Tag Futebol

Liverpool are on the verge of a historic Premier League title and with Jurgen Klopp gone, that is quite the sentence.

When the German announced his departure, it caused mass panic among the Anfield faithful. The Reds were fearing a seismic drop-off, potentially years away from challenging for a league again.

However, Arne Slot has – to excuse the pun – slotted right in and made Anfield cheer his name almost as loudly as Klopp’s.

Liverpool may have exited the Champions League and lost the Carabao Cup final but that will not matter when they lift the Premier League aloft in six weeks or so.

So, it’s time to capitalise on this triumph. With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah potentially set to exit, they will need to strengthen.

Liverpool summer transfer plans

Alexander-Arnold will be boarding a plane to Madrid imminently, so signing a new right-back must be a priority. Reports suggest Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong is an option.

They will also need a new forward. Darwin Nunez is regularly linked with the exit door and just cannot build up any consistency in front of goal, scoring a dismal seven goals across 40 outings in all competitions this term.

That would explain links to strikers such as Newcastle’s Alexander Isak but the Toon’s reluctance to sell means it’s unlikely he’ll be going anywhere soon.

Transfer Focus

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

So, how about Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez? The Argentine only left Manchester City last summer but reports in Spain suggest he could be on the move again.

One publication on the continent is reporting that Liverpool are now willing to lodge a truly ridiculous €170m (£142m) bid to bring him to Anfield this summer.

It’s indicated that a deal could be done if Salah leaves with Slot and Co very much on the lookout for alternatives in the worst-case scenario.

If a deal was done at that price, it would make it one of the biggest moves in the history of the sport and the biggest in Premier League history.

How Julian Alvarez compares to Alexander Isak

So, Isak is clearly the number one target for a lot of clubs this summer and it’s hardly a surprise given his haul of 23 goals in 33 outings. There aren’t many better strikers out there.

However, since leaving City, Alvarez has also been on fire and in the words of Argentine journalist Roy Nemer, the World Cup winner has been the “best forward in the world” this season.

Do the numbers support that? Well, he’s found the net on 23 occasions, the same number as Isak, although he has played 12 more games.

Isak is an out and out centre-forward and although Alvarez can do that job tremendously, he can also play in a number 10 role, making him rather similar to Bobby Firmino.

Firmino wasn’t a direct striker either, notably deployed as a false 9 by Klopp on plenty of occasions. As a result, the Brazilian used his selfless creativity to pick out runners in behind. Alvarez could be used in a similar manner.

Analysing the numbers above, it’s clear that Newcastle’s Swedish sensation is more prolific but in other areas they are pretty closely matched, demonstrating a similar level of creativity and carrying this season.

However, if we analyse more historical data, Alvarez is usually the more creative of the duo, supplying 1.66 key passes per 90 to Isak’s 1.22 per 90 since 2022. There’s that Firmino-esque attribute shining through once more.

We know that Slot likes a multi-faceted and versatile forward so perhaps there is sense in chasing the Argentine instead. Aged 25, he’s yet to even reach his prime either.

This would be an exceptional signing for the Reds.

The dream XI FSG could build at Liverpool: £150m star signs & no Trent

Liverpool are expected to make a raft of changes in the transfer market this summer.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 21, 2025

Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrea Berta had agreed to become Arsenal’s new Sporting Director, and while he’ll be joining a team who have fought for the Premier League title three seasons on the bounce now, he’ll have a lot of work to do.

Mikel Arteta’s side are undoubtedly one of the very best in the country, but this season has proven that attacking reinforcements are desperately needed.

One of the stars most heavily linked with the club in recent months has been Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, although, with reports claiming he could cost up to £150m, it’d be a Herculean deal to get over the line.

That said, with several players set to leave this summer, a significant amount of the wage bill should be freed up, which could help the ownership secure the Swede’s services.

However, there is another star player who almost certainly won’t be leaving this year but should be one of the players Berta looks to move on as soon as possible, as they make more than twice as much as Isak.

Arsenal's decreasing wage bill

So, before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at how much Arsenal’s wage bill could decrease by this summer, with certain players’ contracts expiring and others potentially being sold.

Starting with those who are in the former group, it seems almost guaranteed now that Thomas Partey, who makes £200k-per-week, and Jorginho, on £110k-per-week, will be leaving the club at the end of June alongside Celtic-bound Kieran Tierney, who also makes £110k-per-week.

Raheem Sterling, who has been earning around £110k-per-week and Neto, who makes £50k-per-week, will also come off the wage bill when their loan spells end in the summer.

Finally, while there is a chance the club will fail to sell any of their fringe players in the transfer window, it feels increasingly likely that Oleksandr Zinchenko, who earns £150k-per-week, will finally be moved on, as he’ll have just a year left on his contract if not.

So, when you add together the wages of those who are out of contract, those on loan and Zinchenko, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that Arsenal could reduce their wage bill by an astounding £730k-per-week before making any signings in the summer, which comes out to a massive figure of £37.96m per year.

Such an incredible sum of money being saved could help Berta and Co raise the finances needed to complete their summer transfer plans, although there is still another big earner in the club who needs to be moved on as soon as possible.

The Arsenal star Berta needs to sell

With a lot of Arsenal’s big earners either making good on their wage packets or mentioned above, it will likely come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian forward joined the Gunners for around £45m in the summer of 2022, and while he was truly sensational for the first half of that season, he has not been the same player since suffering a serious knee injury at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Since then, it would be hard to argue that the former Manchester City star has been deserving of his enormous £265k-per-week wage when potentially world-class strikers like Isak are earning less than half of that, coming in at around £120k-per-week.

For example, while the Sao Paulo-born nine wasn’t bad last season, he was, as pundit Micah Richards put it, “frustrating,” as for all the silky footwork and innate skill he has, he was only able to muster up a tally of eight goals and eight assists in 36 appearances, which wasn’t enough to stop Kai Havertz eventually replacing him as Arteta’s go-to striker.

In contrast, the Toon star, who has endured his own injury problems, was able to amass a haul of 25 goals and two assists in 40 appearances and looks set to do even better this year, already hitting 23 goals and five assists in just 33 games.

For his efforts, the Gunners’ forward was only able to score seven goals and provide two assists in his 27 appearances before his ACL injury this season, which is what will keep him at the Emirates this summer.

However, once he is back to full fitness at some point in 2026, Berta and Co need to move him on as soon as they can, as not only is he no longer at the level required to push the team forward, but his bumper contract expires in June 2027, meaning the window to get a decent fee for him will be slight.

Ultimately, Jesus is an undeniably talented footballer, but his inefficiency in front of goal, poor injury record and monster wages mean that he has to be sold by Arsenal as soon as they get the chance.

Arsenal have a future England superstar & it's not Nwaneri or Lewis-Skelly

The incredible prospect could be a game-changer for Arsenal and England.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 25, 2025

تستعد الأندية المصرية لانطلاق الموسم الجديد من الدوري الممتاز لكرة القدم 2025-2026، وسط توقعات بمنافسة قوية بين فرق المقدمة على البطولة المحلية الأقدم على مستوى الشرق الأوسط.

يأتي ذلك بعد موسم مثير شهد تتويج النادي الأهلي بالنسخة الماضية من الدوري، عقب صراع شرس ومثير مع نادي بيراميدز الذي حل في المركز الثاني، بينما احتل الزمالك المركز الثالث في جدول الترتيب.

وحصد الأهلي اللقب بعد منافسة محتدمة على مدار الموسم مع بيراميدز الذي قدم أداءً مميزًا، مما جعل الموسم الماضي من أقوى مواسم الدوري المصري في السنوات الأخيرة، أما الزمالك فقد حافظ على مكانته ضمن فرق المقدمة، رغم بعض التحديات التي واجهها خلال الموسم.

طالع أيضًا | قرار هام لـ إمام عاشور وتوجيه الشكر للاعب الفريق.. تفاصيل مُثيرة بشأن مستقبل لاعبي الأهلي

في الوقت نفسه، تتجه الأنظار الآن إلى موعد إجراء قرعة الدوري المصري للموسم الجديد، وعلم بطولات، أنه من المقرر أن تجرى في الفترة ما بين 20 و25 يوليو الجاري، لكن لم يتم تحديد اليوم الرسمي للقرعة حتى الآن.

ومن المتوقع أن تحظى القرعة بمتابعة كبيرة من الجماهير والإعلام، خاصة في ظل وجود تغييرات في بعض الفرق وتوقعات بمنافسة محتدمة على اللقب.

واصل نجم فريق الأهلي، وسام أبو علي، تألقه في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد نظيره بورتو، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية نسخة 2025.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة من دور مجموعات البطولة، لحساب المجموعة الأولى.

وتمكن الأهلي من تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك نظيره بورتو، في الدقيقة 51 من عمر المباراة.

جاء الهدف عن طريق وسام بن علي بعد عرضية متقنة من جانب محمد هاني، وصلت إلى الفلسطيني المتألق ليسددها برأسه في الشباك. هدف وسام أبو علي الثالث أمام بورتو في كأس العالم للأندية

ونجح وسام أبو علي بذلك في تسجيل هاتريك في تلك المباراة، بعدما سجل هدفين في الشوط الأول، أحدهما من ضربة جزاء.

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم إنتر ميامي على حساب بالميراس بهدف دون رد، في المباراة الأخرى من المجموعة.

Cameron Green will also miss the Sydney Test against South Africa because of a broken finger

Alex Malcolm29-Dec-2022

Mitchell Starc admits he could be touch and go for the early part of the four-Test tour of India starting in February, while Pat Cummins has declared injured allrounder Cameron Green as close to irreplaceable as Australia are hit with a rare injury crisis as they try to qualify for the World Test Championship final.Australia wrapped up their three-Test series win against South Africa 2-0 with a match to play thanks to a thumping innings victory at the MCG but it came at a major cost. Starc and Green have both been ruled out of the third Test in Sydney with finger injuries.Green flew home to Perth on Thursday while the game was still going to recover from a broken index finger and there has been no timeframe put on his recovery, although he is expected to be fit for the India tour. The same can’t be said for Starc who has a detached tendon in the top of his middle finger on his bowling hand, which occurred when he attempted to take a catch on the first day of the game.Related

Cameron Green out of Sydney Test but defies fracture finger with fifty

Australia crush South Africa by innings and 182 runs to secure series

Starc on de Bruyn's backing up: 'Absolutely taking the mickey'

Starc was able to bat and bowl in the remainder of the game but admits he does not know what his recovery timeframe looks like as he needs to consult a specialist in Sydney.”I’m getting another scan in Sydney and seeing a finger specialist to work through all that,” Starc said after Australia wrapped up victory in Melbourne inside four days.”Obviously India is coming up, so we’ll see what the timeframes are after I’ve had those discussions next week. Hopefully [my return] fits in somewhere at the front end of the tour.”Apart from the finger being out of action, I can still train to some degree and bowl in creative ways to keep up my workloads up whilst the finger not being impacted. So that side of it is going to be fine. It’s just where the timeframe of the tendon comes into it for the India tour.”From the scans the other day the tendon’s basically gone from the top of the finger so I can’t straighten it.”Mitchell Starc bowled through the pain•Getty Images

Australia likely to name Sydney squad on Friday
Australia’s first Test against India starts on February 9 in Nagpur. Starc has not missed a Test match since the 2019 Ashes and was a key part of Australia’s last two subcontinent tours when Australia played only two specialist quicks in four of the five Test matches in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with Green as the allrounder.India aside, Cummins’ immediate concern is replacing both Starc and Green for the third Test against South Africa in Sydney.”The first thing is to probably have a look at the wicket up there,” Cummins said post the MCG win. “From afar it looks a little bit dry this year. I’m sure we’ll add an extra spinner to the mix. Greeny is pretty close to being irreplaceable I think as a top order batter that gives you another bowling option. We’ll chat through all those combinations when we get a bit closer but we’re not settled on anything.”Cummins confirmed that he and Australia’s selectors would discuss the squad on Thursday night and announce it Friday. Australia coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on SEN on Wednesday morning that Australia would likely pick a spinner who complements Nathan Lyon rather than a second offspinner like Victoria’s Todd Murphy.Queensland legspinner Mitchell Swepson partnered Lyon in four Tests in Pakistan and Sri Lanka but appears to have fallen out of favour. Ashton Agar is looking like the possible second option with Australia keen to have a left-arm finger spinner in the side for India following the success of Steve O’Keefe in 2017, and the success of India’s duo, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, more broadly.Agar played his first two first-class games in 18 months just recently for the Prime Minister’s XI and Western Australia, returning figures of 3 for 212 from 78.4 overs while battling to readjust to red-ball bowling after so much limited-overs cricket.Australia’s other white-ball spinner Adam Zampa has also thrown his hand up to play Test cricket after playing his first first-class game in three years in November, taking 3 for 57 and 0 for 49 for New South Wales against Victoria, but seems an unlikely candidate for Sydney.Cameron Green is expected to be fit before Australia’s tour of India•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Cummins admitted Australia could look to trial some players for India in the Sydney Test but acknowledged that they still need to win to shore up their place in the World Test Championship final.”I think it’s a mix,” Cummins said, “It’s probably going to be the wicket in Australia that closest resembles India, even if it doesn’t spin big. So it might give us a chance to have a look at one or two players that will be on that Indian tour ahead of that. But the first priority is of course to win the Test match.”Lance Morris could be Starc’s replacement
There was no indication of who would replace Starc but McDonald had mentioned on SEN on Wednesday that West Australian quick Lance Morris could be Starc’s replacement given his raw pace and striking ability.”He may be looking like he’ll get an opportunity in Sydney depending on the balance of that attack,” McDonald said.Josh Hazlewood has declared he is fit after ruling himself out of the Boxing Day Test. But Australia won’t have any workload issues to worry about with either Cummins or Scott Boland after Starc braved the pain at the MCG to deliver 18 overs and take the wicket of Sarel Erwee.”Some painkillers helped,” Starc said. “I think it’s probably just taking a little bit of the pressure off my middle finger onto the ball, which I think actually helped my seam position. So I might see if they want to leave it detached for a bit longer because it’s helping the swing.”It was just to hopefully play a role and be able to not leave them a bowler down. I’m sure they would have been able to do it, but it would have been a big ask for just Scotty, Pat and Nath [Lyon] to bowl [on their own]. I think Pat came over three balls into that first over of the second innings and said this is going better than we thought and I certainly was of the same opinion. It was just nice to be able to play a role and contribute in that second innings.”

تحدث رمضان السيد، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن مواجهة بيراميدز وماميلودي صن دوانز في إياب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا اليوم الأحد، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي.

وقال السيد، عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “بيراميدز يتفوق على صن داونز من حيث المستوى، وهذه تُعد من أضعف نُسخ صن داونز فعلى سبيل المثال، في مباراتي الأهلي، لولا بعض الأخطاء الفنية من كولر، لكان الأهلي قادرًا على حسم الأمور، وبالعودة لبيراميدز أيضًا كان من الممكن أن يحسم مباراة الذهاب بهدفين أو ثلاثة وفرصه كبيرة جدًا في التتويج”.

طالع أيضًا.. لاعبو بيراميدز: نريد الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس مصر بعد ضياع الدوري

وواصل: “لا أريد لبيراميدز أن يلعب بطريقة دفاعية أمام صن داونز، خصوصًا أن الفريق كان متفوقًا في ملعب صن داونز، وضغط عليهم وكان بإمكانه تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، التفوق كان واضحًا في كل الجوانب، حتى من الناحية البدنية يجب استغلال وجود الجمهور، ومن الممكن أن يحسم بيراميدز اللقاء في الشوط الأول ورأيي أن بيراميدز يجب أن يضغط من الأمام، وقادر على إنهاء المباراة في الشوط الأول”.

واستكمل: “إذا تحدثنا عن مواجهة الأهلي، فالفرق الإفريقية تتأثر بالجماهير، ولو أن الأهلي ضغط عليهم بشكل كافٍ لكان تأهل، لكنه تراجع، وهذا ما حدث وسط جماهيره، والدفاع كان خطأ كبيرًا وبنسبة كبيرة، سيسجل بيراميدز هدفًا، وإذا كرر نفس أسلوب اللعب والضغط الأمامي، قد يسجل أكثر من هدف”.

وأضاف: “مصطفى فتحي على اليمين، وإبراهيم عادل في الجهة اليسرى، ومايلي يمثل قوة هجومية كبيرة، خاصة أن الأخير مهاجم رائع، سريع، وقوي في الالتحامات، ويُحسن استغلال المساحات، هذا الثلاثي، في ظل الضغط الأمامي، قادر على حسم اللقب ومدرب بيراميدز تصرّف بشكل صحيح في مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا، حيث منح اللاعبين راحة استعدادًا لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وتعامل بشكل جيد مع المباراة بالمقابل، كانت من أسوأ مباريات سيراميكا كليوباترا، وكذلك من أسوأ مباريات علي ماهر، الذي يُعد مدربًا كبيرًا”.

وواصل: “وزارة الشباب قادرة على تجميع جمهور كبير لمساندة بيراميدز في المباراة، فرغم تفوق بيراميدز من ناحية اللاعبين، يبقى الجمهور عنصرًا مهمًا، والفريق بحاجة إليه”.

وردا على سؤال هل أخذ بيراميدز مكان الزمالك؟ قال: “مشاكل الزمالك ساعدت بيراميدز على التقدم، ونحن نراه اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا والمركز الثاني في الدوري، هناك تعاطف واضح من جماهير الزمالك مع بيراميدز”.

واسترسل: “مدرب صن داونز يتميز بامتلاك فريق يجيد الاستحواذ، خاصة في المباريات خارج ملعبه، ويملك حلولًا هجومية مميزة، ويُعد موكوينا وسلاح التسديدات من أبرز عناصره والفريق يؤدي بشكل قوي خارج أرضه، والأهلي كان مثالًا على ذلك”.

وأتم: “من الصعب دعوة جماهير الأهلي لمساندة بيراميدز بسبب التوترات بين الناديين، ووجود شكاوى متبادلة، ولذلك من غير المتوقع دعم جماهيري من الأهلي، رغم أن الأمور كان من الممكن أن تسير بشكل أفضل ولا يوجد قلق من بيراميدز بالنسبة للأهلي الذي يستعد حاليًا لكأس العالم للأندية، وقادر على التأهل وتحقيق نتائج إيجابية، وقد نجح بالفعل في تكوين فريق قوي ومتماسك”.

Opener Travis Dean made 70 not out as Victoria batted for a draw against Tasmania after heavy rain and hail washed away large parts of the final day in Hobart

AAP01-Nov-2022

Two Hobart hailstorms and firm resistance from Victoria’s top order have combined to deny Tasmania back-to-back Sheffield Shield wins.After resuming at 44 for 1 on the final day and still needing another 140 to make Tasmania bat again, Victoria made clear their plan to bat through the day at Blundstone Arena.But they needed to face just 45.5 overs, as heavy rain and hail stopped play early in the middle session with Victoria 113 for 1.The rain eventually subsided as an early tea was called, but 12 minutes after the players returned more heavy hail hit with Victoria 122 for 1. The teams agreed to a draw.Opener Travis Dean offered the most resistance for Victoria, soaking up 200 balls for his 70 not out.His innings included a 50-over stand that netted 80 runs with Mitchell Perry, who was unbeaten on 31 from 159 balls.Victoria were in the box seat after the opening two days thanks to an unbeaten century from debutant Ashley Chandrasinghe that allowed them to declare at 7-351.But Jordan Silk’s quickfire 154 from 161 balls helped Tasmania take a mammoth 184-run first-innings lead.That gave the Tigers a shot at a second straight win after toppling South Australia a fortnight ago, but any hopes of a win were quickly extinguished on Tuesday.The result marks Victoria’s third straight draw to start the season after they were denied by Western Australia and South Australia in the opening rounds.

علق هادي خشبة لاعب الأهلي السابق، على تغيير الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة برحيل مارسيل كولر وتعيين عماد النحاس، مؤكدًا أن ذلك القرار أعاد التوازن للفريق ومنح اللاعبين دفعة معنوية كبيرة.

وقال هادي خشبة في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الأهلي: “الأهلي دائمًا هدفه الرئيسي هو تحقيق البطولات، لكن المشكلة أننا تأخرنا قليلًا في الدخول إلى منافسات الدوري بعد التأخير وبعد (ما اتدلعنا)، ومع ذلك، حدث استنفار من اللاعبين، وتدخلت الإدارة في الوقت المناسب بتغيير المدرب كولر”.

وتابع: “قرار تغيير كولر في هذا التوقيت كان صائبًا للغاية، حيث كان اللاعبون بحاجة إلى دافع جديد وفرصة للتعرف على مدرب جديد، وعندما يتبع المدرب نمطًا واحدًا يصيب اللاعبين خاصة البدلاء باليأس لأن المدرب يتجاهلهم”.

وأضاف: “لكن عندما يأتي عنصر شاب مثل عماد النحاس، يجدد طاقة الفريق، ويحل الأزمات، ويحفز اللاعبين على المشاركة، فإن ذلك يحدث تغييرًا إيجابيًا، كما أن تعيين محمد يوسف مديرًا رياضيًا، وهو شخص سبق وعمل مع اللاعبين”.

وأكمل: “كنت أتمنى استمرار محمد رمضان في النادي لما يمتلكه من رؤية، حيث كان بإمكانه مساعدة الخطيب، ومع ذلك، فإن وجود محمد يوسف والنحاس حسَّن الأوضاع بشكل كبير، وتحسنت المعادلة بنسبة كبيرة، وهو ما شعرنا به جميعًا في الملعب سريعاً”.

وأوضح: “في المستقبل القريب، ستكون قائمة الأهلي قوية للغاية، لدرجة أن المدير الفني الجديد قد يجد صعوبة في اختيار اللاعبين وتحديد أدوارهم وتوقيت مشاركتهم، وهذا الأمر مفرح للمدير الفني”.

طالع | تقارير: نادي سعودي يقدم عرضًا مغريًا لـ الأهلي لضم نجم الفريق

وأشار: “لكن التحدي سيكون في الجوانب الإدارية والتنظيمية أكثر من الجوانب الفنية، حيث إن هؤلاء اللاعبين قادرون على حل أي مشكلات فنية داخل الملعب، لكن المشكلة تكمن في كيفية احتواء اللاعبين وتنظيمهم، وتحقيق التوازن بين المرونة والحزم، فلا يمكن أن يكون هناك تساهل دائمًا أو صرامة مستمرة”.

وواصل: “أي لاعب جديد ينضم إلى الفريق يجب أن يدرك من البداية أنه لم يأتِ ليكون أساسيًا بالضرورة، بل كجزء من منظومة تضم 30 لاعبًا”.

واختتم: “هذه هي سياسة الأهلي، لأن اللاعب الذي قد لا أحتاجه اليوم، سأحتاجه غدًا، ولذلك يجب احتواء اللاعبين وحل جميع مشكلاتهم لضمان استقرارهم وأدائهم الأمثل”.

The proposed change would see MLS change seasonal format, align with Europe's fall-to-spring calendar

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• MLS owners could vote on schedule change Thursday
• Board of Governors meeting in Chicago could prove pivotal
• League would switch to fall-to-spring calendar
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  MLS and its clubs could get more clarity Thursday around a proposed schedule change that would move the season calendar to fall to spring. Team owners and executives are reportedly set to discuss the plan and potentially vote on it during the Board of Governors meeting in Chicago, according to the Sports Business Journal.

  The proposed change, which had been vigorously debated, would see MLS move from its spring-to-fall schedule and align with Europe's fall-to-spring calendar – with a few potential tweaks.

  MLS Commissioner Don Garber recently said that a change is being discussed, though no decision had been made.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A proposed shift would see the league begin the regular season in late July or early August, and then play through mid-December before a winter break. After a roughly five-week stoppage through the beginning of February, the season would conclude in late May or early June.

  In addition to discussing the proposed schedule change, potential competition changes are also expected to be touched on, including potential revisions of the current playoff format.

  Proponents of the change believe the league, as a result of being aligned with European transfer windows, will be able to attract more talent and benefit from having playoffs and MLS Cup aligned against the NHL and NBA in the spring rather than the NFL and college football in the fall.

  Critics, meanwhile, believe a changescould have a detrimental impact on cold weather markets such as Minnesota, Chicago, Toronto and Montreal. Any schedule changes could force those franchises to make additional investments into infrastructure with heated playing surfaces and indoor training facilities.

  Multiple teams have reportedly addressed the league over the financial matters involved.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The league is also set to discuss 2026 FIFA World Cup plans, and updates on the media partnership with Apple.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Matchday 8 of the MLS season arrives on Saturday.

Nottingham Forest have been known for a manic window or two since returning to the Premier League, making over 30 additions during the 2022/23 season – in what was their first in 23 years.

Business desperately needed to be done to enable Steve Cooper to have a squad capable of surviving the drop after an expected promotion campaign from the Championship which saw multiple loan players star.

However, fast-forward a couple of years and the Reds are right in the thick of a battle for the top four – something that has taken the country by complete surprise.

Nuno Espírito Santo has done a phenomenal job in creating a settled side among all of the transfer chaos, reaping the rewards over halfway through the campaign.

If they are to maintain the current form which has seen six top-flight wins in a row for the first time since 1966/67, quality over quantity is needed this month, with one player linked with a move providing exactly that.

Nottingham Forest targeting £17m talisman this January

According to Italian outlet Tutto Sport via Milan Posts, Forest are one of multiple sides targeting a move for Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca this month.

The Italian, who stands at 6 foot 7, has scored seven times in 19 Serie A matches in 2024/25 and could be available for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m).

However, the Reds aren’t the only side interested in a move for the 24-year-old, with Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan also credited with an interest in landing the talisman, as per the report.

His huge frame would give Nuno another option alongside the red-hot Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi – bolstering the attacking lineup to boost the club’s chance of landing Champions League football.

Lucca could form a superb partnership with another potential addition from Serie A, with the prospect of both players arriving certainly an exciting prospect for the fanbase.

Why Lucca would be perfect with Douglas Luiz at Forest

In recent days, journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Reds were one of multiple sides interested in a loan move to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian joined the Old Lady from Aston Villa for £42m in the summer, but has only made 13 Serie A appearances to date, with just two coming from a starting role.

He’s previously starred in England with Unai Emery’s side, achieving a total of 20 combined goals and assists in the league last season, but it’s his passing ability that could see him star alongside potential fellow new arrival Lucca.

The Italian, who’s previously been dubbed “one of the best forwards in Italy” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is capable of playing off the shoulder despite his height, with Luiz’s tally of 4.9 progressive passes per 90 aiding him in the final third.

Luiz also possesses a deadly set piece ability, which could allow the Udinese ace to be supplied with many aerial opportunities – undoubtedly one of the key components to his game as seen from his time in Serie A.

Lorenzo Lucca’s stats for Udinese in Serie A (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

19

Goals scored

7

Goals per shot-on-target

0.6

Shots taken

2.2

Take-on success

57%

Fouls won

1.9

Aerials won

2.6

Aerial success rate

51%

Stats via FBref

The 24-year-old striker has won an average of 2.6 aerials per 90 this campaign, offering that focal point which could be pivotal on the counter given Nuno’s transitional playstyle.

The £17m fee touted would be an excellent price for a striker who’s recently featured for his nation, providing healthy competition and added quality to the frontline – something which the hierarchy have tried to do in recent months.

The prospect of Luiz’s passing range and Lucca’s ability to create and score in attacking areas is certainly one to get excited by, handing the fanbase that added sense of confidence that the current season will be one that lives long in the memory.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Jan 8, 2025