Ryan Mason is certainly feeling the pressure of being an EFL manager on his shoulders right now at West Bromwich Albion.

Three wins from his opening four games in the Championship as the Baggies’ new head coach helped to lift some early tension, but with seven defeats now next to West Brom’s name in the competitive league, he isn’t looking at ease in the Hawthorns hot seat.

It could have been so different for the West Midlands outfit last time out on the road to top-of-the-table Coventry City, though, as a Aune Heggebo brace saw the visitors race into an unlikely 2-0 lead.

Yet, a red card to Jayson Molumby would ultimately aid the free-flowing Sky Blues, as a 3-2 victory was eventually secured.

Mason will hope he can guide his underperforming team out of this sticky patch and that no knee-jerk decisions happen from the powers that be, with lots of contracts set to expire down the line, which he could have a say over.

Contract issues at West Brom

A number of contracts are set to expire at the Hawthorns next summer, with Mason hopeful he will still be manager for the foreseeable future, regardless of his side underperforming as of late in 17th spot in the second tier.

Josh Maja is one notable name that catches the eye when running through those whose contracts are in play until June 2026, with the injury-prone attacker only starting four games this season, having had to now settle for fewer minutes up against the aforementioned Heggebo.

Only one goal has come the £17k-per-week striker’s way from those limited starts, too, next to the Norwegian’s heftier tally of four, with his injury issues another factor to consider as to whether West Brom will hand him an extended deal or not.

Karlan Grant will also be worrying about his future up until the mid-point of next year, with zero goals or assists next to his name this season, while Daryl Dike will surely be sensing that the end of his injury-plagued Baggies career is in sight next year when his deal ceases to be, as the American remains unsurprisingly sidelined still.

He also takes home a whopping £25k-per-week salary, despite his long-standing injury troubles.

However, he isn’t the only high earner that could soon be taken off the Baggies wage bill, as this Hawthorns veteran – who earns more than first team personnel Heggebo and Mikey Johnston – potentially waves goodbye to the Championship club shortly.

The West Brom high earner who could soon be axed

During West Brom’s slump in form, former Celtic winger Johnston has still been a regular scorer of some sweet strikes, such as the one that was hammered home back in October.

Amazingly, though, when looking at West Brom’s wage costs, Jed Wallace comes in as earning more than the standout duo, having also banked £25k-per-week this season, like Dike, as per Capology, even when consistently finding himself out of Mason’s starting XI.

Games played

9

Games started

4

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Wage costs

£25k-per-week

Contract expiry date

June 2026

Once upon a time, though, in the West Midlands, Wallace was seen as a constant source of creativity down the flanks, with six goals and eight assists picked up during his debut season at the club seeing his former boss Steve Bruce hail him as a “massive asset” to have around the place.

Unfortunately for the ex-Millwall forward, he isn’t producing those same electric numbers now, though, with only two goals coming his way across his last 40 outings in the demanding Championship.

Heggebo managed to put away that same amount just from the tie at the CBS Arena, yet, the former Brann striker only takes home a £15k-per-week pay packet.

Moreover, Johnston, who terrorised Coventry during the first half with two assists, also falls behind with a £12.5-per-week salary.

Therefore, although Isaac Price has been complimentary of his fellow Baggies midfielder this season by stating that he “leads the dressing room”, and he has had past moments of magic, Wallace could soon be shoved to the exit door when his contract expires this coming June – alongside the likes of Dike and Grant – off the back of his performances continuing to dip.

Forget Price: £3m “lion” is West Brom’s best signing since Corberan left

West Bromwich Albion could now have stumbled upon their best signing since Carlos Corberan left in this £3m battler.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 30, 2025

Liverpool know that things need to improve when club football returns this weekend.

The final international break of the calendar year has offered a welcome reprieve for Arne Slot and co following the dour 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, stunting any hopes of short-lived growth and condemning the champions to five defeats from six Premier League matches.

Concerning stuff, to be sure. Liverpool were outthought and outfought, a common theme that must not be given another through line over the winter months, with the Reds sat in eighth place and already such a far cry away from table-topping Arsenal.

Despite the record-breaking summer of spending, Liverpool need some more attacking inspiration from out wide.

It was a mistake not to directly replace Luis Diaz after his £66.5m move to Bayern Munich, but sporting director Richard Hughes is now looking to rectify that.

Liverpool chasing Semenyo upgrade

It has emerged this week that Bournemouth talisman Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause. The versatile Ghanaian forward’s buyout option will diminish further at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool are among the frontrunners for his signature, though Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest.

Competition will be thick, and according to Spanish sources, Liverpool have earmarked an alternative who might actually prove an upgrade on Semenyo in Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.

It is claimed that, with the 25-year-old currently in the penultimate year of his Los Blancos contract and without a renewal in sight, suitors such as Liverpool smell blood, with the Reds believed to be willing to submit an £88m offer to prise him away from Spain.

Vinicius Jr is one of the finest forwards in the world, and he would certainly be worth chasing over Semenyo, even at a more expensive outlay.

How Vinicius Junior compares to Semenyo in 2025/26

Semenyo is a special athlete, and he has been one of the Premier League’s most dangerous players under Andoni Iraola’s wing at Bournemouth this season.

However, Vinicius Jr is among the finest in the world, and the murmurs of discontent at Real Madrid suggest a transfer to a club such as Liverpool might not be as far-fetched as it might seem.

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti said that his protege is “unstoppable” when on his A-game, and with 111 goals and 87 assists across 338 senior showings with Real Madrid, this certainly looks to be the case.

This is a man who is made for the big moments, having scored in two successful Champions League finals at Madrid.

He is a cut above someone like Semenyo, who is endowed with such athleticism and pace and power across both wings, but lacks the proof of elite-level performances that Vini has been producing since he burst onto the scene as a teenager.

It would not be unfair to say that Real Madrid’s mercurial winger has been out of sorts this season, and yet he has still maintained a level that would be considered top-notch for most other players.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

12 (10)

Goals

6

5

Assists

3

4

Shots (on target)*

2.1 (1.3)

2.8 (1.3)

Big chances missed

5

5

Accurate passes

19.8 (77%)

28.4 (82%)

Chances created*

1.0

2.3

Succ. dribbles*

1.9

2.5

Tackles*

1.6

1.3

Duels won*

6.5

6.0

This is Vinicius Jr we are talking about. This is a player that Liverpool knows well.

Described as “the best player in the world” by his Real teammate Jude Bellingham, the South American would light the Premier League up and offer a new dimension to Slot’s Liverpool team.

Semenyo would also be a fine addition, but Vinicius Jr is quite simply on another level.

Bad for Wirtz: Liverpool plan serious bid to sign future big-money superstar

Liverpool are looking for ways to add creativity to Arne Slot’s team.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Troy Parrott has become a “cult hero” with the Republic of Ireland, but will he be back in England by the time a bid to reach the 2026 World Cup is completed? That question has been put to Stephen Carr, with the former Tottenham defender discussing future plans for the in-form striker and collective efforts to reach a first global gathering since 2002.

• Purple patch: How Parrott fired Ireland into World Cup play-offs

  The Boys in Green have earned themselves a shot at securing tickets to FIFA’s flagship event in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. A dramatic end to their group stage campaign has seen Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side land a play-off berth.

  Former Tottenham striker Parrott fired them to that point, with the 23-year-old frontman hitting a personal purple patch at the perfect time. He bagged a brace in a thrilling 2-0 victory over Portugal in Dublin that saw five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo sent off for the first time in his international career.

  Parrott, who is now on the books of Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, went on to net a hat-trick in a final showdown with Hungary – with that treble being completed in the 96th minute – and there is talk of him attracting interest from Premier League sides. The likes of Leeds, West Ham and Wolves are all said to be mulling over their options.

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• Getty
  

  Transfer talk: Parrott linked with Premier League return

  Asked about Parrott’s heroics and whether he could soon be on the move, ex-Ireland international Carr – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “Amazing! Fair play to him. He’s had a lot of loans where it hasn’t worked out. He’s found something at Alkmaar that just clicked, so his confidence is very high – which you can see now.

  “He’s a threat. Evan Ferguson will be back, so the manager will have a decision. But Troy has earned it. He scored five goals in two games, a hat-trick away from home – don’t know the last time that happened. He’s a threat. He’s a different player to Evan Ferguson, for me he’s completely different. It’s good now because it’s been a while since the Irish team had to pick up front, we haven’t had that. It’s good for the competition.

  “Hopefully he keeps going at Alkmaar and keeps the form up. He’s turned himself into a cult hero, brilliant. He’s worked at it, kept going and didn’t give up, and now he’s in a really good position. I think he will have offers. Whether that is in January, I don’t think so, probably the end of the season. But it would be nice to get to a World Cup, and then it all opens up for him.”

• Who will Ireland face in the 2026 World Cup play-offs?

  Ireland have been placed in Path D of the European World Cup play-off section. They will face Czechia at the semi-final stage, with either Denmark or North Macedonia to come on home soil if they can progress beyond that point.

  Quizzed on that draw, Carr said: “I think it’s a good one. I think it could have been a lot worse. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I think the manager will be pretty happy with it. It will still be difficult. Any game that you are getting into now, there is a World Cup spot on the line.

  “We play away against Czechia, a tough game. People are already thinking we will play Denmark at home, but you need to get through. The difference now is they are going into it with other teams fearing them a bit. With the last two results, it has given the country a lift, the team a lift because it was on a low. They have proved that they can do it, they can match anyone. Going to Hungary was one of those nights, but you need that bit of luck. Unbelievable result, one of the best in a long time in Irish football. I was at the Portugal game at home as well. There is a good feeling. Confidence will be very high. The break to the next game in March is a little unfortunate, because it will feel like a long time ago since you played that game, but it’s there for them.

  “If they get through, I think Denmark will beat North Macedonia. Denmark are a very good team. There are two tough games, so take it one at a time. Going away to Czechia, it’s only a small stadium – 19,000 and there will be a thousand Ireland fans. They need to get through it. The confidence will be very high and they are going into games with a lot more positivity now they have shown that they can do it. Portugal and Hungary were unbelievable results.”

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  Added motivation: Ireland will have eyes on World Cup draw

  Ireland did grace European Championships in 2012 and 2016, but have failed to qualify for a major tournament since then and are looking to bring a 24-year barren run on the World Cup front to a close.

  Ahead of facing Czechia, they will be among the interested observers when the group stage draw for next summer’s finals takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Friday – with it likely that added incentive to qualify will be delivered there.

Rangers are now reportedly in ongoing talks to sign David Watson from Kilmarnock as early as the January transfer window, as they look to fend off competition from Scotland and the Championship.

The Gers are slowly but surely turning things around on the pitch, with new manager Danny Rohl aiming to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership this weekend. And that progress must be matched off the pitch when the January transfer window arrives. It’s repeat or redemption for sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who has come under fire for his decisions in his first few months at Ibrox.

The former Everton man recently spoke about the club’s January plans, sharing that Rangers have given Rohl the chance to evaluate the players already at his disposal ahead of the winter window.

A number of names have already emerged as potential targets for the Gers ahead of 2026, too. According to recent reports, the Scottish giants have set their sights on signing Shea Charles from Southampton.

The former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder starred previously starred on loan under Rohl and could now reunite with the manager at Rangers. But he’s not the only name on their list of targets. Reports have also name-dropped Watson in recent weeks and it now looks as though Rangers’ move is advancing.

Rangers now in talks to sign Watson

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now in ongoing talks to sign Watson from Kilmarnock in the January transfer window. The 20-year-old is out of contract next summer, but the Gers could fend off competition from the Championship and Scotland by securing his signature for a cut-price this winter.

Rohl is also reportedly a big fan of the young midfielder and believes that his energy, tenacity and technical ability would improve his current Rangers side when 2026 arrives.

One of the SPFL's 'most influential players' now can't get a game at Rangers

Rangers have a star who was one of the most influential players in the league last season, now he can’t get a game.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 19, 2025

The praise that Watson has received during his time at Kilmarnock only backs up the verdict that he’s one of the best young talents that Scottish football has to offer. His teammate, Robbie Deas, told reporters: “Davey’s fantastic, honestly. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. He’s absolutely fantastic. You see that today, and he’s putting those tackles in later on.

“Davey’s got all the ability to go to the top, and I’ve no doubt he does, but I’m glad he’s here and he’s playing for us week in, week out, because I would hate to play against him.”

Much of Rangers’ focus was on Championship talent in the summer, but in Watson they would have someone who knows exactly what it takes to thrive in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers can avoid Gilmour repeat by playing teen who's a "heck of a player"

However you want to slice it, he is a three-format monster and Sri Lanka’s first serious entry into the space-age batting genre

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jun-2025Roughly 70 overs into a scorching third day against Bangladesh in Galle, Pathum Nissanka smokes Bangladesh’s fastest bowler through the covers, flicks him past the keeper next ball, and soon speeds from the 150s into the 160s.He had faced a little over 200 deliveries by this stage, but even this far into a long day, Bangladesh’s bowlers are finding there is still so little room for error with this guy. While they labour in their run ups, feet picked off the ground as if out of wet sand, Nissanka is taut, poised and clinical. If your length is off, he has laid into a crisp drive, a rasping cut, and a dismissive pull, almost before you’ve looked.Bangladesh’s seamers are tall and imposing. Nissanka is compact and lean. But in this moment, on a flat Galle surface, Nissanka strikes you as the bully. In some passages, he is so intent on working every possible scoring opportunity that on his own he feels like a SWAT team storming every room of a building in search of suspects (runs).Related

Pathum Nissanka is raising his bar one notch at a time

Nissanka 187 leads SL's solid reply after Bangladesh post 495

His first 50 took 88 balls, as he let Lahiru Udara make the early charge while he settled in, but his next 50 took 48 balls, the next one 74, and he was roughly on track to make another 75-ish ball 50 when he was dismissed late in the day. His 187 off 256 balls (a strike rate of 73), is largely why Sri Lanka traveled at close to four runs an over, giving them a greater chance of moving into a winning position. But this 187, his third Test hundred in as many continents, is not Nissanka’s highest international score. That would be his 210 not out in ODIs.Any way you slice it, Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s first serious entry into the space-age batting genre. You know the type by now, right? The Harry Brooks, Glenn Phillips, Yashasvi Jaiswals of the world – the kind possessed of an ultramodern batting brain that takes the lessons from the shorter formats and sprinkles them effortlessly into the longest. Already, batters such as Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, and even Babar Azam, feel like prototypes of these. With the newest generation, the batting IQ is more elastic, the skills are more transferable, and the transitions are observably smoother. Getting stuck? Hitting a wall? Retreating into your shell? Ew. What is that?Sri Lanka have had three-format monsters before, but for the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, they had had to go through the effort of embracing aggression and innovation. For Nissanka, rapid and emphatic evolution is a natural component of his cricketing journey. Nissanka’s first Test hundred had been a hugely stodgy 252-ball 103 in the Caribbean, after he had broken into the red-ball team on the back of a first-class average in the mid 60s.Following that, he had a lean spell in Tests, and became a white-ball specialist while he overcame a bad back injury. Having picked up new skills, he returned to Tests, and hit a 127 not out at better than a run-a-ball at The Oval last year, in what was Sri Lanka’s funnest Test win of 2024.

“Until this match, I’d never hit a Test hundred in Sri Lanka. I’d wanted to break my own mental barrier. Thankfully, today I was able to do that.”Pathum Nissanka after his 187

He may be 27, but it is clear that already, we are looking at Nissanka 2.0. Cricket may still be lugging an almost 150-year old multi-day format, but as more nations are drawn into the sport’s gravity, and the populations in cricketing centres continue to explode, even the oldest format is probably changing as quickly as it ever has.If we are to be critical of the batter that has top-scored in this match so far, it is that he didn’t score enough runs down the ground. Yes, Nissanka has strong wrists and prefers the funkier anglings of the bat, even against the juiciest half volleys. But modern batting is also about accessing all 360 degrees of the ground. So sorry, we will be filing the wagon wheel of Nissanka’s biggest Test innings under “Areas for improvement”. When you are a three-format batter in the third decade of the three-format age, these are the breaks.Nissanka, helpfully, also thinks of his batting as having format-specific holes that need to be filled. “Until this match, I’d never hit a Test hundred in Sri Lanka,” Nissanka said after his 187. “I’d wanted to break my own mental barrier. Thankfully, today I was able to do that.”Another of Nissanka’s answers reveals a generational change. Asked how he and Dinesh Chandimal had planned to bat in what turned out to be the biggest partnership of the innings so far – a 157-run stand – Nissanka said they had planned to “just bat normally”. Chandimal was once one of the most aggressive Sri Lanka batters of his youth. But to him, batting normally meant hitting 54 off 119 balls. Nissanka also faced 119 balls in that partnership. But he crashed 103 runs.Pathum Nissanka brought up his fifty in 88 balls•Ishara S Kodikara/AFP via Getty ImagesScoring faster is actually a team directive, Nissanka revealed. “When we came into this series, we had a target that in this [World Test Championship] cycle, we’d raise our run rate. We tried that, and we have been successful so far. Hopefully, we can take that forward into other matches.” This, actually, is pretty standard stuff for a Test team in the mid 2020s.It took an exceptional second-new-ball delivery from Hasan Mahmud to dismiss Nissanka. It snaked in viciously, flicked the edge of his front pad, and crashed into the stumps. Nissanka missed out on a Test double century by 13 runs, and did express regret about it. But he didn’t seem that cut up. Don Bradman has 12 double-hundreds on his own, and Kumar Sangakkara has 11. Only ten batters ever have made ODI double tons. Nissanka is already part of the more elite club.If Nissanka’s goal is three-format domination, this innings, his biggest in Tests, is a good staging post. Sri Lanka’s hope is that for him, as for some hypermodern others, success in one format carries seamlessly into match-winning batting in another, and another. Sri Lanka don’t have any Tests to play in the next ten months after this series ends. But with huge T20 assignments coming up, they still desperately need Nissanka in roaring form.

MatériaMais Notícias

O maior propósito do Jogo das Estrelas, evento beneficente anual organizado por Júnior Coimbra e que tem o ídolo Zico como anfitrião, é viabilizar a maior parte de sua renda a projetos sociais e instituições de caridade. Com a presença do Galinho, a entrega oficial das doações da edição 2023 será realizada nesta quinta-feira (25/04), no Hotel Windsor Barra, Zona Oeste do Rio.

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– É claro que é um prazer enorme todo ano reunir amigos e craques do futebol no Jogo das Estrelas, uma grande festa que fazemos para a torcida, que sempre comparece em peso e eu só tenho a agradecer por tanto carinho. E é justamente todo esse apoio do público que nos leva a esse dia tão especial, quando conseguimos reverter grande parte da renda a várias instituições, objetivo do nosso evento – disse Zico, sempre realizado ao receber os projetos beneficiados.

Neste ano, serão 19 as instituições a receber o auxílio do Jogo das Estrelas. São elas: ABBR, Associação Semente da Vida da CDD, Capoeira IBCE, Casa Ronald RJ, CEEAK – Allan Kardec, Coletivo Vila Beira Mar, Desapego Solidário, É Por Amor, Fundação do Rim, Instituto Arteiros, Instituto Movimento e Vida, LIAP-Amor Puro, Maranathá Rio, Meninos de Luz, Origem Amorim, Projeto Avante e Repartir. O Instituto PHI foi beneficiado pelo Passaporte Solidário, um camarote especial no dia do jogo, e o NEAC-Projeto Equilíbrio receberá chuteiras por conta da parceria com o SporTV no projeto DOE GOLS.

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– Estamos extremamente felizes em ser agraciados com a doação desse projeto maravilhoso que é o Jogo das Estrelas, certamente o evento beneficente de maior público do Brasil, o que vai contribuir para os inúmeros projetos da Fundação do Rim. Somos uma instituição ativa há 20 anos, que atende crianças e jovens portadores de doenças renais em todo estado do Rio de Janeiro, aproximadamente 150 famílias assistidas – vibrou a médica Fátima Bandeira, vice-presidente da fundação.

– O Instituto Brasileiro de Capoeira-Educação se sente honrado com a premiação do Jogo das Estrelas, não somente pela visibilidade que o evento traz, mas principalmente pelo reconhecimento de um ídolo que ultrapassa gerações, o nosso eterno Galinho. A Capoeira está presente no futebol brasileiro, com toda sua ginga, e Zico é o maior representante de um futebol gingado – agradeceu Mestre Ferradura, presidente do IBCE.

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Ano marcante: Jogo das Estrelas chega a sua 20ª edição em 2024

O Jogo das Estrelas entrou em cena pela primeira vez em 2004, realizado no CFZ. E já chegou mostrando toda sua força, ao trazer o craque Diego Armando Maradona para a festa. De lá para cá, passou ainda por outros quatro diferentes palcos: Nilton Santos, Morumbi, Estádio Luso-Brasileiro e Maracanã, que se tornou a casa definitiva, onde Zico emplacou 334 gols na carreira. Assim, o ano de 2024 será marcante nessa trajetória.

– Todo nosso intuito, e por isso fazemos um evento tão bonito, é justamente poder ajudar tantas instituições, sempre tentando adicionar outras mais, na medida do possível. Até mesmo nos momentos de dificuldade conseguimos realizar o evento, com apoio dos patrocinadores, da imprensa e do público. E este ano de 2024 será ainda mais especial, por chegarmos à 20ª edição. Queremos fazer o maior Jogo das Estrelas da história – comentou Júnior Coimbra.

SERVIÇO:
Data: quinta-feira (25/04)
Horário: das 10h às 12h
Local: Hotel Windsor Barra
Endereço: Av. LúcioCosta,2.630

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