Liverpool are interested in signing teenage sensation Christian Koffi from Monaco, according to L’Equipe.
What’s the word?
The 17-year-old has been catching the eye in Monaco’s youth ranks this season for his attacking performances.
Koffi draws similar comparisons to one of Liverpool’s current players, Sadio Mane, due to his positioning and ability.
L’Equipe reports that a number of top European clubs are interested in signing the teenager, but Liverpool appear to be the frontrunners as they plan to hold talks with the youngster in the coming days.
Jurgen Klopp has a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal at Anfield, therefore Koffi would be a signing for the future.
Would he get a chance at Liverpool?
In a similar way to Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino, Klopp has been known to give young players a chance at first-team level.
The German helped developed numerous stars at Borussia Dortmund, while Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been handed opportunities under the manager.
The latter, in particular, has been featuring regularly in Liverpool’s first-team squad.
On Wednesday night, Klopp put faith in Alexander-Arnold to mark Leroy Sane in the team’s 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Manchester City.
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The 19-year-old passed the test with flying colours, which would give any young player encouragement if deliberating over a move to Liverpool.
Koffi would also suit the Reds’ playing style, but due to the abundance of attacking quality available, the youngster would have to be patient.
According to reports in Belgium, Everton and West Ham will battle it out to sign Burnley midfielder Steven Defour this summer.
What’s the story?
Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad.be claim West Ham want to sign the tough tackling midfielder, but will face stern competition from the Toffees.
The 29 year-old Belgian has had some injury issues this season, but has still managed 24 league appearances for Sean Dyche’s Clarets.
Both West Ham and Everton could undergo massive squad overhauls this summer, and both sides have glaring weaknesses in midfield.
Defour’s contract runs out in the summer of 2019, though the report from Nieuwsblad.be does say he would be open to extending his Clarets contract.
West Ham or Everton?
Defour is unquestionably talented, and has earned over 50 Belgium caps despite the depth of midfield options in Belgium’s golden generation.
The 29 year-old has one goal and one assist this season, but it’s not his attacking output that makes him appealing as much as what he offers in a defensive sense. Defour will cover every inch of grass, and is the type of player that every manager would want in their team.
He is averaging 1.4 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game in Burnley’s midfield, and his eye for a pass makes him a useful key in unlocking deep defences. He also has that bit of star quality, as he showed with his tremendous free kick goal at Old Trafford this season.
Valued at £6.3million by Transfermarkt, Defour’s reading of the game would be extremely beneficial to either of the linked clubs, but he would be a better fit at Goodison.
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Everton are just missing someone in midfield to link things up between the expensive attacking flair they brought in last summer, and Defour could be the perfect fit.
Everton fans, would you like to see a summer swoop for Defour? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
To celebrate 25 years of the Premier League each week in Football Fancast we’re going to be looking back at a memorable game that took place on the corresponding date. This time out we revisit a Hollywood climax in a land of pies and pier.
Here’s the set-up. On April 18th 2010 Wigan Athletic hosted Arsenal at the DW Stadium in a Sunday lunchtime kick-off. After five seasons in the top flight the Latics were now an established Premier League force yet in reality their status was never anything less than precarious with two previous escapes from the clutches of relegation on their C.V.
In Roberto Martinez’s first season in charge they were aspiring to play attractive, open fare and if that made their rare memorable days – such as a recent victory over Liverpool – all the prettier it also led to a fair share of hammerings too. Back in November, Tottenham had walloped nine past them and before the year was out Manchester United racked up five for the second time in this campaign.
Going into this game Wigan were four points beyond the drop zone with just four to play and of that quartet two were relegation rivals in West Ham and Hull while the final day offered up eventual champions Chelsea away at the Bridge. Then there was Arsenal, here today, Robin Van Persie, Nasri, Fabregas and all. The Gunners were stinging from a North London derby defeat in midweek but that only made them more dangerous. Before kick-off they were six points adrift of Chelsea but with a precious game in hand. They had a fourth Premier League title in their sights and they were hurting. For Wigan that was an unfortunate combination.
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As proven by the opening spell that had Arsene Wenger’s men immediately settle and meaningfully dominate possession. Before the break Theo Walcott finished tidily and then three minutes after the restart Mikael Silvestre headed home from a corner. Arsenal being Arsenal they then went after a third.
If there was one ray of hope for the Lancashire side it was that the visitors were notably weakened in defence on that Sunday afternoon, with first choice keeper Almunia injured and Thomas Vermaelen absent too. But the clock kept on ticking and Arsenal kept on passing and as legs tired and the crowd began to accept the inevitable the contest reached eighty minutes.
Here’s the pay-off. A move down the left was squared at pace into the box and Ben Watson thumped in a low drive with such surety that it made the net loudly fizz on contact. Suddenly the DW Stadium was woke.
Travails, resurgent belief, and even the odd uncharacteristic long ball followed but one passage of play merged to another until the 88th minute was reached. A speculative set-piece was misjudged and floated harmlessly into the grasp of Lukasz Fabianski but the Polish stand-in did some misjudging of his own and flapped at it, patting it down onto the head of Titus Bramble. The Wigan defender reacted with an instinctual stretch of his neck and that was sufficient to see the ball loop over the line.
Pandemonium. Sheer pandemonium. Or at least initially it was sheer, but then two seconds in it’s possible to detect the collective pause; the doubt. Surely a supposedly top class keeper doesn’t spill a beach ball cross like that? Surely he must have been manhandled. He hadn’t and he did and the sight of the ref jogging back to the centre circle prompted a second wave of celebration.
Arsenal were now on the ropes; their title hopes were now on the ropes. Anything other than three points here and it was almost certainly all over for another year. Three points for Wigan however all-but-secured safety. A draw meanwhile was pretty much no good to either side.
Maybe it was knowing this that drove Charles N’Zogbia in-field with the ball instead of down towards the corner to waste time with the full ninety now up. Whatever his motivation it certainly panicked and surprised the Gunners back-line who flocked towards him en masse.
The French winger’s only route to goal at this point was around them and even then it required substantial curl on the shot with the slightest of a sliver of goal to aim for. Fabianski steadied himself. Two Arsenal defenders lunged desperately.
But the shot was perfect, in calculation and for drama. It was Hollywood in a land of pies and pier. The thump off the inside of the post could have been Wenger’s heart dropping to the floor.
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What happened next?
The Latics were pulverised 8-0 at Stamford Bridge but by then it mattered not. They were safe to fight another top flight day.
It was a season of pure frustration for Arsenal who finished third, exited the domestic cups in the early stages, and encountered a sublime Barcelona in the Champions League.
Arsenal produced a victory that ended up being comfortable against West Ham to mark their first game since Arsene Wenger announced that he would quit the club at the end of the season.
The game was 1-1 going into the closing 10 minutes but Aaron Ramsey’s strike was followed up by two late goals from Alexandre Lacazette to turn the score into a slightly flattering 4-1 for the Gunners.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cup-tied for the midweek meeting with Atletico Madrid, the Frenchman is finding form at just the right time for Wenger, who would love to clinch the trophy and finish on a high.
Of course, the forward was a high-profile summer signing in a transfer window that also saw Romelu Lukaku join Manchester United from Everton and after the match, some Arsenal fans were in the mood to compare the duo.
We’ve taken a closer look at the best of the points Arsenal fans put across…
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Bayern Munich right-back Joshua Kimmich shone and got on the score-sheet again in his side’s 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night, and Manchester United fans would love to see the 23-year-old at Old Trafford next season.
The Germany international was the unlikely scorer for his team as they were beaten 2-1 by the La Liga giants at the Allianz Arena last week, but with just three minutes on the clock in the Spanish capital he found the net again.
It was the full-back’s fourth goal in Europe this season, while he has provided a total of 17 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, and he could be viewed as a long-term replacement for Antonio Valencia, who has come under criticism from the Old Trafford faithful on Twitter in recent weeks, at Old Trafford.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on Kimmich’s latest display via social media, and while one said “Joshua Kimmich would be an ideal replacement for Valencia”, another simply said “Jose, please sign Kimmich”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Everton fans have been discussing which Swansea players they would like to poach this summer, and they all agree on one man.
Swansea City were relegated on Wednesday night after Huddersfield picked up a heroic point at Stamford Bridge.
The Swans probably shouldn’t be going down given the quality of their squad, and there are more than a few players that will be looking for a new home in the Premier League this summer.
One such player is Alfie Mawson, who has been one of the surprise packages of the season at the back for Swansea.
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The 24 year-old centre back averages a remarkable six clearances per game in the Premier League, and has put his aerial prowess to good use on the attacking end too by grabbing two goals and an assist.
Everton have had their own defensive problems this season, with Michael Keane failing to live up to expectations and Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams both showing their age.
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Fans weren’t too happy about the links to Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri this week, but it doesn’t seem they’re completely against signing relegated players, as they’re all saying the same thing about Swansea’s relegation.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
As reported by The Sun, Manchester United may have to pay an eye-watering £100m if they want to secure the signature of Fulham prospect Ryan Sessegnon.
What’s the story?
Sessegnon is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most exciting homegrown players in the country and this summer is set to be full of speculation about whether he will leave Fulham for a bigger club.
The Sun report though that the Craven Cottage side value him so much that they’re willing to dig their heels in on a potential transfer and demand any suitors pay £100m for his signature.
That would make him the most expensive English player in history.
The paper reckon that while that prices Tottenham Hotspur out of a move, Manchester United could be ready to push on with the transfer, despite the fee, with Jose Mourinho looking for a long-term option at left-back.
A good buy?
With 15 goals and six assists this season from the left flank in the Championship, there is not another English teenager as exciting as Sessegnon, but is he worth paying nine figures for?
Sessegnon is still just 17, but will be 18 by the time the transfer window opens. His young age and lack of senior experience means that despite his obvious potential and despite the stellar season he has had this term, paying £100m for his services is wholly unrealistic.
That kind of money would put massive pressure on his move to Old Trafford and could hamper his development.
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Of course Fulham don’t have to think of his sale in those terms, they have every right to protect what is a massive asset, but from United’s perspective, if the London side are so intent on not selling him then maybe they have to play a long-term waiting game to secure his transfer.
As reported by The Mirror (Transfer Live blog, 15:58, May 18, 2018), Aston Villa are showing interest in Porto striker Moussa Marega ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the story?
Villa have a massive fixture at Wembley next Saturday to determine whether they will be playing English Premier League football next season or not.
Their transfer plans then are currently caught between two places and contingencies must be made so they can make appropriate moves should they gain promotion.
One player they are looking at is Moussa Marega, according to The Mirror (Transfer Live blog, 15:58, May 18, 2018), who say that he is on Director of Football Steve Round’s list of targets, with the club even scouting him this season.
He won’t come cheap though, with the paper reporting he could cost as much as £35m.
Would he be a good signing?
Marega would certainly be an exciting option for Villa fans this summer if the club could pull off such a move.
He’s scored an impressive 22 goals for Porto this season, also contributing six assists.
It’s firepower that would help Villa survive in the top-flight should they see off Fulham in the play-off final next week.
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Spending will be required if they do win promotion and although he wouldn’t come cheap, attracting quality like Marega would go a long way towards ensuring Steve Bruce has a Premier League calibre squad to work with.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may well look to bring in a new attacker to provide some competition for the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah next season having been linked with Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, but Reds fans have urged him to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Julian Brandt.
The 6ft 1in tall 22-year-old has been in impressive form for the Bundesliga club – he scored 12 goals and provided a further seven assists in 39 appearances in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign – which didn’t go unnoticed by Germany manager Joachim Low.
The wideman made the preliminary 27-man squad for the holders for the World Cup in Russia this summer, and he will be hoping to make the final cut for the final 23 names having started in the 2-1 friendly defeat against Austria on Saturday.
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Liverpool supporters, who know who they want to partner Fabinho and Naby Keita in midfield next season, have been quick to have their say on Brandt via social media, and while one said “sign Brandt to be our Kevin De Bruyne for £25m”, another said he is “also cheaper than Dembele”.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle United forward Ayoze Perez wants to stay at St James’ Park this summer despite interest from Napoli and Real Sociedad.
What’s the story?
Perez managed 10 goals in 37 appearances for Newcastle last season, with the Spaniard particularly impressive in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign as the Magpies moved up the Premier League table.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Napoli and Sociedad are both interested in signing the forward this summer after being impressed with his form last term.
However, the same report claims that Perez wants to stay at St James’ Park, whilst Newcastle are also not interested in entertaining any offers for the former Spain Under-21 international.
Napoli would be able to offer Perez the chance to play in the Champions League, whilst his chances of breaking into the Spain squad could be improved by a move to Sociedad.
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However, it seems that Perez is more than content with the Magpies, which is excellent news for their supporters ahead of the 2018-19 season.
How important is Perez to Newcastle?
It would be fair to say that Perez has lacked consistency despite putting in some very impressive performances since moving to Newcastle from Tenerife in the summer of 2014.
The 24-year-old was outstanding in the final weeks of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, however, with his performances leaving a big impression.
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Perez actually scored six times in Newcastle’s final eight Premier League games – including a double against Chelsea on the final weekend of the season.
Valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, Newcastle must keep hold of the Spaniard if they are to push for a top-half finish in the Premier League once again.
And it does appear that the Magpies are in a strong position to keep a player who has a special relationship with the English club’s supporters.