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Liverpool are eying a swoop for PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo in the summer transfer window.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Dutch media outlet Voetbal, who claim the winger has already spoken with Liverpool regarding a transfer to the Premier League side at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and even Bayern Munich are also interested in a move the PSV sensation this summer.

It looks increasingly likely that Gakpo will be leaving the Dutch side and he has no shortage of admirers. The player did recently sign a new contract until 2026 following discussions with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy recently and this could be to secure his club the best possible fee.

Mane 2.0

Liverpool’s recent recruitment has been excellent, with the additions of Luis Diaz and Diego Jota have added extra dimensions to the Reds’ attack and it looks like Klopp is looking to the future.

With Gakpo only being 22, he could well be a fine signing and eventually look to take over from the ageing Sadio Mane.

Indeed, the Dutchman’s attacking output is similar to that of the 30-year-old, having scored a scintillating 18 goals and registered 15 assists over 42 outings in all competitions this season. Although primarily a left-winger, he can play across the forward line.

His performances have gathered a great amount of praise, with the former Netherlands midfielder, Theo Janssen, stating his belief that Gakpo is a talent who “has everything.”

Liverpool could secure his services for £33m which, would be a record fee for PSV.

Indeed, considering the sheer amount of potential the Netherlands international quite clearly possesses, it would not be surprising to see the 22-year-old – if he does indeed secure a move to Anfield this summer – eventually go on to take the place of Mane in the Reds’ starting XI – as it is clear Gakpo is very much a player in the Senegal international’s mould.

AND in other news: Cost £3.5m now worth £19.8m: Liverpool struck gold with “sensational” gem – opinion

Former Celtic striker Jorge Cadete believes that the Hoops could end up landing loanee Jota in a cut-price transfer, as reported by The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Jota clause

Ange Postecoglou made three signings on deadline day over the summer, one of which was Jota, who shares the same agency as Cristiano Ronaldo. He arrived from Benfica on a season-long loan with an option to buy, with the fee required to make a move permanent thought to be just over £6m.

The 22-year-old has been a regular in green and white in recent weeks, scoring the winner against Aberdeen prior to the international break.

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The Latest: Cadete’s comments

In a report from The Daily Record, Cadete had his say on whether or not Celtic will make a permanent move for Jota, hinting that the reported fee could well drop over the coming months for the ‘exciting’ winger. The 53-year-old said:

“It’s too early to talk about the value of Jota if Celtic want to buy him. It’s normal for clubs when they loan a young player abroad, they fix the buy clause at a high price.

“Jota has been mentioned at six or seven million Euros.

“But after the season, this figure is normally not the same as it was before. It might well be lower than that by then.

“I’d like Jota to stay at Celtic in the long-term because I think it can be good for both parties. The Celtic supporters have an exciting player so it keeps them happy.”

The Verdict: Looking good so far…

Postecoglou has used Jota on a regular basis over recent weeks, with the majority of his starts coming from the left wing.

The 22-year-old also showed his versatility by playing off the right against Real Betis, and at £6m in today’s market, a permanent deal for that figure could prove to be a snip.

The Hoops have had a habit of making profits on players over the past decade, most notably Moussa Dembele, so maybe Jota could be the next in line to reap Celtic an eye-catching profit in the future if a clause of £6m or less is activated.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit thinks Celtic may land seven-figure fee as transfer news emerges

Watford striker Troy Deeney looks increasingly likely to leave Vicarage Road ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and it could be a huge mistake to let him go.

What’s the word?

The Athletic have suggested that the Hornets are willing to terminate Deeney’s contract in order to let him join Birmingham City this month, with both sides keen to reach an agreement.

Deeney might well be regarded as a Watford legend but he looks unlikely to play regularly in the Premier League for Xisco Munoz’s side this season and therefore a move to St Andrew’s, to play for the team he supports, would make a lot of sense for the 33-year-old striker.

A mistake to let him go?

Although you could argue that the likes of Emmanuel Dennis, Josh King, Joao Pedro, Cucho Hernandez and Ashley Fletcher are all ahead of Deeney in the pecking order at Vicarage Road, you can’t underestimate the influence that he has at the club.

During his time with the Hornets, the striker, who reportedly earns £65k per week, has contributed 140 goals and 62 assists in 419 appearances, playing a huge part in Watford reaching, and staying in, the Premier League in the past 11 seasons.

Even last season, when he was a fringe player in Xisco’s squad, he managed seven goals and three assists in 19 appearances and you feel that he would be a good player to keep around this season as they look to avoid relegation from the top-flight, as he certainly still has the ability to pop up with important goals.

At 33, Deeney will undoubtedly be a huge part of the dressing room at Watford and you feel that, if the Hornets were dragged into a relegation battle this season, the striker could have played a huge part both on and off the pitch, so it feels like a mistake to let him leave for nothing.

However, Lee Bowyer clearly wants him at Birmingham, calling him a “winner” when questioned about him last week and you feel that it could prove to be a big mistake to let someone like that leave when this could be a tough season for the Hornets.

And, in other news…  Forget Fletcher: Watford gem with 4 key passes was the star vs CPFC

Manchester United suffered their second loss of the season on Wednesday evening as West Ham United knocked them out of the Carabao Cup.

The Reds Devils defeated the same opposition while on Premier League duties over the weekend but couldn’t repeat the trick after manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made 11 changes to his starting lineup.

A ninth-minute strike from Manuel Lanzini was enough to see off the hosts on an underwhelming night for United, with West Ham earning a place in the last 16 of the competition as a result.

One player who struggled more than most on his return to the side was summer signing Jadon Sancho. Although he showed flashes of his true potential, it was another frustrating night for the youngster.

Sancho arrived at Old Trafford as part of a £73 million deal back in July but has so far failed to register a single goal or assist in seven appearances for his new side.

The England international was unable to stop Ryan Fredericks as the Hammers full-back surged between him and Alex Telles on his way to setting up Lanzini for the only goal, setting the tone for a frustrating night’s work.

As per SofaScore, Sancho failed to have a single shot on target during the 90 minutes, was unsuccessful with his only attempted dribble, and lost possession a whopping 15 times, highlighting his ineffectiveness in the final third of the pitch.

He was unable to link up with the likes of Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard as the hosts struggled to get in behind their well-organised opponents, leading to a goalless night for United.

Sancho also only won 50% of his duels against a physical West Ham side and was dribbled past on one occasion. Better days lie ahead for the highly-rated 21-year-old, but it’s been a difficult start to life upon his return to English shores.

And, in other news…Lost 67% of his duels: Man Utd lightweight let Ole down again against West Ham 

Liverpool face another tough task at the weekend with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League after securing a big 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek.

In the Spanish capital, goals from Naby Keita and a Mohamed Salah double were enough to secure the win in their latest group game despite two goals from Antoine Griezmann, who was later sent off, restoring parity for a while.

Ox was impressive v Atletico

Looking ahead to the weekend’s big match against the Red Devils, one Liverpool figure who played a part in midweek that we feel should be in the starting XI to face United is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

On Tuesday night, the ex-Arsenal midfielder came on as a substitute in the second half to replace James Milner.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old completed 14 out of the 15 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, completed one accurate long ball attempt, made two successful dribbles, won five out of his six ground duels, and made one interception and three tackles. Those efforts earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.2/10 according to SofaScore, higher than a significant number of Liverpool players who started the game.

This not only shows how useful a midfield option Oxlade-Chamberlain is for Liverpool but also why he should be in the running to start against United on Sunday ahead of the likes of Keita and Milner, who both failed to impress in midweek.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Merseyside club back in 2017 from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Since then, the £120k-per-week midfielder (according to Spotrac), has made 111 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in the process.

So far this season, while Oxlade-Chamberlain may have made seven appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions, he has only started twice, making him a bit of an outcast. That is something he has apparently acknowledged, as it was recently reported that he could seek to leave the club in the near future to find regular game-time elsewhere.

However, in our view, we feel that this next match against United would be a great chance for him to show why he should be a regular starter for the Reds rather than just an impact sub.

In other news: Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted

Southampton have been linked with a move for Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence recently and he could prove to be the next Kyle Walker-Peters in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, both Southampton and Leicester City are keen on signing the 21-year-old defender this summer, although it remains to be seen whether or not a bid will be submitted before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

Spence has established himself as a regular at Middlesbrough in recent seasons and has 70 first-team appearances under his belt already, in which he has contributed two goals and no assists.

Southampton’s next Walker-Peters?

Although Walker-Peters has seen 18-year-old sensation Tino Livramento start ahead of him in each of Southampton’s Premier League fixtures so far this season, his signing has still proved to be a hugely successful one thus far.

The young right-back joined Southampton initially on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020 and quickly established himself as first-choice in Hasenhuttl’s side before making the move permanent at the end of the season.

In total, the 24-year-old has made 47 appearances for the Saints, scoring once and assisting four times, and he looks set to be a regular in this Southampton side for the significant future.

Both Walker-Peters and Spence are young, English full-backs who are capable of playing on either side of defence as well as further forward, so the similarities are clear to see.

Neil Warnock was full of praise for Spence last season, saying:

“If you look at one or two of the full-backs that are around now – the lad at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the lad at Manchester United from Palace (Aaron Wan-Bissaka) – they are all the same type as Djed.

“He does have enormous ability, and when you’ve got ability like that it’s criminal if you don’t get to the very top. But as I said to him in that first couple of weeks, he’ll only have himself to blame if he doesn’t get to the very top.”

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Therefore, it seems as if Spence has a huge amount of potential and if Martin Semmens does bring him to St Mary’s in the near future, there’s no reason why he can’t have the same sort of impact that Walker-Peters has had during his time with the South Coast side.

And, in other news… Forget Elyounoussi: Saints beast who played 4 key passes was Hasenhuttl’s star vs Newport

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been flocking to some comments which have emerged from Jermain Defoe.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the striker was talking about how he left club earlier this week and suggested that he wanted to stay and continue playing for them. He confessed: “Even at the age of 39 I still wanted to be involved. Towards the end it was affecting me, I was taking it home and I was a little bit down…”

Defoe was a wonderful servant to Rangers during his time at Ibrox, scoring 32 goals and supplying a further 10 assists in 76 games over all competitions across the last four seasons (title last term.

However, he has now left the Light Blues, and if he wants to continue playing football, he will have to find another club as a free agent. Nonetheless, many Gers supporters seemed moved by his admission.

Rangers fans on Defoe comments

These Rangers fans flocked to the striker’s comments as they were shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that Defoe is a ‘phenomenal’ person:

“Phenomenal guy with a phenomenal attitude. @IAmJermainDefoe is always welcome back to Ibrox as a fan.”

Credit: @norrie9791

“Tears man… Absolute gem of a guy and fantastic player, wish we had him years ago, always welcome back JD”

Credit: @Rangers4life_

“Okay I wasn’t ready for this”

Credit: @RaviSood10

“Crying now! What a man”

Credit: @ClaireMackay19

“He gets it.”

Credit: @nrpsimpson

“Someone cutting onions somewhere”

Credit: @youngdavid85

In other news, find out what transfer update has had these Gers fans buzzing

Glasgow Rangers have the chance to put an end to a frantic week by securing a place in the final of the Scottish Cup.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were in action on Thursday night as they made it through to the semi-finals of the Europa League by beating Braga 3-1.

The Gers now take on Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, having lost to the Hoops in the SPFL earlier this month.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start in midweek that should now make a return to the starting XI for Rangers is midfielder Glen Kamara.

Having replaced Ryan Jack after 80 minutes on Thursday, the 26-year-old ended up playing 40 minutes in total as the game went to extra time.

In those 40 minutes, the midfielder did his best to make sure his side kept their composure and see out the match once Kemar Roofe had scored the goal that put Rangers ahead on aggregate.

With 42 touches of the ball in total, the Finnish international completed 32 of the 35 passes he attempted, including two successful long balls.

He also managed to win four of the five duels he was involved in, block one shot and draw two fouls, showing how useful he was when he came on.

In the SPFL, Kamara has also shown what a useful defensive figure he is, with Joe Aribo (32) being the only other midfielder to have won more than his 19 tackles.

Similarly, John Lundstram (28) is the only other Rangers midfielder to rack up more interceptions than the £21k-per-week talent (22).

Taking into account the fact that Celtic ended up scoring seven goals in their previous outing against St Johnstone and have had a full week of rest, having a defensively capable player like the £5.4m-rated figure in his starting XI would appear a very wise move by Van Bronckhorst.

Labelled both “aggressive” and a “class act” in the past by former Gers manager Steven Gerrard, Kamara would very much appear to be the right player to break up the Bhoys’ attacks most efficiently.

Indeed, after his solid run out in midweek, Van Bronckhorst should definitely unleash the midfield machine from the start this time around – as Kamara’s presence in the middle of the park would certainly terrify Celtic.

AND in other news: £10.1m in the bank: Rangers hit the jackpot on “brutally ruthless” £31.5k-p/w machine

England made no mistake in securing their qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a resounding 10-0 win over San Marino last night and it was a Liverpool star who stood out despite a plethora of goal scorers.

Strikes from Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Emile Smith Rowe, Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, Bukayo Saka and an own goal secured the victory for Gareth Southgate’s side in what ended up being an incredibly one-sided affair.

However, despite not getting on the scoresheet on this occasion, Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played the full 90 minutes of the game, still managed to play a big part in the rout.

With 122 touches of the ball, more than any other England player on the night, the right wing-back managed to provide three assists, complete 91 passes with one cross and five long balls, showing just how much England relied on him to keep the ball moving across the pitch throughout the game, which explains why Southgate kept him on the field for the full duration.

As well as showing how much of an attacking and creative threat he can be, Alexander-Arnold didn’t shy away from his defensive duties, making two interceptions when called upon.

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Overall, this performance from the Liverpool defender earned him an impressive match rating of 8.6/10 according to SofaScore, making him the third-highest rated player that started the game.

This performance for England mirrors the sort of performances Alexander-Arnold has produced for Liverpool this season with WhoScored currently listing him as their second-highest rated player with an overall performance rating of 7.7/10, proving that he has been one of Jurgen Klopp’s heroes in this current campaign. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that he’s been described as being “out of this world” in the past by pundit Gary Neville.

Moving forward, from an international point of view, despite the rather effortless way England beat San Marino on this occasion, the young defender’s performance showed why he definitely should be in the final squad for the World Cup next year.

Also, if he can continue to keep playing the way he has been for Liverpool and potentially help them win a trophy this season, this would further highlight just how much of an impressive player he is as a whole for his club given how he’s managed to score one goal and provide seven assists in 12 appearances across all competitions at this point in the season.

In other news: Edwards could seal final Liverpool masterclass by signing “exceptional” £81m-rated gem – opinion

Leeds United started a new era at the Yorkshire club earlier this season when they replaced Marcelo Bielsa with current manager Jesse Marsch.

Even though the American still has a few Premier League games left to get through before the season draws to a close and the summer transfer window opens, we have an idea for one potential deal the Whites could look to get done in that period.

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Back in the January transfer window, Leeds were linked with a potential move for Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino.

Eventually, nothing came of these links in January and the Japanese international stayed at Anfield.

However, with the Reds having the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in their squad, Minamino has found regular playing time in the Premier League hard to come by.

With 23 appearances to his name across all competitions this season, the attacker has only started eight of them, showing just how difficult it is for him to get into the team.

Despite his lack of regular game time, the 27-year-old has still managed to show what a capable attacking player he is by scoring nine goals.

Having been praised for his “complete” performances in the past by Jurgen Klopp, the £72k-per-week winger has also been compared to former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez by journalist Ian Doyle.

Given how the Uruguayan has scored 437 goals in 695 club appearances throughout his career, this is quite the compliment.

In terms of a potential move to Leeds, should he find himself waving goodbye to Anfield in the summer in search of regular game time, the Yorkshire club should definitely be in the mix for his signature once again.

Taking into account how the Japanese star racked up 20 goal contributions in 22 appearances for his previous club RB Salzburg under the management of Marsch, a reunion between the two could be a match made in heaven for Leeds.

Also, with the Whites finding it hard to score goals at times this season, having an attacking and creative talent such as Minamino in their squad could be just what they need to become a deadlier team going forward.

With the summer window in mind, launching a move for the Liverpool outcast should be at the top of Victor Orta’s to-do list and potentially deliver Leeds their own version of Suarez.

AND in other news: “Going to sign…”: Insider drops big Leeds transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing