All posts by n8rngtd.top

Whenever he’s needed them the most, Liverpool’s midfield have turned up big for Jurgen Klopp this season.

However, injury problems, lapses in consistency and creativity issue have plagued them from being as good as the scintillating front-three. Indeed, while it seems fairly churlish to criticise them after THAT performance against Barcelona, imagine how good their campaign could have been if there was a touch more in their engine room.

While Klopp definitely has some hard-working players at his disposal, the midfield is an area he wants to further stack up in order to attain a world-class reputation. According to reports from EuroUnited (via Daily Star), the Reds are closing on Olympique Lyonnais’ Tanguy Ndombele after a contractual agreement was reportedly reached.

Excitingly, the French midfielder’s been in blistering form this season, ripping apart opposition in the midfield battle. Particularly Manchester City in the Champions League, which is always likely to stand him in good stead on Merseyside.

Indeed, the 23-year-old’s been a shining light in Lyon’s midfield, doing almost everything by himself to dominate oppositions. He’s been a workhorse, helped control games and also deliver lethal forward balls whenever required to help his side prevail. Ndombele’s recorded six assists from a deep position in midfield, while also recording 1.9 tackles, 1.4 key passes and 89.4% passing accuracy (stats via WhoScored) per game.

Pretty perfect stuff, right?

He’s a crucial reason for Lyon’s success and a standout among their multi-talented core. Ndombele the all-in-one package who possesses all the attributes which make comprises of Liverpool’s midfield. He’s energetic like Henderson, defensively savvy or a master of conserved distribution like Fabinho, while can also stride forward with intent like Georginio Wijnaldum.

Yes, the reports may be a little premature but, as one of the best midfielders in Europe, it’s time to take the notion of his arrival at Anfield seriously. He’s simply that good.

Ndombele can spark up Liverpool’s midfield, stacking them with bundles of energy and a relentless presence akin to N’Golo Kante. All in all, he’d add another dimension to their unsustainable style, helping Liverpool dominate games with an iron fist if Klopp can lure him to Anfield anytime soon.

Liverpool fans, would you be happy with N’Dombele’s potential arrival this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Sunday is the day of reckoning for Liverpool. The title is out of their hands but they can still win it should Manchester City slip up against Brighton.

It’s difficult to see Pep Guardiola’s side doing so but the Anfield faithful can still dream.

However, they take on a Wolves side who have been excellent against the top clubs this season so things won’t necessarily be straight forward. Nuno Santo’s men can’t finish any higher or lower than seventh spot but it’s highly unlikely they’ll roll over for Jurgen Klopp this weekend.

What history tells us

Recent matches between the two teams make it quite hard to predict who will win, especially given the fact Wolves have taken 16 points from the Premier League’s top six this term.

The Midlands club have won two of their last three meetings with Liverpool, winning two FA Cup ties either side of a league affair in December 2018.

When the two teams last met back in January goals from Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, either side of a strike from Divock Origi, settled the spoils for Wolves.

However, given the fact the title is on the line, you’d imagine the visitors to Anfield this weekend will find life far tougher than during that victory.

Key battle

Trent Alexander-Arnold has had a wonderful season for Liverpool which was topped off with a genius assist against Barcelona in midweek, laying the ball into Origi for the club’s fourth goal.

He has been nothing short of sensational and his place in the PFA Team of the Year was fully deserved.

However, his spot could easily have gone to Matt Doherty too. Playing at right-wing back for Wolves he’s been fantastic in both the attacking and defensive phases of play.

The Irishman has been a major part of Nuno’s system but this could be his most difficult match yet when he comes up against the mercurial Sadio Mane.

Ref in focus – Martin Atkinson

Boasting a home win bias of just 29%, the omens may not be in favour of Liverpool going into this tie. Considering how good Wolves have been against the sides in the top half of the table this could make their chances of winning the title even slimmer.

Judging by Atkinson’s stats there is unlikely to be too much drama by the way of decisions. He’s as low down as 13th in terms of both red cards and penalties given this season out of 18 referees.

The 48-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s top officials for a number of years now and this will be his fifth visit to Anfield in 2018/19. He last took charge of a game there in March when the Reds beat Tottenham 2-1. Only one yellow card was handed out on that occasion.

Team news and predicted line-ups

Liverpool have had a number of injury concerns ahead of their final Premier League match of the season.

Mo Salah missed their incredible win over Barcelona in midweek but is set to be fit this weekend. Jordan Henderson had been a doubt but has overcome a knee injury sustained in the first half last Tuesday.

Andy Robertson was substituted at half-time in the same match and, as a result, is a doubt for Sunday afternoon’s visit of Wolves. However, Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he should be fine to start today.

Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are further doubts.

Definitely ruled out are midfield duo Adam Lallana and Naby Keita.

For Wolves, they remarkably have a clean bill of health. They’ve rarely been affected by injuries at all this season and that is again the case as they close out their campaign in Merseyside.

That means that Nuno will likely opt for a full-strength side despite giving minutes to Max Kilman and Will Norris late on against Fulham.

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Leeds will be headed into the playoff final second leg against Derby without Kemar Roofe after it was revealed a calf problem will cause him to miss the game.

If he is able to return for the final at Wembley he must start, but that isn’t to say Patrick Bamford shouldn’t as well.

Roofe would’ve played

Despite Bamford’s impeccable minutes-to-goals ratio in the Championship this season, Roofe would have been set to retain his starting spot in Wednesday’s game at Elland Road.

The 26-year-old netted in the first leg of the tie, taking his record against Derby County this season to four goals in three games.

Leeds’ top scorer seems to have the Rams’ number this season but injury has seen him ruled out of the second leg, although Bielsa didn’t rule him out of the final.

Start them both in the final

Playoffs often come down to who wants it more, and Bamford has the motivation to get one over the Whites’ potential final opponents Aston Villa.

The former Middlesbrough man was banned for two games after an altercation between Leeds and Villa players, and there may be no better team for Bamford to start against.

Although if Roofe is back from injury he can also be utilised as a number 10, and with Tyler Roberts also out injured there is a spot to fill as an attacking midfielder.

During his last appearance as an attacking midfielder the striker picked up an injury that would see him miss almost six weeks of action, but during Leeds’ 2-1 win against Swansea, the former West Brom man looked like he was enjoying playing in that position.

Bielsa has a great chance to take advantage of Bamford’s extra incentive against Aston Villa whilst not losing Roofe’s influence on the pitch.

It is unknown whether or not Leeds’ number seven will be back for the final but if he is both men should start, with Roofe playing behind Bamford as he did earlier in the season.

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According to The Express, Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon ‘dreams’ of a move to Liverpool despite reported interest from Manchester United.

United are believed to have approached Fulham with the view to potentially signing Sessegnon in this summer’s transfer window.

However, The Express have claimed that Liverpool could scupper the deal as the 19-year-old is a boyhood fan of the Merseyside giants and ‘dreams’ of a switch to Anfield.

Sessegnon was excellent for the Cottagers during their 2017-18 Championship campaign, which ended with promotion to the Premier League.

The teenager was also a regular for the capital side during the recent season – playing in all but three of their 38 Premier League matches.

It does appear that Sessegnon will be leaving Craven Cottage this summer, reportedly for around £40m.

And the Liverpool fans have been reacting to the report claiming their club could potentially be the player’s preferred destination ahead of bitter rivals United, as well as the alleged price-tag.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Newcastle United head into the summer with the usual questions surrounding the club in relation to their manager and any potential summer signings.

Rafa Benitez once again did a superb job to see the Magpies avoid any relegation threat in the Premier League, and he deserves the backing this summer to try and progress the club further forward.

However, key to Benitez being able to move forward will also be keeping hold of some of the club’s top talents, and that includes midfielder Sean Longstaff, who was a revelation late in the season before picking up an injury which curtailed his progress.

Longstaff though has done enough in that time to attract glance from some of the top clubs, including Manchester United, with Newcastle reportedly looking to offer the midfielder a new deal to keep him out of the Old Trafford club’s clutches.

Here in the Tavern though we feel that Longstaff would be silly to turn down a move to United at this stage of his career, with opportunities to join such a world renowned club not something which comes around a lot.

At a time when United are set to undergo something of a revolution in terms of the signings they make and the way the club moves forward, Longstaff could well prove to be an integral long-term cog in the plans of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Under a first-team coach like Michael Carrick at United, he could learn from one of the very best in that position in terms of the history of the Premier League.

While staying at his boyhood club will obviously tie him to Newcastle and influence his decision, there has to be an element within Longstaff that wants to test himself at the highest level, and that highest level is at a club like Manchester United.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left drooling over the prospect of Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso joining the club after he commented on Erik Lamela’s Instagram post.

Lo Celso, per the London Evening Standard, is a target for manager Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to reshape his squad this summer.

The Betis midfielder has enjoyed an impressive 2018-19 campaign, scoring 16 goals in all competitions in 45 outings, while also laying on six assists.

A 23-year-old who can play in attacking midfield as well as defensive midfield, he has an £88million release clause in his contract and the Standard claim that he is unlikely to be sold for below that amount.

Nevertheless, fans have been left in a state of excitement over the prospect of him rocking up at Hotspur Way after he wished Lamela all the best ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final between Spurs and Liverpool.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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According to Football Insider, Leeds United are interested in signing Sam Gallagher from Southampton after he was told he could leave the club this summer.

United’s desire to bring in a striker has been no secret as they have been continuously linked with forward players since the window opened, but perhaps this move signals that they want multiple new centre-forwards in their ranks.

Gallagher’s credentials

The Southampton man is no stranger to Championship football having spent two of the last three seasons out on loan in the division.

He didn’t fare too badly either. He was Birmingham’s top scorer in the 2017/18 season, and he netted 11 goals for Blackburn Rovers the term prior to that.

A move to the Championship permanently may be exactly what he needs as he would have something to prove and would finally be playing regular football at his parent club rather than continuously being shipped out on loan.

Two strikers

The Yorkshire outfit have constantly been linked with attackers in this window, but they have been looking at two different types of striker. Dwight Gayle and Eamonn Brophy are more poachers and they have reportedly been looked at, but the Whites have also targetted Gallagher and Michael Frey who are better utilised as target men.

Gayle and Brophy are two forwards who would provide something completely different to the 23-year-old, and the fact that Leeds are targeting such different types of front men may indicate that they are looking to sign multiple forward players.

Kemar Roofe’s contract situation still hasn’t been resolved, so Victor Orta may be looking at another addition to replace him, but it would be a massive surprise if the only centre forward Leeds signed this summer was the Southampton man.

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According to Football Insider, Leeds United want to bring Helder Costa in on loan this season.

The 25-year-old lit up the Championship during his two seasons in the division with Wolves, but he has struggled to hit those same heights in the Premier League.

A drop back down to the second tier would allow Costa to rediscover his mojo, while Leeds would be getting an incredible player for the upcoming season.

Need wingers

It has previously been reported that the wide areas are the positions that Marcelo Bielsa has prioritised strengthening this summer, and a move for the Wolves man would certainly help towards that.

The Whites have already been linked with a number of players to strengthen the left side such as Brandon Barker and Jack Harrison, but this is the first indication that they want to strengthen the right wing as well.

Costa has largely played on the right wing during his time in England where he can cut in onto his stronger left foot. Although he can operate on the opposite flank as well, one would assume it’s those performances for Wolves which have convinced Leeds he’s worth pursuing.

A different dynamic

With that in mind, Pablo Hernandez’s role in the team could well change after spending most of last season on the right, but perhaps more importantly, the Portuguese target also offers a much different dynamic to what Leeds had in attack last season.

Hernandez possesses fantastic technical abilities, but they were often better utilised from deeper positions. He acted more as a wide playmaker rather than a traditional winger, whereas Costa is at his best when he is utilising his pace and running at full-backs.

Last season Hernandez averaged three key passes per game while Costa averaged just one. Looking at the dribbling stats tells a very similar tale. The 25-year-old averaged 1.9 dribbles per game during his last Championship season, but the 34-year-old completed only 1.1 dribbles per game in 2018/19 – and that was the highest return of any Leeds player to start more than five games, excepting Samuel Saiz.

Clearly then, Costa’s arrival could have two effects. It could see Hernandez take up a more central position, but it could also add a fresh dynamic to the way Leeds get forward, using Costa’s pace and dribbling ability. The really enticing prospect then, is how both of those players could link up.

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Tottenham Hotspur continue to track Barcelona winger Malcom this summer, per Mundo Deportivo.

What’s the word?

The Brazilian forward, who made 24 appearances in all competitions in 2018/19, is set for talks with the Spanish club over his future.

The report claims that Malcom hopes to stay at the Camp Nou next season but that he is deemed as one of the club’s most saleable assets.

There are a number of clubs said to be monitoring the forward, with Spurs and Arsenal both making their interest known to Barca.

Mundo Deportivo mention that the north London clubs have been the “most in contact in recent weeks”. Inter Milan are also interested.

Another revival

Malcom and Barcelona is a relationship that hasn’t really worked out.

He scored just four goals in all competitions and provided a mere two assists this season.

Signed from Bordeaux for a fee of £36.5m, his return has been paltry, particularly in a team that also boasts the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

It is not hard to see why Barca are willing to cash in and Spurs could be the perfect suitors.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has worked miracles on players before – look at Lucas Moura’s renaissance and Moussa Sissoko’s emergence as the best midfielder outside of the top two in England – and this could be yet another example if the deal becomes a reality.

One feels that he could use a change of scenery to get back to the form he showed at Bordeaux and working with Pochettino could see him again become one of the most exciting wingers in European football.

It may not be a priority right now, but this would be a smart deal on both sides.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has told Giovani Lo Celso that the club cannot afford to make a big bid for him until Christian Eriksen leaves, per El Confidencial.

What’s the word?

Conflicting reports have disagreed over how much Spurs bid for the attacking midfielder.

The BBC claim that an offer of £53m was tabled, while the aforementioned El Confidencial report says that the offer was closer to €40m (£35.7m).

Lo Celso has a €100m (£89.2m) release clause in his contract and the report claims that Betis are not likely to sell him for under €80m (£71.5m).

However, Pochettino is said to have told the Argentina international personally that Spurs do not have the budget to pay that until they sell Eriksen.

Eriksen has expressed his desire to leave but a move to Real Madrid now appears a non-starter, with Marca reporting that Zinedine Zidane is instead prioritising a move for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba.

Unsurprising but alarming

Most Spurs fans will be unsurprised by this update but it is still likely to feel incredibly disappointing.

The club need to invest this summer but tabling low-ball bids for players who would obviously improve them is not the way to go about doing it.

If they knew that Eriksen was likely to be central to boosting their coffers, perhaps just an enquiry should have been made for Lo Celso instead of a formal bid.

Indeed, one has to point out that many reports disagree over the size of the offer but one thing is for certain: Betis don’t think it’s enough, regardless.

Lo Celso scored 16 goals last season, while he registered six assists. He would be a marquee signing for the club but, of course, they appear to be in a holding pattern as they wait to see what happens with Eriksen.

If he stays, as now seems likely, they might have to kiss their chances of securing the Betis star goodbye.

It remains to be seen if that will actually be a good move.