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According to 90min.com, Liverpool have made an enquiry for Southampton’s Matt Targett as the club seek a new left-back in this summer’s transfer window.

Andrew Robertson is the undisputed first-choice left-back at Anfield.

However, Alberto Moreno’s departure this summer means that Jurgen Klopp’s side are short when it comes to experienced back-up for Robertson.

As per 90min.com, Liverpool are considering a move for Targett, who made 21 appearances for Southampton in all competitions last term.

Targett is hardly a spring chicken at the age of 23 and the fact that the 6 ft ace only made 16 Premier League appearances for the Saints during the 2018-19 campaign could lead the defender to seek pastures new.

That said, it is not as if first-team football would be on offer at Liverpool.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

The Merseyside club’s fans have been on social media offering their views on the transfer claim and a selection of the reaction is available to view below:

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Speaking on commentary duty with Martin Tyler when England faced Switzerland in the Nations League 3rd place play-off, Gary Neville didn’t hesitate to make a bold statement on one of England’s best performers against the Swiss.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was making just his sixth appearance for the Three Lions senior team on the day, was by far and away England’s Man of the Match.

The 20-year-old created a game-high seven chances alone, more than anyone else on the pitch, and should’ve had a number of assists to his name but for Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling’s wasteful finishing.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

His fine deliveries and near-perfect technique led to Neville and Tyler comparing the Liverpool academy graduate to David Beckham, perhaps one of the greatest crossers the game has ever seen.

The English media have long been guilty of over-hyping the country’s young stars, placing an enormous amount of pressure on their shoulders before they have even settled into life as a professional footballer.

Yes, whilst Alexander-Arnold has already played at a World Cup and appeared in two Champions League finals, likening him to one of the nation’s greatest ever players at the age of just 20 seems rather hyperbolic.

It’s also a misguided comparison considering how much the game has changed since Beckham’s heyday.

And if anyone shouldn’t be making such rash comparisons, it’s Neville. The Sky Sports pundit literally has all the knowledge about the situation that he possibly could need.

Firstly, he spent the entirety of his 19-year career playing at right-back, emerging onto the scene as an impressive youngster at Manchester United, just as Alexander-Arnold has done at Liverpool. He should know better than anyone not to heap weighty comparisons on the Scouser’s young shoulders.

And he should also know how significantly the right-back position has changed since he was playing. Back then, wingers were out-and-out touchline huggers who didn’t need, or allow for, a full-back to overlap them, meaning that the role was much more defensive minded with little attacking quality needed.

Nowadays, the role is arguably one of the most important on the pitch and means you must get up and down the flank. Deliveries into the box are important because full-backs mostly provide the width, but they usually come from a much deeper position and often with far more space than Beckham ever enjoyed.

The Man United icon’s crossing, more often than not, came under much greater pressure from defenders. So if the comparison proves anything at all, it’s probably that Beckham would be a right-back in this day and age.

Perhaps more importantly, Neville played with Beckham for a number of years and saw just how incredible the midfielder’s technical skills were in person, and also must’ve seen just how hard he worked on perfecting his talents on a daily basis.

Beckham provided that level of quality crossing for over ten years at Man United, and over 20 years throughout his whole career; Alexander-Arnold has only come to the end of his second full season as a senior footballer, and hasn’t been consistent in both defensive and offensive aspects of his game in that time either. Yes, there was a Beckham-esque aspect to Alexander-Arnold’s performance, but is it really right – is it really fair – to paint him with that brush just six games into his England career?

As someone who has worked with young players within the England setup before, he should be fully aware that such premature comparisons aren’t healthy. Let Alexander-Arnold make his own name without feeling the need to live up to one of the greats.

أقرت لجنة الأخلاقيات بالاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، بإيقاف رئيس الاتحاد الإفريقي، الملغاشي أحمد أحمد، بداعي الفساد المالي على مدار فترته الرئاسية الحالية والتي بدأت عام 2017.

وأصدر الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” بيانًا رسميًا يكشف خلاله عن عدة خروقات لـ أحمد أحمد خلال فترة رئاسته لـ كاف. طالع التفاصيل

ومن المقرر إقامة انتخابات رئاسة الاتحاد الإفريقي في شهر مارس 2021 بالمغرب.

ومن جانبه، أغلق هاني أبو ريدة ملف ترشحه لرئاسة كاف خلال الدورة المقبلة تحت أي ظروف.

وعلم “بطولات”، أن أبو ريدة لا ينوي تقديم ملف ترشحه لرئاسة الاتحاد الإفريقي حتى وإن تم فتح باب الترشح بعد إغلاقه، وسيكتفي بالمنافسة على عضوية المكتب التنفيذي في الدورة المقبلة.

ويشغل هاني أبو ريدة في الفترة الحالية، منصب عضو المكتب التنفيذي للاتحادين الدولي والإفريقي لكرة القدم.

How disappointing has Theo Walcott been this season? He’s shown he’s really not good enough to take Everton to the next level, but David Neres certainly is.

The Ajax right winger has been impressing scouts across Europe and it seems Everton are no different, with Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola telling Yahoo Sports (via The Boot Room) that Everton are in talks to sign him in the summer.

The fee is reported to be a whopping £43.5m, but if that’s what they need to spend, then they certainly should considering his form this season. He’s made 29 appearances in the Eredivisie, making 11 assists and scoring eight goals in the process.

Compare that to Theo Walcott’s four goals and two assists then it’s clear to see the upgrade the club would be making. There’s been a big project being talked about at the club over the last few years and this will be the latest sign that it’s moving forward.

Marco Silva is building a youthful team to improve together over the next few years and David Neres fits the bill perfectly. He’s only 22-year-old and can play right across the front line, making him highly effective in fast counters, a cornerstone of Silva’s style.

The Brazilian would have Goodison on its feet rather than sat down groaning, as it has been so often this season when Theo Walcott has failed to make the most of an attack.

Frankly, Neres is a clear step forward and worth any fee Ajax demand.

Everton fans, who would you bring in to replace Theo Walcott? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Unai Emery has seen Arsenal’s defence struggle all season, but it’s not only the back four that he should be concerned about. Having experimented with several systems this season, the only consistency in his formation seems to be in the use of a ‘number 10’ behind his strikers, a position no one has made their own. Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have all had spells in that role, but what is Emery really looking for from his creative midfielders?

The Chalkboard

Arsenal started the season with a back four which saw both Ozil and Ramsey get a lot of game time, alternating the number 10 position between them. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang led the line with Alexandre Lacazette out of favour.

Ozil was starting regularly before being dropped, sparking all sorts of controversy. Iwobi and Mkhitaryan had a spell playing as the inside forwards in a 3-4-3 formation before Ramsey took on the role in which he’s found his best form this season.

The Welshman is due to leave the club this summer for Juventus, and Ozil’s future is in doubt after more tepid displays, along with unconvincing performances from Iwobi and Mkhitaryan as well.

Many thought Emery got his man when he signed Denis Suarez in January, a player he’d previously worked well with, but injuries have forced the Spaniard to cut  short his awful loan spell.

Dynamism, flair and work ethic

A lot of managers are happy for their number 10 to possess attacking flair and creativity in the final third whilst ignoring the player’s shortcomings in defensive fazes of the game. Emery is not one of these managers.

His use of various personnel in different matches shows that he’s having to handpick the number 10 he feels is right for a particular game. Against Tottenham at the Emirates, he wanted Iwobi and Mkhitaryan in the team as their flexibility allows them to drift wide and stretch the pitch. Against Chelsea he wanted Ramsey’s dynamism and work ethic to close down Jorginho and implement the high press, and against Manchester United he wanted Ozil’s killer pass and vision to break down a stubborn defence that held out PSG just days before.

Emery does not seem happy to have a number 10 with many shortcomings and so is looking for an all-action midfielder who boasts creativity to give Arsenal an edge in the final third, but can contribute to all fazes of play.

Watch an Arsenal fan’s incredible rant about Phil Jagielka in the video below…

If you look at Ramsey’s stats in the Premier League this season, he boasts a tackle success rate of 53% despite playing high up the pitch. Lucas Torreira’s tackle rate is 58%, whereas Ozil’s is 42%. Ramsey has also made more tackles (34), recoveries (88) and has won more duels (79) than the ex-Real Madrid man, showing his commitment to defending as well.

If you had to pick someone to describe Emery’s perfect midfielder, you’d have to go for Bernardo Silva. His tackle success rate is 76%, he’s made 45 tackles this season, 151 recoveries and he’s won 115 duels, all better than Ramsey.

Along with his defensive discipline, he’s managed to register seven goals, seven assists and averages 42 passes a game, all better than Ozil. Silva plays his football more comfortably in the middle of the pitch, but delivers impressive statistics when he plays out on the right as well, showing his flexibility.

The Manchester City man is the perfect example of a blend between the best of Ozil and the best of Ramsey that Emery is looking to build his Arsenal team around going into next season. He wants a player who possesses attributes to contribute to all fazes of the game but whose performances stay consistent when playing out of position if needed. This is a position Emery is sure to try and fix this summer.

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Rangers are reportedly eyeing a deal for 22 year-old striker Adam Buksa, who averages a goal every two league matches this season.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are “keeping close tabs” on Buksa, and they sent scouts to watch him in action for Polish side Pogon Szczecin last weekend.

The 22 year-old has been capped at multiple youth levels for Poland, but he is yet to earn his first senior cap.

The report claims the Gers are planning “an overhaul of their attack”, but is Buksa a good starting point?

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Not a Morelos replacement

Buksa’s goalscoring numbers are good for his age, having found the net 13 times in 31 total appearances for his current club, and he is currently enjoying his best ever campaign with nine goals and four assists in 18 league games.

The 22 year-old is clearly improving and still has plenty of room to grow, however it is when you delve deeper into his numbers that concerns arise.

Including all clubs he has played for, Buksa has scored just 20 goals in 97 games across his career, so he is not the man to replace Alfredo Morelos’ goals if the Colombian does eventually depart. That strike rate simply isn’t good enough to lead the line week in week out.

He could replace Kyle Lafferty though, who has shown absolutely none of the form that endeared him to the Ibrox faithful during his first spell with the club.

At 6 ft 3 Buksa is more than capable of filling Lafferty’s role as a target man, and would offer something slightly different to Morelos and Jermain Defoe.

Valued at just £675k on Transfermarkt, the Gers wouldn’t have to break the bank for the Polish front man either, so replacing an ageing, misfiring Lafferty with a younger, hungrier player makes perfect sense.

Out with the old and in with the new, and so long as he is not viewed as a successor to Morelos, Buksa would be a fantastic signing for the Gers.

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There is something wrong at West Ham United.

They may have won at the weekend in pulsating fashion, as they came from 3-1 down to defeat Huddersfield Town 4-3 but there are problems plaguing the club.

For a start, they were terrible against the nearly-relegated Terriers, turning in a performance of such ineptitude in the first hour that it would not have been a surprise to see Huddersfield take a 5-1 lead.

That the catalyst for the turnaround was former fan favourite Marko Arnautovic leaving the pitch somewhat sums it all up; he flirted with China in January and was roundly booed when he jogged off to be replaced by Lucas Perez.

Football FanCast also understands that there will be a significant restructuring of the club’s strike-force this summer. Javier Hernandez, Perez and Andy Carroll are all likely to leave.

Add to that the club’s wild fluctuations in form – they have beaten Arsenal this season but also lost to Cardiff City – and you have a very puzzling picture indeed.

FFC has a look at three ways Manuel Pellegrini can sort the mess out.

Sell Arnautovic and reinvest

This one appears obvious but a source at the club has told FFC that Arnautovic could actually stay at the club this summer.

But the clause in his contract allowing him to leave if a £45million bid is tabled remains active. If the Hammers receive an offer north of £30m, they should take it and look to reinvest the money elsewhere.

There are gaps in the squad that need filling; Pablo Zabaleta needs replacing at right-back, there is a need for midfield reinforcements and as many as four strikers could be recruited if Perez, Hernandez and Carroll also go.

Arnautovic doesn’t appear to have much interest in staying at the club and the fans don’t seem to have much attachment to him.

Sending him on to pastures new makes sense for all concerned.

Build around Rice

Declan Rice is the most exciting player to come out of West Ham’s academy in years.

A genuinely brilliant defensive midfielder, he could be set to win his first England cap this week when the Three Lions take on the Czech Republic and has turned it on in some of the Irons’ biggest games this season.

He scored his first ever goal for the club against Arsenal and also turned in a heroic display against Liverpool.

Pellegrini, then, should make him the focal point of his team and accentuate his multitude of strengths.

Making Rice the key man has a two-pronged effect. For one, he is more likely to stay at the club despite the obvious reported interest from the likes of Manchester City, and secondly, it makes the Irons better.

They have all too often relied on players who are prone to mood swings or transfer sagas. Leave the likes of Arnautovic and Dimitri Payet in the past and build around the 20-year-old.

Bring the best out of Felipe Anderson

Felipe Anderson is something of an enigma. He is a streaky player at the best of times but when he is on song the tune is something quite beautiful.

So good have been his performances, he was included in the Brazil squad this month.

But he has not scored for West Ham since December, when he netted both goals in a 2-1 win over Southampton.

He is on an 11-game scoreless streak in the Premier League, the longest of his Hammers career, and he has laid on just two assists in that time.

That isn’t good enough.

If West Ham are to progress next season and climb the table, Pellegrini needs to find a way to bring the best out of Anderson on a consistent basis.

He has shown in sporadic bursts that he is worth the £36m the Irons paid for him, so it is about time he starts paying it back with more regularity.

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Arsenal fans have flocked to Twitter in their droves to wish on-loan goalkeeper David Ospina well after he suffered a very worrying injury at the weekend.

The Colombian has been turning out for Napoli in the 2018/2019 campaign and collapsed in harrowing scenes during Sunday’s 4-2 home win over Udinese, having returned to the field of play after a kick to the face.

A day after, the shot-stopper announced on Twitter that he was fine and hoped to “be back stronger than ever” appearing in a photo at his home.

This has prompted an outcry of good-will messages from Gooners towards the star whose future at the Emirates Stadium remains uncertain.

Some have simply commented “get well soon,” whilst others have gone further, reminding Ospina that he’s still a firm member of the Arsenal family and proclaiming that he’s not just being thought of in north London, but all over the football world.

Check out the pick of the heartfelt messages from Arsenal supporters towards their injured goalie, below…

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways in their next Premier League match against Chelsea, with the opportunity to cement a place in the top four. 

The Lilywhites looked less than convincing at Turf Moore as they conceded a late Ashley Barnes goal, but they’ll be pleased to have Harry Kane back in their ranks.

Interestingly, it appears as if the North London club are eyeing a possible summer raid, as according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are in the race to sign Tanguy Ndombele.

Indeed, it’s understood that Tottenham, Arsenal and Barcelona are all in the race to sign the midfielder, while Paris Saint-Germain have been following him but most of the attention goes to Juventus.

Spurs still haven’t found a replacement for Mousa Dembele, so perhaps the Lyon midfielder could be the man to fill the current void in the middle of midfield.

There have been no suggestions of a potential price that Spurs may have to pay for him, but he will no doubt attract a big fee with a number of clubs in for him and the potential to become a star.

The 22-year-old has even been compared to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba by Lyon boss Bruno Genesio, according to Tuttosport (via Daily Star), as he stated this:

“I do not like comparisons, but indeed, Ndombele can be a new Pogba,

“He is strong physically and above all technically.

“Tanguy with the first touch manages to jump even three players and when he starts dribbling he is difficult to stop.

“He can play in any position in the midfield.”

THE VERDICT:

Tanguy Ndombele, who is valued at £40.5 million (by Transfermarkt), has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in Europe this season, so it comes as no surprise that Spurs are taking an interest.

The Frenchman could easily fill the void left by Dembele and he has the potential to become a star in the Premier League, having produced two goals and five assists this season, as well as making great strides on the international stage.

It won’t be easy to land him, though, so Spurs will have to produce some summer magic if they’re to get their man.

Thoughts?

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Leeds United got back to winning ways on Wednesday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Swansea City at Elland Road. Goals from Pontus Jansson and Jack Harrison secured the points for the Whites. 

Leeds’ leading goalscorer so far this season, Kemar Roofe, did not lead the line for Marcelo Bielsa’s side against the Swans. Despite having racked up 14 goals in 26 Championship appearances this season, the 26-year-old was deployed in the No. 10 berth, behind Patrick Bamford.

In this playmaking role Roofe struggled against the Welsh outfit. However, Bielsa should persist with this system. The Englishman has the technical ability and vision to effectively operate in this creative role, and has the pace to break forward into goalscoring positions. 

Roofe also has the tenacity, diligence and stamina to press aggressively and defend from the front, as is Bielsa’s preference. 

If he and Bamford can develop a cohesive partnership it would reinvent Leeds’ attack at a crucial time in the campaign, the move would also then be considered a tactical masterstroke on the Argentine manager’s part.