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Fer has played with Wijnaldum at Feyenoord as well as with the Dutch under-19’s, 21’s and the senior national side.

The 29-year-old, who clearly has a positive off-field relationship with Wijnaldum, commented on his social media post.

The 11-cap Netherlands international is clearly backing his fellow countryman on Saturday as Wijnaldum seeks to win what would be the biggest trophy in his career.

He was instrumental in the semi-final victory over Barcelona as he came off the bench to score twice, and he will be desperately hoping his efforts are rewarded with a start against Spurs.

If Wijnaldum uses the motivational words of Fer and others backers to his advantage, Liverpool will surely be a dominant force in the midfield battle.

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The Manchester United rumour mill is in full swing already this summer, with plenty of names linked to the Red Devils. United have already agreed a deal in principle for Swansea winger Dan James, and are now looking at other players as they prepare for the new season. Here’s a look a the latest gossip involving the Old Trafford outfit…

More needed for Wan-Bissaka

Sky Sports are reporting that the Old Trafford outfit have had a bid for Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka rejected. The England U21 international has had an impressive season at Selhurst Park, and Palace are looking for far more than the £40m so far offered for the right-back.

Oblak favours United move

According to ESPN, Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is looking to move away from the Wanda Metropolitano, and would favour a move to Manchester United. PSG are also interested, but the 26-year-old is a boyhood United fan and would like to play in the Premier League.

Fernandes deal close

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes could be on his way to Manchester according to Sport Mediaset’s Pietro Balzano Porta. He claims an agreement has already been reached, leaving the Red Devils ‘very close’ to signing the in-form Portugal international.

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West Ham chairwoman Karren Brady has revealed that Manuel Pellegrini will make the final decision on Marko Arnautovic’s future at the club, per Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

Arnautovic has a £45million release clause embedded into his contract.

The Austria international almost moved to China in the January transfer window and endured an alarming dip in form following the collapse of the proposed move.

He scored 10 goals in total in the Premier League in 2018-19 but seven of those came before reports of a bid emerged. He signed off the season in style, however, netting twice against Southampton and once against Watford in the final two games of the campaign.

It remains to be seen if his display against the Hornets, which helped the Irons to a 4-1 win, will be his final showing in a claret and blue shirt, however, with Brady insisting that Pellegrini will have the final say on the forward’s future.

She said: “It goes the same with every player; their future at the club is decided by the manager, not by the chairman, not by the board and certainly not by me.

“If he decides that he wants him at the club and he wants to offer him a new contract like he did a few months ago then that’s what happens; if he decides that he wants the player to leave then that’s what happens.

“That’s his domain, the board supports whatever decision he makes. And that’s the way it should be.”

Pellegrini calling the shots

This will be a breath of fresh air for West Ham fans as it finally appears that the manager is being trusted to make the tough decisions.

For too long co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan have been the drivers of the transfer strategy at the club and it has led to the chopping and changing of managers, as well as numerous signings that have clearly been given next to no thought whatsoever.

Now, though, maybe Pellegrini is being told to shape the Irons exactly how he wants and he will be able to decide whether Arnautovic is central to those plans.

He is certainly a gifted forward, possessing a potent cocktail of pace, strength and finishing ability, but he is also sulky and went a total of 11 games without scoring following the China fiasco.

The Austrian could well come around and hit the goal trail again next season, or he could find pastures new; ultimately, it is up to Pellegrini, and that can only be good news for the Irons.

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According to Goal.com, Tottenham Hotspur are becoming ‘increasingly confident’ that Christian Eriksen will sign a new contract with the club.

What’s the word, then?

Eriksen has been strongly linked with a move away from Tottenham over the last few months.

Indeed, Real Madrid are said to be keen to sign the Denmark international, who will see his deal with Spurs expire at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign.

It had been thought that Mauricio Pochettino’s side would be forced into selling the 27-year-old this summer.

However, according to Goal.com, talks between the two parties are ‘ongoing’ and the playmaker could pen a new long-term deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs can secure the future of Eriksen, but the latest reports are certainly positive from the London club’s point of view.

Statement of intent

Well, it would send out a strong message to the rest of Europe.

Tottenham are in a tough situation when it comes to Toby Alderweireld, who will be available for just £25m in this summer’s transfer window.

Alderweireld is expected to move on and losing the Belgium international in addition to Eriksen would be a huge blow for the Champions League semi-finalists, one that highlights an unflattering position in the hierarchy of elite clubs.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Indeed, since arriving from Ajax in 2013, Eriksen has scored 64 times and registered 86 assists in 270 appearances for his current club in all competitions. This term, meanwhile, the 87-time Denmark international has contributed eight goals and 17 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.

Tottenham need to invest heavily this summer, but securing the future of Eriksen would undoubtedly be some of their best business – warning the rest of the continent that, excepting Alderweireld, their star players are not easy pickings.

They might be undisputed champions right now, but Celtic always need to keep an eye for the future.

To maintain their dominance in the long-run, the Hoops have to give more attention towards the young talents and overseeing their rise within the club.

As they’re impressive academy’s capable of producing some top-class players, Liam Morrison’s the latest gem to have come through the system. The 16-year-old’s been touted as the best up and coming centre-half in Scottish football, especially after watching his solid work for Scotland’s U-17 team.

Yet, the Hoops are in danger of losing this prized talent. According to reports (via The Scottish Sun), German side Hoffenheim are keen on signing him this summer, with the Bhoys reportedly fearing an exit after being braced for interest. They want to get the benefits from the hot-property, but Celtic cannot allow that. For a side who gave rise to Virgil van Dijk in the past, they could mould Morrison into another top-class defender.

Or maybe they won’t. That’s the thing with young players but why risk it? Keep young talent in-house, it’s the smart thing to do.

While the German side may be able to offer the new somewhat hipster route of young British talent heading to the Bundesliga, Celtic needs to stamp their authority on this one. They cannot allow themselves to be ousted again, that too when it comes to keeping their own young star. The Hoops need to make the 16-year-old sign his professional contract soon and continue his stunning development.

Morrison has all the skills to be a commanding centre-back very soon. He’s already disrupting attacks and leading the defensive line superbly. With their own defenders leaving almost every passing year, the Hoops need to retain this golden prospect to make him their long-term defensive general.

Celtic fans, do you think Morrison is in line for big things at Parkhead? Join the discussion by commenting below..

[ad_pod ]Gary Lineker name-dropped Leeds United winger Jack Clarke as a potential future England player on Twitter this week, but when asked about the claim on Thursday, the youngster’s manager Marcelo Bielsa issued an interesting reaction that shows why Whites fans love him so much.

What’s the word, then?

Well, following the Three Lions’ comprehensive 5-1 win against Montenegro, the Match of the Day and BT Sport presenter took to Twitter to state how bright the future looks for the national team.

He named current players and ones still coming through who are yet to appear for the senior side, including the Leeds wide man.

When asked about Lineker’s comment in his Millwall pre-match press conference on Thursday, Bielsa retorted via the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Imagine the future. In something like football, at the end it’s typical that something totally different happens to what people think. No-one has the link to know what is going to happen.”

He is a genius

Plenty of other managers may have taken this as an opportunity to praise their player and say that he deserves – or is good enough –that sort of international recognition in the future. Not Bielsa though.

The Argentine instead produced a non-committal response that ensures that the 18-year-old, who is still firmly learning the ropes, keeps his feet firmly on the ground and doesn’t have the weight of the world on his young shoulders too early.

He isn’t even a regular in the starting XI at club level yet under Bielsa so to be mentioned in relation to the England senior side is certainly jumping the gun, even if Lineker was perhaps talking about a few years down the line.

Bielsa has shown his class again with his comments though, and hopefully he will be in charge with Clarke playing underneath him for the foreseeable future to help the winger reach the clear potential that he has.

The imminent real return of Jack Clarke couldn’t have come at a better time for Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United given the tight run-in they will have before the season ends in May. 

Obviously, Clarke missed more than a month’s action due to health complications after he was substituted at halftime during the Whites’ match with Middlesbrough early in February. And, given how influential and resilient he’s been the whole season, prior to the health issue, Bielsa and Leeds fans would’ve been very happy to see him back on the pitch in the club’s previous two matches.

The 18-year-old got a little more than ten minutes against Sheffield United just before the international break, but on Saturday the manager brought him on in place of defender Pontus Jansson in the 67th minute of the match against Millwall.

The pressure Leeds applied in those final 20 minutes of the match was relentless and Clarke looked lively and keen to move forward with the ball as he has done so often this season for Leeds. His ability to run at opposition defenders with speed and skill has been brilliant and he is also an excellent passer of the ball.

The decision to bring him on in place of a defender was definitely due to the fact that the Whites were 2-1 behind at that stage. That’s the kind of ambitious thinking required at this stage of what could be Leeds’ most famous campaign in modern history, throwing caution to the wind.

But, wave after wave of Leeds attack eventually took its toll on the Millwall defenders with Luke Ayling and Pablo Hernandez scoring, much to the delight of the fans at Elland Road.

Bielsa, though, will have to be careful in how he uses Clarke for the remainder of the season.

The winger has, however, been very influential coming off the bench this season and it could be the perfect way to get him back into the thick of things for the remaining matches.

Leeds will need every bit of firepower they can get to earn promotion to the Premier League for next season and having an energetic young player like Clarke on their bench to make a proper impact will definitely increase their chances of playing top-flight football again.

It’s time to get excited.

Leeds fans, how big of a role do you think Jack Clarke will play in the final few games of the season? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Rangers and Aberdeen played out a 1-1 draw in their Scottish Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s side fell behind at Pittodrie, as Sam Cosgrove scored a 12th-minute penalty.

However, Joe Worrall levelled proceedings shortly after half-time and there will be a replay at Ibrox as both sides look to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.

Rangers, bizarrely, did not make a single substitution in the game, despite Gerrard having the likes of Jermain Defoe and Kyle Lafferty on his bench.

Fans were confused by the former Liverpool captain’s refusal to utilise his reserves, particularly with Rangers lacking their usual fluidity.

Indeed, they had just seven shots on goal, with two on target, compared to Aberdeen’s 11 on goal and three on target, per BBC.

And supporters took to Twitter after full-time to question why Gerrard did not turn to some fresh legs in the second half of the game. Take a look at the best of the reaction from Gers fans below!

As a result of Chelsea’s string of poor results and performances, Maurizio Sarri’s future at Stamford Bridge has become increasingly uncertain.

And one club could be about to take advantage of that following their own struggles this season.

The Breakdown

According to Sky Sports, AS Roma, who also currently find themselves as outsiders in the race for Champions League qualification, have contacted Sarri’s representatives with the view of the Italian possibly taking the reins at the Stadio Olimpico next season.

Given what Sarri accomplished at Napoli, Roma’s reported approach comes as no surprise. And as things stand, a return to Serie A is probably in everyone’s best interest.

With Chelsea showing no signs that they will improve under Sarri, a change in the Stamford Bridge dugout may be necessary.

As for the 60-year-old, what he is trying to get across probably has a better chance of working at Roma than at Chelsea with this squad of players.

They, along with the country as a whole, simply are not buying into his idea of football and what he is trying to deliver.

The whole N’Golo Kante and Jorginho situation epitomises that and is something more likely to be understood in his homeland where aspects of the game are viewed differently.

Ultimately, unless things quickly change, a divorce cannot come soon enough with Roma the perfect rebound for Sarri.

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Newcastle United will attempt to sign Benfica midfielder Andreas Samaris again in the summer after they failed with a move in the January transfer window, per Record via Sport Witness.

Samaris’ contract expires at the end of the season and Rafael Benitez’s side could well get themselves a bargain in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

Samaris was a target of the Magpies in January but a proposed deal, that would have seen him sign an initial short-term contract before committing to longer terms in the summer, fell through.

The report claims that the 29-year-old was unsure if he would actually have a club beyond the end of the season so decided to reject the proposal.

Newcastle signed Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United and Antonio Barreca on loan from AS Monaco last month.

And Samaris – who has played just six games in the Portuguese top-flight all season – can now begin negotiations with foreign clubs, with his deal soon due to end.

Newcastle, then, have the opportunity to finally get the signing over the line, with Record claiming that he will almost certainly be allowed to leave Benfica.

Patience pays off

Benitez and owner Mike Ashley may have played something of a blinder here.

Fresh from bolstering their squad at the turn of the year, the opportunity arises to do a deal for a long-term target that will ultimately cost them nothing at all.

Of course, it cannot be known if this was the plan all along – hence the convoluted offer presented to Samaris – but bringing him in when the summer window opens makes all the sense in the world.

Newcastle may well have to secure their Premier League survival first – they are currently 16th, just one point above the relegation zone.

But if they do just that, it would be a surprise if Samaris did not end up wearing black and white from the 2019-20 season.