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Yesterday — 13 December 2025Main stream

Leading Liverpool target would prefer to join Real Madrid or Barcelona

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By:John Menzies
13 December 2025 at 16:05

Liverpool have stepped up efforts to sign a replacement for Mohamed Salah, with Michael Olise among their leading targets. The former Crystal Palace winger has been in sensational form since joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, and he could now be set for a return to the Premier League.

There is a lot of interest in Olise from officials at Anfield. A deal will not be cheap, but he is seen as the perfect successor to Salah, who could leave Liverpool as early as next month, now that he has fallen out with Arne Slot.

It will not be easy for Liverpool to sign Olise – not only because of the reported asking price, but the player himself may not be entirely open to joining.

Michael Olise keen on La Liga move amid Liverpool interest

Michael Olise lining up with the French national team
Michael Olise lining up with the French national team (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

According to TEAMtalk, Olise’s preference upon leaving Bayern Munich would be to join either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The 24-year-old intends to keep his options open for the future, and while he would consider a move to Liverpool, there are other clubs that could tempt him – with Chelsea also said to be one of them, given that he came through the ranks at Stamford Bridge.

Should Liverpool spent big on Michael Olise?

There is little doubt that Olise would be a fantastic signing for Liverpool, but there will be reservations about paying another £100m+ fee in 2026, given that Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have struggled since joining from Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle respectively.

It will be interesting to see how serious Liverpool are in their pursuit of Olise. In terms of competition, they would face little from Barcelona due to their financial woes, although right wing is a position that Real Madrid may seek to address – especially if Rodrygo Goes, another of Liverpool’s reported targets, were to leave the Bernabeu.

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Before yesterdayMain stream

Player’s actions in last 24 hours could open door for Liverpool transfer

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By:Mark Brus
11 December 2025 at 17:54

Liverpool may be interested in developments with Nico Schlotterbeck at Borussia Dortmund in the last 24 hours.

It seems the Germany international is now seen as increasingly likely to leave Dortmund in the summer after becoming unhappy with the club and looking for a new challenge.

That’s according to Fichajes, who claim Schlotterbeck is emerging as a target for big names like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

We’ve also recently reported on Liverpool eyeing Schlotterbeck as one of their centre-back targets, so this could mean the Reds will soon have an opportunity to move for him.

Why does Nico Schlotterbeck look closer to leaving Borussia Dortmund?

The report from Fichajes notes that Schlotterbeck did not sound at all happy with BVB last night as he criticised the performance and mentality going into the game with Bodo/Glimt, which ended as a 2-2 draw.

Nico Schlotterbeck in action for Borussia Dortmund
Nico Schlotterbeck in action for Borussia Dortmund (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

They quote him as saying: “The players who come on lose every ball. We’re playing in the Champions League. It’s far too little. We could have gotten 13 points here, and I think some weren’t aware of how important it is.”

It seems Dortmund themselves have not yet responded to this, but it all just adds to the sense that the 26-year-old will be leaving sooner or later.

Liverpool need a top defensive signing like Nico Schlotterbeck

LFC are having a difficult season and keep conceding a worrying amount of goals, so a new signing at centre-back looks essential for January, perhaps with another to follow next summer.

Ibrahima Konate is coming towards the end of his contract at Anfield, so might need replacing, while the ageing Virgil van Dijk has not quite looked at his best this season and may no longer be able to perform as consistently at the level he used to.

Schlotterbeck, by contrast, is approaching what should be his peak, and is clearly seeking a new challenge, with Liverpool surely the kind of level he’ll feel he should be playing at.

One issue, however, could be if Arne Slot’s side don’t improve enough in the months ahead to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would surely see Schlotterbeck choose someone like Bayern, Real or Barca instead.

The post Player’s actions in last 24 hours could open door for Liverpool transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Ex-Barca chief reveals they almost signed “special player” ahead of Manchester United

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By:Mark Brus
11 December 2025 at 17:26

Former Barcelona director Jordi Cruyff has admitted the club almost signed Antony from Ajax while he was there, though they instead chose to bring in Raphinha.

Antony ended up moving from Ajax to Manchester United and it’s fair to say he proved to be a major flop at Old Trafford, but he’s since revived his career in Spain with Real Betis.

It seems Cruyff remains a big fan of Antony, describing him as a “special player” on today’s episode of The Overlap.

The 51-year-old said, however, that Barca ultimately chose to sign Raphinha over Antony because of the club’s financial issues at the time.

Antony celebrates a goal for Real Betis
Antony celebrates a goal for Real Betis (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Barcelona viewed Raphinha transfer as lower risk than Antony

Barcelona have been under a lot of pressure due to the Financial Fair Play rules in La Liga, and Cruyff felt that signing Antony might be riskier than Raphinha.

Although Cruyff is a fan of Antony, he felt that if he flopped at the Nou Camp it would be hard to make any money back on him later, whereas if Raphinha struggled he would probably have suitors in England due to shining at Leeds United.

In the end, Raphinha proved a big hit for the Catalan giants anyway, so this was clearly a good decision by Cruyff and co. overall.

Antony, meanwhile, didn’t make it at United but has perhaps at least shown with Betis that he can be a top performer in La Liga.

Even if we’ll never know now, it’s perhaps a shame for Antony that he didn’t end up moving to Barcelona when they had an interest in him, as it could have been a better step for him when it came to leaving Ajax.

Many players have had a lot of joy going from Ajax to Barcelona down the years, including of course, Cruyff’s legendary father Johan.

The post Ex-Barca chief reveals they almost signed “special player” ahead of Manchester United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea eye move for Barcelona midfield gem as transfer links deepen

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By:Ahad Shaukat
11 December 2025 at 16:03

Chelsea’s recruitment drive shows no signs of slowing, with the Premier League giants now closely monitoring Barcelona’s highly rated midfielder Marc Casadó, according to TEAMtalk.

The 22-year-old has been on the radar of several top European clubs, but it is Chelsea who appear most determined to test Barcelona’s resolve.

Casadó has quietly emerged as one of La Masia’s brightest talents. A versatile midfielder with a strong tactical sense and exceptional work rate, Casadó has impressed for Barcelona’s first team and B side, often operating as a deep-lying playmaker or holding midfielder.

His intelligent positioning and sharp distribution have earned comparisons to former Barca captain Sergio Busquets, with many inside the club believing he could eventually fill that void long-term.

Barcelona could be forced to sell Marc Casadó

However, financial pressures at Barcelona could open the door to negotiations. The Catalan giants have been forced to make difficult squad decisions in recent transfer windows, and Chelsea are hoping to take advantage of that uncertainty.

The report adds that Chelsea have discussed multiple Barcelona players over the past year, signaling a broader interest in raiding the Spanish giants’ talent pool.

The Blues reportedly made an official offer for forward Fermín López last summer and held talks over centre-back Eric García.

In addition, ongoing dialogue has been maintained regarding defenders Jules Koundé and Ronald Araúj, two players the London club have admired for some time.

Chelsea hold long term interest in Barca midfielder

Marc Casado in action for Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Marc Casado in action for Barcelona vs Real Madrid (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Despite previous failed attempts to sign midfielder Marc Bernal and Casadó himself, Chelsea remain optimistic that they can persuade the young Spaniard to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

The club’s hierarchy view Casadó as a long-term investment, a player capable of anchoring their midfield for years to come under Enzo Maresca’s possession-based system.

Casadó remains committed to Barcelona, where he is pushing for more first-team opportunities.

Yet with Chelsea’s continued interest and the Premier League’s financial pull, the coming months could see the young midfielder’s future come under serious discussion.

Report: Chelsea target is looking to leave Premier League club in 2026

The post Chelsea eye move for Barcelona midfield gem as transfer links deepen appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Barcelona target “very keen” to fulfil childhood dream and join Liverpool

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By:Saikat
10 December 2025 at 20:00

Marc Guehi has been linked with a move away from Crystal Palace in recent months. 

Liverpool and Barcelona are interested in signing the player, but the defender wants to join Liverpool. According to a report from TEAMtalk, the 25-year-old defender is “very keen” on moving to Liverpool as it is his childhood dream to play for them.

The development will come as a blow for Barcelona, who were hoping to sign the player. Meanwhile, it is no secret that Liverpool need more quality in the defensive unit. The England International could improve them immensely. Ibrahima Konate will leave the club when his contract expires, and he has not signed an extension with Liverpool yet. The Crystal Palace star could be the ideal replacement for the French international.

It will be interesting to see if Liverpool can agree on a deal to sign the player in the coming weeks. There have been rumours that Liverpool could look to pay a nominal fee and sign the player in January instead of waiting until the summer to sign him for free.

Liverpool have looked quite mediocre, defensively this season, and they need to tighten up in that area of the pitch. Signing Guehi in January would be a wise decision. Liverpool have looked quite mediocre, defensively this season, and they need to tighten up in that area of the pitch. Signing Guehi could help them get their season back on track.

Barcelona will need to improve defensively as well. It will be interesting to see if they decide to move on to other targets, especially now that the 25-year-old would prefer to join Liverpool instead. The Premier League side have more financial resources compared to the Spanish champions as well. They will be the favourites to get the deal done.

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