Sports
Liverpool Transfers: Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo On Club List
Mohamed Salah’s contract expires at the end of the season, club are preparing by scouting alternatives should he leave, Antoine Semenyo has scored five goals this season and Bryan Mbuemo has eight
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are among the players being scouted by Liverpool as they assess future targets that could play for Arne Slot.
Under the new stewardship of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s recruitment group are working hard on assessing future talent, especially in areas of the team that may need replacements within the next 12 months.
Mohamed Salah is currently one of three top stars out of contract at the end of the season along with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold – and, although there is no definitive indication on any of their futures yet, Liverpool are doing the prudent thing and planning for varying outcomes.
Sky Sports reports that, that may see a need to sign a new forward player and Semenyo is known to Hughes having signed him for Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023.
The 24-year-old has improved significantly on the south coast, especially since the arrival of Andoni Iraola as head coach, scoring five times in his last 14 appearances in the Premier League last season, and he has continued in that vein this season with three goals in nine.
Mbuemo, 25, has been even more prolific with eight Premier League goals in nine, and he is understood to have been monitored by Liverpool for some time. Both players’ profiles provide similarities to Salah, particularly their ability to be dangerous anywhere across the front positions.
Sky Germany have reported Stuttgart’s 25-year-old Egypt forward Oumar Marmoush is another player being looked at by Liverpool – but sources on Merseyside have refuted that he is of any interest to the club at this time.
Head coach Slot once again gave nothing away on Friday when asked for an update on the contract situations surrounding Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, stating that talks between the club and the trio are “ongoing”.
“For me the contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment,” Slot said. “Of course, it’s not sure that, if they perform not as good anymore, it has anything to do with their contract situation.
“At the moment all three of them are in a good place, all of them perform really, really, really well and there are ongoing discussions, as Virgil said, with the people he has to talk with, and that’s not me as you know. I talk with him to him about other things.
“Let’s wait and see but all what he said is completely right in that he doesn’t exactly know what the future will be as long as he doesn’t sign the contract yet
Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, have secured a place in the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations U-20 tournament and qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Senegal.
The tightly contested knockout stage encounter ended goalless after regular and extra time, with both teams unable to find the back of the net.
Ultimately, it was Nigeria who triumphed 3–1 in the penalty shootout.
The match, held in the knockout stage of the continental youth championship, saw the two sides locked in a stalemate throughout regulation and extra time.
Despite numerous attempts from both sides, neither team could break the deadlock, leading to a penalty decider.
Nigeria converted three of their spot-kicks, while Senegal managed only one, allowing the Flying Eagles to clinch the win and progress to the last four of the competition.
The result not only sends Nigeria into the semifinals of the U-20 AFCON but also confirms their place in the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Veteran Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti has been officially appointed as the new head coach of Brazil’s national football team, according to reports by sports journalist David Ornstein. The 65-year-old will take over the role on May 26, immediately after overseeing his final match with Real Madrid against Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Ancelotti’s appointment marks a historic moment as he becomes the first foreigner to manage Brazil’s senior men’s team. Ornstein confirmed that all agreements have been finalized and contracts signed, with the transition negotiated amicably between Ancelotti, Real Madrid, and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The deal was led by Diego Fernandes on behalf of the CBF.
One of the most decorated coaches in football history, Ancelotti will be tasked with leading Brazil through their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign, aiming for a record-extending sixth World Cup title when the tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Athletic previously reported that Ancelotti had agreed to take charge through the 2026 World Cup. He will succeed Dorival Júnior, who was dismissed in March after 14 months at the helm.
Ancelotti’s debut on the Brazil touchline is expected on June 6, in a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
Since returning to Real Madrid in 2021, Ancelotti has added two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy to his illustrious resume, which includes eight major European finals. However, recent performances by Madrid have been underwhelming, including a Champions League quarter-final exit to Arsenal, a Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona, and trailing Hansi Flick’s side by seven points in La Liga with three games to go.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was named the Ligue 1 player of the year on Sunday, after leading the club to a 13th French title and the Champions League final.
Dembele is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 21 goals and has struck 33 times in 46 matches across all competitions, including eight goals in Europe.
He succeeds Kylian Mbappe who won the prize five times in a row before departing for Real Madrid at the end of last season.
Luis Enrique earned coach of the year honours at the UNFP (French players’ union) Trophies gala, while Desire Doue took home the prize for the best young player in Ligue 1.
Lille’s Lucas Chevalier denied PSG a clean sweep of the accolades as he beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to the best goalkeeper award.
PSG are on course for a treble after easing to an 11th Ligue 1 title in 13 years. They will play Inter Milan in the Champions League final on May 31, a week after facing Reims in the French Cup showpiece.
AFP
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