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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool are not looking to sell Dejan Lovren this summer amid interest from Italian giants AC Milan.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds seem to be keen to hold on to the Croatian international this summer, despite Lovren seemingly being amongst the names of interest to Milan this summer as reported by Sky Italy.

The 29-year-old joined the club in a £20m deal from Southampton back in 2014, but currently finds himself behind Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in the Liverpool pecking order.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

Injury issues also disrupted his 2018/19 campaign, in which he became a Champions League winner for the first time – Lovren made just 18 appearances for Jurgen Klopp last term.

The perfect time to cash in

The World Cup runner-up literally turns 30 tomorrow, and every passing month where he isn’t playing football whilst getting older, his value is decreasing.

He offered very little to the Reds last season in terms of availability and on-field performances having missed 13 games through injury and a total of 109 days, whilst fans blamed him for the significant loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium – there’s a case to be made for their season panning out similarly to how it did even if Lovren wasn’t even there.

Furthermore, Michael Edwards took another step in securing the future of the club this summer in spending an initial £1.3m to bring Sepp van den Berg to Anfield, a young prospect who joins Ki-Jana Hoever as another exciting young centre-back in the Liverpool ranks having already made his first-team debut for the club at 16.

These young players won’t be able to develop their obviously huge potential sat on the sidelines, so FA Cup and Carabao Cup games are vital for their progression – these are the games that Lovren would presumably be playing in given his status as fourth choice, so it can be argued that his presence would hinder Hoever and van den Berg’s pathway into the first team.

It seems pointless to keep a player as surplus as Lovren is around when they are of interest to another club, especially when it feels unlikely that the defender will ever move up in the pecking order at Anfield again.

This is the ideal time to move the Croatian on.

Arsenal are looking to build on a decent first season under Unai Emery, where despite the club missing out on the top four, there were some encouraging signs.

Emery quickly managed to put his own stamp on proceedings at the Emirates and there is a hope amongst plenty of Gunners fans that with a bit of backing in the transfer market, Emery could well lead the club to some success in the coming season.

The Gunners have got a decent enough squad as it is, but they can be over reliant on a few of their top stars, especially the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette, whose goals have proved invaluable for the club in the last 12 months.

This weekend then has seen Arsenal linked with a move for young French striker Alexis Claude-Maurice, and while he might not be a world class striker just yet, we here in the Tavern feel he’d be a shrewd acqisition.

14 goals last season is not to be sniffed at for a club like Lorient, and while it was in the French second tier, Claude-Maurice should not be overlooked as someone who can come into the club and make a difference.

Too many times we see a club relying on their star men, meaning there is no adequate replacements within the squad should those players be missing.

At just 21-years-old, Claude-Maurice would have ample time to hone his craft and improve, while working with the likes of fellow Frenchman Lacazette can only improve the youngster further.

As long as the Gunners don’t go overpaying for the striker, then this could well prove to be a shrewd investment for the club as they seek to improve the depth of thei squad over the summer.

أعلنت بلدية نابولي رسميًا أنه سيتم تسمية سان باولو، اعتبارًا من اليوم الجمعة، باسم دييجو أرماندو مارادونا.

مارادونا توفى يوم 25 نوفمبر الماضي، عن عمر يناهز 60 عامًا، وتكريمًا له قرر نادي نابولي الإيطالي، إطلاق اسم أسطورة كرة القدم الأرجنتيني على ملعبه “سان باولو”.

وكتبت البلدية في بيان: “بقرار تمت الموافقة عليه اليوم، تم تسمية الملعب باسم دييجو أرماندو مارادونا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: طبيب مارادونا يخضع للتحقيق في شبهة القتل غير المتعمد!

وأضاقت: “تم اقتراح القرار من قبل العمدة لويجي دي ماجيستريس، من قبل مستشار أسماء المواقع الجغرافية أليساندري كليمنتي ووقعه مجلس المدينة بأكمله، الذي اجتمع في قصر سان جياكومو”.

وأتمت: “قبل وقت قصير من اجتماع اللجنة التنفيذية، وافقت اللجنة الاستشارية لتوبونومي المدينة على اقتراح العمدة، ومستشار توبونومي أليساندرا كليمنتي ومجلس المدينة، بتسمية ملعب سان باولو باسم ملعب دييجو أرماندو مارادونا”.

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According to ExWHUemployee, West Ham United have offered a contract to Yacine Brahimi, who will be available on a free transfer this summer.

Sports Witness recently cited reports in Turkey which claimed that Brahimi is keen to land a £5.3m signing-on fee from his next club.

However, the same publication has also suggested that the Porto ace also wants a three-year contract worth more than £75,000 a week.

The West Ham fans have been on social media debating a swoop for the 29-year-old.

And it would be fair to say that a number want their club to move for the Algeria international this summer, especially if the reports on his potential wage packet are true.

Brahimi scored 13 times and contributed nine assists in 49 games for Porto last term.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

There is no question that he is a talented player and the West Ham fans are keen for their club to secure his signature for the 2019-20 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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When Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool last year he would have assumed he was going onto bigger and better things.

The possibility of winning a Champions League will likely have been at the forefront of his mind, but he’s now going to have missed two finals after Barcelona were dumped out of Europe’s premier competition by his former employers.

Coutinho was awful, as were many of the visiting players at Anfield on Tuesday night. And the Reds’ faithful took great comfort from seeing him lose.

They showed no sympathy whatsoever, ripping into the Brazilian on Twitter.

Many supporters decided to pick up on the irony of him leaving Liverpool to win a Champions League.

A further fan claimed that selling Coutinho was the best business the club had done, such was his woeful display. Another individual called it a wonderful sight.

The 26-year-old left for Barcelona in January 2018, concluding a whopping £142m deal. With the club using the money to sign the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, it’s no contest as to who came off better.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

يفتتح فريق الكرة بنادي الزمالك مواجهاته ببطولة دوري إبطال إفريقيا أمام الفائز من مباراة سياف الجيبوتي وجازيل التشادي.

وتأهل الزمالك للمشاركة في الموسم الجديد من البطولة القارية، بعد حلوله في وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري عن الموسم المنقضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد مباراتي الأهلي في دور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا موعد مباريات الزمالك في دور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ويلتقي الزمالك أمام الفائز من مباراة سياف الجيبوتي وجازيل التشادي في الذهاب أحد يومي 22-23 من شهر ديسمبر المقبل.

وتقام مباراة العودة أحد يومي 5-6 يناير من العام المقبل 2021.

يُذكر أن الزمالك يستعد لمواجهة منافسه الأهلي مساء يوم 27 نوفمبر الجاري في المباراة النهائية من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

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When Jack O’Connell limped off with just under 15 minutes to go against Bristol City two Saturdays ago, many Sheffield United fans would have been fearing the worst.

That was especially the case after the Blades conceded two late Andreas Weimann goals and saw their automatic promotion hopes dented.

The injury he sustained then kept him out of the game with Preston last weekend. However, the Yorkshire club managed to win and in doing so proved a massive point that Chris Wilder’s men can adapt, and that they can manage without one of their key performers.

How did they do it?

There’s no shying away from the fact that O’Connell has been pivotal to Sheffield United’s success this season. He’s played in 36 Championship fixtures and been a rock at the back, but the fact they won and kept a clean sheet without him demonstrates they are perfectly well equipped when he’s not around.

Wilder will probably be kicking himself over a tactical blunder he made by bringing on Marvin Johnson for the centre back over a week ago but the manager proved any doubters wrong by aborting the small crisis from a week before.

John Egan and Chris Basham were both imperative to the win at the weekend, but the man who stepped into O’Connell’s shoes in the left centre back role deserves a lot of credit.

Enda Stevens was the man entrusted and the decision to play him there worked a treat. He may not have looked as imperious as his defensive colleagues but in making three interceptions and four clearances demonstrated how good he can be at the back.

Kieran Dowell played at left wing-back and although he didn’t enjoy a productive day, it wasn’t that position that would have worried supporters going into the weekend.

Wilder will have learnt plenty about his side in the last couple of weeks but what will please him most, is that his side can still challenge even without one of their players of the season.

With promotion very much on the line, it certainly bodes well for the Blades.

يدرس الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تغيير قواعد التسلل المطبقة في البطولة المحلية ضمن تقنية الـ VAR بعد الشكاوى الكثيرة التي خرجت خلال الفترة الماضية في العديد من المباريات الرسمية.

وكانت آخر الشكاوى في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون في الجولة الخامسة والتي أقيمت على ملعب “جوديسون بارك”، والتي شهدت إلغاء هدف الريدز القاتل الذي أحرزه قائده، جوردان هندرسون، في الثواني الأخيرة وتم إلغاؤه بسبب تسلل ممرر الكرة، ساديو ماني، ببضعة ملليمترات.

ويبحث رئيس لجنة الحكام في رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي، مايك رايلي، استخدام تجربة الدوري الهولندي في الفترة الماضية مع حالة التسلل حيث يستخدم خطوط بطول 10سم لاحتساب الحالات الصعبة، بحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ألدريدج: قرارات الـVAR دمرت ديربي ليفربول وإيفرتون الرائع

وتابعت الصحيفة الشهيرة أن تقنية الـ VAR في الدوري الإنجليزي تستخدم خطوط بطول 5سم، ويبقى القرار النهائي في يد حكم الساحة.

واقترح رايلي أن يتم استخدام تجربة الدوري الهولندي في إنجلترا قبل بداية الموسم، لكن تم إبلاغهم من الفيفا بأنهم لن يدعموا هذا النظام وهو ما أجبرهم على إلغاء الفكرة من قبل.

لكن الشكاوى الكثيرة في الفترة الماضية بعد بداية الموسم، جعلت رايلي يفكر في المزيد من الحلول من أجل تقليل الجدل حول حالات التسلل، لكن الفيفا يرى أن “التسلل يجب أن يحتسب تسلل مهما كان”.

من المتوقع أن تكون هناك بعض الاقتراحات بشأن تغيير قواعد احتساب التسلل في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على طاولة لجنة الحكام بالرابطة قبل يوم، الأحد المقبل، من أجل مناقشتها في الاجتماع السنوي في وقت لاحق هذا العام، ولكن إذا تمت الموافقة على تغيير بعض القواعد سيتم تطبيقها من الموسم القادم.

Despite being one of Louis Van Gaal’s most promising debutants, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has experienced a torrid decline down the footballing ladder.

It must seem like a lifetime ago for Cameron Borthwick-Jackson; playing for one of the most iconic clubs in the world, competing alongside some of the most gifted talents, and the dizzying heights of FA Cup glory.

Shortly after Louis Van Gaal was sacked by the club in 2016, the 22-year-old saw his minutes in the first-team reduced drastically as a, shall we say, less youth-friendly manager arrived in Jose Mourinho.

“I speak to him [Mourinho] all the time,” Borthwick-Jackson revealed to FourFourTwo.

“He’s always keeping eyes on me and he has people watching. When I first came into pre-season I got injured early on, and as I recovered he asked me how I was and things like that. When I came back he said: ‘the squad’s a bit too big but I see a future for you here’ and that I’m a ‘top player’. He told me to go out and get some experience.”

Probably a little naïve on his part to believe Mourinho, and even worse to then not perform on his loan spell.

After seven below par performances, and even some time in Wolves under-23s squad, he was returned back to Manchester with very few positive to note and scant signs of technical development.

Really, this kickstarted what was to become another case of ‘too much too soon’.

A surprising loan spell at bitter rivals Leeds United during the 2017/18 season could have quite easily been considered a sly attempt on Manchester United’s part to sabotage their attempts at promotion, given just how bad he was.

Following one game against Newport County there were some rather hostile comments thrown his way.

One supporter commented (via the Express): “Send Borthwick-Jackson back.’

Another said: “Hopefully the last we see of Borthwick-Jackson. Absolute rubbish.”

While a third added he ‘shows no interest whatsoever.”

And it is his attitude that has become a major sticking point since.

Whether it was the introduction to first-team football and the almost immediate withdrawal that created an inflated an inflated sense of worth in his mind, we do not know. However, what we are sure of is that he is unlikely to ever play for Manchester United again.

League One Scunthorpe United has been his home this season and with his performances showing signs of improvement maybe that is where he belongs.

Everton may have secured an uncharacteristic 3-0 win over relegation candidates Cardiff on Tuesday, but it was not enough to distract fans from major underlying problems facing the club. And it is becoming increasingly evident that some of those ‘problems’ are players who want to leave.

From what started as a relatively positive period under Marco Silva has now turned into a nightmare for players and fans alike.

Sitting in 9th place with very little to play for other than the Merseyside derby, new and old players alike will be scratching their heads wondering where their futures lie at Everton Football Club.

So, who are these likely doubters?

Yerry Mina

Fans are probably wondering how Colombian defender Yerry Mina has managed to con his way into Barcelona and Everton, despite rarely performing for either side.

It is not uncommon to see the words ‘erratic’ and ‘Mina’ in the same sentence in the wake of some of his appearances.

And that is the next issue.

‘Absent’ is the best word to describe Mina, who has managed a dismal 695 minutes in the Premier League since making his £27.19m move from Spain in the summer (source: BBC Sport).

Whether he’s sincerely injured we have no idea, but it is worrying that we would even entertain the thought that the player was simply skiving his way through the season.

Ademola Lookman

Lookman was brought back from Red Bull Leipzig at the end of last season despite the German outfit expressing their interest in signing the player on a permanent basis (as per: Sky Sports).

Presumably on the promise that he would be played more, Lookman ultimately stayed at the Everton but has struggled to get meaningful minutes under his belt ever since.

Having tasted top-level football elsewhere there’s no doubt the youngster will be weighing up his options at the end of the season to help revive his career.