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Liverpool will continue to monitor the market as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild after a challenging campaign, and Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch is one young talent who they are 'pushing' to sign.

What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool?

That's according to the Mirror, who state that Klopp has received the green light to complete a move for the Dutchman, who has endured a frustrating maiden term in the German Bundesliga with the formidable champions.

The player is said to be 'keen' on a move to Anfield and, while in an ideal world he would remain at the club he chose to kickstart his career one year ago, a lack of minutes and the offer of prominence at Liverpool could result in a transfer, with a fee of around £25m enough to prise him away.

Especially considering that James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left the club; Alexis Mac Allister has been signed for £35m but the robust Gravenberch could be new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke's masterstroke this summer.

Should Liverpool sign Ryan Gravenberch?

Gravenberch forged 103 appearances for Ajax and was a key component of an outfit that gleaned the Eredivisie thrice and the KNVB Cup twice across three campaigns, catching the eye of many an outfit across Europe and subsequently earning a €24m (£20m) transfer to Bavaria.

However, five starts from 33 matches across all competitions in Germany this season will do little to convince the precocious talent of committing his future to the club despite winning the title this year, with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka unlikely to fall out of favour any time soon.

Previously hailed as the Netherlands' "greatest talent" by ex-Ajax ace Wim Kieft, the £152k-per-week machine ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 23% for progressive passes, the top 19% for successful take-ons and the top 27% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, which emphasises the dynamism of his trade and hints at a future as one of Europe's most destructive conductors.

If Klopp succeeds in signing the 21-year-old, he will strengthen the Dutch spine Anfield currently boasts, with Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo occupying prominent roles either side of the centre of the park, where Gravenberch could pull the strings and inject the unrelenting intensity to send the Kop into rapture.

He could forge a distinctively slick partnership with Gakpo, who has impressed since signing from PSV for an initial £35m last winter and scored seven goals and three assists as he ostensibly slots into the departing and iconic Roberto Firmino's all-encompassing frontal role.

Adept and weaving the threads of Klopp's hundred-hued tapestry together with his creative ingenuity, Gakpo ranks among the top 10% of forwards for rate of assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 1% for tackles per 90.

Such metrics play into Gravenberch's favour – and indeed vice versa – because of his role in tethering the midfield to the attack, opening space for the inversions of wide forwards such as Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, and keeping the robustness intact with his multi-faceted approach.

Lauded for his "dominant" demeanour on the pitch by his former youth coach Brian Tevreden, the confidence that exudes from Gravenberch's tenacity in the middle will keep the system ticking, and the countrymen could play significant roles in the next phase of Klopp's dynasty in Liverpool.

You can't go far wrong with an all-white Madrid home kit, but which is the best ever? GOAL decides…

There is, admittedly, little to be done with a Real Madrid home kit. The Spanish giants will always wear white, with some sort of accent occasionally thrown in. But that doesn't mean there haven't been some legendary kits worn by Los Blancos.

From the early days of their adidas partnership in the 1980s to the golden stripes of the early 2010s, the club have released some gorgeous shirts. And with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Raul suiting up for the club, there's plenty of star appeal, too.

And so after their new home kit for 2023-24 was released, GOAL takes a look at Real Madrid's best home shirts from over the years…

Getty102012-13: It falls apart under Jose

Madrid's struggles in 2012-13 have been well-chronicled at this point. It was the year when Jose Mourinho left the club in dramatic fashion, making a conscious effort to burn every bridge possible before he departed by "mutual consent" the following summer.

Still, there were some positives here. Los Blancos beat Barcelona three times, signed Luka Modric, and got 55 goals out of Ronaldo.

AdvertisementGetty Images92004-05: The end of the Galacticos

This should have been a memorable season. Sure, some of the famous Galacticos were past their best, but Ronaldo and Raul remained world-class. That Zidane guy wasn't bad, either. Add a prime Michael Owen, and all the ingredients were there for a La Liga win. It didn't quite go to plan, with Los Blancos falling short of Barcelona by four points.

European success was similarly elusive, as Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 to an excellent Juventus side.

Lintao Zhang/Getty Images82015-16: Zizou wins the Champions League (again)

Madrid were enduring a tricky first half to the 2015-16 season when they brought Zidane in to manage the first team. And the club legend took over a top-tier squad with aplomb. Los Blancos battered Europe, with the famous Benzema-Bale-Ronaldo attacking trio leading Madrid to a famous 11th Champions League title.

Any other year, and Madrid would have been celebrating a double. However, a rampant Barcelona side pipped them to the league title by just a single point.

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Getty Images71999-2000: Champions League dominance

The 1998-99 season was something of an underwhelming campaign for Los Blancos, and they tried to amend that with a series of signings for the next year. And they did so with aplomb.

Madrid spent big in the transfer market while Raul came into his own as a goalscorer. It all amounted to a team primed for European glory. And they delivered, winning the 2000 Champions League, battering Valencia in the final.

Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh is now "open to staying" at Elland Road this summer, according to Joe Donnohue.

What’s the latest on Cody Drameh’s future?

Drameh recently helped Luton Town win promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs, featuring in the Wembley final victory over Coventry City.

The full-back, who was sent to Kenilworth Road back in January when Jesse Marsch was still in charge, with the former Leeds manager saying:

"Yes, I see, no doubt, a future here for him. He and I have, I think, formed a pretty strong relationship over the last eight months.

“I told him when he left [on loan to Luton] that it was unfortunate that, with both Luke and Rasmus right now, that we just didn't have more opportunities for him to develop right here, right now with us. Because in many ways, I think he's ready for those challenges.”

Six months on, though, and he has been linked with a permanent Elland Road exit. The Englishman has just over 12 months remaining on his Whites contract and there have been reports that he wanted to quit Yorkshire to play in the Premier League next season.

However, he now appears to have had a change of heart in a new twist following Leeds’ relegation. Donnohue, journalist for The Yorkshire Evening Post, took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to share a new update regarding the right-back. He said:

“Cody Drameh open to staying at Leeds despite securing promotion with loan club Luton, who remain interested in a permanent transfer. Circumstances beyond his control meant he had to go out on loan again, while LUFC have since provided assurances.”

Who wants to sign Cody Drameh?

The latest report suggests that whoever comes in as Leeds’ next head coach would need to be on board with keeping Drameh, with Luton still keen on completing a permanent deal.

Drameh has excelled in recent seasons in the second tier, initially at Cardiff City, where he was called “outstanding” by former manager Steve Morison. He won Cardiff’s Player of the Year award that season and went on to make 19 appearances for Luton recently, taking his Championship tally to 38 appearances in total.

The 21-year-old appears to be an exciting young defender, and after attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Newcastle United back in December, keeping hold of his services for the Championship could be an exciting prospect.

ScorecardJames Franklin ensured Middlesex did not slip up as they stayed top of the table•Getty Images

The differing emotions between the two sides told the story: as the Middlesex dressing room reverberated with an exuberant rendition of the team song, Nottinghamshire’s players sat looking tired and dejected.Why? Because victory means Middlesex’s title challenge remains alive and well. And defeat leaves Nottinghamshire relegated to Division Two for the first time in a decade.A five-wicket margin may appear comfortable. And, it is true, in the last hour or so, as Nottinghamshire’s head dropped, Middlesex ran away with this result.But until then, until we had enjoyed 10 sessions of uncompromising, unpredictable, undulating cricket where the initiative passed between the sides almost as often as ball beat bat. It will be no consolation to Nottinghamshire, but this was a terrific game of cricket.In a match of blow and counter blow, the defining punch was – arguably, at least – thrown by Nick Compton. Coming to the crease with his side under pressure, Compton negotiated some testing bowling and a demanding chase to break the back of the run-chase.Gone was the stuttering, indeterminate Compton that we have seen at other times this summer and in his place was a man sure of his purpose and his method. He moved with certainty into his defensive strokes and, as he settled, used his feet to skip down the pitch and negate the threat offered by Imran Tahir with a series of fluent drives. It was, like elegantly sedate.His tussle with Jake Ball was a compelling advert for county cricket. Ball, generating sharp pace and generally cutting the ball in, certainly didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Finishing the game with nine wickets – his team-mates claimed five between them – he looked a threat in every second-innings spell he bowled.His first spell of the day – only three overs – did not concede a run, while his second produced the wicket of the increasingly fluent Stevie Eskinazi caught behind after following one outside off. Generally Compton, standing a long way over towards off stump and playing everything as if it would nip back, looked to see Ball off and pick-up runs against the other bowlers and it was noticeable that, as the ball aged, Ball gained less away movement from deliveries pitched on the stumps. Gradually, Compton took control and the target was whittled away.Nottinghamshire’s spinners were a little disappointing. Perhaps the slow nature of the surface did them few favours – they are not the first spinners to struggle here – but on a used pitch, more was expected of them in the fourth innings. Samit Patel, who batted so well in the first innings, did himself few favours in the fourth in front of the watching Andy Flower. You can understand the logic of England taking him to India, in particular, as third spinner but you wouldn’t think Virat Kohli is having any sleepless night about the prospect. To be fair, he is probably not too worried about any of England’s spin options.”These are the moments when you want to be counted,” Compton said afterwards. “As a senior player, it was my job to win us that game and I’m proud of the way I held the team together. I wanted to win this game for us.”I felt under pressure this morning. I thought ‘let this me my calling; let’s get them over the line.’ It feels great to have come back into the team and contributed.”I’ve not been on it like that this season. But that was the real me out there. I decided I was just going to do it and I needed that focus here because Ball bowled really well, especially on the third evening.”It wouldn’t have been Nick Compton though if he had finished with a raised bat and standing ovation. Instead, with the bulk of the job done (Middlesex required 89 when he was dismissed), he ran himself out after being sent back attempting an optimistic single. “I’m happy to do my job for the team and leave out of the back door without any fuss,” Compton said.”He has a technique as good as anyone in England,” John Simpson agreed. “He is a fantastic batsman and he laid the foundations for us.”Simpson himself more than played his part. Not for the first time this season – his unbeaten 79 in Middlesex’s two-wicket victory in Taunton may prove to be one of the defining moments of this campaign – he eased the pressure with the tempo of his batting. He survived one early edge – Eskinazi was also dropped in the morning session – but otherwise looked impressively untroubled. James Franklin, with a typically pugnacious half-century, made sure there was to be no let-up and, in the closing overs, punished a dispirited attack.So for Middlesex, one point clear at the top of the table, the challenge goes on. And, given something most unlikely in the penultimate round of game, the title will be decided in the closing week of the season when they host Yorkshire at Lord’s. It could hardly be set-up better, could it?Nottinghamshire have less to savour. This relegation will sting for some time. There have been setbacks this season, for sure, not least the retirement of James Taylor. But for a squad blessed with this talent and these resources to have failed to win after the opening week of the season is a colossal failure to fulfil their potential.Might a few have simply become a little comfortable? There are some on this staff who are an odd shape for professional sportsmen – sumo wrestlers aside – and their fielding on the final day let down an attack who will at full strength (and Notts expect to have Stuart Broad available a fair bit at the start of next year) prove some way above anything else in Division Two next season.It left Mick Newell, the out-going head coach (and in-coming director of cricket) to face the media. In his gruff, northern way, it was clear that this reverse hurt him deeply.”Relegation isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s about shame and embarrassment. It’s 10 years since I’ve stood here and had to explain a relegation… But that’s the way it is. I guess you have to take it on the chin. It’s disappointing to hand over to Peter Moores this way.”We haven’t played anywhere near well enough this season. You look at our dismissals in the second innings here and they were very slack. They weren’t dismissed by fantastic deliveries. They were a bit casual. That’s what cost us the game.”There won’t be too many changes in personnel at the club. Greg Smith, the batsman, and Ben Kitt, a young fast bowler of some potential, have both agreed new, two-year deals and most of the senior players will be given a chance to put this right. Moores will, without doubt, be focusing on the fielding and fitness. Every team he has coached tells us that. A winter in the gym looms for a few.To talk to some Nottinghamshire supporters over recent days, the blame for recent events lies almost entirely at the feet of Newell. And it is true there have been some unsuccessful signings: Will Gidman and Jackson Bird for a start.Those with longer memories may recall the enormous amount of good he did. The two Championship titles; the List A trophy; the T20 knock-out stages. Sports careers, like those of politicians, almost always end in failure. But one or two of the players, all of which owe him for the opportunity he has provided them, may reflect that they have let him down in recent months.This was also a result that said much for Middlesex’s resilience. They were 39 for 4 in their first innings and 25 for 3 in their second. They were obliged to bat last on a used pitch and in the knowledge that Yorkshire were breathing down their neck. To win in such situations shows character. That last match at Lord’s is already shaping up to be a classic.

Alastair Cook has become the first England batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs, after reaching the milestone on the fourth afternoon of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street.Cook, who started the match on 9,980 career runs, fell five short of the landmark when he was caught in the gully for 15 on the opening morning of the match. But he made no mistake second-time around, the moment arriving at 3.15pm when he clipped Nuwan Pradeep off his pads for four.He was given a second opportunity in this Test only after Sri Lanka managed to score 475 after following on, setting England a target of 79 to go 2-0 up in the series.”The 10,000 has been a milestone that has driven me over the last few years,” he said after England completed a nine-wicket win. “You get tested at the top of the order in all conditions against the best bowlers bowling with the new ball and I’m glad I have hung around long enough not to get dropped.”I never thought I would get 10,000. Now I will have to have a rethink and set something else personally. You need something tucked away to drive you to get up go running in the morning or bat in the nets with Goochy. I am still hungry to achieve stuff.”Cook said that his strengths were playing off the back foot and being able to “handle the external stuff as well”, reflecting on how he almost stepped down as captain after England lost the home series against Sri Lanka two years ago.Asked about his toughest moments, he said: “[Ryan] Harris and [Mitchell] Johnson were hard, and facing [Glenn] McGrath and [Brett] Lee as a 21-year-old was a good baptism for me. The Pakistan series in 2010 for me as a batter was hard. I had changed my technique. I found it tough. It was an enlightening moment when I went back to my old technique. As a player and captain Sri Lanka was hard. Forget all the runs, that is my proudest moment …hanging in in the tough times.”Cook is the 12th batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs and, at 31 years and 157 days, the youngest by five months. The previous holder of that record, Sachin Tendulkar, notched his 10,000th Test run at the age of 31 years and 326 days, against Pakistan at Kolkata on March 16, 2005. Tendulkar, however, required 195 innings to reach the landmark. This is Cook’s 229th.Cook is also the only active Test cricketer in the 10,000 club. Seven of the previous players to have reached the mark have retired in the past four years, including two men who were on the winning side, in 2014, on the last occasion Sri Lanka played a series in England – Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814).Cook, who is playing in his 128th Test, has 28 Test centuries to his name – another England record – and has further milestones on the horizon. He is closing in on becoming the second England batsman after Graham Gooch (5,917) to score 5,000 Test runs in home internationals, and is set to over-take Ian Bell (13,331) as the second-highest England run-scorer in all formats in the coming weeks.The first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs was India’s Sunil Gavaskar, who posted the milestone against Pakistan at Ahmedabad on March 7, 1987. Six years later, he was joined by Allan Border, against West Indies at Sydney in 1992-93, with Steve Waugh (Sydney 2002-03) and Brian Lara (Old Trafford 2004) the next two men to join the club.

Barinder Sran has said that the bowler-friendly conditions in Zimbabwe and the time spent with Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL have helped him develop an inswinger

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016Barinder Sran had an underwhelming debut series in Australia, where he took three wickets at an average of 56.66 and gave away 6.45 runs an over. But in India’s three-ODI series against Zimbabwe, the left-arm seamer took four wickets at 24.75, at an economy rate of 4.12, and showcased a new weapon – an inswinger that was a source of discomfort for Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Ahead of the T20I series that begins in Harare on Saturday, Sran said he had consciously worked on getting his wrist position right.”It’s the difference in the conditions [between Australia and Zimbabwe],” Sran said. “I changed the seam position a bit, made some changes to my action because I’m looking to swing the new ball. So I’m not putting in too much effort, because if I do that, I lose my wrist position and it reduces the swing.”Sran had erred frequently in his line and length in Australia, and his bouncers were largely ineffective. But in Zimbabwe, he has mostly stuck to a fuller length. “[In Australia], I had a problem in my shoulder because of which I couldn’t perform to my potential. So I was under some pressure,” Sran said. “I didn’t have much IPL experience either then, I had played only one IPL match, and even in the Ranji Trophy, only 10-11 matches. Still, everybody supported me and that felt good.”Nothing much has changed, because in Australia, there was a huge difference in the kind of wickets. It was quite hot there and they were good batting wickets, whereas here, there is some help for the bowlers. I have just been focusing and working on those areas where I’m weak, like when I was trying to swing, the ball wasn’t coming back in, so I worked on that regularly. In the IPL too, [Ashish] Nehra and Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] were with me, they taught me seam position and supported me in all aspects from the beginning. For two-three days, I went to Chandigarh as well and met my coach Amit Uniyal and worked with him.”The performances in Zimbabwe have been a step forward after his struggles in Australia, but Sran acknowledged that work was needed before he can be considered ready for Test cricket. “To get there, I need to be consistent and bowl one line and length,” he said. “I need to improve a lot, I need to improve my pace and fitness level. I will work towards achieving these in the next season.”

Bangladesh, coming off a heart-breaking loss, will look to claim their first win in the Super 10s against New Zealand, the form side of the tournament

The Preview by Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2016

Match facts

Saturday, March 26, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)

Big picture

Bangladesh are carrying the most heart-breaking result on their back, but now take on the form team of the competition. New Zealand, who are in the semi-finals after three consecutive wins, have relied on combined efforts with both bat and ball, rather than individual performances.New Zealand have read conditions and balanced their side well on pitches that have primarily suited their spinners, and leaving out Tim Southee and Trent Boult has been seen as a right move. Legspinner Ish Sodhi, who has been a revelation with his loop and control, and Mitchell Santner’s have produced the goods when required.However, Martin Guptill has been New Zealand’s shining light with the bat, having scored 125 runs with the next being Corey Anderson’s 58. The likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Colin Munro have struck cameos and will require their services in the knockouts.Bangladesh’s bowling attack has their work cut out with the absence of key figures. Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan’s economy rate is directly proportional to the returns produced by Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain.Their batsmen, particularly Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, will have to distance themselves from their nightmare shots in Bangalore. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar will have to finish the jobs they start. For Bangladesh to beat New Zealand for the first time in T20Is, a lot has to go their way. They can’t leave it to chance, not at least against Kane Williamson’s side.New Zealand will hope that Corey Anderson, who occupies a vital role in the side, finds some form ahead of the knockouts•IDI/Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWW
Bangladesh LLLWW

Watch out for

Corey Anderson has been used at No. 4 in the recent past but has faced roughly 18 deliveries per innings. He has had to adjust to match situations and slow pitches, but he is more likely to get a better base than many No. 4s in this tournament.Al-Amin Hossain has shown the tendency to bowl at least one bad ball in every over, reflected by his economy rate of 9.14 in six innings. His catching too has been a problem, but he has another chance to improve upon both aspects of his game.

Team news

New Zealand could unleash Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have sat out all three of their group matches. Offspinner Nathan McCullum and batsman Henry Nicholls, who have played one game between them, could get a chance.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson, 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Luke Ronchi, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Adam Milne, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Ish SodhiNurul Hasan could be given a game but given this is their last chance to register a win in the Super 10s, they are unlikely to tinker too much.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk)/Mohammad Mithun, 8 Shuvagata Hom, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Al-Amin Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata had served up two batting pitches before a rank turner for the India-Pakistan game. Still ,there will be runs available if batsmen can be mindful of the turn. There’s no rain in the forecast but the temperature would hover around 35 degrees during the game.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have scored 50-plus runs in the Powerplay in the last two games while Bangladesh haven’t conceded less than 42 during the same period.
• Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal is the highest run-getter while Shakib Al Hasan is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the World T20 so far.

Quotes

“Recovery from last match is difficult (so soon) but boys have had some time. They have had 48 hours to think about it. Obviously you can’t return to it. I think you have to play hard.””Most of the times when we have played in these conditions, they have been a really good opposition. I think the last game is just a highlight of how strong they can be in these conditions. I don’t think anyone can take them lightly.”

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is unlikely to feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers tonight due to a muscle injury, according to expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Gomez injured

Gomez started in Liverpool’s 5-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League, however he was forced off with just over 15 minutes to go, having picked up an injury, as confirmed by Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds have struggled with injury setbacks throughout this season, with Virgil van Dijk missing seven games due to a hamstring problem, while Ibrahima Konate has been unavailable for the last four Premier League games.

The Latest: Dinnery’s update

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Dinnery indicated that due to the nature of the Englishman’s injury, he is unlikely to be risked for tonight’s clash at Anfield.

The injury expert said: “That’s a muscle issue. It’s one of those that you don’t want to take too many chances with.

“There was a little bit of a question mark as to what the initial problem was when he limped off, but it transpired that it was a muscle problem.

“It’s probably just a bit of a quick turnaround as well for Gomez, with regards to that particular injury, because those are the ones that can easily be exacerbated.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/liverpool-transfer-news-and-rumours/” title=”Liverpool Transfer News and Rumours” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-2021-03-07T155652Z_1459311687_UP1EH3718ASBK_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LIV-FUL-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Another blow

It will be very frustrating for Liverpool that yet another centre-back is having a period on the sidelines, although they will be boosted by the fact Konate is in a good position to return to the squad this evening.

Hailed as ‘brilliant’ by members of the media, Gomez has made 29 appearances for the Reds in all competitions this season, highlighting his importance to the team.

While he is likely to play second fiddle to Konate and Van Dijk when both are fully fit, it is disappointing that Klopp will be without his back-up option tonight, considering the Reds have a busy period over the next couple of weeks.

As of yet, there is no timescale on when the defender could return to the first-team picture, but Klopp will be hoping he can make a swift recovery.

Liverpool's Curtis Jones has sent a message to England boss Gareth Southgate as he believes that he is doing well enough to warrant a call up.

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Jones believes he deserves England call-upStill uncapped by SouthgateReveals Klopp shock after announcement(C)GettyImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

With Euro 2024 coming up fast, Southgate has only two more games to finalise his squad for the tournament. The 53-year-old's future post the tournament is up in the air and a positive result this summer could see him extend till the 2026 World Cup. Jones has been flirting around the edge of the selection, but has never been capped despite featuring prominently for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Later on in the same interview, Jones also discussed the shocking departure of the German from the Merseyside club.

AdvertisementWHAT JONES SAID

Talking to the BBC, Jones said: "It’s not easy. The lads I’m against are doing well. Gareth and the staff have got a choice, but I think I’m doing enough. Everything around me is going well, so we’ll see."

On Klopp's announcement: "We were in the changing room, actually in the gym, and everyone was told we needed to come in at half 10. It was a bit of a strange one. We didn’t know what was going to be said, but I could feel it amongst the lads it was a little bit strange. He broke the news, it was tough to take. He’s his own man. You've got to respect he’s got his own things he wants to do with his family. He turned me from a boy to a man. I’m grateful for him, so are the teams, the fans, the city."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Jones was handed his professional debut for Liverpool by the German coach in 2019 when the midfielder played against Wolves in the FA Cup third-round clash. Since then, the 23-year-old has become a mainstay in the Liverpool squad, however, the same has not been the case for him with his nation as he hasn't got a single cap for the Three Lions' senior team.

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WHAT NEXT FOR JONES?

If Southgate has any intention of integrating Jones in the England squad, he will only have two games to do so before the tournament. Before Euro 2024, the Three Lions have friendlies against Brazil and Belgium in late March, before facing Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland in early June ahead of the tournament.

The New York/New Jersey's MetLife Stadium was picked over Dallas to host the 2026 World Cup final with Kim Kardashian set to play a key role.

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• AT&T & MetLife were locked in an intense battle
• Opportunities for commercial activations played a major role in the pick
• Kardashian to continue playing a major role in collaboration with FIFA

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the intense competition to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final narrowed down to Dallas and New York City, with stadiums in Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium), and East Rutherford, New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), respectively, being the focal points. Dallas seemed poised for victory, but after FIFA president, Giani Infantino revealed that the city would host nine matches, the most among all host cities, it was obvious that their rivals had checkmated in the race to host the title decider of the showpiece event in 2026.

  However, the unexpected decision to award the final to New York/New Jersey took many by surprise, indicating how close Dallas was to clinching the prestigious event. This choice underscored the intricate dynamics of FIFA politics, where apparent frontrunners may not always secure the bid.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  New York City presented compelling advantages from the outset, including its extensive public transportation network, a comparatively less controversial political climate than Texas, and a lucrative media market in a favourable time zone. The potential for commercial engagements around iconic landmarks further enhanced its appeal. MetLife Stadium's successful hosting of the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 also bolstered confidence in its capability to stage high-profile matches.

• WHAT JERRY JONES, OWNER DALLAS COWBOYS, SAID

  Speaking to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, said: "It was a hell of a battle. We almost got there.”

  Although New Jersey did bag the biggest prize New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was uncertain until the last moment.

  “I started a war game in my mind that that probably meant that they weren’t going to get the final,” Murphy said.

  "I felt at that point that it was, more likely than not, that it would be us.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Reality TV star Kim Kardashian announced on a FIFA live stream that the USMNT will host their first game at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium. Infantino also posted an Instagram collaboration with the pop celebrity as part of the promotion of the launch event. It is reported that it is just the beginning and her presence was not a one-off appearance as several other superstars and legends of the sport have been lined up for similar activities.