All posts by h716a5.icu

Rangers should stop thinking about selling Alfredo Morelos and find out how to get the best out of him next season! With that in mind, signing the NK Osijek front man Mirko Maric would do just that and save the club millions.

If you recognise that strange club’s name, that’s probably because the Gers faced them in the Europa League qualifying rounds back in July and August. The Express believe Rangers and director of football Mark Allen have been scouting him ever since and are preparing a move for him this summer.

He’s the top scorer in Croatian league this season, with 17 goals in 31 appearances. He’s also made six assist too, and he could be the perfect partner for Morelos next term. He needs a striker to bounce off and this 6ft 2in striker could be just the man.

He’s just 23-years-old and that’s perfect for Gerrard as he looks to build a squad capable of fighting for major honours consistently. Clearly, there’s a problem with getting the best out of Morelos, but Maric’s link-up play could be the answer they need.

Not only is he a tall striker capable of finishing his chances, but he can create opportunities in the final third too. That’ll prevent Morelos being as frustrated as he’s been at times this campaign, and it’ll mean he’s less likely to pick up red cards along the way.

Genius stuff, right?

He’s still got three years left on his contract, but with him valued at £1.35m on Transfermarkt, he’s a player within Steven Gerrard’s budget. Indeed, he can be the man to unlock Morelos’ potential and bag goals himself, so it’s time for Allen to make a move.

Rangers fans, what do you think it’ll take to get the best out of Alfredo Morelos? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Manchester United will be looking ahead to the summer as they target a mass squad overhaul following another dismal season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, along with assistant Mike Phelan, will be tasked with shipping out the dead wood within the squad while also looking to the market to bring in players they believe will give United the best chance of success both in the coming season and beyond.

A finish outside the top four is something which is unacceptable for a club United’s size, so naturally, big names will be linked with the club in the hope those players can help turn things around at Old Trafford.

However, it’s not always the case that big names solve the problem, and one such player who falls into this category in our opinion is Barcelona man Philippe Coutinho, who has been linked with a £100m move to United in recent days.

The Brazilian, while superb for Liverpool in his previous spell in Engand, has not had it all his own way over in Spain, and he should be approached with caution by United if they are considering a move.

In a squad which already seems to have problems within the dressing room, it makes little sense to bring someone in who hasn’t seemed to fit in well with the Catalan giants, and he could well prove more trouble than he is worth.

Sure, he is a top talent, and someone who can turn a game on it’s head with a moment of brilliant, but is he really worth all the money and hassle?

United would be better suited looking at people with points to prove or real character about them. Sadly, Coutinho doesn’t seem to fit into this mould any more, meaning he is someone United should divert their attentions from in the coming weeks and months.

It’s been a long time since West Ham have had a player come through the academy and establish themselves as an important first-team member, but Declan Rice has shown everyone up this season.

The England international has had an incredible rise to stardom this season, establishing himself as the most important midfielder in the Hammers team and looking likely to be part of Gareth Southgate’s set-up for many years to come, and it’s likely to be a long summer for the youngster, who has attracted interest all over the continent.

And following the conclusion of West Ham’s 2018/19 season, Manuel Pellegrini’s comments on the 20-year-old, who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt, were a little more than worrying for fans. Speaking to the press via football.london, the Chilean said: “It is impossible to say (if Rice will stay).

“I cannot know the future. He is a player that has had a brilliant season, is 20 years old, English under 20 so he has a lot of quality, age, nationality. All of the big teams will want him. That is one thing and this other if he will stay or if he will go I cannot say in this moment.”

Teams will be looking at those comments with the ambition they can swoop Rice from under West Ham’s noses, but if there’s one player the club should be keeping hold of this summer it’s their academy star.

Felipe Anderson has posted the most impressive numbers season, sure, but without Rice, West Ham are a much worse team than without their Brazilian winger, and Pellegrini has the funds and time to be able to build the team around the 20-year-old anchorman.

A big bid for Rice might be tempting, but Pellegrini must do all he can to make sure the England international remains in east London this summer.

West Ham fans, should keeping hold of Rice be a priority? Let us know!

Obviously, West Bromwich Albion built a fairly luxurious squad going by the thinking that Premier League promotion would be guaranteed.

Well, now that the dream has come to a crashing halt, Luke Dowling finds himself in a difficult predicament.

Even after investing highly in the squad during the summer and winter transfer window, inability to even make the play-off finals has left them red-faced. The Baggies are going through an uncomfortable summer overhaul, being without a proper manager and releasing players and the latest victim to face the consequences is star striker Dwight Gayle.

Indeed, the Baggies announced (as per BBC Sport) recently that he won’t be signed permanently over the summer. Gayle’s contract is an expensive one with parent club Newcastle United, making it difficult for them to balance the finances. However, the club should also realise they wouldn’t find a clinical, hounding striker like him anytime soon.

Not pushing the boat out here could be a major mistake.

The excellent work he produced for the Baggies definitely called him to be rewarded with a permanent deal, or at least an attempt to keep him for another campaign, despite the coast. The 28-year-old bagged 24 goals in the Championship, two more than the experienced Jay Rodriguez. Moreover, his persistence and foxy nature in and around the penalty area added a cutting edge to West Brom’s attacking style.

Look at what Aston Villa did. They rolled the dice and brought in Tammy Abraham on loan after missing out last season and the 1-cap England man has led the club to a play-off final, at West Brom’s expense.

To find a striker capable of inspiring his side as Gayle did will be a tough ask. After releasing so many players, West Brom should’ve kept their marquee striker. Now they find themselves with an ageing Rodriguez and his dejected partners, which could lead to potentially dark times which lay ahead for management and the new manager.

West Brom fans, are you disappointed to see Gayle leave? Join the discussion by commenting below…

It is going to be one of their busiest and, arguably, one of Luton Town’s most important summer transfer windows in recent memory.

Graeme Jones will have his work cut out for him at Kenilworth Road next season as he will have to try and keep the Hatters in the Championship.

Mick Harford and Nathan Jones certainly impressed with what they had available to them in League One, however, England’s second tier will represent an entirely different challenge for the Bedfordshire outfit.

A number of the Luton players made a name for themselves with their performances on the pitch, however, arguably none more so than James Justin.

The versatile defender had an exceptional campaign for the Hatters and was capped off by being named in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Season after a string of impressive performances, as well as being nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Year award.

Naturally, those displays have earned the 21-year-0ld recognition from a number of Premier League outfits this summer and is thought to have attracted bids for his services.

According to Football Insider, Leicester City, Southampton, Crystal Palace and recently-relegated Fulham have joined Aston Villa in the race for Justin after the Championship play-off winners allegedly tabled a bid for him worth around £7.5million.

And, as hard as it might be to see him leave Kenilworth Road this summer, Luton must seriously consider cashing in him.

The defender has just 12 months left on his contract which can be a dangerous position to be in, whilst that amount of money could help the club with their recruitment plans.

£7.5m may not seem a lot in today’s transfer market, however, there is no doubt that figure can still help the Hatters strengthen significantly and give them a chance of being competitive (or more so) in their first year of Championship football.

It is always a good idea to keep the core of the squad when winning promotion and continue to build on it, however, accepting an offer of that sum, Luton could consider it a potential blessing in disguise.

Luton fans, what do you think the club should do? Do you think the club could benefit from receiving a large figure for Justin? Let us know below!

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According to the Daily Star, Newcastle United are lining up a £26.5m bid for CSKA Moscow defender Mario Fernandes in this summer’s transfer window.

Fernandes has scored once and contributed nine assists in 34 appearances for CSKA during the 2018-19 campaign.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian-born Russia international has made 235 appearances in total for his current club since a 2012 arrival from Gremio.

According to the Daily Star, Newcastle are confident that they will be able to agree a deal for the wing-back ahead of the new campaign.

However, it would be fair to say that the Premier League club’s fans are not buying that their team will be able to get a move over the line.

Indeed, there remains huge uncertainty surrounding the future of head coach Rafael Benitez, whilst owner Mike Ashley is not exactly a huge spender in the transfer market.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle fans can be seen below:

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It’s a stage that isn’t an unfamiliar one for a club with such an esteemed European pedigree like Liverpool’s.

The Reds have appeared in numerous European finals throughout their rich history, winning five of them to cement themselves amongst the Barcelonas, AC Milans and the Real Madrids of the footballing world.

It was the latter who Jurgen Klopp’s men faced in the Champions League final last year, where they had the chance to record a sixth European crown with victory in Kiev.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

Unfortunately, the Merseysiders fell at the last hurdle and lost 3-1 to the Spanish giants, mainly due to Loris Karius making two errors that will unfortunately live with him for the remainder of his days.

The German’s mistakes have been well documented, but what else went wrong for Liverpool that day and what do they need to work on to avoid a repeat of a similar outcome?

Firstly, just by taking a look at the WhoScored numbers from the tie, we can see that Klopp’s side were battered in terms of possession.

Madrid had 66% of the ball and practically dominated proceedings throughout; Liverpool only really troubled them at set-pieces, which is where they got their goal from in the end.

Of course, Mohamed Salah’s early withdrawal through injury killed the game and made it hard to replicate the team’s usual tempo, leading to a flat performance.

Zinedine Zidane’s men bettered Liverpool in almost every department; the Reds made seven more tackles than Los Blancos, but other than that, they were outfought all over the pitch.

The reigning champions had more corners, won more headers, had more shots, more dribbles, better passing accuracy, and more.

There are a few reasons as to why.

Other than the fact that Los Blancos had won the previous two editions of the competition and were clearly a superior side, other factors went against Liverpool.

As aforesaid, Salah’s early withdrawal was pivotal, and meant that Adam Lallana had to come in and replace him, which was never going to work – he had made just 15 first-team appearances that season.

The two are vastly different operators, with the Englishman specifically lacking pace in comparison to the Egyptian which severely affected the Reds’ tempo and their ability to hurt Madrid on the break.

And in all, compared to Zinedine Zidane’s bench, Liverpool’s was extremely weak.

Klopp’s bench was as follows:

Simon Mignolet, Ragnar Klavan, Alberto Moreno, Nathaniel Clyne, Dominic Solanke, Emre Can, Adam Lallana.

That simply isn’t good enough when your opponents have Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio on theirs.

This year, that isn’t that case as Liverpool have strengthened significantly, and will be able to have game changers such as Gini Wijnaldum, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri waiting in the wings.

Whilst that aspect has improved, Liverpool must not allow themselves to get burnt out too quickly as they did early on in Kiev, and need to be patient and trust the process.

That has been a hallmark of this season; a far more measured approach from Klopp’s side. Now it’s a matter of making sure the size of the occasion doesn’t lure them into an early burnout.

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A number of Liverpool fans have been on social media discussing the potential future of Divock Origi, who was on the scoresheet in Saturday night’s Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Origi ended the 2018-19 campaign having scored eight times in 22 appearances for the Reds in all competitions.

He struck just three times in the Premier League but netted twice against Barcelona in the second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final, before coming up with the second against Tottenham in Madrid at the weekend.

The 24-year-old played a huge role in Jurgen Klopp’s side landing the European Cup.

However, the Belgian is far from first choice at Anfield and it would not be that surprising if he moved on in search of a starting role next season.

A number of Liverpool fans are desperate for Origi to stay but others have been discussing what price would be fair for the attacker.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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According to The Independent, Unai Emery’s Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal to sign young Dynamo Dresden goalkeeper Markus Schubert.

What’s the word, then?

The 21-year-old is set to arrive at the Emirates Stadium on a free transfer this summer and he’s rated as one of the best starlet shot-stoppers in European football, per the original source.

Nothing is set in stone yet but the Gunners are already looking for clubs that would be willing to take the ‘keeper, found by Sven Mislintat, on loan next season either from the Championship or back in Germany.

Schubert is a product of Dresden’s academy and his contract at the club will run out this summer – he’s been capped at every level from under-16 to under-21 by the German national team.

Unbelievable business despite overcrowding

The signing of the hotshot Schubert on a free transfer would be an unbelievable piece of business by the north Londoners despite clear overcrowding in the goalkeeper’s position.

Should the German join the club this month he’ll be one of six goalkeepers in the first-team squad, including Petr Cech who will retire at the end of the month, and David Ospina who is due to return from his loan spell in Italy.

They include the current holder of the number one jersey Bernd Leno, Argentine Emiliano Martinez and the slightly younger duo of Matt Macey and Dejan Iliev.

The futures of the latter two are uncertain beyond the end of June with their current deals up on the last day of the month, but even if they leave Schubert will be surrounded by three goalkeepers all vying for that first-choice spot in Emery’s team.

Given this fact, it seems like this fantastic transfer makes no sense for Arsenal. However, they simply can’t afford to miss the opportunity to capture this talent for nothing.

Moving forward, if Schubert is really as good as many in German football think he is, he’ll be the future number one of the Gunners and he’ll get to learn from one of the best in the world from his nation.

That was some Premier League debut by Mark Travers between the sticks against Tottenham last month.

The 20-year-old put in a Man of the Match display as Bournemouth went on to defeat Mauricio Pochettino’s side 1-0 and really staked a claim to be the south coast club’s No.1 this upcoming season.

However, Travers has since been linked with a move to newly-promoted Norwich City (as per The Sun) despite stating prior that he was keen to remain at the Vitality Stadium.

“I want to play for this club [Bournemouth] and hopefully I can do that,” Travers told the Daily Echo. “I just want to try to have good pre-season and get in the manager’s thoughts,” he later added.

All things considered, though, a temporary move away from the south coast now looks to be in his best interest.

Bournemouth are rumoured to be looking at a host of new goalkeepers, with Joe Hart and Jack Butland said to be just two of them (also via The Sun). The arrival of either is almost certain to limit Travers’ game time in the upcoming campaign.

And if that Tottenham game was anything to go by, the Republic of Ireland youth international is too good to be sitting on the bench.

Furthermore, Eddie Howe should seriously consider loaning out his young and talented shot-stopper if he goes through with buying a new No.1 this summer.

Bournemouth fans, should Travers be sent out on loan? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!