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Winning two trophies in a season is usually a cause for mass celebration, and Liverpool did just that, with their open-top bus parade last weekend despite their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid the night before.

However, losing that final and narrowly missing out on the Premier League title will hurt, and Jurgen Klopp will be aiming to go one better next season and secure either trophy (or both) for that matter.

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There might need to be a slight rejig of the playing squad, though, with recent reports that Sadio Mane wants to leave Liverpool for a new challenge this summer, despite having one year remaining on his current contract.

This could be a big blow for the club given the Senegal star’s huge contributions (120 goals in six years at Anfield), although Klopp might not need to look far for an ideal replacement as FSG look to make their mark in the upcoming transfer window.

According to the Daily Star, Liverpool are keen on signing Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic during the summer.

Liverpool linked with Pulisic

The £58m star, who has been dubbed “amazing” by Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta and “fantastic” by former USA national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, would be a great signing for Klopp, as he already knows the Premier League well (74 appearances).

The American is extremely versatile and can play in many positions such as attacking midfield, as a right-winger or even as a centre forward.

Although he has only scored eight goals in all competitions this season compared to Mane’s 23, the 23-year-old still has his peak years to come.

Pulisic’s pass completion percentage is better than that of the Senegalese forward in the Premier League this season (79.7% to 75.1%) and he also has a higher shot on target percentage than the Liverpool player (39.3% to 37.4%).

Mane is still at the top of his game, although at 30 years old, he might only have a couple of years left before his sell-on value rapidly decreases.

If Klopp decides to sell the African, then a move for Pulisic would be a no-brainer. Young, talented and with the potential to make a mark in this Liverpool squad, he would appear to be the perfect replacement for the Senegal international on Merseyside.

AND in other news, FSG now plotting Liverpool bid for “astonishing” £34m signing, he’s Klopp’s next Mane…

Former Scottish Premiership striker Frank McAvennie has dropped a Glasgow Rangers concern after what he has now heard from Ibrox on Allan McGregor.

The Lowdown: Big contract update

As per Sky Sports, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have not opened talks over a new contract for Allan McGregor, whose deal runs out this summer.

Both parties want to open up discussions, but the veteran goalkeeper is not interested in moving to a coaching role.

The Gers face the prospect of losing a whole host of players in the next 12 months, with the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent all entering the final year of their deals.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Reacting in a chat with Football Insider, McAvennie has claimed that the situation with McGregor is the Gers’ ‘biggest problem’ at the moment:

“The biggest problem Rangers have at this moment in time, for me, is Allan McGregor.

“What is he going to do? He has won more games for Rangers than any of their strikers have.

“The reports say they haven’t even spoken to each other yet. You have to get round a table and Rangers have to prove that they want him.

“McLaughlin has come in and he’s done alright but he’s no Allan McGregor. No disrespect to the boy.

“He’s been one of their best signings for years. He is worth his weight in gold so it’s like, watch this space now.

“Keepers can go until a fair age. I would be surprised if Rangers don’t make a very good offer to him.

“To replace what he brings, that costs you money. I don’t care who is there, they aren’t Allan McGregor.”

The Verdict: Sign him up!

Even though McGregor is 40 years of age now, he is showing no signs of slowing down, and so the Light Blues need to get a new contract on the table for him as soon as possible.

He was ever-present in the team last season, playing over 4,000 minutes of football in total over all competitions, and keeping no fewer than 17 clean sheets.

The Scotsman was a key player in their memorable UEFA Europa League campaign, where he saved a penalty, made no errors leading to goals and averaged 2.9 saves per game (SofaScore), helping them all the way to the final against Frankfurt.

Nonetheless, the Teddy Bears must tie him down, as he would be very difficult to replace in this window.

In other news, find out how much Josh Tymon would cost RFC here!

Everton have recently been tipped to make a move for Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao, but the statistics suggest that he would be no better than Michael Keane in Frank Lampard’s side next season.

According to Mirror journalist Rich Jones, the Toffees are considering a move for the Brazilian centre-back this summer as they look to amend some of their defensive frailties ahead of next season.

Lampard’s side shipped 66 goals in the top-flight last term, the fifth-worst of any team in the Premier League, so defensive improvements must be made if the Toffees are to avoid another relegation battle next time around.

However, they might be better off looking elsewhere for new defensive options, as Becao’s form in recent seasons does little to support any claims that he would be a success in the Premier League.

Last season saw the Brazilian make 35 appearances in Serie A, in which he contributed two goals and one assist, averaging a disappointing 6.65 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Despite some horrible displays from Keane last term, with the red card against West Ham and his own-goal-stained performance in the 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur springing to mind, he still managed more goals and assists and a better WhoScored rating in the Premier League than Becao in Serie A.

Keane also contributed more interceptions, blocks, clearances and successful headers per game than Becao, so it seems strange that Everton are reportedly keen on signing the 26-year-old.

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Considering that the Toffees have reportedly secured the signing of James Tarkowski on a free transfer from Burnley, they would surely be better off strengthening in other positions, rather than arguably wasting money on the £5.4m-rated Becao.

It is difficult to see what the Udinese man, who has been labelled “insurmountable” in the past by Brazilian journalist Bruno Queiroz, would offer Lampard next season if the Everton boss wants to make improvements in defence, as all the statistics suggest that the 43-year-old would be better off persevering with Keane.

In other news… Dele Alli 2.0: Everton plotting swoop for “average” £20m dud, supporters will be fuming

Leeds United are interested in a summer move for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, according to Marca.

The Lowdown: Impressive Besiktas loan

Batshuayi was described as ‘unstoppable’ back in 2017 by Pat Nevin, and he lived up to those comments last season. The 28-year-old spent the 2021/22 campaign in Turkey with Besiktas, netting 14 league goals and registering five assists in 33 games.

The Belgium international duly took his senior career goal tally for club and country to 161, and with him now entering the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract, it looks as if the Whites are keen to take him to Elland Road.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Batshuayi

Spanish outlet Marca shared a Premier League transfer round-up on Wednesday evening, looking at all 20 top-flight clubs.

When it came to Leeds, they included Batshuayi in the ‘interested’ list alongside Marc Roca, who now looks set to become the club’s third summer signing.

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The Verdict: Mystery striker?

Phil Hay claimed shortly after the Whites secured their top-flight status on the final day of 2021/22 that the club are looking to sign an unnamed Premier League striker.

Batshuayi could well prove to be that mystery target, and a transfer could be one which makes sense, especially given his contract situation in London.

The Chelsea marksman has netted 15 Premier League goals in 77 games and has come off the back of an impressive year in Turkey, so he could provide solid competition to Patrick Bamford. Also, with a Transfermarkt valuation of just £9m, this could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Radrizzani and 49ers ready to pay fee for ‘huge’ talent as Orta works on next Leeds move

Celtic had no issues when it came to finding the net in the Premiership last season, as Ange Postecoglou’s side ended their title-winning campaign with more goals scored (92) than any other team in the division.

Now that the 2022/23 season is on the horizon, with the Hoops undeniably looking to retain their league title while also tasting domestic cup glory and giving a good account of themselves in Europe, the 56-year-old will be hoping to strengthen his squad to put them in the best shape to meet their objectives.

Focusing on their attack, one man with whom the Parkhead club have been linked with this summer and who could some strength and depth to Celtic’s squad is Antoine Semenyo.

A product of Bristol City’s youth system, the 22-year-old has scored 13 goals and delivered 20 assists in 97 senior appearances for the club.

His previous campaign saw the centre-forward find the net eight times and supply 12 assists in 30 Championship appearances, highlighting how deadly he can be in front of goal, whether that’s in terms of scoring goals or setting them up for his team-mates.

This also explains why the £3.5k-per-week attacker was described by his former manager Nigel Pearson as being a “a nightmare to play against” and “a real threat with his power and pace.”

According to Football Transfers, one name who has been included on a list similar players to Semenyo is Karim Adeyemi.

After scoring 33 goals and providing 21 assists in 91 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg, the 20-year-old joined Borussia Dortmund last month for a fee of £33m.

To compare the young attacking duo from their recent individual domestic seasons, they racked up a combined total of 139 shots at goal between them with virtually a 50-50 divide, the Bristol City gem having 70 and the young German taking 69.

With this in mind, the prospect of having his own version of Adeyemi at Celtic in the form of Semenyo would surely be an exciting one for Postecoglou and Hoops fans.

Should an opportunity arise for the Bhoys to launch a move for the Robins predator this summer and bring him to Parkhead, this is something that the Scottish champions should be all over.

In other news – “Celtic would..”: Antony Joseph drops behind-the-scenes claim, supporters will be thrilled

Nottingham Forest will make their long-awaited return to the Premier League next season after 23 years away from the top flight, and now they have been linked with a potential transfer target who could be joining the side in their new challenge.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest are now interested in signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

As per the report, the newly-promoted club are weighing up a potential move for the Arsenal outcast this summer after completing the signing of Taiwo Awoniyi last week.

Cooper would love him

Steve Cooper will be wanting to not only strengthen his team this summer by adding reliable depth to key positions in his squad but will also be looking for players who have Premier League experience, something that Maitland-Niles can offer in spades.

The £48k-per-week gem has 87 appearances in the top flight mostly earned with Arsenal, but also made 15 appearances at West Bromwich Albion whilst on loan with the club, this experience in playing at the highest level could be a huge asset to Forest as they compete in the league next season.

Maitland-Niles will return to North London after a disappointing six-month loan spell at Roma and will now be looking for his next challenge, with hope that he can go to a club that can give him first-team football after making only 12 appearances in Jose Mourinho’s side.

The 24-year-old has been the recipient of high praise from his Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who hailed the midfielder “versatile” and a “huge talent” after an impressive performance against Watford last season before he was sent on loan to the Serie A.

Speaking to the Arsenal club website, Arteta claimed;

“First of all, I see a different player in terms of his urgency, his commitment, the clarity in his play, his purpose.

“He has a huge talent because he’s versatile enough to adapt to almost any position on the pitch. Today we made use of him to do what he had to do in the game, which was really important.”

With that being said, Cooper could unearth a real talent and offer Maitland-Niles the game time he needs to develop and grow as a player at Forest whilst benefiting from adding his Premier League experience into the team next season.

AND in other news, “I am hearing..”: Journo drops NFFC transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in signing FC Metz midfielder Boubacar Traore this summer, according to a report from Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Hot prospect

Signed from hometown club AS Bamako in Mali in August 2019, Traore has gone from strength to strength since moving to one of Europe’s topmost leagues.

The 20-year-old youth international starlet has already made 30 first-team outings for Metz, but was unable to prevent relegation from Ligue 1 during 2021/22.

Now, after suffering the drop, it appears that Traore’s future could lie elsewhere and the North East club look certain to face serious competition for this signature…

The latest: ‘Plotting moves’

As per Football Insider, Newcastle, Leicester City, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are all considering signing the nine-cap Mali Under 20 starlet.

It’s claimed that all four Premier League outfits including the Magpies are ‘plotting moves’ for Traore, whilst there is also interest from Monaco, Lyon and Nice.

The report also states that a ‘recruitment source’ has informed the outlet that the youngster, hailed as a ‘pressing and dribbling machine’ by football analyst Liam Henshaw, would be ‘available for a fee in the region of £18m’ during the ongoing window.

The verdict: Options needed

As things stand, Toon boss Eddie Howe is short of quality in the midfield department, with only Jonjo Shelvey, January signing Bruno Guimaraes and the transformed Joelinton in situ reliable performers on a consistent basis last season.

Although it remains a small sample size on which to base Traore’s career to date, the 6-foot-tall enforcer has already shown consistency beyond his years whilst earning a 6.71 average Sofascore rating last season across 27 Ligue 1 outings.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with such well-known stars as Everton ace Allan, cultured Leeds United gem Adam Forshaw and highly-regarded teammate Pape Matar Sarr (Fbref), any move for the talented midfielder would be a welcome one even at the mooted asking price, particularly when taking into consideration that Newcastle will only need to supersede a current £790-a-week wage to persuade Traore to head to St James’ Park (Salary Sport).

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Marco Asensio this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s potential on signing the player before they return to action in the Premier League next month.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to sign Real Madrid winger Asensio this summer.

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It was reported earlier this week that Los Blancos are growing tired of the attacker’s attitude and have now slashed his asking price from £42m to £21m.

Coutinho 2.0

There is no doubt that Liverpool already host a hugely talented squad in terms of their forward line, but with Divock Origi, Taki Minamino and Sadio Mane all leaving Anfield this summer, it would be advantageous to bring in another attacking threat to assist with goal contributions over the season ahead.

Asensio who was hailed a “ruthless finisher” by journalist Andrew Gaffney has been a reliable performer over the years at Real Madrid, scoring 49 goals and delivering 24 assists over 235 appearances and winning three La Liga titles alongside three Champions League trophies.

Klopp could even have Coutinho 2.0 on his hands if they were to seal a deal for the Spanish winger this summer, as the former Liverpool attacker was one of the most comparable players to Asensio last season according to FBref.

Although the Brazilian winger completed more passes (802), more assists (3) and started more games than Asensio, the Real Madrid attacker scored more goals (10), had a far better accuracy for shots on target (48.4%) and had a better success rate in pressures (23.9%).

FSG may feel that with the signing of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Fabio Carvalho since the turn of the year as well as the new contract extension for Mohamed Salah, that Liverpool have enough going forward to compete at the highest level currently.

Nevertheless, Asensio would certainly inject another winning mentality alongside clear quality in front of goal and with his asking price slashed in half it could be the golden opportunity for Liverpool to strengthen further at a very low price.

With that being said, if the reports are true Klopp wants to sign Asensio it is clear that he envisions building a much stronger forward line by adding a player that has earned experience playing for one of the most successful clubs in the world, and FSG should carefully consider the potential.

AND in other news: James Pearce reveals big Liverpool transfer exit update that’ll delight supporters

Tottenham Hotspur want to hand Harry Kane a new contract…

What’s the word?

The England striker has been linked with a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in recent weeks but according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, he’s “untouchable” in north London, meaning he will not be sold.

Instead, there are plans to discuss new terms.

“There’s no discussion, negotiation or talk about Harry Kane. Tottenham always considered him untouchable and there’s nothing concrete going on with Bayern,” he tweeted.

“[Daniel] Levy, [Fabio] Paratici and [Antonio] Conte have never considered to sell Kane this summer – Spurs want to discuss a new deal soon.”

Conte’s main talisman

Kane, who is currently the Lilywhites’ highest-earning player on £200k-per-week, is the most important cog in Conte’s machine.

Not only does he regularly provide goals – as he has done throughout his Spurs career, finding the net 248 times across 386 appearances – but he has also become something of a playmaker in recent times.

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The Englishman provided Premier League.

“The new playmaker at Spurs is Harry Kane. He is like the new Diego Maradona now. Long passes, short passes, he has it all,” once claimed former Tottenham star David Ginola to Sky Sports (via the Daily Mail).

Spurs may well have finally provided some backup to their prolific marksman, signing Richarlison from Everton this summer, but if you take Kane out of the team, you can expect there to be a big drop-off in goals – both scored and provided.

It will come as great news for the Lilywhites faithful that Spurs are not considering selling him, especially considering the saga with Manchester City last summer. They will also be buzzing by the fact that the club’s hierarchy are wanting to tie him down to a new contract as his current deal ends in 2024.

As such, this update from Romano will surely have many associated with Tottenham delighted.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops Spurs transfer claim…

Leeds United bringing in Juan Mata during the summer transfer window would be a ‘great signing’ for the club, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Orta closing in

The 34-year-old has left Manchester United after spending eight years there and is now on the lookout for a new club this summer.

Leeds have emerged as strong contenders to acquire Mata, as Jesse Marsch eyes up more attacking reinforcements ahead of the new Premier League season. Indeed, according to reports in Spain, via MOT Leeds News, Victor Orta is set to win the race for the experienced free agent’s signature.

Mata has enjoyed a wonderful career, not only shining at club level but also winning the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain.

The Latest: McAvennie excited by signing

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, 62, claimed the Spaniard would be a superb addition to Leeds’ squad, should the move go through:

“When you’ve got such a good talent like Mata, I think he’s better than what’s he doing. I think he got a raw deal at Man United. Do I think he’s got something to prove? Yeah, definitely. Would he be good at Leeds? I think he’d be a great signing at Leeds.

“He loves getting on the ball, he would be the man there who could control things. I think he’d be a great singing. I just think he’s better than what he’s been shown.

“Mata is one of the ones I thought was a Man United player. If I think he’s good enough for Man United he’s certainly good enough for Leeds at the moment.

“He wasn’t getting a game for Man United but I would put him in straight away. He’s better than Fred and McTominay. When he comes in I don’t think he does anything wrong and then he’s out again.

“I think Leeds supporters would love him at the club. They’ve been out of everything for so long that a player like Mata going to Leeds would be right up their street.”

The Verdict: Still possesses class

While Mata’s very best days are now behind him, he remains a top-quality footballer capable of adding a sprinkling of stardust to Leeds United’s squad.

Much like someone like Joao Moutinho at Wolves, the veteran could bring that experience and class to the Whites’ midfield, opening up defences and having runners around him. He has 50 goals and 64 assists to his name in the Premier League, which speaks volumes about his abilities.

It may be that Mata isn’t viewed as a starter week in, week out by Jesse Marsch, given the fitness and work rate he expects from his players, but he could be a perfect squad addition, both on and off the pitch.