Seven-goal Liverpool, Man City target on chopping block as Euro side could achieve £100m sale
Shakhtar Donetsk are reportedly gearing up for the sale of Liverpool and Manchester City target Georgiy Sudakov, and the lowest price he can leave for has been revealed.
Four of the five biggest sums ever paid to Ukrainian Premier League sides came from Premier League outfits. The most was Chelsea’s £88million snare of Mykhaylo Mudryk, with Fred, Fernandinho and Willian all in the top five.
All of those players were sold by Shakhtar – in fact it’s nit until you reach the eighth-highest sale in the league’s history that you find a player that did not belong to the serial winners when they were sold.
It’s little surprise, with the talents available and the money regularly coming in, that they have won more than 30 pieces of silverware in their history.
They could soon sell another of their assets for a big price.
Star attacker Sudakov has bagged seven goals and three assists in all competitions so far this season, following on from a campaign in which he scored five goals and assisted 11 times.
As a result of his fine form, some top European outfits have registered an interest in him.
That includes the likes of Chelsea – where his former teammate Mudryk plays – Premier League title contenders Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal and multiple other Premier League sides, as well as clubs on the continent.
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Shakhtar gearing up for Sudakov exit
The likelihood of his exit is increasing, too.
According to HITC, Shakhtar are ‘preparing to sell’ the attacker amid all the interest in him.
Indeed, it’s stated they are gearing up for the sale which could possibly be this summer.
Sudakov has a £128million release clause, and thinking back to Mudyrk’s move just over a year ago, the club will not be afraid to demand a huge fee from a European side, whether or not they look to get the full clause amount.
It is important to note, though, that Mudryk was in slightly better form and had also shown his quality in the Champions League – a competition in which Sudakov has just one goal in 13 appearances.
Lowest price tag revealed
As such, Sudakov might be a cheaper asset than his compatriot.
The HITC report suggests any offers will ‘have to be in excess’ of £35million.
That was previously bid by Napoli and turned down by Shakhtar, so it seems clear they aren’t going to accept that.
Given the large range in prices, it likely won’t become clear what Sudakov’s final fee is going to be until bids start to come in, but a battle between a few sides would certainly be useful for Shakhtar’s chances of surpassing the sale of Mudryk.
Anything above £35million would put Sudakov’s sale at least fourth on the Ukrainian Premier League’s highest-value sales, beating Fernandinho’s move to City in 2013.
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11 players we can’t believe are playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup
Europe’s eyes may be firmly fixed on London, Madrid, and Paris, but over on the other side of the Atlantic, the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals are in full swing. And it’s getting tasty.
Columbus Crew were the first American team to reach the semifinals after beating the 2020 champs Tigres on penalties. Inter Miami or, to give them their full name, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, could join them if they manage to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in Monterrey, setting up an all-American semifinal and guaranteeing US representation in the final.
Only three American sides have ever won the CONCACAF equivalent of the Champions League: Seattle Sounders in 2022, LA Galaxy in 2000, and DC United in 1998. We’ve been waist-deep in CONCACAF all day and came across some familiar names we simply cannot believe are balling out in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean’s big stage.
Joel Campbell
This man has literally not crossed our mind for around eight years, but what a player. He’s currently plying his trade for Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense.
He and Keylor Navas dragged Costa Rica to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2014, only missing out on the semis due to a penalty shootout defeat to the Netherlands. Following that miraculous tournament, Campbell managed 40 appearances for Arsenal before the absolute loanathon that is his football career.Related video: What is Concacaf Champions Cup, and who has the best chance to win this tournament? (USA TODAY)
The Conquer Calf Champions Cup is heating up and here's
Some boy.
Sergio Canales
Canales is basically half man, half La Liga at this point, with 384 appearances to his name in Spain’s top flight. Not anymore, though, with him now doing the business for Monterrey.
Since moving to Mexico in 2023, the Spaniard has scored ten goals in 26 games, despite not being a striker. The fella is grabbing CONCACAF by the cojones.
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QUIZ: Can you name every team to reach the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup?
Salomon Rondon
Newcastle United’s 2019 Player of the Year was Rafa Benitez’s favourite. A proper target man. Perfect for a team just trying desperately to stay in the Premier League for another season.
The big Venezuelan joined Pachuca in the last dying hours of 2023 and has since scored 13 goals in 16 games. Crazy numbers. He’s top of the CONCACAF Champions Cup scoring table right now.Obviously.
Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez aka Chicharito is the poacher’s poacher. A Mexican Gary Lineker. The Guadalajara Pippo Inzaghi is back in his hometown, returning at the beginning of 2024 after leaving for Manchester United all the way back in 2010. That is a story we can get behind.
Did you know Chicharito got his nickname (Little Pea in English) not because his head looks like a little pea, but because his father was known as Chicharo (Pea, as you correctly assumed) as he had green eyes.
Now you know.
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Mauricio Isla
One of the ultimate ‘that name rings a bell’ footballers of the 21st Century, Isla was plucked from Chile aged 19 by Udinese, and spent five good years with Le Zebrette before Juventus swooped in.
You might remember him from his Premier League season at QPR, at the end of which he and the Hoops were relegated in last place despite Charlie Austin scoring 18 league goals.
Isla now bangs them in for the iconic Argentine side Independiente.
Hector Herrera
We don’t consider it a proper World Cup until we’ve seen Hector Herrera box-to-boxing the sh*t out of a group stage match for Mexico.
The Porto legend is now won’t be winning the Champions Cup this year, as his Houston Dynamo team fell to Columbus Crew in the Round of 16. Maybe next time.
DeAndre Yedlin
The rapid right-back is one of 68 players to play for both Newcastle and Sunderland, and you can bet your arse we’ll be doing a quiz on that at some point, so store DeAndre’s name in your mind palace.
Yedlin left Inter Miami, where he was (unbelievably) giving pep talks to Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba et al because he likes FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium and wants to raise his kids in Ohio. Listen, fair enough.
QUIZ: Can you name every American to score in the Champions League?
Matt Miazga
Chelsea fans might remember this fella. One-and-a-half appearances at centre-back due to injuries to John Terry and Gary Cahill, hooked at half-time of his second game, loan, loan, loan, loan, loan.
The American technically only left The Blues in 2022, and has been an ever-present for FC Cincinnati ever since. Miazga brings experience from England, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Spain, and will be hoping to get an understanding going with the aforementioned Yedlin.
Luis Muriel: Orlando City SC
For a couple of seasons, Muriel was unstoppable for Atalanta. The Colombian is sort of a home brand Ronaldo Nazario, and we mean that as a compliment. Home brand Ronaldo is better than premium Ali Dia.
Having said that, Muriel hasn’t scored for Orlando City yet, since signing at the beginning of 2024. F*ck it, we’re backing him.
Sam Surridge
Sam bloody Surridge. Unless you’re a Nottingham Forest (or Nashville) fan, there’s a solid chance you’d half-forgotten about the striker from Slough.
You’d be forgiven. Surridge scored a grand total of one Premier League goal in a combined 26 appearances for Forest and Bournemouth. In fact, the most goals he’s managed in a season, so far, is eight. Not prolific, then, but the big fella is still only 25, and hopefully Nashville can be the place where he find himself as a footballer.
Although, we’d be no good there. Barbecue food and country music every night. Trying to get p*ssed on those weird light (or lite?) beers they have over there. Would or probably just hang our football boots up and buy a pair of cowboy boots.
Roman Burki: St Louis City
The longtime Borussia Dortmund stopper is now keeping goal for St. Louis City, AKA the home of ice cream cones, Josephine Baker, T.S. Eliot, and Chuck Berry.
Bet you weren’t expecting to learn where ice cream cones first became a thing when you started reading this article, were you? Straight-up slapping you with completely useless cone knowledge right at the end of an article about the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Never let your guard down.
9 amazing footballers celebrating Eid in 2024 feat. Liverpool & Man Utd stars
Across the world, Muslims are preparing to celebrate Eid – including world-class stars from Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona.
Practising Muslims have spent the last month observing Ramadan – a period of fasting, prayer and reflection commemorating the prophet Muhammad’s first revelation – meaning some players have been unable to consume food of fluids during daylight hours.
We’ve seen Premier League matches pause to allow these participants to break their fast and we’ve compiled this list of some of the superb players preparing to celebrating Eid after the end of Ramadan.
Mohamed Salah
Arguably the most famous Muslim sportsman in the world, Salah is currently observing Ramadan – although he has not spoken publicly about his plans for fasting.
“It is not about football – you know the reality between the clubs – but as a human being I love him [Salah],” said Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure in a BBC interview last year.
“As a footballer you always want to be an example and Mohamed Salah is one of those.
“He is doing well at his club so people love him, but they also learn about his religion Islam. He is a good example for us and is perfect.
“He is good for society and if myself and my team-mates can be an example to others in the city [of Liverpool], that would be great.”
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club Mohamed Salah has scored against for Liverpool?
Achraf Hakimi
Spanish-born Hakimi is a devout Muslim. The PSG defender, often identified as one of the world’s best in his position, observes Ramadan every year.
“I think I made the decision to play for Morocco because it’s where my parents come from, how they raised me in a Moroccan, Muslim home, so I thought I’d be more comfortable playing for the Morocco national team,” he told the Bundesliga website in 2020.
Hakimi has previously admitted that Ramadan makes training and playing more difficult for himself.
“It makes things harder, I don’t deny it,” he said. “But it is an important part of my religion and culture, which I really care about. The important thing is to rest well and recover energy.”
Amad Diallo
Amad’s memorable winning goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals was even more remarkable with the knowledge it came during the Manchester United winger’s fasting period.
Extra time at Old Trafford meant his goal was scored at 6.11pm local time, seven minutes before sunset in Manchester.
Two days before the game, Amad received a pack containing a travel prayer mat, ceramic jars to put dates in honey, prayer beads, Zamzam water (sacred holy water taken from a well in Makkah) and attar perfume, an oil-based scent commonly worn by men in the Middle East.
The following week at United’s Carrington training ground, the club’s Muslim employees held an Iftar in which coaches, physios, operational staff and players attended.
It’s clear that clubs across England are increasingly aware of Ramadan and giving their players appropriate support during the holy month.
Ilkay Gundogan
Gundogan has been outspoken about his Muslim roots growing up in the German city of Gelsenkirchen and reaffirmed his strong faith with an extremely charitable donation in 2021.
Then at Manchester City, the midfielder sent over 3,000 meals to Indonesia – the country with the largest Muslim population in the world – to help those in need during the month of Ramadan.
In the true spirit of the Third Pillar of Islam, which promotes almsgiving and charity, Gundogan used his own wealth to give something back in an act of extreme kindness.
Sadio Mane
In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Mane said: “Religion is very important to me. I respect the rules of Islam and I pray five times a day, always. I won’t touch alcohol.
“There was no conflict between religion and the fact that I wanted to play football. I was brought up correctly and in the right way and my parents are proud of the fact that I am a footballer.”
Mane’s father was even the Imam of a local mosque in his home country of Senegal.
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Abdoulaye Doucoure
“I always love Ramadan,” Doucoure told BBC Sport in 2023. “Sometimes playing football has been hard because Ramadan has been in the summer and during pre-season.
“But I have always been lucky to practise Ramadan and there have never been problems with my physical condition – I am grateful for that.
“My religion is the most important thing in my life – I put my religion first, then comes my work. You can do both together and I am happy with that.
“You get so much free time so I am always able to go to the mosque to pray and to enjoy my religion when I’m at home.”
N’Golo Kante
Kante once fasted in secret at Caen in the midst of summer, according to an episode of Oh My Goal’s Soccer Stories.
“It was also really hot, so you could tell that he was suffering,” said then-teammate Jerome Rothen. “He approached me [and said], ‘Jerome, please don’t say anything. I’m asking you to do this.’
“I respected his choice …. In the end, he didn’t say a word. He did everything.”
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every French player to appear for Chelsea in the PL?
Ousmane Dembele
There was much controversy in France last month as the French Football Federation announced players serving with the national team would not receive any allowances for Ramadan.
The FFF has “invited the players to delay their fasts” while they are with the national team.
The federation has also made it clear that matches will not be stopped to allow players to break their fast, training will not be delayed, and meals will happen with everyone present.
“The pitch is not a place for the practise of religion, whatever religion that may be,” the FFF was quoted as saying. It added that according to its own regulations it is obliged to respect “absolute religious neutrality.”
Dembele is a devoted Muslim and the PSG forward always marks the religious feast of Eid Mubarak on his social media accounts.
Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger is a practising Muslim and used Chelsea’s trip to the United Arab Emirates for the Club World Cup in 2022 to underline his faith, posing in religious garments with his then team-mates.
The defender and the German Football Association (DFB) recently announced that will take legal action after the defender was linked to a terrorist organisation.
“For everyone who doesn’t want to recognise Antonio Rudiger’s Islamist greeting as an Islamist greeting,” former BILD editor Julian Reichelt commented on Rudiger’s social media post.
“The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution calls this gesture the ‘IS finger’ and sees the index finger as a clear sign of Islamism.”
Posting a photo of himself in a white robe on a prayer mat Pointing to the sky as part of a greeting for the holy month of Ramadan, Rudiger had captioned the post: “May the Almighty accept our fasting and prayers.”
