Liverpool are reportedly in the market for a right-back ahead of the 2024 transfer windows and the Reds will face competition from Arsenal for one of their targets.

According to Football Insider, Jurgen Klopp would like to add a new right-back, who can also play in other defensive roles, to his squad and one name on the Merseyside club’s list is Ajax’s Devyne Rensch.

The 20-year-old has played as a right-back for European giants this season but can also do a job at centre-back, defensive midfield and left-back.

The Dutch star has bagged one assist across the nine games he has featured in this season but has missed out on Ajax’s last three outings with an injury.

Rensch is out of contract at Ajax in 2025, which means next summer would be the ideal time to sell the youngster if he does not sign a new deal in Amsterdam.

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Klopp wants cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold as Joe Gomez filled in for the England star throughout his injury spell earlier this season. The German coach was also in the market for a centre-back this summer but never brought one to Anfield, therefore, Rensch would tick both boxes.

The Reds face competition from Premier League title rivals Arsenal who are also closely monitoring the Netherlands international.

The 20-year-old would likely be cover for Ben White at the Emirates but just like at Liverpool, his versatility would be useful to Mikel Arteta.

The post Liverpool face competition from Arsenal for versatile defender playing with European giants appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The host of the World Cup in 2034 will be Saudi Arabia as FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the tournament will return to the Middle East 12 years after it hosted its first in 2022. 

It was reported on Tuesday that rival bidders Australia decided against putting their bid forward, having been given a 25-day deadline by FIFA to express interest when the deadline was unexpectedly brought forward to 4pm GMT on Tuesday.

This left Saudi Arabia as the sole bidder for the 2034 edition of the World Cup and President Gianni Infantino has confirmed the Middle Eastern country as the host nation in 11 years’ time.

The 52-year-old said about the decision via Fabrizio Romano: “Football unites the world like no other sport, a World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion.

“Different cultures can be together”.

?? OFFICIAL: World Cup 2034 will be hosted by Saudi Arabia, as president Gianni Infantino has confirmed. ??

“Football unites the world like no other sport, World Cup is perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion”.

“Different cultures can be together”. pic.twitter.com/ScNJqPzPf7

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 31, 2023

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The decision to award Saudi Arabia the tournament was met with a lot of questions regarding human rights issues, which was similar to that in 2022 as Qatar hosted the World’s biggest sports competition.

According to Insidethegames, FIFA has been accused by Human Rights Watch of ignoring its own rules through its process for awarding the 2030 and 2034 World Cups.

They believe that FIFA set it up for the Saudis to win by setting a tight deadline of October 31 for countries to register interest in hosting the 2034 World Cup, and ruled it can only be held in Asia or Oceania. Therefore, Saudi Arabia became the only country to bid for the 2034 tournament.

This is an issue that will not go away in the lead-up to the tournament in 11 years’ time as it is a major question that once again needs to be answered by football’s governing body.

The post FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms the host of the 2034 World Cup after potential bidder pulls out appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea host Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup last 16 on Wednesday night and Mauricio Pochettino has stated that one of his best players is set to return to the starting 11. 

Club captain Reece James has not started a match for the Blues since August after picking up an injury in the first game of the season against Liverpool but Pochettino has said that the full-back will start against Blackburn on Wednesday.

Speaking about his team selection at his press conference on Tuesday, Pochettino discussed James’ return and stated via the Evening Standard: “I can confirm he is going to start.

“The captain is ready. It’s good for the team, it’s good for him to start from the beginning. We can see after, checking always how he is performing.”

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James was made club captain by Pochettino ahead of the new season but has yet to have a big effect on the pitch due to his injury.

His return will be a big boost for the West London club who are looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Brentford at the weekend.

The Blues have a tough run of fixtures ahead of them and the timing of the defender’s return could not be better.

The post Mauricio Pochettino says huge star set to return to Chelsea’s starting 11 on Wednesday appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Leeds United star Paul Robinson believes Ethan Ampadu is too good for the Championship and that he will have several suitors from the Premier League watching him closely. 

The Welshman has made an immediate impact for Leeds after his summer arrival and has started in all of the club’s fixtures in all competitions this season

His performances in the middle of the park will certainly have caught the attention of Premier League suitors ahead of the January transfer window but the Yorkshire club will want to lose him as they push for a return back to the top flight.

According to Paul Robinson, the former goalkeeper expects there to be interest from big clubs in Ampadu and claims he is better than the Championship, but noted the need for Leeds to have Premier League-ready stars if they want to get out of one of the toughest leagues in the World.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said: “Leeds United are a Premier League club in the Championship, looking to get out. To do that, you’ve got to have players better than everyone else in the Championship.

“Ampadu is one of those. There will be a lot of suitors from the Premier League if the club were to get out of there this season. He is better than the Championship – that’s the whole idea.

“Ampadu is a quality player, you look at his CV, you look at his history. But, Leeds are a draw. They can attract players of that quality because of the history and the ambitions of the club.“

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The post Leeds summer signing could leave after only few months at the club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Leeds United striker Max Dean is attracting interest from several English clubs after his recent form for MK Dons.

That is according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, who report Dean’s run in front of goal over the last few weeks has alerted scouts to the player, with Leeds possessing a sell-on clause in any potential deal.

Dean has scored in MK Dons’ last two matches to take his tally up to four in four, helping them pick up maximum points from fixtures with Bradford City and Swindon Town – leaving them twelfth in League Two.

The 19-year-old came through the academy of Leeds and netted 16 goals in 38 appearances for the Whites’ U23s.

Dean was behind the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood in terms of the young attackers with the most potential when at the club, therefore, fans were not very disappointed when he left but the Yorkshire club could benefit from him having been at the club in the near future.

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The post Leeds have sell-on clause on striker who has scored four goals in four games appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Aston Villa are ready to sell Bertrand Traore during the January transfer window as the winger is not part of Unai Emery’s plans at the Birmingham club. 

Villa have made a flying start to the current campaign which sees them fifth in the Premier League table and the club hopes to continue to grow over the coming years.

The Premier League club have made some impressive signings over recent transfer windows and players such as Traore are not required anymore, hence why Emery has given the green light for the forward to be sold during the next transfer window, reports Football Insider.

The 28-year-old has played just 41 minutes of football across all competitions so far this season and stepped on the pitch for only one minute this weekend against Luton Town having failed to play in the previous six matches.

Traore is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and will not be offered an extension at Villa Park. Therefore, January is the last chance Villa can get a fee for the player.

Villa will hope to bring in a small amount of cash for the player and at the very least, the Birmingham club will get his £78,000-a-week off of their books.

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The post Aston Villa decide 28-year-old who’s on £78k-a-week is up for sale in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have been looking at the possibility of bringing in a new midfielder in 2024 but as of now, talks of one arriving in January are premature. 

The Gunners are currently holding formative internal talks on all potential names that could be pursued next year as the future of Thomas Partey at the Emirates remains up in the air.

Two names that have been heavily linked to Arsenal are Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

According to Ben Jacobs, the French star is very unlikely to leave the Bernabeu anytime soon but the Spanish midfielder could be an option as he has a £53m release clause in his current contract.

Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jacobs provided the latest on Arsenal’s search for a new midfielder.

“Thomas Partey has a muscle injury but is expected back in a few weeks. His injury has prompted rumours of a new midfielder arriving, but it’s a bit premature to be leaping to that conclusion,” the journalist wrote.

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“Partey was subject of firm Saudi interest over the summer and Mikel Arteta is delighted he’s still at the club. There is just frustration that Partey’s minutes have been so limited this season.

“Links with Aurelien Tchouameni are wide of the mark. There has been no approach. Tchouameni wants to stay at Real Madrid, who also have no desire to sell.

“Martin Zubimendi is perhaps more possible in 2024. Arsenal wanted the Real Sociedad midfielder in January but there was no player buy-in and the La Liga club also didn’t want to sell. Zubimendi has a £53m release clause.

“Right now, Arsenal are only holding formative internal talks on all potential names. And from what I am told, if Arsenal have their way they could well look a bit closer to home. Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz is still appreciated. It’s tough because he’s enjoying life at Villa under Unai Emery.”

The post Exclusive: Possible that £53m La Liga star could move to Arsenal in 2024 as talks ongoing appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The mood at Man United is one of pessimism at present as the Red Devils recover from being dominated by Man City last weekend. 

Erik ten Hag’s men were beaten 3-0 by their rivals in front of a packed Old Trafford on Sunday but it could have been more as City excelled in the second half of the clash.

The defeat leaves Man United eighth in the table having lost half of the matches they have played this campaign, which is well below the pre-season expectations.

Even in the matches United have won, they did not look convincing, and the pressure is starting to heat up on Ten Hag. The mood around the club is not great and journalist Ben Jacobs has given an insight into how things are within the Dutch manager’s squad.

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Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jacobs said that the dressing room at Man United is tense but there are players trying to improve it.

“Not all the blame can be placed on Erik ten Hag, who retains the faith of the Manchester hierarchy, but there’s no doubt the dressing room is tense,” the journalist wrote.

“There are players in it, Jadon Sancho included – at least before he was banished from the first team – who feel the Manchester United boss is too much of a taskmaster.

“But there are also leaders, like Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Scott McTominay who are positive influences off the field and doing all they can to improve the mood and keep everyone united.”

The post Exclusive: Journalist names three players trying to improve the mood at Man United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea will enter both transfer markets in 2024 in search of a striker and transfer expert Ben Jacobs has provided an update on where the West London club are at with their search. 

The Blues signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal this summer, who has originally meant to provide backup to Christopher Nkunku, but the French star picked up a serious injury during pre-season which has kept him out of action ever since.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have struggled to score goals at times this season, with Chelsea netting just 13 so far, half of what Aston Villa and Newcastle have managed.

Two names that have been linked to Stamford Bridge have been Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney and journalist Ben Jacobs has an update on Pochettino’s search for a number nine.

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Ben Jacobs on Chelsea’s search for a striker

Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jacobs said that Chelsea have a chance of landing Toney but Osimhen will be nearly impossible.

The journalist said: “Chelsea do want another striker in 2024 but no final decision has been made yet as to whether to move in January or wait until summer. There is faith in Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja and a feeling within the club that Christopher Nkunku’s return from a knee injury could make all the difference.

“It will be near impossible for Chelsea to sign Victor Osimhen mid-season. Although the Nigerian forward hasn’t extended his Napoli contract, Aurelio De Laurentiis just doesn’t want to sell in January. There’s no doubt Osimhen will leave for over €100m if he doesn’t extend, but Napoli are prepared to wait until summer unless they receive an astronomical offer.

“Ivan Toney is a more ‘gettable’ target in January. Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs have all held internal discussions about him. Brentford want at least £65m, but several sources feel that number could be closer to £80m.”

The post Exclusive: Transfer expert says £80m Chelsea target is “gettable” in January but Osimhen ruled out appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Lionel Messi was crowned the winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eight time on Monday night at a ceremony in Paris and it did not go down well with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The award comes off the back of an incredible year for the 36-year-old, who guided Argentina to their third World Cup with one of the best campaigns the tournament has ever seen.

This was alongside helping Inter Miami to their first-ever trophy and claiming the Ligue 1 title with PSG.

Messi is now three Ballon d’Or’s ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in second place and the Portuguese superstar, who has a tendency to be salty when the Barcelona legend achieves something significant, was at it again.

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Cristiano Ronaldo caught being salty over Messi’s Ballon d’Or win

Whether it is Ronaldo himself or a member of his family, someone always has to comment on Messi’s achievements in the aftermath of their occurrence and it was the superstar who took to Instagram this time.

Ronaldo has apparently liked and commented on an IG post which said: “Hello friends. What we knew happened, they were going to give Messi another Ballon d’Or again. He went to retire in Miami, even though he already looked like he was retired at PSG preparing for the World Cup. He won the World Cup, yes, good, but with 6 penalties…

“The World Cup was 10 months ago, it’s November. Messi has 8 Ballon d’Ors, he should have had 5. He has Iniesta/Xavi’s Ballon d’Or, Lewandowski’s who won 6 trophies in one season and Haaland’s who was the top scorer.”

This is once again a bad look for Ronaldo, who clearly is not coping with the attention Messi has earned over the last year.

? Cristiano Ronaldo liked and commented on an IG post which said:

"Hello friends. What we knew happened, they were going to give Messi another Ballon d'Or again. He went to retire in Miami, even though he already looked like he was retired at PSG preparing for the World Cup.… pic.twitter.com/vVXIYZYZgf

— Football Tweet ?? (@Football__Tweet) October 31, 2023

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