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Former India offspinner signs for the upcoming season, but will only play the last three games plus finals of the upcoming season due to the ILT20

Alex Malcolm25-Sep-2025

R Ashwin has signed with Sydney Thunder for the upcoming BBL season in a landmark move that will make him the first capped India player to play in the competition.The WBBL has had a raft of India women take part, but BCCI rules have precluded India men from participating in global leagues. Former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand and former India domestic player Nikhil Chaudhary have both played in the BBL in recent years, but Chand is a USA national, while Chaudhary now qualifies as a local in Australia and made his List A debut for Tasmania this month.Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL earlier this year has made it possible for him to play in overseas leagues. He has already signed up for next week’s ILT20 auction as the player with the highest base price. His commitment to the ILT20, which will be played between December 2 and January 4, means he will be unavailable for the first three weeks of the BBL given the tournament starts on December 14. The home-and-away part of the season runs until January 18. The finals will be held between January 20 and 25.Related

R Ashwin to play entire season of BBL with Sydney Thunder

Ashwin enters ILT20 auction with the highest base price

CA exploring BBL investment to be second behind IPL

Ashwin brings curtain down on 'my time as an IPL cricketer'

Afridi, Rizwan, Rauf among top picks at BBL overseas drafts

But that did not deter the BBL and four of its clubs from talking to Ashwin about coming to Australia. He initially held talks with Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg and then had discussions with League executives before Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers all made pitches for him to join them.Ashwin eventually landed with Thunder, with former Australia Test bowler Trent Copeland overseeing the deal as the franchise’s general manager. Thunder are coached by former England World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss and are captained by David Warner. The pair led them to the final last year where they lost to Hurricanes.”Thunder were crystal clear about how they’d use me and brave enough to back it,” Ashwin said. “My conversations with the leadership were excellent, and we’re fully aligned on my role. I love how Dave Warner plays the game, and it’s always better when your leader shares your mindset.”Australia Test opener Sam Konstas is also a Thunder player, while Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is affiliated with Thunder despite not being on contract with them. Cummins hasn’t played for Thunder since 2019 because of his Test commitments but has been a Thunder ambassador in recent years, having grown up in western Sydney.Thunder’s last four matches of the season are on January 6, 10, 12, and 16. Ashwin will likely only be available for three of them although that could change if the team that selects him in the UAE exits early from the ILT20.It sets up a mouth-watering Sydney derby with Sydney Sixers with Ashwin and Warner possibly set to face off against Steven Smith and Babar Azam who will both be playing for Sixers.R Ashwin and David Warner will be on the same BBL team•Getty Images

Ashwin’s signing at Thunder is intriguing from a list management perspective. BBL clubs can only play three overseas players in their XIs. Each of the clubs had already locked in three players via the pre-signing rules and the June overseas draft. Clubs can sign an additional four overseas replacement players, meaning they can have up to seven on their list, but only three can play at any one time. Thunder already have Sam Billings, Lockie Ferguson and Shadab Khan on their list. On top of that, they have three local spinners in Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha and Tom Andrews. Thunder’s home ground, Engie Stadium, is the most spin-friendly venue in the BBL.”From the first time we spoke, Ashwin impressed everyone at the Thunder with his passion, desire to win and understanding of what makes our club special,” Copeland said. “He will bring an injection of fresh energy and world-class bowling mid-tournament, while his presence as a leader and mentor will be invaluable for our young players.”The league rules state that replacement overseas players have to nominate themselves for the draft, which Ashwin did not as he had not retired from IPL cricket at the time. But there is an exemption for overseas players to be allowed to play in the BBL if their circumstances have changed. Former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill was previously signed by Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 after retiring from international cricket despite missing the inaugural BBL overseas draft. England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was allowed to play for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL after being cleared by the ECB, having initially been ruled out of nominating for the draft due to injury.Ashwin is the 17th player signed by Thunder with league rules limiting clubs to 18 players per squad. The top overseas salary band in the BBL is AUD$420,000 and Thunder have signed Ferguson on that salary band. Ashwin is likely to receive a high per-game salary that will still fit inside Thunder’s salary cap. Thunder are able to go over the cap by AUD$150,000 this year if they offset that over the next two. Ashwin has also signed an additional marketing agreement with Cricket Australia that will not count towards the salary cap.

A motorcycle accident prevented his IPL dream from taking flight, but he is working harder than ever to make it happen now

Rajan Raj12-Nov-2024The first Adivasi [tribal] player to play in the IPL – you must have read the headlines just under a year ago.It was all about to happen for Robin Minz after Gujarat Titans (GT) shelled out INR 3.6 crore for the wicketkeeper-batter till a motorcycle accident just before the start of the IPL 2024 season took him away from cricket. He is back now, putting the pieces back together, 22 years old but already having to make up for lost time.”When I had the accident, the first thing that came to my mind was… how will I play cricket now, what will happen to the IPL,” Minz told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy game against Chandigarh in Jamshedpur a few days ago, his comeback game.Related

• Meet Robin Minz, the quiet boy who lets his bat do the talking

“IPL was the first step, through which I had to move forward. But everything seemed to end. But after the accident, my family and coaches [Asif Haque and SP Gautam], my friends, and [GT coach Ashish] Nehra sir helped me a lot. Nehra sir called me several times and kept assuring me that I would be back.”During the IPL, I got a call from Titans that I have to stay with the team and do rehab with their physio [Rohit Salavkar]. I went there. Whenever there was a home match, I used to go. Rohit sir and the entire team helped me a lot. Even though I was not playing IPL, I enjoyed being with the team.”GT did what they could, but the opportunity of IPL was gone, and it wasn’t easy to deal with. It wasn’t easy for his family either. Once upon a time, they had to think many times, count their savings, before buying Minz a new cricket bat. That was about to change, but it didn’t.

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Sometime between the accident and Minz travelling to Ahmedabad to be with his GT team-mates, he turned up at Ranchi’s Sonnet Club, where he trained under Haque and Gautam.”One day I was in my academy, I saw that Robin had come. I was shocked – he was supposed to rest,” Haque said. “I asked him what he was doing. His reply was, ‘I know that I will not be able to play right now but let me sit here, I want to spend some time here’.”Perhaps the first steps towards the inevitable comeback.

“What will I do thinking about what has happened and what will happen; whatever has to happen will happen. But I will play good cricket. I have to score more runs, and I have to hit more sixes and fours”Robin Minz

“It is normal to be scared and nervous about an incident like this, but we knew that his condition was not very serious,” Minz’s father, Francis Xavier, said. “I knew this was a big shock for Robin. You may call it a lesson or something else. We do not think so much about money, but the bigger concern was that the cricket ground had been taken away from him. Playing the game was more important than the money.”Ever since he started playing, I have never seen him step away from cricket. We thought we would see him playing in the IPL, but that didn’t happen.”Minz is back playing cricket, but has been released by GT, and while he is in the IPL 2025 mega auction longlist – with a base price of INR 30 lakh – franchises are likely to be cautious even if he had come with a big reputation before the last auction.”Cricket is his life, but it is not as if his life will end if he doesn’t get a chance in the IPL,” Xavier said. “Our entire family has taught him to fight difficult situations. He will work hard again, play well again, and try again next time. Whatever happens after that will happen.”

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Minz’s cricketing journey started at Sonnet Club. It was there that he got the nickname ‘Chris Gayle of Jharkhand’. Minz spent a lot of time at the club while recovering from his injuries – the big ones were to his shoulders and legs. As he got better, his work on the field doubled, and then tripled.”Robin was very disappointed with himself, he blamed himself for what had happened,” Haque said. “But we spoke to him, and he channeled his disappointment into the desire to make a comeback, be even better.”Anyone who saw him training, he was at a new level. I have worked with him for the last eight-nine years, but I had not seen this. He was adamant that he had to make a strong comeback on the cricket field.”Robin Minz has lost a year of his career, and now has to find a way to make up for lost time•Francis Xavier MinzThen came the Col. CK Nayudu trophy, and Minz was in the Jharkhand XI for their first game, the only one he played. He scored 77 runs in 80 balls against Haryana from No. 4, his innings included ten fours and three sixes. And then, with Ishan Kishan away in Australia with the India A side, Minz’s first-class debut happened. That hasn’t been too dramatic. So far, he has scores of 12 and 16 against Chandigarh and 8 and 39 against Saurashtra. That 39, though, came in a match-saving 84-run stand with Anukul Roy for the sixth wicket.”A lot has changed in the last one year,” he said. “I never thought that so many people would know me and worry about me. After the accident, I don’t know how many messages came, everyone was trying to console me. I was a little sad, but now I know that I will come back.”Questions about the IPL auction were to be expected – even fans who stopped him to take selfies during the Chandigarh game asked him about it.”I am not thinking anything,” he said. “I just want to play cricket – this is my life. What will I do thinking about what has happened and what will happen; whatever has to happen will happen. But I will play good cricket. I have to score more runs, and I have to hit more sixes and fours.”I am back… Minz is back.”

Real Madrid were humbled by bottom-of-the-table Celta Vigo, finished the match with nine men and failed to close the four point gap on league leaders Barcelona following a shock 2-0 defeat at the Bernabeu. Xabi Alonso’s side went behind midway through the second half courtesy of a stunning finish from Williot Swedberg, Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were both shown red cards before Swedberg scored another in time added on to a chorus of boos as the match ended in chaotic scenes.

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior all delivered diabolical performances on a night when they were needed at their best in a defeat which could have huge ramifications in the title race. The Bernabeu was stunned into silence after Real went behind to a stunning finish from 21-year-old Sweden international Swedberg. Real’s defence was caught napping as Swedberg dropped off inside the box and found a yard of space to fire home with an audacious flick of his right boot which found the bottom corner of the net. 

And there was worse to come for Los Blancos as Fran Garcia was sent off following two yellow cards in the space of a couple of second-half minutes for two impetuous fouls. Real were rocked and the crowd responded, reminding their players what was at stake and the need for three points to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona. 

But the embarrassment was completed in the closing stages when Alvaro Carreras was handed his marching orders after receiving two yellow cards and in a final act, Swedberg walked the ball around the shocked Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to seal the victory and end an awful night for Alonso's side. 

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Bernabeu…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

  Started off as a relatively quiet evening for him, and could do nothing about the two goals. Will be sorely disappointed about his defence. 

  Raul Asencio (4/10):

  Was left red-faced after a slip early in the first-half opened the door for Celta to attack, would have been relieved the visitors failed to capitalise. 

  Eder Militao (6/10):

  Lasted just 20 minutes after pulling up with what looked like a nasty hamstring injury, replaced by Rudiger. Really bad news for Alonso as Militao has been in excellent form for Los Blancos. 

  Alvaro Carreras (2/10):

  Shambles of an evening. Two quick-fire yellow cards for playground-level incidents and was shown a straight red card. 

  Fran Garcia (3/10):

  Ridiculous behaviour in two mad minutes in the second-half, picking up two yellow cards for wholly unnecessary challenges to leave his team down to ten men. Referee had no option on either and was right to show the red card. 

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  Midfield

  Aurelien Tchouameni (4/10):

  Endured a poor evening, which was summed up by his effort from 20 yards out which sailed miles over the bar to a chorus of boos from the home crowd. 

  Arda Guler (5/10):

  Squandered a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring in the 40th minute, but fired wide from just a few yards out.

  Federico Valverde (5/10):

  Was a busy running all evening, but like his team-mates, failed to create a moment of quality worth mentioning. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Jude Bellingham (3/10):

  Took a hefty whack to his right eye in the second-half, which left blood pouring from a small cut. In truth it was a terrible night for Bellingham who failed to create anything in front of goal after an early headed chance was saved. 

  Kylian Mbappe (3/10):

  Thought his moment had come in the 74th minute but his delightful control and chip over the on-rushing goalkeeper landed just over the cross bar on the roof of the net. Below par in every department on a woeful night for the France superstar. 

  Vinicius Junior (3/10):

  Made all the recent talk of big money moves seem a little premature after putting in a performance that was high in effort, but low in quality. Now hasn't scored in 11 games for Real. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Antonio Rudiger (5/10):

  Brought on in the 24th minute, replacing the injured Militao. Had plenty of covering to do as Real Madrid pushed up searching for an equaliser and did well to out-muscle Swedberg in the final moments. 

  Gonzalo Garcia (4/10):

  Replaced Guler in the 75th minute, plenty of running but not enough time on the pitch to influence the match

  Xabi Alonso (3/10):

  Thoroughly frustrating evening for the boss who deployed his star players and watched them all flop against the league's bottom side. His evening summed up by being shown a yellow card after complaining too vociferously to the referee. Has plenty to ponder after a terrible night for his team's title hopes. 

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is facing a potentially defining week in his career at the club ahead of Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Liverpool at Elland Road.

The Guardian reported on Monday that Farke’s job may be on the line in these next two matches, because senior figures at the club believe that two losses could lead to his dismissal.

It added that his position in West Yorkshire could be ‘untenable’ if he does not pick up at least one point, as the report states that his job hangs ‘in the balance’.

The Guardian, though, also revealed that some sources have expressed sympathy for the German manager because the results have not been as positive as the performances have been.

Leeds exploring move for English head coach

Whilst a final decision has not been made on the former Norwich City head coach’s future at the club, a fresh report has named one of the managers already in the frame to take his place.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, Leeds United are exploring the possibility of a move to appoint former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil as Farke’s replacement at Elland Road.

The report claims that the English tactician is ‘firmly’ in the running to be the next Whites manager if they decide to part ways with the German this week.

It adds that Farke will be in the dugout for the clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night, as the earlier report from The Guardian backs up, but his future beyond these next two games remains in doubt.

However, the 49ers should change their mind and avoid a deal to appoint O’Neil as their next manager if they opt to move on from Farke, because he could be a Javi Gracia repeat for the club.

Why Gary O'Neil could be a Javi Gracia repeat for Leeds

The Whites appointed Gracia to replace Jesse Marsch in February 2022 in an attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League, and it seemed to be a shrewd move on paper.

Prior to joining Leeds, the Spaniard had finished 14th and 11th in the Premier League with Watford in his first two seasons with the Hornets, per Transfermarkt, before losing his job after three defeats in four games at the start of his third campaign.

He, therefore, arrived as a ‘proven’ Premier League manager, but that did not stop him from losing six of his 11 games in charge before being sacked by the Whites, who then brought in Sam Allardyce.

O’Neil would arrive at Elland Road with a similar reputation because he finished 15th and 14th with Bournemouth and Wolves in his first two seasons in the division, before being sacked after a run of 11 losses in 16 games in his third top-flight campaign, per Transfermarkt.

The English boss, who typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, per Transfermarkt, lost his job with the Old Gold for a run of form that was even worse than Farke’s current performance at Leeds.

As you can see in the table above, Farke would still have a better record than O’Neil did last season if he loses these next two games against Chelsea and Liverpool.

These statistics suggest that there is no guarantee that the ex-Wolves manager would be an upgrade on the German in the dugout, as Gracia wasn’t, despite his Premier League experience, when they sacked Marsch in 2022.

With this in mind, the 49ers should avoid moving for the out-of-work head coach if they decide to sack Farke, because it could be a repeat of the mistake that former sporting director Victor Orta once made with Gracia.

Instead, they should look to appoint a manager who is a clear upgrade on the German boss, whether they have Premier League experience or not, to help them in their battle against relegation.

Leeds lining up January spending spree for "phenomenal" Farke replacement

Daniel Farke will reportedly be sacked if Leeds lose their next two matches.

By
Ben Goodwin

Dec 1, 2025

Of course, it would be remiss of us to ignore the possibility that Farke can turn things around in these next two games to save his job, which would alleviate any need for the board to step in and make a decision on a replacement for him in the coming weeks.

Eight matches into his Rangers tenure, is Danny Röhl any closer to figuring out which players he can trust and who he cannot?

On Thursday night, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick in first half stoppage time; the fact that only 38,014 spectators were in attendance encapsulates the mood.

So, with just one point on the board after five games, a frankly pitiful effort, unless they somehow manage to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and then Porto, which seems unlikely if we’re being honest, the Gers’ Europa League adventure will be coming to a premature end in January, having got all the way to last season’s quarter-finals.

This will allow them to concentrate on domestic matters, which may be a good thing, given that they’ve slipped down to fifth in the Premiership table, despite having won all four league matches since Röhl’s arrival in Glasgow.

So, ahead of a visit from Falkirk, who would actually leapfrog their hosts with a shock victory at Ibrox on Sunday, what changes should the German head coach make?

Youssef Chermiti's uninspiring form

Back on Monday, it was announced that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, after overseeing a chaotic summer of recruitment, with the £8m, potentially rising to £10m, paid to sign Youssef Chermiti among the more egregious and baffling of their decisions.

So far, he has scored just one goal for the club, on target against Kilmarnock last month, already surpassing his tally of zero goals during two seasons at Everton, also brought to Merseyside by Thelwell for £14m when he was working at Goodison.

Aside from his lack of goals, the striker simply isn’t offering enough, often allowing matches to pass him by and putting in anonymous performances.

Following this week’s draw with Braga, Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman asserted that he is driving supporters ‘demented’, adding that he ‘spurned a couple of presentable’ opportunities and is so far proving to be a mere baffling expensive purchase.

So, ahead of a sequence of three Premiership matches in seven days, facing Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock, Chermiti should be stood down and Röhl must instead deploy the “best player in the league” up front.

Rangers' superior Chermiti alternative

Of the 13 players Rangers signed in the summer, many are young and inexperienced, hoping to grow and improve in the coming years, but Bojan Miovski was supposed to be a ready-made starter, brought in to produce right away.

The 26-year-old, returning to Scottish football after a season at Girona, is a proven goalscorer at both club and international level, bagging his ninth goal for North Macedonia against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this month.

Meantime, at club level, prior to his season in Catalonia, he had been outstanding during two years at Aberdeen, as the table below documents.

Appearances

98

Goals

44

European goals

4

Goals vs Rangers

4

Goals vs Celtic

3

Shots on target per 90

1.1

Big chances missed

31

Average rating

6.9

As the table makes clear, Miovski was an elite-level finisher during his time at Pittodrie, scoring 32 Premiership goals, while his strike rate in Europe as well as against the two Glasgow giants underlines his quality.

Then-teammate Nicky Devlin asserted that Miovski was “the best player in the league in his position”, firing the Dons to a third place finish in 2022/23, before being sold for £6.8m, the Dons’ record outgoing transfer.

However, we are yet to see very much of that from Miovski in a Rangers jersey, scoring his first goal for the club against Hibs in the League Cup, while his only Premiership goal came at Falkirk Stadium in October, the day Russell Martin was sacked.

Since the appointment of Röhl, the North Macedonian has featured in all eight matches but has started just once, this coming at Dens Park before the international break, substituted at half time with the Light Blues leading Dundee 2-0.

So, for whatever reason, the German head coach appears to favour Chermiti and Danilo, despite the fact that Miovski is a proven goalscorer at both Premiership and European level, something this team desperately needs given that, 26 matches into this campaign, Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama are the only squad members who have four or more goals to their name.

Thus, when Falkirk visit Ibrox this weekend, surely Röhl has to bring Miovski back into his XI, ditching the ineffective Chermiti, with the former looking to net as he did against the Bairns once again, just as he did in Stirlingshire just last month.

Not just Djiga: Thelwell flop who lost ball 17x looks finished at Rangers

Rangers’ wait for a first Europa League victory goes on, held to a 1-1 draw by Braga at Ibrox, and a summer signing was just as bad as Nasser Djiga.

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

With the Blades struggling near the bottom of the Championship, Chris Wilder is reportedly ready to axe as many as three Sheffield United players in the January transfer window.

Since losing at the final hurdle in the playoffs last season, Sheffield United have endured nothing short of a nightmare. They showed the door to Wilder in an attempt to commence a new era under Ruben Selles, only to rehire Wilder just months later. But the return of the veteran manager is yet to pay dividends.

The Blades sit as low as 23rd in the Championship. Only rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who entered administration and were handed a 12-point deduction, have earned less points than Wilder’s side. They are on a crash course from promotion favourites to shock relegation candidates.

Without a win in their last three games, the Blades play host to Queens Park Rangers in desperate need of all three points but may have to push on without No.1 goalkeeper Michael Cooper. The shot-stopper was forced off with injury against Coventry City last time out and Wilder has now confirmed that he’ll likely miss the QPR game this weekend.

It’s more frustrating news for the Sheffield United boss, who has already lost his patience with three players ahead of the January transfer window.

Wilder ready to axe three Sheffield United players

As reported by Football League World, Wilder is now ready to axe Louie Barry, Tyler Bindon and Ben Godfrey by sending them back to their parent clubs when January arrives. This means that all three could be going back to Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Atalanta respectively in what should come as no surprise given their game time.

Sheffield Utd loanees

25/26 appearances

Louie Barry

9

Tyler Bindon

5

Ben Godfrey

4

Barry has been the most disappointing of the three. Having starred on loan at Stockport County in League One last season – scoring 15 goals – there was plenty of hope that the Villa man would be ready for the Championship. That’s simply not been the case under Wilder, however.

That said, if those loan deals are cut short, Sheffield United should at least have room to welcome other, much-needed reinforcements.

Liverpool have been warned they may have completely destroyed their hopes of signing long-term target Marc Guehi after failing to close a deal in the previous summer window. With interest rising across Europe and Crystal Palace holding firm, the Reds are now being told they “blew their chance” and face an uphill battle to revive talks with the England international.

• Liverpool's failed Guehi move

  Liverpool’s failed pursuit of Guehi has become one of the defining storylines of their defensive planning over the past year. The Reds believed they were close to securing the Crystal Palace captain in the final hours of the summer window, only for the move to collapse when the Eagles backed out after failing to sign a replacement. Guehi had reportedly agreed on personal terms and begun the initial stages of a medical, but the London club refused to validate the deal sheet once it became clear they would be unable to bring in a defender.

  The breakdown left Liverpool short of the reinforcement they had targeted, particularly as they entered a season where Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation and fitness concerns were already complicating squad building. With Giovanni Leoni suffering a season-ending injury shortly after deadline day, the need for Guehi became even greater. His inability to move due to Palace’s refusal to sell ensured Liverpool were forced into a campaign relying on a thin group of centre-back options.

  The frustration inside Anfield has reportedly lingered, with internal figures acknowledging that the decision to wait until the final hours of the window made the club vulnerable to exactly this outcome. 

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  Liverpool told they missed their shot at signing Guehi

  Ex-Liverpool star Don Hutchison was unequivocal when assessing Liverpool’s failure to get the deal done, insisting the club had only themselves to blame for missing what he viewed as an essential signing. Speaking to Sportscasting.com, he said: “They’ve blown their chances of landing him. One million percent. I mean, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Liverpool when they didn't get the Guehi deal done. Let's just say Crystal Palace wanted £45 million. Liverpool should have given them £50m, because they're going to have Marc Guehi for six years. They should have just paid the money.”

  Hutchison stressed how transformative the England international could have been for a squad that already contains major leaders at the back. He added: “When I compare Liverpool to Arsenal, I see two proper men and two proper guys that won't be bullied in Calafiori and Timber, alongside Saliba and Gabriel. So you've got four centre-backs across there. If Marc Guehi was at Liverpool now he'd be playing at left-back and you'd be Konate, Van Dijk, Bradley and Guehi, and you’d be thinking crikey, that’s pretty versatile.”

  He concluded that delaying the investment had placed Liverpool in a weakened position for future negotiations. “Liverpool should have just paid Palace whatever they wanted. I think it was a poor move. They were so focused on signing Isak. I understand that, because you can’t turn it down, but Guehi had to be the other priority. This January has to be the marker with Guehi if they want to finish in the top four.”

• Guehi free to start talks with European clubs in January

  The collapse of the Guehi deal is now seen as even more damaging given the unique contract situation looming ahead of the defender’s final months at Crystal Palace. His deal expires in June 2026, meaning that from January he can negotiate a free-transfer pre-contract agreement with any club outside England. This creates a major disadvantage for Liverpool, who must wait until the summer to make a formal approach while European heavyweights gain a five-month head start.

  Bayern Munich and Barcelona have already positioned themselves as leading contenders, each viewing the England international as an elite, cost-effective solution. Their ability to offer huge signing-on bonuses and early certainty could sway the defender long before Liverpool re-enter the race. Palace are believed to prefer losing him for free rather than accepting a reduced January fee, ensuring the player will almost certainly control his next move.

  The failed summer transfer has also raised questions about Liverpool’s strategic planning under Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes. Their decision not to prioritise defensive reinforcements earlier in the window, despite concerns about Konate’s contract and the squad’s ageing profile, is now being reflected upon with regret. Liverpool understand that Guehi’s market is expanding by the month, making a once-achievable signing exponentially harder.

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  Liverpool line up defensive targets

  If Liverpool miss out again, the club will be forced to pivot toward other major defensive targets. Alessandro Bastoni, Nico Schlotterbeck and Willian Pacho are among the names being monitored, but each presents the kind of financial and competitive challenges that underline why Guehi was viewed as the ideal option.