson, slapping to point.The margin of victory would have been even wider but for India’s mistakes in the field, with Karthik, who dropped three catches, particularly culpable. But a 50-run win reflected their dominance. With five members of the Test squad returning for Saturday’s game at Edgbaston, they will be confident of sealing the series.

With Raphael Wicky having now been ruled out of the running to take over at the Hawthorns due to a disagreement regarding his background staff, West Bromwich Albion’s priorities won’t be able to shift towards the busy transfer window just yet.

When the time comes, plenty of incomings will presumably be targeted by whoever does officially take on the Championship club’s reins as Carlos Corberan’s successor, but there will also be the added worry of some outgoings from the building, with Tom Fellows one player already being eyed up by Premier League suitors.

The promotion candidates will hope they can stand their ground and fend off those higher-up parties looking at their top assets, but it will be easier said than done.

The players that could soon leave West Brom

Many of West Brom’s star performers might well fancy their chances of moving straight up to the Premier League this January, over working tirelessly to get up to the promised land with the Baggies.

Fellows was reportedly being looked at by Everton, off the back of picking up ten assists this season in Championship action, with David Moyes perhaps fancying this acquisition as well now he’s taken on the Toffees job after Sean Dyche’s abrupt dismissal.

The electric 21-year-old has often linked up with West Brom sharpshooter Josh Maja to devastating effect this season, with the ex-Sunderland man also a wanted man this month, as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur surprisingly begin to take note of his EFL goalscoring heroics.

After all, he has been deadly enough in the second tier to warrant both London giants sniffing around, with 12 strikes powered home from 26 league outings making him a target for many a club wanting to boost their firepower.

Away from individuals West Brom would be gutted to lose, there is also another senior face in the Baggies camp that looks to be heading for the exit door without his team putting up too much of a fight.

Jed Wallace's future at West Brom

Indeed, that figure is Jed Wallace, who is allegedly being looked at by the likes of Blackburn Rovers this January amidst doubts over his long-term West Brom future.

The experienced 30-year-old midfielder was a consistent first-teamer last season under Carlos Corberan with 44 league appearances under his belt, only to now be relegated to a presence on-the-fringes this campaign.

Wallace has only made three starts for this side in the Championship during 2024/25, with zero goals or assists coming his way, as the likes of the aforementioned Maja and Fellows shine as bright sparks in the team whilst the ex-Millwall man becomes a forgotten name.

Therefore, it would be a logical next step to try and move the EFL veteran out of the door at some point during this hectic month, with his high wage in the camp also a cause for concern whilst he remains glued to the substitutes bench.

1. Mason Holgate

£70k-per-week

2. Daryl Dike

£32.3k-per-week

= 3. Darnell Furlong

£25k-per-week

= 3. Jed Wallace

£25k-per-week

5. John Swift

£22.5k-per-week

Amazingly, even as he slides dramatically down the pecking order, Wallace still rakes in a hefty £25k-per-week salary, which sees him remain in the top five highest earners bracket at the Hawthorns.

On the contrary, Maja only earns £17k-per-week despite his key ongoing role in his team’s promotion story, whilst Karlan Grant – who has managed to turn around his Baggies career whilst Wallace’s own tale has gone sour – only earns £20k-per-week, despite also firing home six league strikes of his own.

Whilst the 30-year-old has proven his worth to the cause previously – with ex-Sheffield United defender Jack O’Connell even labelling the midfielder’s ability as “unbelievable” once upon a time – the West Brom number seven won’t want to overstay his welcome now, which could result in a bittersweet January departure.

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ByKelan Sarson Jan 11, 2025

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has opened up on captain Virgil van Dijk's drop in form after the Dutchman struggled again in the Reds' shock Fulham loss.

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• Van Dijk struggling for form lately
• Liverpool struggled against Fulham
• Slot not worried about Van Dijk's form

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool started their season off in style and continued to perform as one of the best teams in the world, with Van Dijk's top form in defence helping the Reds' attack and midfield play more freely. However, as the season has gone on, the Merseyside club's form has dropped, and so have Van Dijk's performances.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Van Dijk has had subpar performances over the last couple of months, especially when Liverpool lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 and their loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. The Reds fell to a defeat against Fulham, only the second time in the Premier League this season, and Van Dijk's form was questioned yet again. However, Slot is not worried about the centre-back's form.

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  WHAT SLOT SAID

  Speaking to the media, Slot said: “If you look at Beto, Virgil wasn’t the first defender to find it hard to play against him as he chases for every ball, pushes you just before you get the ball.

  “The one who played there today, you have to give a lot of credit to him as well.

  “I still see a lot of things that Virgil does really well. If you play 50 to 60 games a season, even for Virgil, there will be one or two moments where he could have done better. I don’t worry about Virgil.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR VAN DIJK?

  Liverpool are still uncertain over Van Dijk's future as his contract is set to run out this summer. However, after the loss to Fulham, the Dutchman revealed that he had reopened contract talks with the Reds, but did not fully commit his future to the club.

Hosts cruise to eight-wicket victory over Warwickshire inside first session on final day

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2022

Felix Organ broke the back of a light run chase•Getty Images

Hampshire 370 for 9 dec (Holland 99, Dawson 92, Brown 72*, Hannon-Dalby 5-86) and 91 for 2 (Organ 41) beat Warwickshire 217 (McAndrew 63, Sibley 56, Abbott 5-45) and 24 (Burgess 58, Barker 4-35) by eight wicketsHampshire professionally secured their sixth victory of the season to maintain pressure with Surrey in the LV= Insurance County Championship title race.James Vince’s men needed under two hours to claim the final Warwickshire wicket and knock off the 91 required to win by eight wickets.Felix Organ ticked off 41 of the runs in 36 balls, with a combative suppression of Danny Briggs, with Vince and Nick Gubbins quickly taking Hampshire over the line inside 17 overs.Having lost to Essex last time, Hampshire are now back on their Championship charge and take 23 points out of the match, while Warwickshire return to Edgbaston with four.Warwickshire’s 10th wicket pair of Briggs and George Garrett added 31-morning runs, to take their partnership to 37. Garrett survived an lbw appeal from Keith Barker and a Liam Dawson delivery which turned through the gate but over the stumps.However, he did stroke Barker through the covers before Briggs powerfully swept former Hampshire team-mate Dawson to the boundary twice as the confidence levels grew.Garrett was dropped by Vince on 10 at first slip diving to his right but in the following over, Hampshire’s irritations were ended as Kyle Abbott brushed Briggs’ edge.Organ got the chase moving with the fourth delivery as he guided a cut off Oliver Hannon-Dalby to the third boundary and from then on looked to get the game finished in a rush.Briggs bore the brunt of his assault; Organ advancing and punching him through the covers before alternating between regular and reverse sweeping the Isle of Wight-born spinner to the boundary.His aggression did bring about a comical dropped catch as a huge swipe gently headed towards Alex Davies at mid-off for a gimme catch, only for the ball to pop out of his hands and landed sadly on the turf.The 50 stand came up in 59 balls before Garrett added to his impressive morning when he pinned Ian Holland plumb in front and then caught Organ at square-leg off Briggs.But Vince – who prepared for Vitality Blast Finals Day with 22 off 21 balls – and a reverse-sweeping Nick Gubbins chalked off the remaining 36 runs as Hampshire maintained their unbeaten Ageas Bowl record in the Championship this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os goleiros do Flamengo- Santos, Hugo, Matheus Cunha e Diego Alves – posaram parao media day (fotos e vídeos) especial em homenagem ao dia dedicado à posição, comemorado na última terça-feira (26), no Ninho do Urubu. O quarteto posou para imagens com os novos uniformes da temporada 2022. Veja no vídeo acima.

> GALERIA – Os projetos de novos estádios dos clubes brasileiros

Recém-divulgada, a nova camisa de goleiros do Flamengo, predominante azul, foi lançada com o valor de R$ 279,99, com tamanhos P, M, G, GG, 2GG e 3GG nas lojas oficiais do Flamengo.A personalização de nome (máximo de 13 caracteres) e número (máximo de dois) custa R$ 45.

O PRÓXIMO JOGO DO FLA

> Confira a tabela da Libertadores

Pela terceira rodada do Grupo H da Libertadores, o Flamengo visita a Universidad Católica, em Santiago, às 19h desta quinta-feira, defendendo a sua maior série invicta como visitante no torneio. São nove jogos (sete vitórias e dois empates) em sequência (veja mais aqui).