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Mohamed Salah has started the 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a goal and an assist across three fixtures. The Egyptian King has played a starring role in Liverpool’s perfect start to their title defence, claiming nine points from nine.

Jurgen Klopp’s illustrious tenure ended with a Carabao Cup title and restored qualification to the Champions League, but for a superstar like Salah, it was another year without one of the game’s biggest prizes.

He made a promise, and he kept that promise. Salah scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists for Liverpool across all competitions last season, a paragon of perfection in Arne Slot’s team, breaking the record for goal involvements in a 38-match Premier League season.

Alan Shearer

441

260

Harry Kane

320

213

Wayne Rooney

491

208

Mohamed Salah

304

187

Andy Cole

414

187

Salah is not just a Liverpool legend, but one of the greatest forwards to have ever plied their craft within the English game. However, all good things must come to an end, and Salah turned 33 in June.

The £400k-per-week forward is contracted to Anfield until the end of the 2026/27 season, but whether he can maintain his jaw-dropping output remains to be seen.

However, FSG will rest easy with the knowledge that they have redefined Liverpool’s frontline this summer and eased their veteran hero’s burden.

On transfer deadline day, Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British record £125m fee. Isak is one of the best strikers in the world, and he joins Hugo Ekitike in having made the move to Merseyside this summer.

While sporting director Richard Hughes made the call to sell Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, who played crucial roles in winning the league last term, the recent months of spending suggest Liverpool have gone from strength to strength, and that’s without even talking about Florian Wirtz, who is anticipated to grow into one of the best players in the world under Slot’s wing.

Salah has so much robust quality to work with this season, but the fact remains that Hughes and co will need to start considering the future on Liverpool’s attacking right flank.

Liverpool's top target to replace Salah

It’s not going to come as a surprise that Liverpool have already started planning for the future. Such is FSG’s way. There is a reason Liverpool’s model is so envied: years of painstaking progress and thriftiness culminating in the summer window we have just witnessed.

And while the new contract awarded to Salah in April was provided with the belief that he would continue to play a focal role at Liverpool this season and next, it’s likely that his output will begin to dwindle as he reaches the autumn of his Premier League career.

And with that in mind, it might be worth heeding rumours that Liverpool have registered their interest in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise nice and early.

According to Liverpool correspondent Lewis Steele, Olise has been earmarked by the Reds’ hierarchy as they compile a succession plan, with the France international believed to be right at the top of the shortlist.

Olise only joined Bayern from Crystal Palace for a £47.5m fee one year ago, but he has carried his immense form from London over to the Bundesliga.

Now considered by those at Bayern to have a value closer to £100m, Liverpool would have to break the bank once again to seal this marquee signing, but then they have shown a newfound willingness to make such a payment of late.

What Olise would bring to Liverpool

Olise scored 20 goals and set up 23 further strikes for Bayern Munich last season, instrumental in reclaiming the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen. His 43 goal involvements were far ahead of Isak’s own return of 33 goals and assists.

This term, the 23-year-old has so far scored four goals from as many matches for Die Roten.

Having previously turned the English scene over with Crystal Palace, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to hail him as “one of the Premier League’s best players”, Olise has proven himself across various plains and would surely prove a stunning Salah heir.

Looking at how Olise compares to Salah over the past 12 months, the Les Bleus star’s advantage in terms of physicality and underlying athleticism is underscored through the metrics.

This is only natural, of course, for Salah is getting on and has tweaked his game to retain his first-class output.

Goals scored

0.53

0.65

Assists

0.45

0.43

Shots taken

3.54

3.08

Shot-creating actions

6.31

4.11

Touches (att pen)

6.18

8.91

Progressive passes

7.37

3.87

Progressive carries

4.67

4.00

Successful take-ons

2.67

1.33

Ball recoveries

4.20

2.84

Tackles + interceptions

1.64

0.73

But Liverpool could go up a gear with Olise in the mix, more dynamic and electric up top. Of course, having signed Isak, this should be the case already, but Bayern’s new hero could prove a different demon.

His ridiculous success as an Eagle suggests that he could potentially even outperform Isak in Liverpool’s first team, shining like Salah as a winger whose skill stretches beyond simply world-class.

A few years back, pundit Micah Richards predicted that Olise is “going to be a superstar”, and it’s fair to say that he was on the money with that one.

Olise’s sheer range from his right-winged berth suggests he could add a new kind of quality to Liverpool’s frontline, providing a balanced output that would be reminiscent of Salah in his prime while adding so much to the build-up and fluency of Slot’s outfit as a whole.

Isak scored 27 goals for Newcastle last season, and there can be no doubt that Liverpool have signed one of the most formidable number nines out there.

However, Olise simply has so many instruments from which to work on opponents that he might just turn out to be the cream of the crop in Liverpool’s extraordinary frontline.

Bellingham repeat: Real Madrid eyeing move to sign Liverpool's top target

The Spanish giants could deal the Reds another blow…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 4, 2025

Jurgen Klopp's decision to step down as Liverpool boss rocked the world of football. The resurgent Reds were top of the Premier League and still in three cup competitions when the Kop idol announced on January 26, 2004 that he would leave Anfield at the end of the season.

"I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people at this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it," Klopp told the club's official website.

"I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything.

"But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take. It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy."

The supporters were stunned. There had been some signs of fatigue and frustration the year before but nobody had seen Klopp's imminent exit coming – not even Klopp's assistant Peter Krawietz…

Getty Images Sport'I understood Jurgen's explanations'

"Jurgen called me at the time and said I should come to see him. He said that we needed to discuss something," Krawietz explains in an exclusive interview with GOAL.

"When he told me what, I was initially surprised, but five minutes into our conversation, which ended up lasting perhaps two hours, I was no longer surprised.

"I completely understood all of Jurgen's explanations and arguments. They were logical, consistent, and also congruent with my own thinking.

"We had both taken a long look in the mirror, independently of each other, and in doing so, we came to the difficult conclusion: a four-week break would not be enough to face the challenges of the following season, in light of everything that this profession requires."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKlopp's surprise move

In truth, it wasn't that difficult to understand why Klopp might be exhausted. After all, he was renowned for his intensity.

Klopp was never less than 100 percent committed to the cause – whether that was at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund or Liverpool – so it was perhaps inevitable that such a relentless work ethic would eventually catch up with him.

Nobody was in any doubt that he deserved an extended break from football either. For that very reason, though, eyebrows were raised when Klopp announced his return to the game less than six months after his final game at Anfield – and as Red Bull's head of global soccer.

Klopp had always claimed to be a traditionalist, an old romantic disillusioned by the commercialisation of football, so his decision to accept a role within the sporting department of the energy drink manufacturer provoked accusations of hypocrisy and selling his soul.

Getty Images'At Red Bull, Jurgen can think outside the box'

Krawietz, though, insists that he wasn't at all surprised by the timing of Klopp's return to work or the identity of the employer.

"I would have only been surprised if he had asked me if we wanted to join a certain club in our usual roles," he says. "But I was almost certain that wouldn't happen.

"I always thought that he would do something completely different than before. Jurgen simply wanted a change from his coaching job.

"He's always been a very curious person, enthusiastic about other things, and, at Red Bull, he can think outside the box, experience new things, really get involved, isn't tied to one location, and is free of the daily public relations work. It's less intensive, but just as extensive.

"I've taken note of the criticism – but I don't understand it. I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding on the part of the fans [in Germany].

"In England, it's perfectly normal for a club to be managed by an investor who acts as a financier and makes strategic decisions.

"If you ask yourself why this hasn't yet taken hold in Germany, it also raises the question of how professional and commercially marketed football can be. A highly interesting discussion, but one as old as football itself.

"But, at the end of the day, where would Jurgen have been allowed to work, what would the public have approved of? There would have been numerous critical voices even if he had – purely hypothetically – become coach at Bayern Munich or Manchester United.

"Of course, that's not how free choice of profession works. You have to pay respect to an individual. You can't hold a public vote on what the fans would like."

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getty'True champion' James Milner

Of course, Klopp's status as a Liverpool legend has long been secure. He enjoyed a wonderful rapport with the fans – and still does.

Winning trophies obviously helped. As well as leading the Reds to a sixth European Cup, Klopp also ended Liverpool's 30-year English title drought.

Krawietz openly admits, though, that the management team owed so much of their success to a wonderful group of players, men of real character that created and maintained a standard of excellence at the club.

"I don't want to put anyone above others and could probably talk about each one for an hour," Krawietz says, "but, in terms of the focus on daily life, the job, and the complete conviction with which you approach it, the shining example and the most professional of all the players I've met is James Milner.

"He managed to align an entire team around this focus and demonstrate how to become a true champion."

She replaces Healy in the role, who has been ruled out due to a stress injury in her right foot

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2025UP Warriorz have named Deepti Sharma as their captain for WPL 2025. The announcement comes after their regular captain Alyssa Healy was ruled out of the tournament due to a stress injury in her right foot.Agra-born Deepti has been one of the more consistent players for Warriorz. She is their second-highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets in 17 games, and their third-highest run-scorer with 385 runs in 16 innings.Deepti had a bumper WPL 2024 although Warriorz failed to make it to the playoffs. She scored 295 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of 136.57 and an average of 98.33. She also picked ten wickets at an economy rate of 7.23.Related

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Healy to miss WPL 2025, remains coy about future beyond ODI WC

Deepti has previous captaincy experience too, having led Bengal in domestic cricket, and East Zone in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal One Day Trophy in 2024. She had also led Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge in 2022.”I am delighted and honoured to be named captain of the UP Warriorz, which is a team from my home state,” Deepti was quoted via a release. “The UP Warriorz has a fantastic squad, and we are confident that we will entertain our fans with the Warriorz brand of cricket, at the WPL this season as well. We can’t wait to play in Lucknow in front of our home fans, and hope to inspire the next generation of women athletes.”Warriorz will, however, sorely miss Healy, who is their highest run-scorer in the WPL, with 428 runs in 17 outings. Healy has had a frustrating time with injuries in recent times. She missed the T20I leg of the Women’s Ashes recently, and only made it to the MCG Test after passing a late fitness test. However, Healy did not keep wicket.In October 2024, Healy had ruptured her plantar fascia in her foot at the T20 World Cup, which saw her miss Australia’s final group match and the semi-final against South Africa. She also suffered a knee injury during the WBBL 2024-25. Warriorz have called up West Indies allrounder Chinnelle Henry as Healy’s replacement for the season.Warriorz start their third season against Gujarat Giants on February 16 in Vadodara. This is also the first season where they will play a few games in front of their home crowd in Lucknow.

If you look closely, you will see that Everton are developing into a team of newfound modernism.

David Moyes is perhaps perceived by some as being something of a pragmatic manager, rooted in strong defensive principles and an acceptance of non-possession-based football, standing firm against the current and then attacking on the break.

But he’s long been more nuanced than that. Moyes won the Conference League with West Ham United, after all, hauling that Irons side into a team of consistency among European places. Sixth, seventh. And silverware in there too.

Everton are at a different stage, but Moyes, having only been at the club since January, when Sean Dyche was dismissed than the mood was low, has created a team that is showing signs of quality befitting a top-half-of-the-table finish in the Premier League.

Against Aston Villa at the weekend, Everton were the aggressors. It ended 0-0, but the team will take solace in their upswing in chance creation.

Man United

4

7.9

Chelsea

9

7.7

Man City

5

7.6

Brighton

4

6.6

Everton

5

6.3

Who might be the centrepiece of all this? Why, Jack Grealish, of course.

Jack Grealish's Everton rebirth

Last season in the Premier League, Everton concluded their campaign with an xG total of just 41.8, the lowest of any side not to get relegated.

It’s clear to discern a summer strategy catered toward creative additions, and Grealish has been the heart of this. Signed from Manchester City on loan for the duration of the season, the England international has returned to form spectacularly, assisting four goals across his first two starts.

A silky dribbler and an intelligent technician, Grealish had fallen from his perch over the past couple of years in Manchester, reduced to a fringe role that shunted his finer attributes.

Moyes has taken him off the leash and is being repaid with high-level creative performances. As per Sofascore’s data, the 29-year-old is averaging 2.8 key passes and 6.8 successful duels per game.

Grealish is in his prime; he’s not a young talent anymore. However, Everton might find that regardless of the playmaker’s future on Merseyside, they have a new version waiting in the wings in Tyler Dibling, who joined the club from Southampton for £42m during the summer.

But, in fact, there’s another rising star in Moyes’ squad who might prove to be Grealish 2.0.

Everton's next version of Grealish

Dibling might indeed appear the natural successor to Grealish’s place on the Premier League stage – and not just because of the hair.

The 19-year-old is fiercely talented and shares a proclivity for flashy, hard-to-stop progress on the ball.

But the man in question here is actually Charly Alcaraz, who spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Goodison Park before a permanent clause was activated and he became a fixed resident in Liverpool, leaving Brazilian side Flamengo for £13m.

A shrewd buy. So far, the one-time Southampton prospect has made 20 appearances for Everton, and he has scored three goals and provided three assists.

This season in the Premier League, the Argentina international has only started once. But then he made an impression on that opening-day defeat by Leeds United, completing both of his dribbles, winning six duels and completing 83% of his passes. Defensively, it must be said, he left something to be desired.

But no one could deny that the 22-year-old is a “special” talent, as was remarked by youth scout Antonio Mango back in 2023. Already, he is demonstrating an aptitude for creating chances, ranking among attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe in the top 16% for assists, the top 17% for goal-creating actions and the top 3% for take-on success rate, data courtesy of FBref.

That latter metric is curious. Alcaraz might not play with the same kind of relentlessness on the ball as Grealish, but he’s extremely effective when he opts to lunge forward and beat his man.

Charly Alcaraz

1.0

100%

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

1.0

100%

Michael Keane

0.3

100%

Jack Grealish

2.0

50%

Iliman Ndiaye

2.0

44%

Alcaraz hasn’t yet nailed down a starting spot in Moyes’ Everton team, not with consistency, but he’s viewed as a player who can inspire chances and put paid to inattentive defenders, boasting quick feet and combative physical traits and a desire to attack.

He’s got everything that he needs to succeed in the Premier League, and has already demonstrated his confidence and eagerness to step up when his team need him. He scored on his first league start for the Toffees, after all.

Dibling might have the higher ceiling, and that’s no discredit to Alcaraz’s skillset, but the South American is ready to make an impact for Moyes’ side and influence things from midfield. Tactically versatile, his ball-carrying ability and range of technical skills mean he can operate across a number of different berths.

Grealish has made an electric start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but the esteemed Premier League giant has never throughout his career been the most prolific, and thus it’s important that Everton have different players to create and attack on goal, easing his burden and indeed that of the strikers, who continue to play with question marks over their heads.

Keep a close eye on Alcaraz; he hasn’t announced himself yet in 2025/26, but the talent is undeniable, and his chance to showcase his quality will come.

Big Beto upgrade: Everton have already sold "the new Lukaku"

This centre-forward would thrive at the front of David Moyes’ Everton system.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 16, 2025

Australian overseas takes four wickets on debut but visitors construct solid first innings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Apr-2025Durham 370 for 9 (Ackermann 116, Lees 52, O’Neill 4-74) vs NottinghamshireColin Ackermann posted the first century of the Rothesay County Championship season as Durham recovered to 370 for 9 on the opening day against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Australian pace bowler Fergus O’Neill took 4 for 74 on his debut for the home side but it was Ackermann – celebrating his 34th birthday – who delivered the outstanding performance in the Nottingham sunshine as the visitors battled back from 171 for 5 after being asked to bat first.On what looked a good pitch, the South African-born allrounder enjoyed a moment of freakish good fortune on 80 when a ball from Lyndon James clipped his off stump only for the disturbed bail to drop back into its groove, but otherwise did not offer a chance until he was dismissed on 116, having hit 17 fours and a six.Alex Lees marked his first match as Durham’s club captain with a half-century, while Josh Tongue took two wickets on his much-delayed Nottinghamshire debut, although he looked nowhere near the form that catapulted him into England’s Test side in 2023. Graham Clark and George Drissell each made 45.O’Neill arrived at Trent Bridge in outstanding form after taking 38 wickets at 21.07 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and struck here in just his third over as Durham’s 20-year-old England prospect Ben McKinney nicked behind.O’Neill, 6ft 4ins but with a slingy action, backed up his maiden success in his next over, dismissing Emilio Gay in similar fashion, leaving the former Northamptonshire batter to reflect on an eight-ball duck.If O’Neill was the standout bowler in the opening session, the dismissal of Lees by Farhan Ahmed for 52 felt like an important breakthrough.Lees was dropped on 17 at first slip off Dillon Pennington and looked in the mood to make Nottinghamshire pay heavily, reaching 51 from 60 balls. But when Farhan, the 17-year-old offspinner, sat one up to tempt the left-hander to clear the short Bridgford Road boundary, his mistimed shot merely found the fielder at mid-on.After taking 25 wickets in five first-class matches in his debut season last year, Farhan has quickly overtaken Calvin Harrison and Liam Patterson-White as Nottinghamshire’s first-choice slow bowler. As the bowler who also dismissed Ackermann, caught at slip pushing at a ball that drifted away to find the outside edge, and maintaining impressive economy to boot, he justified his selection.With Ollie Robinson and Will Rhodes falling cheaply in the first hour of the middle session, Ackermann’s innings proved vital to keeping Durham’s innings from falling away.His moment of good luck apart, he rarely looked in any difficulty and after stands of 78 with Lees and 93 with Clark was furious with himself for not sticking around to cash in even more against an ageing ball.Robinson gave Tongue his maiden wicket as a Nottinghamshire bowler, edging to first slip, while Rhodes, making his debut for Durham after his winter move from Warwickshire, fell to an outstanding catch by Joe Clarke, one-handed low to his left, as O’Neill claimed a third.Clarke is covering behind the stumps for new signing Kyle Verreynne, who like Durham’s leading runscorer David Bedingham remains in South Africa as Western Province bid for domestic glory.Tongue, who joined Nottinghamshire from Worcestershire 20 months ago only to be out of action for the whole of that time with pectoral and then hamstring injuries, picked up a second wicket as a fine catch by second slip Freddie McCann accounted for Clark, before O’Neill removed Drissell to raise his tally to four.The 27-year-old Tongue is centrally contracted with England, whose plan was for he and Olly Stone essentially to alternate appearances in Nottinghamshire’s early championship rounds, although Stone is now himself sidelined following a knee operation and is not expected to return before August.

Eintracht Frankfurt are reportedly interested in 22-year-old Newcastle United forward William Osula. The club had attempted to sign the striker on deadline day during the summer transfer window but were turned down by Newcastle. Frankfurt now plan to renew their pursuit in the winter window with personal terms have already agreed with Osula.

Frankfurt’s interest in Osula

According to , Frankfurt made a loan offer of €5 million with an option to buy at €25 million (£21m/$29m) for Osula during the summer, but the bid was rejected by the Magpies. The German club now plan to relaunch their pursuit of Osula in the January transfer window, as they look to strengthen their attack alongside Jonathan Burkardt. The Danish forward has already agreed personal terms with Frankfurt.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportOsula this season so far

Newcastle signed Osula from Sheffield United for a fee of €11m (£9m/$13m) in 2024. He has featured nine times in all competitions this season but started only two of those – in the Carabao Cup win against Bradford in which he scored twice and the Premier League draw against Leeds. He also found the net in an appearance as a substitute in the 3-2 loss to Liverpool in August.

Frankfurt’s loss to Bayern and table position

Eintracht Frankfurt were outclassed by German giants Bayern Munich at the weekend, as a brace from Luis Diaz and a goal from Harry Kane secured a 3-0 victory for the visitors. Frankfurt currently sit seventh in the Bundesliga table with nine points from six games.

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Getty Images SportFrankfurt's target for the winter window and goal for the season

Frankfurt will be hoping that their renewed bid for Osula is accepted by Newcastle, as they look to rebuild their attack following the sale of Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool. The club aim to strengthen their squad to challenge for a top-four finish and secure Champions League qualification next season.

With more and more money being pumped into the Premier League every season, transfer fees and player wages are ballooning. With that in mind, we have taken a look at what teams are paying their star players, specifically Aston Villa.

In 2025/26, those at Villa Park have an annual payroll of £123,110,000, with the average first team player collecting more than £4.3m per season. Here are the Villans’ best-paid players this year, per Capology.

Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.

Rank

Player

Wage per week

Wage per year

1

Jadon Sancho

£200,000

£10,400,000

=2

Emiliano Martinez

£150,000

£7,800,000

=2

Boubacar Kamara

£150,000

£7,800,000

=2

Youri Tielemans

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Amadou Onana

£140,000

£7,280,000

=5

Donyell Malen

£140,000

£7,280,000

7

Lucas Digne

£135,000

£7,020,000

8

Ollie Watkins

£130,000

£6,760,000

=9

John McGinn

£120,000

£6,240,000

=9

Victor Lindelof

£120,000

£6,240,000

11

Tyrone Mings

£110,000

£5,720,000

=12

Pau Torres

£100,000

£5,200,000

=12

Ian Maatsen

£100,000

£5,200,000

14

Matty Cash

£80,000

£4,160,000

=15

Emiliano Buendia

£75,000

£3,900,000

=15

Ezri Konsa

£75,000

£3,900,000

=15

Evann Guessand

£75,000

£3,900,000

=15

Morgan Rogers

£75,000

£3,900,000

19

Harvey Elliott

£65,000

£3,380,000

20

Ross Barkley

£60,000

£3,120,000

21

Marco Bizot

£45,000

£2,340,000

22

Lamare Bogarde

£30,000

£1,560,000

=23

Andres Garcia

£15,000

£780,000

=23

Samuel Iling-Junior

£15,000

£780,000

25

Lewis Dobbin

£7,500

£390,000

26

Joe Gauci

£5,000

£260,000

Here is a look at Aston Villa's top 10 earners… 10 Victor Lindelof £120,000 per week

After being released by Manchester United in 2025, Aston Villa eventually swooped in and signed Victor Lindelof on a free transfer.

The Swedish defender signed a two-year deal at Villa Park and will collect just under £12.5m in wages during his time in the Midlands.

9 John McGinn £120,000 per week

Since he joined the club from Hibernian in 2018, John McGinn has been a consistent performer for Aston Villa, and when he’s at his best, he can pull some magic out of nowhere.

The club clearly value the 29-year-old as he signed a new deal in 2023 that will keep him in the Midlands until the summer of 2027. We’d argue McGinn has more than earned his spot on this list.

8 Ollie Watkins £130,000 per week

Striker Ollie Watkins has had the time of his life at Villa Park, and his form in front of goal helped the club achieve regular European qualification.

Watkins isn’t far off 100 goals in a Villa shirt, therefore a fine justification of his £130,000 per week wage, and he is under contract until 2028.

7 Lucas Digne £135,000 per week

Lucas Digne’s time at Villa Park is rather hard to judge due to injuries derailing his momentum whenever he looked like he had found some form.

In fairness to the Frenchman, he did make his way into Unai Emery’s plans at the start of the previous season, though he is under contract until 2028.

6 Donyell Malen £140,000 per week

Donyell Malen

5 Amadou Onana £140,000 per week

Amadou Onana, signed in 2024, was one of the club’s marquee additions that summer, with Villa putting the lure of Champions League into full effect by winning the race for the Belgian.

Onana arrived from Everton for around £50m and looks set to be a mainstay in the side, potentially over the next five years of his contract. He will only be 28 years of age in 2029 as well, so Villa may have secured a shrewd deal over time.

4 Youri Tielemans £150,000 per week

Youri Tielemans was the first signing of the 2024 summer and helped set the tone for the calibre of player that fans could expect to come in.

The Belgian has been a Premier League regular ever since he joined Leicester City from Monaco in 2019. In fact, it was quite the coup for the Villans to land the midfielder as he had been linked to Arsenal for well over a year.

3 Boubacar Kamara £150,000 per week

Boubacar Kamara made the move to Birmingham in 2022 after his contract with Ligue 1 giants Marseille expired.

He has had his injury issues, however, the midfielder still done enough to earn a huge new £150,000 per week deal which was signed in 2025.

2 Emiliano Martinez £150,000 per week

Emiliano Martinez is another on a hefty £7.8m per year salary. However, given his international pedigree and general performances in the league since joining the Villans, he’s probably well worth it.

The World Cup winner joined the Villans in the summer of 2020 for just £17m from Arsenal and has been brilliant in Claret and Blue, although he did nearly leave in 2025.

1 Jadon Sancho £200,000 per week

Jadon Sancho tops the charts as Aston Villa’s top earner after joining on a season-long loan from Manchester United over the summer.

The winger spent the 2024/25 campaign with Chelsea, however, the Blues turned down the chance to sign the Englishman on a permanent basis. He also wasn’t in Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford, leading to Villa making a late swoop.

With English conditions in mind, Zimbabwe have replaced legspinner Masekesa with seamer Nyamhuri

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2025Sikandar Raza is back in Zimbabwe’s Test squad for their one-off four-day Test against England, which is set to be played in Nottingham from May 22 to 25. The allrounder returns after franchise T20 commitments led him to miss the Bulawayo Test against Ireland in February and the recently-concluded two-Test series in Bangladesh.Raza replaces Johnathan Campbell in the 15-man squad that toured Bangladesh, while Clive Madande returns from injury, replacing Nyasha Mayavo as back-up wicketkeeper to Tafadzwa Tsiga. With English conditions in mind, Zimbabwe have left out legspinner Vincent Masekesa – who picked up a five-wicket haul on debut in Chattogram – and strengthened their seam attack with the inclusion of Newman Nyamhuri.Related

England to host Zimbabwe for one-off four-day Test in May 2025

Zimbabwe to receive touring fee from ECB for 2025 visit

Bethell 'destined for greatness' as IPL stint trumps Zimbabwe Test call-up

“In terms of performance, I expect us to play to a standard that can compete with one of the best teams in the world,” Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons said. “I really want to see the guys walking out there believing that they belong, embracing and enjoying the moment.”The Nottingham Test will be Zimbabwe’s first in England since 2003, and their first international game in any format in the country since 2004. Following the four-day Test, the Zimbabweans will also play a four-day game against the South Africans in Arundel from June 3 to 6.That match will serve as preparation for South Africa ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia, which is set to be played at Lord’s from June 11 to 15.Zimbabwe squad for four-day Test against EnglandCraig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande (wk), Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Nick Welch, Sean Williams.

Barcelona still owe a staggering €159 million (£138m/$184m) to several clubs for past transfers, including deals for Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Despite generating nearly €1bn (£870m/$1.16bn) in revenue, Barca’s mounting short-term debts and delayed transfer payments reveal that the club is still struggling to regain its financial footing after years of reckless spending.

Barcelona need to pay €140m by next year

Barcelona’s latest financial report for the 2024–25 season reveals a total debt of €159.1m owed to other football clubs from previous transfer dealings. Out of this, €140.6m (£122m/$163m) must be paid within the next year, showing that the club’s financial burden remains heavy despite improved revenue. These figures further highlight that while the Catalan side have managed to stabilise performance on the pitch, the balance sheet continues to feel the strain of past spending sprees.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHow did Barcelona’s accumulate €160m in debt

Leeds top the list as they are still waiting for €41.9m (£36m/$48m) from Barca for the transfer of Raphinha in 2022. Bayern Munich are owed €20m (£17m/$23m) for Lewandowski, while Sevilla have €24.5m (£21m/$28m) pending for Jules Kounde, whom they acquired in 2022. The list goes further on with Manchester City yet to receive €13.3m (£11m/$15m) for Torres, and Real Betis are due €8m for Emerson Royal. In addition to these payments, smaller amounts remain unsettled with clubs like Girona, Valencia, Sporting CP and Rennes, proving that Barcelona’s unpaid commitments reach across Europe and have them neck-deep in financial struggles.

Clubs that owe Barcelona

The financial report also states that Barca are owed €64.1m (£55m/$74m) by other clubs for their own outgoing transfers. Porto owe €6.7m for Nico Gonzalez, Al-Ahli have a €4.1 million outstanding debt for Franck Kessie's transfer and Shakhtar Donetsk still need to pay €3.1m for Marlon. Other clubs, including Braga, Chelsea and Real Betis, have smaller balances which are due to be paid. Even if these payments are made by next year, Barca will still be in €100m (£87m/$116m) debt. These pending receivables further reflect how deeply modern football relies on deferred transfer payments, which in turn burdens the club with financial struggle if the move doesn't stage out in the planned way.

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Getty Images SportHow does Barcelona plan to repay their debts?

Barcelona recorded €994m (£864m/$1.1b) in total revenue and a narrow €2m profit for the last financial year, but the club also reported €965m (£839m/$1.12b) in expenditure, erasing any progress that had been made. The management has called a general assembly on October 19 to discuss the next budget and future spending plans. Despite some positive financial indicators, the debt figures reveal that Barcelona’s journey to stability is far from complete.

Had Liverpool found another stoppage-time goal at the weekend, they would have beaten Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and extended their flawless streak in the Premier League, six wins from six, 18 points from 18.

But Arne Slot’s side cannot subsist on a diet of last-gasp joy across the span of the campaign, and they got a taste of their own medicine as Eddie Nketiah struck late to condemn the Reds to their first defeat of the year.

In some ways, Liverpool’s never-quit attitude has papered over a few cracks in Slot’s squad across the early weeks of the 2025/26 season, with tactical imbalances clear after a summer of significant spending and upheaval.

Florian Wirtz, for example, has flattered to deceive since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen, but FSG are calm and confident, retaining full belief that the German playmaker, 22, will come good.

Liverpool have also added two of the most exciting strikers in the business to their ranks. Indeed, in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, the Merseysiders have goalscoring options capable of firing the club toward more illustrious success after last year’s Premier League triumph.

Isak & Ekitike are Liverpool's future

Isak might be the record-breaking man, but the events of the summer transfer window have meant that the former Newcastle United striker has integrated late at Liverpool.

Ekitike, ostensibly the 26-year-old’s understudy, has started his Liverpool career with lightning speed, scoring five goals and registering one assist across eight matches, six of which were starts.

Much has been made of how Slot can appease the pair, who will both want to start regularly across the campaign, but he has hinted that they could play alongside against each other, and given the many shoots of Liverpool’s season, having a wealth of attacking options is hardly a bad thing.

One thing’s clear, FSG have landed a pair of elite attackers, with both having been likened to a former Premier League great in Thierry Henry.

TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves acknowledged in August that there is a likeness between Ekitike and his retired countryman, who also shifted between left-flanked and central striking berths.

And Isak has long been tagged as a similar sort of player to the Arsenal legend, with former footballer Nedum Onuoha saying the marksman is “vibes of Thierry Henry”, BBC pundit Alan Shearer also calling him “the complete striker”.

Goals

0.64

0.53

Assists

0.18

0.24

Shots taken

3.18

3.64

Shot-creating actions

3.04

3.06

Progressive passes

3.22

1.90

Progressive carries

2.72

2.74

Successful take-ons

1.43

1.66

Ball recoveries

1.97

2.40

Tackles + interceptions

0.54

0.87

Aerials won

0.82

1.92

Two fantastic forwards, but Liverpool actually already had their own version of Henry, and they still do at that.

Liverpool's own version of Thierry Henry

Mohamed Salah started off poorly in the Premier League, arriving at Chelsea from Basel as a young and unpolished prospect with a clear quality on the ball and impressive athleticism besides. He didn’t manage to pull it all together, though, and left for Italy to forge his path.

And forge his path he has. The 33-year-old made an impression in the Serie A and joined Klopp’s Liverpool for £34m, now recognised globally as one of the greatest players of his generation, the poster boy of this illustrious modern era at Anfield and hailed as a “superstar” by Sky Sports’ Gary Neville.

With 188 goals scored in the Premier League, Salah is fourth in the all-time standings and looking to rise higher still. Last season, he put to bed any doubts that he is a divisional great, scoring 29 goals and supplying 18 assists as the Reds sealed their first Premier League title since 2019/20.

Time was last season when Salah almost appeared a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or, so impressive was his start to the term. But he petered out across the second half of the campaign and was anonymous as Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

In this way, the iconic forward shares with Henry a certain grievance over having been snubbed for the award, coming in at fourth during last week’s ceremony in Paris, with the one-time Les Bleus star missing out to Pavel Nedvěd in 2003 despite an extraordinary campaign with the Gunners, scoring 32 goals and supplying 24 assists across all competitions in 2002/03.

Inarguably two of the greatest players in English football history, both could make a compelling case for the crown.

For Salah, he will have brushed off any frustration over being snubbed, having, after all, been the talisman in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph.

But it must still sting, and with Henry and the Egyptian being ranked against each other so many times, this is seemingly something they will share when Salah eventually joins the Frenchman in retirement.

Set to soon pass the torch, the veteran will no doubt feel that the 2024/25 campaign marked his best chance to win the Ballon d’Or. It wasn’t to be, with the Egyptian no doubt frustrated that he didn’t even reach the podium after what will go down as one of the greatest season-long efforts in English history.

Salah might be approaching the final stretch of his legendary Premier League career without a Ballon d’Or title to his name, but he will still go down as an all-timer, having played an instrumental role in putting Liverpool back on their perch over the past eight-and-a-half years.

Likewise, Henry never got his mitts on the pinnacle individual accolade, but fans of the two persuasions will be sure to agree that both were good enough to have claimed the prize.

Not Isak or Ekitike: Liverpool struck gold on star worth more than Salah

This unsung Liverpool hero continues to prove a fantastic signing for the club.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 26, 2025