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Liverpool fans unhappy at fresh update

Some Liverpool supporters have been left unhappy after a new report claimed the Reds might choose not to replace Gini Wijnaldum this summer.

The Dutchman has played his last game for the Reds, following an outstanding five years at Anfield that saw him win both the Premier League and Champions League.

Not only was Wijnaldum a hugely consistent performer, but he was also rarely injured, meaning his exit to Paris Saint-Germain could leave a void in the midfield.

The hope is that Jurgen Klopp decides to sign a replacement for the 30-year-old, with Borussia Monchengladbach star Florian Neuhaus one player who has been linked with a move.

According to the Guardian‘s Andy Hunter [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, Liverpool may opt to rely on Curtis Jones to take Wijnaldum’s place, rather than bringing in a new face.

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Liverpool fans fume at update

It an update that hasn’t gone down well with some Reds fans, with a number of them taking to Twitter to voice their frustration.

“News I don’t like seeing”

Credit: @lfc_zino

“We are getting relegated next season”

Credit: @Siphele59201757

“Well, I hope all those top reds are happy. Probably got what they wanted, absolute mugs”

Credit: @david_lfc16

“Unserious club”

Credit: @plainayo

“Top Reds won”

Credit: @AverageP3rs0n

“We need to protest this, our title defence was poor and if we continue like this we won’t challenge for anything so wake up people and let’s demand better from FSG”

Credit: @MadMax_SA

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been angered by an official club tweet – read more here.

Newcastle eyeing Leeds ace Tyler Roberts

A source has claimed that Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Tyler Roberts in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Roberts ever-present in Leeds success

Roberts has been a regular presence in a Leeds United team currently in the top half of the Premier League table in their first season following promotion from the Championship.

Having played in 25 league games for Marcelo Bielsa’s side so far this term (Transfermarkt), the Wales international has certainly played his part in their fine campaign.

The Latest: Newcastle eye Roberts

As per Football Insider, Newcastle are closely monitoring Roberts ahead of a potential transfer in the summer.

He is out of contract in 2022 and is yet to agree an extension, so the Whites may view it as an ideal opportunity to cash in on him now in order to gain some value.

A source has told Football Insider that the Tyneside club are keeping close tabs on his situation at Elland Road and are weighing up a possible move for him. Leeds currently value Roberts at £10m, which should be an affordable price for Steve Bruce’s side.

The Verdict: Newcastle should keep a watchful eye

Roberts certainly seems like a player who would enhance Newcastle’s squad, and with that added experience of playing in the Premier League, he would not have to adapt to the top flight.

Also, at just 22 years of age, he will likely get even better over the next few years, with his former manager Tony Pulis labelling him a ‘very talented’ player back in March.

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His Transfermarkt) is something which could be of big concern.

The Magpies should be keeping a watchful eye on him for now, but at just £10m, he may be worth a gamble if nothing better presents itself in the market.

In other news, find out what big PIF claim has been dropped after a takeover power play.

Kane? Skriniar? How Spurs may look under Conte

Tottenham Hotspur’s manager search continues to rumble on into a second month.

Plenty of names have been linked to the vacancy during that time, though this week, Daniel Levy has been given a major boost over one mooted target.

Antonio Conte has left Serie A champions Inter Milan just a few weeks after clinching their first title in over a decade, opening the door for Spurs to strike if he’s a genuine candidate.

It has since been revealed that the former Chelsea boss would be interested in taking the job in North London, according to the Guardian.

Football FanCast have delved into the potential world of an Conte-led Spurs side next season, here’s how the XI could look, with a bit of help in the transfer market…

There are plenty of interesting storylines that could emerge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this off-season, largely because Harry Kane wants out.

Truth be told, whoever is in charge next term, he will need substantial backing in the transfer market to turn around their fortunes, so it is plausible that the club cash in on their leading talisman, in order to fund an overhaul.

Levy is under pressure to get this appointment right and the £150m sale of Kane would help matters, as bold as it sounds.

Conte’s renowned for his three-at-the-back system and that could pay dividends in England as it has done before, considering he’s won the Premier League and FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.

Goalkeeper: Lloris

Club captain Hugo Lloris still has one year to run on his current deal and is said to be in talks over an extension, so he is likely to remain Spurs’ no.1 for the foreseeable future, though a new third-choice may be needed after Paulo Gazzaniga’s exit was confirmed this week.

Defence: Reguilon, Andersen, Alderweireld, Skriniar, Celik

It could be all change in defence as this has been the one Achilles’ heel of Jose Mourinho’s tumultuous reign. As explained by The Athletic, mistakes at the back have been the defining theme of Spurs’ abysmal season.

Joe Rodon doesn’t appear to be ready, whilst Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez are the root cause of most of these errors, so both are axed. It means Toby Alderwerield is the only to survive from this term.

It’s thought that Fulham loan star Joachim Andersen favours a move to the North London giants this summer, and he could be clinched for £25m, whilst long-time target Milan Skriniar was a frequent and popular presence under Conte at the San Siro.

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Perhaps Levy can finally seal the tough-tackling centre-back with the arrival of the Italian. He could command around €70m (£60m), as per Calciomercato (via Football Italia).

Sergio Reguilon could benefit most from the change in the system, as he thrived in a similar role on his way to Europa League glory at Sevilla, where they beat Conte’s side in the final last year.

Whilst Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier seemingly have no future at the club, Levy could look to bring in Zeki Celik from Ligue 1 champions Lille, a £13.5m-rated player they have been linked with recently.

Midfield: Hojbjerg, Ndombele

The midfield pretty much writes itself barring any major changes, though the likes of Dele Alli, Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks may find it hard to feature.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele are a good mix both defensively and in attack, and they will need to do the bulk of the box-to-box work, given it’s just those two in the engine room.

Attack: Son, Belotti, Bergwijn

Levy will find it hard to properly replace Kane but he could do so in a player that Conte should know well from the Serie A, Andrea Belotti.

The prolific 27-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract at Torino, so could be available for a lot cheaper than expected, and he has been linked with interest from Spurs in the past, too.

Corriere dello Sport (via Manchester Evening News) believe that price tag may be as little as €25m (£21.5m).

All in all, Levy may well go on a summer spending spree, splashing out a whopping £120m, with around £30m left remaining, should they get what they deserve for Kane.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Spurs’ perfect Bale replacement in “phenomenal” £40m “game-changer”…

Redmond impressed for Saints against LFC

Southampton fell to a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday night, although Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were perhaps unfortunate not to take a point, as they missed some guilt-edged chances before Thiago’s late goal gave the scoreline a more comfortable look for the hosts.

Although they ended up leaving with nothing, there were some promising performances on show from Southampton’s starting eleven, with Nathan Redmond, in particular, impressing on the left-hand side.

The former Norwich City man, who joined Southampton for £10m back in 2016, has enjoyed a resurgence of form over the past couple of months, having seriously struggled to impress in the first half of the campaign.

He looked dangerous at Anfield as he regularly ran at Liverpool’s defence and caused them problems, which is when he is at his best.

As per SofaScore, the English winger would earn an impressive 7.6/10 match rating for his display, which was comfortably the best of any Southampton player who featured in the game.

Redmond would complete 37/45 of his passes at Anfield, which was significantly more than Theo Walcott on the opposite flank, who managed just 10, and it was also far more than the 22.7 passes he has averaged per game in the Premier League so far this season.

The 27-year-old was also successful in all three of his dribble attempts against the Premier League champions and created a huge chance for Nathan Tella, who unfortunately headed straight at Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

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He was certainly Southampton’s main attacking threat throughout the game, managing one shot on target and three off target during the game, and was arguably unfortunate to be on the losing side.

Therefore, you could argue that he was let down by Saints striker Che Adams, who missed two glorious opportunities in the game, most notably when Alisson gifted him the ball but he could only shoot straight at the Brazilian ‘keeper when under no pressure.

Redmond deserved something from the game but his striker’s inability to put away two great chances cost both him, and the entire Saints’ side.

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach was also complimentary of Redmond after his display, writing:

“He’s at his very best when he runs at people and he did that over and over again early on, with a fair amount of success. He was unlucky not to get an assist just before the break when he crossed perfectly onto Tella’s head – but his nod was saved.”

You could definitely argue that Redmond is close to being back to his “very best” after some impressive displays in recent months but unfortunately for the winger, his promising performance was not enough to earn Southampton a share of the points at Anfield.

And, in other news… Southampton dealt devastating transfer setback to “exciting” £9m-rated gem, Ralph surely fuming

Newcastle eyeing Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo

Newcastle United could help transform their club’s defence by signing Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo this summer.

What’s the story?

With Steve Bruce’s side having sealed Premier League safety this season, all eyes will be on how the club will look to strengthen the squad ahead of the new campaign.

And, according to The Athletic, the Magpies have got their eye on the 23-year-old Adarabioyo, with the former Manchester City defender understood to be open to leaving Craven Cottage following his side’s relegation.

The report does add, however, that Newcastle could face significant transfer competition for him from fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

Premier League proven

With the Magpies having conceded 62 goals this season in the Premier League – only Southampton and bottom side Sheffield United have let in more – it’s no surprise the club are eyeing a move for Adarabioyo this summer.

And while the centre-back might have been playing for a Fulham side that got relegated, that certainly doesn’t take away from how impressive he has been at Craven Cottage, or how good he could potentially become at Newcastle – you only have to look at Liverpool’s poaching of the Magpies’ own Gini Wijnaldum to see that there is plenty of top talent at sides who go down.

Having been described as a “high quality, class player” by his former boss at Blackburn, Tony Mowbray, Adarabioyo has got the kind of pedigree that could really help the Magpies out.

Mowbray said: “The reason we brought him was because of his attributes. He’s 6ft 5in, he’s very very quick, his distribution is as a good as any centre-back in the division.”

And, when you look at his performances this season for Fulham and compare him to what Newcastle have currently got in terms of their centre-back options, then Adarabioyo simply blows them all away.

As per Whoscored, his combination of 1.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the top-flight is better than the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez, with the latter being the only one to better his tackling stats.

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The former City starlet is also significantly better than any of Newcastle’s defensive options when it comes to playing out from the back, and even anyone in the entire Magpies squad – his 56.7 average passes per game at an accuracy of 85.9% would rank him top among all of the Tyneside club’s players.

It’s exactly why Bruce could help transform the Newcastle defence with the signing of the 23-year-old.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce is eyeing a move for this Premier League starlet…

Claim shared on potential NUFC takeover

Mark Douglas has shared a quite promising claim involving Mike Ashley after the latest round of rumours on the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Co-writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the Toon journalist has shared that the PA news agency understands that Ashley believes that the sale of the St. James’ Park faithful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group has been ‘agreed’ and that it ‘simply needs to be rubber stamped by the governing body’, ten words sure to be music to the ears of Newcastle fans.

Douglas adds that the current chief executive of Sports Direct ‘remains focused’ on selling the North East club to the KSA consortium and is currently pursuing legal routes into trying to do this after entering into an arbitration process.

Newcastle takeover hope?

While Ashley clearly remains committed to the original deal and wants to sell the Tyneside club, there is no guarantee that this will happen with the KSA group, given that a pathway is not yet cleared for the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to return to the table.

A lot may come down to whether the Magpies are successful in their pending arbitration case against the Premier League, which could provide a stepping stone for the bid to be approved.

Nonetheless, it will no doubt be interesting to see what the results of the hearing will be and thus the affect that it may have on the potential takeover of the Toon.

In other news, find out what promising claim on the potential takeover Douglas has dropped after comments from James Pallotta emerged here!

Claim dropped on potential NUFC takeover

An expert in football finance has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United involving St James’ Park.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kieran Maguire has suggested that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) may have to sell the stadium in order to avoid breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, if the deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium were to go ahead. He outlined:

“It would be challenging for Newcastle because FFP was designed to prevent another Man City.

“It will act as an anchor to slow down the speed with which Newcastle could compete with the existing elite. That’s the whole rationale behind FFP. 

“It will be frustrating but I’d imagine that Newcastle will push things to the limit if the PIF takeover does occur.

“Financial fair play is ultimately linked to profit, profit is revenue minus costs.

“It could be that the PIF decides to sell St. James’ Park and the club makes a large amount of profit on the back of that.”

Should Newcastle sell St James’ Park?

If the bid were to eventually go through, then Newcastle would no doubt have to be very careful when it comes to FFP.

The rules are in place so that they would not be able to splash out insane amount of cash straight away – essentially they can spend what they make, which may not be as much as the prospective new owners would want at first.

Nonetheless, given the history and size of St James’ Park, it would likely not go down well with the Toon Army if the prospective new owners were to sell it, unless there was a better stadium being lined up in its place.

That said, if the Magpies were to find themselves in trouble with FFP for whatever reason, selling St James’ Park would have to be considered an option in order to try to balance the books.

In other news, there has been a promising Saudi insight on the potential takeover!

Manuel Lanzini plots West Ham exit

David Moyes must look to grant Manuel Lanzini his wish of leaving West Ham United this summer, having struggled to establish himself at the London Stadium this season.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the 28-year-old intends to quit the Irons at the end of the campaign, having fallen to a fringe role under Moyes.

Lanzini has two years remaining on his current contract but hopes to secure a new challenge, with interest spread across Europe.

Paris Saint-Germain are claimed to have approached West Ham in the recent winter market to enquire over a loan deal, but were blocked as Moyes was loath to losing the Argentine despite the temporary arrival of Jesse Lingard.

Clubs in the Middle East and Turkey have also been keeping tabs on Lanzini’s situation and could formalise their interest, should West Ham make the midfielder – who Darren Bent claims has “wonderful feet” – available for transfer.

Lanzini’s long-term London Stadium future is reportedly up in the air after setting a £10m-15m asking price for the summer market, when his situation is expected to be re-assessed.

The Hammers were keen to cash in on the 28-year-old last summer as Moyes sought to freshen up his squad, and have been cited by multiple outlets as valuing the Argentine at £15m.

West Ham paid UAE club Al Jazira £9m in 2016 for Lanzini, after taking up the club’s option to buy at the end of a season-long loan. He has now played 153 times for the Irons, scoring 22 goals and setting up another 23.

Should West Ham sell Lanzini?

Moyes has rarely felt the need to rely on Lanzini at any stage this season, with the five-cap international only starting three of his 13 Premier League appearances.

Of Lanzini’s 13 top-flight outings to date this term, just two have come in West Ham’s last 10 games, while he was left an unused substitute on the other eight occasions – once more than he had been over the opening 19 games of the campaign, per Transfermarkt.

He was only called on to play the final eight minutes of extra time against Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round, too, despite starting both of West Ham’s previous ties plus all three of the Irons’ Carabao Cup fixtures.

A lack of action to that degree makes it no surprise to see claims of Lanzini wanting out of the London Stadium this summer, when Moyes must grant the playmaker his wish as the Argentine has rarely delivered when given his chance.

Lanzini scored his only goal of the season so far against Tottenham Hotspur during his first appearance of the Premier League season back in October, while providing two of his three assists in the Carabao Cup against two League One sides in September.

All the while, he is making £70,000 per week on a contract signed in 2019, which has seen the Argentine earn just shy of £2m over the 28 weeks since the season began. That equates to £653,000 for each time he has started a Premier League game or provided an assist in all competitions, or £103,000 per appearance over his combined 19 outings.

It is unsustainable to continue paying Lanzini more than the likes of Declan Rice (£60k-p/w), Aaron Cresswell (£50k-p/w) and Vladimir Coufal (£31k-p/w) when the Argentine cannot deliver on the pitch, making this summer a fitting point for West Ham to grant a transfer.

AND in other news, West Ham have set their sights on a “competitive beast” who won’t cost David Sullivan a penny

Predicted Man City XI vs Dortmund

Manchester City will be looking to continue their hopes of winning the quadruple this season as they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side take on the Bundesliga outfit in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday and will be confident of a positive result ahead of the return fixture next week.

Erin Tedzic’s side have slipped to fifth place in the Bundesliga in recent weeks after a poor run of form, and will seemingly be without Jadon Sancho for the game against the Premier League leaders.

The Citizens have won five games in a row following their surprise 2-0 defeat in the Manchester derby last month and look to have a fully fit squad to choose from for this Champions League clash.

Here’s how we think Guardiola will line his team up on Tuesday, with four changes from the side which started in the 2-0 win against Leicester at the weekend…

Ederson retains his place in goal after keeping another clean sheet in the dominant 2-0 win against Leicester last time out.

There are two changes in defence, as John Stones returns in place of Aymeric Laporte to continue his partnership with Ruben Dias in central defence, whilst the “amazing” Joao Cancelo seems likely to start after being rested against Leicester, and he replaces Benjamin Mendy at left-back.

In midfield, Ilkay Gundogan comes back in to partner Rodri, with Fernandinho dropping out despite his impressive performances of late, with the German international also sitting out the win at the King Power Stadium.

Finally, after a worryingly poor display at Leicester, Sergio Aguero is benched by Guardiola, with Gabriel Jesus replacing him up front after featuring on the wing against Brendan Rodgers’ team. That allows Bernardo Silva to come back in on the left-hand side, with Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez completing the attack.

In other news… Man City handed huge boost ahead of tonight’s clash as “perfect” Dortmund star is ruled out

Predicted Swansea XI vs Luton Town

Swansea will be looking to move into the automatic promotion spots when they take on Luton Town in Saturday’s early kick-off in the Championship.

Steve Cooper’s side were held to a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers in midweek, with Andre Ayew finding the net from the penalty spot once again, with the Swans having struggled to score from open play in recent fixtures.

Swansea are currently level on points with second-placed Watford in the table, although they have a game in hand on the Hornets.

With Norwich City running away with it at the top of the league, it is imperative that Cooper’s side pick up three points against a Luton side who are well in the bottom half of the Championship.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Cooper to set his side up against Luton on Saturday, with three changes from the team which started against Blackburn…

Despite the lack of clean sheets in recent fixtures, Freddie Woodman keeps his place in goal, and he should perhaps be confident of a shut-out against a side who have just 28 goals in the Championship so far this season.

There are two changes in defence, as after returning to the bench in recent fixtures, Ryan Bennett comes back into the side in place of Ben Cabango, with Cooper perhaps taking the opportunity for rotation amid the glut of fixtures.

Meanwhile, Ryan Manning comes in for Jake Bidwell at left wing-back, having impressed there in the 2-1 win against Stoke City recently.

There is one change in midfield as Korey Smith replaces Jay Fulton, whose ineffective display against Blackburn was characterised by a team-low 14 passes, and he features alongside the more attack-minded Matt Grimes and Conor Hourihane.

Ayew keeps his place up front but the Swans will have to start sharing the goals around more if they want to go up automatically, so Jamal Lowe will be hoping to end his rotten streak with a goal against the Hatters.

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