Trent Alexander-Arnold remains out of action at Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp revealing that a hamstring injury is keeping the full-back sidelined.
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Only Norwich City has more promotions to the Premier League this century than West Bromwich Albion, and the Baggies will be looking to match the Canaries by going up from the EFL Championship for a sixth time in 20 years this coming season.To that end, Albion has appointed Barnsley boss Valérien IsmaëlÂfollowing their relegation from the Premier League under Sam Allardyce, which you can read about at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57180362. This marks a change of tack and direction from West Brom.IsmaëlÂworked wonders at Barnsley, arriving at Oakwell in October when predecessor Gerhard Struber left to coach the New York Red Bulls after barelyÂkeeping the Tykes in the Championship the previous season. Former Crystal Palace defender IsmaëlÂtook a side that finished 21st in the league into the play-offs.Although Barnsley didn’t gain the promotion, they were very close and defied all the odds in making a top-six finish. They also did it in style, which contrasts sharply with the football played at The Hawthorns. Ismaël won’t be flying under the radar anymore.Perhaps his former club Palace regrets not making a move for him after narrowlyÂmissing out on Swiss manager and former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre. It’s with West Brom whereÂIsmaël will be trying to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
Betting on who gets promoted into the English top-flight can be just asÂpopular as wagering on the teams already there. That is why leading UK casinos are often attached to sportsbooks that provide markets on the Championship. You can view all the latest offers and promotions at https://www.bonusfinder.com/uk/casino-bonus, which lists the best deposit bonuses. A casual glance at the promotion betting sees the Baggies right up there with fellow relegated sides Fulham and Sheffield United, plus Championship play-off losers Bournemouth and Swansea City. Ismaël’s old side Barnsley aren’t expected to repeat their top-six finish automatically.
IsmaëlÂinherits an Albion side that will be feeling the absence ofÂseveral senior players including PolishÂwinger Kamil Grosicki, Wales forward Hal Robson-Kanu, defensive duo Branislav Ivanović, and Lee Peltier, as well asÂveteran goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, as noted onÂhttps://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-brom-albion-contracts-expiring-13571096. West Brom also released many of their up-and-coming playersÂas they trimmed their Academy and Under-23 teams following relegation.ÂIsmaël can call upon quite a few proven Championship performers in forward areas to choose from.
Scottish talentÂMatt Phillips and Robert Snodgrass are senior players now with Karlan Grant and Matheus Pereira also among those who have done well at this level before. As Ismaël played a three-man defence and wingbacks at Barnsley, Albion will need to recruit for their rearguard as they are thin on the ground.
As they have an established reputation of being a yo-yo club, the Baggies must try and live up to that in the new season. Anything less than a serious promotion push will be regarded as a failure for a promising manager, but for now, it looks as though the Baggies haveÂpulled off a coup coaching capture.
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers for the 2023-24 season
Football transfer windows are exciting periods during the sporting calendar every year, with fans drooling at the prospect of a new signing arriving at their club and making an impact. The summer transfer window is an opportunity for clubs to restart and build something new or add to their winning juggernaut.
The Bundesliga is a hotbed of talent and each season witnesses plenty of transfers, with high-potential youngsters arriving and seasoned pros heading off the new pastures.
Reigning champions Bayern Munich are expected to strengthen their side with quality additions while the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have players with star quality attract interest from everywhere.
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers this season so far.
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Noel Whelan is worried about Borna Barisic after the Glasgow Rangers defender suffered an injury setback while representing Croatia at Euro 2020.
Barisic was selected by Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic as part of his squad for Euro 2020 and had been expected to start at left-back.
However, he has yet to play a single minute in his country’s first two matches of the competition, and Dalic has revealed that the 28-year-old has had to have an MRI scan.
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has shared his worries for Barisic and the Gers following the news of the injury. He said:
“Any manager or teammate you play with, you want to see them play.
“You want them to do well and you don’t want to see them picking up injuries.
“It will be very worrying. It’s been a long season for Rangers so that worry is always there for a manager.
“Hopefully it’s just a strain and something he can shrug off. Gerrard will be keeping his fingers crossed.
“He’ll want his player to make an appearance in the tournament and to be free of injury before next season.”
It is crying shame that £12m-rated Barisic (The Athletic) is struggling so much this summer. Having the chance to represent your country at the European Championship is a huge honour, and with the 28-year-old yet to feature in an international tournament, he will no doubt have been eagerly awaiting Euro 2020.
However, it looks as though his competition could be over for him before it has even begun. Even if Croatia manage to reach the next round, Barisic will be lacking match sharpness. If he is fit, Dalic will be tempted to play him, but he must also think about what is best for the long-term future of the player. It seems as if Barisic could do with a rest as he attempts to recover from this setback.
In other news, Rangers have rejected several bids for this controversial ace.
The Argentine turned in a poor showing, though he wasn't the only one as Christophe Galtier's side made it three defeats in their last four home games
For 90 minutes, a lost figure strolled around the Parc des Princes. He occasionally touched the ball, but spent most of the game as an observer, watching as his side around him toiled against a team they should have comfortably beat.
That man, the near-invisible Lionel Messi, didn't seem to care as PSG slumped to a 3-1 loss against Lorient.
The visitors took the lead inside 15 minutes, with Enzo Le Fee ghosting into the box to finish a well-worked counter-attack. Things got worse for the Parisians shortly after, when Achraf Hakimi was given his marching orders after being shown a second yellow card.
PSG did equalise before half-time, as Kylian Mbappe nicked the ball off Yvon Mvogo when the Lorient goalkeeper thought play had been stopped.
Lorient's protests, though, soon turned to celebrations, as Darlone Yongwa snuck in at the back post unmarked to find net during what was a terrific performance.
PSG pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but with Messi turning in a languid showing, they didn't create much to speak of in the final 45 minutes. And they left themselves exposed on the counter, allowing Bamba Dieng to saunter through after a PSG corner and snag a third with five minutes to go.
Lorient became the first visiting team to ever win while scoring three goals at Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 since Qatar Sports Investment took over in the French capital in 2011, and PSG have now lost three of their last four home matches.
Ligue 1 could, then, get a bit interesting from here. If Marseille beat Auxerre on Sunday, the Parisians will only have a five-point lead atop the table with five games to play. And with their star man seemingly in cruise control, their stroll to the Ligue 1 title might yet be made more difficult.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Parc des Princes…
Everything you need to know about the silky Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia!
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a talented Georgian football player who was born on August 17, 2000, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The winger currently plays his club football for Napoli in Serie A and internationally represents the Georgian national team.
He started his youth career at Dinamo Tbilisi in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, joining their academy in 2012. It did not take him long to progress through the ranks at his hometown club, where he made his debut aged 16 and quickly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in the country. He was soon snapped up by Rustavi, from whom he joined Lokomotiv Moscow on loan in 2019, winning the Russian Cup.
The 6ft ace signed a five-year permanent deal with Rubin Kazan in the Russian top-flight later that same year aged 18 and made an immediate impact. Kvaratskhelia’s debut season saw him win four player of the month awards, while he was also named in famous French outlet top 50 players born in the 21st century and his market value increased multi-fold.
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine during the 2021-22 season, foreign players in Russia were allowed to suspend their contracts from the club and sign for any team outside Russia. Rubin Kazan stated that Khvicha’s contract had been terminated as he returned home to Georgia, joining Dinamo Batumi in March for the remainder of the campaign.
After making 11 appearances for the Georgian side, he then joined Napoli in 2022 on a long-term contract for a reported fee of €10-12m, which is a steal considering he's now valued at north of €100m after a spectacular start to life in Italy.
Indeed, he has been a huge hit since his summer move to Naples, and has taken Serie A and mainstream European football by storm, playing a crucial role during the 2022-23 season as they are cruising towards their first Scudetto in 33 years.
A whole host of big sharks are monitoring his progress at Napoli and he has already been linked with a potential move to a host of elite European clubs. First and foremost, he looks all set to make history in Naples.
Kvaratskhelia has represented the Georgian national team at various youth levels before making his senior debut in September 2019 in a match against Denmark. At 22, Kvaratskhelia already has 20 caps and 10 goals for his home country. Despite being in the early stages of his career, his fame in Georgia is already well-established. When he returns to his homeland, he is welcomed as a hero.
All in all, the Georgian sensation looks set to dominate the headlines in the coming months, but what are the 15 fun facts about Kvaratskhelia that you need to know?
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Premier League transfers this season so far
Football transfers are among the most exciting aspects of the game, with fans drooling at the prospect of a coveted new signing arriving at their club.
The Premier League is home to some of the richest teams in the world, with many clubs sparing little expense in pursuit of recruits who will help their cause.
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Premier League transfers this season so far.
Football Insider pundit Kevin Campbell has shared his shock at Celtic’s reported promise to new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Celtic fans had to wait 106 days for the club to bring in Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.
Postecoglou was confirmed by the club as their new man in charge on Thursday morning, signing a 12-month rolling contract.
The 55-year-old will meet up with the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown before leading the team’s pre-season training camp.
According to The Scottish Sun, Postecoglou will have the final say on all incomings and outgoings at the club.
Campbell, when asked by Football Insider on the news, was rather shocked, saying:
“It sounds like he’s got full control which is a very strange one for me.
“They had Eddie Howe in waiting but they could not agree on a deal over one member of staff or something and now they are handing ultimate power over incomings and outgoings Postecoglou, a relatively unknown manager. It baffles me.
“It will either be a masterstroke or one of the biggest mess-ups ever. I do not think there will be any middle ground because they are leaving themselves to be shot at straight away.
“The way Rangers have been recently the pressure is mounting on Celtic, they need to respond next season.”
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There’s no denying Postecoglou’s appointment is a gamble by the Hoops board. His only experience of managing in Europe came in 2008 with Greek side Panachaiki.
It seems as if the club have gone all-in on Postecoglou though and are willing to give him full control when it comes to transfers, so we agree with Campbell believing it will either be a masterstroke or one colossal disaster.
Postecoglou will have to serve a 10-day quarantine when he gets to Scotland, so you’d expect he’ll spend that time analysing the Celtic squad and identifying possible targets.
One way or the other, things are going to be entertaining at Parkhead this season.
In other news: Source claims Postecoglou has already made Celtic U-turn on one decision, find out more here.
The Reds are staring Champions League elimination in the face after they were put to the sword by the defending European champions
Liverpool threw away a two-goal advantage thanks to individual errors from Alisson and Joe Gomez as Real Madrid cruised to a comfortable 5-2 victory at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
An audacious Darwin Nunez flick and Mohamed Salah strike following Thibaut Courtois' error had given the home side a 2-0 lead early on.
But Alisson responded with a glaring mistake of his own as Madrid showed their European pedigree and turned the tide against a debilitated Liverpool side.
Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema each scored a brace while Eder Militao also grabbed a goal as Gomez in particular endured a night to forget.
The result was Liverpool's worst European defeat on home soil and leaves Jurgen Klopp's side a near impossible task when they travel to Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks' time.
After a rollercoaster night that went from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again, GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…
Newcastle are eyeing up a summer loan swoop for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, with Alan Shearer seemingly a big fan.
With the Premier League season now over, Steve Bruce can firmly turn his attentions towards strengthening his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the Magpies boss will have a very small transfer budget to work with, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the latest rumours involving Newcastle claim they are keen on exploring the loan market.
According to The Northern Echo, the Tyneside club are interested in bringing Chelsea’s Abraham on a season-long loan deal, and it’s been suggested that they have already “spoken” to officials from Stamford Bridge about a potential move.
Dubbed as being “clinical in front of goal” and as a “natural goal-scorer” by Noel Whelan, Abraham managed an impressive 12 goals in 32 games despite barely starting in the Premier League last season for the Blues.
Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, the striker has got all the potential to be a real threat, with Aston Villa boss Dean Smith saying a couple of years ago: “Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”
Abraham arguably comes with the biggest backing given what Magpies legend Shearer has said about, saying that while he still rates him highly, he’s got a bit more room to grow.
He said: “I like him but I also think he has to go to the next level and to do that, that stat (only scoring four goals from crossed) has to improve.
“He is very good at finishing balls that come from midfield and in behind the defence. Where he can improve is when balls come into the box, he needs to have that intelligent movement where number nines score on a regular basis.
“I like him, he has great potential but where he has to go to the next level, the one thing he can improve on is that movement in the box and he can improve that. He just needs to work on it and improve.”
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The £36m-rated star could provide Bruce with the kind of Premier League proven option up front that can really ease the burden on Callum Wilson.
Meanwhile, Newcastle must avoid a major nightmare…