Liverpool were comfortable winners over Toulouse in the Europa League on Thursday night as Jurgen Klopp’s team put five past the French side. 

The first half saw plenty of goals as the Reds went in 3-1 ahead thanks to goals from Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo and Darwin Nunez.

Toulouse put up a bit of a fight early in the second 45 minutes but a goal from Ryan Gravenberch to make it 4-1 killed off any hope of a fightback.

With just seconds left on the clock, Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet as the Reds’ main man showed his World-Class ability by adding a fifth in front of the Kop.

Mohamed Salah finishes the game with a brilliant finish. #LIVTFC pic.twitter.com/4iMkeMQuBA

— Dotty (@DottyLFC) October 26, 2023

Salah on his weaker foot.? pic.twitter.com/MxiRKvjefl

— Kloppholic (@Kloppholic) October 26, 2023

Salah with tricky feet to pass the defender and fire home ? pic.twitter.com/m0tlQlcGlO

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 26, 2023

Footage courtesy of RMC and CBS Sports

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The post Video: Mohamed Salah scores top class last-minute goal as Liverpool hammer Toulouse appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool have added a fourth goal in their Europa League clash with Toulouse courtesy of Ryan Gravenberch but that came after a miss of the season contender from Darwin Nunez. 

The first half saw plenty of goals as the Reds went in 3-1 ahead thanks to goals from Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo and Darwin Nunez.

The three points are now confirmed for Jurgen Klopp’s team as Ryan Gravenberch added a fourth after Nunez produced a miss-of-the-season contender after some impressive work.

WHAT HAVE WE JUST WITNESSED?! ?

Liverpool's 4th goal against Toulouse is pure chaos…#UEL pic.twitter.com/W8ZAppuod9

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 26, 2023

Darwin Núñez falls to his knees as he hits the post ?

But Gravenberch is there to finish off the move ? pic.twitter.com/DJDW2mk5IF

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 26, 2023

This is so so Darwin Nunez ?pic.twitter.com/YIbc4ocECa

— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) October 26, 2023

Footage courtesy of TNT Sports, CBS Sports and RMC. 

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The post Video: Darwin Nunez’s miss of the season contender before Gravenberch scores fourth for Liverpool appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Wataru Endo has scored his first goal for Liverpool in their Europa League clash with Toulouse and the Reds added another shortly after as Darwin Nunez smashed the ball into the net to make it 3-1.

Diogo Jota gave the home side the lead within the first ten minutes of the game before the French side drew level just seven minutes later.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are in full control at present as Endo headed in his first goal for his new club before Darwin Nunez smashed home a third in front of the Anfield Road End.

Wataru End? scores his first goal for Liverpool!

Another perfect delivery from Trent ?#UEL pic.twitter.com/oCCuOcOAps

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 26, 2023

Wataru End? heads home his first goal for Liverpool ? pic.twitter.com/qF2MhZnwlM

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 26, 2023

Brilliant run by Ryan ends in a Nunez goal. ? pic.twitter.com/o62b04uC30

— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) October 26, 2023

??| GOAL: A great run by Ryan Gravenberch as Darwin Nunez scores the third for Liverpool.

Liverpool 3-1 Toulouse

pic.twitter.com/z6tODOmZyh

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 26, 2023

Footage courtesy of TNT Sports, CBS Sports and RMC. 

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The post Video: Wataru Endo scores first goal for Liverpool before Darwin Nunez smashes home another appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Toulouse have drawn level in their Europa League clash with Liverpool at Anfield courtesy of a clinical counter attack. 

The home side took the lead within the first ten minutes of the clash as Jota picked the ball up just inside the French side’s half and went on an impressive run before calmly finishing it off past Guillaume Restes in the Toulouse net.

However, that lead only lasted seven minutes as Thijs Dallinga finished off a lethal counter attack by the Ligue 1 side.

INCROYABLEEEEE ! ??

TOULOUSE ÉGALISE À ANFIELD PAR THJIS DALLINGA. ?

pic.twitter.com/ObfKSTxymU

— MercaFoot (@MercaFoot_) October 26, 2023

Thijs Dallinga finishes cooly for Toulouse ? pic.twitter.com/99iJ814FMa

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 26, 2023

Footage courtesy of RMC and CBS Sports.

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The post Video: Toulouse level at Anfield as counter attack catches Liverpool napping appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool have taken the lead in their Europa League clash with Toulouse thanks to a top-class goal from Diogo Jota. 

The Reds are looking to make it three wins from three in the competition tonight and Jurgen Klopp’s men are off to the perfect start.

Within the first ten minutes of the clash, Jota picked the ball up just inside the French side’s half and went on an impressive run before calmly finishing it off past Guillaume Restes in the Toulouse net.

NOBODY WAS STOPPING DIOGO JOTA ??#UEL pic.twitter.com/qM4WYzAtk7

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 26, 2023

Diogo Jota has Anfield buzzing with a brilliant solo run and finish. ?? pic.twitter.com/pZfNlI75hq

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 26, 2023

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The post Video: Diogo Jota shows his class with super goal against Toulouse appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Jurgen Klopp has provided Liverpool fans with some good news ahead of their next Europa League game on Thursday night.

Preparing to welcome the Ligue 1 side Toulouse to Anfield for an important group game, Klopp’s Reds, who sit top of Group E after two matches played, will be hopeful of extending their lead over tomorrow night’s second-placed opponents.

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And Klopp will now also be able to call upon attacker Cody Gakpo, who is in line to make a return from a recent injury.

Jürgen Klopp confirms that Cody Gakpo is back in full training for Liverpool and he is available for selection. ??? pic.twitter.com/RvjxbpJUuc

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 25, 2023

The Dutchman suffered a knee injury against Spurs at the end of September, and, after he was substituted off at half-time in that game, has not been seen since. That could change tomorrow night though.

Although unlikely to start, fans will be delighted to see the 24-year-old back among the side’s options.

The post (Video) Jurgen Klopp confirms Liverpool attacker back from injury appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Good morning guys and welcome to my latest Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe to get this ad-free and straight to your inbox each day!

Ajax

Jurrien Timber on his future: “Will I stay with Ajax anyway? I’m not sure, I can’t stay that. I’m not in talks with Ajax now. My agent had a good talk a few times, but it’s not like we’re talking about anything right now…”

Arsenal

Declan Rice’s priority is to stay in England. It’s not a done deal with Arsenal yet and Bayern really like him – Thomas Tuchel has been a big fan since he was Chelsea manager, but his plan is to continue in the Premier League, and especially in London. Bayern are prepared to attack the situation, but Arsenal are ahead of all the other clubs at the moment.

Arsenal expect Reiss Nelson will sign a new long term deal this week. Agreement in principle reached on four year contract with option for further season. He was in demand, receiving bids from Italian, French and also English clubs.

What’s the latest on Charlie Patino as speculation over his future goes quiet? Click here to find out in my exclusive column!

Aston Villa

Aston Villa are closing in on hiring Monchi as their new director as he’s expected to leave Sevilla. The deal is now at the final stages. The plan is for Monchi to work closely with Unai Emery after the attempted Mateu Alemany appointment fell through.

Barcelona

Mikayil Faye to Barcelona, deal signed — all documents are completed between Barca and NK Kustosija. The Senegalese youngster will undergo a medical this week and there’ll be an official statement soon, the deal is 100% done.

Frenkie de Jong: “I feel good at Barca, as always. If all goes to plan, I will stay at Barcelona next season. You can never say it’s 100% in football but I suppose I’ll be at Barcelona next year.”

Robert Lewandowski on Saudi clubs bid: “I don’t think about Saudi bid… because there’s nothing to think about. I’ve other priorities. I look and see what is happening [in Saudi], but it does not concern me.”

Joshua Kimmich on Barca interest: “It was difficult not to come across it [the rumours]. Generally, I’m not too invested in the rumours. I still have, as everyone knows, two years left on my contract and we have big plans [for those two years] at Bayern.”

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Bayern Munich

Declan Rice’s priority is to stay in England. It’s not a done deal with Arsenal yet and Bayern really like him – Thomas Tuchel has been a big fan since he was Chelsea manager, but his plan is to continue in the Premier League, and especially in London. Bayern are prepared to attack the situation, but Arsenal are ahead of all the other clubs at the moment.

Bayern have re-scheduled the day for Raphael Guerreiro to sign his contract. It will now take place after the international break. It’s still 100% agreed and will be officially announced soon.

Joshua Kimmich on Barca interest: “It was difficult not to come across it [the rumors]. Generally, I’m not too invested in the rumors. I still have, as everyone knows, two years left on my contract and we have big plans [for those two years] at Bayern.”

Brentford

Brentford director Lee Dykes on David Raya: “We sat in front of David and said if you go beyond us, then that’s time for you to go. It’s well within his rights. £40m fee? You’ve to pay double than reported £20m because… he can play in number 10!”

Official, confirmed: Kevin Schade has signed a five-year deal with Brentford as he joins on permanent move. He’s a club-record investment at £22m.

Chelsea

Chelsea have not changed their stance on the future of Carney Chukwuemeka: there is no plan to include any buy option clause if he goes out on loan this summer, as he is considered a key part of the future project. It’s still not clear if he will go out on loan, it will depend on Mauricio Pochettino and on other outgoings in this transfer window.

Once again, there are no changes, no issues, no problems on the Christopher Nkunku deal. Chelsea originally agreed with RB Leipzig to officially announce Nkunku after his final games of the season with France (June 19). He had his medical with Chelsea all the way back in September and signed his contract in December.

Real Madrid like Kai Havertz but they will not spend €60m on him, this was made clear in the recent days. Negotiations are off for now unless Chelsea lower their price tag. The hope for Chelsea is that other clubs will join the race soon, but I have no specific names as of now, despite some recent rumours about Arsenal.

Chelsea and Inter are set to schedule a meeting in the next days, with a few players up for discussion. My understanding is that Inter will ask about Kalidou Koulibaly as a priority target. Romelu Lukaku’s future will also be a main topic; but Trevoh Chalobah for Inter, and Andre Onana for Chelsea will also be discussed.

Could this Serie A star be on his way to Chelsea? Click here to find out more!

Everton

Seamus Coleman is set to sign new contract at Everton — an agreement looks imminent as he’s prepared to stay at Goodison Park. Documents are being prepared and will be signed soon.

Inter Milan

Chelsea and Inter are set to schedule a meeting in the next days, with a few players up for discussion. My understanding is that Inter will ask about Kalidou Koulibaly as a priority target. Romelu Lukaku’s future will also be a main topic; but Trevoh Chalobah for Inter, and Andre Onana for Chelsea will also be discussed.

Liverpool

Jurrien Timber’s situation is interesting after a challenging season at Ajax. He was close to Manchester United a year ago but then they decided to go for a different strategy because it was impossible to sign two players from the same position from the same club. Let’s see if they return for him, but for now I’m hearing different names like Kim Min-jae and Axel Disasi. Liverpool, meanwhile, are understood be prioritising a left-footed centre-back. The asking price will also be important, and with Timber, Ajax have him on a long-term contract so are in control on the asking price.

Liverpool’s priority is also to strengthen in midfield, and then they’ll look at centre-back, so Timber has to be patient. He knows he has to wait and we’ll see in the next weeks what will happen, but it’s not something imminent. Liverpool also like Josko Gvardiol but they won’t do anything crazy and that one could be too expensive. The budget will be important.

There have been links with Gabri Veiga, but he’s not an alternative to someone like Khephren Thuram as they’re a different style of player. Liverpool have many players on their list, but it will depend on the opportunities on the market and the cost of the player. Thuram and also Manu Kone are in talks with Liverpool, and Veiga is an attractive option on the list, but there’s nothing more for now.

Lyon

Moussa Dembele has been approached by several clubs since becoming a free agent this summer. Understand Everton and Galatasaray are both informed on conditions of the deal for the former Lyon striker, while Saudi clubs are also keeping tabs on his situation.

Manchester City

Manchester City have an interest in Josko Gvardiol, and RB Leipzig plan to only let him go if he becomes the most expensive centre-back in the history of the game, possibly more than €100m. Leipzig have many players attracting interest, so they only want really big money for Gvardiol or else they will keep him for one more season. He extended his contract last year so he is still protected, but Man City will try as Pep Guardiola really likes the player.

Ilkay Gundogan will make a decision on his future soon. City have offered a one year extension plus the option of one more season. Barcelona are also in the race, offering him a three-year deal, while Arsenal are informed on his situation, and Saudi clubs have also been trying for him since January.

Manchester United

Jurrien Timber’s situation is interesting after a challenging season at Ajax. He was close to Manchester United a year ago but then they decided to go for a different strategy because it was impossible to sign two players from the same position from the same club. Let’s see if they return for him, but for now I’m hearing different names like Kim Min-jae and Axel Disasi. Liverpool, meanwhile, are understood be prioritising a left-footed centre-back. The asking price will also be important, and with Timber, Ajax have him on a long-term contract so are in control on the asking price.

Rasmus Hojlund: “Manchester United, huge club… I must have done something right if it says they want me. My goal is to reach the top shelf, and you can say that Manchester United is. Ten Hag? There has been no video call with him.”

How strong is Man Utd’s interest in Hojlund, and who else has scouted him – all the answers here in my exclusive column!

The post Transfer news: Why Arsenal lead Declan Rice race, Man Utd striker interest, Liverpool midfield targets & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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AC Milan

Official, confirmed by club statement: AC Milan have fired Paolo Maldini – he’s no longer their director. The club has decided to sack Ricky Massara and legend Paolo Maldini to begin a new era with a new vision for the club.

Christian Pulisic is expected to leave this summer as Chelsea are open to letting him go. AC Milan are among the clubs interested in Pulisic. He was mentioned in recent talks held with Chelsea. For now, however, talks over Ruben Loftus-Cheek are on stand-by after Maldini’s sacking.

Al Hilal

Sources close to Al Hilal have denied that they’ve made an improved proposal to Lionel Messi. It’s still the same bid on the table that they made to the player back in April — close to €1B package salary for two years. Messi’s still waiting to make a final decision. For more exclusive info on his situation, click here to read yesterday’s guest column from Ben Jacobs.

Al Ittihad

Official: Karim Benzema has signed for Al Ittihad on a two year deal with the option for a further season. Benzema will earn almost €200m per season net salary, commercial deals included.

Al Ittihad delegation has presented an official bid to N’Golo Kante and his camp. Al Ittihad are confident of getting the green light soon. The deal is worth €100m inclusive of the image rights, commercial deals and a creative ‘investment portfolio’.

Arsenal

Reiss Nelson is now very close to agreeing a new contract with Arsenal. There has been interest from other clubs in England and Europe, but he’s now edging closer to accepting the offer of four years plus the option of one more to stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Barcelona

Xavi on the latest on Lionel Messi: “Messi has the frying pan by it’s handle — it’s up to him. The situation is in the hands of Laporta and Jorge Messi, we’ll see how it ends.”

Inigo Martinez has just confirmed that he’s set to leave Athletic Club, and he will soon be announced as Barcelona’s first signing. A deal has been in place since March, while Martinez signed official documents in May. He’s signed a contract that will be valid until June 2025.

Gavi has been officially registered by La Liga, never been in doubt on Barcelona and player side despite some rumours of a potential free transfer to Premier League clubs. His new deal is valid until June 2026 with a release clause of €1bn.

Benfica

Angel Di Maria is now officially available as free agent. Benfica are dreaming of Di Maria’s return after his departure from Juventus, but there are several options available to him, and no decision yet. It’s an open race for his signature.

Borussia Monchengladbach

Official: Gerardo Seoane has been now appointed as new Borussia Monchengladbach head coach, signing a contract until 2026.

Brighton

Brighton are preparing a club-record bid for Levi Colwill worth close to £40m to be submitted soon. Chelsea turned down an offer of £30m last week. Chelsea have always had the same position: Colwill is part of long term project and they have no intention of selling him.

Celtic

Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is attracting interest from clubs in England and Germany — with Brighton being one of the teams considering him for this summer. Decision time in the next days/weeks, waiting for concrete proposals.

Chelsea

Chelsea and Kai Havertz are on same page: the club are prepared to let him leave — while Havertz is open to trying new chapter elsewhere. Chelsea hope for more clubs to join the race for the German forward soon after Real Madrid registered their interest last week.

Chelsea have no plan to sell Levi Colwill, having already turned down £30m from Brighton for the defender. Brighton are now set to try again with a club-record £40m offer.

Christian Pulisic is expected to leave this summer as Chelsea are open to letting him go. AC Milan are among the clubs interested in Pulisic. He was mentioned in recent talks held with Chelsea. For now, however, talks over Ruben Loftus-Cheek are on stand-by after Maldini’s sacking.

Chelsea are set to escalate talks over an alternative to Manuel Ugarte – click here to find out more!

Crystal Palace

Wilfried Zaha has not agreed terms with Al Nassr at this stage. The Saudi club has approached him but nothing done. Zaha’s priority seems to be to remain in Europe, and he’s attracting strong interest from Champions League clubs.

Crystal Palace are set to sign Jefferson Lerma. The Colombian’s free transfer from Bournemouth has been completed, documents are sealed on a deal until 2027.

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Inter Milan

Hakan Calhanoglu on his future: “I’m gonna stay and extend my contract at Inter. I’ve no intention to leave the club, I’m very happy here.”

The Turkish midfielder has already signed a new contract valid until 2027, which will be officially confirmed after the Champions League final.

Liverpool

Alexis Mac Allister has completed his medical with Liverpool and is set to sign his contract today! He’ll put pen to paper on a deal until 2028.

Liverpool have been in direct contact with the agents of both Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram this week. Internal talks are taking place over official proposals. Liverpool have asked for some time to finalise the Alexis Mac Allister deal and then they’ll decide on further signings in midfield.

Click here to find out more about Liverpool’s midfield targets!

Manchester United

Manchester United are preparing for several key departures this summer. Wout Weghorst will be one, there is no intention to keep him after his loan. Everton and Spanish clubs are interested in the Burnley striker.

Harry Maguire is another player to keep an eye on – clubs were interested in January but Erik ten Hag said no at the time. Still, the feeling now is that the best solution is for him to leave this summer. There will be a meeting next week, but the idea is for Maguire to leave the club.

Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Dean Henderson on a permanent transfer after his loan at the City Ground. Terms have almost been agreed also on the player side. Manchester United, however, are not ready to give their final green light until David de Gea signs new deal.

Donny van de Beek will explore options on the market in the next weeks as he could leave Manchester United. Donny loves the club and is a big fan of Erik ten Hag, but he needs and wants to play more regularly next season. He should also be ready for pre-season after his long injury layoff.

Diogo Costa quotes after winning Taca de Portugal Final last weekend: “Man United deal? This is the internet…I love Porto — it’s the club of my life. I would give my life for it.”

Marseille

Saudi club Al Fateh have now submitted an official proposal to Alexis Sanchez. €10m salary per season has been offered to Marseille’s Chilean forward. The contract would be valid until 2024 with the option for a further season.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Dean Henderson on a permanent transfer after his loan at the City Ground. Terms have almost been agreed also on the player side. Manchester United, however, are not ready to give their final green light until David de Gea signs new deal.

PSG

Christophe Galtier is set to be sacked by PSG, with Julian Nagelsmann currently their priority target and a concrete option to replace him. The Ligue 1 giants are working on bringing in the former Bayern Munich boss, who was also linked with Chelsea and Tottenham jobs in recent months.

Paris Saint-Germain interest in Marcus Thuram is concrete. He’s one of the names on the list at PSG. He’s available on a free this summer, and talks will follow soon. There are more clubs in the race, but not AC Milan or Atletico Madrid as things stand, despite reports to the contrary.

Real Madrid

Karim Benzema: “It really hurts… it’s not easy, I really wanted to retire here but sometimes directions change. I’ll always be watching Madrid games and I will always support Real Madrid, the best club in the world.”

Chelsea and Kai Havertz are on same page: the club are prepared to let him leave — while Havertz is open to trying new chapter elsewhere. Chelsea hope for more clubs to join the race for the German forward soon after Real Madrid registered their interest last week.

Could Real Madrid really win the race for Harry Kane? Click here to find out the latest, plus their interest in two other forwards!

Real Madrid’s plan is to present Brahim Diaz as their new signing already next week — first step is extending the contract until 2027, then to ‘unveil’ Brahim.

Real Madrid have sent documents to Nacho in order to tie him down to a new short term contract in the next hours. Nacho has told Inter Milan he won’t be joining them. He’s staying with Real Madrid until 2024.

Roma

AS Roma are prepared to unveil Houssem Aouar as their first summer signing on free transfer from Lyon. The Frenchman will sign a five-year deal, which was agreed in principle last month.

AS Roma have offered a five year deal to Evan Ndicka to join on free transfer this summer. Talks are ongoing for the Eintracht Frankfurt defender.

Sevilla

Official: Jose Luis Mendilibar has signed a new contract at Sevilla valid until June 2024. The club extended his contract for one more year after their Europa League win.

Tottenham

Officially confirmed yesterday: Ange Postecoglou is the new Tottenham manager, joining on a deal valid until June 2027.

Daniel Levy: “Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He understands the importance of the link from the academy, crucial for the club.”

Rennes director Maurice announces that Joe Rodon will return to Tottenham as “buy option clause won’t be triggered. As for Joe, there is a very high purchase option. Evidently, it won’t be possible for us to raise that amount.”

Toulouse

Toulouse have confirmed the signing of Cesar Gelabert on a free transfer, with a four year deal sealed for the former Real Madrid academy talent.

The post Transfer news: Liverpool medical done, major Man United talks scheduled, Chelsea exits & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Good morning! Welcome to today’s Daily Briefing – click here to subscribe and get this and more exclusive content ad-free and straight to your inbox!

AC Milan

AC Milan director Paolo Maldini: “Rafael Leao will sign a new deal very soon, it’s 100% guaranteed. Final details will be completed in some days.”

Leao has already signed a new deal valid until June 2028.

Arsenal

Granit Xhaka is set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season. There will be no negotiations over a new deal as both parties plan to part ways in June. Bayer Leverkusen are now in very advanced talks to sign him for a €15m fee. Personal terms are almost agreed over a four-year deal running until June 2027.

The reality is that negotiations between Xhaka and Arsenal never really got started, and now the idea is clear, to part ways at the end of the season. German clubs like to do their business fast, not in August, and Leverkusen are now in advanced talks over Xhaka, having already confirmed a deal for Alejandro Grimaldo. It’s a good opportunity for Xhaka to get a long-term contract and to be a leader of the Leverkusen project.

Arsenal look set to have a big summer, and are following a number of defenders such as Mohamed Simakan and Edmond Tapsoba. And with Xhaka leaving, they are also working on signing a midfielder. Declan Rice has always been a top target and he remains their priority. There have been conversations between Arsenal and Rice, while Mikel Arteta and Edu were already discussing him internally back in January. Arsenal now plan to prepare an official bid for the West Ham star in the next few weeks, but this won’t be easy because the Hammers are focusing on the Europa Conference League. It’s not imminent, because West Ham don’t want to negotiate until June, but it’s been clear since last summer that Rice would not sign a new deal with his current club. Arsenal will be there, it’s their priority, they want to try to bid for him soon.

Arsenal won’t be alone in pursuing Rice, because there’s also interest from Chelsea, while Manchester United also need a new midfielder and are keeping an eye on the situation.

Huge news for United States confirmed yesterday: Arsenal star Folarin Balogun has finally decided to represent USMNT — he will switch allegiance to USA. Balogun took his time but the decision has been made. Despite 13 appearances and seven goals with England Under-21s, the 21-year-old, who was born in New York, will no longer represent England and will make himself available for the USA.

Arsenal could join Barcelona in the race to sign Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer (Sport Bild)

Barcelona

Pedri on Lionel Messi‘s return to Barcelona: “I see rumours on Messi everywhere… but well, I’d really like Leo’s return to Barca. Of course it depends on the club and on Leo, but… I hope that it will happen.”

Official: Jordi Cruyff will step down as sporting director of Barcelona at the end of the season.

Barcelona are now closing in on deal to appoint Deco as new director of the club after Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff left the club. Talks are very advanced and Deco has already accepted 90% of the details of the agreement; waiting to fix situation with his agency.

Which big names could be joining Sergio Busquets in Saudi Arabia? Their government have as many as 20 players on their list – click here to find out more!

Bournemouth

Bournemouth now confirm permanent signing of Hamed Traore from Serie A side Sassuolo. Deal completed for €30m fee add ons included — Traore is now contracted to the Cherries until June 2028.

Brentford

Mark Flekken will replace David Raya this summer. The deal is set to be completed; Brentford are prepared to seal agreement on personal terms on five year contract. Brentford will trigger €13m release clause from Freiburg at the end of the season.

Chelsea

Chelsea remain interested in West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, but Arsenal are hoping to make a bid for him in the coming weeks. The complication for now is that West Ham don’t want to negotiate yet, they prefer to wait until June so that they can focus on the Europa Conference League.

Could N’Golo Kante be set for a surprise move away from Europe this summer? Click here to find out the latest interest in the Blues midfielder!

Inter Milan

It’s just a matter of time for the official announcement of Hakan Calhanoglu’s new contract at Inter. New deal will be valid until June 2027, official soon — as reported in March.

Juventus

Alex Sandro is set to extend his contract at Juventus until June 2024 — one more season as clause has been activated. The objectives/appearances have been completed and the extension is gonna be official soon.

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Leicester City

Youri Tielemans will leave Leicester as free agent, there have been no doubts on this since last summer. There are multiple proposals on the table but nothing agreed yet. The Belgian midfielder is fully focused on the final games of the season then he will assess his options and decide his next club.

Liverpool

Liverpool feel positive following Alexis Mac Allister transfer talks on the player side, with the Brighton and Argentina midfielder emerging as one of the Reds’ top targets in that position, while Mason Mount and Ryan Gravenberch are also liked at Anfield.

Could Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane be reunited at this surprise club next season? Click here for full details!

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Manu Kone will surely be on the move, but PSG switch looks unlikely

Manu Kone is a fine young player who’s making the headlines a bit more recently, with links to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. In terms of rumoured interest from PSG, however, it’s hard to see them having a major overhaul of their squad this summer and being able to pay the kind of money that would be needed for a signing like Kone. He’s obviously a very talented young French footballer and it makes sense that he’d be of interest to PSG, especially as he’s on the verge of breaking through internationally as well.

Still, as long as the contract situations of Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi remain unresolved ahead of the summer, it’s hard to see PSG winning the race for Kone, and it’s difficult to see them doing much else with their squad. He’ll likely have other big clubs watching him from across Europe, and it’s not a big surprise to see him succeed on what is becoming quite a well-trodden path, having moved to Germany from Toulouse. He now definitely seems like a player who could be on the move this summer, with a number of big clubs likely to show an interest. I think PSG would be the only ones who could bring him back to Ligue 1, but there are plenty of other big teams looking for midfielders.

Manchester United seem to be one of those, having been linked with both Kone and Enzo Le Fee, who plays for Lorient and is another impressive talent who I expect to be of interest to a number of big clubs right now. There’ll be the temptation to draw comparisons with someone like Aurelien Tchouameni, who made the big move from Monaco to Real Madrid last year, but to be honest I don’t see Kone being ready to make quite that same jump right now. That’s no disrespect to Kone or the level at Borussia Monchengladbach, but he’s not quite where Tchouameni was with Monaco when he then made the move to Madrid.

Still, that’s not to say there won’t be big clubs interested in him. We know Chelsea are targeting the talents of tomorrow, so to speak, so he could appeal to them. Gladbach also seem to be coming to end of a cycle, and are facing losing Marcus Thuram for nothing, so they’ll need to bring in some money from somewhere else, so Kone seems a logical choice given the clubs looking at him at this moment in time. Still, my personal opinion is that he’s not quite ready to join the European elite like Tchouameni was, but that could also mean Chelsea is a logical next step for him because if you look at how their season is going, Champions League qualification looks unlikely, so it could be the right sort of project for him to start with.

PSG will keep an eye on William Saliba but a deal won’t be straightforward

I’m aware there’s been some talk of PSG having a long-standing interest in William Saliba, and it makes sense that he’s someone they’re likely to keep an eye on, but it’s looking highly likely that his immediate future lies at Arsenal. He’s really come into his own in Mikel Arteta’s side and is starting to establish himself as a French international under Didier Deschamps ahead of Euro 2024.

Saliba obviously has Parisian roots, he comes from Bondy, the same place as Kylian Mbappe, so that will appeal to the French champions. However, one complicating factor with Saliba that shouldn’t be underestimated is that loan spell with Marseille that he had – a very succcessful one at that, and I think that will stay fresh in the memories of some PSG fans.

I think PSG, like a lot of top teams, will keep a close eye on Saliba, and see if an opportunity comes up, but given the amount of money it would now take to prise him away from an Arsenal side who could be on the verge of winning the Premier League title, it seems unlikely to me at this moment in time.

While Saliba is clearly an exceptional talent, there is perhaps better value on the market at this time, for example with Evan Ndicka at Eintracht Frankfurt, who also comes from the Parisian region, and who wouldn’t cost the kind of transfer fee or wage packet that Saliba would command.

Is Axel Disasi what Manchester United need?

Monaco defender Axel Disasi is an interesting player who’s starting to attract links with the likes of Manchester United ahead of the summer. He’s in that kind of ‘finishing school’ phase that Aurelien Tchouameni was in when he was there, and that someone like Wesley Fofana is in with Chelsea right now.

He’s now made the breakthrough at international level and that’s helped get him onto the radar of a number of big clubs. For someone like United, I think he would add competition to their squad, but I do have questions about whether or not he’d be the best fit for Erik ten Hag’s side and where they are now. It would be a fairly decent fit, but given where they want to be going, and getting back to under Ten Hag in the near future, I do question if Disasi would be the best option for them.

Don’t get me wrong – he’s a strong talent with plenty of good attributes, and the potential to improve, but I wouldn’t rank him alongside the very best talents in that position right now, compared to say Saliba, Fofana, and someone like Ibrahima Konate at Liverpool, or Dayot Upamecano at Bayern, I wouldn’t put him in the same sort of category as those guys.

I think Disasi will definitely be coveted by Premier League clubs in the future, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it ended up being someone a level below Manchester United, one of those clubs aspiring to get it into the Champions League reckoning.

Why former Ligue 1 stars have struggled at West Ham

We saw two big talents from Ligue 1 move to West Ham last summer, as Lucas Paqueta made the move from Lyon and Nayef Aguerd joined from Rennes. It’s disappointing to see that they’re now struggling to reproduce their best form in the Premier League.

Equally, however, if you were to ask me if I was surprised to see Paqueta flopping at West Ham, I’d have to say I’m not entirely shocked. I was more surprised by Aguerd, who is a really solid defender, but with him I think you have to factor in that he had a very bad injury quite early on in his West Ham career.

It’s also worth noting that it’s not generally been a great year for West Ham, with some of their other big names also going through a dip in form, and they’re now in a relegation battle. I think Aguerd was an astute signing, a good fit, but Paqueta was always going to be a bit of a gamble.

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Before he moved to West Ham, we heard of interest from big clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City, and there’s a reason Paqueta has had admirers like that before, because technically he’s got phenomenal ability, he’s a very fine player on his day, but consistency has always been a big question-mark for him. In the Premier League you always have to be at your best game in, game out, but Paqueta, throughout his career, has never been that kind of player. Throughout his career in Europe he’s had some sublime moments and eye-catching performances, but also games where he barely even registers, so I’m less surprised by his struggles at West Ham.

What could the future hold for them this summer? I think it would be difficult for West Ham to keep hold of them if they were to go down – there’ll be a number of clubs, if not quite at the top tier, but perhaps at a sort of Europa League level, who will be looking at those kinds of opportunities.

Jules Kounde’s development since Chelsea move fell through

As was widely reported at the time, Jules Kounde was very close to joining Chelsea last summer, but things just didn’t quite fall into place as they did with Barcelona. I think in the end he was quite happy to see Barcelona coming in for him, even if there was some uncertainty when he first joined and there were those registration issues, which are still a problem with Barca even now.

It’s hard to know how his development would have gone if he had joined Chelsea, but his re-positioning as a right-back at Barcelona has been very interesting – it’s useful as well, because the full-back positions are an area of weakness in the French national side, which is bizarre considering how stacked they are for talent in almost every other area.

With a lack of options on either flank, it’s logical for Didier Deschamps to experiment with converted full-backs, he’s done that with Benjamin Pavard and he’s now doing that with Kounde, and it’s been mirrored well at club level. There are a lot of players coming through as options at centre-back for France right now, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw a few more who might follow the path of Kounde.

I don’t think this is necessarily limited to French football either – if there’s a shortage of full-backs, you’ll probably see more and more of those slightly more versatile players making that kind of move, for example in the way Ben White has to great effect for Arsenal this season. Players like him and Kounde can contribute going forwards, but offer some solidity in that position as well, so it’s a bit of a no-brainer for managers to at least try them in those positions. It’s interesting that that now looks like being Kounde’s long-term role.

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