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Liverpool fans’ hope of a title challenge is fading as the weeks pass, but even though dreams of a first ever Premier League trophy may be on hold for at least another season, there’s at least the prospect of Champions League qualification to keep Kopites happy.

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It may seem like a poor runners-up prize, given the club’s excellent form during the autumn and early winter, but before a ball was kicked, getting back to Europe’s top table was seen as the ceiling of the Merseysiders’ ambitions this term. Granted, it will take a push given that woeful January saw Liverpool fall from being Chelsea’s closest challengers at the top to sitting in fifth, but Jurgen Klopp seems determined to get over the line, as he alluded to while talking to the Liverpool Echo:

“The Champions League is THE competition. We want to be part of it.

“To get there we have to win a few games.”

With the German’s words ringing in our ears earlier this week, we decided to ask Liverpool fans if getting back into the Champions League is actually essential for the club’s progress under their charismatic boss, and 93% of those who voted believe it is…

The majority have a point, we think, with the club having struggled to attract some big name players in recent summers, while just one campaign in the continent’s elite competition since 2009/10 is not good enough for a club of Liverpool’s size.

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Champions League fans will be licking their lips at Manchester City’s trip to Monaco this Wednesday, following an eight-goal thriller in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium last month.

Leonardo Jardim’s side may have come away from Manchester licking their wounds and wondering how they squandered a 3-2 lead to enter the ultimate leg chasing a two-goal deficit, but the attacking performance from their young stars has created plenty of interest around Europe.

Not only have Monaco emerged as potential dark horses in the 2016/17 edition of Europe’s top competition, but countless supporters around the continent are hoping some of the Stade Louis II outfit’s top talents end up joining their club in the next transfer window.

With that in mind and another multi-goal affair expected in France on Wednesday evening, we asked Arsenal fans earlier this week to vote for which Monaco stars Gunners supporters should keep their eyes peeled for. The results of our poll are now in, so here’s a rundown of the top three…

3. Tiemoue Bakayoko

Tall, powerful and defensively assured, Tiemoue Bakayoko embodies exactly what Arsenal’s engine room has lacked since the says of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva. Not that the 22-year-old holding midfielder’s game is strictly limited to protecting the defence; he’s a dynamic presence as well, averaging 2.2 successful dribbles per match in the Champions League this term. The Frenchman couldn’t stop City scoring five times at the Etihad last month but a combination of physical and technical qualities makes him a perfect fit for Premier League football.

2. Fabinho

Another central midfield option seemingly at the forefront of Arsenal fans’ collective thinking is Brazilian Fabinho. The South American can operate at wing-back or in the engine room, but the latter has been the location for his best performances this season with seven goals in Ligue 1. He was a massive influence on the first leg last month, supplying Monaco’s first two goals, but will be keen to get his foot on the ball a little more at Stade Louis II.

1. Kylian Mbappe

Perhaps due to the fact Arsene Wenger has likened him to Thierry Henry and already admitted an interest in signing him, strike starlet Kylian Mbappe ranked first in our poll. The teenager has come on leaps and bounds since making his first-team debut in December 2015, netting 16 times across all competitions this season and bagging seven goals for France’s U19 squad throughout the last calendar year. He scored past City in the first leg and produced a Man of the Match display against Nantes earlier this month (above), with a brace in a 4-0 win.

Results

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Jordan Veretout has told But! Football Club that he is unsure whether he will stay at St Etienne or return to parent club Aston Villa in the summer.

What’s the word?

The French midfielder joined the Villans from Nantes in 2015, but was unable to help keep the Midlands outfit in the Premier League.

It seemed as though he did not have much intent on slogging it out in the Championship, so Veretout returned to his homeland for a season-long loan spell at St Etienne.

Since making the move, the 24-year-old has made 27 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring three goals and producing as many assists.

With the season coming to a close, questions are being raised about Veretout’s long-term future, but even he does not know.

The midfielder told the publication:

“We’ll see. People ask me this question a lot, more and more, but there’s eight games left. I’m focused on the end of the season. I’ll think about my future afterwards. We have the holidays to discuss it.

“Staying at Sainte, I’m not saying no, nor am I saying yes. I just want to think about football and we’ll see after the last game week how things go.”

Should Villa try to persuade him to return?

In December, club owner Tony Xia tweeted that Veretout will be free to leave on a permanent basis when his loan expires because he is not happy at Villa, according to the Birmingham Mail.

If an agreement is already in place with St Etienne, then it will be ten times harder for Villa to bring him back.

However, it seems as though manager Steve Bruce could be keen after he watched Veretout play against Manchester United in the Europa League.

Given that Villa currently reside 12th in the Championship, 11 points adrift of the playoff places, it is highly unlikely that they will secure promotion back to the Premier League.

With that in mind, Veretout was not keen to play in the second tier before, and there has been no indication that he has changed his mind.

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According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United are ready to reignite their interest in Sunderland defender Lamine Kone.

The Irons tried to sign the 28-year-old centre-back last summer – and then again during the January transfer window – as manager Slaven Bilic looked to strengthen his defensive options, but the Ivory Coast international stayed at the Stadium of Light.

However, with Sunderland now bottom of the table and 10 points adrift of safety with just seven matches of the season remaining, relegation to the Championship looks to be on the cards and Kone will look to find a Premier League club if the worst does happen.

Bilic is keen to bring in a dominant centre-half in the summer with the club conceding 57 goals in 32 top flight matches this term, and they were slipping close to the relegation zone after a five-game losing streak before they beat fellow strugglers Swansea City 1-0 at the London Stadium last weekend.

Hammers supporters were quick to have their say on the link via social media, and the majority don’t want the club to consider bringing the defender to the London Stadium following some poor performances for the division’s worst side during the current campaign.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the rumour…

A handful of Everton fans have made it clear who their favourite signing has been this season.

The Merseyside outfit tweeted the link to an interview with Gueye, who spoke to the club’s official website about the inspiration behind his first season with the Toffees.

Fans responded to the tweet by singing the praises of the midfielder, who joined the club from Aston Villa last year.

His name does not tend to make the headlines in the back pages, but Gueye has been an impressive addition to Ronald Koeman’s team.

The 27-year-old has played in 26 Premier League games this season, adding a defensive steel to the middle of the park.

Gueye has even contributed with a goal and an assist in the top flight for the Toffees, who currently reside seventh in the league table.

After the interview was published fans took to Twitter to shower the midfielder with praise, and some described him as the club’s best player of this campaign.

Both Aston Villa and Birmingham City have endured difficult seasons in the Sky Bet Championship, with the duo undergoing several changes over the course of the campaign.

Indeed, former Blues boss Steve Bruce is now in charge at Villa Park, while those at St. Andrew’s saw the impressive Gary Rowett replaced by the awful Gianfranco Zola as Play-Off hopes became relegation worries in a matter of months.

Indicative of the eventful seasons the Second City rivals have had this term, there’s been another twist ahead of a crunch derby between the two this weekend.

With Birmingham in dire need of a boost, merely to ensure they retain their status in the second tier, Harry Redknapp has been drafted in to replace the outgoing Italian. While many would see this as a coup, the former Tottenham manager has been out of work since leaving QPR prior to their relegation almost two years ago and it’s fair to say the reaction from Bluenoses online has been rather mixed.

So, what do Villa fans make of the appointment? Here, we take a closer look at their reaction.

As reported by Spanish outlet Marca, Jose Mourinho is planning a shock move for Manchester City goalkeeper this summer, should David De Gea make his move to Real Madrid.

What’s the story?

David De Gea has long been the subject of interest from Real Madrid and so Manchester United could be on the hunt of an elite goalkeeper this season.

What may be surprising is United’s reported interest in Joe Hart, not least because he plays for United’s big city rivals Manchester City.

Even outside of that context the move would be surprising, Hart doesn’t exactly have the best of reputations right now.

Is Hart the replacement United need for David De Gea, should he move?

A big risk

Joe Hart left English football to rebuild his career away from the media glare. Initially at Torino things were going well but a number of high profile errors of Serie A have only added to his reputation as a keeper who has massive mistakes in him.

If David De Gea does ever move away from Old Trafford, United need the best of the best in to replace him. Investing in Hart would be a massive risk and while it may pay off and he finds his redemption at Old Trafford, the likelihood is it would set the Red Devils back.

Mourinho needs his side firing on all cylinders next season if they are to put up a title challenge and having an under fire and under pressure goalkeeper doesn’t sound like the way to go.

The coming transfer window could see Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy sacrifice some of their principles to take Tottenham Hotspur to the next level.

Whilst there’s no question the Lilywhites have progressed almost exponentially under the Argentine’s leadership whilst working with limited financial resources, they’ve now reached a point where they have to make big signings to improve a talented side and offer big wages to keep the current cohort in tact.

Thus, the idea of Spurs cashing in on a few players to raise funds has been discussed in FFC Towers in recent weeks, with Eric Dier emerging as a potential candidate amid reported interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The England international has featured frequently throughout the campaign but struggled to replicate his level of form from last term and £40million, which United are reportedly prepared to pay, could go a long way at White Hart Lane this summer.

With that in mind, we asked Spurs fans earlier this week whether their club should cash in on Dier, but the result of our poll was a resounding no – with 73% voting against such a transfer deal. Dier may have struggled for form at times this season, but he’s clearly still well-liked by the White Hart Lane faithful.

Leeds United announced the appointment of Victor Orta as their Director of Football on Tuesday, and fans are already concerned at what the implications of the move could be.

The Spaniard’s previous role was at Middlesbrough as head of recruitment and despite arriving at the Riverside Stadium with considerable contacts, he struggled to bring in a high calibre of player to the club and they swiftly made an immediate return to the Championship.

Reports in the Middlesbrough Gazette suggest he became too involved with first team affairs alongside former manager Aitor Karanka and it helped to cause divides among the players and coaching staff.

Leeds supporters were quick to have their say on the arrival of Orta via social media, and many are confused considering the mess he made of his role at the Riverside, while others are convinced that Karanka will follow him to Elland Road and be named as Garry Monk’s successor.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to reports in The Sunday Times, Manchester United want £66m from Real Madrid if the Champions League winners want to sign goalkeeper David De Gea this summer, but they could accept a part exchange deal for one of Jose Mourinho’s targets if not.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun reported earlier this week that Real have had a £60m bid for the Spanish stopper rejected, and stories suggest that the Red Devils want just £6m more to do a deal with the La Liga giants.

However, Mourinho is also said to be interested in replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Alvaro Morata this summer and sources at United have suggested that they could take the Spanish striker plus £23m for De Gea.

Does De Gea want to go?

The 26-year-old is understood to have told Mourinho earlier this year that he would like to play with the La Liga champions at some point during his career, and the latest link comes less than two years after the transfer saga that nearly saw De Gea join Real in the early stages of the 2015/16 season.

Would Mourinho be happy to let him go?

Of course, the Portuguese boss wouldn’t want to lose a world-class player that has been voted the best in the Premier League over the course of the last three seasons, but if he wants to go then Mourinho surely won’t make him stay against his will.

The former Chelsea manager hinted that Sergio Romero could be more involved in the future after starting the Europa League final ahead of De Gea, and he may feel that the Argentine can step up and be United’s number one next term.

Would Morata be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

Mourinho needs a new striker this summer because of Ibrahimovic’s injury, which has left him with Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney – whose future is in doubt – as his only options right now.

Morata scored 20 goals in all competitions last season for Los Galacticos following a successful two-year spell with Juventus.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, if De Gea wants to go and Mourinho is willing to sanction the deal, then either a £66m fee or a transfer that includes Alvaro Morata could be the best move for all parties involved.