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Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Enzo’s league numbers (25/26)
Stat (* = 90 mins)	Fernandez
Games played	11
Goals scored	4
Assists	1
Touches*	70.7
Accurate passes*	46.5 (85%)
Shots*	2.2
Big chances missed	4
Key passes*	1.8
Big chances created	4
Ball recoveries*	3.9
Total duels won*	3.9
Stats by Sofascore

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

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By
Dominic Lund

Nov 23, 2025

Glasgow Rangers decided to part ways with head coach Russell Martin last month after a dismal start to the season, which saw them win five of 17 matches in all competitions.

The Light Blues endured a dismal time on the pitch for the majority of his tenure, losing more than they won and conceding more goals than they scored.

Along with that, several of the club’s signings in the summer transfer window failed to make much of an impact for the former Southampton manager, including Thelo Aasgaard.

Why Thelo Aasgard has not been a successful signing

The Norway international was signed on a permanent deal from Luton Town in the summer, but he was unable to provide a single goal or assist as an attacking midfielder for Martin.

Aasgaard’s only goal in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season came against Dundee United in Stevie Smith’s match as the interim manager before Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox.

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

0 + 0

Dundee United

Stevie Smith

1 + 4

Falkirk

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Livingston

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0 + 1

Celtic

Russell Martin

0 + 0

St Mirren

Russell Martin

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, the English-born midfielder flopped under Martin in the Scottish Premiership, and has yet to produce the goods for Rohl.

The 23-year-old flop was then sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, as he continues to struggle at Ibrox.

After that red card, Rohl should bring another player who flopped under Martin into the side, as Nedim Bajrami could be even better than the ex-Luton man.

Why Nedim Bajrami should be unleashed by Danny Rohl

The Albania international only played 195 minutes of football for the Scottish manager, per Sofascore, and made five appearances off the bench without managing a goal, an assist, or a key pass.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, and that is exactly what he was throughout Martin’s reign.

However, the former Sassuolo man did show signs of promise when given opportunities to impress in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League by Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Starts

15

8

Goals

2

1

Key passes per game

1.0

1.3

Big chances created

4

6

Assists

1

0

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Bajrami created ten ‘big chances’ in 23 starts across both competitions, but was only rewarded with one assist for his creative efforts.

This suggests that he was let down by poor finishing from his teammates, rather than it being a lack of creativity on his part, which is why Rohl should provide him with a chance to show what he can do in Aasgaard’s place.

After the clash with Roma in the Europa League this evening, Rohl should bring Bajrami into the starting line-up for the match against Dundee on Sunday, as he has the potential to provide more creativity than Aasgaard has.

The Norway international has failed to create a single ‘big chance’ in 809 minutes this season, per Sofascore, whilst the Albanian star created 11 in 2,330 minutes in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.

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This suggests that Rohl could unleash a more effective player than Aasgaard by bringing Bajrami into his XI to feature more prominently than he did under Martin, when he was completely anonymous due to his lack of game time.

After 40 years, it appears a chapter of the Minnesota Twins' history is set to close.

The Pohlad family is exploring the sale of the team, according to a Thursday morning report from Phil Miller of . Per Miller and other reporters, the Pohlads have retained Allen & Company—an investment bank—to that end.

"Our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins," executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Thursday via Miller.

Minnesota has been in the family since 1984, when financier Carl Pohlad purchased the team from Calvin Griffith for a quaint $44 million; the franchise had been in the Griffith family since 1920, when Clark Griffith bought a controlling interest in the Washington Senators.

The Twins have won two World Series titles under the Pohlads' stewardship, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 and the Atlanta Braves in 1991. They also survived rumblings of contraction in the early 2000s, ultimately becoming one of that decade's most successful clubs.

Minnesota—valued by at a little under $1.5 billion in March—went 82-80 and missed the playoffs in 2024.

Bangladesh’s batters need to take on more responsibility, according to opener Tanzid Hasan. He was one of two batters to score a half-century against Sri Lanka two days ago, before a dramatic collapse led to a 77-run loss in the first ODI in Colombo.Tanzid said that Bangladesh could have chased 245 – their target on Wednesday – had he and Najmul Hossain Shanto managed to extend their 71-run second-wicket stand. It was Shanto’s run-out, followed by Tanzid’s dismissal later in the same over, that sparked Bangladesh’s implosion: 7 for 5 in just 26 balls.”We had a long discussion about the last match,” Tanzid said. “The coaches told us that on a wicket like this, those who get set need to finish things off since it’s hard for new batters to adjust. They have top quality spinners in their side, so those who are set need to bat as long as possible.Related

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Those words carry extra weight on the eve of the second ODI which will be taking place at the same venue, the R Premadasa stadium. “The way the wicket is behaving, if someone gets set, he needs to play a long innings and take the team home,” Tanzid said. “Shanto and I, the way we were batting at that time, if we had stayed for another 10-15 overs, the match would have been much easier. Just one message for the next match: for those who are new to the wicket, it’s a bit difficult at first, but set batters need to bat long, bat deep, and take the game to the end.”Tanzid said Bangladesh need to be more mindful of individual match-ups. He explained that the left-handers should have taken more of the strike against the Wanindu Hasaranga, who ran riot during the collapse. The legspinner finished with figures of 4 for 10.”The left-hand batters need to take as much strike as possible since he [Hasaranga] is less effective against left-handers compared to right-handers. So, a few pieces of information like that were given to us, which might help us in the next match.”When Tanzid and Shanto – both left-handers – were batting together, Bangladesh looked comfortable. The pair struck 12 boundaries between them, forcing Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka to keep Hasaranga out of the attack. Tanzid, however, said he doesn’t rate his 62 too highly.”I don’t think I played well,” he said. “I didn’t fulfill the team’s requirements. If I had, then I would have said that I played well. But there is a chance to make a comeback. It’s a three-match series. One match is done. The next one is important. If we can make a comeback, then , we will still be in contention.”Bangladesh are also under pressure to break a eight-month-long winless streak in ODIs. They have lost seven matches in a row during this time (not counting one that was abandoned to rain in Rawalpindi in February). Additionally, they are missing two of their most experienced batters, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah — a void that was clearly felt in the first game. Bangladesh’s middle order (positions 4 to 6) contributed just one run: Litton Das and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz were dismissed for ducks, while Towhid Hridoy managed just one.This was Bangladesh’s lowest middle-order contribution in ODI history. The last time the middle-order produced a single-digit total was in 2006.

Even in their current state, it’s not often that Manchester United struggle to welcome the world’s best players. Without Champions League football and off the back of finishing 15th in the Premier League, the Red Devils convinced Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens to join in a £200m spending spree.

Manager Ruben Amorim spoke about the attraction that Man United still have during the summer, shooting down any rumours that Cunha and Mbeumo joined the club because of the money offered.

It also almost goes without saying that the Red Devils rarely had trouble convincing players to join the club when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. United were at the top of the food chain in English football at that stage and even lured the likes of Rio Ferdinand from rivals Leeds United in 2002.

The iconic manager is still seen as a man with influence at the club even to this day. His opinion is arguably the most respected that anyone could find at Old Trafford.

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The history that he created is the reason why Man United are still able to welcome the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo. Amorim even admitted in one of his first interviews after stepping into the technical area that he’d like to have dinner with Ferguson.

He is, in many ways, the ace up Man United’s sleeve that has paid dividends on so many occasions. But that’s not to say it’s worked its charm every time. Not even the Premier League legend could convince one player to join the club back in 2020.

Ferguson and Cantona made Man Utd Jude Bellingham plea

As revealed by the great Bryan Robson, Ferguson and Eric Cantona both pleaded with Jude Bellingham to join Man United in 2020, before he ultimately rejected the club in favour of a £25m move to Borussia Dortmund. Given how things turned out, it’s hard to blame the midfielder for turning the Red Devils down.

Since choosing Dortmund over United, Bellingham has earned a move to Real Madrid and become one of the best midfielders in the world. His debut season for the Spanish giants proved exactly why those at Old Trafford went all out for his signature.

The England star ended the campaign with 15 goals and 15 assists from midfield in all competitions, as he showed the rest of European football that the biggest stage is exactly where he belongs.

Leicestershire’s remarkable season continued apace with victory over Lancashire by an innings and three runs to further reinforce an already formidable lead in Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship.With a 251-run advantage on first innings, brought about largely by centuries from Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill, they bowled Lancashire out for 248 to complete a fifth win of the season, all of which have been achieved with a day to spare.Keaton Jennings, who stepped down as captain earlier this month in the light of his side’s woeful start to the campaign, gave his side hope of salvaging something from this match with a characterful 112, but no other batter made 26 in another dismal Lancashire performance.Logan Van Beek was Leicestershire’s most successful bowler with four for 61 and there were two wickets each for Josh Hull, Tom Scriven and Rehan Ahmed.Having watched Leicestershire progress merrily through Saturday at 4.23 runs per over compared with their own 2.65 on day one, Lancashire might have imagined that runs would come more easily to them on day three, yet it took them 29 overs to trim 74 off their deficit in the first session.What’s more, they lost three wickets in doing so, including perhaps critically that of their leading scorer and principal hope of avoiding defeat here, Marcus Harris.The Australian perished in the penultimate over before lunch as captain Peter Handscomb repeated his first-day tactic of bringing back his new ball bowlers for a pre-interval burst. It brought success then and it did again as Harris flashed at a ball outside off stump to be caught behind for 20.It provided a third wicket of the morning for Van Beek, who had been two for nine from six overs after his first spell, having dismissed Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon in the space of three deliveries.Wells deployed an uppercut to lift a short delivery over the slip cordon but did not control the shot and Lewis Hill, with a gusty crosswind adding an extra element of difficulty, took a well-judged catch at wide third man. Bohannon edged to second slip for a second-ball duck.However, the collapse sparked by Van Beek’s breakthrough before lunch on day one was not repeated, thanks largely to Jennings, who showed the strength of his character in a difficult season to guide Lancashire to 209 for five at tea thanks to the 32nd first-class hundred of his career, his 16th for his current county.It was doubtless not the most fluid among them on a pitch starting to produce variable bounce and he survived a chance on 58 when a diving Ben Cox could not get his gloves around a flick down the legside off Hull, but it kept his side in the game.After finding support from Matty Hurst, who was caught behind off a fine delivery by Scriven, in adding 70 for the fourth wicket, Jennings reached the milestone as a meaty pull Van Beek brought him a 10th boundary.The fifth wicket added a further 58, although George Bell’s dismissal off a top-edged pull just before tea detracted a touch from what had otherwise been a solid session for the visitors, who were still 42 behind at the interval.Moreover, the breakthrough Leicestershire craved was not far away, Jennings falling seven overs into the evening session, his demise brought about by a ball that reared up off a length from Scriven and caught the batter’s right glove, Handscomb taking an excellent catch at slip.After that, Lancashire’s downfall came about at pace. Hull brought one back to bowl George Balderson, Rehan Ahmed’s leg spin came into the game to have Tom Bailey caught behind, the England all-rounder following up by trapping Anderson Phillip leg before.Hull then took a splendid catch on the run off his own bowling to remove Tom Hartley and spark Leicestershire’s celebrations in a season in which promotion already looks theirs to lose with the Championship season only at the halfway stage.

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League before they could reach the league phase when they lost on penalties to Kairat on Tuesday night.

The Hoops needed to win on the night after a 0-0 draw at Parkhead last week, but they were unable to break the deadlock before it went down to penalties.

Adam Idah was one of the players who missed from the spot, alongside Daizen Maeda and Luke McCowan, to continue his disappointing start to the season.

The Ireland international started the first two games of the Scottish Premiership season and failed to register a goal or an assist for the reigning champions.

As you can see in the graphic above, the former Norwich City centre-forward missed three ‘big chances’ in the opening day clash with St Mirren, which shows that his lack of goals has not been through a lack of service.

The penalty miss against Kairat would have done little to help his confidence or the feeling that he may not be ready to be the main man for the Hoops.

Why Adam Idah should not be a starter for Celtic

Looking at Idah’s form in the Premiership last season, Brendan Rodgers may have to utilise him as a substitute option more often than not to get the best out of him.

The 24-year-old centre-forward ended the 2024/25 Premiership campaign with a return of 13 goals in 19 starts, which is a very decent return on face value.

Idah’s underlying statistics in the division, though, show that he was not prolific enough as a starter when Rodgers called upon him as the main number nine for the Scottish giants.

Adam Idah: The super sub
24/25 Premiership	Starts	Off the bench
Appearances	19	16
Minutes	1,352	357
Goals	6	7
Minutes per goal	225	51
Assists	0	1
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 3 marksman took around 170 more minutes to score a goal in each start in comparison to his strike rate off the bench.

This suggests that he is more effective coming off the bench as a substitute against tired defenders. That may be because he has great physical attributes, as a strong runner and a physical and aerial presence, but he is not always the smoothest player technically.

As a starter, his lack of technical quality can shine through a bit more because he is against fresh defenders who do not allow him to gain an advantage through his physicality.

This is why Rodgers should not use Idah as a starter on a regular basis this season, unless, of course, he turns his form around and proves that he can be a consistent performer from the start.

However, the Ireland international may not get that chance to prove himself for the Scottish giants this season, as the club are looking at bringing another striker in.

Veteran striker is keen on Celtic transfer

According to Football Insider, veteran free agent Jamie Vardy is open to a move to Parkhead to sign for Celtic to bolster their options in the final third.

The 38-year-old centre-forward has been a free agent since he decided to move on from Leicester City at the end of his contract earlier this summer, and this means that the Hoops have a chance to snap him up for nothing.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Vardy is said to be taking his time before making a decision on his next club, but the report claims that he is open to moving up to Scotland to play for Celtic.

Football Insider adds that he has a number of options to pick from, with plenty of clubs showing interest in him, which means that it will not be an easy deal for the Scottish giants to get over the line.

Knowing that Vardy is open to a move to Glasgow, it is now down to Rodgers and Celtic to convince him to turn down his other offers to make the move to Scotland.

Why this is awful news for Adam Idah

This update will come as awful news for Idah because the arrival of Vardy could mean that the Ireland international does not get the chance to prove himself as a starter.

The former Norwich forward, as aforementioned, has not done enough as a starter for Celtic and needs to deliver consistently as a striker for a prolonged period of time before he can be deemed a reliable first XI player.

Unfortunately, for him, the signing of Vardy could mean that he does not have a chance to put a run of games together as a starter, because the former England international could be the main number nine for Celtic.

The experienced marksman, who has 145 Premier League goals and almost 200 goal contributions under his belt, may be heading towards his 40s, but he is still a lethal centre-forward.

Vardy scored nine goals in 35 games in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, whilst Idah never scored more than one goal in a top-flight campaign during his time with Norwich City.

The English star also caught the eye as a regular goalscorer when he last played for a team that was in a title race, as he led the line for the Foxes in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.

23/24 Championship	Jamie Vardy
Appearances	35
xG	17.07
Goals	18
Minutes per goal	99
Conversion rate	31%
Assists	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Vardy was a prolific scorer in the second tier to help his side to the title that season, outperforming his xG and enjoying a 31% conversion rate in front of goal.

The free agent forward was once described as a “proven goalscorer” by former Premier League winger Jermaine Pennant, and his statistics back up that claim.

Vardy has over 100 Premier League goals, scored 18 goals in his last Championship season, and scored nine goals in the top-flight last term despite being in a side that got relegated.

This is why his arrival would be bad news for Idah, who has struggled to score goals as a starter, because the former Leicester star could be that focal point up front for Rodgers, as he was during their time together at the King Power, and leave the Irishman without a chance to prove himself from the start.

Worse than Idah: Rodgers must drop Celtic star who lost the ball 20 times

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers must drop this flop who was even worse than Adam Idah against Kairat.

3

By
Dan Emery

Aug 27, 2025

When Royal Challengers Bengaluru last beat Mumbai Indians at the Wankede Stadium in the IPL prior to Monday, Krunal Pandya was a struggling domestic cricketer looking to break into the big league like his younger brother, Hardik. Between 2015 and now, Krunal has been part of three title-winning campaigns with Mumbai, made his white-ball debut for India and has captained an IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants.On Monday, he was up against his brother – also the opposition captain – as RCB attempted to defend 221 for their first win over MI at Wankhede in 10 years. Tasked to defend 19 in the final over, Krunal picked up three of his four wickets in the 20th, while conceding just seven to seal RCB’s third win in four games.Related

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“When I came into bowl, [Mitchell] Santner was batting, the leg-side was short and the amount of games I’ve played in the last 10 years, whatever experience I had, it had to come in,” Krunal said after the match. “I just wanted to have clarity in my run-up, what ball I wanted to bowl. I wanted to commit 100% to whatever I wanted to bowl and I’m glad it came out well.”Rajat Patidar, the RCB captain, was impressed by Krunal’s courage.”The way KP bowled that last over, it was not easy and the way he bowled was amazing,” he said. “The way he has shown the courage was fantastic. It was pretty clear (at the second time-out) that we had to take the game as deep as we can, and then we could use one over of KP at the last.”On his part, Krunal was effusive in his praise for Patidar’s calmness and for being one who comforts bowlers while also empowering them.”Rajat has been fantastic,” Krunal said. “He’s again a captain who gives you the comforts when he gives you the ball, he gives you the confidence, backs your game plan and as a bowler you want that. He has a calm demeanor as a person, he doesn’t make things complicated. You can see that also in how he bats.”At one stage, the Hardik v Krunal narrative formed a subplot that could’ve well decided the game. Hardik hit Krunal for two sixes off the first two balls he faced of him in the 15th over after which MI fancied their chances needing 65 off 30 with six wickets in hand. Hardik eventually fell in the penultimate over before Krunal closed down the game for RCB with his triple-wicket over.”The bond that we have, at the end of the day, we knew only one [Pandya] would win.” Krunal said. “But the love and affection we have for each other is very natural. He batted well. We won, and I also wanted to win, he also wanted to win. I feel for him.”

اقترب منتخب كوت ديفوار من حجز بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، عقب الفوز على منتخب سيشيل بسباعية نظيفة. 

والتقى منتخب كوت ديفوار مع نظيره سيشيل، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026. 

وفاز منتخب كوت ديفوار على سيشيل بسباعية نظيفة، ليقترب بقوة من حجز بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026. 

طالع.. السنغال تهزم جنوب السودان والكونغو الديمقراطية تفوز على توجو وصراع التأهل لكأس العالم يشتعل

ويتصدر منتخب كوت ديفوار المجموعة، برصيد 23 نقطة بفارق نقطة وحيدة عن الجابون صاحب المركز الثاني، وذلك قبل الجولة الأخيرة من التصفيات.  ترتيب مجموعة كوت ديفوار في تصفيات كأس العالم

1- كوت ديفوار- 23 نقطة 

2- الجابون- 22 نقطة 

3- كينيا- 12 نقطة 

4- جامبيا- 10 نقاط 

5- بوروندي- 10 نقاط 

6- سيشيل بدون أي رصيد من النقاط. 

وكان منتخب الجابون قد حقق فوزًا كبيرا على جامبيا برباعية مقابل ثلاثة أهداف، في الجولة التاسعة من تصفيات كأس العالم. 

Julian Alvarez’s agent has poured cold water on rumours linking the Argentine World Cup winner with a sensational switch to Liverpool in the summer of 2024. Reports had claimed the Reds proposed a swap involving Luis Diaz, but Fernando Hidalgo has now confirmed there were no official approaches, insisting the forward remains fully committed to Atletico Madrid.

• Reports suggested Liverpool wanted Alvarez

  Liverpool were reportedly keen to test Manchester City’s resolve by offering Diaz in exchange for Alvarez. However, the striker instead made a big-money move to Atletico Madrid, where he has quickly become a key player for Diego Simeone. Despite speculation, his agent has now clarified the situation from the summer of 2024.

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• Getty Images
  

  Alvarez's agent sets record straight

  “There were no official offers from Liverpool to sign Julian last season, and everything that has been said in this regard is false,” Hidalgo told Erem News. He added: “Last summer there were no offers because Atletico de Madrid didn't want to sell the player, so negotiations didn't take place.” The agent concluded by stressing: “The player is fully committed to Atletico Madrid.”

• World Cup winner performing at Atletico Madrid

  Alvarez’s explosive debut campaign in Spain has already justified Atletico’s £82m investment. The Argentina international netted 29 goals in 57 appearances last season, proving his worth as a top-class forward.

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• AFP
  

  Alvarez not thinking about leaving Atletico

  Atletico fans can rest easy knowing Alvarez is focused on his project under Simeone. Liverpool, meanwhile, continued their rebuild without the World Cup winner, as Arne Slot splashed out this summer and brought in Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. With Alvarez locked in, Atleti hope he can fire them closer to La Liga and Champions League glory.