Latest news with #MarkFlekken
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Brentford reject Bayer Leverkusen bid of around €9m for goalkeeper Mark Flekken
Brentford have rejected an offer of around €9million (£7.6m; $10.2m) from Bayer Leverkusen for their first-choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken but negotiations are ongoing over a potential deal. Brentford are open to selling the Netherlands international but value him at closer to €13m and want to secure a replacement first. The west London side are interested in signing Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool. Kelleher, 26, is valued at around £20m by Liverpool and has entered the final year of his contract. Advertisement Flekken, who turns 32 in a couple of weeks, joined Brentford from German side Freiburg in May 2023 for £11.2m and has kept 14 clean sheets in 74 league appearances. He made a few high-profile errors in his first year but his performances improved during the second season. Flekken only missed one game this season, a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in February due to injury, as he helped Brentford finish 10th. Flekken started his career in the academy of Dutch side Roda JC but has spent the bulk of his career in Germany with Freiburg, Duisburg, Greuther Furth and Alemannia Aachen. Leverkusen declined to comment when approached by The Athletic. Brentford never sell key players until they have lined up a replacement and the best example of this involved Flekken a couple of years ago. Towards the end of the 2022-23 season, David Raya rejected a couple of contract offers and made it clear in multiple interviews that he wanted to leave. Brentford completed the signing of Flekken, who replaced Raya, in May. Raya did not join Arsenal, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent a year later, until August 2023. Brentford broke their club-record to sign Igor Thiago from Club Brugge in February 2024 as a long-term replacement for Ivan Toney. Thiago officially joined that summer but Toney's move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli was not completed until the final day of the window. Flekken will be missed by Brentford but he is the oldest player in their starting XI by a couple of years. If they manage to sign Kelleher, they will be replacing him with someone who is much younger and can continue to develop. Kelleher represents the Republic of Ireland and could be tempted to link up with his international captain Nathan Collins. Brentford have a good relationship with Liverpool after they signed Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho from them last year. ()
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Brentford bid to win race for Liverpool goalkeeper as Flekken nears exit
Brentford bid to win race for Liverpool goalkeeper as Flekken nears exit Brentford are pushing to sign Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool as Mark Flekken nears an exit from West London. Flekken is in talks to join German side Bayer Leverkusen with negotiations ongoing over a deal worth in the region of €14m. Advertisement Brentford have identified Kelleher as their preferred replacement for the Dutch international. Kelleher is set to leave Liverpool this summer in search of a first-choice role, having spent recent seasons as understudy to Alisson Becker. Speaking after Liverpool's final-day clash with Crystal Palace, Kelleher told Optus Sport that he is exploring his options. 'I feel like I'm a number one and good enough to play week-in, week-out. And that's what I'm looking to do,' the goalkeeper said. 'This season, I was lucky enough to play a lot of games but it's definitely something I'm looking at.' He made 20 appearances in all competitions this season but the imminent arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to lead to his exit. Advertisement Brentford are determined to win a competitive race for the Irishman's signature, amid rival interest from West Ham and Leeds United. Liverpool are demanding a fee in excess of £20m for the goalkeeper. Kelleher could become the latest Liverpool player to swap Merseyside for Brentford. Last summer, the Bees signed Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool for an initial combined fee of £42.5m. Kelleher wants to secure a number one role to ensure his place as the Republic of Ireland's first-choice goalkeeper. Read – Chelsea still want Ekitike transfer despite Delap deal See more – How much prize money each Premier League team earned in 2024/25 Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Noussair Mazraoui and Dream Team's other stat leaders now 2024/25 season is complete
THE 2024/25 Dream Team season is officially done and dusted! Time to celebrate the players who topped the most important stats after 37 ultra competitive Gameweeks. 8 CLEAN SHEETS 21 - Virgil van Dijk 19 - David Raya 18 - Trent Alexander-Arnold 18 - Williams Saliba 17 - Marc Guehi 17 - Daniel Munoz 17 - Ibrahima Konate Fitting that Liverpool's talismanic captain tops this metric as he was a man mountain at the back all season. Clean sheets require a team effort but it's telling that Van Dijk registered the most among individuals as it speaks to his importance to the Reds - he is rarely afforded the luxury of a rest. Liverpool and Arsenal assets are to be expected here but it's a credit to Crystal Palace's defensive efforts that Guehi and Munoz make the cut given the Eagles finished 12th in the Premier League table. 8 SAVES 159 - Mark Flekken 155 - Emi Martinez 132 - Matz Sels 130 - Jordan Pickford 127 - Dean Henderson 127 - Andre Onana 126 - David Raya 126 - Aaron Ramsdale Brentford's goalkeeper was a very busy man this season. Given all these statistics take into account all competitions, it's rather alarming the Bees were so porous domestically but they made up for that with an incisive attack. Runner-up Martinez also finished second for total points among players in his position, with Raya claiming top spot. Sels was magnificent for Nottingham Forest, a key contributor to the club's transformation from relegation battlers to European qualifiers. TACKLES 177 - Noussair Mazraoui 152 - Daniel Munoz 141 - Idrissa Gana Gueye 129 - Moises Caicedo 128 - Joao Gomes 126 - Casemiro 125 - Bruno Fernandes Manchester United's campaign might have been even bleaker had their Moroccan defender not put out a huge number of fires. Mazraoui's unrivalled tackle count was a key reason he finished as the sixth-best performer in his position in terms of total points. In fact, three Red Devils make the top seven; evidence of the fact Ruben Amorim's side were forced to do a lot more defending than they would have liked. Munoz was a beast this season, in defence and attack. BIG CHANCES CREATED 33 - Mohamed Salah 28 - Cole Palmer 27 - Bruno Fernandes 27 - Bukayo Saka 25 - Declan Rice 23 - Morgan Rogers 21 - Kevin De Bruyne Not the last time Liverpool's Egyptian hero will top one of these stats. Salah has always scored shed-loads of goals but his immense creative output was a huge factor in him amassing 503 points by the time the fat lady belted out her final note. Palmer's form dropped off after Christmas but his performances throughout the first half of the campaign should not be forgotten. Chelsea's talisman leapfrogged Fernandes and Saka at the death with a clutch showing in the Conference League final. 8 SHOTS ON TARGET 86 - Erling Haaland 77 - Mohamed Salah 57 - Cole Palmer 55 - Alexander Isak 53 - Alejandro Garnacho 51 - Matheus Cunha 51 - Ollie Watkins Manchester City's No9 had to settle for just the 31 goals in all competitions this term. Despite his team's under-performance and a spell on the sidelines, Haaland remained a persistent threat - he will be desperate to reclaim the Golden Boot in 2025/26. Garnacho is a somewhat surprising inclusion and the fact he only managed to convert ten of his shots on target into goals suggests he could do with some shooting practice. Compare that to Isak, who scored 27 goals from 55 shots on target - a keeper's nightmare. 8 BONUS POINTS 52 - Ryan Gravenberch 51 - Pedro Porro 51 - Youri Tielemans 51 - Aaron Wan-Bissaka 50 - Bruno Fernandes 47 - Jeremy Doku 46 - Eberechi Eze A keenly-contested battle that went down to the wire was ultimately won by Liverpool's midfield engine. Gravenberch made more interceptions than any other player this season and his dirty work allowed the likes of Salah and Luis Diaz to flourish in the final third. Huge credit to Porro and Wan-Bissaka as the only defenders to mix it at the top of a metric dominated by midfielders. 8 ASSISTS 23 - Mohamed Salah 20 - Bruno Fernandes 17 - Bukayo Saka 16 - Morgan Rogers 15 - Jacob Murphy 15 - Ollie Watkins Strong correlation with big chances created here, as one would expect. An impressive return from Newcastle's long-serving winger, who has barely made a ripple in previous Dream Team seasons. Murphy ended up playing a greater role in the Magpies' successful campaign than Anthony Gordon - who would have predicted that before Gameweek 1? 8 GOALS 34 - Mohamed Salah 31 - Erling Haaland 27 - Alexander Isak 20 - Chris Wood 20 - Bryan Mbeumo 19 - Bruno Fernandes 19 - Yoane Wissa There are many ways to skin a cat in Dream Team but goals remain the primary currency. Salah slowed down in the last two months but 34 goals (plus 23 assists) is a phenomenal return. The 32-year-old became the first player in Premier League history to win the Golden Boot, Playmaker Award and Player of the Season. Lashings of credit for Wood who hit 20 league goals having scored 22 across his previous three top flight campaigns - a huge improvement that helped propel Forest to dizzy heights. Lastly, deserved praise for Brentford's attacking duo who combined for 39 league goals. What could Mbeumo and/or Wissa achieve with additional European fixtures to fill out their schedule?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bayer Leverkusen reach agreement with Brentford's Mark Flekken
As Bayer Leverkusen look to strengthen their squad ahead of challenging Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title next season, the club have reached a verbal agreement with Brentford's Mark Flekken on a contract until 2028. Florian Plettenberg reports that Flekken has 'already given the green light' for the move and now all that remains is for Bayer Leverkusen to find an agreement with the Premier League side, with a fee between €10m and €14m being discussed. Advertisement As to how soon Leverkusen can announce the signing of Flekken depends on when Brentford sign and identify a replacement. The Dutchman played all but one league game for the club last season, keeping eight clean sheets in 37 games. As reported by Plettenberg, Flekken is ready to take the next step in his career, and the 31-year-old was identified as one of three goalkeepers by Bayer Leverkusen's recruitment team. The former Freiburg goalkeeper comes with a wealth of experience having played 80 games in the Bundesliga, as well as seven games in the Europa League. He would be seen as an upgrade to Lukas Hradecky (35, Contract until 2026) and Matej Kovar (25, Contract until 2027), both of whom shared the No. 1 shirt last season. GGFN | Daniel Pinder
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Liverpool want more than £20m for Caoimhin Kelleher with Brentford among interested clubs
Liverpool value goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher at above £20million ($26.9m) this summer with Brentford among several Premier League clubs interested in his availability. Kelleher, 26, is entering the final year of his contract at Anfield and has made 67 appearances for Liverpool, including nine clean sheets in 20 games in 2024-25. Advertisement Brentford's interest in Kelleher is fuelled by the possibility of Mark Flekken moving on this summer; the Dutch goalkeeper has been Brentford's No 1 since David Raya's 2023 move to Arsenal and has missed just two Premier League games across two seasons. Kelleher has primarily been utilised as a back-up goalkeeper to first-choice goalkeeper Alisson but has played a significant role in his side's cup matches, starting in both Liverpool's Carabao Cup victories at Wembley in 2022 and 2024. The Republic of Ireland international has played when Alisson has been injured this campaign; firstly when the Brazil international suffered a hamstring injury in October and also for the concussion sustained while on international duty in March. Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join Liverpool's squad this summer after his £29m move was confirmed last year. Kelleher has made it clear he wants to pursue a new challenge. Speaking after Sunday's trophy lift, he told Optus Sport: 'I think I've said it before as well that like, I feel like I'm a number one and I feel like I'm good enough to play week in, week out. That's what I'm looking to do. 'Obviously, this season I was lucky enough to play a lot of games … but yeah, it's definitely something I'm looking at.' On Wednesday, Kelleher — alongside Robbie Brady of Preston North End and Brentford centre-back Nathan Collins — was shortlisted for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) senior men's international player of the year. James Pearce It's been clear for some time that Caoimhin Kelleher's Liverpool career would be coming to an end this summer. At the age of 26, he's desperate to step out of Alisson's shadow and become a No 1 in his own right. He had hoped to move on a year ago but with no suitable offers forthcoming, he stayed put and knuckled down. Advertisement Liverpool don't want to lose the best back-up goalkeeper in the Premier League. Kelleher made a significant contribution to their title triumph this season as he played in 10 league matches due to Alisson's injury issues. However, with just one year left on his contract, a move makes sense for all parties. The Premier League champions should get a decent fee for him and Kelleher should get the regular football he craves. Liverpool have long since been preparing for this eventuality. Mamardashvili will arrive from Valencia to compete with Alisson after that deal was struck last summer. Additional reporting: Jay Harris (Top image: Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)
