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Liverpool have been handed a boost in their transfer pursuit of a new defender as he has reportedly told them he is willing to move to Anfield ahead of Manchester City interest.

Liverpool on the brink of overhaul

In some ways, Arne Slot’s early success at Liverpool can be viewed as the last hurrah of a squad with increasingly uncertain futures. Andy Robertson has already begun to lose his place in the Premier League starting XI, while Alisson’s replacement has already been signed in Valencia shot stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will arrive at Anfield in July 2025.

Then there are the contract situations, with Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah all reaching the end of their current deals at the end of the season.

Arne Slot now personally leading Liverpool chase for £8,000-a-week starlet

The Reds boss could finally get his man after a long wait.

ByBen Browning Dec 3, 2024

Though Van Dijk is seemingly the most likely to stay, there is no guarantee, while both Alexander-Arnold and Salah are half expected to leave the club on free transfers, meaning that they can enter into pre-contract talks with other sides around Europe as early as next month.

Should they wish to sustain their position at the top of the Premier League beyond this season then, reinforcements will be needed, and in that regard Liverpool have been handed some much needed good news.

Liverpool favoured over Man City by £50m ace

Now, a fresh report claims that Liverpool will be the preferred side for Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong should they match his asking price in the upcoming transfer windows.

Frimpong has risen to prominence under Xabi Alonso at the Bay Arena after spending his youth with Manchester City. So far this season, he has managed nine goal contributions in all competitions, having managed a mammoth 26 last campaign.

His form caught the eye of plenty of clubs, including Liverpool, over the summer, but no one opted to trigger his €40m (£34m) release clause and that has now expired, meaning that clubs will have to pay more to secure his services.

He has recently re-emerged as a target for Manchester City given the form and age of Kyle Walker, but now Liverpool have been given fresh hope over beating the reigning Premier League champions to a deal.

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that Frimpong has “already given his approval to join Liverpool” in the future. It is claimed that “regular contacts have been taking place” with Frimpong’s representatives “for several weeks”, and that the Leverkusen man has given the green light to an Anfield switch.

Jeremie Frimpong

Trent Alexander-Arnold

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However, he will only be able to do so should Liverpool agree a fee with Leverkusen, and with the release clause no longer valid it is added that the German champions are holding out for close to 60m euros (£50m) to let their prized defender depart.

The German side “has not yet received an official offer from the Reds”, but one could seemingly be imminent as Liverpool prepare for life without Trent Alexander-Arnold. Though a very different player stylistically, could Frimpong be the perfect replacement?

Wolves star Matheus Cunha is facing a potential extended ban after headbutting Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez – could put his summer move under jeopardy.

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Cunha sent off for headbutting KerkezHanded a three-game ban by the FACould see ban extended for 'misconduct'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wolves superstar Cunha was sent off in the closing stages of extra time in the FA Cup clash between his side and Bournemouth, as the Cherries won in a penalty shootout at Vitality Stadium. The straight red card was brandished by referee Sam Barrott after the Brazilian grabbed Kerkez around the neck before appearing to punch, kick and headbutt the full-back. Cunha then seemed to push team-mate Dan Bentley before remonstrating with boss Vitor Pereira.

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The Football Association (FA) has now charged Cunha for 'acting in an improper manner' during the 121st minute of the FA Cup round five clash. The Wolves striker has already been suspended for Saturday's Premier League games against Everton, Southampton, and West Ham.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wolves superstar Cunha has been linked with a potential departure this summer, as the striker has impressed Liverpool and Arsenal, among others. However, the Brazilian's temper has flared quite a few times over the last few seasons, and reports have suggested that his conduct issues could put the Premier League giants off his trail as he was also reprimanded for an altercation with an Ipswich staff member in December.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR CUNHA?

In addition to his three-game ban, his suspension would also be subject to a one-game extension if the misconduct charge is proven, which would prevent him from playing in the vital trip to relegation rivals Ipswich Town on April 5.

Brendan Doggett made two late breakthroughs for South Australia with only 72 overs possible at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2022Queensland batter Matt Renshaw posted a half-century on a rain-reduced opening day of a unique three-day Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at the Gabba.The match was reduced to a three-day affair due to severe flooding in Brisbane after heavy storms lashed southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales in recent weeks.The match was delayed on the opening morning due to more rain but the Gabba groundstaff did a superb job to get the surface playable and the pitch played well considering all the weather.Renshaw made a composed 63, his second 50-plus score of the season, while Queensland opener Bryce Street made 43 as the hosts finished at 4 for 158 after being sent into bat by South Australia. Brendan Doggett’s two late breakthroughs gave the visitors some momentum heading into the second day.South Australia made their first breakthrough in the 13th over with Liam Scott trapping Joe Burns lbw for 13 before Renshaw and Street ground out a 67-run stand to move the Bulls to 1 for 100 after tea. Scott returned to remove Street with a lovely delivery from around the wicket. The left-hander was caught on the crease to a good length ball that angled in and seamed away a touch to brush the outside edge.Renshaw added 50 more with the in-form batter Jack Clayton before he shouldered arms to Doggett from around the wicket and was adjudged lbw to a ball that did seam back. Doggett made hay with the lights on late in the day bowling a brisk spell trapping Sam Truloff lbw four overs later. Clayton got through to stumps unscathed 31 not out alongside Max Bryant.

GOAL Convo with MLS Executive VP Camilo Durana on 2025 All-Star Game, why league is going up against Liga MX

The 2025 MLS All-Star Game is set to be played against Mexico's best footballers, the Liga MX All-Stars, the league announced Tuesday. It will be the fourth time in the past five seasons that MLS will clash with their rivals to the south in the celebratory game featuring North America's best players.

The game will be played at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, home of MLS side Austin FC. have established one of the best fanbases in all of MLS, selling out 100 percent of their home matches since the club's inception in 2021. The club, backed by celebrity co-owner Matthew McConaughey, has become a hotbed for growing the game in the heart of Texas.

Camilo Durana, MLS executive vice president of the Apple partnership, properties & events, discussed what went into featuring Liga MX All-Stars, why Austin is the host city, updates to the Skills Challenge, and more in the latest GOAL Convo.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowMajor League SoccerON LIGA MX AS OPPONENT

GOAL: Liga MX All-Stars return to be the opponent this year. It's the fourth time in the past five years that they've been chosen. Why Liga MX now, and why not a European team like Arsenal, who you faced in 2023?

DURANA: We love All-Star, it’s a celebration of our league, a celebration of our sport in North America, a celebration of local communities. But we also want a game that people want to watch, a competitive game that's meaningful. And I think in the MLS-Liga MX format, we have found a matchup that the players genuinely care about. If you go back and you watch the first three iterations or editions against Liga MX, the play was intense, and even in the Skills Challenge, it meant something to players. So I think we want the All-Star Game to be a showcase, but we also want to put on a great game on the field, and we feel the first three editions delivered on that. We're excited for the fourth.

GOAL: The Liga MX and MLS rivalry has fueled competitive, yet fun games in recent years, but outside of All-Star, Liga MX has been a step ahead of MLS in the Champions Cup, with the Seattle Sounders being the lone MLS team to ever win it. On the other hand, MLS has found success in the Leagues Cup winning the first two iterations. How is this All-Star Game helping grow a healthy, yet contentious, rivalry between the two leagues?

DURANA: We want competition. Rivalry is proven in all forms of research across all sports – it drives engagement, it drives fandom, it drives intrigue. It's the very reason why we launched the Leagues Cup because we wanted more opportunities for MLS teams to play against Liga MX and prove our quality to fans and to give more players access to international competition for development. There's a lot of history in the Champions Cup or Champions League. There's a lot of new history that's been written in Leagues Cup, and we love the fact that people notice and are talking about it. You know, the All-Star Game is an extension of that rivalry, clearly a different format, but we believe our relationship with Liga MX has never been stronger. The more we can continue to develop this rivalry and storylines, the better it's going to be, the easier it's gonna be to elevate the North American game at a global level. We aspire to continue to grow as a region, and we think this rivalry is a good way of standing out, building strong storylines, and continuing to drive our game in North America forward.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportON IMPORTANCE OF ALL-STAR GAME

GOAL: How important will the All-Star Game be from a rating and marketing perspective with it being streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV?

DURANA: We love our Apple TV partnership and what it's done to make it easier to be an MLS fan, the fact that we're now able to produce games that have a single look and single feel, it elevates the quality. To be able to work with Apple on new initiatives like Sunday Night Soccer… And we also recognize that different products draw different types of fans.

For us, the MLS regular season and playoffs have been around for a long time, and we've got a strong following. The Leagues Cup has enabled us to connect with different types of fans and different consumers. We're very keen to build relationships with fans of Liga MX and help them understand the quality that we have here at Major League Soccer and the All-Star Game is another dimension where there's a level of intrigue to it. It's a format unlike any other in the world within our sport, and the idea that we can offer a match that features perhaps Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez on one side, you know, the global superstars and emerging stars in our league on the other side is going to attract different types of people. And if people come to MLS Season Pass and Apple TV for the All-Star Game, the hope is they stay for the rest, and that's part of how we continue to build audiences and build fans of this league.

Getty Images SportON THE SKILLS CHALLENGE

GOAL: In recent years, we've seen MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers partake in the event. Is there a chance that with the Skills Challenge in 2025 we see MLS and Liga MX partake in that particular challenge, or is it going to remain with the NEXT Pro goalkeepers?

DURANA: After every single year we look at all options and all opportunities, but for 2025 Goalie Wars will be back, and it will continue to be an MLS NEXT Pro event.

GOAL: Will there be any new Skills Challenge events that fans could look forward to seeing, that you might be able to share about?

DURANA: We'll make announcements about Skills Challenge specifics in the near future, but, like I said, every single year we sit down after the Skills Challenge. We think about ways that we can elevate, and make it different. As you saw last year, we added NWSL players, we added Liga MX Femenina players and we added legends. So we're always looking for ways to make it different, give people different types of audiences a reason to tune in. And you can expect some modifications for this year's challenge.

Getty Images SportON COMPARISONS TO OTHER ALL-STAR GAMES

GOAL: How do you compare the MLS All-Star Game to the likes of the NFL, the MLB and the NHL versions? Each league has a unique take on it, but what makes MLS is all star game in particular special – and has MLS taken any inspiration from the other sporting leagues to develop the match?

DURANA: We always look at what other people are doing. And we recognize, as you know, that we're just 30 years old, 30 years in as a league, so there's people that have had considerable head starts on building things like their All-Star week and All-Star weekends. We feel strongly that we have one of the most competitive All-Star Games out there. It means a lot to players, even the Skills Challenge they want to win, and that's a really good product. We also have a full week of programming where we go in and really make a meaningful impact in the host community. We certainly admire what other leagues do and how they've been able to evolve and grow. But I think that the recipe of MLS versus Liga MX is unique in that we're able to take our best compete against another league's best, and that's just part of the benefit of being part of a global sport like soccer.

One of Newcastle United’s highest-earning players is now being chased by top clubs in Europe, according to a new report from Spain.

Newcastle transfer news

After a disappointing first-half of the season that sees Newcastle sit firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League table, manager Eddie Howe has hinted on numerous occasions that he needs reinforcements in January. Getting them, however, remains unlikely.

The Magpies have spent over £400 million on new players since PIF took over in 2021, but their revenue remains relatively low. As such, they must now avoid spending large sums of money to avoid breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

“It’s what you can do, not what you want to do,” Howe said in a press conference earlier this week.

“I keep saying the same thing about January, I wouldn’t expect us to be in a position to be too active in the market,” he explained. “As we currently stand up, things can change. You know, if we trade players, of course that’s different, but if we don’t trade players, I would expect us to be quiet.”

Sell to buy on Tyneside?

One player that Newcastle could reportedly sell to raise money to spend after the New Year is Sandro Tonali. The Italian midfielder has, according to reports from Spain, been identified as a main target for Serie A giants Juventus, who are seeking a solution to the inconsistency in their midfield.

Tonali’s former club AC Milan are also thought to be interested in bringing him back to the San Siro, just 18 months after he left for St. James’ Park. The Spanish publication claims that Milan’s interest in Tonali has been boosted by a recent injury to his former midfield teammate Ismael Bennacer, but PIF do not want to sell the player, potentially making it a costly operation for either Italian side.

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TalkSPORT claims however that the Magpies are also under pressure to sell to avoid breaching Premier League spending rules. Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, reports that Tonali himself is also keen to leave England and return to Italy.

Tonali’s debut season at St. James’ Park was significantly disrupted after he received a ten-month suspension for violating betting rules. Speaking earlier this year, Tonali opened up about his difficult first season in England.

“Last year’s was a very hard, but very productive journey. I will always carry with me the memory of the year I spent off the field because it is right not to forget it,” he said. “I think when a player trains all week without his ultimate goal, which is the game, he finds a sense of emptiness within himself.”

The Italy international, who earns £120,000-per-week at Newcastle, added: “It wasn’t easy to be away from home for the first year without playing an official game, but just trying to maintain fitness. That was the challenge I had to take as seriously as possible.”

The visitors will field a very different side from when the teams last met while Pakistan may be able to welcome back Shadab Khan

Andrew McGlashan04-Apr-2022Big pictureA one-off T20I at the end of the tour does not come with a huge amount of context, but if the last two ODIs are anything to go by, the atmosphere in Lahore should at least be terrific with the game starting after the heat of the day has passed.What either team can take from the match is debatable, but it’s another game on the road to the next men’s T20 World Cup later this year in Australia. This contest brings together two of the semi-finalists from last year’s event where Australia prevailed in a thrilling finish with Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis taking them to victory. It will be a very different looking Australia side for this game, though, with only three players from that semi-final – Stoinis, Aaron Finch and Adam Zampa – set to take the field with the rest absent for a variety of seasons.It’s a meeting of two in-form T20I sides: Australia have won ten of their last 12 matches [one after a Super Over against Sri Lanka] and Pakistan 11 of their last 12 – the only defeat being their T20 World Cup semi-final exit.Recent form
Pakistan WWWWW
Australia LWWWWIn the spotlightCan Babar Azam cap his personal tour de force with one more captain’s innings? A Test-saving masterclass was followed by two wonderful chasing centuries to take the one-day series and he is the No. 1-ranked T20I batter – his opener partner Mohammad Rizwan is ranked No. 2 in what is a formidable pairing.Adam Zampa is one of the premier T20 spinners in the world. After taking four wickets in the opening ODI, Pakistan’s top order played him well in their two successful run chases and, in what will be an inexperienced Australia attack, his four overs could be key to the outcome.Josh Inglis, as well as Ashton Agar, have tested negative for Covid-19 and could be available for selection•Getty ImagesTeam newsPakistan have a 17-player squad for this game, which seems a touch excessive, but at least gives them options. Shadab Khan may be available after injury kept him out of the ODI series. Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir could also be considered.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4, Asif Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Haider Ali, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Wasim, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris RaufJosh Inglis and Ashton Agar have tested negative for Covid-19 following their recent isolation periods and were due to train on Monday. If they are assessed as being available for selection it would be a boost to a squad stripped of a lot of experience. Inglis was impressive in his debut series against Sri Lanka. Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne could make their T20I debuts and Travis Head could play his first match in the format since 2018.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Ben McDermott, 4 Josh Inglis/Alex Carey (wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Sean Abbott, 8 Ashton Agar/Mitchell Swepson, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Jason BehrendorffPitch and conditionsAlthough Australia’s batting struggled in the deciding ODI, this has the makings of a high-scoring match. The ball should come on nicely under the lights.Stats and trivia Babar and Rizwan have an average partnership of 56.65 in T20Is – the third highest of any pairing with a minimum 20 innings. Australia’s highest is 36.66 between Finch and David Warner. Three of Finch’s last four innings against Pakistan have been ducks.

This is the second successive Capitals match to be shifted out of Pune due to the spurt of Covid-19 cases within the team

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2022Friday’s IPL 2022 match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals has been shifted from Pune to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This is the second successive Capitals match that has been shifted out of Pune due to the spurt of Covid-19 cases within the team.Six members of the Capitals contingent have tested positive for Covid-19 since April 15, among them two players in Mitchell Marsh and Tim Seifert.Related

Covid-19: Kings and Capitals to face off in Mumbai instead of Pune

Tim Seifert tests positive for Covid-19

Seifert’s positive test had left Capitals’ match against Punjab Kings on Wednesday night in doubt, but it was decided that the match would go ahead after two further rounds of RT-PCR tests on the remainder of the Capitals camp returned negative results.Like the Capitals-Royals match, the Capitals-Kings match had also been shifted out of Pune, in order to minimise the chance of new cases arising as a result of long-distance bus journey in a closed environment. All ten teams taking part in the IPL are based in Mumbai for the duration of the league phase.The BCCI announced the decision to shift Friday’s match, and confirmed that Wednesday’s match would go ahead as schedule, via a statement released on Wednesday evening.”The decision on the change of venue was made as a precautionary measure after Delhi Capitals registered the 6th COVID case with New Zealand wicketkeeper Mr Tim Seifert returning positive in today’s RT-PCR testing,” the statement said. “The entire Delhi Capitals contingent underwent 2 rounds of COVID testing today.”Match No. 32 involving Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings scheduled today at Brabourne – CCI will go ahead as per the schedule after the second round of COVID tests returned negative today.”

Everton have suffered their due in recent years, more so, but with The Friedkin Group moving toward ending Farhad Moshiri’s dysfunctional reign as majority shareholder, perhaps greener pastures are on the horizon.

The Merseyside derby was called off last weekend after Storm Darragh wreaked chaos on Liverpool and precluded the Premier League fixture from feasibly taking place.

That was frustrating, for Sean Dyche’s Blues had been fuelled by the 4-0 midweek victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Goodison Park would have relished the chance to stifle Liverpool’s progress.

Everton have failed to score in seven of their 13 Premier League matches this term, but blew the Old Gold away and offered a glimpse into the dormant riches that this outfit can muster.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, however, failed to break his duck.

More misery for Dominic Calvert-Lewin

In isolation, Calvert-Lewin’s performance against Wolves wasn’t that bad a thing. The 27-year-old striker was given a 7/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley after forcing two own goals from Craig Dawson and missing a host of further opportunities.

On another day, with adjusted margins, the 11-cap England international could have had an emphatic brace, but the barren run has instead stretched to nine matches, with two goals scored and nine big chances missed in total this season.

He was fantastic against Wolves, played his role crucially, but with his contract up for expiry at the end of the season and many negatives outweighing the positives, it’s surely a fitting time for change.

What Everton need is some fresh life at number nine. Armando Broja has been cleared after an injury-ruined start to his Everton career, but it’s academy sensation Braiden Graham who could actually be the club’s saviour.

Why Dyche must unleash Braiden Graham

Graham is a 17-year-old forward who has been riding the crest of a wave in Everton’s academy, demonstrating all the properties required of a Premier League-level player in the making.

The Northern Ireland youth international scored twice across 14 senior appearances for Linfield in his homeland before formally completing a transfer to Merseyside last summer.

He’s a versatile forward and invariably clinical, regardless of the position he is placed in, and when considering this alongside his academy status, the teenager might just prove to be the Toffees’ next version of Wayne Rooney.

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With seven goals from his first eight appearances in the U18 Premier League, not only is Graham outscoring every member of Dyche’s senior squad this term, but he’s Everton U18’s top scorer by a distance – Justin Clarke and Kean Wren both sit on four-goal hauls.

That knowledge is relevant since it is important to register how far Graham is above his teammates, something that is reminiscent of a fledgling Rooney, whose ability saw him promoted to the first team at the age of just 16, thus announcing himself as one of football’s most prodigious talents.

Linfield boss David Healy once hailed Graham as a “deadly finisher,” and so he could be the answer to the outfit’s problems, the long-term solution and the replacement to the supposedly outgoing Calvert-Lewin.

Is he a talent on the same level as Rooney? Maybe not. But the young buck has got everything going for him and could be the galvanising success story that Everton need.

Forget Lookman: Everton sold "genius" who's now ranked alongside Bellingham

The former Everton star has been impressive in 2024

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 12, 2024

AC Milan legend Massimo Ambrosini has urged the club to extend Kyle Walker's stay at San Siro beyond the current season.

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Ambrosini urged AC Milan to retain WalkerJoined on loan from Man City in JanuaryWants AC Milan to make the transfer permanentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester City skipper joined the Rossoneri on a short-term loan deal in the January transfer window and in a very short time, the English full-back has adjusted to life at the Italian club. He has become a mainstay in Sergio Conceicao's starting lineup, having already appeared in nine matches across all competitions.

AdvertisementWHAT MASSIMO AMBROSINI SAID

Ex-Milan star Ambrosini has been left impressed by Walker's performances in the last couple of months and as a result, has urged the Italian giants to make the player's transfer permanent in the summer. Speaking to , the former midfielder said: "The best thing for Milan and Kyle Walker would be to extend his deal at the club. Next season is going to be a better season and Milan is a great place for him. He has an important role in the squad and if you look at Manchester City’s situation, it surprises me that they allowed him to leave, he’d be so useful for them.

"But he is here in Italy now and maybe he needed that change, the fans are all behind him and when he isn’t playing you realise how much he is missed already. You can feel the difference already and I think a permanent deal would be right for him and the club."

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Walker's impressive performances in the Serie A have earned him a place in Thomas Tuchel's first-ever England squad that will face Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifiers on March 21 and 24. The 34-year-old will be joined by the likes of Marc Guehi, Reece James and debutant Dan Burn of Newcastle United in the Three Lions backline.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

Milan will be back in action in Serie A after the international break on March 30 as they take on Napoli away from home.

Bayern Munich are reported to be weighing up their options to bring in cover for Harry Kane ahead of next season.

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Bayern eyeing Burkardt in summerMainz hoping to keep strikerDepth behind Kane is lackingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Mainz forward Jonathan Burkardt has appeared on Bayern's transfer radar ahead of the summer. The 24-year-old is described as "one of several" options the Bundesliga giants are looking at to serve as a back-up to chief goal-scorer Kane. Burkardt is considered affordable and is also favourably represented by the same agency as Bayern skipper Manuel Neuer.

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After previously enjoying a breakout season in 2021-22, Burkardt has come storming back in 2024-25 following a long-term injury that affected his two previous campaigns. His 15 Bundesliga goals have Mainz third in the table and seriously in the hunt for unprecedented Champions League qualification, but he will shortly enter the final two years of his contract. Even if Bayern don't formalise their interest, Burkardt isn't likely to be short of suitors, with Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and unnamed Premier League clubs said to be pursuing him.

WHAT MAINZ SAID

"I can imagine that European Cup matches with Mainz 05 would be a motivation for Jonny," sporting director Niko Bungert recently told German media, referencing the club being on course to dine at the continent's top table come the autumn.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

If not Burkardt, a striker is an important part of Bayern's recruitment puzzle ahead of next season. Thomas Muller, due to turn 36 in September, has occasionally filled in for Kane, but the squad's attacking make-up beyond the 32-goal England captain is primarily wingers and No.10-type players. Mathys Tel had served that role in the first half of the season, but was loaned to Tottenham Hotspur in January and wasn't replaced.