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The season may not have ended in the fashion fans were hoping it would, but Tottenham Hotspur appear to have taken a step back towards playing exciting and entertaining football under Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian has banished the dreary displays fans were subjected to under José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte, and while a Champions League place was within their grasp, the Lilywhites look well-placed to improve next season.

However, to do that, Daniel Levy and Co need to provide the manager with the right players, and based on recent reports, they could be about to add a winger who'd be the perfect rival for last summer's most expensive signing, Brennan Johnson.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to recent reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are interested in bringing former youth player and Sporting CP star Marcus Edwards back to N17 this summer.

The report claims that the North Londoners view the Englishman as a perfect solution to their current issues surrounding home-grown players.

Moreover, it shouldn't be a particularly expensive transfer to complete either, as the report has revealed that an offer of around €20m, which converts to about £17m, would be enough to tempt the Lisbon side into selling.

Moreover, with Edwards looking for a return to England, this move seems to suit all parties, and the extra competition for Johnson might push him to reach new heights.

How Edwards compares to Johnson

Now, Edwards, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig describes as "a joy to watch", has played in several positions in his career, including out on the left, but he has started the vast majority of his games as an out-and-out right-winger. So, with Johnson set to be one of his main competitors for game time if this deal goes ahead, how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it's closer than many might imagine. Last season, the Sporting ace scored six goals and provided nine assists in 44 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.93 games. In contrast, the Lilywhites' winger returned five goals and ten assists in 38 games, equating to a goal involvement every 2.5 matches.

However, when looking at the 2022/23 campaign, the Welshman could only manage 13 goals and assists in 44 appearances for Forest, which is a goal involvement every 3.38 games, whereas the Sporting star racked up 26 goals and assists in 51 matches, equating to a goal involvement every 1.9 appearances.

Appearances

51

44

Goals

12

10

Assists

14

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.29

Appearances

44

38

Goals

6

5

Assists

9

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

0.39

How about their underlying numbers, then? Are the two widemen just as close to one another under the hood?

Interestingly, the Englishman comes out looking better in this comparison, and by quite some margin at that.

Stats per 90

Edwards

Johnson

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.74

0.73

Assists

0.27

0.39

Non-Penalty Goals

0.27

0.19

Progressive Passes

5.23

2.83

Progressive Carries

5.17

4.07

Shots

2.28

2.05

Shots on Target

0.94

0.74

Passing Accuracy

75.1%

71.7%

Shot-Creating Actions

5.96

2.98

Goal-Creating Actions

0.87

0.62

Successful Take-Ons

2.15

1.05

Miscontrols

3.42

1.51

Dispossessed

2.21

0.81

Ball Recoveries

4.30

3.33

For example, while he comes out second best in some metrics such as miscontrols, number of times dispossessed and assists, he comes out ahead in most others, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, ball recoveries, goal and shot-creating actions, and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Of course, the "wonderful" Sporting ace, as dubbed by Kulig, is playing in a weaker league, but the numbers are impressive.

Ultimately, Johnson had a reasonably successful debut campaign for Spurs last season and showed a great deal of potential to improve in 2024/25.

However, considering the fee being reported and his comparison to the Welshman, bringing Edwards to the club this summer could provide the perfect competition for the former Forest star, which can only be a good thing.

He's like Isak: Spurs eye "insane" £25m Richarlison upgrade

The prolific striker could supercharge the Lilywhites’ attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 21, 2024

Ruud van Nistelrooy has insisted that he was not the main cause of Manchester United's luck turning as they demolished Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

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• United scored five goals to progress
• Van Nistelrooy earned victory in debut as interim
• Dutchman insisted United finally found 'luck'

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Nistelrooy was announced as the interim coach of Man Utd following Erik ten Hag's sacking this week and he celebrated his first game in charge with a 5-2 win over Leicester at Old Trafford. The result sent United into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, with the Red Devils' finally finding their scoring feet in front of goal after wasting a number of chances in recent games.

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  Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes scored twice, with Alejandro Garnacho also netting as United won in Van Nistelrooy's debut in the Old Trafford dugout. The Dutchman is likely to be replaced by Ruben Amorim in the coming weeks once the Sporting CP coach finalises his deal to take over from Ten Hag.

• WHAT VAN NISTELROOY SAID

  Speaking to , Van Nistelrooy said: "I have to say we had some luck as well, I am so happy for Casemiro though and [Alejandro] Garnacho and Bruno [Fernandes]. Five goals but the chances against West Ham and Fenerbahce, we created so much and couldn't finish., All of a sudden we had some luck on our side and that made it a great night.

  "It is always the target to react and attack. The reaction of players after the Leicester goals were excellent and they deserve the credit. I am glad the crowd go home happy."

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR VAN NISTELROOY AND MAN UTD?

  United had been hoping to have had Amorim in charge by their next Premier League game against Chelsea this weekend but talks are still ongoing with Sporting CP and Van Nistelrooy is now expected to be in the dugout at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Hardik Pandya’s stunning 60 not out off 21 went in vain

Hemant Brar25-Oct-20203:15

Chopra: ‘Players like Stokes know how to swim in the deep end’

Ben Stokes finally came to the party with an unbeaten 107 off 60 balls as the Rajasthan Royals chased down Mumbai Indians’ 195 for 5 with relative ease in the end in Abu Dhabi. The win not only kept the Royals in the race for the playoffs – they are now sixth on the points table with ten points from 12 games – but also brought the curtain down on the Chennai Super Kings’ campaign.Earlier, Hardik Pandya’s 60 not out off 21 balls, studded with seven sixes and two fours, had lit up the evening. But that didn’t prove enough as Stokes and Sanju Samson added 152 off 82 balls in an unbroken third-wicket partnership to take the Royals home with ten balls to spare.Archer snares in-form de Kock earlyQuinton de Kock had scores of 53, 78*, 53 and 46* coming into this game. He looked primed for another good knock when he pulled a 149.6kph Jofra Archer delivery for a six to get off the mark. Archer, however, pitched the next ball a little fuller and a bit wider, and de Kock chopped on with an angled bat.From the other end, Ankit Rajpoot was a bit wayward and Ishan Kishan, opening once again in the absence of Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav took full advantage of that. In the sixth over, both of them hit Rajpoot for a six each to take the side to 59 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Gopal double-strike pulls Mumbai backThe Royals turned to their two legspinners – Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia – after that and the move worked straightaway as the next two overs produced only eight runs. Yadav then tried to take Gopal on by going inside-out but ended up slicing it over point for four. He attempted the same shot on the next ball and this time ended up hitting it in the air towards deep cover. Tewatia charged towards the ball, put in the dive, got his fingers underneath the ball but couldn’t hold on to it.Kishan, who was struggling to score beyond a run a ball, then slashed at Kartik Tyagi. The ball flew towards third man where Archer misjudged it before plucking it one-handed over his head to leave his team-mates gasping. A couple of overs later, Gopal dented Mumbai further by removing Yadav and Kieron Pollard in the same over. While Yadav holed out to long-off, Pollard failed to read a googly and was bowled through the gate. That was the first time Pollard was dismissed since the opening game of the tournament.Hardik blitz gives Mumbai powerful finish3:07

Chopra: Such a Hardik Pandya innings was brewing for a while

Mumbai were 120 for 4 when Tewatia dropped Hardik on the last ball of the 16th over. This was a bit easier than the one he grassed earlier, the only difference being he was fielding at deep midwicket this time. Hardik made full use of the opportunity and smashed Rajpoot for four sixes in the 18th over, three of them off full tosses. Archer conceded only three in the 19th over but Hardik wasn’t done yet. After Krunal Pandya took a single off the first ball of the final over, Hardik unleashed himself on Tyagi. Standing deep inside his crease, he hit the next five balls for 6, 4, 4, 6 and 6 to take Mumbai to a daunting total, with 74 runs coming off the last four overs.Royals off to quick start despite Pattinson double-strikeBefore this game, Stokes had scored only 110 runs off 103 balls in IPL 2020. Questions were being raised if opening with him was the right thing to do, and if the Royals should move him down the order and open with Jos Buttler instead.The Royals needed a quick start to chase down 196 and losing Robin Uthappa in the second over, who mistimed James Pattinson to mid-on, didn’t help. With the Royals 13 for 1 at the end of two overs, Stokes was yet to face a ball. But he soon hit his stride with four fours off Trent Boult in the third over. Steven Smith, who promoted himself to No. 3, then struck a four and six off Jasprit Bumrah in the next over before Pattinson bowled him with an inducker. But Stokes hit the last two balls of the sixth over for fours, bowled by Krunal, to ensure the Royals didn’t bog down.The Stokes and Samson showStokes was now growing in confidence. In the eighth over, he slog-swept Rahul Chahar over deep midwicket for his first six of the season. The next ball was sent past backward point courtesy a reverse sweep. That allowed Samson to settle down as well. While the Royals reached 99 for 2 at the end of ten overs, they still needed another 97.A couple of quiet overs made it 89 required from 48 balls. It was then Samson who took the pressure off Stokes with some timely blows. On 19 off 18 at the end of the 12th over, Samson hit two sixes and two fours in the next two overs to bring it down to 52 needed from the last six overs. With both batsmen in top gear by now, that wasn’t a big ask. With Bumrah straying down the leg side, Samson took him for two successive fours and then brought up his half-century, off 27 balls, with a brace.A couple of streaky fours further ate away from the target. With ten required, Stokes was three short of his hundred. He reached the landmark in style by hitting Pattinson for a six over midwicket and then sealed the game with a four on the next ball.

Tottenham could smash their £63 million transfer record, which was spent on ex-flop Tanguy Ndombele, in a "huge" bid to sign a top flight rival's star striker.

Spurs set sights on Harry Kane replacement as summer window opens

The Lilywhites have set their sights on a replacement for club-record scorer Harry Kane this summer, coming nearly 12 months after he completed his multi-million pound move to Bayern Munich.

Related Tottenham could now offer Gil in swap move for prolific £17 million striker

This is an “attractive” proposal.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jun 12, 2024

Ange Postecoglou utilised Son Heung-min in a central striker role early-on last season, and the South Korean worked wonders before being moved back out wide. Richarlison also chipped in during his purple patch midway through the campaign, but the consensus is Tottenham will be bringing in a prolific new front man.

Spurs are lacking that standout 20-plus-goals-per-season presence up front right now, and that is something which chairman Daniel Levy and the wider recruitment team are looking to rectify as the window officially opens for business.

Tottenham's top scorers in all competitions last season

Goals

Son Heung-min

17

Richarlison

12

Dejan Kulusevski

8

Brennan Johnson

5

Cristian Romero

5

Doubts have surrounded Richarlison's ability to lead the line for quite a while, despite some excellent performances last season, with a few interesting names on Postecoglou's radar.

Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri has been heavily linked with Spurs in the last 10 days, as have both Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Roma's Tammy Abraham, with pundit Alan Hutton urging the club to bring in a proven striker to take them to the "next level".

“I said at the start of the season that I thought Richarlison could be the main Tottenham striker,” Hutton told Tottenham News.

“When Kane left, it opened up an opportunity for Richarlison but it wasn’t quite happening for him. Son has taken that mantle but I like him out wide, if I’m honest. I think even if Richarlison is firing on all cylinders like he was against Newcastle, I still believe Spurs need someone else.

“If Tottenham are going to go to the next level, they need to get a striker who you know is going to get them 20-plus goals a season. It’s something they still will be looking at.”

An ambitious target, according to Football Insider, is Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

Tottenham could smash Ndombele record in "huge" Isak bid

The Swede bagged 25 goals for Newcastle in all competitions last term, alerting Lilywhites chiefs to a potential Kane heir.

Eddie Howe's side are likely to demand a premium, if they even consider an approach from any club. As per FI, Tottenham could smash their £63 million transfer record on a new striker, and there are whispers that Levy is planning a "huge" bid for Isak.

"His runs are superb. If you just watch how clever he is when he doesn't get the first pass played in, he then goes behind a defender to come back in and bend his run to make sure that he is onside, then he can make a really clever finish," said Newcastle legend Alan Shearer on Isak.

"He can also come deep and drop deep, so he is asking different questions of the defenders by saying: 'Are you going to come with me or are you going to drop off?' If you drop off, he has got the ability to hurt you there.

"He is just a constant threat all the time. His finishing is excellent and his penalty taking is as good as they come."

Carlo Ancelotti has pleaded for patience from Endrick as the Brazilian competes with Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr at Real Madrid.

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Real Madrid beat Espanyol 4-1Endrick comes off the bench Brazilian scored in UCL winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Endrick has been reduced to a series of cameo performances for Real Madrid this season. Indeed, the 18-year-old has made six substitute appearances for the club but is yet to start a game. He impressed once again in limited action against Espanyol on Saturday, coming off the bench to win a penalty as Ancelotti's side ran out 4-1 winners, leading some to ask if he deserves more minutes.

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The former Palmeiras forward faces almighty competition at the Bernabeu, with Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo and Arda Guler all vying to start in attack. It's an enviable position for any manager to be in, but such depth can cause issues when egos are affected. Ancelotti has already admitted that Rodrygo could get jealous at the attention paid to Vinicius, Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, and Endrick will be desperate to play as often as possible after moving to Madrid in the summer.

WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

"On the one hand, yes, I may be being unfair, because he is training well; he is someone with a lot of quality," Ancelotti said. "But in front of him are Vinicius, Rodrygo, Mbappe… it is necessary, for him to be a little patient."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Endrick will hope to receive another chance to impress when Los Blancos, unbeaten in La Liga through six games, host Alaves on Tuesday evening.

West Ham United are going to part ways with David Moyes after the conclusion of the 2023/24 Premier League season, ending an illustrious partnership that has seen three European campaigns, winning the Europa Conference League last year.

Moyes has achieved great things in east London and has recorded successive top-seven finishes after West Ham recorded such a finish only once since the 2008/09 campaign – under Slaven Bilic in 2015/16.

Declan Rice's rise and rise from the academy to play a central role in the success has been one of the glowing successes of the Scotsman's reign, while a strengthened squad across all areas has set incoming manager Julen Lopetegui up for success.

But what does that look like? Hammers supporters are worried that appointing the Spaniard has been a circumspect decision, edging away from past interest in exciting Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, aged 39, who plays delightful football and has won a wealth of silverware in Portugal to boot.

Amorim is understood to have a £13m release clause in his contract, perhaps dissuading Tim Steidten and co from accelerating interest. Time will tell if Lopetegui's experience will pay off for West Ham.

Moyes has tacitly resigned himself to his fate at this stage and indeed he cut a forlorn figure during his struggling side's 5-0 loss against Chelsea last weekend – it was the visage of a manager who has accepted their looming departure.

His £51m club-record signing, Lucas Paqueta, continued his dramatic decline as he awaits a probable transfer this summer. Should that happen, the incoming boss could strike gold immediately by dropping the Brazilian for an up-and-coming prospect.

Lucas Paqueta's season in numbers

Paqueta has been a sensational addition to the West Ham fold, instrumental in securing silverware last season and even playing the surgical threaded pass through to Jarrod Bowen against Fiorentina last June, who then bagged the late winning goal in the Conference League final.

His exploits last term led former midfield peer Rice to praise his "mind-boggling" ability, but he has raised his game even higher this season with displays that have colourfully highlighted Manchester City's interest.

In all competitions this season, the 26-year-old has scored eight goals and seven assists, blending attacking sharpness with defensive solidity – it is the balanced nature of his skill set that has skyrocketed him into a position as one of the Premier League's leading playmakers.

As per FBref, the Brazil international ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 2% for tackles and the top 4% for aerial duels won per 90.

Lucas Paqueta: PL Stats Comparison
Stat	22/23	23/24
Matches played	28	29
Matches started	27	29
Goals	4	4
Assists	3	6
G/A Rate	0.25	0.34
Pass completion	80%	75%
Big chances created	3	12
Touches per game	57.2	66.1
Shots per game	1.9	1.4
Key passes per game	1.1	1.5
Dribbles per game	1.2	1.4
Ball recoveries per game	6.0	6.4
Tackles per game	2.5	2.3
Duels won per game	6.1	7.8
All stats via Sofascore

Alternating between a wide and central attacking midfield role, Paqueta has proven himself and it's no wonder that Pep Guardiola's side view him as an "ideal" target despite his £85m release clause.

All this said, Paqueta's standards have fallen off a proverbial cliff recently, perhaps a by-product of this inevitable summer saga.

Against Chelsea, he was particularly sorry, branded with a 3/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, who wrote that he 'looks to have phoned it in at this point'.

​​​​This final phase of Moyes' tenure – league fixtures against Luton Town and Manchester City – are effectively dead rubber now, with a miracle needed to secure a top-seven finish.

Paqueta is patently disinterested and Lopetegui could indeed ditch him, unleashing George Earthy in the South American's stead.

Why Lopetegui should unleash George Earthy

Earthy's Premier League debut ended bitterly after the teenager replacing Michail Antonio with 82 minutes on the clock against Fulham in April, colliding with Edson Alvarez late on and being stretchered off the pitch with a head injury.

The talented midfielder, aged 19, was described as a "terrific footballer and a great little technician" by Moyes following the incident and his performances at U21 level speak of the quality that led to his first-team promotion.

Across 26 performances for the youth team this season, the No. 10 has scored 13 goals and added ten assists, with his prolificness winning over Moyes and suggesting that he has a big part to play in the years to come at the London Stadium.

In the EFL Trophy, against senior lower-league opposition, Earthy excelled across his five outings, scoring three goals, providing one assist, completing 90% of his passes, creating three big chances and averaging 1.4 key passes, 3.0 ball recoveries and 1.0 dribble per game, as per Sofascore.

His technical quality is evident and his dynamism and potency in attacking sequences suggest that he might indeed be the perfect young Hammer to make a real impression at West Ham.

Since Paqueta is on the out, in all likelihood, what has Lopetegui got to lose? Moyes has already demonstrated his eagerness to involve Earthy in the senior set-up, and by ditching the Brazilian for a homegrown prospect, he might just set in motion a chain of events that could see the club unleash its biggest talent since Rice.

Lopetegui must ditch 2/10 West Ham ace who was worse than Paqueta

This star’s Stamford Bridge display proved West Ham have more problems than simply Moyes’ future…

By
Angus Sinclair

May 6, 2024

After years of mediocrity and false draws, Arsenal are finally back among the big boys of the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta has helped transform the club over the last few years with his brilliant management and talent identification.

Alongside Sporting Director Edu Gaspar, the Spaniard has constructed a brilliant squad that looks ready to challenge for years to come and throw out the deadwood that was there just to collect a wage.

However, there are still a few players who should probably be moved on this summer, and based on recent reports, that could happen.

Eddie Nketiah's Arsenal career

One of those players is academy graduate Eddie Nketiah, who's been a part of the club since he was 14 years old following his release from cross-city rivals Chelsea.

GK – Petr Cech

RB – Stephan Lichtsteiner

CB – Carl Jenkinson

CB – Rob Holding

LB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles

CM – Mohamed Elneny

CM – Matteo Guendouzi

RM – Joe Willock

CAM – Aaron Ramsey

LM – Emile Smith Rowe

ST – Eddie Nketiah

The Lewisham-born forward made his initial first-team appearances off the bench in the 2017/18 season but made his full debut the following year against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League.

Aside from a short loan spell to Leeds United in 2020, the Englishman would slowly make more and more appearances for the Gunners first-team in the following seasons before getting a real chance in the latter half of the 2021/22 campaign after club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was sold to Barcelona.

He would go on to finish the season with an impressive tally of ten goals and one assist in 27 appearances for Arteta's side and earn himself a new £100k-per-week contract in the process – oh, and he also took the legendary number 14 shirt, which, upon reflection, might have been tempting fate just a little too much.

Due to Gabriel Jesus' knee injury partway through last season, the Gunners' new number 14 ended up making 39 first-team appearances across all competitions. While he only managed to score nine goals and provide two assists this time, he did leave his mark, notably against Manchester United.

That brings us to this season, and while fans were hoping he'd once again kick on and really prove his worth as the club's second striker, he has utterly faded away and now sits behind Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz in the pecking order.

In all, he's racked up just six goals and three assists to his name in 37 mostly substitute appearances – making journalist Kaya Kaynak's previous assessment of the player as being "disappointing" hard to disagree with.

His lack of impact this season suggests that it's time the club moved on from him, and they could make a good amount of money in the process.

Appearances

168

Goals

38

Assists

7

Goa Involvements per Match

0.26

Nketiah's transfer valuation in 2024

So, if Arteta and Edu were to sanction Nketiah's sale this summer, they'd first need to calculate his value.

A few things contribute to a player's worth, but one of the main ones is the number of years remaining on their contract, which, in this case, is three years. Then there is their record in the top leagues, and while the former Chelsea prospect hasn't quite cut it for title-chasing Arsenal, his record of at least nine goal involvements every season since 2021/22 certainly could attract teams lower in the league.

Lastly, a player is only valuable if there are teams willing to sign them, and based on a recent report from TEAMtalk, newly promoted Ipswich Town are certainly interested in the Arsenal man ahead of their return to the big time.

So, with that, the Gunners have a brilliant chance to offload their unwanted forward and make a pretty penny simultaneously.

That said, there is no mention of how much the Tractor Boys might pay for the 24-year-old, but based on the CIES Football Observatory, he's worth around €40m – £34m – which, based on all of the above and the fact he's homegrown and still young is probably a fair price.

1

Bukayo Saka

€200m (£172m)

RW

2

Gabriel Martinelli

€100m (£86m)

LW

2

Kai Havertz

€100m (£86m)

ST/CM

3

Gabriel Jesus

€80m (£69m)

ST/LW

4

Eddie Nketiah

€40m (£34m)

ST

4

Leandro Trossard

€40m (£34m)

LW/ST

5

Reiss Nelson

€10m (£9m)

RW

It is also the same valuation the CIES place on the massively inform Trossard, who has found the back of the net 16 times in 44 appearances this term while providing two assists to boot, although if he were Nketiah's age, he'd likely be worth a lot more.

Ultimately, while it would be an excellent story for Arsenal to incorporate their 14-wearing academy graduate into the starting lineup, his form just hasn't been good enough for that to happen, so they really should cash in on him while his valuation is still as high as it is.

Arteta hit the jackpot on Arsenal "wizard" who's now worth more than Olise

The incredibly talented ace has been pivotal since he arrived.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 8, 2024

Liverpool appear to have conceded defeat in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who looks set to stay put in Germany and continue his journey with Die Werkself, who are ten points clear in the Bundesliga title race, into the late stage of the DFB Pokal and Europa League and are undefeated in all competitions.

FSG's new CEO of Football Michael Edwards appears to be calm in the face of adversity, however, anticipating this and drawing up some exciting alternatives.

Liverpool's Alonso alternatives

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is the clear favourite to take over at Anfield, should Liverpool miss out on Alonso, though he does have a €30m (£26m) release clause in his contract.

The other likely option appears to be Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi, who is widely understood to be one of the frontrunners to succeed Klopp, albeit behind Alonso and Amorim on the list.

Why Roberto De Zerbi would succeed at Liverpool

Klopp described De Zerbi's Brighton as "the best-coached team in the league", and while appointing the former Italian footballer might seem like a downgrade, he is proven in the Premier League and one of the best options on the market.

De Zerbi succeeded Graham Potter at the Amex and led the south coast club to their first European campaign, falling in the round of 16 against Roma.

While the Seagulls have endured a tougher domestic season this year, likely a by-product of the added strain of continental competition, they are just two points off seventh-placed West Ham United (who hover over the Conference League spot) having played a game less.

Games

4

Wins

2

Draws

2

Losses

0

Goals scored

10

Goals against

6

Moreover, De Zerbi has a fantastic record over Klopp's Liverpool, actually avoiding defeat across all four contests. This bears testament to the 44-year-old's slick, rehearsed philosophy, suffocating opposition and overpowering defenders and midfielders with finely woven passing patterns.

It doesn't always pay off, this high-risk, high-reward system has bred eight errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season, the division's joint-highest alongside Sheffield United.

Still, Liverpool don't exactly play conservative football under Klopp's management and while De Zerbi implements a differing, more pass-heavy style of play, the Reds have the wits and tactical wherewithal to succeed under his guidance.

Perfect for Harvey Elliott

De Zerbi's astuteness in his tactical work could be perfect for creative, fluid players such as Harvey Elliott, who is still only 20 years old but now teeters on the cusp of a starring role in Liverpool's team.

The England U21 international has been in fine form for club and country in recent months and is starting to blend it all together, with his natural swagger and style wrought into something highly effective.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 5% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 1% for total shots taken per 90.

Such statistics speak of his elite ball-centred qualities that will serve him well as he fights for a prominent role at the forefront of the Premier League.

De Zerbi's slick, possession-heavy style could actually suit Elliott well, maximising his playmaking abilities and nurturing the flame that flickers so brightly this season.

Pep Guardiola, revered Manchester City manager, remarked that De Zerbi is "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years", hailing his "unique" style of football, and while he doesn't boast the eminence and popularity of a gaffer such as Alonso, there's every chance that he will continue to flourish.

Liverpool have their very own Endrick brewing in "special" teen talent

This rising star might even prove to be a bigger talent than Harvey Elliott.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 29, 2024

While it's a risk, Liverpool could do much worse than appoint the Brighton boss.

Robinson, one of the top left-backs in the Premier League, is excited about Pochettino's reported arrival as U.S. manager.

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• Robinson praised the reported hire
• Robinson: All eyes on 2026
• Fulham opened with loss to Manchester United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Antonee Robinson, one of the top players on the U.S. men's national team, is ready to give "everything" for the team's reported new hire Mauricio Pochettino.

  The 27-year-old fullback praised Pochettino following Fulham's late loss to Manchester United in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford.

  Robinson, widely seen as one of the top left-backs in the Premiership, has made 46 season appearances for the U.S. since making his debut in 2018.

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• WHAT ROBINSON SAID

  "He’s a very good manager, so I’ll be interested to see obviously how he comes in," Robinson told NBC Sports in a postgame interview. "How he gets used to the boys. How we get used to him. It’s a fresh start now.

  "Obviously eyes are going to be on the World Cup and he’s got two years to get the best out of us that we can and we got to give it everything for him, so that he can be successful with us."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Robinson is the first one of the first USMNT players to publicly acknowledge the reports of Pochettino's hiring. He's one of the team's elite players so his public backing is critical for the Argentine.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ROBINSON, POCHETTINO?

  Robinson's Fulham will be looking to rebound from a heartbreaking season-opening loss in Manchester. After a grueling test with United, they might have more luck against a recently-promoted Leicester side at home on Aug. 24.

  Pochettino's reported agreement still has finer details to resolve. The U.S. has upcoming matches against Canada and New Zealand, but it’s not yet confirmed if he will be managing in those matches.

Newcastle United have been given a boost in their quest to sign an "excellent" player in the summer transfer window, with his current club potentially lowering their demands.

Newcastle could look to fill Botman void

The Magpies have suffered a season to forget overall, with their performances in both the Premier League and Champions League not up to scratch. However, injuries have been a fair excuse for Eddie Howe, with the manager constantly having to get by without so many key players available.

Newcastle have now received a fresh major blow with the news that Sven Botman's season is over after suffering an ACL injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for 6-9 months. Given the Dutchman's influence at the heart of the defence, it is a significant setback, and PIF could now look to sign another centre-back this summer.

Plenty of potential targets have emerged recently, with Sporting CP pair Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande both linked with moves to St James' Park once the current campaign is done and dusted. Both are highly rated young players who could have big futures in the game, so they represent exciting options.

Someone who was backed to move to Newcastle earlier this season was Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi, should he decide that this summer is the right time to move on to pastures new. Another Premier League player is also believed to be an option, with Nottingham Forest defender Murillo recently linked with a switch to the Magpies.

Newcastle given boost over "fantastic" target

According to a new update from A Bola [via Sport Witness], Newcastle remain keen on signing Inacio from Sporting in the summer window. Citing other sources, the Portuguese outlet stated that his current club could potentially accept €40m (£34.4m) plus €20m (£17.2m) in bonuses, rather than the upfront €60m (£51.7m) release clause that exists in his current deal. However, these bonuses would have to be considered realistically achievable.

It is also stated in the report that Sporting have already begun looking for replacements for both Inacio and Diomande, which could give the Magpies further hope of striking a deal for at least one of them.

Inacio could be a perfect signing for Newcastle at the end of the season, with so many positive attributes in his game, from quality on the ball to strong defensive work. He can also play at left-back if needed, which would give Howe more depth in that area of the pitch at a time when Dan Burn arguably doesn't represent the future there, considering he is 31 years of age and more of a centre-back by trade.

The Sporting ace has been hailed as an "excellent central defender" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his stats in the table below sum up what an impressive season he is enjoying in the Primeira Liga:

Goncalo Inacio's Primeira Liga statistics this season	Total
Appearances	23
Starts	20
Goals	1
Assists	0
Pass completion rate	88.3%
Clearances per game	1.8
Aerial duel wins per game	1.6
Tackles per game	1.3

The fact that Newcastle could strike a cheaper deal initially acts as an added bonus, and they should do all they can to snap up one of Europe's brightest young defenders in the summer.