Latest news with #Reds'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool-bound Hugo Ekitike knows how star loved by Jurgen Klopp feels about him
Hugo Ekitike is expected to finalise his move to Liverpool in the coming days, with the French striker arriving in the UK for his medical earlier this week Hugo Ekitike has already shared the pitch with some legendary figures, and the striker is now poised to add another chapter to his journey with a move to Liverpool. The 23-year-old is set to become the Reds' newest blockbuster arrival, with a £79million transfer agreed with Eintracht Frankfurt. Ekitike, who underwent a medical on Tuesday, will be the club's third major signing from the Bundesliga this summer, following in the footsteps of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, both of whom arrived from Bayer Leverkusen. The deal for Ekitike comes after a frantic few days at Anfield, which began with the club going after Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. But when the Magpies insisted the striker wasn't for sale at any price, Liverpool pivoted to Ekitike and moved swiftly to agree a deal. Now, the French forward is set to form a central part of Arne Slot's new-look attack, alongside Mo Salah, Wirtz and flying full-backs Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, with Liverpool going all out in the transfer market in a bid to successfully defend their Premier League title. Once the move is finalised, the Reds will have secured one of the most highly-rated young forwards in the game. Ekitike netted 22 times and provided 12 assists - stats that have made him a target for several elite sides. He has already brushed shoulders with icons such as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, and also shared a dressing room with World Cup final goalscorer Mario Gotze during his stint at Frankfurt. Gotze had glowing things to say about the striker - words that will be music to the ears of Liverpool fans. "I think Hugo Ekitike has an ability that few players have with his dribbling, his finishing, and his speed," Gotze told beIN Sports last year. "Of course, he can help us [Frankfurt] a lot. "We saw it last year: we simply need everyone to be at 100 per cent. This applies to everyone who has played, to the new ones, to those who have been here a little longer. And he is undoubtedly an added value for the team.' Gotze's praise carries even more weight at Anfield because of his history with Jurgen Klopp. The midfielder was a central figure in Dortmund's success under Klopp and even came close to joining him at Liverpool in 2016 - a move he later admitted he should have made. "I went to his house in Liverpool, where we sat down together in the living room with our wives," Gotze told The Player's Tribune. "What makes Jurgen special is that he sees Mario the person. We did not talk much about football. He wasn't saying, 'How can I convince you? What do you want?' "He asked me about life in general, and I think he said something like, 'Look, Mario, you'll play a lot, and you'll have fun here. I know that's the most important thing for you. The club is amazing. Have a think about it.' I really wanted to play for him again." While Ekitike won't experience playing under Klopp, his arrival could be a key part of Slot's evolving team as Liverpool prepare to defend their Premier League crown and push for more glory next season.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Reds' latest on Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Carson Spiers
WASHINGTON – A few updates and observations on the Cincinnati Reds pitching depth as we stare intently at team president Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador for any signal they might be about to land the left-hander they need for the bullpen: More: Why Cincinnati Reds (and Mets) believe they can end the drought of the century Look: Cincinnati Reds unveil NASCAR-inspired uniforms for Speedway Classic Hunter Greene Greene, the Reds' Opening Day starter has pitched just three times since a Grade 1 groin strain first sidelined him May 7, but he could be back on track for a return to the mound in two or three weeks, barring another setback. Greene was to start a minor-league rehab assignment July 23 with a two-inning start for the Reds' Arizona Complex League rookie club, then travel to Omaha to join Triple-A Louisville for at least a couple more rehab starts. Manager Terry Francona had no projected timeline or prescribed number of rehab starts to offer as the team opened a three-game series in Washington this week. 'We just want him to be OK,' he said. Two starts for Louisville could mean a return sometime during the Aug. 7-10 road series against the Pirates, barring setback, for Greene (4-3, 2.72 ERA,, 11 starts). Rhett Lowder The talented young right-hander, who dazzled during a six-start debut last season (1.17 ERA), was finally cleared to start playing catch this week after being shut down almost two months since suffering a severe oblique strain while on a rehab assignment following a forearm strain. It's a long shot that Lowder is able to return and help the Reds down the stretch, but the team isn't ruling it out. 'It's one of the things we don't want to do,' Francona said. 'Even if he doesn't pitch for us, we want him to prepare, because, one, maybe he pitches for us, but, two, if he (doesn't and) goes home, he can have a semi-normal winter.' Carson Spiers The right-hander who opened the season in the rotation as the club waited out the slow-played buildup of Andrew Abbott underwent an MRI on Monday for the biceps soreness that prompted his rehab assignment to be paused over the weekend. Results were not immediately available. Spiers, a valuable swingman over the past year, has been on the IL since April 20 because of a shoulder impingement. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Carson Spiers: Injury updates on pitchers
Leader Live
5 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Wrexham: Liberato Cacace signs from Italian side Empoli
New Wrexham signing Liberato Cacace (Image: Wrexham AFC) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. LIBERATO CACACE has joined Wrexham from Serie B outfit Empoli for an undisclosed fee. The left-back, who has been capped 33 times for New Zealand, has signed a contract keeping him at The Racecourse until the end of the 2027-2028 season. He becomes the Reds' third new signing ahead of the new Championship campaign, joining goalkeeper Danny Ward and striker Ryan Hardie at the north Wales club who will compete in the second tier for the first time in 43 years in 2025-26. Cacace has spent the last three-and-a-half years with Empoli having joined initially on loan from Belgium side Sint-Truiden in January 2022 before making the move permanent that summer. He was a key player in 2024-25, scoring twice in 33 games in Serie A, but he was unable to help keep Empoli in Italy's top flight and he has decided to move on following their relegation. The 24-year-old made 76 appearances across three seasons in Serie A, where he was nominated for the Best Men's FIFA 11 Award. His nomination came after lifting the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup for the Ferns as Captain, which saw him named the most valuable player at the tournament. Cacace began his career at home-town club Wellington Phoenix who, ironically, Wrexham face tomorrow at Sky Stadium in the final game of the pre-season tour Down Under, before making the move to Europe to join Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2020. The full-back, who won't be involved in the friendly against his former club, told the club: 'I'm absolutely delighted to sign for this historic Club, and I just can't wait to get started. 'Looking from the outside, what they are creating here is something I want to be part of. The family they have here – it's a tight-knit Club and that enticed me. 'I had a great phone call with the manager, and after that I really wanted to sign.' Reds' boss Phil Parkinson added: 'We are delighted to welcome Libby to Wrexham and look forward to integrating him with the squad on our return home."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool Urged to Sign ‘Lightning' Forward in £85m Deal
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike Pursuit: Dave Hendrick's Take from Anfield Index Liverpool, the newly crowned Premier League champions under Arne Slot, are moving decisively in the transfer market. On the Anfield Index Daily Red podcast, Dave Hendrick broke down the Reds' interest in Hugo Ekitike, offering a candid assessment of the young striker's potential and the broader implications for the team. Backing Edwards and the Recruitment Team Hendrick was clear from the start: 'If Michael Edwards has decided that Ekitike is worth going for, then you have to back it.' He reminded listeners that Liverpool have a history of success with so-called 'number two options,' citing Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mané and Mo Salah as prime examples. Hendrick noted, 'Mo, he didn't want Mo originally, he wanted Julian Brandt. Sadio, he wanted Mario Götze. He had to be convinced on those players by the recruitment staff.' This trust in the backroom team is key, especially as Liverpool move for a player who Hendrick admits has weaknesses: 'His finishing is inconsistent to be kind, and he does struggle against physicality.' Yet, Hendrick believes those issues will improve, adding, 'He's young, he's going to bulk up. Get him in the door, get him on the steaks, get him in the gym with Mo.' Ekitike's Fit and the Role of Rodrygo Hendrick sees Ekitike stepping into a team filled with firepower: 'He's walking into a team that's going to have Mo Salah on the right, Florian Wirtz in the team, and potentially Rodrygo on the left.' He emphasised the importance of this environment, calling it 'potentially the best possible situation,' and praised Rodrygo's versatility and spark: 'Rodrygo is… lightning… an alternative number nine… he is a spark plug.' Photo: IMAGO There's excitement about how these pieces fit together. Hendrick declared, 'If we get him in, get him playing regularly on the left, he will be outrageous.' He was also clear on expectations, warning against pressure: 'We cannot put that level of pressure on him because he's a young lad who'll be coming to a new country with a lot of expectation and a big price tag already weighing over him.' Learning from the Past and Breaking the Voodoo A recurring theme was Hendrick's concern over the so-called Eintracht Frankfurt 'voodoo,' referencing past strikers who failed after leaving the German club: 'Luka Jović… Sébastien Haller… Randal Kolo Muani… players doing really really well with Eintracht and then not doing well elsewhere.' Still, Hendrick acknowledged Ekitike might break the streak, noting his resilience: 'Even when he was at PSG and it was going disastrously bad… there wasn't a peep out of him.' Photo: IMAGO Hendrick praised Ekitike's work ethic and mindset, highlighting that the striker 'works like a demon on improving his game' and has 'a great personality' with no history of causing issues. Patience and High Expectations Hendrick called for patience: 'It's going to take patience, but like I say, he is walking in to potentially the best possible situation with Salah. Salah and Wirtz alone make it an incredible situation.' Reflecting on the highs and lows of player adaptation, he pointed out, 'Isak's first year wasn't all plain sailing… Darwin scored more than him in the first year.' Ultimately, Hendrick offered a bold assessment: 'I don't think there's a world in which he's just decent for us. I think he's either a disappointment or he's incredible.' Given Michael Edwards' track record, Hendrick is optimistic: 'Michael Edwards doesn't miss. He just doesn't miss.'
Leader Live
6 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Wrexham boss delivers injury update on group of players
The Reds' boss has been particularly short of attacking options during the pre-season tour Down Under. Mo Faal has been out with a thigh problem since April while Sam Smith hasn't featured in Wrexham's two games in Australia - a 3-0 victory over Melbourne Victory which was following by Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to Sydney FC. Jay Rodriguez missed the first match but returned for the clash with Sydney and will continue to be assessed while summer signing Ryan Hardie scored his first goal for the club against Melbourne but was forced off after taking a blow to the head and wasn't risked in the second fixture. Wrexham are now in New Zealand for the final game of the tour against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday at Sky Stadium and although none of those strikers are carrying serious injuries, Parkinson is mindful of the fact they need to starting getting minutes under their belt ahead of the new Championship campaign which kicks-off with a trip to Southampton on Saturday August 9. "We've got a few injury concerns, nothing major," said the Reds' boss on the club's YouTube channel. "Jay hadn't played, previously he'd had a problem with his foot and he was still feeling it so we need to assess that quickly. "Hopefully we get Ryan and Mo close to being selected for the weekend because those two need some minutes, and Sam's still a bit behind that. "We will just see how everybody is, we'll get to the hotel (in Wellington) and have a look at everyone when we arrive." But Parkinson is keeping his fingers crossed that Ollie Rathbone hasn't sustained a series injury. The midfielder, who scooped the Player of the Season award in 2024-25 after helping Wrexham secure an historic third successive promotion in his first campaign at The Racecourse, hobbled off with an ankle problem during the loss to Sydney. He went down after winning his side a corner towards the end of the first half and was taken to hospital for an x-ray, "Ollie's had to go to hospital for an x-ray so we are just obviously really hoping," added Parkinson. "It is a very quiet dressing room in there because we are concerned about Ollie. "It didn't look that bad an incident when it happened but it swelled up instantly in the dressing room and Kev (Mulholland) has gone with him to hospital and we have just got to keep our fingers crossed."
