According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Takumi Minamino plans to leave Liverpool this summer and talks have been initiated with three suitors.
The Lowdown: Bit-part player
The 27-year-old first arrived in the Premier League when he joined the Merseyside outfit from Red Bull Salzburg back in 2019, where he’s made 55 appearances to date.
Despite still having two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, the Japanese maestro has struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp this season, having only played 179 minutes of top-flight football, something which has seen him being linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks.
Following a fresh update, it now looks highly likely that the forward’s time with the Reds will be coming to an end in the weeks ahead.
The Latest: Romano shares Minamino exit talks
In a new post on his personal Twitter account, Romano revealed that Minamino is in ‘talks’ with potential suitors and is currently considering his options. He wrote:
“Takumi Minamino will leave Liverpool this summer, plan hasn’t changed. Three clubs have opened talks to explore potential permanent move – Minamino’s gonna decide soon.
“Price tag for Minamino deal will be around €17m (£14.7m).”
The Verdict: Right time to go
Minamino considerably fell down the pecking order under Klopp throughout the 2021/22 campaign, and with the new arrival of Fabio Carvalho in the same position, it’s now even more likely that he’ll struggle for minutes.
Even though the 41-cap international only clocked up a total of 24 outings across all competitions for the Reds, he still managed to provide 11 goal contributions, as per Transfermarkt, showing that he would be the perfect addition to another team’s starting XI, just not Liverpool’s at this moment in time.
The Osaka-born talent is definitely making the right choice in leaving, where he will hopefully be able to revive his playing career and look back on a trophy-laden time at Anfield.
In other news… one pundit has backed a Liverpool star to make a shock move to a Premier League rival this summer.
An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in bringing in a new defender to Ibrox during the upcoming summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
According to The Sun, the Gers are plotting a move for left-back Josh Tymon as Ross Wilson attempts to bolster the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
The report claims that Stoke are set to demand a fee of £5m for the full-back and this means that the Light Blues, without any sales, will need to qualify for the Champions League group stages in order to afford a deal.
Gio van Bronckhorst would love him
The Ibrox head coach will be hoping that Wilson can now seal a swoop for the defender, one way or another, as he would love to have him in Glasgow next season.
Tymon enjoyed an impressive campaign in the English Championship with Stoke as he caught the eye down the left flank with his attacking play from full-back.
He showcased both his quality and durability throughout the season as he started 44 of their 46 league matches and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.80.
Potters boss Michael O’Neill heaped praise on the left-back after he put pen to paper on a fresh contract last year, saying: “Josh is still a young professional but he has a great attitude. He works incredibly hard in training, has a real willingness to learn and has been one of our most consistent performers so far this season.
“He richly deserves a new contract and I’m delighted he’s going to be part of our plans moving forward.”
These comments from the Stoke manager suggest that van Bronckhorst would enjoy working with Tymon. The English enforcer is seemingly keen to improve himself on the training pitch and this means that he can be a dream for the Dutchman to work next season.
He can also be a player the Gers boss loves to have in his team because of his creativity from left-back. In the 2021/22 campaign, the 23-year-old created a whopping 14 ‘big chances’ and 1.2 chances per game as he regularly provided a big threat from out wide.
Borna Barisic, meanwhile, created three ‘big chances’ in 23 Premiership outings. This suggests that the Stoke man can come in to offer a higher level of quality in his deliveries into the box from left-back and van Bronckhorst would surely love to have him as an option to call upon.
AND in other news, GvB can find dream Bassey heir by unleashing 20 y/o Rangers gem who has a “big future”…
Leeds United officials Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear have been spotted in New York, just over five miles away from the stadium of a rumoured summer transfer target.
The Lowdown: Valentin Castellanos links
The Whites have made a start on their summer business after guaranteeing another season of Premier League football by signing Brenden Aaronson.
Rasmus Kristensen now appears to be the next potential arrival from FC Salzburg, with Leeds also after a striker.
New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos could be that forward addition at Elland Road, with journalist Dean Jones recently labelling it as one to watch.
Castellanos, described as a ‘quality player’ and even dubbed the ‘new Didier Drogba’, can also play on the wing and has contributed to 76 goals in 126 games for the MLS side.
The Latest: Orta and Kinnear spotted
Orta and Kinnear were snapped alongside Leeds director Massimo Marinelli at Quality Meats Steakhouse on Central Park – just 5.6 miles away from New York City’s Yankee Stadium.
Marinelli uploaded the image of the three on Tuesday evening on his private Instagram account, which was shared by @LUFCBayArea on Twitter.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: Move possible?
Leeds fans quite often go into investigator mode whenever a player is linked – with the most recent example coming with Aaronson’s flight to England even being tracked across the channel.
We’ve saves supporters the work this time to show that Orta and Kinnear may well have been in New York to see Marinelli and work on a move for Castellanos.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a fine 2021/22 season, contributing to 16 goals in 17 games, so a transfer could indeed be one to watch closely over the coming days.
In other news: After Kristensen: Radz & 49ers now ready to write Leeds cheque for ‘really exciting’ midfielder.
The Daily Mail have now shared an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Wolverhampton Wanderers forward and current Barcelona loanee Adama Traore.
The Lowdown: Spurs eye January move…
The Spaniard was a serious Premier League transfer target for Spurs in the winter window, as backed by reliable sources like The Athletic, who revealed that manager Antonio Conte was eyeing him as a makeshift right-wing-back option.
GiveMeSport even shared news that a move was very close at one point with both the Lilywhites and Traore’s representatives shaking hands on personal terms and agreeing to make him the club’s fourth-highest earner.
However, when the Catalans swooped in late-on, Tottenham’s plans were scuppered and Conte was left without a new-and-improved wing-back signing.
The Latest: Mail share interesting update…
The Mail, sharing news after Conte held crunch transfer talks with sporting director Fabio Paratici in Italy on Friday, now say that Traore has re-emerged as a target for Spurs.
Indeed, according to reliable reporter Mokbel, writing for the outlet, Tottenham’s boss has seemingly set his sights on a former flame.
The Verdict: Move on?
We believe, with some serious work, Traore could still be an asset for Conte as a makeshift attacking option on the right side of his defence – particularly considering he averaged a phenomenal 4.2 dribbles per 90 for Wolves before joining Barca (WhoScored).
It’s clear, when at his very best, the 26-year-old can be an extreme threat from out wide and members of the media seem to agree having watched him in England regularly.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke, commenting on the links to Spurs in January, raved over the ‘absolute world-beater’ who ‘nobody can stop’ with his pace and power.
Depending on Wolves’ asking price, it could well be a move Conte should consider.
In other news: Conte could see ‘one of the best in the world’ join Spurs after behind-scenes demand! Find out more here.
Celtic ended their 2021/22 SPFL season with the best defensive record in the league having conceded just 22 goals in 38 games.
To further highlight their defensive strength, the Hoops faced fewer shots on target (76) than any other side in the top flight.
One figure that played a big part in Celtic’s title winning campaign at the back was Carl Starfelt.
Signed during the previous summer transfer window from Rubin Kazan on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £4m, the centre-back quickly became a prominent figure for Postecoglou.
Throughout his debut campaign, the Sweden international made 49 appearances across all competitions and played more minutes in the league than any other outfield player.
With the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) to his name, Starfelt also had the joint-second highest average of clearances (3.5) and joint-highest average for aerial duels won per game (4.2) in Celtic’s ranks.
This highlights just how much of a capable defender he is and how significant he was for the Hoops this term.
Now that the campaign has drawn to an end, the summer transfer window will give Postecoglou the chance to potentially make some more changes to his squad so they can progress.
One figure that could potentially fit in the side well and possibly make a formidable defensive duo with Starfelt is Mohanad Jeahze.
The Hoops were linked with a reported £2m move for the Hammarby left-back, who has been labelled as a “class” player by Darijan Bojanic, last month.
With eight league appearances to his name this season, the defender has racked up the highest number of interceptions (18) and second-highest number of tackles (13) in Hammarby’s squad.
This shows how much of a tough defender he is and how he could be a solid fit next to Starfelt to make Celtic stronger on the left side of the defence.
Despite the current Celtic defender already showing his defensive talents, having another defensive full-back next to him, such as Jeahze, could make Postecoglou’s side an even tougher side to play against.
Taking into account how the Hoops will be facing off against some of Europe’s top teams in the Champions League next season, having some extra defensive reinforcements would not be a bad thing for the Parkhead club as they’ll be aiming to regain the SPFL title as well.
In other news: Better than Edouard: Celtic eyeing “feisty” 51-goal dynamo, supporters surely buzzing
Arsenal have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their final game of the Premier League campaign against Everton today.
What’s the latest?
As per a report from Evening Standard, Arteta’s side are likely to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Japan international forced off in the 39th minute of the Gunners’ uninspiring defeat to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Monday night.
Tomiyasu’s muscular injury is the latest in what has been a considerable amount of problems for Arsenal in the business end of the campaign, with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey also out for the season.
As such, Cedric Soares is expected to fill in at right-back in the Japan international’s absence.
A big blow for Arteta
The latest injury at Arsenal represents a big setback for both Arteta and Tomiyasu, with the latter having endured an injury-ridden first season in the Premier League.
When he has played, the 23-year-old has been a defensive rock for the Gunners.
Boasting an average of 0.20 defensive actions that led to a shot attempt, his ability to turn over possession quickly has enabled Arsenal to hit on the break on numerous occasions. Though, it’s his defensive participation average of 1.26 interceptions and 0.91 passes blocked that Arteta will miss the most, in what is an integral game if they are to achieve their top-four ambitions.
In the Arsenal squad, Tomiyasu ranks joint first for his 1.3 interceptions per 90 and boosts the Gunners’ attacking threat with his average of 4.00 passes into the final third.
His offensive acumen would have been felt by Lampard’s side, who boasts the fourth worst defence in the league, having conceded 61 goals this season.
The blow to Tomiyasu is another frustrating setback, with the Japanese defender having already missed nine games with a calf injury earlier this season.
In other news: Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Arsenal dud who made just 8 passes was a passenger v THFC
NSW keen to avoid last finish, as South Australia and Victoria also need a lift amidst absence of Australia’s Test stars
Tristan Lavalette08-Feb-2023After a spectacular end to a thrilling BBL season, there is a quick turnaround in Australian domestic cricket with the resumption of the Sheffield Shield. The Shield paused in early December after six rounds, and teams have a further four matches left before the final starts on March 23. Here is a look at how the six teams stack up before the competition restarts on Thursday.
Western Australia (32 points)
Riding high after Perth Scorchers’ successful BBL defence, Western Australia will be hoping the momentum continues in the longer format which they dominated before the break. With four wins and 11 points clear on top, defending champions WA are almost certain to host the Shield final for the second straight season.Underling the wealth of talent in WA cricket, there are a number of selection dilemmas, as skipper Shaun Marsh is set for his first game of this Shield season, against South Australia on Thursday. Such is WA’s depth that wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe might be left out, while Scorchers captain Ashton Turner remains on the outer in four-day cricket but Marcus Stoinis is in the line to play his first first-class match since March 2020.Meanwhile, spearhead Jhye Richardson will be missing the match against South Australia as he continues to battle a hamstring injury, which had sidelined him for the second half of the BBL.WA will also be without tearaway Lance Morris, who is on Australia’s tour of India. He is the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 27 wickets at 18.4. Spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar is also in India, but has only played one Shield match in the past two seasons.
Queensland (21 points)
Much like WA, Queensland have to bounce back quickly after Brisbane Heat’s emotionally-draining finals campaign. Queensland are joint second on points with Tasmania, as their campaign resumes against Victoria at the MCG on Thursday.Veteran opener Joe Burns has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the BBL season opener in a boost for the Bulls, who will be without Test batters Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson is also touring with the national side, although his 12 wickets have cost 39.66 each in five Shield matches this season.Six Heat players who experienced the agony of the BBL final are set to line up against Victoria.Captain Will Sutherland needs to continue as Victoria’s ace bowler in the absence of Scott Boland•Getty Images
Tasmania (21 points)
Tasmania have a great opportunity to start strongly when they play bottom-placed NSW at the SCG starting Saturday. They will hope to secure victory because what follows are back-to-back matches against WA, which could make things become more difficult for them.Tasmania looked a formidable side before the break, as 24-year-old Tim Ward was the standout of a solid batting order with 421 runs to be the third-highest run-scorer this season. Their attack is also led by veteran seamers Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle, who have combined for 44 wickets this season.
Victoria (16 points)
Victoria will be lacking batting firepower as they eye a lift up the ladder. Regular skipper Peter Handscomb is in India, and Glenn Maxwell remains on the path back from a broken leg sustained last November.Nic Maddinson will also be missing the rest of the domestic season having suffered a serious knee injury during the BBL, while Will Pucovski, who has made his return from personal leave only in Melbourne grade cricket, won’t be playing against Queensland.Victoria’s attack will be without seamer Scott Boland and spinner Todd Murphy who too are in India. Thus, there will be more burden on emerging allrounder Will Sutherland, who has bagged 23 wickets this season and taken over the captaincy reins from Handscomb.NSW will look on the experienced Moises Henriques and co to get them out of the doldrums•Getty Images
South Australia (15 points)
Redbacks face a tough test first up against WA, as they look to avoid a sixth straight bottom-placed finish. They are without Test players Travis Head and Alex Carey, with the onus on captain Henry Hunt, who is seen as a future opener for Australia.After top-scoring for Heat in the BBL final, Nathan McSweeney looms as key for Redbacks, and he had batted impressively before the break as well. Their lead quick Wes Agar will hope to continue after his strong first half of the season, where took 23 wickets.
New South Wales (7 points)
Blues are hoping to move on from a disastrous start to the season, where they were winless from six matches, and are staring down the barrel of finishing last for the first time in 14 years.Coach Phil Jaques was a casualty, with Sydney Sixers mastermind Greg Shipperd taking over in the interim.There is little room for error for Blues, who will rely on experienced campaigners Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott to get them out of the doldrums.
Things have gone a bit mad at Chelsea since Todd Boehly completed his £2.45 billion takeover back in 2022. The Blues currently have a whopping estimated annual payroll of £164,216,000, with the average Blues player earning more than £4.5m per season.
A clear out in the summer helped things a bit, as the likes of Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Ben Chilwell headed for the exits, however, the Blues still spent more than £250m on new signings for Enzo Maresca.
Football FanCast has ranked every Chelsea player in the first-team squad in order from highest to lowest in terms of wages for the 2025/26 season, with the help of Capology.
Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.
Rank
Player
Gross pay per week
Gross pay per year
1
Raheem Sterling
£325,000
£16,900,000
2
Reece James
£250,000
£13,000,000
3
Wesley Fofana
£200,000
£10,400,000
4
Enzo Fernandez
£180,000
£9,360,000
5
Marc Cucurella
£175,000
£9,100,000
6
Pedro Neto
£160,000
£8,320,000
7
Moises Caicedo
£150,000
£7,800,000
8
Cole Palmer
£130,000
£6,760,000
9
Joao Pedro
£125,000
£6,500,000
=10
Tosin Adarabioyo
£120,000
£6,240,000
=10
Jorrel Hato
£120,000
£6,240,000
12
Alejandro Garnacho
£110,000
£5,720,000
13
Jamie Gittens
£108,000
£5,616,000
=14
Mykhailo Mudryk
£100,000
£5,200,000
=14
Liam Delap
£100,000
£5,200,000
=14
Levi Colwill
£100,000
£5,200,000
17
Benoit Badiashile
£90,000
£4,680,000
18
Axel Disasi
£80,000
£4,160,000
=19
Robert Sanchez
£60,000
£3,120,000
=19
Estevao
£60,000
£3,120,000
=21
Marc Guiu
£50,000
£2,600,000
=21
Filip Jorgensen
£50,000
£2,600,000
=21
Trevoh Chalobah
£50,000
£2,600,000
=24
Malo Gusto
£45,000
£2,340,000
=24
Romeo Lavia
£45,000
£2,340,000
=26
Gabriel Slonina
£40,000
£2,080,000
=26
Dario Essugo
£40,000
£2,080,000
28
Andrey Santos
£35,000
£1,820,000
29
Facundo Buonanotte
£25,000
£1,300,000
30
David Datro Fofana
£15,000
£780,000
31
Tyrique George
£7,500
£390,000
=32
Josh Acheampong
£5,000
£260,000
=32
Leo Castledine
£5,000
£260,000
34
Jimmy-Jay Morgan
£2,500
£130,000
Here's a detailed look at the top 10 Chelsea earners…
10
Tosin Adarabioyo
£120,000 per week
After securing the services of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham in 2024, Chelsea were able to offer the defender a big contract.
Those at Stamford Bridge handed Adarabioyo a four-year deal on more than £6m a year, and he has gone on to become a regualr under Maresca.
9
Joao Pedro
£125,000 per week
Chelsea splashed the cash on Joao Pedro early in the 2025 summer transfer window, with the Brazilian even able to jet out to the USA and play a part in the Blues’ Club World Cup triumph.
Pedro scored some important goals at the CWC and cost an initial £55m from Brighton.
8
Cole Palmer
£130,000 per week
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s standout signing under Boehly, going from strength to strength at Stamford Bridge after struggling to break into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side.
Some may have questioned the Blues for paying £40m to sign Palmer, but he’s been the star man and was rewarded with a new extension to his £130,000 per week deal through until 2033 last year.
7
Moises Caicedo
£150,000 per week
Moises Caicedo is Chelsea’s second most expensive signing of all time after they pipped Liverpool to a deal back in 2023.
Arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion in a transfer worth a whopping €116m, Caicedo looks set to play an important role over the coming years as he looks to justify that price tag.
6
Pedro Neto
£160,000 per week
Pedro-Neto-Chelsea
Another big-money signing, Pedro Neto swapped Wolverhampton Wanderers for Chelsea in Maresca’s first transfer window to add yet another attacking star to the Blues’ ranks.
He starred at Molineux and was arguably their most important player when fit, and he’s been a reliable performer so far in London.
5
Marc Cucurella
£175,000 per week
Left-back Marc Cucurella is next on the list, picking up £175,000 per week. The Spaniard was another to swap Brighton for Chelsea and has had his ups and downs in west London.
He now appears to be first choice under Maresca, though, so he’ll be hoping to become one of the first names on the teamsheet while under contract.
4
Enzo Fernandez
£180,000 per week
Chelsea’s club record signing, Enzo Fernandez is only the fourth highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge, something which may surprise some.
The Blues did fork out a whopping €121m for the Argentine’s services from Benfica, and now, they’ll be hoping Fernandez and Caicedo can star in midfield over the coming years.
3
Wesley Fofana
£200,000 per week
On £200,000 per week is central defender in Wesley Fofana. Signed from Leicester City in 2022, Fofana has also had his injury issues at Stamford Bridge.
He managed just 29 Premier League appearances across his first two seasons with the Blues.
2
Reece James
£250,000 per week
Club captain Reece James picks up £250,000 per week. The right-back has struggled to stay fit in recent seasons but is under contract until 2028.
His injury history appears to be a cause for concern for the Blues, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do with one of their top earners if he can’t remain fit.
1
Raheem Sterling
£325,000 per week
Top of the charts is Raheem Sterling, who actually isn’t in Maresca’s first-team plans at Stamford Bridge. The winger spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Arsenal, however, the Gunners didn’t want to make a move permanent.
Sterling is still under contract until 2027, picking up just under £17m a season with the Blues.
Am I crazy to be fading the winningest team in baseball at home? Maybe. But, by now, you know my style, so stay with me for a bit. Our bankroll has been growing.
Yes, the Yankees are the best team in baseball right now and the only team with 50 wins. They will also be sending Nestor Cortes to the mound, and he's been stellar at home. When pitching at home this season, Cortes has a mere 1.77 ERA. That's dominant.
Juan Soto is back in the lineup, and Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things. He's batting .300 with 26 home runs, which is on pace to match and possibly eclipse his record-setting 62 home run MVP season.
Jun 11, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Those are just a few reasons to back the favorites in this game.
Now, hear me out on the case for the underdogs tonight.
MLB Best Bet Today
The Orioles are a frisky young team and just 1.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. This win would put them within half a game.
They will Yankee Stadium is not an easy place to play, but it's worth noting that the Orioles have a better win percentage on the road this season (22-10) than they do at home (25-14). It's also worth noting that Baltimore has won three of four games played vs. the Yankees this year and that the Orioles have the second-best win percentage in MLB as away underdogs (6-3).
Albert Suarez takes the mound for the O's tonight.
Suarez has been excellent in his seven starts for Baltimore this season, and he has allowed a minuscule .20 home runs per nine this season across 44 ⅔ innings pitched. He has an ERA of just 1.61, with a 35% ground ball rate and an 84% strand rate.
Both teams have been hitting well recently, but the Orioles have a league-leading 35 home runs in June and are, particularly good vs. left-handed pitching. The Birds have a .195 ISO vs. southpaws this season.
Look for catcher Adley Rutschman to have success tonight vs. Cortes. The last time he faced Cortes on April 30th, he had a pair of hits, and he is hitting .420 vs. lefties this season.
Cortes allowed four earned runs in that game and took the loss.
So, there you have it. Will the Yankees (-155) win tonight? Maybe.
But it's not a sure enough thing to pay that juice. Give me the O's for plus money (+130).
Barcelona fell five points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga as they slid to a 2-1 defeat in Sunday's Clasico. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham proved the difference for Los Blancos as Lamine Yamal failed to produce much of note at the other end for the injury-hit Blaugrana.
Madrid started quickly, and thought they had won a penalty when Vinicius Jr went down in the box under pressure from Lamine Yamal, only for the VAR to intervene. The officials were in the spotlight soon after, too, as Mbappe struck from distance after Fermin Lopez lost the ball inside his own half, but the Madrid striker was found to be fractionally offside.
Mbappe eventually broke the deadlock when he ran onto Bellingham's superb through-ball and finished expertly, and Wojciech Szczesny then had to be at his best to keep out efforts from Mbappe and Dean Huijsen. Those saves kept Barca in the game, and they capitalised when Arda Guler surrendered possession on the edge of the Madrid box and Marcus Rashford squared for Fermin to equalise.
Madrid got themselves back in front before half-time when Bellingham tapped in from Eder Militao's header across the penalty area, and had the opportunity to double their advantage shortly after the break when Eric Garcia was punished for a handball in the penalty area, only for Szczesny to save Mbappe's spot-kick.
Barca huffed and puffed in search of a second equaliser, but their lack of options off the bench was exposed as they failed to create much of note to test Thibaut Courtois, and their frustrations were summed up in stoppage time when Pedri earned himself a second yellow card.
GOAL rates Barca's players from Santiago Bernabeu…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Wojciech Szczesny (7/10):
Made a couple of good parries in the first half before saving brilliantly from Mbappe's penalty. Had no chance with either goal.
Jules Kounde (4/10):
Ripped to shreds by Vinicius on more than one occasion and failed to offer Yamal the support he needed to thrive in attack.
Pau Cubarsi (5/10):
Allowed Mbappe to run off the back of him for the opening goal. Made a couple of blocks but still has work to do against elite-level forwards.
Eric Garcia (5/10):
Enjoyed his best moments when making forays forward from centre-back. Gave away the penalty, though it was a very harsh handball decision.
Alejandro Balde (5/10):
Made some good forward runs but wasn't always found. Perhaps should have done better up against Militao for the second goal.
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AFP
Midfield
Frenkie de Jong (4/10):
Kept things too simple in possession while he failed to keep track of Bellingham when out of it, most notably when he lost the Madrid midfielder as he scored the second goal.
Pedri (5/10):
Created space for himself at times with quick feet and did well to rob Guler for the Barca equaliser. Fooled by Bellingham in the build-up to the opener and was outmuscled by his opposite number on occasion, too. Grew more and more frustrated before getting himself sent off for a second yellow in stoppage time.
Fermin Lopez (5/10):
In the right place to score the equaliser but lacked conviction when he was presented with other opportunities. Lucky that Mbappe strayed marginally offside after he carelessly lost possession early on.
Getty Images Sport
Attack
Lamine Yamal (3/10):
Miles off his best as almost everything he tried didn't come off. His passing and shooting was wayward throughout while he left Kounde isolated up against Vinicius in defence.
Ferran Torres (3/10):
Given the chance to lead the line but was nowhere near the level required. Replaced by holding midfielder Casado with Barca chasing a goal, which summed up his lack of threat.
Marcus Rashford (6/10):
Looked the most dangerous of Barca's attackers as his pace caused panic at times, which he showed good composure to assist Fermin.
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AFP
Subs & Manager
Ronald Araujo (6/10):
Made a couple of important blocks while being left exposed at the back as Barca chased an equaliser.
Marc Casado (5/10):
One of the few senior players who Flick could throw on, but he didn't offer much.
Roony Bardghji (N/A):
Thrown on in the final 10 minutes to boost the attacking numbers.
Gerard Martin (N/A):
On in stoppage time.
Hansi Flick (5/10):
His options are admittedly limited, but he may have been better served using Ferran off the bench as a game-changer given his lack of impact. Title defence already looks in real jeopardy.