Another day, another Raheem Sterling transfer twist. The latest big ‘development’ suggests that Arsenal are ready to offer £20m and Theo Walcott to land the 20-year-old from Merseyside, which, on paper at least, appears to be a pretty decent deal all round.
Sterling could earn more money at the Emirates Stadium and play in the Champions League, while Walcott could get the game time he deserves for the team he’s known to support. As well as the players, Liverpool would make some cash and bring in a replacement, while Arsenal would be getting hold of one of Europe’s best young players at a relatively low rate.
However, we at FFC Towers think this potential deal could be a shocker for the clubs and stars involved… and here are FIVE reasons why.
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Sterling’s best position not yet known
Winger? ‘No. 10’? Striker? Wing-back? Just where is Sterling most dangerous and consistent? Brendan Rodgers appears unsure of the definitive answer, with ‘young Raheem’ having been deployed in all of the above roles over the course of the past 12 months.
Traditionally a wide attacker, Sterling’s pace and trickery are suited to playing on the flanks, but the position leaves him a little isolated. In the ‘No. 10’ he can influence games, but he often lacks the decisiveness and ruthlessness of a top playmaker. Further forward as a striker, his finishing is not quite up to scratch. And finally at wing-back, his attacking qualities are neutered.
Tough call. Arsenal need a top class, instant impact player to challenge for the big honours, and until Sterling’s best position is found, he cannot be that.
Walcott not suited to Liverpool
While Sterling appears a little unsuited to the needs of Arsenal, Walcott himself is not quite right for Liverpool. The ex-Southampton man is genuinely talented, but pace is the big thing he brings to the table. He can often be a bit of a blunt instrument, with straight-line speed not always the right method of breaking a defence, and the Reds frequently come up against packed backlines, who sit deep to counter their threat.
This is partly why Walcott has never truly shone at Arsenal, and the likelihood of him being a better fit at Anfield isn’t great.
Walcott could interfere with Coutinho’s development
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While Sterling has been making the headlines, Philippe Coutinho has quietly signed a new long-term contract and been, arguably, the club’s best player this season. In an attacking midfield role, he needs players around him capable of contributing to his neat style of play, and with Walcott not adept in a central attacking role (Coutinho has been playing alongside Adam Lallana or Sterling in a two-man system off a main striker) his promising performances may be at risk.
Walcott too injury-prone for Liverpool
With Daniel ‘made of glass’ Sturridge also at Anfield, the last thing Liverpool need is a player who’s likely to miss a large chunk of the season. Walcott has only just re-emerged from a hellish injury that ruined his 2014, which is far from being a good sign.
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The pacey England star has also suffered with fitness issues on numerous occasions in recent years, which has contributed to his average of 19 Premier League starts per season since the 2009/10 campaign (discounting this season).
Sterling too raw to make the impact needed
At just 20, Sterling is far from being the finished article. Although he’s definitely a talented player, his moments of magic are not quite frequent enough as it stands for him to be classified as world class.
Arsenal are expected to challenge for the Champions League, the cups and the Premier League, so ‘hit the ground running’ players are what they need, and the England international is not likely to be in that bracket for at least a few more years.
Hooray! It’s FA Cup final day! Look forward to seeing Ryan Giggs’ goal against Arsenal played about 1000 times in a row by the BBC, with a couple of Rickie Villas and Sir Trevor Brookings thrown in for good measure – not to mention the predictably awkward moment when somebody asks Alan Shearer how many FA Cups he’s won, whilst Gary Lineker cheekily grins in the background.
But on a serious note, the FA Cup final is still the most anticipated and magical day on the English football calendar. This year’s thrown up quite the corker in Aston Villa vs Arsenal; a classic clash of last year’s winners facing a feisty underdog, who’ve ended the season with their star striker Christian Benteke in fantastic form.
Captain Morgan set up a sublime treat for us here at Football Fancast ahead of today’s game – a little bit of face time with one of the most successful goalkeepers in FA Cup history, Arsenal legend and former England No.1 David Seaman, who is also the owner of the bassiest, least controllable laugh in world football.
Seriously, he laughs at everything. My jokes, his jokes, my sincere questions, his own sincere responses. At one point he laughed at me laughing – and I was only laughing out of politeness because he’d started laughing. It was Laughception.
Together with Captain Morgan, Seaman and former Villains skipper Andy Townsend took over The Globe for the first shift of the day, where thousands of fans traditionally gather before matches. The Globe’s bartenders will be given the day off to enjoy the Final; escaping one of the busiest shifts of the year and their everyday jobs, to go and live like the Captain.
Suprised Arsenal and Villa fans were instead greeted by the Captains, who took orders from behind the bar, giving their tips ahead of the game, and delivering an unforgettable pre-match build-up.
Hi David, why don’t you start by telling us about your shenanigans with Captain Morgan ahead of todays final?
We’re going down with a Captain’s crew and we’re going to surprise a few of the bartenders in The Globe pub. We’re giving them a day off to enjoy the captain’s spirit in style, and then me and Andy Townsend are going to take over and attempt to do some beer, wine and spirit serving. Haha! We’ll actually be bartenders for a few hours so it should be good fun.
Do you and Andy Townsend have much experience behind the bar?
No, I’m good under the crossbar but not sure how good I’ll be behind the bar! I love serving drinks for people at home but that’s about as far as it goes.
Will you be watching the game on TV like us mere peasants then?
No! Haha! We’ll be going to the game later on. It’s something you don’t want to miss – trust me. Although saying that I wouldn’t have minded missing the first half of last year’s final. It was dreadful!
Arsenal and Aston Villa skippers David Seaman and Andy Townsend testing their serving skills at The Globe Pub
You had huge success in the FA Cup, winning it four times with Arsenal. What’s your fondest memory of the FA Cup – as a fan and as a player?
My fondest memory as a fan would be when Leeds United won it against Arsenal years and years ago – 1972 I think – but I remember losing it as well against Sunderland. I was only about eleven then.
The best memory as a player… I think it’s got to be the first time I won it with Arsenal. It was so special and so nerve-racking because I’d never experienced it before. So to go there and actually win for the first time at Wembley was just absolutely brilliant.
What about THAT save against Sheffield United? If that’s not your greatest FA Cup memory, perhaps it’s your greatest FA Cup moment?
Yeah. Well, I’m so lucky because my last ever game for Arsenal was the FA Cup final against Southampton. I was leaving, but at the time I didn’t know it was going to be my last game. I just went there like normal and Patrick Vieira was injured so I took over as captain for the day.
To lift the trophy – wow. That was better than all the other finals, because to lift the FA Cup as the captain of your team is so and was so special. Even the introduction of your players before kick-off, actually introducing them to the officials and big guys that were there, it was just amazing.
And the save, that was the semi-final. That was awesome for me because I made that save when I was 39 and people were saying I was past it!
Did you have any idea how spectacular that save was at the time?
No! I mean, it’s just reactions. The corner came in and it went one way then the other way. All of a sudden I knew the ball was behind me and I knew I couldn’t knock it away because I was reaching too far behind – I knew I had to try and scoop it out. And even when I watch it now I still think ‘how did I do that?’ haha!
How do you see the final panning out? Would you care to make a prediction?
Any Arsenal win will do for me. Whether it’s 1-0 or 10-8… or 10-9! Just a win. I’m going to say 3-1 to Arsenal because it’s going to be an attacking game. Aston Villa are not know for their defensive qualities but they’re decent up front and Arsenal have a better all round team to cope with that; Arsenal’s defence is good, and the Arsenal attack’s great. So I’m hunching for an Arsenal win, obviously!
If Arsenal don’t retain the FA Cup, would you still see this season as a success?
It depends because the main judge has to be Premier League form. We’ve got a place higher. We’re in the Champions League proper now so we don’t have to qualify earlier in the season – so it’s definitely a step forward. To lose the FA Cup would be a disappointing end to the season, but I think overall it’s still a progression because you know you’ve had a good season when you finish above where you did the year before. It’s difficult for Arsenal because they’re always in the Champions League and the top four, so even to finish one place higher is a big achievement.
There’s quite the debate brewing regarding Arsenal’s goalkeepers at the moment, with David Ospina coming in for Wojceich Szczesny about half way through the season. What do you see as the main differences between the two? And who do you think is the stronger goalkeeper?
Well the issue with Szczesny is that he’s started making mistakes, so that obviously left the door open for Ospina. They’re both very similar though; they’re both international goalkeepers and their all-round games are good, it’s just keeping that consistency.
Ospina’s only come in for half of the season or three-quarters of the season, so you can’t really judge him on that because he needs a bit more time. Szczesny, on the other hand, has been Arsenal’s No.1 for quite a while but now it looks like he’s lost that position, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the summer – whether Arsene Wenger goes out and buys another goalkeeper or he uses the money in defence and midfield. But I wouldn’t say one is better than the other yet, because realistically there’s not been enough time to judge Ospina.
Would you go and get a new No.1 this summer if you were Arsene Wenger?
It’s a tough one. If somebody like Petr Cech became available then you’ve got to really think about it because whatever team he goes into he’s really going to improve. But he’s not going to go into another team as a No.2 or with the question mark of being a No.2, he’s coming to be a No.1. So then who’d you let go? Do you let Ospina go or do you let Szczesny go? It’s a tough question!
Who would you like to see start in the FA Cup final?
Well I think it’ll be Szczesny because he’s played the majority of the games in the FA Cup – which is what Arsene did with Lukasz Fabianski last season. I know it’s a little bit different because it was Fabianski’s last game and he knew that.
But I remember when we played in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2002. Richard Wright played all the games up to the final, but Arsene put me in for the final and we went on to win it. So I don’t know for sure who’s going to play but I imagine it’ll be Szczesny.
We’d love to hear your opinions on the England front as well. Do you see Fraser Forster as a real competitor to Joe Hart? Ben Foster’s never really challenged him.
Well both of them are decent goalies, but we’ve got such a good goalkeeper in Joe Hart. I think for as long as that stays we’re going to be fine because Joe Hart’s a quality goalkeeper and he’s playing well, he’s having big games every week and he’s got great experience now. He’s playing in the Champions League all the time, he’s playing high-profile games with City and with England. It’s very similar to what I had and it really helps because it puts you into a better position to handle the pressure. If Fraser Forster and Ben Foster go in they’re a bit nervous because they’re not used to handling the big games.
Have you seen much of Jack Butland? How far do you think he can go?
I’ve seen a little bit of him, not loads. It depends because it’s the consistency in the season that really matters. It’s no good making a lot of mistakes and a lot of saves. You’ve got to be more consistent; having good performances and then brilliant performances while trying to eliminate the mistakes. My coach Bob Wilson and I, we used to have a chat at the start of the season about how many mistakes are we allowed. By the end, we were down to about two or three that cost goals or cost games. That’s the sort of standard you need to get to – you need to be that consistent.
A lot of our readers were really interested in the psychology behind being a goalkeeper. Do you have to be a specific type of character to be a goalkeeper? Is there a trait you all share?
You’ve got to be really mentally strong. You’ve got to have a strong mind because the mistakes can be really harsh. I’ve done it in a World Cup against Brazil. Luckily I had a lot of experience to fall back on – and I’ve done it with Arsenal a few times as well. Mental strength is the key thing.
Obviously every goalkeeper is going to have a certain amount of natural talent and coached talent – that can all be dealt with. But the mental strength is something that’s gained by experience and I suppose gained by what you do in life. Because if you make that mistake, and you let that affect you for the rest of the game, it can really cost your team. If you do that mistake in the first five minutes you’ve still got a chance of getting back in the game, but if you’re a wreck for the rest it you’re really going to put the team in trouble. It’s dealing with that pressure, being able to put things behind you and react positively.
There’s always great comradery between goalkeepers but it must be an unusual situation, training with three or four people who are all fighting for just one spot in the team?
Haha! It’s strange because with the England situation there’s normally a pecking order. When I was at England, it was Peter Shilton, Chris Woods, and then it was me. You worked your way through; Peter retired, Chris took over, Chris didn’t have a great time and then I took over, so it goes in order.
At club level, because it’s two games a week you’re judged on that every week, it’s a little bit different. If you’re playing bad you get replaced! But then you can go back in if he plays bad.
But normally, if you get dropped with England, that’s it! You don’t make it back!
As we mentioned earlier, Wojciech Szczesny’s taken a lot of stick this season and you’ve suffered some bad press over the years – particularly after the 2002 World Cup. Is it especially hard for goalkeepers to cope with that kind of pressure, compared to an outfield player?
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It’s really difficult because you want to be out there playing. With me and the World Cup, I had to wait for a while to get back on the pitch. It is difficult but you have to learn different ways to accept it. If you feel that by reading about it in the papers really affects you, then don’t read it, don’t buy the papers. What you don’t see isn’t going to hurt you! And especially with club football, you’ve got a game every three days – so if you’re reading negative stuff all the time it’s not going to improve you as a goalkeeper.
The three Captains side by side: Seaman, Morgan and Townsend
Time for Football Fancast’s world famous, totally-not-a-rip-off-of-one-to-eleven segment Fantasy Five Aside! We construct a star-studded, five-man team – but every player has a stipulation. David, start us of with the greatest player you’ve ever played alongside?
Best player… Gazza.
And the greatest you’ve played against?
Ronaldo – the old Ronaldo! Although I played against Maradona as well, for Soccer Aid. Haha!
The third player. Your footballing role model growing up?
David Harvey and Bruce Grobbelaar – both of them.
Fourth, somebody playing now you wish you could’ve played alongside?
I would say… Eden Hazard.
And finally, any goalkeeper – including yourself.
Either me or Peter Schmeichel. Haha!
And finally David, will that beautiful moustache and ponytail combo ever make a comeback?
No chance! The ponytail’s in a drawer and that’s where it’s staying. And the moustache tries to make a comeback every day but it gets shaved off!
That’s quite the revelation to end things with, David. You’ve been as delightful as expected. Enjoy the cup final!
You can follow David and Andy’s Captain’s adventure at @CaptainMorganEU, who will be updating with hilarious tweets, photos and videos throughout the day.
Balance is always a sought-after factor when managers are building their squad. Too top-heavy and goals will be shipped, but being too dependent on defensive discipline and positional rigidity will, naturally, limit chances in the final third.
Balance is even needed within each area, as an attack built around players of similar stature and style can be a little one-dimensional, which makes Arsenal in particular an intriguing case study as we look towards the start of the new Fantasy Football season.
As ever, the Gunners’ 2014/15 was a tale of two contrasting halves, with a slow start causing worry around the winter period, before a surge after January dragged the Londoners into the periphery of the title race, and to Wembley where they retained the FA Cup. With the momentum there changes have been minimal at the Emirates Stadium, and with Petr Cech the only notable arrival, Arsene Wenger will almost certainly be relying on the same crop of attacking midfielders and strikers to fire his side towards an ever-elusive Premier League trophy. Although the Gunners’ defence is intriguing, for differing reasons, it’s the final third that has got us thinking.
Two of last season’s top four midfielders hailed from the red half of North London. Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla were common names among the Fantasy Football elite during the run-in, where they were joined by Olivier Giroud, who was in excellent form with a 20% chance conversion rate, and towards the very end, Mesut Ozil. Chuck into the mix Aaron Ramsey, a fit-again Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere, and the limit of three players-per-club becomes more of a hindrance than ever… and we’re only looking at one half of the team!
Such a wealth of options is set to result in some rotation from Wenger. It’s only natural that the Frenchman will deploy certain players in certain fixtures, with European football and the club’s horrendous injury record set to result in changes. Thus overstocking on Arsenal attackers poses a genuine risk – even two may be too many.
Who to pick, then? Well, it’s not exactly a bold call, but Sanchez is without doubt the best choice. An arduous summer of Copa America action with Chile could result in a slow start, but with the ex-Barcelona man a workhorse as well as a gifted attacker, his desire to get on the pitch may be too great for Wenger to overlook. Beyond that, Sanchez slots into the midfield section of the game, but in truth he spends more time operating in an attacking role. Even when on the flank he’s more of an inside forward, while 10 outings as the main striker last term suggest that he is among Giroud’s main back-up options. Points make prizes, and with goals of higher reward for midfielders, the Chilean has massive potential.
Walcott offers, perhaps, the most intriguing option of all, though. The England international started the Community Shield victory over the weekend as Wenger’s main centre-forward, hinting that he will be deployed in that role on a frequent basis. Walcott has long called for a chance in his favoured area, and with pace in abundance he could be a threat in a counter-attacking system. A record of 97.6 minutes-per-goal last term was the best of any midfielder available, and with points for attacking returns increased for players in the middle third, a potential striking role makes the former Southampton academy star all the more appealing. However, at 9.0m he’s by no means a cheap option.
And while Sanchez and Walcott remain popular, Cazorla could be the one to avoid. As the season dragged on Wenger dropped Santi deeper and deeper as the title charge gathered momentum, and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that this could be a new role for the Spaniard. Although set-pieces always offer the chance for goals and assists, his assist tally of 11 and key pass count of 67 are likely to dip significantly if further from the action.
Ozil, with over ten games fewer than Cazorla and Sanchez, weighed in with a whopping 65 key passes last term, and with a full summer’s rest he could finally be fit and firing. The German is valued at just £8.5m (on a par with Christian Eriksen and only 0.5m more than Sadio Mane) and with his potential for points such a sum looks like an absolute bargain, especially as he created a chance every 27.8 minutes last term!
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Further to this Aaron Ramsey ranked well for a central midfielder with a score 116 last term, and with defensive options such as Cech (5.5m) and Hector Bellerin (£5.5m) both cost-effective and popular, there is a genuine dilemma when looking at the Arsenal squad.
The numbers point towards Sanchez, while the wildcard could be Ozil, but rolled into the mix are Walcott and Ramsey, too. Over exposure is high risk, high reward, but with so many options and rotation guaranteed, it may be worth limiting yourself to two Gunners attackers at the most.
Written by Football FanCast and commissioned by Fantasy Football Scout, the tips, news and views site for those who don’t just play Fantasy Football.
Liverpool supporters in the Transfer Tavern have used the first few days of 2018 to reflect upon their team’s 2017, a year in which the Reds returned to the Champions League, but ultimately weren’t able to add a trophy to their cabinet.
Jurgen Klopp took charge of his first full season as manager last time round and helped the club get back inside the top four for the first time since 2014, when they came second in the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers. And having made the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition this time round, and very much looking at a winnable fixture in the next round against Porto next month, Klopp deserves huge credit for turning things around at Anfield, although their wait for a trophy goes on after coming up short in both domestic cup competitions.
Overall though, many of our resident Liverpudlians were pretty happy with their side’s efforts in 2017, and are looking forward to what 2018 may bring for the Reds, both domestically and in European competition.
In the meantime though, there has been plenty of transfer talk for those Liverpool fans lining up at the bar to get their teeth into, not least recent reports suggesting that Bayern Munich may well have upset Schalke regarding their public pursuit of midfielder Leon Goretzka.
The 22-year-old’s contract at the Bundesliga side is up in the summer and as such interest in his services has intensified, although Schalke are reportedly unhappy with Bayern given that they have made their interest public in recent times.
As such, the door is ajar for Liverpool to seize the initiative in pursuit of the Germany international, as he could be exactly what they need in the middle of park in both the second half of the season, and in the years to come.
The Schalke midfielder has shown enough promise in the last few years in his homeland to suggest that he could go on and become a top quality midfielder, be it as a defensive-minded player in sitting in front of the backline, or someone who is willing to get into advanced positions and help in attack.
More importantly for Liverpool though is that they face the prospect of having neither Philippe Coutinho nor Emre Can at the club come the start of next season, and as such their midfield ranks seriously need bolstering if Klopp is to take them to the next level.
Coutinho has been the Reds’ orchestrator for many a year now but looks set to join Barcelona, be it this month or in the summer, while Can has improved markedly as a midfielder since Klopp took over in October 2015, to the point that he is arguably their best in that department.
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Take these two out of the side, and Liverpool are significantly weaker, and as such Klopp needs to start bolstering his ranks to compensate for those inevitable departures.
Goretzka’s arrival would go some way to doing so, and with Bayern seeming to have upset the apple cart, the Reds now must seize the initiative and bring the talented German to Anfield this month.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez had previously said that he wanted all of his January transfer business to be completed by January 20, but less than a week before that deadline is up the Spaniard is yet to add a single player to his squad.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss was unhappy with the club’s summer transfer business, although he would have been a little more content when his team sat in sixth position in the Premier League table after 10 matches of the season.
However, a run of just two points from ten games catapulted the Magpies into relegation trouble, with two wins in their last five matches seeing them arrest the slide and they now lie three places and just three points after a disappointing 1-1 draw with bottom side Swansea City at St James’ Park at the weekend.
Soccer Football – FA Cup Third Round – Newcastle United vs Luton Town – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – January 6, 2018 Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Benitez won’t be happy that he hasn’t made a signing yet, but with seemingly no progress over a proposed takeover deal, the 57-year-old is waiting to see how much money he will be given by owner Mike Ashley – who wants to sell the club – to strengthen his squad this month.
Ashley is unlikely to pour millions in given the current situation, and while it may not be ideal for the club or their Spanish manager, the Tyneside outfit may be reliant on loan deals before the window slams shut on January 31.
Premier League rules permit that Newcastle can sign two players on a temporary basis from their top flight rivals – although they can’t be from the same team – while there is no limit to how many players they can bring in on loan from foreign clubs.
The Magpies will be working behind the scenes to work out which two English-based players they can bring in, and there are potentially plenty of options available to them.
The Toon have a particularly strong relationship with Chelsea having signed Christian Atsu from them in the summer, and they have already been linked with loan moves for Kenedy and Charly Musonda, with the former being able to play as a left-back or left winger, and the latter able to play anywhere across the three attacking midfield positions in Benitez’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
Blues boss Antonio Conte is also reported to be looking for a new striker to provide competition for Alvaro Morata, and if he succeeds then the out of favour Michy Batshuayi could also be available on loan.
While Kenedy and Charly Musonda would be useful additions, the Premier League rules could mean that Newcastle decide to wait for Batshuayi given their need for goals – they have scored just 21 goals in 23 top flight matches so far this term with strikers Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic only netting eight of those.
Benitez’s former club Liverpool may also have players available on loan, with Danny Ings a possibility if they fail to sell the £30m-rated Daniel Sturridge, while defensive midfielder Marko Grujic could also leave on a temporary basis to play regularly.
With Jonjo Shelvey continuing to be linked with a move to West Ham, a move for the latter could prove to be shrewd, while they could even look to get Javier Hernandez on loan as part of any deal that took the 25-year-old to the London Stadium.
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Elsewhere, Arsenal striker Joel Campbell could be available if he is recalled from his loan at Real Betis having struggled to make an impact, Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe could also go while Leicester could let attackers like Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa or Leonardo Ulloa leave towards the end of the window.
Benitez should also have a good knowledge of the European market, with someone like Atletico Madrid winger Nicolas Gaitan potentially available on a loan deal until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Grzegorz Krychowiak could also look for another Premier League opportunity if his West Bromwich Albion loan spell is ended early.
While it certainly isn’t an ideal scenario if Newcastle do have to rely on loan deals this month, if they remain patient until the end of the month, they can still get the players that they need to help them in their battle to survive in the second-half of the campaign.
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool will hold further talks with German international Emre Can over his future before the end of the month.
What’s the story?
Can’s current deal with Liverpool will expire at the end of the season, meaning that he is currently free to discuss terms with foreign clubs.
Juventus have been strongly linked with a move for the midfielder in recent weeks, although it is understood that the German has not yet decided his future.
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool plan to sit down with Can once again over the next week or so in a bid to convince the 24-year-old to pen a new long-term contract.
It is understood that Can wants a buy-out clause inserted into a new deal, but Liverpool are currently unprepared to meet those demands, which has led to a stand-off.
Why Liverpool have to keep him
Liverpool, understandably, are reluctant to break their club precedent when it comes to inserting a release clause into Can’s contract.
The Reds, however, are facing the prospect of losing a very good footballer, who is rated at £25.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, for free.
Can has been a Liverpool player since the summer of 2014, and after initially struggling for consistency, the midfielder has developed into a key player for the Reds.
This season, he has scored four times and registered three assists in 27 appearances in all competitions.
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In the current market, it would take at least £40m for Liverpool to replace a player of Can’s ilk, and that is why they have to bite the bullet when it comes to contract negotiations.
It might well be that a Real Madrid or a Barcelona come in with a big offer in a few seasons, but that is a much better scenario than allowing Can to walk away for nothing this summer.
Michy Batshuayi must have felt as if the west London sun was beating down on him like a spotlight as Chelsea strolled to a convincing, almost unopposed 3-0 win over Newcastle. With so much talk about his future and the lack of faith Antonio Conte places in him over the last few months, the need for goals in the only competition that offers the Blues a likely chance of silverware this season, in the absence of £60million striker Alvaro Morata, inevitably put Batshuayi’s turbulent Chelsea career at centre-stage on Sunday.
In terms of finding the net, Batshuayi certainly didn’t let his side down. He opened Chelsea’s account after just 31 minutes, giving them a real foothold in the match, and then completed his brace just before half time to put the home side in complete control. But in truth, scoring goals has never been Batshuayi’s problem – he’s already hit double figures across all competitions this season and averaged one goal per 93 minutes throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.
The real problem though is Batshuayi’s all-round game; his positional awareness, his intelligence when making runs, his first touch and his hold-up play; and Conte will have seen little on Sunday to really change his mind.
The 11-cap Belgium international still suffered four unsuccessful touches and was dispossessed three times (the most of any Chelsea player on both fronts) while he won just one aerial duel and didn’t provide a single key pass in the space of ninety minutes – despite the two players either side of him, Eden Hazard and Pedro, taking seven efforts at goal.
There are rumours of the 24-year-old completing a loan move to Borussia Dortmund before the transfer window slams shut on Wednesday and regardless of his impressive brace at the weekend, Conte certainly won’t stand in the deal’s way.
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Ragnar Klavan has made 20 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool during the 2017-18 campaign, but the centre-back might find first-team football difficult to obtain in the final months of the season.
Indeed, the £75m January arrival of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton has done Klavan no favours when it comes to securing a regular spot in Jurgen Klopp’s first XI.
Klavan, who is valued at £3.1m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has not actually played for Liverpool in the Premier League since the middle of last month, and he has not even made the squad for their last three league fixtures.
The 32-year-old arguably out-performed Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren in the opening months of the season, but it appears that he has now fallen behind both of those players when it comes to the race to be Van Dijk’s partner at centre-back.
The Liverpool fans have not forgotten about Klavan, however, and many have taken to social media to reveal their respect for the Estonian.
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Indeed, one supporter even claimed that he was the best centre-back of all time. A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:
Wolverhampton Wanderers are a point closer to automatic promotion to the English Premier League after a 2-2 result at home to Norwich City on Wednesday night.
Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo might feel his side should have won however after they rushed to a 2-0 lead within 25 minutes.
It was a lead they held until the final moments of the match but Nelson Oliveira’s long-range effort rescued a point for the visitors after Christoph Zimmerman had already pulled one back.
Supporters, while obviously still expecting to go straight up this season, were left frustrated with the performance and the result.
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It was another chance for fans to see Benik Afobe too, who came one for half an hour to make his fourth appearance since joining from Bournemouth in January.
It’s the striker’s second spell at the club, so supporters know what they’re getting with the 25-year-old and some believe he’s a player that will never fit into Santo’s system.
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Fans are now calling for Leo Bonatini to be given the opportunities that Afobe is currently getting.
Marouane Fellaini is on the verge of securing a five-year deal with Galatasary, according to reports by Turkish newspaper Aksam.
It is simply a matter of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s now on a five-year deal between the injury-maligned player and the Turkish club.
What’s the story?
United’s soundbite-worthy manager Jose Mourinho has impressed upon the Belgian the importance of penning a new contract before his current one expires in the summer, telling him earlier this month to “sign and shut up”.
The midfielder has had big money offers on the table from both Turkey and China, however, and made clear his intentions in December when he rejected United’s initial offer of renewal.
Felliani’s struggles in his first few seasons at Old Trafford were well-documented as the Red Devils struggled to deal with the post-Fergie hubris, but he finally seemed to find his feet under Mourinho prior to an injury-riddled 2017-18 season.
What next for Mourinho’s men?
A nervous summer awaits for Mourinho, who risks losing two of his midfield stalwarts. Veteran midfielder Michael Carrick is considering retirement at the end of the season after undergoing surgery to correct an irregular heart rhythm that has seen him sidelined since September.
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The two compliment each others strengths well, with Fellaini’s aerial presence underlined by his 2.5 aerial duels won per game and Carrick’s pass completion rate of 79.3% giving United much-needed composure on the ball in the middle of the park.