Category: Football

Liverpool have opened talks with Jurgen Klopp’s agent about the prospect of extending the German’s stay on Merseyside beyond his current deal, which expires in 2024, in what could prove a major development.

Klopp was widely assumed to be set to leave the club upon his contract expiry, and had suggested as much to the press previously, but in the past months has appeared more keen to stay and admitted he could choose to stay ‘at the last minute… if I have the energy levels for it’.

And, following their 2-0 win over Villareal in the Champions League semi-final first leg, which saw them take another step in their chase for an unprecedented quadruple, it has been reported by multiple media outlets that negotiations are ongoing about a potential extension to the deal, that would take Klopp’s stay on Merseyside beyond a decade.

The Guardian claim that  ‘Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, has opened talks about extending Jürgen Klopp’s contract beyond 2024’ with the manager having been ‘enthused by the club’s long-term planning’ that has seen the likes of Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate join the club.

Can Liverpool win the quadruple?

Eight games. That is all that separates this Liverpool from immortality.

An FA cup final against Chelsea and a likely Champions League final against Manchester City (Though Real Madrid cannot be ruled out) seem small fry by comparison to the Premier League title, where the Reds still need to rely on Pep Guardiola’s side to slip up in their remaining five games, while being perfect themselves.

Currently, the Quadruple seems a longshot, despite already having banked one of the four trophies. But something special is happening at Anfield, and you just cannot rule it out.

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Chelsea could be on for a major midfield reshuffle this summer if the latest reports are to be believed, with suggestions that Jorginho could be seeking pastures new while Timoue Bakayoko is set for yet another return to Stamford Bridge.

The Italian midfielder, who came third in the Ballon D’or after helping his side to Champions League success and Italy to Euro 2020 success, is thought to be keen on a move away from the club which had made him their heartbeat, but now look as though they may need a different sort of operator in midfielder.

Worse still for the Blues, Jorginho’s contract expires in 2023, meaning that this summer is the last opportunity to get any return on their hefty investment on the Italian in a financial sense, though they will point to their success on the pitch as return enough.

And, as per Nizaar Kinsella, a return to Italy is the favoured outcome this summer.

‘He and his entourage want to come back to Italy, #Juventus seems to be the strongest club on him at the moment’, he told Calcio Mercato Italy.

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🎙️@NizaarKinsella to CMIT TV: “#Jorginho has a very close relationship with Thomas Tuchel but his contract will expire in 2023. He and his entourage want to come back to Italy, #Juventus seems to be the strongest club on him at the moment”

— calciomercato.it (@calciomercatoit) April 27, 2022

Bakayoko to return

And, in other Chelsea news, it seems as though Tiemoue Bakayoko could be on his way back to Stamford Bridge following yet another underwhelming loan spell in Serie A.

The French midfielder was sent on loan to AC Milan, but has not played a minute since January, with the Italian side now not obliged to buy the midfielder after failing to meet the appearance requirements.

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It looks like Tiemoue Bakayoko will be back at Chelsea after AC Milan avoided paying the obligation to buy which was activated on appearances. He hasn’t played a minute of football since January. https://t.co/tLs3gEnDBG

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) April 27, 2022

It could finally be time to cut ties with the midfielder, and accept the hefty loss on the former Monaco man, unless Thomas Tuchel sees something in him that previous Blues bosses didn’t.

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Chelsea look to have created a shortlist of centre-backs they are interested in signing this summer.

This comes with the Blues set to lose two of their main defenders at the end of 2021/22.

Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen will be out of contract at the end of June and are both expected to make the switch to Spain.

Rudiger is looking likely to join Real Madrid who, after their recent display vs Manchester City, quite clearly need some fresh legs in defence. Christensen, meanwhile, will be joining Madrid’s bitter rivals, FC Barcelona.

This leaves Chelsea with the ageing duo of Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta plus the inexperienced pair of Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah to cover three positions.

Granted, Reece James can also play as a right-sided centre-back in a three, but that then greatly diminishes Chelsea’s attacking prowess from the right.

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Chelsea eyeing centre-backs

So, it does seem obvious that Chelsea will need a centre-back or two this summer.

And now, according to Nathan Gissing, Wesley Fofana, Jules Kounde and Max Kilman are all of interest to the Blues:

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Wesley #Fofana is an option for Chelsea at centre-back. Man City, Man Utd are also interested. Real Madrid were last summer, Ancelotti is a fan. 🇫🇷

Jules #Kounde remains a key target for Chelsea.🇫🇷

Max #Kilman is a player #CFC have watched closely this season. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

— Nathan Gissing (@Nathan_Gissing) April 26, 2022

Both Fofana and Kilman have experience in the Premier League and both are accustomed to operating in a back-three.

Kounde, meanwhile, though lacking Premier League experience, is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in La Liga.

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Pep Guardiola and overthinking in the Champions League, something that has, unfortunately for Manchester City, become synonymous with the Spaniard in recent years.

There are few that would argue that Pep Guardiola is not one of the greatest tacticians of the modern game and maybe even of all time. However, when it comes to knockout football in the Champions League, the person who normally bests Pep is himself.

101 have taken a deep dive into Pep Guardiola’s biggest Champions League blunders, and you can read more about that here.

For now, though, we are focusing on how Guardiola performed in Manchester City’s first semi-final leg vs Real Madrid.

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Line-up

The first thing we will examine is Manchester City’s starting eleven on the night.

One of the most obvious signs Guardiola has overthought a game comes in the team selection.

The Sky Blues generally operate with a 4-3-3 that sees one of Rodri or Fernandinho in the holding role. However, vs Chelsea in the 2021 Champions league final, Guardiola started without a single defensive midfielder. The season before that meanwhile, the City boss switched to a back-three to match up with Lyon (who they lost to), deploying Fernandinho as a centre-back on that occasion.

Vs Madrid, though, Guardiola had to make do without Joao Cancelo (suspension) and Kyle Walker (injury).

This led to the former midfielder having to use John Stones as City’s starting right-back on the day.

As a result, though it may look like an overthinking job from Pep, City’s defence vs Madrid was pretty standard given the circumstances as he started with Ederson, Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Stones.

Midfield was also fairly standard with the favoured trio of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bennardo Silva in from the off.

Finally, Pep Guardiola opted for a front three of Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez to start on Tuesday. Again, this was a pretty normal pick from Pep. Admittedly, there could have been a case for Sterling over one of Mahrez or Jesus. However, Jesus has just scored four goals in one game whilst Mahrez has an excellent record in the Champions League over the last two campaigns.

So, from the line-up at least, Pep Guardiola did not overthink vs Real.

Tactics

Pep began the match in a 4-3-3 with Gabriel Jesus as the centre-forward, which though it seems obvious, was somewhat of a change as the Brazilian has played most of his football from the wing over the last two years.

However, barring playing Jesus through the middle, Pep made very few major tactical changes. And even Jesus being deployed up top worked out well.

When out of possession the South American and KDB formed a make-shift front-two, pressing high to disrupt Madrid’s attempts to play out from the back and find the likes of Modric and Kroos.

On the flanks, meanwhile, Foden and Mahrez stayed wide in and out of possession to stretch and press Madrid, which worked very well, especially in the first 45.

This left Bernardo Silva to drop deeper and sometimes form a midfield pivot with Rodri. This is nothing new though, as we have seen the Portuguese perform this role on a number of occasions recently. And, for the most part, it worked well, allowing Man City to bypass Madrid’s midfield either via quick passing or Silva bringing the ball from deep to start an attack.

Further back, meanwhile, Man City were set up as normal despite missing their two main full-backs.

John Stones (also Fernandinho when he replaced him) and Zinchenko looked largely comfortable moving into a midfield role to provide attacking support when needed, showcasing that, as long as Pep sticks to his normal tactics, the personnel is not the most important thing due to how well the full squad is coached.

Yes, Fernandinho did struggle to deal with the pace of Vinicius Junior, but as already mentioned, Cancelo and Walker were missing for the game and Stones asked to be brought off, leaving Pep with very few options at right-back.

He could have brought on Ake and played him out of position at right-back, but the Dutchman is not exactly known for his pace either, so it is easy to see why Pep went for the experience of Fernandinho who also provided an assist on the night.

And whilst some fans were likely not happy when Man City were only 2-1 up at half-time. That was down to the wastefulness of some City players and the sheer brilliance of Karim Benzema, rather than anything tactical from Pep.

It was a similar story at full-time. Man City probably should be taking, at the very least, a two-goal lead to the Bernabeu. But missed chances, Vinicius’ pace and a stupid decision from Laporte means that is not the case.

However, it is hard to argue that Pep Guardiola actually overthought his tactics on Tuesday.

Body language

Finally, we will take a look at Guardiola’s body language from the game.

And, whilst the City boss cut an animated figure on the sidelines for much of the 90 minutes, that is nothing new for Pep.

Amongst his most noticeable touchline outbursts vs Real came when he screamed at Mahrez for not crossing to Foden 26 minutes in, when he was booked minutes after Man City went 3-1 up, and after Laporte’s handball when the Spaniard was spotted sat on the stairs looking dejected.

As already mentioned, though, all of these actions are pretty standard for the passionate, intense, demanding manager. Even getting booked right after his team went 3-1 up is fairly normal behaviour. Pep is well known for continuing to push his side to the limit even if a game looks won and his side are dominating, with Tuesday no different.

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A fresh round of images of the jersey set to be donned by Premier League giants Manchester United in home fixtures next season have come to the fore over the last 24 hours.

The shirt in question will feature a number of alterations to the current iteration, most notably a collar lined with a series of triangle shapes along the edges.

Elsewhere, the Red Devils’ crest will be surrounded by a new-look border, in the shape of a downwards arrow.

Not only that, but Adidas’ famed trio of stripes along the shirt’s sleeves are set to be shifted from their current white colour to black, with the base of the kit also potentially in line to take on a deeper tone of red.

Check out the latest leaked pictures of Manchester United’s home kit for 2022/23 below, courtesy of the reliable Footy Headlines:

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✅ LEAKED: Manchester United 22-23 Home Kit: https://t.co/fz5DEIfy4s pic.twitter.com/zg0jCHRS3w

— Footy Headlines (@Footy_Headlines) April 24, 2022

Chelsea test

Turning attentions away from kits and back towards matters on the pitch, Manchester United, of course, are primed to return to action in just shy of 72 hours’ time.

After seeing the club’s top-four hopes dealt what is likely to prove a fatal blow at the hands of Arsenal at the weekend, the Red Devils will welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Thursday night, eyeing a return to winning ways.

Such an outcome, though, appears altogether unlikely based on form, with Thomas Tuchel’s Blues fresh off the back of four wins from five across all competitions, including a last-gasp derby downing of West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

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CHELSEA TAKE THE LEAD! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/QeHObbB3eM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 24, 2022

 

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An insight into the immediate future of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi has been provided on Monday evening.

The name of Argentine international Messi has of course taken its place front and centre in the headlines across the last 48 hours.

This comes after the 34-year-old sealed PSG’s latest Ligue 1 crown, courtesy of a stunning long-range strike during a meeting with RC Lens on Saturday night.

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LIONEL. MESSI. 💥

If anyone was going to break the deadlock it would be him! Simply MAGNIFICENT! 💫

Is that the goal that wins the title? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pLnw7ayffp

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 23, 2022

Messi’s telling weekend contribution, though, came amid what has otherwise proven an altogether underwhelming debut campaign for the veteran attacker in France.

Though reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated, with Messi having directly contributed to 22 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions, fresh failure in the Champions League saw both the South American and attacking partner in crime Neymar targeted in ruthless fashion on the part of the PSG faithful.

Reports, in turn, quickly began to spread hinting at a potential Parc des Princes exit this summer, with former club Barcelona one destination singled out as a possible landing spot.

If the latest word stemming from Messi’s home country of Argentina on Monday is anything to go by, however, then such a move, in fact, does not appear to be on the cards.

As per the reliable TYC Sports, the 2021 free agent arrival in Paris is fully intent on seeing out his terms with PSG.

With Messi having put pen to paper on a two-year contract containing the option for a third, he will therefore be going nowhere until the summer of 2023 at the very earliest.

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EXCLUSIVO: Messi no se mueve de París y está decidido a cumplir su contrato

Pese a rumores que indicaban desde un regreso a Barcelona hasta la posibilidad de un nuevo rumbo, Leo está convencido de quedarse en PSG y cumplir su vínculohttps://t.co/mxbKXQNUG8

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) April 25, 2022

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This article was edited by
Ben Browning.

A fresh update on Manchester United’s pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has emerged.

Barca are understood to have paid around £77m to bring the midfielder to the Camp Nou on the back of a starring campaign, in which he helped Ajax reach the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2019.

Since his move to Catalonia, though, de Jong has struggled to consistently showcase the abilities that made him such a desirable asset for Barcelona in the first place.

Not all of the blame can be put on the Dutchman for this, with Barcelona as a club having long been in the midst of something of a lull, with La Blaugrana now onto their 3^rd permanent manager since de Jong joined the club.

Amid all of this upheaval, it was claimed back in November of 2021 that Barcelona had put Frenkie de Jong up for sale.

Such speculation had since died down. However, reports from Spain last week claimed that Erik ten Hag wants to bring De Jong to Manchester United to be the face of his Red Devils project from next season on.

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Manchester United open to swap deal

Now, another update, this time from Spanish outlet Fichajes, has emerged regarding Man United and De Jong.

It is claimed that a swap deal could be on the cards, with United willing to allow Marcus Rashford and Alex Telles to be included in any deal for the midfielder.

Given Telles’ poor showings over the last several months and the fact United can call upon Brandon Williams to be their second choice left-back next season, letting Telles go does make sense.

However, whilst Rashford has not been at the races recently, he provides cover at both left-wing and up top – two areas United are pretty short in right now.

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Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has, this weekend, sent a clear-as-day message to the powers that be on the red half of north London.

The future of Egyptian international Elneny has of course flown somewhat under the radar of late. This comes despite the 29-year-old being primed to join the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah in departing Arsenal as a free agent upon the expiration of his contract in the summer.

Evidently, though, if Elneny has his own way, then he will in fact not be calling time on his stint in Arsenal colours any time soon.

This comes with the midfielder, hotly tipped for a move to Turkey during the January transfer window, having confirmed that he remains hopeful of extending his stay with Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Speaking to journalist Mark Mann-Bryans on the back of the Gunners’ meeting with Manchester United, Elneny revealed that, should those in a position of power at the club reach out regarding a contract extension, he would show no hesitation in committing to as much:

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Spoke to @ElNennY after the game on Saturday, he says he would sign a new deal at Arsenal even with no guarantees of first-team football:

“If Arsenal say ‘we want you’ I don’t think about leaving. It’s my family for six years. I love this club.”

— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) April 24, 2022

Red Devils downed

The latest word on Elneny’s future of course comes fresh on the back of the former Basel star playing a key role for Arsenal once more on Saturday.

Amid Thomas Partey’s ongoing absence, for the 2nd time in the space of a week, Elneny was thrown in at the deep end, handed a starting berth alongside Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park for the club’s crunch Premier League showdown with Manchester United.

And, yet again, the experienced Egyptian went on to impress, keeping things ticking over in typically neat fashion en route to an eventual 3-1 triumph.

Elneny even bagged the assist for midfield partner Xhaka’s result-clinching 3rd, guiding Arsenal back clear of north London rivals Tottenham amid the tense ongoing battle for the Premier League’s final top-four berth.

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WHAT A HIT FROM GRANIT XHAKA 💥

A moment of quality when Arsenal were looking weary…

Big, big moment. pic.twitter.com/AjubZ1P0Sw

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 23, 2022

 

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West Ham will look to add Everton and England defender Michael Keane to their squad should the Toffees find themselves relegated from the Premier League this season, with David Moyes thought to be a fan of the experienced defender.

The Hammers have been left short in central defence this season despite adding Kurt Zouma to their side in the summer. All of Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop have sustained season-ending injuries, meaning that they head into the home stretch of the season with Craig Dawson their only recognised centre back.

And, as per the Daily Star, the London club would take steps to prevent this happening again by looking to prise Keane away from Everton for a cut price should the Toffees find themselves in a sticky patch financially following relegation.

The report claims that the Hammers value Keane, who has 12 England caps to his name, at around £20 million, though with Everton’s financial woes it is unclear just how much he would actually cost.

‘He [Moyes] regards Keane, who would cost around £20m, as the right man to add much-needed cover at the back for the Europa League semi-finalists’.

West Ham in contention for European glory

West Ham and David Moyes could lift a first major European Trophy since 1964/65 should they prevail in their semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, which would set up a final against either RB Leipzig or Rangers.

It would mark a major transformation, which has seen the Hammers going from just avoiding relegation in 2019-20 to finishing in the European places for next season alongside a run in Europe of their own this campaign.

And, while question marks remain over the long term future of Declan Rice, they are certainly heading in the right direction.

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Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu has taken to social media on Saturday evening, to send a message of appreciation to the club’s fanbase.

On the back of a lengthy, and at times inexplicable spell on the sidelines, Japanese international Tomiyasu, of course, marked his return to action versus Manchester United earlier today.

Late in proceedings at the Emirates, and with the Gunners in firm control, Mikel Arteta opted to introduced the summer addition to his squad off the bench, in place of stand-in right-back Cedric Soares.

And the talented stopper’s comeback, unsurprisingly, was greeted with a warm round of cheers and applause on the part of the vast majority of those in attendance in north London.

Taking to his personal Instagram account late on Saturday night, Tomiyasu, in turn, was keen to reach out to the Arsenal faithful, thanking all involved for their ‘warm welcome’:

“I’m so so happy to be back on the pitch. Thank you very much for your warm welcome today!!! Love Arsenal”

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Xhaka rounds out the scoring

Turning attentions back towards the outcome itself, as alluded to above, it was Arsenal who ultimately emerged on the right side of the result at the Emirates this afternoon.

Goals on the part of all of Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka proved enough to guide the day’s hosts to a 3-1 triumph in north London.

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WHAT A HIT FROM GRANIT XHAKA 💥

A moment of quality when Arsenal were looking weary…

Big, big moment. pic.twitter.com/AjubZ1P0Sw

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 23, 2022

Tottenham’s ensuing stalemate with Brentford, meanwhile, means that Arsenal have now positioned themselves firmly in the driver’s seat for the Premier League’s final top-four berth, sitting two points clear of their capital rivals, and a further four ahead of Manchester United.

 

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