
Previous Salah contract was 'a hard piece of work'
Liverpool's former director of research Ian Graham says he was "surprised" at what he discovered when Mohamed Salah last negotiated a new deal at Anfield.Graham helped work on the three-year contract in 2022 that saw then 30-year-old Salah extend his stay with the club until this summer.The 32-year-old is now in the final months of that contract with a new deal as yet unsigned, having scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists in a remarkable 27 Premier League games so far this season."At that time, I thought I would not recommend for players of his age to sign a contract," Graham told a Financial Times Business of Football summit. "But, this was the strength of the data that forces you to take an objective viewpoint. It surprises you."I was surprised at looking at his calibre of player and how they could go into their 30s [still] performing at the same level. When those players drop off, it tends to be a drop in minutes rather than in quality."We decided to give him a contract in the summer of 2022 and that was a hard piece of work."I am delighted I am not responsible for that piece of work today!"

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BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
'He buzzes off playing for Celtic'
Former Celtic captain Scott Brown spoke to BBC Scotland about his former team-mate and pal Kieran Tierney returning to Glasgow: "He's an absolute die-hard Celtic fan."He just absolutely buzzes off playing for Celtic. "It was a hard decision for him to go, but I think it was the right decision. He waited until the end of the season, he left, and he knew he had a chance to go down to a huge, huge club."He went there, he played, and everyone loved him to start with. He went out on loan, played, and everyone loved him there."He was one of the quickest in the Premier League last year, over 10, 15 yards. He excites people, but it's a desire. Even in Scotland games, he breezes by players."When we were at Celtic and he came through, I thought, 'this guy's got something'. "You can see his willingness, his desire to go through. He broke his leg in a tackle to try and I loved that. I was like, he wants to tackle because it's missing for the young ones. They don't want a tackle, they want to just put a foot in and just feel. "The wee man has got absolute legs of steel and wants to go and fight. "He wants to go and fight for the cause and I think that's what Celtic fans love about him."


Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd agreement reached on £68m star as club receive three-word transfer plea
Eberechi Eze enjoyed his best game in an England shirt against Senegal off the back of a stellar FA Cup-winning campaign, which has caught the eye of more than one Manchester United icon Manchester United legends Dwight Yorke and Paul Scholes agree that the club must sign Eberechi Eze for £68million this summer. Eze, 26, has been outstanding since joining Crystal Palace in 2020 and enjoyed his best season to date in 2024/25. The playmaker scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists for Oliver Glasner 's side, including netting the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City to hand the Eagles their first-ever major trophy. That impressive form has seen the England international linked with rival Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur. And during England's 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday, where Eze played the full 90 minutes, United hero Scholes saw enough evidence to believe he would thrive at Old Trafford. Taking to Instagram during the game, Scholes posted a picture of Eze in an England shirt with a three-word transfer plea, telling United bosses to: 'Just buy him.' Eze reportedly has a £68m release clause in his Palace contract, which can be activated this summer. Speaking last month, Scholes' former Red Devils team-mate, Dwight Yorke, also urged United to make a move for the player. 'Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace would be perfect for Manchester United," Yorke said. 'Yeah, he scored at the weekend in the FA Cup final, but it's not just about that. A year ago, maybe more, I said this kid and Michael Olise – who went to Bayern – United should buy them for £100 million. 'Put £100m down and you will get two fantastic players. Instead, they listened to the figures in the hierarchy, which is understandable, but it's glaring just how good these two are. 'Eze has the decision-making, the talent, he's a good athlete, he can create and score. He's at the right age to step up and play on a bigger platform. It's a no-brainer.' Former QPR talent Eze was outstanding again for England this week despite a woeful overall team performance. He stood out in a central role, winning the ball back from Lamine Camara in the lead-up to England's opening goal. But he truly came alive after the hour mark, combining excellently with substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers by being at the heart of England's best period of the game. Despite excelling in a No. 10 role, Eze would likely play just behind the striker in Ruben Amorim's trademark 3-4-2-1 formation if United manage to sign him. Any such deal could also see him partner up with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and new signing Matheus Cunha to form an exciting new front three. United are, however, prioritising the signing of a new striker and appear to be settled on going for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo over the likes of other attack-minded midfielders like Eze after it was revealed that Fernandes would stay at the club this summer. Viktor Gyokeres is believed to be their number one target, though United have also been linked with Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko to a lesser extent.

Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Man City seal £46.3m signing of midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan
The Premier League club have confirmed the 26-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium. His arrival makes it four signings in a week for City, who announced deals for £30.5m midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli on Tuesday, while left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri joined from Wolves in a £31.3m move on Monday. Those transfers have been finalised in time for the players to be registered for the group stages of the Club World Cup this month. Reijnders arrives at City after impressing in an otherwise disappointing season at Milan, who finished eighth in Serie A and missed out on qualification for Europe. Welcome to City, Tijjani! 🩵 — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 11, 2025 He scored 15 goals in the 2024-25 campaign and will bolster Pep Guardiola's midfield options following this summer's departure of Kevin De Bruyne. The Dutchman said: 'I am ecstatic to be signing for Manchester City. City are one of the biggest teams in the world, with the best coach, world-class players and outstanding facilities. 'Under Pep Guardiola, City have won so many titles and I want to help keep that going with a lot more success in the coming years. It is also a dream come true to play in the Premier League. 'This league has seen many of the best Dutch players perform through the years and it's an inspiration to follow in their footsteps. 'I am really looking forward to getting going, meeting the other players and showing the Manchester City fans what I can do.' The deal is sealed ✍️🤩 — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 11, 2025 City's latest transfer activity continues an overhaul of the squad that began with the January signings of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. Further deals are also possible as the club respond to a disappointing season in which they failed to mount a strong Premier League title defence and exited the Champions League before the last 16. Director of football Hugo Viana added: 'We are very happy that Tijjani has joined us and we're excited for him to join Pep's squad. 'Tijjani adds extra energy, composure and creativity to our midfield, and working with Pep and our coaches will only see him go from strength to strength.' City will play their first match in the Club World Cup against Morocco's Wydad Casablanca on June 18 and have further group games against Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus.