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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has told Cole Palmer to sit out Chelsea's fixtures before the international break due to his ongoing injury concerns. The England star was substituted after just 20 minutes against Manchester United last weekend and is now set to miss games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Benfica, and Liverpool.

Palmer's injury blow

During Chelsea's farcical 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, the England international was substituted after just 20 minutes, with his side already down to 10 men after the sending off of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in the first five minutes of the encounter. Palmer appeared particularly aggrieved to be taken off, and headed straight down the tunnel, but it was soon revealed that the playmaker had suffered a recurrence of a persistent groin injury. He also missed clashes against West Ham and Fulham due to the ongoing issue, and surgery has been discussed as a potential solution, although his manager has now appeared to soften his stance on that prospect. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaresca taking no chances

Manager Maresca has confirmed that he has advised Palmer to rest, but stopped short of saying that the Englishman needs to go under the knife. Instead, he faces missing two Premier League games and one Champions League clash; it is, at this point, unclear if Thomas Tuchel will include him in his Three Lions squad. England play Wales in a friendly on October 9 before travelling to Latvia for a World Cup qualifier on October 14. 

Maresca said, per Ben Jacobs: “We decided to protect a Cole a little bit [to] not let his injury get worse. We decided to rest him for two-three weeks until the international break to see if he can recover 100%. I don’t think he needs surgery. It’s just a matter of managing the pain in his groin.”

Palmer's latest setback

While Palmer has developed into one of the best attacking midfield players in the world at Stamford Bridge, and also on the international stage with England, Palmer has struggled for form since the turn of the year. In the first half of the 2024/25 season, up until New Year's Day, Palmer scored 12 league goals and registered six assists. Since ringing in 2025, he has managed just four goals and three assists, and now faces a prolonged period on the sidelines. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he has missed a total of seven Blues games but that number is now set to rise to at least ten. Maresca will hope that he can put the problem behind him as quickly as possible. 

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Palmer's big ambitions

The injury comes at a galling time for Palmer, having hailed the club's ability to go "toe-to-toe" with the best in the world after their narrow Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. 

He said: "The manager said to us before that he knows we can go toe-to-toe with anyone, and I think we showed that tonight despite the result.

"It’s a good learning curve for tonight and to be back in the competition is nice, so we just need to kick off from here.

"We’re not in this competition for it to be a learning curve for us. I feel like we showed tonight that we can compete and we want to do as best as we can."

Palmer has now brought up a century of appearances for the Blues following his move from Manchester City back in 2023; he has a 10-year contract until 2033, so there is plenty of time for him to get back on the pitch and continue impacting games for the west London giants. 

Tottenham Hotspur have been given a late-summer transfer boost as Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team scramble for reinforcements.

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Spurs want to sign a centre-back, playmaker and a new winger (Sky Sports), but bringing in all three is perhaps unlikely at this stage of the window and with such little time remaining.

The north Londoners have found it notoriously difficult already, having seen high-profile blockbuster deals for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fail in dramatic fashion.

After weeks of talks, Spurs have also got nowhere with their bid for Savinho, as Man City make it crystal clear that the Brazil international is not for sale.

It remains to be seen who they target as an alternative to the 21-year-old, but it is evident who has become their top playmaker target during this final stretch.

According to numerous sources, RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is in London right now, with both Chelsea and Tottenham pursuing a deal for the highly-rated Netherlands international.

The 22-year-old is valued at around £60 million, which is a similar price that Spurs were once prepared to pay for Eze and Gibbs-White. With there being precious few available playmakers who could truly make a difference for Thomas Frank, Simons has emerged as their potential saving grace.

He racked up 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last term, and Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes that Simons is an “unbelievable” player.

Tottenham have now submitted a near-£60m bid for Simons, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, with journalist Graeme Bailey also sharing the player’s stance on joining Frank’s side.

Xavi Simons ready to join Tottenham after talks with his camp

As per the reporter, it is believed that Simons is ready to join Tottenham, who’ve held talks with his representatives, after Chelsea began stalling their deal – with the attacking midfielder growing impatient.

The west Londoners have been in talks for weeks, but there are complications with player sales.

They also haven’t found a full agreement with Leipzig in all of that time, and that has allowed Spurs to move in to hijack their negotiations. Right now, Simons is happy to stop pausing on a move and sign for Tottenham instead, despite already agreeing personal terms with Chelsea.

This flurry of promising developments, including Levy’s offer, means that they could be on the verge of finally signing their desired number 10. However, as we’ve seen with Tottenham, no supporter should celebrate until the ink is dry.

“I think he’s going to have a really good career at the highest level,” said Bayern Munich sporting director, Christoph Freund.

“He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player.”

Mark Nicholas says club “leaning towards using MCC colours in livery” as part of joint-venture with Silicon Valley investors

Matt Roller14-Feb-2025MCC have discussed renaming London Spirit and having them play in the club’s egg-and-bacon colours with their new Silicon Valley co-owners.MCC will enter into a joint-venture with Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of US-based entrepreneurs who have been dubbed the “Tech Titans”, to run the Lord’s-based Hundred franchise from 2026. They were the highest bidders at a three-hour auction on January 31, which eventually valued London Spirit at £295 million, by far the highest of any of the eight Hundred teams.The two parties have been speaking for several months and have extended those discussions over the past two weeks during their period of exclusivity. “We already have a very good understanding of our respective positions on most of the important matters which will govern our partnership,” Mark Nicholas, MCC’s chair, said in a letter to members on Friday.Related

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These have included discussions around the name of the franchise and their royal-blue kits. “Both parties have maintained an open mind on whether or not to continue with the London Spirit name,” Nicholas said. Any changes to team names or kits would not take place until 2026, with this year’s Hundred seen by the ECB as a transitional season.”There are advantages in using the name of the club, MCC; the name of the ground, Lord’s; and the name of our home city, London; the latter may give us the greatest traction as we look to grow the franchise and its brand,” Nicholas said.”Team colours have also been the subject of discussion and we are leaning towards using MCC colours in the livery. On both name and kit, we will take decisions alongside our new partners. It should be pointed out also that these decisions will need ECB approval.”Nikesh Arora, who is leading the consortium, has also hinted at a change of colour scheme. “All decisions will be taken in the interests of the franchise, collectively with our partners at the MCC,” Arora told the BBC. “If the right answer collectively is, ‘Hey, a little more red or a little more yellow might make it more exciting’, then fine: we’ll have a little more red and a little more yellow.”Nicholas reiterated MCC’s intention to retain their 51% stake in the franchise, and said that four of the team’s seven board members would be MCC-appointed directors, one of whom is likely to be incoming chief executive Robert Lawson.

Four of the six bowlers that KKR used went at over 12 an over

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-20252:01

What has worked for Mitchell Marsh this season?

Mitchell Marsh’s fourth fifty of IPL 2025 and Nicholas Pooran’s 36-ball 87 took Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 238, their second-highest total in the league. Marsh and Pooran launched from the base Aiden Markram had set for LSG with his 28-ball 47. Four of the six bowlers that KKR used went at over 12 an over.Marsh and Markram put on 99, the highest opening partnership in this season so far. They added 59 off the first six with 46 coming off three overs from one end and 13 off the other. The duo took left-arm quick Spencer Johnson for three fours and two sixes, most of them through the leg side, which had the shorter boundary.Narine’s introduction after the powerplay didn’t stop the openers from attacking. Marsh first swept a length ball off the stumps and then rocked back to punish a short, wide ball over cover. A similar shot yielded another boundary in Narine’s following over. Varun Chakravarthy bowled a cheap over in between and decided to bowl around the wicket.After KKR went back to their pacers, Harshit Rana removed Markram with a sharp offcutter. LSG, though, whacked six fours and a six in the following three overs. Varun’s final over went for two sixes, the first a slash from Pooran over the short boundary at cover and then a straight hit from Marsh. Angkrish Raghuvanshi replaced Varun as the Impact Player at the end of the 14th over, with LSG on 154 for 1.Pooran’s six-hitting then took centerstage as he whacked two off Narine and one off Russell. Two more off Harshit brought up a 21-ball fifty.Though Russell had Marsh hole out, Pooran kept going. With the platform set, LSG promoted finishers Abdul Samad and David Miller above captain Rishabh Pant. Russell bowled the 18th of the over to Pooran and conceded 24, the most expensive of the innings. Pooran picked Vaibhav Arora away for a four in the final over and remained unbeaten.

With Manchester City set to host Manchester United in the 197th Manchester derby on Sunday, we’ve taken a look at who could come out on top, the likely line-ups and injury concerns for both sides heading into the all-important affair.

Man City vs Man Utd team news

Starting with Man City, to say that it’s been a frustrating international break would be an understatement. The Citizens have come back with further injury woes and now have as many as 10 players on the treatment table. Given that Pep Guardiola’s side have just suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, it’s the last thing that they needed.

Guardiola spoke about his side’s injury woes in his pre-match press conference, saying: “Omar is injured from Egypt [international duty]. John Stones as well is a doubt. [It’s] not a big issue, but he’s a doubt for Sunday. Rayan Cherki [is also injured] but the rest are fine.”

The Spaniard confirmed that Omar Mamoush will be out for a number of weeks alongside Rayan Ait-Nouri, whilst Stones and Cherki are also doubts to face Man United this weekend. There could, however, be a debut for Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In the red corner, meanwhile, things aren’t much better on the injury front. Ruben Amorim confirmed that Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot are all unavailable after taking knocks before and during the international break, handing his side a frustrating blow.

The Man United boss told reporters: “I think they are out for this game. I don’t know how long it is going to take. We need those players to be a very, very competitive team, but we have very good players that are eager to play, so we will be competitive on Sunday, but they are out, they cannot help us in this game.”

The Portuguese manager also remained coy when asked about a potential debut for Senne Lammens, which means that Altay Bayindir could get one last chance to impress.

Man City predicted line-up (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Nunes; Dias; Ake; Gvardiol; Rodri; Reijnders; Silva; Bobb; Haaland; Doku

Man United predicted line-up (3-4-2-1): Bayindir; Yoro; De Ligt; Shaw; Amad; Mainoo; Casemiro; Dorgu; Mbeumo, Fernandes; Sesko

Man City vs Man Utd recent results

The Manchester derby is never an easy one to predict. For all of Man City’s Premier League dominance across the last six years, they’ve not been without games to forget against their local rivals. And that proved to be the case last season.

Even as Amorim’s side stumbled to a woeful bottom-half finish, they managed to take three points at The Etihad in dramatic fashion – scoring twice in the final two minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Man Utd 0-0 Man City

24/25

Premier League

Man City 1-2 Man Utd

24/25

Premier League

Man City 1-1 Man Utd (7-6 penalties)

24/25

Community Shield

Man City 1-2 Man Utd

23/24

FA Cup

Man City 3-1 Man Utd

23/24

Premier League

What instantly stands out about recent meetings is Man United’s record. The Red Devils have lost just once in five games in normal time against their rivals and will be looking to go five games unbeaten this weekend.

Coming into the game, form would suggest that Man United should actually have the edge. Amorim’s side entered the international break off the back of a last-gasp 3-2 win against Burnley, whilst Man City entered off the back of two defeats in three games.

Man City vs Man Utd predictions and odds

Although recent form says different, the bookies have got Man City as favourites heading into the Manchester derby. At 8/11, the Citizens are being backed to secure their first victory for a month and their first win over their rivals in over a year. Man United, meanwhile, are priced at 10/3 to shock Guardiola and co. at The Etihad once again and a draw sits at 14/5.

Both sides could do with victory here, that is undeniable. A victory for Man United would be a much-needed statement after their nervy showing against Burnley and Carabao Cup upset at the hands of Grimsby.

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As for Man City, they could go without a win in three Premier League games in something that is almost unheard of for Guardiola. In an unpredictable affair, goals and drama can be expected as Manchester rivals clash for the 197th time.

Prediction: Man City 2-2 Man United

Antonio Mohamed said Toluca were hungry to lift the Campeones Cup and the Diablos Rojos delivered on his words in a thrilling 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park. Despite Gabriel Pec’s 84th-minute strike giving LA Galaxy the lead and a disallowed Paulinho goal earlier, Mohamed’s side dominated the second half and ultimately saw justice served on the field.

Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE

While LA were underdogs against the Liga MX champions, they got off to a strong start. Diego Fagúndez put the Galaxy ahead in the 37th minute, converting from the spot after Gabriel Pec was brought down by Jesús Gallardo in a controversial call from referee Iván Barton. Fagúndez has now recorded a goal or an assist in four straight matches for Greg Vanney’s side. 

Tensions boiled over just before halftime, leading to the dismissal of Toluca head coach Antonio Mohamed for dissent as the teams headed into the break.

pressed early in the second half and quickly found an equalizer through Nico Castro, whose long-range strike in the 53rd minute clipped the post on its way past Novak Micovic. In the 78th minute, Paulinho appeared to give Toluca a 2-1 lead with a headed finish from a set piece, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

Toluca were still reeling from the disallowed goal when the Galaxy struck what looked like the winner in the 83rd minute. Pec, capping off an outstanding performance, beat Hugo González to put his team ahead. But before the clock hit 90 minutes, Franco Romero silenced Dignity Health Sports Park by smashing home a rebound from a set piece in the 88th to make it 2-2.

The match seemed destined for extra time, but Toluca dashed LA’s hopes in the 90+3rd minute. Uruguayan defender Federico Pereira rose to head home a corner, delivering a dramatic 3-2 victory and the championship. Tempers flared at the final whistle but didn’t escalate beyond some shoving.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

For Toluca, it marked their first Campeones Cup title and the fourth overall for a Liga MX side, joining Tigres (twice) and Club América as previous Mexican winners.

Getty Images SportTHE MVP

Federico Pereira rose as the game’s MVP, delivering the decisive blow in stoppage time to hand Toluca a dramatic victory and complete the treble. With his late winner, he secured a historic run for , who now add the Campeones Cup to their Liga MX and Campeón de Campeones titles.

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Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Manager Greg Vanney had admitted in his pre-match press conference that winning the Campeones Cup could help salvage what has been a disappointing MLS campaign, with Galaxy sitting bottom of the Western Conference. But that didn’t happen. The defeat puts Vanney back on the hot seat, as LA have had a disappointing title defense this season. The team is already eliminated from the playoffs and sits last in the Western Conference. 

Adrien Rabiot was left 'angry' after AC Milan drew 0-0 with Juventus as the midfielder made his first return to the Allianz Stadium since his move to the Rossoneri. While he admitted it was an 'emotional' night, the Frenchman was left frustrated by his side's inability to secure a victory against his former club, pinpointing where Milan must improve to challenge for the title.

Rabiot unhappy with Milan vs Juvenus

Rabiot has expressed his frustration after the Rossoneri were held to a 0-0 draw against his former club Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, according to an interview with DAZN via Football Italia. The France international, who spent five years in Turin before leaving in 2024, admitted to feeling "angry" that his side failed to capitalise on their chances in his first match back at his old ground.

AdvertisementAFPAn emotional return to Turin for Rabiot

The match marked an emotional occasion for the 30-year-old midfielder, who faced many of his former teammates and staff for the first time since his departure. Despite the warm return, Rabiot's focus was on securing a crucial away win for Milan. "It was an emotional night. I know many of the players at Juventus, the stadium, the staff, even coach Tudor… I was really happy to come back here," Rabiot said. "I wanted to win, but that’s football – we’ll keep going with our journey."

'Angry' over missed chances in stalemate

Milan created several clear opportunities but lacked the clinical edge to find a breakthrough, a fact that left Rabiot particularly annoyed. The match was a cagey affair, with Milan registering 13 shots to Juventus' 12, but only four were on target. "I’m angry because we should have won," he stated. "We had opportunities but something was missing. We have to do more and improve as a team. It’s only the start of the season, but winning here would’ve been important."

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What Milan lacked against Juventus

Reflecting on his team's tactical shortcomings, Rabiot identified a lack of aggression and precision in the final third as key areas for improvement. He felt that while a point away to Juventus is a decent result, Milan left two points on the table. "We didn’t use the depth enough, and in front of goal, we have to be better – final passes, shots, second balls, aggression," he explained. "The point is okay, but we could’ve done more to win."

CSK’s captain felt dropped catches contributed to their having to chase “20 runs extra” on a “sticky” pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2025It was Chennai Super Kings’ worst defeat by a runs margin at their fortress, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and it ended an eight-match winning streak at that venue against their southern rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru. CSK were never really in the game after they slipped to 26 for 3 in a chase of 197, and their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad felt they should not have been chasing a target of that magnitude in the first place.Gaikwad suggested at the post-match presentation that 170 was a par score on a pitch that he described as “sticky”.Related

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“To be honest, I still feel 170 was a par score on this wicket,” he said. “It wasn’t that great to bat [on] but probably bad day in the field cost us really badly. [At the] end of the day, when you’re chasing 170, you bat differently, you kind of have little bit of time when you go in to bat, but when you’re chasing 20 runs extra on a wicket where you know it’s going to be sticky, and going to stop [on the batter] after the ball gets old, you have to bat slightly differently in the powerplay.”RCB captain Rajat Patidar was the chief beneficiary of CSK’s bad day in the field. Deepak Hooda and Rahul Tripathi put him down in the 12th and 13th overs, when he was on 17 and 19. Then, later in that 13th over, Khaleel Ahmed put in a dive at short third when Patidar, now on 20, edged one in his direction, only for the ball to fall marginally short of him.Patidar went on to top-score with 51 off 32 balls. All the drops, Gaikwad felt, prevented CSK’s spin attack of Noor Ahmad, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from being able to put pressure on new batters at the crease.Ravindra Jadeja is distraught after Patidar is put down off his bowling•AFP/Getty Images”Definitely a different scenario when you have three world-class spinners in your team,” Gaikwad said. “You want a new batter to face them. That’s where I think the game changes a lot as well, even the last game changed a lot, and it just didn’t really happen this time.”They just kept going, we dropped catches at crucial times, and there was always an extra six or extra boundary that was coming after that. So just think the momentum kept going and it didn’t really stop till the last over.”CSK lost Tripathi and Gaikwad early in their chase with both batters out while taking on the short ball notwithstanding Josh Hazlewood’s steep bounce. Gaikwad felt the magnitude of the target forced the batters to take more chances than they otherwise might have.”We know Rahul backs his shots, and I went and backed my shots as well. Sometimes it works, sometimes doesn’t. But as I said, there are times when you have par score in your mind, and probably when you’re chasing 20 runs extra, you always want to be a step ahead of the game while you’re chasing. That’s what the thinking was. Didn’t really work out but still happy that we didn’t lose by a big margin and at the end it was just 50 runs.”That Gaikwad described CSK’s biggest home defeat in those terms suggested he was making an effort not to overreact to the result; he said it was inevitable for teams to have results of this kind in a tournament of the IPL’s length.”We just have to turn up mentally and just look at which are the areas we can improve,” he said, when asked what CSK would do in the short turnaround between this game and their next one, against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Sunday. “Definitely you’re going to have a bad day batting and bowling in a tournament like IPL, but I feel the fielding has to improve a lot, and I think we should come back stronger in the fielding department.”

Of Alexander Isak, Arne Slot said, “We have to build him up gradually.” There will be an expectation from some that Liverpool should field their record-breaking recruit from the get-go after such an expensive and charged transfer saga, but this isn’t the case.

And anyway, Liverpool have already integrated Hugo Ekitike into Slot’s squad, with the 23-year-old Frenchman having scored three goals and supplied one assist from his opening four matches in a Red shirt.

There’s no doubt that the Reds have broken the bank this summer; Slot has acknowledged this himself. But with such remarkable and calculated investment, there are the means for healthy rotation that will allow Isak to ease into life on Merseyside after playing so little football over the past three months.

One constant, of course, is the persisting presence of Mohamed Salah on the right flank. Fitness permitting, it’s unlikely the Egyptian King will be hauled from his place on the right wing with any consistency this season.

Salah is 33, though, and Liverpool must begin to plan for their talisman’s departure, with Federico Chiesa and perhaps Jeremie Frimpong the only real alternatives.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Salah penned a new contract in April, ending fears of a departure on a free transfer at the end of the 2024/25 season. He will stay on the books until 2027, but the chances of another renewal are slim, it must be said.

Last season, he scored 34 goals and served 23 assists across all competitions, practically single-handedly dragging Slot’s Liverpool to the title. That’s not actually true, of course, but there’s no denying Salah’s matchless influence, a strong current at the heart of most of Liverpool’s attacking play.

With a goal and an assist from three Premier League matches so far this season, the veteran will continue to play a big role, although the weight of responsibility has been lifted by the signings of players like Isak and Ekitike.

Might this have a positive effect on Salah, who surely fancies his chances of adding 22 goals to his haul before his time comes at Liverpool, and he eclipses Wayne Rooney and maybe Harry Kane to stand as the Premier League’s second-highest scorer in history?

Alan Shearer

441

260

Harry Kane

320

213

Wayne Rooney

491

208

Mohamed Salah

304

187

Andy Cole

414

187

In any case, Liverpool will need to sign a successor before long, and it’s sure to be a costly bid at that. With that in mind, perhaps FSG might come to regret having sold a young star who has the potential to replace Salah down the line.

Liverpool sold their dream Salah heir

Ben Gannon Doak has been regarded as one of the finest young prospects in British football right from the start of his career in Scotland with Celtic, where he featured four times for the seniors before joining Liverpool in 2022 for €700k (about £600k).

The 19-year-old was billed as Liverpool material, all right, but he only ended up playing ten times for the Reds, injured when breaking through in 2023/24 before spending last season on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough, where he notched ten goal involvements from just 24 matches.

The power and precision that are natural parts of Gannon Doak’s arsenal have led to comparisons with the above-mentioned Rooney, who likewise played with unusual physicality and gusto when emerging at Everton and when finding his feet with Manchester United.

Actually remarked to play “like a Scottish Wayne Rooney” in 2024 by his agent Jackie McNamara, the teenager’s style and performances so far lend credence to the comparisons, for sure.

Thanks to data platform FBref, we can note that Doak ranked among the top 5% of positional peers in the Championship last year for assists, the top 5% for key passes, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries per 90.

Rooney, as we have seen earlier, retired as one of the most prolific and decorated players in Premier League history. As yet, Gannon Doak has but three appearances to his name in England’s top flight, and searches for his duck-breaking goal.

But the talent is there, it really is, and Liverpool might come to regret having sold the youngster to Bournemouth, even for a £25m fee, even with a buyback clause wedged into that contract on the south coast.

Former Scotland manager Craig Levein certainly recognised Gannon Doak’s potential from the off, saying, “This kid could be a world-class player.”

The evidence hardly suggests the contrary. Sure, the winger has one long road to travel before entering conversations even on the fringes of the park in which Salah sits, but his athletic style, powerful running and direct approach against defenders all suggest such a future is within the realm of possibility.

Furthermore, he demonstrated when on loan at Middlesbrough a capacity for show-stopping goals to complement his physical qualities and success as a playmaker.

Bournemouth have got themselves a gem. Because Gannon Doak has opted to follow the track taken by Dominic Solanke before him and many more sharing similarities of pathway, leaving an elite outfit to develop their skills in a setting more promotive of rising prospects looking to reach the top.

As with Rooney at Everton early on, Gannon Doak might now find himself in line to rise to the fore and stand out in the Premier League, playing under Andoni Iraola’s wing and blooming into a top talent.

Maybe the plan is for the player to enjoy several seasons with the Cherries before returning to Anfield with a more refined touch, but the details of the buyback clause are unknown, and there’s every chance that Gannon Doak has played his last for Liverpool and will instead go from strength to strength elsewhere.

He wanted to join City: Liverpool have already sold an Isak-esque talent

Liverpool have made wholesale changes in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 12, 2025

Matt Jansen has, in an exclusive chat with GOAL, explained why Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard would be a good fit for the manager’s job at Wrexham. He has also admitted that Jose Mourinho would likely relish the “drama” of working alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in front of documentary cameras if the opportunity ever arose for him to take the reins at SToK Racecourse.

Parkinson questions: Speculation at Wrexham

Former England captain Gerrard appears to be closing in on a return to coaching at Old Firm giants Rangers. He previously led them to Scottish Premiership title glory in 2020-21, before going on to take in forgettable stints at the helm of Aston Villa and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

Gerrard may be heading back to Glasgow as there is no role for him to fill in North Wales for now. The odd question has been asked of Phil Parkinson’s future as Wrexham boss this season, but he has made history with the Red Dragons when guiding them to three successive promotions and up into the Championship.

AdvertisementGettyGerrard, Mourinho, Dyche, Allardyce: Who fits Wrexham?

He has plenty of credit in the bank as a result, but speculation continues to rage regarding a potential move from Wrexham to appoint a so-called ‘bigger name’. Quizzed on whether that could happen, former Red Dragons striker Jansen – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “There is always going to be names linked to it – the razzmatazz around it, the Hollywood theme. There are always going to be names linked to it, that’s the nature of the beast.

“Will Parkinson stay there? Will a bigger name come in? Would a Steven Gerrard be interested in a similar thing to what Frank Lampard is doing at Coventry? Then you have got Graham Potter, who is out of work now. You’ve got Sean Dyche, who is vastly experienced. Then you’ve got Big Sam [Allardyce], who is always there or thereabouts. There are always going to be names dotted about. Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job so far. How long that will continue, who knows.”

Pressed on whether a starring role on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ would appeal to ‘Special One’ Mourinho, Jansen added: “He’s just gone to Benfica and they are in the Champions League, so would he drop to the Championship? You can never tell with Mourinho, he loves the attention. It would be a drama that he would probably relish. I can’t see him leaving Benfica, but you can never say never.”

Did Wrexham learn from Birmingham's failed Rooney experiment?

Parkinson retains the full support of Reynolds, Mac and the Wrexham board for now, with there acceptance at the Racecourse that change is not always a good thing. Profile is not the most important factor either when it comes to club management, with Birmingham City having seen their fingers burned when appointing Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney – who contributed to them suffering relegation into League One.

Asked if Wrexham will have taken lessons from that failed experiment at St Andrew's, Jansen said: “Possibly. But then look at Frank Lampard and how well he has done. Steven Gerrard did really well at Rangers, has been out in Saudi and is vastly experienced. Different characters. One manager is going to succeed, one’s not.

“I think Steven Gerrard would be a suitable fit if Parkinson was to go. A leader, a captain – that’s not to say that Rooney isn’t a good manager, but it didn’t work out for him. You can never say who will be successful as a manager. I’m sure Steven Gerrard would relish the chance at Wrexham, and living not far away. It could be a good fit.”

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GettyWrexham fixtures & points total: Next up for Red Dragons

Wrexham are currently enjoying a rest period during the international break. They played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Tom Brady’s Birmingham in their last Championship fixture and, with 10 points being picked up through nine fixtures this season, will be back in action on October 18 when taking in a strip to Stoke City.