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Simon Hughes discussed Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold with Steve Hothersall and James Pearce on The Red Agenda podcast and came to an interesting conclusion.

It doesn’t surprise that Jurgen Klopp’s fantastic right-back has received more endorsement from Hughes following another great game by the defender against West Ham. The 21-year-old delivered two assists on the day – one for the opening goal and one to complete the comeback – and remains one of the focal points of their line-up.

Hughes believes that he has already surpassed the legendary Dani Alves and is the best attacking right-back he has ever witnessed. He said for The Red Agenda podcast (26/2/2020): “He’s the best attacking right-back I’ve ever seen. I genuinely think he’s a better player than Dani Alves. Like he’s a better passer of the ball than Dani Alves. I don’t think you can stop what he does. I think he’s going to add more goals to his game”

Probably the most surprising aspect of this comparison is actually the fact that Alexander-Arnold is only 21  and practically has his whole career in front of him.

Saying that he’s already better than Alves might be pushing it a bit but, if he continues progressing, improving and performing as he has in the past couple of years, then the sky is the limit. Under Klopp and in this Liverpool side, that seems like a real possibility.

Liverpool fans, do you agree with Hughes’ glowing verdict on the right-back? Is he truly better than Alves? Let us know in the comments below!

Liverpool may have prevailed 3-2 in the end against West Ham on Monday night, but one man who endured yet another game to forget at Anfield, was Roberto Firmino.

The Brazilian has been quite rightly lauded by pundits like Jamie Carragher, who called him “one of the most underrated players in the Premier League” back in early 2018.

The former Hoffenheim man has scored an impressive 76 goals and provided a further 59 assists in 231 total games for the club, and is one of the first names on the team-sheet for Jurgen Klopp – this season alone has seen him play 39 times across all competitions, including featuring in every single Premier League match so far.

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But following his goal-less display against the Hammers on Monday evening, Firmino’s struggles on home turf have continued. It now means he has still yet to find the back of the net at Anfield this season – a remarkable stat considering how he is stationed at the top of the attack for a side who are the second-top scorers in the league with 64.

And aside from not breaking his duck, Firmino had an unusually poor overall game too. As per Sofascore, his 6.8 match rating was the joint-second lowest of any Liverpool player, and when looking at the underlying numbers, it is easy to see why.

His wasteful finishing was undeniably the most obviously disappointing part of his performance, racking up five total shots without hitting the back of the net – four of those attempts were off target, including one particularly wild effort that was closer to Row Z than the goal.

His creativity also deserted him too, registering just one key pass all game, and having only 60 touches. He simply looked off the pace, and it was no surprise to see him get well-marshalled by the likes of Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna in the West Ham defence. The Brazilian lost nine of his twelve total duels, and struggled to impose himself on the game.

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And that is exactly why Klopp seriously needs to reconsider his December stance on the forward.

“Journalists told me he hadn’t scored for a while, but the thing about Bobby is that I don’t think about scoring. I think about how important he is, so we had a little talk and I told him. For the first time he was a little bit concerned about that fact (he had not scored in so many games), and I told him I was not interested in that number”

On Monday night, Firmino’s desperate struggles in front of goal almost cost them dearly. The Reds may be cantering away to the title with a 22-point lead, but there are some historic records they can set. If he isn’t scoring, and is also not providing the same all-round influence that he usually does, then there is a real chance that Liverpool would perhaps benefit more with him having a rest or slightly changing up his style of play.

Rather than simply playing him through this surprising rut at Anfield, Klopp could revitalise him by dropping him to the bench, and then bringing him on when defences would be terrified at the prospect of having to facing him. The goals may then naturally come.

Meanwhile, this Liverpool man must impress following Jurgen Klopp’s confirmation of player’s setback.

Celtic’s January transfer window was rather bizarre. They spent £3.5m on Patryk Klimala who is yet to start a league game, while Ismaila Soro, who cost the Bhoys £2m hasn’t played a single minute whatsoever.

However, the time has come for Neil Lennon to finally hand one of them a proper chance.

On the chalkboard

Celtic have had a rather busy period and that gets no easier this week as they take on Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

Since the Europa League came back the Hoops have had to play three games in a week for the past fortnight.

It’s unsurprising that a few players are beginning to look a bit jaded but one of the main causes for concern is in midfield.

The 34-year-old Scott Brown is no spring chicken anymore and having to play at a high intensity over such a large spread of games is likely to take its toll. After all, he struggled last Sunday against St Johnstone as Celtic scraped through 1-0 in the Scottish Cup.

Speaking about Brown after the game, journalist Alison McConnell noted in the Herald: “Looked heavy-legged at times and involved in one or two skirmishes in the middle of the park.”

The solution

The fact that Brown looked heavy-legged should be somewhat of a concern for Lennon. With Celtic 12 points clear the manager has no reason to risk anyone and this should be an ideal opportunity to blood some of his new signings.

One of which is Ivorian midfielder Soro. He hasn’t been seen in a Celtic shirt since his arrival in January but he’s certainly in the mould of a player who could come in and deputise for the robust Brown.

After walking through the doors of Celtic Park, Soro said: “If you’re looking for someone I model myself on, or who I really like as a player, then it’s N’Golo Kante. I watch nearly all of his games and he’s a top player in that position. His level is really something I want to achieve, if I can.”

The 21-year-old stood out to Lennon in the Israeli top-flight but he clearly hasn’t done enough to earn any game time. Perhaps he hasn’t impressed as much on the training ground.

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That being said, Soro is a promising player, missing just 187 minutes of league action for his former employers Bnei Yehuda this campaign.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Soro is the type of player who could offer an extra screen of protection on Wednesday – something that may prove important against a team possessing Steven Lawless and Lyndon Dykes. The duo have both netted double figures in 2019/20.

Meanwhile, Nir Bitton has put one Ronny Deila signing in HUGE DANGER…

Leeds United have regained control of the Championship title race with only nine games remaining, meaning their destiny is firmly in their hands.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have won five straight matches without conceding following Saturday’s derby victory over Huddersfield Town, which saw them leapfrog West Brom into first position.

Their chances of clinching the trophy come the end of the season could hinge on their goalscoring exploits, something that they have rued all campaign as the Whites possess the third-worst conversion rate in the division at 13.6%, per Transfermarkt.

Much will fall on Patrick Bamford, Bielsa’s first-choice striker, but if he gets injured or suspended, who will take the reigns?

Phil Hay believes Tyler Roberts could be “more crucial” than January addition Jean-Kevin Augustin, and this has led to fans discussing the matter between themselves.

Here’s what has been said…

Many supporters were full of praise for the 21-year-old, who has been blighted by injury at times this season – he’s been restricted to just 14 appearances for a total of 492 minutes.

“One hell of a player” and “great asset” were two reviews of the Welsh forward while one supporter believes he has the ability to cut it in the Premier League, should he stay fit.

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Others were quick to comment on the RB Leipzig loanee instead as a further member of the Elland Road faithful blasted him for being a “waste of money” while another said the situation was “weird.”

Augustin has played just three matches since joining in January but hasn’t been seen on the pitch for four straight matches now as he’s been dealing with an injury of his own.

Some fans took fire at the club, brandishing the move “pointless” as well as “ridiculous” – even going as far as claiming it was a “panic buy.”

Although, one more level-headed supporter believed it was a shrewd long-term move as it almost feels like an extended pre-season ahead of him potentially leading the line in the top-flight.

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And in other news, Leeds fans rave over this out-of-contract man…

West Brom have reignited their interest in Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant, having first turned their attention to the striker in January.

The Terriers striker has been in brilliant form for the struggling Championship side this term with 16 goals in 34 league games, which has also sparked interest from Aston Villa.

A desire to play in the Premier League may enhance the two suitors’ chances of signing Grant, and the Baggies could take the place of their rivals in the top flight.

Huddersfield will likely be determined to keep ahold of the forward though considering how important he has been this season, and with more than two years remaining on his contract the Yorkshire outfit isn’t in a position where they need to sell.

Should Slaven Bilic show his determination to bring him to the Hawthorns however a deal might be possible, and considering West Brom’s three strikers have only 21 league goals between them it is certainly possible that West Brom will do their best to complete the signing.

Whether he would be a good acquisition is a different matter, however, and our team of Football FanCast writers have shared their views on that exact question.

Matt Dawson

“Karlan Grant could be Dwight Gayle 2.0 at West Brom. However, that isn’t necessarily in a good way. If the Baggies stay in the Championship then he’s a player who could quite easily fire them to promotion – just as Gayle nearly did by scoring 24 in their run to the playoffs last season. Grant has 16 league goals this term which eclipses every single player at Albion. Just imagine where they’d be this season with a forward of that calibre.

“At the moment, Albion sit in second place and are well in the hunt to get promoted. However, if they do go up, Grant could quite easily flop in a way Gayle has at a higher level. Some strikers either have it or they don’t and a plethora have succeeded in the second tier before looking underwhelming in the top-flight. Take former Championship top-scorer Matej Vydra for example who has scored just four goals in his Burnley career.

“Gayle, meanwhile, has only 21 strikes to his name in 111 Premier League outings. Grant did rack up four in nine starts last term but we’ve seen little besides that to suggest he’d be a successful signing. In short, he’d be a top drawer addition in the league they’re currently in, but would be a big gamble if they get promoted.”

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Danny Lewis

“Regardless of what league the Baggies are in next season, signing Grant would represent brilliant business for them. He didn’t have much time in the Premier League last season, after joining Huddersfield in January, but the striker did show glimpses of the impact he can make in the Premier League.

“This was most obvious to see against West Ham United, when he got a brace despite the team coming out of the game on the end of a 4-3 loss. As well as that, the creativity that West Brom possess from Kamil Grosicki and Matt Phillips will surely help him to thrive at the Hawthorns.”

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Viji Jeevathalayan

“Bilic would be naive in making a move for Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant. Whilst the Baggies haven’t done it just yet, promotion to the Championship does seem to be on the cards whenever the season resumes. With that being said, West Brom really need to be thinking about players who can hack it at the very highest level, and Grant has yet to show that in his career.

“In the 13 games that he played in the Premier League, he managed just four goals – hardly the worst record in the world, but not the kind of numbers you need to ensure top-flight safety. Premier League football should mean Bilic can attract better quality players, and there are surely better options on the market than Grant. West Brom should keep the money and spend it elsewhere.”

Kealan Hughes

“Going after Grant is a positive move for West Brom to make considering his recent form and potential ability, but given the lack of reliability in the forward department it would be sensible if the Baggies targeted other options also.

“Grant has scored goals wherever he has been and adapted to life at Huddersfield brilliantly, even though the side has struggled in the little more than 12 months he has spent in Yorkshire, having experienced relegation from the Premier League.

“Added to that, he adds pace and a creative spark too, averaging 1.3 key passes per game, and that is something West Brom lack in Kenneth Zohore and Charlie Austin.”

In other Baggies’ news, a popular player has revealed the player in the squad who he gets on best with in the current team…

One dilemma that Leeds United may have to face this summer is how to replace Ben White.

The Brighton loanee has been one of the stars of their season, starting every single league game, helping the Whites record the best defensive record in the league.

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, and the centre-back is due to go back to the south coast this summer.

With the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea reportedly monitoring him in recent months, it may be hard for Leeds to convince him to come back to Elland Road on a permanent basis, and that means they may have to instead think about replacing him.

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Fortunately, when Victor Orta comes around to drafting up his list of targets, the type of player he’s looking for should be abundantly clear to him.

Indeed, United should be looking for another player in the mould of the £6.3m-rated man.

Of course, that’s easier said than done, considering the centre-back is said to be worth £25m by his current employers according to The Sun, but even if their new addition doesn’t prove to be up to the Brighton man’s level, they need a player who can play in a similar way.

The defender’s main strengths come from his reading of the game and ability to be comfortable with the ball at his feet – after all, he has the fourth-most interceptions per game in the Championship, while his pass completion ratio is the best in the Leeds squad of any player who has played at least 10 games.

The centre-back has also added a lot of value to the squad due to his versatility, in that he can play as a defensive midfielder in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, and with the 24-year-old being the only natural holding player in the squad, that has proved to be a vital component of his game multiple times this season.

United need to stick to their system of playing out of the back while also having a strong defence, and in order to do that Orta needs to bring a player in White’s mould into the club next season should they miss out on signing him permanently.

In other news, Leeds need to sever ties with one man

West Brom weren’t in a good place at the end of the 2018/19 season.

They didn’t have a manager and their two top goal scorers were set to leave the club with Dwight Gayle heading back to Newcastle and a £5m release clause in Jay Rodriguez’s contract.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, a Premier League team was ready to take a punt on the attacker, and he headed to Burnley quite promptly.

Unfortunately, West Brom lost their star man for just £5m, and despite Slaven Bilic coming in and taking the club to the verge of the Premier League, that is a move that must still sting.

Just look at how well Rodriguez did at West Brom.

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The one thing the Baggies are lacking this season is a reliable goal scorer – their most prolific hitman has found the net just 10 times this season, while the former Saints man has netted 22 goals in 47 Championship and playoff games last term.

Ok, Rodriguez hasn’t carried that form over to the Premier League bagging just five times this term, but it’s worth remembering that he’s in a Burnley side that are famously built on strong defensive foundations rather than attacking play.

When Rodriguez is at his best we know he can bang them in at any level, netting 15 for Southampton back in 2013/14.

Losing a man who had just scored 22 goals for just £5m must sting. Transfermarkt had him down as a £9m player around the time he moved to Burnley, and it seems like it was something of a mistake for the Midlands club to put a transfer clause that would allow him to leave for so cheaply into his contract.

Luckily, the Baggies look like they’re going to go up without Rodriguez, but they would have had a much easier task if they still had him, or if they received a higher fee for him that could have then been reinvested.

In other news, West Brom need to sign a player in this position.

In recent history Arsenal have often been accused of lacking quality in midfield – certainly under Arsene Wenger, at least – with the glory days of Patrick Vieira now nothing more than a distant memory.

Francis Coquelin was one of those who regularly featured in the XI towards the end of his compatriot’s reign, and he can therefore feel directly targeted by those judgements.

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The former France U21 international is no longer at the Emirates, having joined Valencia in 2018 for £12m.

Some will have raised eyebrows at the €80m (£74.9m) release clause he has in his contract, but he has had the last laugh since moving to the Mestalla.

Here, we take a look at how he has fared since leaving north London for Valencia…

Time at Arsenal

Coquelin joined the Gunners for £900k – as per Transfermarkt – in 2008 from Stade Laval, but it wasn’t until a 25-game loan spell in his homeland with Lorient that he began to make any headway in professional football. Even after that, he wasn’t a regular at Arsenal until the 2014/15 season following another temporary spell away from north London, this time with Freiburg.

In each of the next three campaigns, he would play at least 20 Premier League games for Wenger’s men, but during the 2017/18 term, he would feature in just seven before January.

His time at the Emirates Stadium was quite clearly over, and many will have been happy to pick up the £12m they received when he moved to Spain.

Where is he now?

Since he has made the switch, though, he has looked rejuvenated.

Even in just over two years, he has already played more than half as many games as he was able to muster up during the ten years he spent on the books of Arsenal.

He has played a big part in the team’s improvement, as well – they qualified for this year’s Champions League after finishing fourth in La Liga last term, even making it to the first knockout round in the process.

All in all, he has played 82 times, including 19 in the league this season as Valencia once again fight for a spot at European football’s top table. The quality of his performances in big games is noticeable – this term, he picked up a solid 7.03 WhoScored rating against Barcelona as his side won 2-0, whilst he managed a huge 7.62 as Los Ches beat Ajax 1-0 in Amsterdam in the Champions League.

Last term, he was particularly impressive – he had the third-highest average rating of all of Valencia’s players in La Liga. His importance is clear for all to see.

At 28, Coquelin has a few years still left in him and, if it wasn’t for the fact that the likes of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba are also French, he may even have picked up a senior cap for Les Bleus.

Currently valued at £21.6m by Transfermarkt, he has arguably shown the Gunners up since leaving – there is no reason to believe why he wouldn’t be in their squad now.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting in their droves this weekend after the club was linked with Inter Milan centre-back Diego Godin once again.

According to Calciomercato, Spurs are prepared to return to their talks with the Uruguayan international this summer with Jose Mourinho seeing him as a potential replacement for Jan Vertonghen, who could be going the other way.

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The 34-year-old has played 25 times for the Serie A giants this term, including in major games against Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League yet despite his glistening career, his arrival has seemingly split the fanbase in north London.

Godin is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt and still has two more years to run on his current deal so it remains to be seen what sort of fee Inter would command for their veteran defender should this interest materialise.

The 6 foot 2 star has been capped over 100 times on the international stage, has won two Europa Leagues, a La Liga and has also been a Champions League runner-up on two occasions, too.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the latest news…

AND in other news, Jamie Carragher delivers verdict on Spurs star’s FUTURE…

Despite spending big-money on bringing Harry Maguire to reinforce their back-line last summer, it seems Manchester United are keen to make another addition to their defence this summer.

According to French publication Le10 Sport, the Red Devils have made contact with the representatives of RB Leipzig starlet Ibrahima Konate ahead of a potential move.

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The 20-year-old has barely featured this season, making just eight appearances for the first-team after suffering a torn muscle fibre. Prior to the injury, he had started and completed the full 90 minutes in Leipzig’s first five games in the German top-flight.

And after hearing about their links to Konate, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts about their latest transfer target.

A couple of United fans insisted that Konate is “better than” his Leipzig teammate Dayot Upamecano.

At just 20, Konate would represent both an investment for the here and now, and also for the future too.

But the one thing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must do this summer if he is intent on bringing Konate to the club, then he should be looking to get rid of the fringe players – the likes of Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling.

United have an abundance of centre-back options already and it simply wouldn’t make any sense at all to bring in another – however talented – without first selling a few.