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Liverpool are not the same team that they were last season. Quite literally. Many changes were rung before the 2025/26 campaign, and perhaps Arne Slot and co have bitten off more than they can chew as the Merseyside outfit struggle for fluency and form enough to secure

Forget the Premier League title. Liverpool are not stable enough, and they have too many holes across the backline. Defensively, it’s been a bit of a mess this year.

Liverpool did sign a centre-half last summer. In August, sporting director Richard Hughes wrapped up a £27m deal for Parma prospect Giovanni Leoni. The Italian is billed as one of the most talented young defenders in the world, but he ruptured his ACL on his Reds debut.

Loeni, 19, will be a key asset when he returns, but Liverpool cannot wait for reinforcements at the rear, with plans drawn ahead of the January transfer window, which is now upon us.

The latest on Liverpool's plans to sign a centre-back

Liverpool need a centre-back, with defensive mistakes and a lack of security and composure at the back forming the crux of the Anfield side’s problems.

It was a fantastic summer transfer window, but the failure to land Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace does appear to have come back to bite an imbalanced and discordant side.

Should Liverpool fail to secure Guehi’s signature at the end of the season (or in January), FSG have drawn plans to land Club Brugge rising star Joel Ordonez, with the Equadorian, 21, touted with a move to Merseyside last month.

Reports even stressed that the Reds are among the frontrunners, with Ordonez even described as “something remarkable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

After all, he scrubs up pretty cleanly against Virgil van Dijk; even if they play at different levels, it tells us something of the South American’s potential.

However, Liverpool remain intent on tying the struggling Ibrahima Konate down to a new deal, and with Leoni supposedly good enough to nail down a spot, the Reds may want to hold fire on their transfer plans, especially when one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents has quietly been secured.

Liverpool already have a future defensive superstar

As per transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Liverpool have agreed a deal with Austria Wien for the transfer of 17-year-old defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe at the end of the season.

The Austria youth international is a towering centre-back with a prodigious command of his technical faculties, already described as “one of the most exciting young talents” in his country by scout Jacek Kulig.

While he will be expected to link up with Rob Page’s U21 side, Ndukwe has made the bench on a number of occasions, and Slot has shown that he is willing to give young stars their debuts.

Youngest Liverpool Debutants under Arne Slot

Player

Competition

Age

Rio Ngumoha

FA Cup

16 yrs, 04 mths

Trey Nyoni

Carabao Cup

17 yrs, 04 mths

Trent Kone-Doherty

FA Cup

18 yrs, 07 mths

Giovanni Leoni

Carabao Cup

18 yrs, 09 mths

Amara Nallo

Champions League

18 yrs, 02 mths

Data via Transfermarkt

Hailed by journalist Bence Bocsak for his “really impressive” start to life on the major stage, the 6 foot 6 prospect is endowed with steely, snappy agility and natural prowess in the air.

Subscribe for Smart Liverpool Transfer and Youth Coverage Get in-depth analysis in the newsletter: coverage of Liverpool’s transfer plans, defensive rebuild, and emerging defenders like Ndukwe and Ordonez, with clear expert context to understand how these signings could reshape the squad.

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While Liverpool won’t want to overburden this young talent, he turns 18 in March and won’t arrive on Merseyside until the summer. And he’s got the right frame of character, having name-checked Van Dijk as his idol during an interview with Austrian television in October, also saying, “in five years I’ll be playing professionally in the Premier League.”

It looks like he’s on the fast-track with that one.

It is hardly out of the question that he could leapfrog a few and emulate Leoni by establishing himself in the senior side next season, perhaps allowin FSG to forget about an equally unpolished talent in Ordonez and maybe even Guehi too.

Related Their new Xabi Alonso: FSG want to sign £61m "cheat code" for Liverpool

Liverpool are in dire need of fresh quality amid a laborious campaign in Arne Slot’s system.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

2026 can’t come soon enough, with Manchester United rounding off a dismal 2025 in desperate fashion following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The start of a new year provides the chance for Ruben Amorim and co to turn over a new leaf, however, with the start of the January window also marking the perfect time to implement such change.

As the recent stalemate showcased, the United boss must surely consign his much-maligned 3-4-3 set-up to the past, with the same also perhaps true of midfield struggler, Manuel Ugarte.

The Uruguayan – who ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles per 90, as per FBref – can’t be faulted for effort, but his quality in possession is sorely lacking, having also scored just twice since his arrival back in August 2024.

Reportedly given a dressing down by Amorim following last season’s Europa League final, the 24-year-old is already on borrowed time, with midfield replacements now in the works.

Man Utd lining up potential Ugarte replacement

The suggestion was that after the Bilbao showpiece in May, in which Ugarte was an unused substitute, he was targeted by Amorim for looking like a different player to the one he had coached at Sporting CP.

Is there truly any way back from such criticism? Well, if recent reports are to be believed, perhaps not, with United said to be open to offers for their £42m signing.

Turkish giants Galatasaray are among those believed to be ready to strike in January, bringing a possible end to a disappointing 18 months in Manchester for the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man.

In need of midfield depth, the Daily Mail has named Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher as one of the players on INEOS’ January shortlist, with the Red Devils said to have already made an enquiry regarding the Englishman over the summer.

The report suggests that the 25-year-old would be available for a fee of around £35m, with Diego Simeone’s side unlikely to sanction a loan exit for the former Chelsea man.

Why Gallagher could be the perfect January signing for United

If the Istanbul-based interest in Ugarte does ramp up in the near future, there is an argument to be made that the Wolves draw could have been his final outing for the club, not least with Kobbie Mainoo nearing a return to action.

Transfer Focus

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

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Unfancied by Erik ten Hag from the off, the defensive-minded asset appears to lack the quality required to thrive at the elite level, with scout Liam Canning suggesting that he “doesn’t even look like a Premier League footballer”.

Gallagher, while cast off by Chelsea in the same summer as Ugarte arrived in Manchester, has at least proven he can thrive in England’s top tier, with his final season at Stamford Bridge proving particularly fruitful.

Indeed, the eye-catching all-rounder scored and assisted 16 goals in all competitions in 2023/24, while even captaining the Blues on occasion, with it having been of some surprise when he was moved on by Todd Boehly and co that summer.

The midfield “machine”, as hailed by ex-teammate Moises Caicedo, had first truly caught the eye while on loan at Crystal Palace in 2021/22, registering 13 goals and assists for the Eagles across league and cup.

That box-crashing quality has again been evident in the Spanish capital, with Gallagher chalking up 14 goals and assists in 75 games for the LaLiga side, having creditably made himself a reliable presence under the enigmatic Simeone.

Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer and midfield insight Get deeper context by subscribing to our newsletter: data-driven transfer analysis, player comparisons, and tactical breakdowns that clarify midfield moves and why certain targets like Gallagher would reshape a team’s center.

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Unlike Ugarte, who has scored just six senior career goals, there is an end product to Gallagher’s game, while he too compares favourably in a defensive sense, after ranking in the top 3% for interceptions.

Conor Gallagher – LaLiga record

Stat (*per game)

25/26

24/25

Games

18

32

Starts

4

19

Goals

2

3

Assists

0

3

Big chances created

1

1

Key passes*

0.2

0.4

Pass accuracy*

90%

87%

Total duels won*

2.1

49%

Recoveries*

1.8

3.3

Stats via Sofascore

He is the type of player that United seemingly need in the centre of the park, someone who can win the ball back in high areas and press effectively, as shown by how he ranks in the top 5% of LaLiga midfielders for tackles won in the final third.

It’s fair to say he isn’t the creative type, ranking in just the bottom 23% for assists and bottom 34% for shot-creating actions, but with Bruno Fernandes and Amad in tow, that burden is already being shouldered elsewhere on the pitch.

Simply put, having witnessed Ugarte toil for so long now, Amorim just needs a Premier League-proven talent to re-energise the midfield department.

Related Amorim must never start £470k-p/w Man Utd duo together again after Wolves

Manchester United rounded off 2025 with a typically limp performance at Old Trafford.

Posts ByRobbie Walls

So, it’s official at last. Anil Kumble is out of the game for the nextfour months. BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele has announced that Kumble will beoperated on by South African orthopaedic surgeon Mark Fergusson inJohannesburg on Wednesday. The 30-year-old leg spinner has been rendered hors de combat since the opening game of the Coca Cola Champions Trophy in Sharjah against Sri Lanka on October 20.In that game, he aggravated a right shoulder injury, caused by a fall several months earlier, which had not been allowed to heal due to constant activity. With the symptoms of pain and stiffness felt during bowling and throwing not subsiding, Kumble flew to South Africa last week for consultation with Fergusson, the surgeon who treated Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar, also forshoulder problems.Indian coach John Wright, who returned to India on Sunday, reacted with disappointment to the news in Mumbai. The news is a huge setback to India’s chances against Australia in the three match Test series which takes off on February 27. To put India’s dependence on Kumble in perspective, one just has to recall the last Australian visit to India exactly three years ago. India won 2-1 and who was their matchwinner? If you thought Sachin Tendulkar, thinkagain. It takes twenty opposition wickets to win a Test match. On thattour Kumble took 23 at 18.26 in three Tests while seven other bowlersput together took 27. Amidst the carnage wreaked by Tendulkar and Co.,perhaps the most defining contribution was Kumble’s.So where does that leave the Indians? Right behind the eight ball, onewould imagine. There is hardly any other spinner in the land whoinspires a fraction of the confidence Kumble does. The options beforethe selectors are limited. Left armers Sunil Joshi and Murali Kartikand off spinner Sharandeep Singh were the three slow bowlers tried outin the three Tests this season. Sharandeep took six wickets on debutin Nagpur without really looking special but both Joshi and Kartikwere disappointments.Among the slow bowlers seen in action this domestic season, HarbhajanSingh and Sairaj Bahutule have perhaps had the best of the exchanges.The 20-year-old Harbhajan, who has played eight Tests, took a bagfulof wickets in Punjab’s triumphant march in the Ranji Trophy. Havingbeen dumped from the National Cricket Academy for disciplinary reasonslast June, it is unclear if he has returned into the good books of theBoard.Leg spinner Bahutule, who played seven one-dayers for India in1997-98, missed most of last season through injury but has been in themidst of a satisfying run with Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy zonalleague. Whether he is still too early on the comeback trail isdebatable. By the time the Aussies arrive, he should have had thebenefit of a full complement of games in the Duleep Trophy. His fellowleg spinner WD Balaji Rao has also been reasonably successful forTamil Nadu but suffers the disadvantage of not being in the Duleepsquad.And then, 19-year-old Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan has been getting underthe skin of the visiting English colts, but again Test cricket mightbe too great a gap for him to bridge, especially with limited firstclass experience. There is also the option of veteran left armerVenkatapathy Raju who was Kumble’s spin twin the last time the Aussiescame visiting. He did not enjoy the greatest of series, scalping 7wickets at 42.42. But he bowled at a niggardly rate right through andkept things tight for Kumble at the other end, which may have played asignificant part in the latter’s own success.The Duleep Trophy, currently underway and which will continue tillFebruary 4, is a ready reckoner of the current depth of talent, orlack of it. Besides the national selectors, coach John Wright is setto watch some of the matches, beginning with the West-South clash inSurat from January 18. But as always, the kind of wickets that havebeen laid out in the competition have been way too discouraging forthe bowlers, and especially the slower ones, so the lessons learnt maybe few.

	Vernon Philander boosted his chances of an international return after a nine-wicket hail against the Cobras © Getty Images

Barring freak results in the last round of the SuperSport Series matches nextweek, the Diamond Eagles won the four-day title over the weekend when they beat the KZN Dolphins by 83 runs in Bloemfontein.With 111.80 points, the Eagles are well clear of the second-placed Eastern CapeWarriors (89.88) and the Western Cape Cobras (84.98). The Dolphins, who had beenoccupying second place for a number of weeks, slipped to fourth with 79.04points.Electing to bat first, the Eagles, riding on an 81 by Ryan Bailey and 64 by Adrian McLaren, piled up 310 before making use of helpful bowling conditions to restrict the Dolphins for 158. With Ryan McLaren taking 3 for 19, the Eagles looked all set for another decent performance with the bat. However, Johann Louw, the Middlessex seamer, wrecked the Eagles’s top-order by taking 6 for 43 to dismiss them for only 88.With 241 to get and plenty of time on their hands, the Dolphins lost their first two wickets with only 14 on the board before McLaren played wrecker-in-chief again with a six-for to dismiss the visiting side for 158 second time round as well and help his side take 18.2 points from the match.The two Cape teams, the Warriors and the Cobras, will be battling it out for secondplace next week after posting impressive wins.Vernon Philander will be pushing for a return to the South African team after takingnine wickets in the Cobras’ six-wicket victory over the Easterns Titans in Paarl. The Titans, who will not be able to defend their title, were left ruing a horrible performance with the bat after allowing Philander (5 for 13) to skittle them out for only 148 after having only conceded a 50-run lead. Justin Kemp was the sturdy oak of the Cobras first-innings of 348 with his 63, while opener Andrew Puttick made 66.The Highveld Lions can also blame a second-innings batting collapse for theirdefeat by nine wickets at the hands of the Warriors in East London. Stephen Cook scored an impressive 152 and Jimmy Kgamadi chipped in with a useful 60 on debut to take their side to 36 despite a five-wicket haul by Juan Theron.The Warriors batted solidly in reply, declaring at 392 for nine. Zander de Bruyn, the Warriors’ captain, batted for over six and a half hours to score his 90, shared useful partnerships along the way to set his team up with a 50-run lead. The Lions then collapsed to 143 allout in their second thanks to the inspired pace and spin combination of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Robin Peterson. The duo shared eight wickets between them and left their side needing only 113 for a win. De Bruyn scored a fluent unbeaten half-century and together with Michael Smith, who scored49*, took their side past the target with an unbroken 102-run second wicket partnership.Player of the Week
There may still be doubts over all-rounder Vernon Philander at international level,but the 22-year-old has been in cracking form with the ball of late.He decimated the Easterns Titans batting with his astonishing figures of five for 13 off 15 overs, which followed his seven for 64 that set up an amazing win for the Cobras over the Highveld Lions last week. Of strong built, the former South Africa Under-19 star is not particularly fast but he hits the bat hard and can have devastating effect on bowlers with his powerful hitting in the lower middle-order. He did seem to freeze on occasions in the ICC World Twenty20, but his talent is undeniable and could flourish now that he has some confidence.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Eagles	9	5	1	0	3	0	111.80
Warriors	9	3	2	0	4	0	89.88
Cape Cobras	9	3	2	0	4	0	84.98
Dolphins	9	3	3	0	3	0	79.04
Titans	9	1	3	0	5	0	60.28
Lions	9	0	4	0	5	0	51.62

The Indian board will consult senior players before finalising performance-related contracts © Getty Images

Concerned by the fallout of the long-drawn telecast dispute, the Indian board today appointed a four-member committee to resolve the vexed issue of sharing the live feed of cricket matches between Nimbus, the rights owner, and public broadcaster Prasar Bharti.The decision to form the committee, which would interact with the government and Nimbus, was taken at the BCCI’s working committee meeting in Delhi. Shashank Manohar, the board’s vice-president, will head the panel while Lalit Modi, N Srinivasan and IS Bindra will be the other members. “The issue was deliberated upon and a four-member panel has been constituted. It will look at the pros and cons of the ordinance and talk to the government and hopefully the issue will be resolved,” BCCI vice-president and media committee convenor Rajiv Shukla told reporters.The dispute between Nimbus, which bought the telecast rights for a whopping US$ 612 million, and Prasar Bharti had prevented thousands of fans from watching the first India-West Indies one-dayer live. As both the parties moved the courts, the government came out with an ordinance making it mandatory for the right owners to share the live feed with Prasar Bharti.”The board thinks that people should not be deprived and the rights holders should not be affected. The BCCI understands its responsibility towards both the sides and it is better that a middle path is found,” Shukla said.The working committee also discussed the proposed performance-linked contract for the players and decided to implement the scheme before the World Cup. “Before the World Cup it will be ready. We will call some senior players for a meeting and it will be resolved,” the board’s secretary Niranjan Shah said. “There were so many tournaments and the schedule is so busy. We are looking at some modalities. We will put it before the players soon,” he said, adding the delay would not affect the cricketers as the contracts would be applicable with retrospective effect – from October, 2006.The board also decided to appoint Sanjay Jagdale, a national selector, and joint secretary MP Pandove as managers of the Indian team for the World Cup in the West Indies. “Jagdale and Pandove will be the two managers for the team during the World Cup. Since Pandove is a government servant, he had to seek some permissions and because of this he will join the side after 15 days,” Shah said.

Kenyan officials have said they were willing to host Zimbabwe in a series of one-day internationals after the country withdrew from Test cricket for the next 12 months.”We are prepared to play Zimbabwe in March,” said the Cricket Kenya (CK) chairman Samir Inamdar. “We have already talked with Zimbabwe with the view of having their team come here before we leave for Bangladesh.” The proposed itinerary is set to involve three ODIs.The tour of Bangladesh, which may also involve Zimbabwe will start on March 10. The Kenyans are also scheduled to play three one-day internationals against their hosts during the tournament, which has been organised through the initiative of the ICC.Last week, the interim committee of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced they would not play any more Tests in 2006 although they were still committed to honouring their one-day commitments. It is likely that one of the conditions placed on Zimbabwe was that they play matches against the likes of Kenya and Bangladesh during the following year.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary5th day
Bulletin – Malinga shines but match drawn
The Big Picture – Sanath’s joy
4th day
Bulletin – Malinga strikes in fading light
News – Vettori ruled out of second Test
3rd day
Bulletin – Atapattu and Jayawardene prosper
2nd day
Bulletin – Astle and McCullum wrest control
Commentary – The Marshall Art
1st day
Bulletin – Marshall twins bolster New Zealand

England XI 274 (Hussain 86) beat University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI 119 (Harmison 4-17) and 70 (Hoggard 3-10, Giles 3-23, Jones 3-3) by an innings and 85 runs
Scorecard

Simon Jones: an emphatic return© Getty Images

England needed just two days to race to a comfortable and thoroughly convincing victory in their warm-up match in Kingston. After a fit-again Graham Thorpe had helped England to a respectable 274, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones tore into the batting as the University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI was blown away for a meagre 70 in their second innings.It was another productive day all round for England. Thorpe reassured themanagement that he had fully recovered from yesterday’s back spasm with a stylish 55, and the bowlers made light work of some tame batting.But, considering the inexperience of the opposition batsmen, Thorpe’sperformance will be the most pleasing aspect for England. After NasserHussain was squared up by a Jermaine Lawson pearler for 86, and PaulCollingwood, the other overnight batsman, was caught at midwicket off Jason Bennett, Thorpe took centre-stage. He made a cagey start, but soon got back into his groove, signalled with a confident pull for four off Ryan Nurse, followed by some of his trademark square-cuts. And that was just as well for England, as wickets tumbled at regular intervals at the other end.Andrew Flintoff was on the wrong end of a dodgy decision. After the ball hit Flintoff on his back pad, Bennett, the bowler, mouthed a mutedappeal. The umpire then surprisingly whipped up his finger, even though the ball was clearly slanting down leg side. Flintoff wasn’t a happy bunny, and he let the umpire know, standing his ground and giving him theeye. The sound of “Another One Bites the Dust” from the ground speakers didn’t help matters either.Chris Read flashed Dwayne Bravo to Dave Bernard at gully for a duck,then Giles was plumb lbw to Lawson for 2. But Thorpe proved what a vital cog he will be for England in the Tests. He conjured up the shot of the day, an elegant cover-drive off Lawson, and continued to build his side’s advantage with some dashing strokes all round the wicket. He finally fell midway through the afternoon, when he slapped a short one from Tonito Willett straight to Jason Haynes at midwicket.The new batsman Jones was positive from the outset. He smacked Ryan Cunningham back over the main stand and into the refreshment tents, and cut him for four next ball. But Jones was later bowled going for another big shot, and Steve Harmison lasted only a couple of balls as England’s innings petered out for 274, a lead of 155.The Vice-Chancellor’s XI made a sleepy start to their second innings, butEngland’s bowlers woke up after tea. Kennedy Otieno scoopedHoggard to Collingwood at mid-off, then Giles ripped one like a legbreakwhich gated the left-handed Haynes. Bravo was then torpedoed by a Hoggard grubber, and Bernard edged Giles to Flintoff at first slip.And they kept on coming … and going. Hoggard cleaned up Darren Sammy, Willett was lbw to Giles, and Jones provided the final flourish with three wickets as the innings lurched to 70 all out. Steve Tikolo, the Kenyan captain, was unable to bat as he was suffering from a dose of flu.More good news for England was that Mark Butcher came through a net session in the morning with little trouble. Duncan Fletcher, England’s coach, rated his chances of making the first Test as 40-60. Fletcher reckons the top seven batting positions for the Test are sorted, assuming that Butcher makes it – but he admitted that he still needs to finalise the bowling combination, with Jones now back in the frame. “I’m pleased to have Jones back with us,” he said. “He was under a lot of pressure in the first innings, but he bowled well with good lines.”Freddie Auld is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo in London. He will be covering the first two Tests of England’s series in the Caribbean.

The final practice session of the Pakistan cricket team for Sunday’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 match against Namibia will be held on Saturday at 1000 hours at the De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley.Pakistan captain Waqar Younis will later hold a pre-match press conference at the Stadium at approximately 1200 hours. All the journalists are invited to attend the press conference. There will also be an opportunity for vision and pictures during training (1030hrs – 1200hrs approx).Samiul Hasan
Media Manager
Pakistan Cricket Team
Mobile + 27 83 5065 828

1st day of 3High Wycombe:
Buckinghamshire 191 (S Chapman 4-36)
Northumberland 76-1Truro:
Oxfordshire 100 (CE Shreck 4-47; JCJ Stevens 6-23)
Cornwall 144-6Bury St Edmunds:
Staffordshire 315-4 (L Potter 158*, PF Shaw 95)
SuffolkCardiff:
Wales Minor Counties 293-9 dec (JPJ Sylvester 87, JH Langworth 54no)
Devon 7-1