[ad_pod ]

[long_read]

Everything looks rosy at Liverpool right now. Jurgen Klopp has turned them into genuine title challengers against one of the best teams we’ve ever witnessed in Premier League history: Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City.

The Reds are also in the final of the Champions League for the second season in a row, where the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been in world-class form yet again to fire them through to the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition.

So, after this memorable campaign comes to a close, who should Klopp sell, loan out or keep? Football FanCast assesses the Liverpool squad…

[snack_break title=”Goalkeepers – Alisson Becker, Simon Mignolet, Caoimhin Kelleher”]

Alisson Becker – Keep, obviously.

Simon Mignolet – James Milner recently spoke of his admiration for Mignolet’s professionalism despite being benched in favour of Alisson. The Belgium wanted to leave back in the summer, but the Reds refused his wishes; maybe he should be granted his wish as a result of his commendable attitude.

Caoimhin Kelleher – Loan. The young Irishman is very highly rated at Anfield, but is in need of some first-team football elsewhere to truly test himself.

[snack_break title=”Full-backs – Alberto Moreno, Andy Robertson, Adam Lewis, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Clyne”]

Alberto Moreno – Out of contract in the summer, and not a big favourite at Anfield anyway.

Andy Robertson – One of the world’s best. Keep.

Adam Lewis – Klopp is clearly excited at the exciting youngster’s potential having included him in his squad for the warm weather camp in Marbella earlier this year. A loan would be a smart move for an obviously talented left-back.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – Also one of the world’s best, and a scouser. Looks set to stay for the long term.

Nathaniel Clyne – Loaned out to Bournemouth in January and could command a decent fee. Sell him and get cover for Alexander-Arnold in.

[snack_break title=”Centre backs – Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren”]

Virgil van Dijk – Arguably the world’s best defender. Do I even need to say it? Keep him and build that statue.

Joe Gomez – A fantastic young defender with incredible potential. Keep.

Joel Matip – Has shown in Gomez’s absence that he can be an excellent defender and a reliable presence; his ability to bring the ball out from the back has been impressive. He should be kept around.

Dejan Lovren – Nearing his 30th birthday and has struggled with injury problems this season. Probably best to move him on and get a decent fee for him whilst they still can.

[snack_break title=”Central midfielders – James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita”]

James Milner – Milner is almost 34-years-old, and his current deal expires in just 12 months. His leadership and versatility have been key, but it might be time to move him on now Oxlade-Chamberlain is back fit and Keita has settled.

Gini Wijnaldum – Liverpool’s unsung hero. Wijnaldum is a fan favourite at Anfield and has come up with some big moments for the club. He is also a tidy footballer who never lets anyone down. Definitely keep him around.

Jordan Henderson – Captain fantastic. Maybe in the first half of the season you could have argued that the England international should be moved on but, after a chat with Klopp, he has become a key figure in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final. Has to be kept.

Fabinho – The £39m summer signing has given Liverpool’s midfield some bite and a new dimension. The No.3 sets the tempo in Klopp’s gegenpressing system and is arguably one of the most important players in the side. A must keep.

Adam Lallana – Lallana has made just 16 appearances this season as he once again struggles to maintain his fitness. With the amount of midfielders Klopp has at his disposal, maybe it’s time for the former Southampton man to be moved on. Does he even get in the side when fully fit? Probably not.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – The Englishman’s return to action after roughly a year out was one of the moments of the season. He is a popular figure at Anfield and offers something different in midfield for Klopp. Keep.

Naby Keita – The Guinean was just starting to find his feet at Anfield before suffering a groin injury against Barcelona – Keita had three goals in six games before the incident inside the Camp Nou. After a good pre-season, he should be more like the player we saw at RB Leipzig.

[snack_break title=”Attacking midfielders and wingers – Xherdan Shaqiri, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah”]

Xherdan Shaqiri – Had a strange period out of the team after January, where he played just 40 minutes in almost three months. Showed his obvious quality against Barcelona, but there are some doubts over his work ethic. An improvement could easily be found, so Shaqiri should be moved on for a decent profit on the £13m Liverpool spent on him.

Sadio Mane – Keep. Obviously

Mohamed Salah – You’re joking right? Keep.

[snack_break title=”Strikers – Roberto Firmino, Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge”]

Roberto Firmino – Klopp’s No.1 choice for the centre-forward role and the man that makes Liverpool’s attack tick like clockwork – he must be kept.

Divock Origi – The Champions League semi-final hero, Origi’s status at Anfield has very quickly turned from bit-part player into a heroic figure. However, he hasn’t been needed for large parts of the campaign and Liverpool should use his newfound form to whack a few extra quid on his price tag and sell him on.

Daniel Sturridge – Is out of contract in the summer, and should rightly be let go. Looks a shadow of his former self.

[ad_pod ]

Reported Newcastle target Remi Oudin has spoken out about his future, and it certainly sounds like the 22 year-old could be on the move soon.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, Watford have had a £7m bid rejected for Oudin, as Ligue 1 outfit Reims are holding out for £10m.

The report claims both the Hornets and Magpies are tracking the striker, as Rafael Benitez looks to boost his attacking options.

Oudin has now had his say on the matter, as translated by Sport Witness: “At first it’s nice, but I try not to pay attention. They manage it for me.

“Later, it will be a goal to go abroad to discover another culture and another football.”

Oudin is clearly keen to test his mettle in a tougher division than Ligue 1, and he could be the perfect signing to solve something that has been a big issue for Benitez at St. James’ Park – attacking depth.

Wolves Fan TV give us their outsiders take on the turbulent situation behind the scenes at Newcastle in the video below…

3 birds, 1 stone

In Perez, Salomon Rondon and Miguel Almiron, Benitez has a genuinely dangerous front three for the first time since he arrived on Tyneside.

However, the Spaniard has absolutely no depth at his disposal, forced to call on Christian Atsu when Almiron got injured recently. Atsu has scored just eight times in 96 Magpies appearances.

Oudin is a very unique player in that he could effectively play any of the three attacking roles in Benitez’s system, massively improving the manager’s options in one quick swoop.

The 22 year-old scored 12 times and added three assists this season, spending most of the campaign in the Perez role, playing just off the right.

He also played on the left, as a number ten and as a traditional centre forward at times though, and for just £10m this versatility will certainly appeal to the Magpies.

Mike Ashley is never going to free up huge amounts of cash for any manager, so signing Oudin, a player who can fill a variety of roles, will allow the club to invest in other areas of the squad without breaking the bank.

“Pep has to say that as he hasn’t been in the Champions League final for a while.”

Those were the words of Jurgen Klopp via the Express when asked by a reporter in the build-up to Saturday’s Champions League final on what the German thought of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola’s claim that he was not disappointed to be in the upcoming European final because of his team’s Premier League title win.

It was a comment Liverpool fans thoroughly enjoyed and gave the media plenty to write about, but arrogance before such an important game can easily come to haunt Klopp and Liverpool.

After all, Guardiola might not have managed a Champions League final side since 2011, but at least the Spaniard has actually won the trophy, something Klopp will be attempting to do on his third attempt against Tottenham this weekend.

Liverpool are understandably the favourites heading into the game in Madrid. The Reds have not only faced and bested better opposition in the Champions League but have also overcome Spurs twice in the previous Premier League campaign, but to call the Reds the winners already would be silly.

We have seen the underdog in a Champions League final scrap through and come out the winning side, with Chelsea being the latest and arguably luckiest recipients of the famous trophy seven years ago after sleepwalking their to the final and then beating Bayern Munich on penalties, and there is a feeling in the air Tottenham could do the same to Liverpool.

Klopp’s dig at Guardiola might seem harmless at first, but it was a comment that can easily come around to bite Liverpool if they are not careful in Madrid.

Liverpool fans, will the Reds win the Champions League? Let us know!

أشاد جوردي ألبا بزميله الشاب سيرجينيو ديست وأقر بأن الفريق يجب أن يكون أكثر انتظامًا، متحدثًا بعد فوز برشلونة على دينامو كييف برباعية نظيفة التأهل لدور الـ16 في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ألبا أكد أيضًا أن الانتقادات التي توجه للبارسا لا تفاجئه، وتحدث جوردي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

وقال ألبا: “ديست صغير جدًا، يأتي برغبة كبيرة وهو يتناسب تمامًا مع برشلونة نظرًا لخصائصه، كما أنه يتمتع بمستوى عالٍ، وغياب سيرجي روبيرتو (للإصابة) سيمنحه عدة فرص للمشاركة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كومان يشيد بجريزمان ومينجويزا.. ويؤكد: أحببت الأداء الجماعي لـ برشلونة

ألبا كان سعيدًا أيضًا بمشاركة اللاعبين الشباب مثل ريكي بويج وألينيا ومينجويزا وكونراد وماتيوس فيرنانديز، وأضاف: “نحن سعداء للاعبين الذين لم يحظوا بدقائق كثيرة، مينجويزا جيد جدًا ولا تبدو كأنها أول مباراة له معنا”.

وعن الانتقادات للفريق، أردف: “لقد كنت هناك منذ 9 سنوات وهو دائمًا نفس الشيء، عندما لا تفوز يكثر الحديث،  لقد فقدنا نقاطًا لأننا لم نكن محظوظين، هناك الكثير من الأشخاص والعمل يجري بشكل جيد للغاية من اللاعبين والجهاز الفني”.

وأتم ظهير الفريق الكتالوني: “نرى أن الفرق الأخرى تواجه أيضًا صعوبات في الفوز في كل مباراة، لسنا وحدنا، يجب أن نكون أكثر انتظامًا حتى عطلة عيد الميلاد، لدينا مباريات يجب أن نفوز بها وسنحاول فعل ذلك”.

[ad_pod ]

Celtic are interested in signing Bolton Wanderers midfielder Luca Connell this summer, according to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

Connell’s contract at the English side expires this summer and with his team having suffered relegation to League One last season amid financial difficulties it looks like he could be set for bigger things.

The paper say Sheffield United, Norwich City and Wolves, all now Premier League outfits, are keen on signing the 18-year-old after impressing on his breakthrough to the Bolton team.

Celtic meanwhile are also interested, states the report, with cross border rules meaning they’d have to pay much less compensation than any English club vying for his signature.

Keith from C’mon the Hoops fondly remembers a true Celtic cult hero in the video below…

How talented is he?

Connell was recently called up to the Republic of Ireland squad after 12 senior appearances for Bolton in the tail-end of last season, impressing with an all-round box-to-box game that exhibited a long-range passing ability and a desire to carry the ball forward into attacking areas.

Clearly he is a talent to keep an eye on in the future and to have multiple, ambitious top-flight teams interested means scouts must see a strong potential in the player.

Where would he fit in at Celtic?

Unfortunately for Connell the Celtic midfield is absolutely jam packed right now, with regulars such as Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Scott Brown unlikely to be dropped anytime soon.

When you consider other options like Olivier Ntcham, Tom Rogic and even academy talent Ewan Henderson, there is little scope for Connell’s inclusion in more than a few games across a season.

The Bolton youngster will need plenty of games to progress and further his potential, meaning a Celtic move doesn’t make much sense for the club or the player right now.

[ad_pod ]

According to The Telegraph, West Ham United are one of the clubs interested in signing Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden this summer.

Hayden has once again reiterated that he wants to leave the Magpies, and will seemingly seek a club around the London area for family reasons.

According to The Telegraph, West Ham could make a move for a player who is valued between £15m and £20m by his current club.

Hayden has been in good form for Newcastle this term, particularly in the second half of the 2018-19 campaign.

His high-energy approach in midfield has been a major reason behind the Magpies’ surge to Premier League safety.

A number of Hammers fans have been on social media offering their views on the potential summer arrival.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

And it would be fair to say that there a lot of differing opinions.

Indeed, whilst some want their side to move for the 24-year-old ahead of the 2019-2020 season, others are simply not interested.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to the report can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

A number of West Ham United fans want forgotten man Edimilson Fernandes to be given the chance to impress for the Hammers during the 2019-20 season.

Fernandes moved to England from Sion in 2016 and has made 48 appearances for his Premier League club in all competitions.

The midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, however, ultimately being sent on loan to Fiorentina.

The Switzerland international has been in good form this term – scoring twice and contributing two assists in 28 Serie A appearances.

As it stands, the 23-year-old will return to the London Stadium this summer with the view to battling for a spot in the XI next season.

And it would be fair to say that the majority of West Ham fans are keen for Fernandes to be given the chance to prove his worth under Manuel Pellegrini.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to the 6 ft 3 midfielder’s future can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

Former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino recently claimed – whilst on talkSPORT – that Wolverhampton Wanderers Raul Jimenez was good enough to play for Liverpool.

Jimenez managed an impressive 17 goals in 44 appearances for Wolves during the 2018-19 campaign – including 13 in the Premier League as last season’s Championship winners finished seventh.

Wolves have only just activated their option to sign Jimenez – previously on loan – on a permanent deal.

As a result, the Mexican will not be going anywhere this summer.

Cascarino said that the striker is ‘good enough’ to turn out for the Reds, though, and it has thrown up an interesting debate on social media.

Indeed, the Liverpool fans have been discussing whether they would ever be open to a move for Jimenez, now 28-years-old.

Whilst some would be interested in having the Mexico international at their club, others are not so keen on the idea.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to Cascarino’s comments can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]According to The Sun on Sunday (05/05: page 59), West Brom are showing an interest in Swansea manager Graham Potter as the club steps up its efforts to bring in a permanent boss next season.

What’s the word?

Potter has been earning plaudits ever since he was with Swedish side Ostersunds. The job he did with them was exceptional, taking the club from the fourth division all the way to the Allsvenskan, the top tier of football in Sweden.

Not only that, but he also achieved victory in the Swedish Cup and took them to the Europa League, defeating Arsenal along the way.

His previous record is phenomenal, and he could now be set for the biggest move of his career if The Sun are to be believed.

Their report in Sunday’s print version of the newspaper claims that West Brom are showing an interest in the 43-year-old. However, it could take as much as £2m to prise him away from Swansea with the Welsh club laying down a marker for any team who wants to bring him in over the summer.

Albion aren’t the only ones who could make a move, though, with Celtic also monitoring the Solihull born man.

Perfect long term appointment

West Brom have lacked stability in recent years. They’ve gone through a flurry of managers without really finding someone capable of keeping them in the Premier League.

Though, with the Baggies on the verge of possibly being promoted back to the top-flight at the first time of asking, Potter would represent the perfect appointment if the board don’t choose to stick with James Shan.

He was given the reins until the end of the season but it isn’t clear what the plan of action is beyond that.

However, by appointing Potter, West Brom fans would finally have reason to praise their heavily criticised Chief Executive, Mark Jenkins, who was the topic of much debate on Twitter last month.

Jenkins could go some way to making up for past mistakes by striking gold with the potential appointment of Potter. The former West Brom player already knows the club and the way he built a legacy in Sweden should be hugely encouraging for the Hawthorns faithful.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

He stayed with Ostersunds for eight years which is somewhat of a rarity in football nowadays. With that in mind, he could be the man to really ensure Albion flourish in the years to come with a long-term vision in place.

It is probably fair to say Eddie Howe has struggled to settle on a first-choice goalkeeper at Bournemouth this season.

The Cherries boss had been alternating between Asmir Begovic and Arthur Boruc before throwing Mark Travers into the equation towards the end of the Premier League campaign, with the 19-year-old impressing in his debut against Tottenham.

Next term, however, Howe could have an undisputed No.1, with the Daily Mail reporting earlier this month that Bournemouth are planning to make a move for Stoke City’s Jack Butland.

How, though, does the England international compare to the man he could be replacing, Begovic?

Jack Butland

It has been a poor season for Butland and his Stoke team-mates in the Championship, while the 26-year-old has not always covered himself in glory after a poor start to the campaign.

Even so, Butland is still a top goalkeeper, who is too good to be playing in English football’s second tier.

The former Birmingham City man is a fantastic shot-stopper and is a No.1 who can marshal his defence well.

Had it not been for injuries, he probably would have been at a higher level right now.

But at 26, he can still get there to give Jordan Pickford a real challenge in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

TT Grade: B- Asmir Begovic

Howe would not have imagined having to chop and change keeper after Bournemouth signed Begovic from Chelsea back in 2017.

However, after error after error, Howe has had to do just that, dropping Begovic for the 39-year-old Boruc.

Too often this season the Bosnia and Herzegovina international has flapped at crosses and made the sort of mistakes someone with his experience should not be making.

He has given Bournemouth’s opponents opportunities time and again and it has cost his side.

On his day, Begovic is still a very good goalkeeper. Unfortunately for Howe, though, he has not seen enough of those days this term.

TT Grade: C- TT Verdict:

Begovic’s return to the Vitality Stadium has not worked out as planned, and now is a good time for Bournemouth to move on.

And they can do just that by replacing the former Chelsea man with his ex-teammate Butland.

The Stoke No.1 would represent a huge upgrade on Begovic; the Cherries would be silly to let this opportunity pass them by.

Bournemouth fans, who is the better shot-stopper, Butland or Begovic? Join the discussion by commenting below.