Liverpool have no shortage of star players who can pick up a goal or two, but they need strength in depth to progress.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are likely to be the stars of the show once again this season.
However, the team could be made even more dangerous with the addition of a new attacking midfielder.
Manager Jurgen Klopp is yet to recruit a replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who left Anfield to join Barcelona in January.
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Nabil Fekir was expected to take the Brazilian’s place, but by all accounts, the proposed transfer fell through.
Isco has been linked to numerous Premier League clubs before, and it is easy to see why.
The Real Madrid star has skill on the ball and can pick out a pass for his teammates from the middle of the park.
As well as playing more centrally, the Spain international can also be used on the left wing as an alternative option.
Last season, Isco struggled for game time under manager Zinedine Zidane, starting 21 La Liga matches and coming off the bench in a further nine.
The 26-year-old scored eight goals and created nine assists in 45 appearances in all competitions.
Given that Liverpool could do with an additional attacking option, is Isco the right man for the job?
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Let us know by voting below…
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”Three reasons we love to hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
Occasionally, football clubs will conduct an interview with one of their players that will allow the fans to participate.
A common approach is the Twitter Q&A, which gives supporters an opportunity to pose their own questions.
This week, West Ham United decided to call on the fans to put questions forward for Declan Rice.
The 19-year-old defence-minded player has been at the club since 2014 when he signed from Chelsea’s youth academy.
Rice made his debut at the end of last season, and in this campaign he has had more game time, making 21 appearances in all competitions, six of which have been Premier League starts.
In total, Rice, who can play at centre-back or as a defensive midfielder, has played a full 90 minutes for the senior team on eight occasions and three of those have been in the league.
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When the club’s social media team asked fans to post their questions for Rice, not all of the responses.
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It did not help that the hashtag #AskDec inadvertently encouraged supporters to bring up TV presenting duo Ant and Dec.
Below are some of the more humorous questions posed.
Depending on which British transfer nonsense publication you personally veer towards, either Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United or Manchester City are poised to sign Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
But amalgamating together the general consensus of the tabloids, it appears the Spain international’s most plausible options this summer are the Blues and the Red Devils, with both Premier League clubs in need of a top quality playmaker.
Likewise, you can understand why Barcelona might want to sell. In the new age of Financial Fair Play, nobody is indispensible, and although Fabregas’ obvious talent is undoubted, he’s failed to command a regular role in the starting XI since swapping North London for his Catalonian homeland in summer 2011.
So a Nou Camp departure and a Premier League return both look incredibly likely for the 27 year-old this summer, once the small issue of retaining Spain’s status as world champions is taken care of in Brazil. The only question remains is who should Fabregas choose? A Red Devils side caught in unpredictable transition, or a Chelsea outfit looking to improve and evolve under Jose Mourinho?
Having been courted by Manchester United for well over two years now, the natural pick would be Old Trafford. Indeed, regardless of who mans the Carrington helm, there appears to be a popular opinion in Manchester that Fabregas is the rightful successor to Paul Scholes that United have been desperately searching for over the past two summers.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
With the Red Devils’ engine room in complete disarray, the Spaniard’s mixture of fluid playmaking and regular contribution in the final third could be the perfect remedy; Fabregas averaged six goals and 14 assists per Premier League campaign during his final five years at Arsenal and has subsequently produced a similar level of output in La Liga, whilst comparatively, Marouane Fellaini, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have found just two goals and one assist between them this year.
Furthermore, with Louis van Gaal reinventing the Red Devils from the ground up, Fabregas has the opportunity to become a real hero at Old Trafford with an embedded role in the first team – at Chelsea on the other hand, he would always be just one of many cogs in a well-oiled machine.
But in order to subscribe to that theory, you’d have to ignore the obvious risk of moving to Manchester United at this exact time. Although there are certainly worse managers to put your entire faith in than van Gaal, that is exactly what the Spaniard will have to do – the footballing equivalent of a leap of faith.
Right now, United are five or six players short of returning to their former dominance and although their new manager has been tasked with the challenge of reclaiming the Premier League title next season, in my opinion it will most likely take the majority of his three-year contract to do so.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are a team on the verge of completion. Jose Mourinho recently revealed that he plans to make just two major signings this summer – one being £32million striker Diego Costa, and the other assumedly being Cesc Fabregas. The Blues fell slightly short on the domestic and European fronts this season but adding a striker and a deep-lying playmaker to their roster should in effect complete the Chelsea jigsaw, barring a few depth-adding purchases here and there – such as Atletico Madrid’s bosman-bound Tiago.
Should both of these requisites be met in the transfer market, then in my opinion at least, the West Londoners are more than ready to start challenging effectively for silverware. At 27 years of age, this will undoubtedly make Stamford Bridge a more appealing option for the Spain international. Rather than being the first brick in a long building process at Old Trafford, he could be Chelsea’s ultimate addition.
WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news
But joining the Blues would take refining Fabregas’ game somewhat. Although I lay firm in the assumption that Jose Mourinho will look to evolve Chelsea’s style of play next season into something more expansive and commendable, at the heart of it will still be the Portuguese’s defensively organised, staunchly disciplined philosophical beliefs.
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Even if the Barcelona playmaker were to compete with Oscar for the No.10 role, his current average of 1.3 tackles per match will have to improve – comparatively, the Brazilian has averaged 2 challenges per fixture this term.
Not that Fabregas is incapable of doing so – during his Arsenal days he put in a number of gritty, determined and hard-working performances, especially when deployed in deep midfield. But he would never reach the hero status that he could for Manchester United; Mourinho has chopped and changed his starting XIs endlessly this year, and Fabregas will be seen by the Chelsea boss as an addition to the squad rather than addition to the first XI. Perhaps rightly so.
So which path should the former Arsenal star choose? One offering the opportunity to be his own man, play more freely in a manner more accustomed to his natural style, but presenting the very realistic risk of limited silverware. The other boasting a greater likelihood of trophies, at least in the short term, but requiring a slight yet significant change of character.
Fortunately, it’s not for me to decide Fabregas’ immediate transfer fate. But, in my opinion, a move to Manchester United would symbolise the Spaniard following his heart. Moving to Chelsea on the other hand, would be following his head.
Mathieu Debuchy has declared his disappointment at failing to reach an agreement with Newcastle last summer, but hopes a deal can be agreed in the future, report talkSPORT.
The Premier League side trailed the right-back for the majority of the last transfer window with manager Alan Pardew making no secret of his desire to bring the 27-year-old to St James’ Park.
However, despite both player and club being keen on concluding a move, an agreement could not be reached with Lille who regard the French international as a key amber of their squad.
With the long-term of future of Danny Simpson in doubt, it’s thought that the Magpies may return with a bid this winter, and Debuchy has welcomed the speculation:
“The president (Michel Seydoux) did not want me to go to Newcastle but yes, I was disappointed,
“I hope there will be other opportunities but I’m 200 per cent committed to Lille.”
Debuchy is widely believed to be one of the finest full-backs in French football, with his attractive attacking abilities complemented by a solid reading of the game.
As a result he has attracted the attention of Real Madrid who see him as an ideal addition to their squad.
Newcastle may hold the upper hand on their Spanish rivals for his signature, with first-team football almost guaranteed in the black and white jersey.
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The presence of his former team-mate Yohan Cabaye may also be a factor in convincing him to move to the North East of England.
Heading into the 2018/19 Scottish Premiership season everyone is gunning for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
After two treble-winning campaigns, the Hoops are experiencing an unprecedented level of domestic success, but Celtic know better than anyone that they cannot become complacent if they want to lift an eighth successive league title next term.
The arrival of Steven Gerrard across the city has rejuvenated Rangers. The hype is strong and Celtic must ensure that they start the season strongly to shut down any talk of a title challenge, just like when Mark Warburton’s Light Blues were supposedly set to be big rivals to Celtic’s crown.
The early stages of the season are always tricky given they will also be fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification and long-term preparation is key if they are to fight on two fronts.
Now Celtic fans can get a much clearer picture of how the start of the season could pan out after confirmation of their first six Scottish Premiership fixtures, which you can see below…
4th August – Livingston (H)
11th August – Hearts (A)
25th August – Hamilton Academical (H)
1st September – Rangers (H)
15th September – St. Mirren (A)
22nd September – Kilmarnock (A)
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”256213″ player=”12034″ title=”Celtic’s first six fixtures for the 201819 Scottish Premiership season”]
Verdict
It’s not a completely smooth start for Celtic but it’s also not one that will particularly trouble them either. While Kilmarnock and Hearts represent tricky away days, even for the Scottish champions, Hamilton, St. Mirren and Livingston – the former pair being newly-promoted from the second division – should prove to be relatively routine affairs considering the quality and depth of Rodgers’ squad.
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Furthermore, with Rangers representing something of an unknown quantity under the instruction of Steven Gerrard, Celtic have the chance to land the first big blow in the Glasgow rivalry this season, hosting Rangers in the first Old Firm clash of the campaign. Should Celtic record another huge victory, it will put a huge dent in the Rangers psyche early in the season, which will give them a solid basis to build another treble on.
Liverpool have eased their pursuit of Roma goalkeeper Alisson due to price tag and Loris Karius’s upturn in form, according to the Liverpool Echo.
What’s the latest?
The Merseyside outfit’s goalkeeping issue has been frequently discussed among fans and pundits alike.
It is often said that a club cannot win league titles without a world-class shot-stopper in between the sticks.
Simon Mignolet was the club’s number one until the turn of the year, but he has been prone to mistakes throughout his Liverpool career.
Karius is now Jurgen Klopp’s first choice, but he too has faced criticism for some of his performances.
Roma’s Alisson has been regularly linked with a move to Anfield due to his impressive outings in Serie A this season.
With the summer transfer window being the next opportunity for business, potential targets are being mentioned in the media.
However, according to the Liverpool Echo, the Merseyside outfit will not follow up their interest in Alisson.
The publication claims that the Reds are satisfied with Karius’s recent form and are unwilling to entertain Roma’s £70m price tag.
It is believed that Roma regret selling Mohamed Salah to Liverpool for a fee of £36.9m, and wish they had asked for more, which indicates that negotiations for Alisson would be tricky.
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Are Liverpool making the right decision?
In terms of the money aspect, it does seem as though it would be tough to bring the Italian outfit down on their asking figure.
Paying £70m for a goalkeeper is astonishing, but in this market, other playing positions are catching up with attackers in terms of cost.
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For so long, Liverpool have required a ready-made world-class goalkeeper that has proven time and again to be an asset to the team.
Mignolet has not proved it, and even though Karius has made some blunders, the jury is still out.
It is the first time that the German is getting a serious run-out in the team, and in the last few games he has looked more confident.
It might be best for Liverpool to reassess at the end of the season.
When you think about the World Cup you automatically think of the best players in the world, competing against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
But there’ll be one notable absence in Brazil this summer, with Real Madrid and Wales’ Gareth Bale sitting out and watching almost all of his team mates from the comfort of his sofa in his luxury villa in Madrid.
The chances of Wales reaching a World Cup soon are slim, but that doesn’t stop the former Tottenham midfielder dreaming of representing his country at a World Cup finals at some point in his career.
“For any footballer, they would love to play at the World Cup finals and obviously it’s not going to happen for me!” Bale said.
“But it’s obviously a massive goal of mine and of the whole team and something we’re trying to achieve soon.
“Every player wants to win trophies and for me that’s the first thing I want to do, and to be able to qualify and play in the World Cup… realistically I don’t think we’d win it but it would be great just to be there to experience it and create history for our country.”
And Bale believes Wales have a chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, particularly with other top class talents in the side like Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies.
“We’ve got a great group of young players coming through at the moment and we’ve all been together for quite a few years now,” he added.
“So we’re learning all the time and working hard together and hopefully we can get that little bit of luck with injuries and stuff so we can keep getting everyone out on the pitch.
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“It’s exciting times and hopefully we can do the job on the pitch.”
//www.youtube.com/embed/Z8A20FmW4yY
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When news broke of Fabio Borini’s broken foot last week, most Liverpool fans were surprisingly accepting of the situation. There was almost an air of inevitability about it.
Following the deadline day debacle, and the fact Liverpool were entering a Premier League season with just two senior strikers available to Brendan Rodgers, it seemed almost typically inevitable and cruel that one was going to suffer a bad injury.
It’s been in keeping with the fortunes and bad luck Liverpool have endured for the past 18 months, although without meaning to be cruel to Borini, the one saving grace was that at least it wasn’t Luis Suarez (touch wood).
On the day Borini suffered his injury, I had written how the influx of young talent at Anfield had gone some way to masking Liverpool’s lack of strikers. A couple of hours later Borini broke his foot. I am just praying following the publication of this article there is no announcement regarding the health of Luis Suarez.
Liverpool do look horribly short up top now, but one thing they must not do is attempt to rush the young Italian back too quick. It has been something we have seen at Anfield in the past, and it has come back to haunt the club and the players involved later on down the line.
Gerard Houllier attempted to rush back Michael Owen from a bad hamstring injury he picked up at Leeds in 1998. Liverpool were suffering from a lack of strikers back then aswell, and the French coach was desperate for his main goal scorer to return to the fold. Owen’s lack of a full recovery programme saw him break down with the same problem time and again. How much of an effect that has had on his career will never be fully known, although I am willing to bet it’s a pretty large chunk.
Rafael Benitez endured the same predicament on a couple of occasions during his time in the Anfield hot seat. His attempt to rush back Czech forward Milan Baros during the 2004-2005 season backfired. Djibril Cisse was out for the for seeable future with a horrific leg break, so Baros remained the one available senior striker.
Benitez was desperate to get Baros back in time for the famous Champions League game with Olympiakos (‘what a hit son’, and all that.) Having been rushed back for the game, Baros limped out after 70-odd minutes and spent the rest of season playing through the pain barrier. He was in and out of the side as Liverpool regretted not allowing him a full recovery programme.
Fernando Torres was exactly the same. Having been rushed back from a hamstring injury picked up on international duty, the Spaniard continued to break down, and one could argue has not looked the same player since.
Is this just a Liverpool thing though? Those three examples does beg the question as to why the Reds always seem to be so short of strikers, and does make you bemoan their wretched luck.
But when big players suffer injuries, is there too much pressure to get them back quickly rather than wait that bit longer to ensure their recovery is complete?
Wayne Rooney was afforded the full recovery time for the nasty injury he picked up earlier in the season and has been bedded back into the Manchester United team slowly. That is understandable as United have the likes of Robin Van Persie, Danny Welback and Javier Hernandez available as cover. It all depends on your squad size and the resources available to you. And Liverpool are extremely short at the moment.
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Liverpool’s medical staff will be under big pressure to get Fabio Borini back in the fold sooner rather than later, due to the somewhat ridiculous lack of resources available to Brendan Rodgers. Whilst this is not a muscle injury that would be more complicated, it is still crucial Borini is allowed to complete the full recovery programme in order to avoid problems further down the line.
In the mean time, youngsters the like of Adam Morgan, Dani Pacheco and Samed Yesil will have to step forward. It is not ideal, but what other choice does Rodgers have?
It is crucial he does not bow to the pressure of bringing Borini back too quickly, for the player and the teams long term benefit. Liverpool have seen it happen too many times before, and you just hope the lessons have been learnt.
Tottenham fans have been reacting to the latest transfer links, after a report claimed they will finally make a formal offer for Morgan Sanson.
According to La Provence, Spurs are one of several teams interest in a summer swoop for Sanson.
The report claims Marseille are worried about losing their midfield maestro, but will not do business for less than €30m (about £26.5m).
Arsenal were also mentioned in the report, but Spurs are the team most seriously chasing his signature.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
The French midfielder, who can do a little bit of everything in the middle of the park, could be a direct replacement for Mousa Dembele, who seems almost certain to leave North London.
Valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the 23 year-old scored nine goals in 33 league appearances last season, while also averaging 1.9 tackles per game and 1.1 key passes per game.
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Spurs have been linked with the French youngster for quite some time, and the report from La Provence claims they could finally make their move in the coming weeks.
Fans are completely split on the reports, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, Manchester United are lining up a £50m summer move for Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford if David De Gea leaves to join Real Madrid at the end of the season, and Red Devils fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.
The Sun on Sunday says that United are expecting the La Liga giants to once again try and bring the 27-year-old back to Spain having targeted him on numerous occasions in recent years, and if the stopper does go then Jose Mourinho’s men already have their contingency plan in place.
They want to snap up Pickford, who has impressed following his move from Sunderland last June despite the fact that the Merseyside outfit have conceded 45 goals in 26 Premier League matches so far this term, including five in the 5-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.
Man United supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one labelled him as “overrated”, another simply said “no thanks”.