Liverpool could further strengthen their defence and are firmly in the mix to sign one of the Premier League’s most highly-regarded defenders.

The Reds signed young French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in January for £60 million and he officially arrived at Anfield earlier this summer. He has replaced Ibrahima Konate, who joined Real Madrid after his contract expired.

Jacquet is tipped for a bright future at just 20 years of age and looks likely to partner Virgil van Dijk in Andoni Iraola’s defence. But the Merseyside outfit seems intent on adding a more experienced defender to their squad.

Liverpool Eyeing Aston Villa’s Konsa

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Liverpool are reportedly targeting Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and while he isn’t pushing for an exit, he is open to leaving Villa Park. That’s according to CaughtOffside, who claim that Arsenal are also chasing the England defender following an impressive World Cup campaign.

Konsa has been vital for Unai Emery over the years and helped the Villans win the Europa League last season. He appeared 48 times across competitions, putting in many eye-catching performances.

Villa are believed to value Konsa at £60 million, a fee that Mikel Arteta’s champions are unlikely to meet. There’s no word on whether Iraola’s Reds are willing to pay that amount, although they could be enticed by his versatility and experience.

The 28-year-old, dubbed “one of the best defenders in English football”, can play at right-back if required, a role he occasionally took on during the World Cup. He has two years left on his contract but given Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have left Villa Park, Emery may be eager to keep another of his high-profile stars.

Konsa May Be Ideal For Iraola

David Butler / IMAGN Images via Reuters

Konsa could be an excellent addition to Iraola’s squad and might be a perfect partner for Van Dijk. Liverpool have yet to find success replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold since he left for Madrid last summer.

Bringing the “excellent” Englishman to Anfield could help address that issue, as he can move to right-back while Jacquet partners Van Dijk. Iraola will want plenty of options ahead of his first campaign, which includes competing in the UEFA Champions League.

The main sticking point is Villa’s asking price, as a £60m fee might be beyond what the Reds are willing to pay. They may also have to see off competition from Arsenal, whom he is said to be “interested” in joining.

Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes are a match made in heaven. Despite retiring from wrestling in 2022, Brandi has been heavily involved in WWE for many years. She now co-hosts a podcast entitled “What Do You Wanna Talk About? With Cody Rhodes.” Her segment is entitled “A Shot of Brandi”, where she has had guests such as Chelsea Green, Bayley, and Natalya in recent times.

Cody met Brandi through his father, ex-wrestler Dusty “The American Dream” Rhodes, and both played a large role in launching AEW back in 2019.

Despite having retired from in-ring competition herself, Brandi is still a big figure within the sport, and clearly follows her husband’s career closely.

Cody Rhodes Loses at WWE SummerSlam

Screenshot via Netflix

Last night, Cody was back in action in the ring against CM Punk at SummerSlam. One of the biggest surprises of the night came when Randy Orton showed up during the half-an-hour face-off. The winner being crowned the Undisputed WWE Champion meant that both men were desperate for the win and the savage wrestling that went ahead showed that.

Unfortunately for Cody, Orton was not on his side, and instead pulled off an RKO on the 41-year-old that left him defenceless to Punk’s fifth classic GTS move of the fight.

Brandi Rhodes Not Impressed With SummerSlam Result

Brandi took to X after the fight to share her opinion on the match, and it’s safe to say she made her feelings very clear, writing: “This 💩 again 😒”

Of course, it was highly unlikely that Brandi would enjoy seeing her husband get beaten, but in a way that seemed outside his control and pretty cruel, clearly upset her.

That is wrestling, though. Surprise appearances do happen and everyone knows that. Going into this fight, Punk was already holding the title, so him being defeated would have put an end to his title reign and, despite the fact that many people do get frustrated by Punk and his ego, an appearance by Orton was celebrated by many, no matter what way the result went.

One loss does not, however, diminish the achievements that Cody has had throughout his career. Being a multiple-time world champion across many different events does not come easily and his legacy in the sport is astounding, but as the American has gotten older, many have wanted to see him step aside to give the younger, up-and-coming fighters more of the limelight.

His loyal supporters, including his wife, are still in his corner, though, and were clearly disappointed by last night’s loss. We do not know yet when he will be back in the ring, but we are sure his return will come with a vengeance.

Manchester United have reportedly made a key decision over the final midfield signing.

Having brought in Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £50million deal and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35million, United are now in the market for a third central midfielder, following the injury to Manuel Ugarte at the World Cup and the departure of Casemiro to Inter Miami after his contract at Old Trafford expired.

Midfield was the main area of concern for now permanent head coach Michael Carrick and two additions were always guaranteed, with a third a potential too.

United decided against pursuing a number of players because of finances

via Reuters

Having missed out on the likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes – who made the move to Tottenham for £100million and £85million respectively – and Elliot Anderson – who joined rivals Manchester City for £116million, things were looking bleak early in the transfer window.

United had balked at the prices for all three, refusing to get drawn into a bidding war for any player.

The deals for Santos and Tielemans were done quickly, alleviating any supporters’ concerns somewhat, but seeing rivals spend big money often leads to inevitable ‘why are we not making big moves’ questions.

Santos and Tielemans are astute signings, but they may not be the big-big-money deals supporters would have been hoping for at the end of last season.

Carrick did an incredible job picking up the pieces from the failed Ruben Amorim reign, guiding the Red Devils to third place in the Premier League table and back into the UEFA Champions League as a result.

The impressive form led to suggestions United could challenge once more at the top of the table, perhaps for the title in 2026/27. And if they are to do that they should go all out for one more midfielder this summer.

Reports have claimed that United have already made their preferred choice for that third midfield spot. Having been linked with the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Tyler Adams, Manu Kone, Carlos Baleba and Alex Scott, it appears that two standout to United chiefs – Kone and Baleba.

Club executives believe that both could be available for purchase at a reasonable price, with Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams also a potentially attainable target.

The I Paper report that a deal for Tchouameni looks to be beyond United’s reach at this stage, although that could potentially change towards the end of the transfer window.

And it is the Frenchman whom United really ought to go all out for. Carlo Ancelotti once said of the France star: “Tchouameni is a great midfielder, very focused on his work. He is an extraordinary signing.”

Tchouameni has it all. He can play in the No.6 or the No.8 role and has the ability to be box-to-box, a bit like Casemiro was for the Red Devils. He has age on his side in comparison to the departed Brazilian though and would represent a marquee signing for Carrick in the early part of his tenure.

Tchouameni possesses the quality to play in differenr roles

Sarah Meyssonnier Via Reuters

While at Monaco, before his move to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2022, a Total Football Analysis scouting report said: “The 22-year-old is very good in all phases of play, easily contributing to the attack, defence, transitions, and build-up play, as the data shows.

“Given his excellent reading of the game, technical quality and athleticism, he can break lines and create through different means from deep positions on the pitch.

“Similarly to someone like Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, Tchouameni is sometimes difficult to stop when he goes into a full run due to his physique and power.”

The now 26-year-old was integral to France’s run to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, having previously done the same on the run to the final in 2022.

Tchouameni may appear out of reach for United, but that should not be the case for a club of their stature. They should be able to go out and roughhouse any other club – even Real Madrid – into signing their players should they want them.

With Santos and Tielemans already through the door, the signing is not urgent and United can afford, on this occasion to play the waiting game. However, turning down an approach because of the inflated transfer window is not an option. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay the money and Tchouameni is definitely a player worth doing that for.