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Liverpool fans will be considering themselves lucky that they haven’t been monumentally rocked by the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho so early on in the season. The Reds will be looking to retain their Premier League title and losing the Dutchman looked like it would have a detrimental effect on their reigning term.

But in a miraculous turn of both luck and good form, stand-in defenders Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have done a superb job of keeping the ship afloat. Joe Gomez has arguably been one of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players during this time, stepping into the shoes of natural leader van Dijk.

Teenaged centre-back Williams has massively stepped up to the plate and is already shifting his attention to his future at Anfield.

Fighting talk from Rhys Williams

Following his performance against Atalanta in Liverpool’s midweek clash, the 19-year-old expressed his delight over making his debut Champions League appearance. He went on to thank Klopp for his recent flurry of opportunities and says he is determined to repay the manager’s faith.

“I want to become an irreplaceable piece of this side. It’s a great team with great players,” Williams said post-match (via Liverpool ECHO).

Such fighting talk despite only making his senior debut this season is something the manager simply cannot ignore. After Trent Alexander-Arnold’s astonishing success story, it’s inspired many other academy graduates to follow down a similar path.

Whilst this paints a vivid picture of what a workhorse Williams is, it could be bad news for Gomez moving forwards. Even with his hard graft these last couple of weeks, the nature of football is a cruel one and players get dropped to make room for new up and coming talents.

Should Williams prove to be an option that Klopp simply cannot ignore, there’s a big chance he could edge out the England international for his space alongside van Dijk in the future.

Alexander-Arnold himself has already been impressed by the 6 ft 5 powerhouse. Speaking to LFCTV GO, the full-back lauded his teammate’s ability to step up.

“We’ve got an amazing squad,” the Merseyside local said. “You’ve seen Rhys Williams stepping in and doing a world-class job, at a young age with such little experience. He’s got a bright future ahead.”

In other news, Liverpool given boost ahead of potential Ozan Kabak signing…

Rangers head to Gibraltar to face Lincoln Red Imps in their quest to advance past the Europa League qualifying stages.

They’re a team that are famed for knocking out arch-rivals Celtic in Brendan Rodgers’ first-ever game in charge all those years ago and Steven Gerrard will want to ensure that he’s not on the end of the embarrassment this time around.

The Ibrox outfit romped to a 4-0 victory at the weekend but it came at the expense of a few injuries, so what sort of side will the Gers boss select here tonight?

Here’s what we are predicting…

Gerrard could make as many as four changes across the pitch as some fringe players are surely in line to garner some much-needed match action.

Between the sticks should be first-choice Jon McLaughlin whilst the back four in front of him only has one difference from Saturday’s win and clean sheet.

In comes 23-year-0ld centre-back George Edmondson for Filip Helander. He’ll partner Conor Goldson with James Tavernier and Borna Barisic likely to remain on either flank.

Both central midfielders are switched around, meaning there’s no place for the injured Ryan Jack or veteran Steven Davis. Instead, Gerrard could call upon Scott Arfield and £10m man Glen Kamara, who has been linked with an exit this summer.

Joe Aribo and Brandon Barker are also on the treatment table meaning 30-year-old forward Greg Stewart could be forced to play out with Ryan Kent occupying the other side.

Through the middle, Ianis Hagi keeps his place in the number ten role with Kemar Roofe getting the nod once again over Alfredo Morelos and Cedric Itten.

The Scottish giants will face Willem II in the third round if they manage to pick up the victory tonight.

AND in other news, Rangers can fire warning to Celtic title bid with £4m capture of “phenomenal” playmaker…

With Jose Mourinho into his first full season at Tottenham, the expectations of a potential first trophy in more than a decade for the club has surely risen.

The Portuguese man is a serial winner, and has won big titles everywhere he’s been, including lifting the Champions League twice. And with the likes of Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon arriving from Real Madrid recently, the north London side look closer than ever to ending that wait.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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And according to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs’ transfer business in this window isn’t over, with Inter defender Milan Skriniar firmly in their sights.

The report has delivered an update on their pursuit of the centre-back, claiming that Monday could see the arrival of a concrete proposal from the Lilywhites.

It’s even suggested that personal terms have already been agreed with Skriniar, with Steve Hitchen leading the way in terms of negotiations.

Earning a reported £95k-a-week, Skriniar’s arrival could be the kind of signing that actually ends up overshadowing the signing of Bale.

After conceding 47 goals in the Premier League last season (the third-worst in the top ten), a new centre-back could do wonders for Mourinho’s side, especially given that they lost the experience and leadership of Jan Vertonghen earlier in the summer.

A new defender may be the one to take them to the next level.

Sheffield United announced a trio of signings earlier this week as Max Lowe, Jaydn Bogle and Ethan Ampadu were brought to Bramall Lane.

The Blades have since completed another signing, although the club’s supporters won’t see him in Yorkshire for some time.

According to The Star, Chris Wilder has managed to acquire Mali under-20 midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly from Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08.

However, he is clearly a player for the future rather than the here-and-now as he has been immediately sent on loan to Belgian side Beerschot, a club with whom Sheffield United have very strong links as their owner Prince Abdullah has invested in the Antwerp-based outfit.

The 19 year-old has made 28 competitive appearances, with four goals and one assist to his name (as per Transfermarkt), and Sheffield United’s move for him highlights that they are keen to build for the future.

The Blades’ capture of the youngster should please supporters of the club, as it shows a firm intent to scout hidden gems, enable them to obtain senior experience elsewhere and then return to Bramall Lane when primed for the English game.

A loan move for the 19-year-old is logical as Sheffield United have many central midfielders in the club in John Fleck, John Lundstram, Ethan Ampadu, Sander Berge and Oliver Norwood, to name a few.

It is interesting, though, that they are buying a midfielder, especially with the speculation around Lundstram’s future as he is yet to sign a new contract and many sides are circling for his signature. His current contract expires at the end of next season, so if Coulibaly performs well in Belgium, he could be seen as a possible Lundstram replacement from the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Blades fans, are you pleased with the move for Coulibaly? Could he be a long-term successor to Lundstram in midfield? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Sunderland target Charlie Goode has responded to the latest transfer rumours about his future and where he will play next season.

Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson is desperate to bolster his squad ahead of next season having finished eighth in the League One table, missing out on promotion for a second successive year.

As the pressure mounts on Parkinson, the 52-year-old coach has already sealed the double signing of Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien.

Following those deals, interest in Goode has emerged after the defender had an impressive season with Northampton Town.

The Cobblers captain led his team to promotion from League Two last month via the play-off final and those performances prompted transfer interest from a whole host of Championship clubs, with Sky Sports‘ northeast correspondent Keith Downie reporting the news.

With interest starting to develop in the £1m-valued defender, QPR seemed to have won the race earlier this week, judging by a claim from football columnist and agent Michael Vennerholm.

However, Goode has discussed his future and seemingly rubbished that report, telling Northampton Chronicle: “My focus is on the pitch, (The rumours are) something I’m aware of but at the end of the day I play for Northampton and that won’t change until my last day at the club.

“My focus is as normal and I’m just looking forward to the new season. I’ve loved every minute I’ve had at this club.”

“I came here to get promoted last season and I’ve helped us achieve that – but it doesn’t stop now.”

Whilst the comments made by Goode offer hope that the reported move to QPR is far from a done deal, he still seems keen to ply his trade with Northampton.

Of course, a lucrative contract offer could tempt him to leave, but it remains to be seen if a summer transfer window move to Sunderland will materialise.

Do you think Sunderland should go all-out to sign Goode? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Breaking news has emerged from Newcastle United’s takeover, after Saudi Arabia formally appealed against a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that it helped the piracy of Premier League games, according to The Guardian.

This contrasts last months ruling by WTO who had been in the Saudi government’s favour. This fresh news has delayed the £300m takeover of Newcastle, and the Premier League are currently investigating the links between the Saudi government and its Public Investment Fund.

According to a letter to the WTO’s body, it is stated that the Saudi government rejected WTO’s conclusion that the Premier League was blocked from taking action in the Saudi courts, against BeoutQ – a pirate broadcaster.

The Saudi government is also appealing against the WTO’s decision that beIN (Qatari broadcaster), was unable to obtain legal counsel to enforce its intellectual property rights in Saudi Arabia – beIN currently own Premier League rights for the Middle East.

The significance of the appeal was downplayed by a spokesperson for beIN: “Having spent the past six weeks telling the world how the WTO ruling was a ‘complete vindication of the kingdom’, curiously Saudi Arabia is now appealing a case they say they have emphatically won”.

Verdict

So what does all of this mean for Newcastle fans? Well, this is not the best of news as the appeal will not be heard any time soon because the US has blocked appointments to the appellate body.

Saudi Arabia is trying its best to comply with the Premier League’s rules, and in order to do this they must gain the trust of the international sports community.

This could delay the takeover of Newcastle by one or two seasons depending on how things pan out with the appeal, though it does not look promising for the Magpies.

With the current situation affecting the world taking its toll on football clubs and their finances, the usual summer of big-money signings and huge spending is unlikely to be the case this time around.

And as per the latest report from The Sun, Tottenham are looking to take advantage of the situation by swooping for Wigan starlets Joe Gelhardt and Jensen Weir.

It claims “Spurs have asked about the duo and the administrators running the Latics confirmed they have received an official approach for the 18-year-olds”.

Despite interest from Everton in Gelhardt, Spurs hope that they can instead lure him to north London, and believe that the young striker can be nurtured into the next Harry Kane.

And after hearing about the links to the English duo, Spurs fans flocked to Twitter to share their reactions.

A few supporters took the sarcastic approach with the rumours, and jokingly claimed that they are surely heading back for the good times.

Whilst many of these Spurs fans seem underwhelmed by the prospect of two unproven teenagers being signed this summer, it should be made clear that it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be the only two that come through the door.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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Instead, Mourinho’s side should be applauded for continuing to look towards the future of the club, and having already seen Dele Alli turn into a first-team star in north London after arriving from a lower league club in MK Dons, Gelhardt and Weir could well go on to have a similar impact.

A bit of perspective would help.

Just days after a momentous victory in the north London derby against Arsenal, Tottenham headed to St James’ Park and got the job done in their clash against Newcastle.

With only a couple of games left in the season, Jose Mourinho’s side have appeared to hit form at just the right time, and know that a 100% record from here on out could see them clinch European football for the next campaign.

One man who certainly showed signs of stepping his game up in the game against Newcastle on Wednesday night, was Giovani Lo Celso.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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And following Mourinho’s worrying update on Tanguy Ndombele, it’s perhaps become even more imperative that the Argentine really kicks on.

Speaking after his side’s 3-1 victory over the Magpies, the Spurs boss said: “I know that Ndombele will not help us because his injury will keep him out for the next two matches”.

It means the Lilywhites will be without a midfielder, who for all his troubles, has shown himself to be one of the more creative and crafty players in the squad, particularly for a player in his position – as per Whoscored, he has averaged 1.8 dribbles per game in the top-flight, scoring twice and setting up two more as well.

On the other hand, Lo Celso, whilst a first-team regular under both Mauricio Pochettino and Mourinho, hasn’t had the kind of same impact in terms of goal contributions.

Barring his assist for Heung-min Son against Newcastle, the Argentina international had only provided one other Premier League assist, and is still yet to score in the division too.

The £36m-rated star must take on more of the creative workload at Spurs now that Mourinho doesn’t have Ndombele to call upon even if he wanted to, and there were signs of him doing just that against Steve Bruce’s side.

As per Sofascore, he completed both of his attempted dribbles, had 61 touches of the ball, made 37 successful passes out of 39, and provided two key passes too.

With Leicester and Crystal Palace to come, Spurs will need Lo Celso’s creativity more than ever. Otherwise, they face risk undoing all the hard work they have put in, especially in these last two games.

According to The Independent, Manchester United are interested in signing Manchester City star Raheem Sterling. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously made it clear that he wants to bring in a new right winger and club analysts have been monitoring Sterling for some time.

Solskjaer has also identified Jadon Sancho as his top transfer target in the summer. The Red Devils have been linked to the Borussia Dortmund ace for a while and David Ornstein reaffirmed that they are leading the race to sign the 20-year-old in the upcoming window.

Understandably, this latest transfer update could be bad news for Daniel James.

After arriving at the Etihad Stadium from Premier League rivals Liverpool for £49m back in 2015, Sterling has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest talents, scoring 89 goals and creating 72 assists in total for the Citizens along with winning 56 England caps. Moreover, he is the club’s second-highest goalscorer so far this season, just behind Sergio Aguero and ahead of the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne (BBC).

In comparison, James is yet to hit the same heights as his English counterpart. Furthermore, it is fair to say that the 22-year-old has struggled for consistency this season, as he has only scored three goals in the top flight. However, it is worth mentioning that he has provided the most assists out of all of his teammates in the Premier League (six).

The Welshman has registered four goals in total, taking 1.3 shots per game, averaging 0.5 key passes and successfully completing 1.3 dribbles on average in the Europa League (WhoScored).

Miguel Delaney reports that there is uncertainty surrounding Sterling’s future at the Etihad if City’s Champions League ban is upheld.

While it seems doubtful that Sterling will join United in the summer, if he becomes available, Ed Woodward could launch a bid for him. However, The Independent added that Real Madrid is the likely destination if the 25-year-old chooses to leave the Etihad. Zinedine Zidane is a known admirer of the speedster and previously admitted that “he’s a very good player, no doubt about that”.

Although it is far-fetched to assume the Liverpool academy graduate will make a shock move to Old Trafford, the fact that the club are looking for an attacking forward on the right flank suggests Solskjaer has lost confidence in the Welsh international.

Undoubtedly, if Sancho or Sterling end up at the Theatre of Dreams, James will probably spend a significant amount of time on the bench. Indeed, the Norwegian has given the winger plenty of chances to prove his value and he has largely failed to live up to expectations up until now.

United fans, do you think Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling would start ahead of Daniel James? Let us know by commenting below!

Everton’s summer plans have seemingly been put in motion whilst the Premier League has endured a downtime without any match action, and fans at Goodison Park have been reacting to the latest transfer news emerging this week.

According to Le 10 Sport, Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has asked the club to look at Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek as a potential signing.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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And the speculation has divided Everton fans completely with some believing he’d be a fantastic arrival whilst others were worried that he would be another Davy Klaassen.

The 23-year-old maestro has been a key figure for Ajax over the last few seasons – he was part of the squad to make the Champions League semi-final, and has scored ten goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions this term.

Newcastle United are said to hold interest in him whilst Mundo Deportivo suggest he could be available for €50m (£44m) before listing Juventus and Manchester United as other plausible destinations.

Here’s what those in Merseyside have been saying…

AND in other news, Everton backed to make a sensational move for ex-Liverpool STAR…