The first American pope was elected last week, with Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost ascending to the title of Pope Leo XIV after a vote in Vatican City.

The sports world quickly came to appreciate that Pope Leo XIV was not just from America—he was from Chicago.

While there’s a good chance a man known as the “Vicar of Christ” does not hold hate in his heart for any sports team, there was nonetheless a rush to discover just which teams Pope Leo XIV supported. Turns out, he’s a White Sox fan.

On Friday, with the Chicago Cubs hosting the Chicago White Sox in a crosstown rivalry game, White Sox fans decided to head into enemy territory dressed up as the team’s most famous fan.

Chicago isn’t the only part of the baseball world having a bit of fun with the new pope—the Texas Rangers' Jake Burger, a Catholic, has started using the sign of the cross as his celebration after hitting a double.

While a White Sox turnaround would really be something, Chicago’s true test of faith will come when the Bears kick off their season in September.

Shohei Ohtani is baseball’s Houdini. Somehow, he finds a way to continue to amaze us. The first player with 200 home runs as a hitter and 600 strikeouts as a pitcher. The first player to start an All-Star Game as a pitcher and designated hitter. The first 50–50 player. The first athlete in major North American sports to win three MVPs unanimously.

Now Ohtani is well on his way to his latest trick: the greatest run-scoring season in 89 years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers DH leads the major leagues with 59 runs in 56 team games—while, oh by the way, training on the side to return to major league pitching. How crazy is that pace?

Only two players in the modern era (since 1900) scored 162 runs in a season: Babe Ruth (twice) and Lou Gehrig (twice), the last to do it, in 1936.Only five players scored 154 runs in the modern era, all between 1920 and ’36: Ruth (four times), Gehrig (twice), Chuck Klein, Rogers Hornsby and Kiki Cuyler.As a follow-up to 50–50, Ohtani might as well go for 50–150 this year, as in 50 homers and 150 runs. Only two players have gone 50–150: Ruth (four times) and Jimmie Foxx, the last to do it, in 1932.

Yes, runs scored is influenced heavily by the strength of the surrounding lineup. The Dodgers are scoring more runs per game this year than any team except the Chicago Cubs and more runs per game than any full-season Dodgers team in 72 years.

But with his speed, extra-base power and ability to steal bases, Ohtani makes full use of his opportunities. He scores 49% of the time he reaches base, a rate exceeded only by Ceddanne Rafaela of the Red Sox and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs.

Ohtani is a superb baserunner, not just a leadoff hitter riding the coattails of a deep lineup. Statcast rated him the fifth best baserunner in 2023 and the third best baserunner last year. He ranks tied for 10th this year, though in subtle ways he has bettered his game.

Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel challenged Ohtani after last season to improve his secondary leads and his reads on the bases. Ohtani is a massive dude who is surprisingly fast. As Ebel says, “He’s like Mike Trout. When he comes around third base, you can him running. There is sound that comes from someone that big, moving that fast.”

Truth is, however, that Ohtani needed to sharpen his baserunning work. Last year he was thrown out on the bases seven times, a career high, including three times at home, also a career high. (Outs on the bases do not include pickoffs, caught stealing or force plays.)

To no one’s surprise, Ohtani has improved. He has not been thrown out on the bases and his rate of taking the extra base is a career high (48%).

If you want to stop the Dodgers, you must stop Ohtani. The Cleveland Guardians discovered that truism Wednesday. They kept Ohtani from scoring (he reached base once via a walk) and defeated Los Angeles, 7–4. The Dodgers are 28–9 (.757) when Ohtani scores a run and 6–19 (.316) when he doesn’t.

Houdini died 99 years ago but was such a force of showmanship that he lives on eponymously as the very name of escape maneuvers. Like Ohtani, Houdini was an enormous global sensation who transcended his craft to become a cultural icon. And like Ohtani, Houdini knew the magic came not from words but from deeds.

“Never tell the audience how good you are,” Houdini said. “They will soon find out for themselves.”

Glasgow Rangers failed to get back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee United.

The Light Blues, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Falkirk at Ibrox at the weekend, had to come from behind on two occasions to secure a point on their travels, on a night where they should have aimed for all three points.

Max Aarons was caught as he got to a loose ball first in the box deep into stoppage time to provide Nedim Bajrami with a chance to equalise from the spot in the 98th minute.

That came after their first goal was a stunning long-range strike from Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma, who rifled in his first goal for the club with a sweet left-footed finish.

Ultimately, Danny Rohl will be unhappy with the fact that his team only came away from the game with one point to show for their efforts after they created seven ‘big chances’, per Sofascore, to the host’s two.

One of the players who was guilty of wasting one of those ‘big chances’ was Macedonia international Bojan Miovski, who should be dropped by the German boss.

Why Rohl should drop Miovski for Rangers

The left-footed marksman was given the chance to lead the line for the Light Blues once again in the Premiership against Dundee United, but he did not do enough on the pitch to suggest that he deserves to keep his place.

Miovski, who was signed from Girona during the summer transfer window, missed the only ‘big chance’ that came his way, as he failed to beat Dave Richards.

To his credit, the Rangers striker was more involved than he usually is. Miovski completed 32 of his 33 passes on the night, despite averaging ten completed passes per game for the season, per Sofascore, which shows that he was trying to get involved and was reliable with his passes.

However, the 26-year-old flop is in the team to score goals, as the main number nine, and he has not been anywhere near good enough in that respect for the Light Blues.

After Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United, the former Aberdeen centre-forward has only scored one goal in 11 outings in the Scottish Premiership for the Ibrox giants.

Appearances

11

Goals

1

Minutes per goal

730

Big chances missed

5

Assists

1

Ground duel success rate

32%

Aerial duel success rate

31%

As you can see in the table above, Miovski has not done enough this season to suggest that he has been a good addition to the squad by former sporting director Kevin Thelwell, as he has struggled in front of goal and physically on the deck and in the air.

That is why Rohl should ruthlessly drop him from the starting XI for the trip to Kilmarnock on Saturday, because he was wasteful again on Wednesday night, and is yet to prove that he can be relied upon week-in-week-out in a Rangers shirt.

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

Whilst the goalless Miovski was disappointing again for the Light Blues, Emmanuel Fernandez was even worse than the Macedonia international with what was his worst performance for the Scottish giants since his permanent move from Peterborough United in the summer transfer window.

Where that performance ranks in Emmanuel Fernandez's Rangers career

The English central defender has played seven matches for the Light Blues since his move, and his display against Dundee United was his worst outing for the club to date.

Fernandez, who was given a 3/10 player rating by IbroxNews, was beaten far too easily in the channel for the opening goal from Zach Sapsford, who burst past the centre-back before racing through to chip the ball over Jack Butland.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described it as “dreadful” defending, which is hard to argue with, as he got sucked in on the halfway line and spun with ease.

On top of that error, Fernandez only won ten of his 18 duels and six of his 11 aerial duels. Per Sofascore, he has won 75% of his aerial battles in the league this season, which makes his 55% success rate against Dundee United look poor by his usual standards.

He was even worse than Miovski, therefore, because the central defender was nowhere near his best and was at fault for a goal, whilst the striker at least looked a lot better in his all-round game as a passer, even if his finishing was not good enough.

When looking at his other performances for the Light Blues, it is hard to look past Wednesday night’s showing being his worst display for the club.

1

Livingston (H)

2

Falkirk (H)

3

Braga (H)

4

St Mirren (A)

5

Alloa Athletic (H)

6

Dundee United (A)

N/A

Hibernian (A)

He only played one minute off the bench against Hibernian, which makes it impossible to judge, and he scored goals against Alloa Athletic in the League Cup and Livingston in the Premiership.

Fernandez also won ten of his 12 duels against Falkirk and nine of his 12 duels against Braga, per Sofascore, as Rangers conceded two goals in those games, whilst he was not at fault for the goal conceded in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren under Russell Martin.

Per Sofascore, his 55% aerial duel success rate against Dundee United was his lowest in a game for Rangers in any competition, which speaks to how off the pace he was on the night, without even taking into account his error for the opening goal.

With John Souttar and Derek Cornelius out injured, though, Rohl does not have many alternatives in his position at the moment, so Fernandez may keep his place at the heart of the defence against Kilmarnock.

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If that is the case, the former Peterborough colossus will need to get back to his usual dominant self at the back, after a disappointing game against Dundee United.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a happy man after his side swept past Club Brugge in the Champions League, extending their 100 per cent record in Europe.

Arsenal cruise to 3-0 win over Club Brugge

The Gunners have now secured maximum points from their opening six fixtures, establishing a three-point cushion at the summit of the league phase standings.

Goals from Noni Madueke (2) and Gabriel Martinelli ensured Arsenal maintained their remarkable momentum in Europe’s elite competition, having already beaten the likes of Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid this season.

Madueke opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt midway through the first half, with the England international then doubling his tally just two minutes after the restart.

Martinelli added further gloss to the scoreline eleven minutes later, curling a delightful effort from the edge of the penalty area into the corner.

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The Brazilian winger has been in sensational form throughout the European campaign, becoming the first Arsenal player to find the net in five consecutive Champions League matches.

Mikel Arteta fielded a makeshift defensive partnership of Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie, with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera all unavailable through injury.

Despite the enforced reshuffle at the back, Arsenal barely looked troubled defensively.

David Raya registered his fifth clean sheet of the competition, with the Spanish goalkeeper proving instrumental throughout Arsenal’s unbeaten European run.

The victory represented a perfect response to Saturday’s disappointing defeat against Aston Villa, which ended an 18-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Arsenal looked sharp from the opening whistle and never allowed their Belgian opponents any genuine attacking rhythm.

To make the evening that much better, Wednesday night marked an emotional return to the field for £265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus.

Jesus made his first Arsenal appearance in 332 days after being sidelined for 11 months with an ACL injury, entering as a substitute and nearly capping his comeback with a goal.

The Brazilian struck the crossbar late on after receiving a clever pass from Ethan Nwaneri, but Jesus was ultimately denied what would have been a fairytale moment for him.

Mikel Arteta praises 'special' Gabriel Jesus and makes Arsenal prediction

Speaking in a post-match press conference after Arsenal’s routine win, Arteta reserved special praise for Jesus.

The Spaniard predicts that he will have a crucial role to play in their quest to win a first league title in 22 years, claiming that Jesus brings ‘something else’ to his Arsenal team and has a ‘really special’ quality.

Arteta also suggests that Jesus has been seriously impressing in training.

The 28-year-old was heavily linked with a return to Brazil, potentially in January, but Jesus himself has denied reports of a potential winter exit.

The former Man City striker has confirmed that he wants to return to Palmeiras one day, though it makes ‘no sense’ to leave N5 right now.

It will be interesting to see how Arteta fits Jesus into a side absolutely stocked full of attacking talent, but Arteta is thrilled to have him back in contention.

Mousa Dembélé is a star who exceeded all expectations during his time as a Tottenham Hotspur player, with the Belgian one of the most underrated players in their history.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Despite his massive frame, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembélé used to glide past his men in North London – with many of his former players singing his praises.

However, since his departure in 2019, the first-team have lacked the dominant and ball-playing option at the heart of the side, but that could be about to change in January.

With the window now on the horizon, Thomas Frank is starting to draw up a list of players who could improve the options at his disposal in the middle of the park.

Spurs’ hunt for a new midfielder in the January window

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been one of the Premier League clubs linked with a potential winter deal to land Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

Manchester United were massively touted with a deal to land the Cameroonian international in the summer, but were massively put off by his £100m valuation.

The same could be said for Frank’s side in January, with the Lilywhites wanting to land the 21-year-old, but are unwilling to fork out the current asking price for his signature.

However, he’s not the only midfielder in their sights at present, with Atlético Madrid talent Conor Gallagher once again appearing on their radar ahead of the upcoming window.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Englishman is available for a fee in the region of €60m (£52m) next month, with Fabio Paratici wanting to fork out such a fee for his services.

It also states that the player himself could be keen on a move back to the Premier League, but Diego Simeone’s side will only sanction a move if the asking price is met.

How Gallagher compares to Dembele

Spurs have often formed numerous rivalries in the Premier League over the years, with Chelsea just one of the sides in which they have had many fierce contests with.

Frank Lampard was a player who regularly starred against the Lilywhites, often leaving the fanbase wishing they had their own version of the English midfielder.

He featured against the club on 41 separate occasions, winning 22 of which and only losing eight times – often providing the difference in the London derby.

The now-retired star scored ten times within the aforementioned meetings, the third-best record against any time in his professional career – further showcasing his impact against Spurs.

Mixing a player of Lampard and Dembélé’s quality is always going to be a difficult ask, but it’s one that Gallagher has managed to do during recent months in Madrid.

He’s been a dominant player for Simeone’s men in LaLiga, with his underlying stats from the 2025/26 campaign showcasing his incredible ability at both ends of the pitch.

Gallagher has won 2.5 tackles and made 1.6 interceptions per 90 this season, with such numbers showcasing his dominant ball-winning presence that Dembélé possessed.

Conor Gallagher – LaLiga stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	15
Goals & assists	1
Pass accuracy	88%
Shots taken	1.4
Progressive carries	2.7
Progressive passes	3.9
Tackles made	2.5
Interceptions made	1.6
Carries into opposition box	0.9
Stats via FBref

He’s also made 0.9 carries into the opposition box as part of his 2.7 progressive carries per 90, another component of his game that the Belgian demonstrated in North London.

However, his ability in possession has also caught the eye, with England U21 manager Lee Carsley previously stating that the midfielder is just “like Lampard”.

Gallagher has completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with 3.9 of which per 90 going into the final third – something which Lampard became known for with the Blues.

His crashing nature also handed the Spurs fans numerous moments of anguish, something which the Atletico star has demonstrated with his tally of one goal and 1.4 shots per 90.

£52m may appear to be a huge investment in the former Blues star, but his all-round stats in Spain’s top-flight this season showcase his elite-level output at both ends.

Should he merge the levels achieved by Dembélé and Lampard in the Premier League, it would be a stellar signing and one that can take Frank’s side to the next level.

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Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to walk away with a point against Newcastle United last night.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025

تأهل فريق حرس الحدود إلى دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس مصر، بعدما حقق الفوز على الإسماعيلي، اليوم الإثنين، بنتيجة 3-1.

وتواجه فريقا الإسماعيلي وحرس الحدود، في إطار مواجهات دور الـ 32 من منافسات بطولة كأس مصر للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.

وكان اللقاء انتهى في وقته الأصلي بنتيجة التعادل الإيجابي 1-1، وتم اللجوء إلى الوقت الإضافي على شوطين، واستطاع فريق حرس الحدود تسجيل هدفين في الوقت الإضافي من اللقاء، ليحصد بطاقة التأهل إلى دور ثمن النهائي من بطولة كأس مصر.

طالع | الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الـ16 من كأس مصر

وسجل أهداف نادي حرس الحدود، فوزي الحناوي وعمر جمال ومحمود أوكا، بينما جاء هدف الإسماعيلي عن طريق اللاعب محمد عمار. أهداف مباراة حرس الحدود والإسماعيلي اليوم في كأس مصر 3-1

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي نادي حرس الحدود مع سموحة في دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر، في موعد يحدده اتحاد الكرة المصري في وقت لاحق.

وتأهل حتى الآن إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر، كل من حرس الحدود وسموحة والبنك الأهلي وبتروجيت وكهرباء الإسماعيلية وفاركو وإنبي.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os torcedores do Fluminense piraram o golaço de Marcelo na partida contra o Cerro Porteño. O lateral-esquerdo abriu o placar no Maracanã para o Tricolor. Confira as reações abaixo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoFalta? Ex-árbitro dá veredito em lance de gol do Cerro Porteño contra o FluminenseFora de Campo16/05/2024FluminenseDiniz é alvo de protesto no Fluminense e recebe recado de torcedoresFluminense16/05/2024NotíciasAposte R$100 e fature R$513 com as vitórias de Fluminense, Botafogo e São Paulo na Libertadores!Notícias16/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is gearing up for another important Premier League test at home to Brentford on Wednesday, looking to extend the club’s incredible unbeaten run.

Arsenal set for Brentford after 1-1 draw at Chelsea

It’s been 17 matches since the Gunners last tasted a single defeat in all competitions, and a lot has changed since that 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s English champions are now all but out of the title race, despite barely playing a third of 2025/2026, while Arsenal are flying high and five points clear atop the table.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

10-man Chelsea came the closest to beating Arteta’s side last weekend, taking a 1-0 lead through Trevoh Chalobah at Stamford Bridge, only for in-form makeshift number nine Mikel Merino to equalise with his 20th goal this calendar year.

Arsenal’s imperious early-season has been made all the more impressive when factoring in their extensive injury list this term.

Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke, William Saliba, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have all been sidelined at various points, with Arteta doing very well to adjust.

In Havertz’s case, the £280,000-per-week star hasn’t played at all this season since Arsenal’s opening day win over Man United at Old Trafford.

The Germany international, after just coming back from a hamstring problem which kept him out for months at the back end of 2024/2025, sustained a knee injury against United, with Havertz hauled off after just half an hour.

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Havertz required surgery with the former Chelsea star working hard to come back.

Reports suggest that Havertz has impressed Arsenal rehabilitation staff with his recovery, but he still hasn’t been available since August.

Mikel Arteta without Kai Havertz for 'weeks' after Arsenal injury update

The 26-year-old was, at one point, contending to be fit for Arsenal’s 4-1 triumph over Tottenham in the North London derby (Standard Sport).

Havertz was seemingly on the verge of a return to the field, but according to Arteta in his latest pre-match press conference, it will now be ‘weeks’ before the attacker makes his long-awaited return.

News of this setback for Havertz comes as a blow for Arsenal, with Arteta yet to have the desired conundrum of choosing how to fit both him and Gyokeres into his new Arsenal system on a regular basis.

Unable to display his best throughout 2025 due to consistent injury problems, Arteta will be desperate to have Havertz available once again as soon as possible.

With both Gabriel and potentially Saliba unavailable for Brentford too, summer signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera will likely partner one another yet again tomorrow evening.

Former England batter looking for “fresh challenge” after six seasons with White Rose

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025

Dawid Malan captained Yorkshire in the Blast•Allan McKenzie/SWpix

Former England batter Dawid Malan says he is looking for a “fresh challenge” after being released by Yorkshire following six seasons with the club.Malan, 38, came through at Middlesex before joining Yorkshire in 2020. He captained the club in the Blast last season, but despite leading the way with 365 runs at a strike rate of 156.65, could not prevent them from finishing second-bottom in the North Group.During his time at Headingley, Malan was Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in T20, with 1642. He also scored 2014 runs at 54.43 in first-class cricket.”I have enjoyed six happy and successful seasons with Yorkshire, but feel now is the right time for the club to make a fresh start,” Malan said. “I am grateful to the general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath for allowing me to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”Malan, who last played for England at the 2023 ODI World Cup, has extensive experience of the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, SA20 and, most recently, the Nepal Premier League.He has also started to explore a media career, commentating on BBC radio during the summer.Hamilton said: “Dawid has been a consistent run-scorer across all formats, and will always be welcome at Headingley. We thank him for his very significant contribution in recent seasons, and we wish him well for the future.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s future at Anfield has come into question after his team dropped points in their 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Dutchman, who won the title in his first season, has lost ten of his 23 matches in all competitions, including six in the top-flight, this term.

On top of that, Mohamed Salah has claimed that his relationship with the manager has broken down after being on the bench for the third straight game against Leeds.

The Salah situation and the poor results this season have put pressure on the former Feyenoord tactician, with the club reportedly looking at potential replacements.

Liverpool have admiration for national team manager

Dave OCKOP reports that Steven Gerrard has been sounded out as a potential interim to come in and steady the ship if FSG decide to part ways with Slot in the coming days or weeks.

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The report claims that Liverpool are also admirers of Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann, previously of Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim.

It adds that the 38-year-old manager is expected to lead his country to the World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico next summer, though, which means that he will not be available immediately.

Dave OCKOP suggests that the German tactician may be available after the World Cup, though, which is where Gerrard stepping in as an interim option could make sense.

If Liverpool were to eventually bring Nagelsmann in as their long-term replacement for Slot, he would be the perfect appointment to get the best out of Florian Wirtz.

Why Nagelsmann would be perfect for Wirtz

To say that Wirtz has not lived up to expectations in a Liverpool shirt so far would probably be an understatement, as he has yet to deliver a single goal or assist in the Premier League, per Sofascore.

The Reds splashed out £116m to sign the attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window, and he has racked up no goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.

Slot has simply been unable to get the best out of the huge-money signing, who produced 16 goals and 14 assists for Leverkusen last term (Sofascore), but Nagelsmann could come in to get him flying at Anfield.

Wirtz’s form for Germany at international level is proof that he could shine for the Reds if Nagelsmann replaces Slot in the dugout, because he has proven that he can perform in that system.

Caps

27

3rd

Goals

8

1st

Assists

6

2nd

Goals + assists

14

1st

As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool attacking midfielder has been the most impactful attacker of the manager’s reign with the national team, providing more goals and assists combined than any other player.

For further context, Wirtz scored no goals and provided three assists in his first ten caps for Germany before Nagelsmann took the job, which shows that the ex-Bayern boss can get the best out of him.

The 38-year-old boss was once described as the “best young coach in Europe” by reporter Josh Bunting in 2022, and it is still hard to argue with that assessment in the present day.

Mikel Arteta, 43, and Xabi Alonso, 44, are two of the brightest young coaches in the game, managing Arsenal and Real Madrid, yet they have won as many league titles combined (one) as Nagelsmann has, having won the Bundesliga with Bayern, and he is five and six years younger than them.

The German boss won 2.31 points per game during his time with Bayern, per Transfermarkt, whilst Slot has won 2.00 points per game across 79 matches with Liverpool to date.

This suggests that Nagelsmann could come in as an upgrade on the Dutchman as an all-round manager, whilst also being the perfect appointment to get the best out of Wirtz at Anfield.

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Therefore, it could be a good move for FSG to bring Gerrard in as an interim appointment with a view to landing Nagelsmann next summer, if they decide that parting ways with Slot is the route that they want to go down in the coming weeks.