All posts by h716a5.icu

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed that Liverpool won't be able to sign Jude Bellingham this summer in the aftermath of their humiliating loss this weekend.

What's the latest on Jude Bellingham and Liverpool?

It was a pretty woeful outing for the Reds on Saturday as they failed to do their ambitions for the remainder of the season any favours with a limp 4-1 defeat at Manchester City.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp and co may have opened the scoring thanks to Mo Salah but that was as good as it got for Liverpool as the home team fired in four without responce to pick up all three points.

The defeat served as a reminder of just how much work the Reds need to do in the next transfer market as they look to get back to their best. Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham has been touted as a long-term target but he wouldn't have been impressed if watching on.

What's more, when asked by co-host Robbie Savage if the Englishman was likely to join Liverpool in the summer, Sutton was pessimistic with his simple answer.

Indeed, he told BBC radio show 606 (50:30): “I don't think so."

How much will Bellingham cost?

While Liverpool were once viewed as favourites to land Bellingham, a recent report by The Athletic's David Ornstein has since suggested that this is no longer the case.

Indeed, while naming Manchester City and Real Madrid as possible destinations, he wrote: "It is regarded as increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will sign Bellingham in this summer’s transfer window."

As per a report in The Sun last January, teams will have to pay around £100m up front if they want to sign him this summer, while he wages could cost in the region of £300k-p/w plus a "hefty" signing bonus.

That sort of money could be a major issue for Liverpool who currently look unlikely to finish inside the Champions League places – sitting eight with 11 games to go – and so will take a financial hit if they can't reach the top four.

After the City defeat, Klopp seemed unhappy with many senior players, saying (via Sky Sports): "Four performances were okay, the two midfielders, Hendo [Jordan Henderson] and Fab [Fabinho], worked a lot, Cody [Gakpo] and Ali [Alisson] and that is very difficult."

With that in mind, the German will likely want some key transfers this summer but it feels as though Bellingham is becoming more unrealistic by the day.

Sheikh Jassim’s second offer for Manchester United is ‘definitely going in’, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

The Lowdown: Ratcliffe’s second offer

Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are seemingly the front runners when it comes to a complete takeover from the Glazers, with both holding Old Trafford talks last week.

However, the two parties ended up missing the deadline to make a second offer for the club on Wednesday in an incredible development, asking for an extension from the Raine Group in New York. That was approved and Ratcliffe’s second offer was submitted on Thursday evening, although there is yet to be any confirmation of Jassim’s revised bid being made.

The Latest: Qatari investors

Chief Sky Sports reporter Solhekol provided an update regarding Ratcliffe’s second offer being submitted on Thursday evening. He then shared the ‘latest information’ on Jassim, stating he’s been ‘told’ that ‘the bid is definitely going in’.

‘We are now just waiting for confirmation from the Qatari’s that they have also put their bid in. The latest information I have is that the bid is ready to go.

‘They missed the deadline last night (Wednesday) as well and asked for a little bit more time. I’m being told don’t read too much into that, the bid is definitely going in.’

The Verdict: Good news

TalkSPORT suggested in the last 48 hours that the improved offers from Jassim and Ratcliffe were set to be world-record bids, worth around £5billion.

Therefore, it is good to know that another big-money proposal is still on the cards, which could result in a greater chance of the Glazers selling up completely. Plenty of United fans have wanted the current owners out for some time, with chants against the Americans at Wembley continuing during the Carabao Cup final triumph over Newcastle.

A takeover from Jassim and his delegation could have an immediate impact on Erik ten Hag as well. Previous reports claimed that the Qatari group led by Jassim wanted ‘things done quickly’ so they could help the manager in the transfer market, with reports in recent days suggesting that they are already planning a stunning move for Jude Bellingham.

Therefore, it could be just a matter of time until we officially hear confirmation of a fresh proposal from Jassim, with Elliott Management another potential rival for the Qatari group alongside Ratcliffe after they also made an offer to buy a minority stake in the club.

Arsenal's Hale End academy could have its latest prodigy in the shape of talented young midfielder Mauro Bandeira, who has been resounding in his exploits across his formative years in north London.

Having stormed into title contention this season, Mikel Arteta's Gunners are one of the most esteemed outfits in Europe at present, a newfound stature that shows little sign of crumbling given the meticulous and measured approach taken over the past few years.

Progress has not been as expeditious as certain segments of the fan base might have liked, with Arteta failing to qualify for the Champions League in any of his six seasons since signing for the club at the midpoint of the 2019/20 season, though he did glean the FA Cup that very season.

The emergence of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson, three Hale End graduates to have played an important role over Arteta's tenure, has been a staple of the current success, with the £106m-rated Saka one of the world's most coveted forwards and Nelson remarkably salvaging a vital victory against Bournemouth in the division recently; Smith Rowe has spent large portions of the term injured, but netted 11 times last year.

With this in mind, Arteta must now delve back into his formative ranks and unearth the latest gem in Bandeira, who could even adopt the beloved Aaron Ramsey's mantle in north London.

Who is Mauro Bandeira?

The dynamic central midfielder can occupy a wealth of roles in the midfield department, having also been known to play out wide and in central and wide defensive roles.

A distinguished veteran at formative level, Bandeira has made 61 appearances for Arsenal's varying youth outfits, scoring four goals and registering ten assists.

Hailed as "powerful" for his stinging strikes by journalist Layth Yousif, the 19-year-old signed his first professional contract last summer and was hailed by the club's official website as a "key player".

Should Bandeira continue his development at a rate that pushes him into senior contention, he could indeed emulate the past success of Ramsey, who made 369 displays for the Premier League giants and scored 64 goals and 66 assists, integral in winning the FA Cup on three occasions.

Once heralded as "the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League" by Steven Gerrard, who knows a thing or two about flourishing as a central engine on English soil, Ramsey has averaged 1.6 shots and 1.2 key passes over the duration of his career, as per WhoScored, illustrating an efficiency and output in front of goal, both direct and as an auxiliary presence.

Bandeira will certainly hope to reap similar rewards as his career takes flight, and the £88k-rated gem will benefit from his "lively" approach to his play, as remarked by the aforementioned Yousif.

Like Ramsey, he can gallop from box to box at high energy, with striking similarities seen in their ability to carve out chances and also find the net.

Versatility is also a key component of the Welshman's game, with his ability to play out on the flanks, as well as through the middle paying a further fact that marries the two players together.

Arsenal are now growing into a cohesive and fearsome outfit, capable of wreaking havoc on any opposition, and Bandeira will continue to ply his diligent work and await the opportune moment to unleash his skills onto the senior scene.

Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane will ‘try again’ to leave north London this summer, according to journalist Darren Lewis.

The Lowdown: Turmoil at Tottenham…

Spurs supporters are witnessing real turbulence at their club with much noise surrounding the future of manager Antonio Conte who could replace the Italian.

Conte, after his side’s 3-3 draw away to Southampton last weekend, launched an astonishing post-match to the media where he questioned the very culture Spurs, the merit of his players and chairman Daniel Levy.

Support for the 53-year-old has been thin on the ground these last few days but former Lilywhites defender Matt Doherty still believes he’s the right man for the job, stating:

“I hope he stays for a long time at Tottenham. [An] unbelievable coach and manager, he won’t say anything in the press that he won’t say to his players. He’s completely honest with his players and he has the passion for the whole club.”

Amidst this drama is also the saga surrounding Kane’s future at Spurs with the England international’s contract set to expire in 2024.

The Latest: Kane will ‘try again’ to leave Spurs…

The 29-year-old pushed for a move to Premier League champions Man City in 2021 but ultimately missed out after Levy continuously rejected Pep Guardiola’s advances.

Journalist Darren Lewis of The Daily Mirror, writing on social media, claims Kane will ‘try again’ to leave Spurs this year amid what can only be described as a real mess.

He explained:

“Conte is challenging Spurs to be better – as Redknapp, Pochettino & Mourinho did before they went. He’s reached the conclusion Carrick, Berbatov, Modric & Bale etc did before they left. Kane too – he tried to go two years ago. He’ll try again this summer.”

The Verdict: Worry for Spurs…

Kane is by some way Tottenham’s most crucial asset, scoring 21 goals and assisting two others in 28 league starts of this 2022/2023 campaign.

The England international is very likely to add to that tally, such as his quality, and he currently stands out as Spurs’ best-performing player overall by average match rating (WhoScored).

Kane has also been praised for his contribution at international level yet journalist Dom Smith believes he should get even more appreciation, calling the forward still ‘vastly underrated’ by the football world in general.

Homegrown and Tottenham’s prodigal son, Levy faces losing both quality and arguably the best player to come out of his club in the last ten years.

In his desire to win silverware and contract situation, it’s not at all surprising Kane could well be considering his options.

Glasgow Rangers Jonny McFarlane has shared an injury update from Michael Beale on Ryan Jack after the midfielder did not play at Ibrox over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Unused substitute

Jack was an unused substitute as Rangers beat Raith Rovers 3-0 in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon.

He had started their last Scottish Premiership prior to the match, prompting questions as to why he did not play a part at all at the weekend.

The Latest: Calf injury

Taking to Twitter, McFarlane has shared from Beale that Jack ‘has had a slight issue’ with his calf, and the club have been ‘managing’ him, hence why he was an unused substitute over the weekend:

“Michael Beale says Ryan Jack has had a slight issue with his calf and Rangers have been managing him. Given a well-deserved rest today.”

The Verdict: Do not rush him back

The Gers do not need to rush Jack back if he is not ready, with their next fixture away at Motherwell at Saturday lunchtime.

The central midfielder has struggled with injuries before this season, and has been fairly injury-prone throughout his Light Blues career.

Still, he remains a key player under Beale, with the manager himself admitting that Jack is among the ‘best eleven‘ players at the club.

Nonetheless, the Teddy Bears will be eager to manage his latest injury with caution, at the risk of aggravating it further and him facing a longer spell out on the sidelines.

Tottenham Hotspur’s academy production is revered across the country, having most recently earned particular praise as Harry Kane continues to smash records. The English marksman is now the club’s all-time leading scorer, having started from within the youth setup with the Lilywhites.

Whilst other products such as Oliver Skipp, Japhet Tanganga and even Harry Winks might go under the radar, they all represent capable assets who could do a job for the club or fetch them a decent sum at the very least.

However, given the precariousness of their current top-four hopes as a resurgent Liverpool are breathing down their neck, it now leaves them perhaps needing to rely on an injection of power, dynamism and hunger to come from the youth setup given this lull Antonio Conte finds himself in.

The Italian’s future has been thrown into doubt of late and his commitment to the cause questioned, so as they enter the run-in there is cause to believe that he could start making some rogue decisions to take fans by surprise.

Given the midfield vacancy left by the injured Rodrigo Bentancur, that is one such spot where the 53-year-old could spring a surprise and unleash a more unknown commodity like Nile John.

Who is Nile John?

The 20-year-old central midfielder has spent time at the north London outfit since he was seven and is billed as a skilful two-footed maestro who has impressed at every level he has featured at.

With a touch of class and plenty of attacking impetus, perhaps the youngster could prove to be the perfect partner to sit beside the ever-present metronomic general Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The 27-year-old enjoys dropping deep to dictate the play and does so with incredible proficiency. He currently boasts a 7.19 average rating in the league, underpinned by his 1.5 tackles, 1.7 clearances and 89% pass accuracy per 90, via Sofascore.

To place beside this a trickster who has featured on both wings this season could offer the perfect formula to unlocking the attacking potential of this side, which has garnered criticism for its lack of firepower despite the talent on show.

This season John boasts two goals in the Premier League 2 as he looks to build on his impressive seven-goal and three-assist campaign from the year earlier.

Clearly boasting an eye for goal too, his touch of “real quality” that football.london journalist Alasdair Gold once saw in him further sets him apart from other academy hopefuls as truly ready for the next step.

With two senior appearances under his belt already, the absence of Bentancur should see the young dynamo push to earn even more as this season reaches its climax.

Bakary Sako was once a devastating winger in Wolves’ side but his career since leaving Molineux suggests that the Old Gold got rid of the Malian at the perfect time.

Did Wolves get rid of Bakary Sako at the perfect time?

Wolves signed Sako back in 2012, with the powerful wide man arriving in a £3m deal from St Etienne, where he managed 17 goals and 15 assists in 128 appearances, including when he returned to France for the 2021/22 campaign.

Sako was an instant hit at Molineux as despite their relegation to League One, he would fire in a superb nine goals and 11 assists in just 37 Championship appearances.

The former Mali international certainly made an impression on ex-teammate Kevin Foley, who praised the winger in an interview with the Express and Star.

Foley said: “He’s brilliant. He can go by the full-backs with ease at times and I personally wouldn’t like to play against him. He’s explosive and he’s got a great shot on him.

“He’s very powerful and it’s good to have players like that at this level. He can open up gaps for other players.”

He was unsurprisingly fundamental to their promotion back to the second tier the following season, registering a phenomenal 12 goals and 15 assists in the third tier.

Sako showed no signs of slowing down upon his return to Championship football, managing another 15 goals and ten assists in the 2014/15 campaign, but it wasn’t enough for the Old Gold, as they finished outside of the playoffs on goal difference.

Wolves were understandably keen to tie Sako down to a new deal at Molineux but he reportedly demanded as much as £80k-per-week, which was unthinkable for the Midlands club before their takeover by Fosun International in 2016.

Where is Bakary Sako now?

After failing to sign a new deal at Molineux, Sako would complete a free transfer to Crystal Palace but he failed to rediscover the form he showed with the Old Gold, managing just eight goals and one assist in 54 appearances for the Eagles.

A disappointing loan spell with West Brom in the 2018/19 season saw him feature just six times, scoring once, with the Malian perhaps regretting his decision to leave Molineux given his career since then.

The 34-year-old has since played for his old club Saint Etienne and Pafos FC in Cyprus, where he registered a combined two goals in 14 appearances, before his move to Greece last summer, as he joined APO Levadiakos.

His goalscoring trend has sadly continued there, as he finds himself without a goal contribution in his first six appearances for his new side.

While Sako will be fondly remembered by Wolves fans for his performances on the pitch, he could have made himself a legend at Molineux if he hadn’t asked for an excessive wage back in 2015, although his displays since then suggest that he was certainly not worth that sort of money. Indeed, he was let go at the perfect time.

Aston Villa’s signing of Douglas Luiz looks to have certainly paid off, as the Brazilian’s market value has rocketed in his four-year spell with the Midlands club.

How much is Douglas Luiz worth?

Villa would sign the defensive midfielder from Manchester City in 2019 in a deal worth £15m, with the youngster having impressed in loan spells away from the Citizens after failing to earn a work permit during his time with Pep Guardiola’s side.

Now 24, the former Girona loanee has made 137 appearances for Villa’s first team, in which he has contributed eight goals and 13 assists, including five assists in just 23 Premier League outings so far this campaign.

This has helped him to earn a strong 6.77 average rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top flight, which ranks him as the third-best performer in Unai Emery’s squad, emphasising just how important he has become since the Spanish manager took over at Villa Park.

Under Steven Gerrard, Luiz had lost his regular starting place in the team and looked likely to complete a move away, with Arsenal reported to be extremely interested in signing the midfielder on deadline day during the summer.

However, he would later commit his future to the club in October 2022, signing a new deal until the summer of 2026, and he has been a mainstay in the side ever since.

Villa legend Gabriel Agbonlahor was full of praise for the Brazilian last year after a strong run of form, with the former England striker complimentary of the way he had adapted his game.

He said: “Douglas Luiz has been very good. He’s flying forward and getting into the box. He’s been outstanding and transformed.”

Luiz has certainly maintained that consistency from last season, as he would also earn a 6.77 rating from WhoScored in the 2021/22 campaign, and Villa fans will be hoping that he can only get better with more regular starts under Emery.

However, the Villans can be safe in the knowledge that if he ever leaves the club, they will make a significant profit on the £15m they paid in 2019.

Since joining the club, Luiz’s Transfermarkt value has shot up from €2.5m (£2.2m) to €35m (£31m), which represents a remarkable 1300% increase, so Villa deserve a huge amount of credit for spotting his talent as a youngster and helping develop him into an established Premier League player.

Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu could return to the team for today’s trip to Leeds United, Ruben Selles has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Salisu injured

Salisu has made 20 appearances for Southampton in the Premier League this season, emerging as a very important player, however he missed last week’s 1-0 victory against Chelsea.

The centre-back picked up a knock prior to the trip to Stamford Bridge, meaning he was omitted from the matchday squad, however there has now been a promising update, which indicates he could return this weekend…

The Latest: Set to return?

As quoted by Hampshire Live, recently appointed manager Selles clarified that the defender could be a part of his plans this afternoon, saying:

“We had [Mohammed] Salisu back in training this week. And we’re’ not sure that he will play but he has the option to play tomorrow and the rest of the squad is fit and ready to go.”

The Verdict: Good news

Hailed as ‘brilliant’ by members of the media, the 23-year-old has very much impressed in recent weeks, being ranked by Sofascore as the best player on the pitch against Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, despite the Saints losing 2-1.

The 6 foot 3 colossus put in a performance of a similar standard in the 2-0 EFL Cup victory against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, winning all of his aerial duels and making five clearances.

Selles’ side managed to keep a clean sheet in the Ghanaian’s absence last weekend, shutting Chelsea out to secure a vital 1-0 victory, but the new manager will still be very happy to have his first-choice centre-back available again.

Given the level of Salisu’s displays in recent weeks, it would not be a surprise to see either Jan Bednarek or Armel Bella-Kotchap drop to the bench, but it will be a tough call for Selles, after the much-improved performance last time out.

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is ‘destined to stay’ at the club beyond this summer despite recent reports to the contrary.

The Lowdown: Firmino’s contract running down

The Brazilian icon has been a wonderful player for the Reds, mastering the false nine roles and forging a legendary front-three combination with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Firmino is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of this season, however, and he has been linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter Milan in recent days, with the Italian press even believing he has been in contact with the San Siro club.

However, a new update suggests that the Reds’ No.9 will be going nowhere.

The Latest: Twist in the tale

According to FC Inter News [via Sport Witness], Inter are now unlikely to sign Firmino this summer despite their interest because he is ‘destined to stay’ put on Merseyside.

It is claimed that ‘talks’ have started between Liverpool and the 31-year-old over a new deal, with a two-year extension more likely than the three years he wants.

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Firmino isn’t quite the force he was, with age not allowing him to press as relentlessly as he once did – he averages 0.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, compared to 1.9 last term – but he remains an important player moving forward.

[freshpress-quiz id=“419074″]

For that reason, giving him a new short-term contract is an absolute no-brainer, allowing him to take up a squad role and proving to be an effective impact substitute when legs are tiring.

Some may be unhappy at Liverpool retaining an ageing player who is currently earning £180,000 per week, but he has been hailed as ‘world class’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past and squad depth is vital moving forward.

At 31, he is far from ancient, too, and there is no reason why he can’t produce many more telling contributions in the coming years, prior to leaving when his potential extension runs out.