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Fulham are now preparing a move to hijack a permanent deal for an “incredible” Premier League midfielder who Marco Silva already knows well.

Cottagers in good form heading into Chelsea derby

The Cottagers are now up to 11th in the Premier League table, extending their unbeaten run to five games after Harrison Reed fired home a spectacular late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw against Liverpool last time out.

Silva is likely to feel as though justice was served, with the manager expressing his disbelief that Florian Wirtz’s goal wasn’t disallowed for an offside, saying: “Now, I have more images, different tools. For me, I cannot believe how that goal was allowed, it was a clear offside.

“We are still waiting for feedback from the Premier League. Everyone had the same opinion, it was clear. It’s much more than 5cm in my opinion.”

Although the west Londoners were ultimately unable to secure all three points, the fact they went toe-for-toe with last season’s champions is a very good sign, heading into the derby match against Chelsea tonight.

Performances have been much-improved as of late, but Fulham remain keen on strengthening their squad this month, and they recently made an approach to sign Real Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira.

However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, the Cottagers are also eyeing up a midfielder from much closer to home, with it being revealed they are preparing to pounce to sign Joao Palhinha, who is currently on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Bayern Munich.

Tottenham have the option to make the midfielder’s stay permanent for £26m, but there is a feeling they could now abort the deal, which could open the door for a return to Craven Cottage.

Should Spurs choose not to snap up the Portuguese maestro, Fulham would consider a move, and if he is able to replicate his previous exploits at the club, he could be a fantastic addition…

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Palhinha could be "incredible" signing for Fulham

Silva knows the central midfielder well, having previously worked together at Craven Cottage, during which time he put in some top-quality performances, particularly impressing with his tackling ability.

The 30-year-old, who has been praised for his “incredible work rate and exceptional tackling”, has continued to catch the eye from a defensive point of view across spells with Bayern and Spurs over the past year, while also displaying a keen eye for goal, when compared to other midfielders.

Joao Palhinha’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

4.76 (99th percentile)

Blocks

1.64 (87th percentile)

Aerials won

1.78 (87th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.15 (81st percentile)

Assists

0.15 (80th percentile)

As such, it would perhaps be a little unusual if Tottenham chose not to take up the option to sign Palhinha permanently, but their loss could be Fulham’s gain.

Liverpool started 2026 in disappointing fashion as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Leeds United at Anfield in the Premier League on Thursday.

It was a fairly uneventful match, with just one ‘big chance’ between the two teams combined, and one that ended a four-game winning streak for Arne Slot’s side.

FSG already knew that there is work to be done with the squad in the January transfer window before this underwhelming result, though, as the club are reportedly closing in on a big-money addition.

Liverpool set to sign new defender

Liverpool are reportedly closing in on the signing of central defender Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge for a fee of up to £43m to bolster the manager’s options at the heart of the defence.

The Reds did not have a senior centre-back available on the bench against Leeds, with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni out injured, and it is clearly an area that needs strengthening.

If these latest reports are to be believed, it is an area that FSG are set to strengthen in the coming days, with Ordonez set to come through the door to provide Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate with competition.

It is good to see that the club have moved swiftly to address a key issue in the squad at the start of the transfer window, but there is still work to be done for the recruitment chiefs before the window slams shut.

One Liverpool flop’s performance against Leeds on Thursday showed that FSG still need to spend more money on another signing, even after swooping for Ordonez for £43m.

Why Liverpool need to sign another attacker

The reigning Premier League champions still need to add another attacking option to Slot’s arsenal before the January transfer window slams shut.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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That is because Florian Wirtz provided yet another reminder that he is not the player who is going to go and make a difference for the Reds in a tight and physical game in the 0-0 draw with Leeds.

The £116m signing started the game on the left flank for Liverpool and looked totally ineffective. One analyst on X stated that the Germany international is “not a final third difference maker”, and should play further back on the pitch in a role akin to the one that Pedri plays for Barcelona.

There is merit to that theory because he ranks highly in statistics that you would expect a deep-lying midfielder to excel in. For example, Wirtz is in the top 4% of attacking midfielders in the Premier League for passes attempted per 90 (55.38) and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90 (7.05), per FBref.

Meanwhile, his blank against Leeds means that the attacking midfielder has only scored one goal, which came against a Wolves team who have three points, and provided one assist in 18 top-flight games since his big-money switch from the Bundesliga.

Vs Leeds

Florian Wirtz

Minutes

66

Shots

4

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Dribbles completed

0/1

Possession lost

15x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz was ineffective at the top end of the pitch for the Reds on Thursday, as he lost possession 15 times without creating any ‘big chances’, and failed to score from any of his four efforts on goal.

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The issue with the £116m signing’s struggles on the left flank is that Slot’s other left winger, Cody Gakpo, has produced one goal and one assist in his last 11 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Sofascore.

Wirtz’s struggles in an attacking position, whilst excelling in statistics associated with a deeper-lying midfielder, suggest that Slot should utilise him further back in midfield, such as the position that Curtis Jones started in against Leeds.

This dismal showing against Leeds should be the final bit of evidence that is needed to make that change in role for the German, which would then mean that FSG need to dip into the market to sign a starting-grade left winger.

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With Gakpo struggling badly for form and Wirtz in need of a position change, Liverpool must dip into the market to sign another wide attacker to bolster their squad, even after splashing £43m on Ordonez.

India bound: Trevor Jesty will be standing in the ICL © Getty Images

Two English county umpires, Jeff Evans and Trevor Jesty, have signed contracts to stand in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) which begins next week.Both officials have been told that their future contracts with the ECB, which run from April to September, won’t be affected although the ECB have said they’d prefer their umpires not to take part because of the lack of anti-corruption safeguards in place.”I saw this as an opportunity to visit India and to gain experience umpiring in a major competition,” Evans told . “I’ve had many sleepless nights about it, but I have consulted my solicitor, the Professional Cricketers’ Association solicitor and sought advice from anyone and everyone in the game.”Ray Julian, who retired from first-class umpiring six years ago, has also agreed to travel to the ICL but Ismail Dawood, the former Yorkshire and Glamorgan wicketkeeper, has turned down an offer as he wants to ensure he is included on ECB’s reserve list next season.”I would like to umpire in first-class cricket in England and I didn’t want to jeopardise my prospects,” said Dawood. “It was a tough decision because the ICL contract was extremely lucrative.”

A decision is expected soon on Michael Vaughan’s fitness for the one-day tri-series in Australia © Getty Images

Michael Vaughan will not play in the final two Tests of the Ashes series and a decision on whether he will lead England’s one-day campaign will be made this week. Vaughan, who is recovering from a serious knee problem, fell for 14 in his latest match for the England Academy today and the selectors will decide whether he is fit enough to captain the side through the tri-series starting next month.Duncan Fletcher said the news on Vaughan was “positive, very positive” and he had been working with Nigel Stockill, the squad’s fitness trainer while England were losing the Ashes. “He’s been moving around freely and he says he hasn’t felt so good for some time,” Fletcher said. “It’s very pleasing news.”England’s selectors will speak with Vaughan and other senior figures after today’s match to determine whether he is ready to rejoin the senior squad in the lead-up to the World Cup. Vaughan’s presence was severely missed as the team handed back the Ashes in Perth on Monday and there have been concerns with Andrew Flintoff’s captaincy.However, Fletcher said the players have been “happy with Flintoff”. “We will have to take that into consideration when we pick the squad.”Fletcher said Flintoff, who was chosen ahead of Andrew Strauss as leader for the Test series, had “done a good job” over the first three matches. “He led from the front, but he hasn’t got the runs he would have wanted. The decision was between him and Strauss, but he’d led only six Tests before he was thrown on to a tour of Australia, which is really difficult. Considering all that he’s done as well as he can.”One of Fletcher’s few certainties in a 15-minute interrogation in Perth today was on Vaughan’s chances of appearing in the Boxing Day and New Year’s games. “He’s definitely not playing in the Test series.”

The future of Headingley has again been thrown into doubt after the local council unexpectedly stalled on financing Yorkshire’s planned purchase of the ground, just two weeks after appearing to come to an agreement.The county has agreed to buy the venue for £12million to comply with one of the ECB’s requirements for grounds wishing to host England matches. But the move depends on Leeds City Council providing a loan of £9million.The financing was expected to be rubber-stamped this week but the council’s executive board has decided it needs stronger guarantees on repayment. Mark Harris, the council leader, said: “It is public funds we are talking about and it would be irresponsible for us to accept what is currently on the table.”In a statement Yorkshire said: “This is a position which the club understands and we shall therefore employ every endeavour on our side to ensure that agreement is reached in the course of the days ahead. Since we have already reached agreement on all matters of principle, the club believes that the remaining points of detail can be resolved quickly and without difficulty.”Yorkshire now face a race against time to secure the financing and complete the purchase of Headingley, which is currently rented from the owners of the adjacent rugby club, by the end of the year. If they do not they will invalidate an agreement with the ECB under which Headingley was assured of the right to host England matches for the next 15 years, provided they took ownership of the ground by 2006. Yorkshire plan to increase the ground’s capacity from 17,000 to 20,000 with significant developments of the Grandstand and Kirkstall Lane ends.

Is this Wasim Akram, or just another Peter Kay wannabe?© Getty Images

Sales of Pakistan’s one-day strip from the 2003 World Cup are expected to reach £1million following some unexpected exposure from British comedian Peter Kay on Channel 4’s comedy show according to newspaper. Kay wore the shirt in all six episodes of the series, which finished last Friday.The World Cricket Store, which holds the UK licence to make the shirts, has been overwhelmed by the demand. It outsells England strips. A few months ago, the shirt was proving so unpopular that the line was dropped. “We’ve been inundated,” Mark Whitehead, the firm’s managing director, told chortle.co.uk. “It’s amazing the effect a TV show as popular as Peter’s can have. He’s made our Christmas.”The sitcom sees two ex-bouncers take the road in a motor home, but it hasn’t yet been made clear why Kay’s character wears the shirt.

Wisden CricInfo’s writers comment on cricket’s latest inventionSteven Lynch
I have been pleasantly surprised by the crowds, the obvious fun, and the way the players have tucked in (maybe the promise of meeting Atomic Kitten at Trent Bridge has something to do with that). It’s fast-food cricket, and a couple of hours after the match most people have forgotten almost everything about it – but that doesn’t matter much as long as people turn up. The TV chats with the captain are sometimes very interesting, but I do feel sorry for anyone who has to bowl in it, and I also have a suspicion that the novelty might wear off. But it has been a good start, blessed with fine weather, and judging by England’s express-style one-day demolition of Pakistan at The Oval, the lessons are already rubbing off at a higher level.Martin Williamson
I was initially sceptical about a product which appeared to owe more to marketing meetings than the game itself, but that evaporated on the first night as the crowds flocked to grounds and the matches were not the farces that many feared. However, a trip to leafy Imber Court to watch Surrey play Sussex left me with mixed feelings. The crowd was good, and importantly the mix of the spectators was far more diverse than usual. But the game itself was not particularly exciting, and there was little feeling that people really cared what was going on in the middle. They basked in the sun, chatted and drank, while the many children raced round playing impromptu games of cricket. Being positive, at least they were there, which is what really matters. I think the future of Twenty20 is to take games to new grounds where there is an untapped audience. Playing them on the same old grounds will, once the novelty has worn off, result in the same old spectator apathy.Andrew Miller
I wasn’t a fan of Twenty20 cricket when the idea was first publicised. My objections were twofold. First the fear of failure: English cricket and gimmickry has a sad and dysfunctional relationship, and I still wince at the memory of the 1999 World Cup opening ceremony, the dampest squib ever to exist outside the realm of metaphor. My second objection, perhaps perversely, was a fear of success. If the crowds did indeed flood through the turnstiles, what next? Test cricket remains the only form of the game that truly and consistently gets my pulse racing, and this seemed so far removed from that as to be a dangerous, almost immoral, experiment. But then, one sunny Friday afternoon, with a day’s work behind me and three hours to kill before a friend’s birthday party, I allowed my guard to drop and my eyes were opened – I found myself part of a packed and knowledgable Oval crowd, all revelling in a rare opportunity to watch a live cricket match from start to finish. Purity is not the issue, and nor are the face-painters and jacuzzis. It’s all about the cricket, stupid!Freddie Auld
We were promised a new form of fast, fun and funky cricket to attract a new crowd to the game – and, after my initial reservations, I haven’t been disappointed. However, this is purely as a TV viewer. My studious nature has meant that I haven’t yet managed to join the throng live and let my hair down. But I plan to do so before long, with a group of my non-cricketing friends. And, the ECB will be pleased to hear, that even includes some girls. Watching on the box, admittedly without all the pitch-side distractions, I’ve enjoyed the immediate assaults and run-chases. That may not be an ideal way to hone a high straight elbow and an immaculate front-foot defensive, but we get enough of that in Tests. And cricket’s not just about that any more – it’s about entertainment and moving with the times.Ralph Dellor
All congratulations to those concerned for introducing Twenty20 into the English game. To get as many people as they have to go to any cricket-related event is an exceptional achievement. Only time will tell whether it is the novelty of the concept that brings the people flocking to previously deserted county grounds, or whether there is a lasting interest that will even convert the new followers to watch first one-day cricket and then go to a Championship match. However, bearing in mind that the idea is to establish the product in its own right, could I make a few suggestions that might make it even more appealing? Like using a bright orange ball instead of what starts out as a white one but soon becomes a mucky grey. And ensuring that both sides do not wear black as the basic shade of their coloured clothing. And – if this reactionary traditionalist is going to throw off all his conservative inhibitions! – reduce the teams to eight a side and bring in the boundaries so that there are more runs. Store these ideas away for when the novelty starts to fade.Sambit Bal
When I first heard about Twenty20, my spontaneous reaction was, “Ah, here we go again.” I have never been a fan of the variants – the Super Six, Max Cricket – anything that seeks to subvert the fundamentals of the game. After watching a few games on television, I wouldn’t say I am a convert yet, but I don’t mind it. What I like about it is that the game has been crunched without tampering with the essentials. At three hours, it’s only twice the size of a football match and roughly the same as a five-setter at the French Open. In theory, it is a combination of the first 15 and the last 10 of a 50-over match, and, to an extent, it works. What I don’t like about it is that it blurs the line between the highly skilled and the plain biffers. Big hits are spectacular, but continuous slogging is ugly. With wickets becoming inconsequential, the licence to hit comes with no price at all, and the bowler is degraded further. But still, if it can attract English kids to a game of cricket, who am I to complain?Raja M
Twenty20 celebrates cricket’s core charm. Forget goals and statistics, targets and tactics. Each match is a highlights package, each ball a story. Creativity is unleashed, and it’s liberation from the copybook. Yet cricket’s precious essence is not just retained but enhanced: beautifully hit straight sixes, spectacular fielding, spinners on duty. This is cricket back to its primeval spirit, the simplicity of purpose that drove men like Gilbert Jessop, Victor Trumper, Viv Richards and the young Sachin Tendulkar: the ball is there to thumped. With teams bowled out in 20 overs, it’s not a bowler’s nightmare either. A true master will conquer any challenge. A Twenty20 World Cup soon? Two matches a day at the same venue, a tournament lasting a week … Fear no changes, don’t sneer at evolution. That’s what one-day cricket taught us in the mid-1970s, and one-day cricket now funds the game. Twenty20 will do the same: it will help cricket flourish in a new millennium, in new frontiers like America.

Gloucestershire wicket-keeper Stephen Pope has been selected to representthe England Under 19 side in the 2002 ICC World Cup in New Zealand. Thesquad will depart for acclimatisation in Australia on December 27 beforetravelling to New Zealand in the New Year. The competition begins onSaturday 19 January with the final played on Saturday 9 February.

ScorecardCharlotte Edwards congratulates Sarah Taylor on a matchwinning fifty•Stephen Pond/Getty Images

A fresh – if familiar – format, some new colours, a couple of new faces and a return to a favourite old venue was all it took to freshen England up and keep the Ashes alive.After a torrid Test match that saw little go right for England, there was still the chance of winning the Ashes overall in a series where they are decided by virtue of points gained in all three formats.Charlotte Edwards’ side ticked boxes aplenty: their fielding – with three sharp run outs, a series of fine dives in the deep, and some excellent catching – returned to the spectacular level achieved in the series opener at Taunton, Edwards was more tactically astute, and, crucially, Sarah Taylor – fresh from a pair in the Test match at Canterbury – enjoyed a timely return to form with the bat, that characteristic insouciance and those rubbery wrists back as she notched a nonchalant half-century.Even the promotion of the brutalist Katherine Brunt to No 5 worked, as she boshed 12 from Ellyse Perry’s final over to help England home with 15 balls to spare; her 21 from 10 balls was just her third double-figure score in twenty T20I innings.This bumptious Australian side – whose run of 16 consecutive T20I victories comes to an end with this defeat – seldom seem cowed. But with a partisan packed house cheering the hosts on, they were unable to recover from a sluggish start having been inserted.Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole were immediately into their groove, and England were particularly lively in the field, with both Danielles – Wyatt and Hazell – making impressive early contributions. But Australia were passive in the opening powerplay, which included 22 dot balls for the loss of Elyse Villani, whose leading edge off Shrubsole’s fifth ball – a slower one – fell simply back to the bowler.Australia’s start was slow, but their two strongest batsmen, Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning, were set. As if to demonstrate that point, Lanning swept Jenny Gunn’s first delivery – the first after the powerplay – for six. The introduction of Hazell, however, tied the pair down. Her first over went for one, before Lanning drove straight and hit Hazell square on the leg, and two dot balls later she slogged a rank full toss to deep square-leg, where Lydia Greenway took a sharp catch.Gunn failed to pick up a Perry miscue off Hazell’s next over and shelled the catch, but the drop was worth just a slogged four to cow and a single, as Nat Sciver’s first ball saw Perry bowled off the pad by a full one.Wickets fell steadily from that point. Canterbury hero Jess Jonassen was deceived by Sciver’s slower ball, and then, as Australia took on risky singles, the run outs began. Youngster Grace Harris was dismissed by a direct hit when backing up, Alyssa Healy by a fired up Brunt, and Erin Osborne by sharp work from Greenway. Between times, Alex Blackwell lofted Gunn’s first ball back to cover, and tight bowling meant runs were hard to come by.A target of 123 was underpar, but with a dewy outfield, a quality attack, and an English order prone to indecision, was eminently defendable. But Australia – particularly in the middle overs – bowled an ugly set of half-trackers and full tosses, and dropped both Edwards and Taylor, who shared 77 after Perry had Lauren Winfield caught at mid-on in her second over.The pair bristled with intent in the powerplay, as Megan Schutt once again made the ball talk. Taylor unleashed her ramp to Perry and used her feet to Sarah Coyte’s seam, while Edwards showed off that classical cover drive and flick to midwicket out, too. Australia had their chances, with Villani dropping Edwards on 19 at mid-off, and Coyte shelling a low caught and bowled off Taylor on 34.Both batsmen were eventually stumped by Healy, Edwards sharply and Taylor easily, but by then the damage was done, as hard-hitting cameos from Sciver and Brunt ensured victory. England must do this twice more, of course, and if the Ashes are to be retained, they will have to do it away from their happy hunting ground, where they have now won six from six.

Scorecard

	Andrew Symonds scored 86 in Australia’s first-innings 396 © Getty Images

Simon Katich struck form at the right time, but he was unable to seal his return to national colours with a century as he fell three runs short on the second day of the tour match against a Jamaica XI. With Michael Clarke missing the first Test due to family reasons, Katich confirmed his place as the Australians completed a strong warm-up by posting 396.Katich took his time once he resumed on 35 and kept the innings together after losing Phil Jaques for 48, Ricky Ponting for 17 and Michael Hussey for 19. While Ponting and Hussey missed out on long stays, Andrew Symonds and Brad Haddin took advantage of the conditions with half-centuries in an energetic 145-run stand.Symonds collected 86 while Haddin, who will make his Test debut at Sabina Park on Thursday, picked up a confidence-boosting 64. However, the day was most important for Katich, especially after Brad Hodge, the other contender to replace Clarke, did not make a major impact.Katich seemed set for three figures, but he missed the milestone when aiming the spinner Lorenzo Ingram towards midwicket, where Xavier Marshall collected a fine diving take in the outfield. Donovan Sinclair was the most successful bowler, finishing off the innings with 3 for 14, while Andre Russell and Nikita Miller picked up two each.Katich was pleased to make use of his only opportunity to get used to the Caribbean conditions before the first Test. “It was just nice to get out there and play some cricket, get a few runs and spend some time out in the middle,” Katich told .”It’s always disappointing not to get a hundred, but that’s the way it goes, and at the end of the day, it was nice to spend some time out of the middle and get a few runs, so I can’t complain too much. It’s just nice to be able to go out there and know I’m playing well and have confidence in my game.”The hosts reached 11 for 0 at the close, and in their brief stint in the field the Australians wore their baggy green caps after being criticised for having a sponsor’s hat on during the first innings. Cricket Australia said that because Haddin did not yet have a baggy green – he will receive it on the first morning of the Kingston Test – the team decided in the interests of uniformity to wear their blue training caps, which bear the sponsor’s logo.But following some media criticism the board said in the future a ‘fitted green’ cap may be developed so that players who have not yet represented Australia in Test cricket can have a similar look to their Test counterparts. Haddin wore a white hat on the second day.