Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confirmed the club must sell players to fund summer arrivals following a trophyless campaign and the impending departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.
The Merseyside outfit are bracing for a period of significant transition after failing to defend their Premier League title.
A massive £450m recruitment drive last summer yielded disappointing results, leaving the side fifth in the table and battling just to qualify for European football.
Now, the Dutch tactician has admitted his squad requires further reinforcements but stressed that financial realities dictate their approach.
Balancing the books after record spending
The Reds smashed the British transfer record to secure Alexander Isak for £125m last year, alongside a £116m move for Florian Wirtz.
However, an 18-point gap to league leaders Arsenal and a recent Champions League elimination against Paris Saint-Germain have highlighted deep-rooted flaws.
Speaking after that 4-0 aggregate defeat to the French champions, the under-fire manager outlined the stark reality of the upcoming transfer window.
“Much has been said that the club is in a transition,” Slot explained.
“The club has sold eight to 10 players to make money to sign five or so very talented players.”
“We have to sell to buy, and we are losing some players on a free transfer.”
High-profile Anfield departures
The rebuilding task is complicated by the loss of two monumental figures who have anchored the team for nearly a decade.
Salah will depart on a free transfer despite agreeing a new two-year extension with the club only last April.
Meanwhile, left-back Robertson confirmed his own exit last week ahead of his contract expiring in June.
The Scotland captain is reportedly in advanced talks to join Tottenham, provided the North London club secure their top-flight status this season.
Focus shifts to Premier League salvage job
With domestic cups already lost to Manchester City and Crystal Palace, ending the season strongly in the league remains the sole priority.
Efforts to secure a top-six finish will be hindered by an Achilles injury sustained by recent attacking recruit Hugo Ekitike against PSG.
There is a boost in attack, however, with record signing Isak returning to fitness and ready to contribute.
Despite the mounting pressure and a depleted squad, the head coach insists brighter days are ahead for the Anfield faithful.
“As I said many times, the future looks very good, especially if we can sign players after good players leaving this summer,” he concluded.
Tottenham Hotspur are holding intense negotiations to appoint former Borussia Dortmund executive Sebastian Kehl as their new sporting director amid a precarious Premier League relegation battle.
The north London club are actively seeking a boardroom replacement for Fabio Paratici, who departed for Italian side Fiorentina following the January transfer window.
Paratici had previously operated as co-sporting director alongside Johan Lange during a brief three-and-a-half-month stint.
German publication Bild reports that Spurs have now identified the 46-year-old Kehl as their primary target for the vacant hierarchy role.
Kehl brings extensive Dortmund pedigree
The former defensive midfielder boasts a rich history in Germany, having won three Bundesliga titles during a 13-year playing career.
After retiring in 2015, the German international transitioned into football management, eventually stepping up to the top sporting director position in 2022.
During his boardroom tenure, he helped construct the squad that reached the 2023-24 Champions League final before falling to Real Madrid.
Despite heavy links to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg, a move to the Premier League now appears a distinct possibility for the sought-after executive.
De Zerbi faces mounting relegation fears
An appointment in the boardroom would arrive at a critical juncture for Tottenham, who currently sit 18th in the top-flight standings.
The Lilywhites find themselves two points adrift of safety with just six pivotal matches remaining to preserve their top-tier status.
New manager Roberto De Zerbi recently suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland during his managerial debut.
That frustrating result extended an alarming winless league sequence to 13 consecutive games for the struggling side.
Senesi targeted on free transfer
Despite the looming threat of the Championship, the club remains proactive in their squad planning for the upcoming campaign.
Reports from Argentina suggest the English side are strongly pushing to secure Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old centre-back will be out of contract in June and has attracted significant interest across the English top flight.
Since arriving from Feyenoord in 2022, the South American has established himself as a vital component for the Cherries, registering 122 appearances.
Rory McIlroy has completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters at Augusta National, despite prior claims from LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch that the victory carries an asterisk.
The Northern Irishman secured his second Green Jacket on Sunday by finishing 12-under par to cement his legacy among the sport’s absolute elite.
His historic achievement follows a previous dramatic play-off triumph over Justin Rose to initially break his Augusta hoodoo.
LIV Golf absence debated
The monumental milestone has resurfaced controversial comments from Gooch regarding the overall strength of the modern tournament field.
The American golfer previously suggested that any success at Augusta would be tainted without the full participation of breakaway league players.
When the Saudi-backed circuit launched in 2021, it sparked a mass exodus of top talent and fractured the traditional golfing landscape.
“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk.” – Talor Gooch
Gooch made the controversial assertion to Australian Golf Digest, insisting that the majors must find a unified solution for qualification.
Joining golfing royalty
By capturing the title, the 36-year-old becomes only the fourth player to conquer all four modern major championships.
The former world number one joins an exclusive and historic club alongside Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods.
Despite the criticisms surrounding field depth, 10 players from the breakaway tour actively competed in this year’s tournament.
Hatton mounts late challenge
Tyrrell Hatton applied fierce late pressure with a stunning six-under-par 66 on the final day to finish at 10-under.
The English contender was ultimately left nervously watching the leaderboard as the newly crowned champion held his nerve to close out the tournament.
Elsewhere, 2023 champion Jon Rahm endured a difficult final round, stumbling to a one-over-par finish after recording three bogeys.
Vincent Kompany is transforming Bayern Munich with a fearless tactical philosophy, pushing the German champions towards another Bundesliga title and Champions League success.
The former Manchester City captain raised eyebrows when he was appointed manager in May 2024 following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.
However, the surprise move has proven to be a masterstroke for the Bavarian giants.
They currently sit 12 points clear at the Bundesliga summit as they look to retain their domestic crown.
Attention now turns to Europe, where the Munich outfit hold a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.
A fearless approach to modern tactics
While many top European sides are adopting cautious attacking setups against man-to-man defensive systems, the 38-year-old manager is fully embracing risk.
His fluid system involves all 11 players and encourages continuous positional rotation right from the backline.
This devastating flexibility was evident in their 10-2 aggregate demolition of Atalanta during the last 16 of the tournament.
Attacking midfielder Serge Gnabry frequently dropped into deep defensive areas, dragging his marker out of position and creating vast spaces for team-mates to exploit.
Earning praise from elite peers
Such innovative movement has not gone unnoticed by the wider footballing community.
“They showed us a whole encyclopedia of movement and positioning in football.”
That was the glowing assessment from Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti following the recent tactical masterclass.
Against Real Madrid in the first leg, holding midfielder Joshua Kimmich dropped deep to form a back three, easily bypassing the pressing duo of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe.
Inverted full-backs Josip Stanisic and Konrad Laimer then drew opposition midfielders infield, opening direct passing lanes to winger Michael Olise.
The talented forward was repeatedly able to receive the ball under minimal pressure and drive directly at the heart of the Spanish defence.
Life after Pep Guardiola?
The Belgian tactician’s overwhelming success in Germany is inevitably fuelling speculation regarding his future.
With lingering uncertainty surrounding Pep Guardiola’s long-term tenure at Etihad Stadium, the former centre-back is emerging as a natural successor.
For now, the sole focus remains firmly on securing a historic domestic and European double for his current employers.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces intense pressure over his future after Paris St-Germain secured a 4-0 aggregate victory to eliminate the Reds from the Champions League quarter-finals.
The reigning European champions recorded a 2-0 win at Anfield to complete a comprehensive victory over their English opponents.
Ousmane Dembele scored both goals in the second leg, perfectly replicating the scoreline from the initial encounter in the French capital.
Struggles follow historic title win
The Merseyside club now have just six league fixtures remaining to salvage their turbulent 2025-26 campaign.
Securing elite European football for next season remains the sole objective for the Dutchman, who led the team to an incredible domestic title during his debut year.
Despite a summer transfer outlay exceeding £400m, the current manager has overseen a steep decline in overall form.
Poor record in crucial fixtures
A significant factor in this difficult season has been an ongoing inability to perform against high-calibre opposition.
Aside from early victories over Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, the six-time European champions have consistently faltered on the biggest stages.
Domestic defeats to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have entirely derailed any hopes of retaining their Premier League crown.
They currently sit fifth in the table, a position that would secure top-tier European football next term due to the recent continental success of English clubs.
Managerial changes on the horizon?
A chasing pack featuring Chelsea, Everton and Brentford remain within four points of the faltering giants.
Failure to maintain their top-five status will likely force the club hierarchy to make a change in the dugout this summer.
Speculation is already mounting regarding potential successors, with former midfielder Xabi Alonso emerging as the clear favourite to take over.
Deni Avdija scored 41 points to inspire the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
The visitors trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter before rallying dramatically in Arizona.
A go-ahead three-point play from Avdija with just 16.1 seconds remaining proved decisive in a thrilling conclusion.
Jordan Goodwin had briefly restored a 110-109 advantage for Phoenix with a driving layup moments earlier.
However, the Portland forward responded with a physical drive to the basket, drawing a crucial foul while finishing the play.
Late defensive stand seals Portland progression
The Suns were given one final opportunity to salvage their evening after falling 112-110 behind.
Jalen Green failed to connect on a desperate three-point attempt to reclaim the lead for the hosts.
Goodwin managed to secure the offensive rebound but was immediately stripped of possession by Matisse Thybulle.
That vital defensive intervention from the elite perimeter defender effectively ended the contest.
Spurs await as Suns face sudden death
Portland’s reward for navigating the opening stage of the play-in tournament is a first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Phoenix must now regroup quickly to save their season in a do-or-die elimination game on Friday.
They will host the winner of the upcoming clash between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
The victor of that final fixture will claim the eighth playoff seed and advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been “reinvigorated” by Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car following his first podium finish for the Italian team, according to Nigel Mansell.
The British driver ended a 16-month podium drought by finishing third at the recent Chinese Grand Prix.
He has looked visibly more comfortable compared to his difficult debut campaign with the Scuderia in 2025.
The 41-year-old is now closely matching the pace of highly-rated team-mate Charles Leclerc under the sport’s new technical regulations.
A new era suits the veteran
Former world champion Mansell believes his compatriot could even challenge for race victories later this year.
“Lewis is fired up again. Lewis has had a brilliant career and it’s fantastic what he’s doing.”
Nigel Mansell
Mansell noted that Ferrari have done a fabulous job over the winter, placing themselves firmly in contention behind early forerunners Mercedes.
The former Mercedes star admitted in Japan that rigorous physical and mental preparation played a crucial role in his resurgence.
Overcoming a difficult transition
The sport’s most successful driver struggled to adapt during his first year at Maranello after inheriting a car designed before his arrival.
Strict budget caps prevented the team from making fundamental suspension changes to suit his specific driving style last season.
Instead, development was halted early to focus entirely on the sweeping regulation changes introduced for the current campaign.
His extensive work in the simulator has yielded a 2026 challenger that features several of his requested upgrades.
“We come to this year’s car and it’s a completely new start for everybody but we have a couple things I asked for, which I’m grateful that they listened to.”
Lewis Hamilton
He added that both he and Leclerc have tested the new components and are delighted with the early results.
LaMelo Ball scored a decisive late layup as the Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat from the NBA play-in tournament with a dramatic 127-126 overtime victory.
Miles Bridges then blocked Davion Mitchell’s buzzer-beating attempt to secure Charlotte’s first postseason home win in a decade.
The hard-fought result keeps the North Carolina franchise’s hopes alive for an eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Ball makes NBA play-in history
The dynamic point guard finished the night with 30 points and 10 assists to lead his team’s scoring efforts.
He becomes only the fourth player in league history to register at least 30 points and 10 assists in a play-in fixture.
Bridges contributed 28 points and nine rebounds, while mid-season signing Coby White added a vital 19 points off the bench.
White forced the extra period by draining a crucial turnaround three-pointer with just 10.8 seconds remaining in regulation time.
Late drama seals Miami’s fate
The visitors suffered a significant setback in the second quarter when Bam Adebayo left the court with a lower back injury.
Despite losing their star center, the Florida outfit stayed in contention through 28 points from Mitchell and 27 from Andrew Wiggins.
A frantic conclusion to overtime saw Tyler Herro convert three crucial free throws to give Miami a one-point lead with 8.7 seconds left.
However, the explosive Hornets playmaker responded instantly by driving the lane for a leaning right-handed finish.
A desperate final push by the visitors ended when Bridges spectacularly chased down Mitchell to swat away the winning attempt.
Charlotte will now travel to face either the Philadelphia 76ers or Orlando Magic on Friday as they seek their first full playoff appearance in 10 years.
Meanwhile, the defeated Heat will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.