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Liverpool failed to regain the top spot in the Premier League as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds failed to make the most of their many opportunities to take the lead during the second half after a penalty from Alexis Mac Allister ruled out John Stones' opener during the first half.

Jurgen Klopp's side were dominant and aggressive in the press throughout the game, and racked up 2.46 xG – to City's 1.61 – but ultimately had to settle for a point.

Mac Allister, who scored the equaliser from the spot, put in a superb performance in the middle of the park, but the real star of the match for the German boss was his captain – Virgil van Dijk.

Alexis Mac Allister's stats vs Man City

The Argentina international remained composed as he stuck his penalty to Ederson's right and beyond the despairing dive of the Brazilian, who had given the spot-kick away with a rash challenge on Darwin Nunez.

He was also combative out of possession with his constant pressing and harrying of the City midfielders to make sure that they did not have any time on the ball.

As you can see in the table above, Mac Allister was dominant in his physical battles, by winning eight of his 14 duels, but his work in possession could have been better.

To only complete 82% of his attempted passes without creating a single chance for his teammates suggests that the midfielder was wasteful at times without being progressive, which he may look back on as an area to improve on next time out.

Virgil van Dijk's stats against Man City

Meanwhile, van Dijk was the real star of the show at the heart of Liverpool's defence as he was almost faultless throughout the match for the Reds.

Barring one moment when Erling Haaland robbed him of possession during the first half, the Netherlands international typified the team's aggressive and dominant performance.

The former Southampton colossus, who had 93 touches of the ball in total, was super reliable with his use of the ball as he completed 97% (77/79) of his attempted passes, which included six of his seven long pass attempts.

Defensively, van Dijk won five of his eight duels and made a number of key defensive contributions to cut out City attacks, with four tackles and four interceptions.

He made two last-man tackles to bail the rest of his defence out after they had been bypassed, and brilliantly marshalled Haaland – as the last man – into a weak effort on goal after the Norway international looked like he had a free run on goal.

These statistics show that van Dijk was outstanding in and out of possession throughout the match, with his calmness on the ball and dominance defensively, which is why he was the real star of the show over Mac Allister, who was sloppy at times.

Fiorentina are looking to bring Weston McKennie to the club alongside his USMNT team-mate Tanner Tessmann this summer.

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• Fiorentina keen on McKennie and Tessmann
• Juventus and Venezia open to sales
• Both full USMNT internationals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After closing a deal for Monza midfielder Andrea Colpani, Fiorentina are turning their attention to both McKennie and Tessmann, according to Italian sources. The Serie A side are keen to strengthen in midfield this summer as they look to improve upon their eighth-placed finish from last season.

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  McKennie has been placed in the shop window since the transfer market opened. The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League but rumoured suitors Aston Villa and Tottenham have not followed up their interest. Tessmann has played his part in helping Venezia return to Serie A for the upcoming season but as a result is drawing interest from some of the league's top dogs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  McKennie has made 56 appearances for the USMNT compared to Tessmann's two. The former made his debut all the way back in 2017, whereas the latter earned his first cap in 2021.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MCKENNIE AND TESSMANN?

  All McKennie and Tessmann can do is sit tight and wait to see if Fiorentina make a move in the coming weeks to bring the midfield pair to the club. Both are well into their pre-season preparations and will be ready to get going at either their current or future home when the season starts next month.

After an incredibly successful debut season in charge, Wolverhampton Wanderers are already gearing up to ensure that Gary O'Neil and his side are prepared for the start of next season.

Wolves transfer news

As things stand, Wolves' biggest concern will be losing Pedro Neto. The winger has attracted plenty of interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur linked with moves for the Portugal international in what would be a hefty deal. Neto may have even played his last game for the club, having recently suffered an injury that could rule him out for the rest of the campaign.

That means that those in the Midlands will get a preview of what life would be like without Neto if he decides to leave this summer. Without him, they'll certainly need to add more firepower, that's for sure. And that's where the transfer market could come into play.

Wolves' special £6.5m signing would now be worth more than Hwang in 2024

Wolves hit the jackpot on a signing from 2010 who is worth more than Hwang in 2024 money

By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 21, 2024

According to GiveMeSport, Wolves are eyeing a move to sign Josh Sargent from Norwich City following the American's impressive Championship campaign for the Canaries. It's currently unknown just how much those in Norfolk would demand for their star striker, but money may not be as much of an issue as usual for Wolves if they sell Neto this summer.

Highlighting how impressive Sargent has been this season, he has managed to outscore Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan in what is no easy feat, given the form the South Korea star has shown in the current campaign.

"Complete" Sargent can partner Hwang

There may be no better way to replace Neto than by switching things up and forming a clinical strike partnership between Hwang and Sargent. The American seems destined for the Premier League one way or another, and the likes of Hwang, Mateus Cunha and Neto prove that O'Neil's side is now the place to be when it comes to free-flowing attacking football. Here's how Hwang and Sargent have compared this season so far.

What makes this potential duo even more frightening for opposition defences is the fact that both Sargent and Hwang have outperformed their XG's by over three goals this season, highlighting how clinical they both are. Give either a sniff of goal and you'll likely be watching them wheel away in celebration just moments later.

Norwich boss David Wagner is well aware of Sargent's talent too, saying via Norwich Evening News earlier this month: “I never get tired of talking about Josh Sargent, provided he is healthy. I need to think about all the strikers I have worked with, but for sure, he ranks in the top three. Maybe he is the best one because he’s complete."

Liverpool could be set to lose one of their stars this summer after contact was made to sign him ahead of the upcoming transfer window, it has emerged.

Reds still on track for historic year

Despite being knocked out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage courtesy of a late Amad Diallo goal, Liverpool's season could still be an excellent one.

Sat second in the Premier League, they trail Arsenal only on goal difference and are a point ahead of Manchester City. Immediately after the international break, the Gunners travel to the Etihad to take on Pep Guardiola's side, meaning that at least one of Liverpool's title rivals are guaranteed to drop points in their next outing.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp's side have also been drawn on the favourable side of the Europa League draw, and will face Italian side Atalanta in the last eight before a sem-final showdown with either Benfica or Marseille. On top of that, they have already bagged the Carabao Cup thanks to a late Virgil van Dijk winner against Chelsea last month.

But there are concerns beyond this season, with Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders both set to leave the club at the end of the campaign, and significant speculation surrounding Mo Salah, who will be down to the final year of his contract at the club and has previously been subject to interest from Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool man holding meetings to pick next club after exit decision made

He is planning to use the two-week international break to weigh up his options.

By
Ben Browning

Mar 16, 2024

Diaz a 'priority' but not for sale

Now, a concerning report has emerged that another man could leave, with Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna claiming that PSG's Qatar owners have made Luis Diaz their 'priority' this summer as they look to find a way to live without superstar Kylian Mbappe, who is set to join Real Madrid.

It is added that contact has already been made with Diaz's agent, who worked with PSG previously to help them sign Brazilian star Neymar.

However, there is a major sticking point, with FSG dubbing Diaz 'not for sale' amid what is set to be a hectic summer already. Though he has had issues with fitness since his arrival, the Colombian is a firm fan favourite and is loved around the club too.

Speaking last season as Diaz struggled with injuries, the Liverpool boss was effusive in his praise of the Colombian.

"He's a natural player. I love him, absolutely love him. It's unbelievable", Klopp told Liverpool.com. "He's so football smart, moving in the right areas, naturally defending from his position, goal threat, speed, cheeky. Very, very special player, I have to say. We missed him a lot."

Klopp, of course, will no longer be at the helm, but there is little reason to suggest FSG or Liverpool would be willing to let Diaz leave barring an offer that they simply couldn't refuse.

Kylian Mbappe will become majority owner of a professional football club at the age of just 25 after striking a deal for Caen.

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• Mbappe agrees deal to buy Caen
• Forward will be majority shareholder
• Still only 25 years of age

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following rumoured interest in recent weeks, reports that Mbappe will pay just under €20 million (£17m/$22m) to purchase most of the shares in Caen. Pierre-Antin Capton will hold the remainder of the shares, worth €5m (£4.2m/$5.4m)

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  Mbappe has become the highest earner at Real Madrid with reported net wages of €15m (£13m/$16m). That was a significant reduction on his Paris Saint-Germain contract, but a signing bonus worth in excess of €100m (£84m/$108m) over the course of his contract is set to make up for that loss. In early 2024, valued his various endorsement deals to be worth $20m (£16m), making him extraordinarily wealthy.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mbappe nearly signed for Caen as a youngster after the club saw his potential to be a future star and the family considered it a healthy and sheltered enivoronment for the youngster. But the deal fell through when Caen were relegated from Ligue 1.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  In the short-term, Mbappe will be eager to make his Real Madrid debut, which is expected to be in next month's UEFA Super Cup. But he will now want to make an impact at Caens, typically a yo-yo side and currently in France's second tier since 2019. Way into the future, he could even play for his own club, just as Didier Drogba did at USL side Phoenix Rising in 2017.

A young member of Ange Postecoglou's squad has been working tirelessly in Tottenham training to improve as he sets lofty ambitions, according to a source close to him.

Postecoglou outlines Tottenham ambition beyond top four finish

Spurs' head coach has publicly stated that a finish in the top four and place in next season's Champions League group stage isn't the be all and end all of this season.

Tottenham could now sell "fantastic" in-form star for upgrade this summer

The Lilywhites may cash in for a big bid.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 22, 2024

The Lilywhites find themselves locked in a fierce battle with Aston Villa for fourth spot, and it appears to be neck-and-neck, though Tottenham's inconsistency will be a real concern for Postecoglou.

Spurs put Villa to the sword with an impressive 4-0 victory away to Unai Emery's side a fortnight ago, but followed up that incredible display with a very disappointing 3-0 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage – which was the first time they failed to get on a Premier League scoresheet in around a year.

Postecoglou's style of play and general charisma as a manager has won over plenty of admirers at N17, and if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League, he's made a stern case that it won't affect what he's trying to build at the club long term.

"I don't see fourth as the prize. I don't want to finish fourth if we haven't grown and developed as a team," said Postecoglou on finishing fourth.

"Fourth would be great if I feel like we're growing as a team, and we're creating something that is going to bring us success next year. But fourth is not our goal… If we finish fifth, and if I think we've got a team to challenge next year, then I won't be disappointed."

In terms of evolving the squad over these coming seasons, centre-back is a key area of the squad Postecoglou wishes to strengthen at Spurs, despite the signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January.

The 22-year-old endured an afternoon to forget away to Fulham, deputising in place of the injured Micky van de Ven, but Dragusin's work ethic behind-the-scenes indicates he'll definitely improve.

Dragusin working tirelessly behind-the-scenes in Tottenham training

According to the Romanian's agent, Florin Manea, in an interview with Fanatik (via Sport Witness), Dragusin is putting extra hours into Tottenham training – as he sets his sights on a Euro 2024 call up, impressing Postecoglou and improving as a player.

“He hasn’t gone out at all in London, to go out clubbing or anywhere," said Manea.

"I don’t even know he’s gone out to eat twice. He doesn’t go out. We went out twice to a restaurant. He leaves at 9am, and comes back at 3-3.30pm, because he puts in an extra two hours of gym every day and an hour on the pitch.

“It’s not exactly easy. It’s like having a job. He grafts and grafts. There’s also this pressure, he’s thinking about the national team, the Euros. He really wants to succeed. I think we can already say that he is one step in the winning boat.”

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal made a generous gesture to a young fan after figuring in the annual Gamper Trophy clash in Catalunya.

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• Blaugrana suffered defeat to Ligue 1 outfit
• Euro 2024 winner stepped off the bench
• Gave his shirt away to fan in the crowd

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 17-year-old winger is back in club action after helping Spain to continental glory at Euro 2024. The record books were rewritten at that tournament, with Yamal cementing his standing as a superstar of the present and future.

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  His stock continues to soar, with a global fan base having built steadily since making a senior breakthrough. Yamal is now considered to be one of the hottest prospects on the planet, with Barca benefiting from his considerable talent.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Yamal was unable to prevent them from slipping to a 3-0 defeat against Ligue 1 side Monaco in the Gamper Trophy, as he stepped off the bench in that contest, but he did make happy memories for one supporter that made a plea for the teenager’s shirt – with his home-made sign working after being spotted in the crowd.

Scott McTominay has decided where he wants to play next season as the midfielder nears a transfer away from Manchester United.

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• McTominay expected to leave Man Utd
• Fulham offers rejected as Spurs also interested
• Napoli emerge as frontrunners after talks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Scotland international has been linked with a summer transfer for some time, with the likes of Fulham having two bids rejected, while Tottenham and Galatasaray have also shown interest in him during the close season.

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  McTominay has also held talks with Napoli, however, and journalist Alfredo Pedulla reports that the 27-year-old has made the Serie A side his priority. Coach Antonio Conte has also made him a top priority and, while the player still has other options, talks are ongoing between both parties.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  McTominay has entered the final year of his contract at United, though the club have the option to extend his commitment by another 12 months. He scored 10 goals in 43 appearances for Erik ten Hag's team last season and came off the bench in the second half of the Community Shield clash against Manchester City last week, which United went on to lose in a penalty shootout.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MCTOMINAY?

  McTominay will hope to have a summer deal wrapped up soon before the transfer window closes in two weeks. United kick off their Premier League campaign against Fulham on Friday, while Napoli open the new Serie A season with a game against Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Glasgow Rangers head into this weekend's Old Firm clash with a chance to gain a psychological boost in the Premiership title chase.

The Gers are currently second in the league table, a point behind Celtic, although they have a game in hand against Dundee next week.

It has been a remarkable turnaround by the club since Philippe Clement took over in October, as prior to that, Michael Beale was on the verge of a crisis.

Three defeats in the opening seven Premiership matches threatened to derail a title challenge before Halloween, yet the Belgian has saved the day and has the Light Blues on the cusp of a stunning treble.

Beale did do some decent business in the transfer window. He signed Jack Butland, who has been in wonderful form throughout the season, registering 23 clean sheets across 48 matches, while Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling have also been impressive.

The Englishman also managed to secure a transfer fee of nearly £5m for Glen Kamara, who joined Leeds United, while striker Antonio Colak also departed the Gers after just one season in Glasgow.

Kamara has since shone for Leeds in the Championship this term, yet Colak has failed to replicate his form in front of goal that he displayed at Rangers during 2022/23, struggling for Parma this term.

How much Rangers sold Antonio Colak for

Despite being one of the Gers most consistent goal threats under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Colak found himself out of the team on a regular basis when Beale took over.

An injury suffered prior to the enforced hiatus due to the World Cup ruled the striker out for five games, and he struggled to assert himself in the starting XI upon his return.

Although the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent left the club following the expiration of their contracts at the end of last season, Colak clearly found himself frozen out of Beale’s future plans.

Serie B side Parma came in for the Croatian striker during the summer transfer window and a bid of £2.5m was accepted by the Light Blues, as Beale needed some funds in order to complete a few transfer deals of his own before the start of the season.

Considering they had only paid £1.8m to secure his services a year prior, it was a solid piece of transfer business by the club, ensuring they made a profit on the player.

Antonio Colak’s statistics for Rangers

Colak had clearly made an impression on the Rangers' hierarchy as early as 2021, scoring twice against the Gers in a Champions League qualifier when playing for Malmö, which sent the Ibrox side packing.

Although not the nimblest of centre-forwards, Colak certainly knew where the goal was and enjoyed a decent start to life in Glasgow after being dubbed “experienced” by the Dutchman.

Not only did he score three goals in the Champions League qualifiers – including the winner against PSV Eindhoven – he also found his feet in the Premiership fairly quickly.

In his opening 14 league matches for the club, Colak scored 11 times while chipping in with two assists, proving to be a player Van Bronckhorst could rely on domestically.

In the Champions League, however, Colak struggled against the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax, scoring zero goals while completing just 4.5 passes per game, winning 26% of his total duels per game along with taking just 0.2 shots on target each match, indicating that performing against the elite proved to be a step too far.

Overall, the 30-year-old found the back of the net on 18 occasions during his sole season in Scotland – ranking him as their joint top scorer alongside James Tavernier – which, on the surface, sounds like a fairly respectable campaign.

With opportunities looking slim under Beale, he moved to Italy, yet has failed to hit the ground running for Parma.

Antonio Colak’s season in numbers for Parma

Although Colak scored three goals during his first eight Serie B games for the club, he has been goalless since the start of October, starting just twice since, as it looks like he has fallen down the pecking order.

Not only has he missed two big chances in the Italian second tier, but the former Malmö frontman has averaged just 11 touches, 4.3 passes, won 1.2 total duels and managed only 0.4 shots on target per game across his 18 appearances for Parma.

Hardly the form that was anticipated for a £2.5m signing, and it is clear the Gers have struck gold by selling him for this amount last year.

Even Rabbi Matondo, who was expected to also depart Ibrox in 2023, has scored more than Colak this season, taking full advantage of the chances he has been given in the starting XI, finally showcasing his full potential.

Rabbi Matondo's stats in 2023/24

While Colak shone for the Gers in his maiden season, Matondo struggled, failing to score in 28 matches in all competitions.

The Welsh winger enjoyed a solid pre-season as he looked to fight for his place in the side before his Ibrox career finally took off following a wonderful goal against PSV.

Since then, he has added another four goals while registering the same number of assists, despite missing 17 games through injury this term.

His impact, especially from the bench, has been solid during the 2023/24 season, and he certainly has a decent future at the club under Clement, which looked ominous during pre-season.

He may not be a regular starter for the Gers, but Matondo has proved that fighting for his place instead of leaving at the first sign of trouble can allow him to develop and showcase his talents.

Not many would have predicted the former Manchester City starlet would have scored more goals than Colak this season, indicating that the club hit the jackpot by selling the Croatian striker in 2023.

Rangers had a nightmare on "monster" Jack upgrade under Beale

Rangers sold a player last summer who is thriving this season

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 5, 2024

Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie has been dealt another blow on the injury front days after it emerged that he would miss the remainder of the Premier League campaign.

What's the latest Spurs news?

On Friday evening, Tottenham's first choice left-back took to Instagram to share some troubling news about his availability for the rest of the season.

“An injury brings my season to an early end. It doesn’t take away from how grateful I am to every person that has supported me this year”, the Italian defender wrote, revealing that he had undergone surgery on his left quadriceps and would not feature again this season.

The left-back had been a key part of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side to that point, making 28 Premier League appearances and excelling in the inverted fullback role that the Spurs boss asked him to take up.

Tottenham planning offer for "superb" player who's outscored Richarlison

He’s enjoyed an excellent season.

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 22, 2024

Still just 21-years-old, he has the best part of his career ahead of him and looks set to be Tottenham's first choice fullback for years to come, making him a bargain buy at just £25m last summer.

In his absence, it is expected that one of Ben Davies or Radu Dragusin will fill in at full-back against Arsenal, though Emerson Royal could also be deployed there as he was when Udogie was suspended earlier in the campaign.

However, a potential injury to fellow full-back Pedro Porro could force Royal to return to his natural right-back role, leaving Postecoglou with a conundrum against the highest scoring side in the division and Tottenham's arch-rivals, whose title charge they could effectively end with a result on Sunday. For Udogie though, there is more bad news.

Udogie injury update

Now, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the defender is "almost certainly" out of EURO 2024 entirely as a result of his injury. That comes as a devastating blow to both Udogie and the Azzurri, with the young defender having made it his "dream" to represent his country at a major tournament.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Udogie is expected to be sidelined for around three months, which will obviously see him return to action in the middle of July, which coincides with the end of the European Championships, making Udogie's participation incredibly unlikely.

The defender only made his debut for the senior Azzurri side in October, but had seemingly nailed down a starting berth in Luciano Spalletti's side. However, his place will now have to be given to someone else, with Inter Milan's Federico DiMarco and Fiorentina's Cristiano Biraghi both alternatives for the Italian boss in that position.

Italy face a tricky task to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition, having been drawn in a group alongside European heavyweights Spain and Croatia as well as Albania.

The current holders of the competition after beating England at Wembley in 2021 via a penalty shoot-out, they will be hoping that they can stage a repeat this time around, but will have to do so without the services of Udogie, who will now simply be hoping to be fit in time for pre-season with Spurs.