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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reflecting on the week’s Champions League action, and they think they have found the missing ingredient in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.

Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League in stunning fashion on Tuesday night, as a mixture of young and old did the trick for an electrifying Ajax side.

Veterans like Dusan Tadic and Lasse Schone were both on the scoresheet, while youngsters like Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong were equally brilliant.

No one impressed over the two legs more than Hakim Ziyech though, who Liverpool fans are eyeing as the answer to their midfield creativity problems.

The Reds have not found that extra craft and guile in midfield since Coutinho departed last winter, and Ziyech does appear to have the versatility, vision and skill to function in Klopp’s high-tempo attack.

The 25 year-old scored in both legs against the European champions, and has recorded 16 goals and ten assists in all competitions this season.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans think they have found the man to add some creativity to their midfield…

Arsenal will have their sights set on securing a top four spot in the current campaign, but they’ll need to finish the season strongly if they are to do so as Chelsea and Man United are also in the race.

The one thing that supporters will want to see next season is Champions League football, after failing to hit the heights that many thought they would in recent years.

However, it appears as if Unai Emery looking to strengthen, as according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), the Gunners could make another offer for Cengiz Under after having a €30m (£26m) offer turned down last summer, with Spurs and Arsenal possibly battling for his signature.

Indeed, getting the better of Spurs in the race for the winger would be great for supporters, but it may not be so exciting for a number of players already at the club.

Therefore, here are the potential consequences of Arsenal signing Cengiz Under in the summer…

UNAI EMERY SECURES FUTURE STAR

Cengiz Under is arguably one of the most promising attackers in Europe at this moment in time as he continues to impress over in Italy, with six goals and nine assists to his name.

He has already established himself as one of the standout performers at current club AS Roma, and he still has plenty of potential waiting to be unlocked with his whole career ahead of him at the age of 21.

Therefore, Emery can secure Arsenal a future star if he manages to sign Under as he has all the ingredients to become one of the world’s best attackers, as well as the pace and skill to excite supporters.

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN UNHAPPY

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has struggled to secure a regular starting place under Emery as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette have been preferred.

Indeed, the Armenian international has operated on the right-side of the Gunners’ attack at times, which is the position that Under takes up at Roma, so it’s safe to say that Mkhitaryan would be slightly unhappy with his potential arrival as it could push him further down the pecking order.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have played some stunning attacking football this season and a youngster to have helped that is young Ryan Kent.

The loanee from Liverpool has become a fan-favourite at Glasgow, with his electric demeanour producing brilliant moments throughout the season.

Kent’s been a nightmare for defenders in the Scottish Premiership, lighting up The Light Blues’ left wing. Not only is Kent a pacy winger, but his close-control and dribbling ability are also unprecedented. The 22-year-old has turned out to be a Steven Gerrard favourite, as the gaffer’s given him the opportunities and freedom to express himself.

Kent has scored 5 goals and assisted 4 so far for the Light Blues, forming excellent chemistry with his team-mates. He’s shown impressive ability to wheeze past his opponents on the left flank, often bamboozling defenders with his cunning trickery.

A confident man going forward, Kent also possesses the ability to make inwards into the box and going all the way to score amazing goals. The youngster’s dribbling prowess was on show against Celtic when he provided a delightful assist for Ryan Jack’s winner.

The left-winger’s heroics against Celtic, whom he terrorized with his pace and trickery, proved how crucial he is to their fast-paced attacking style. However, Jurgen Klopp’s also licking his lips watching Kent’s growth and probably can’t wait to have him back. Indeed, Gary McAllister hinted (via the Scottish Sun) there’s little chance of keeping him at Ibrox, making it all a bittersweet for Rangers fans right now.

Clearly a level above most other players north of the border, it’ll be very hard to replace him in the summer, especially in their price range. Still, if he can help the Gers win a title, who really cares?

What will be Liverpool’s gain is a huge loss to Rangers, who are growing more reliant on Kent’s influence to play their best football.

Stephen Fleming has confirmed that he has no ambitions of coaching at the international level, despite his success with the Chennai Super Kings. Fleming has taken the team to three trophies – two IPL titles and one Champions League win – and has formed a strong partnership with Indian captain MS Dhoni, but has no desire to extend that any further.”I get my cricket fix doing this,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “And then I am just enjoying living a normal life. With all the travelling I did as a player, it’s nice to just have a normal life. It’s great to be able to do this for a few weeks a year but that is it.”Fleming’s decision will be a loss to the coaching fraternity, especially as he is regarded as one of the most astute men in the job. His players, like Faf du Plessis, describe him as authoritative but not dictatorial, and helpfully instructive without being overbearing.That much was on display during the team’s arrival press conference in Johannesburg. A question was asked to the table on the way Dhoni thought about R Ashwin and Fleming allowed S Badrinath to answer instead of him. “He has confidence in Ashwin to bowl in the Powerplays. Ashwin has also been bowling a few new balls with a new action. He comes up with something new every day, so to have a guy like him in the team gives more options to the captain,” Badrinath said.”Very good, that’s absolutely right,” Fleming told him and added nothing to the assessment. Badrinath is not a youngster and as one of the core members of the squad was thought more than capable of handling questions over their strategy. The smile that crept over Fleming’s face spoke of his satisfaction that the players are capable of holding their own.Fleming’s philosophy lies in relying on individual strengths rather than actively cultivating a team ethos. That is one of the reasons he has been able to bring the best out of someone like Albie Morkel, who is a CSK superstar but has not been able to replicate those performances at national level. Fleming explained that he has given Morkel certain reassurances that he does not have when playing for South Africa.”He is a bit more secure with us and a bit more in spotlight which may make him more comfortable with CSK in his role,” Fleming said. “When you have got a talented side like South Africa, they try different techniques and tactics all the way through and he may be searching a bit for his role within the side.”Having complete definition of what is expected of him has seen Morkel turn in far better performances, especially with the ball, for CSK. “He wants to be more consistent with the ball. He tends to be more inconsistent with the international stuff rather than with us,” Fleming said. “There will be a pressure aspect there, a composure aspect especially where he is searching more for that magic formula. When he comes back to us, he has that confidence and has those good thoughts again and performs well.”Morkel is of particular importance to this CSK campaign because he will also add an insider’s knowledge of conditions. “He also arranges golf brilliantly and [is] magnificent with safaris,” Fleming joked. “The biggest challenge is trying to find the right team for the conditions at this time of year so Albie will be useful to us in getting that right.”Bowlers are expected to have a good time on South Africa’s bouncy pitches which should even the contest between what is thought to be a batsmen’s game and them. “It was initially tailor-made for the batsmen, now the bowlers have improved a lot,” Michael Hussey, another CSK stalwart, said. “The onus over the next couple of years is for the batters to step up their game.”It is trends like those that Fleming has been so effective reading and preparing for. He has picked up on the nuances of a format that is seen as the caveman of cricket – without much subtlety – and has had success because of it. “The competition has got a bit tighter,” he said. “We are all looking for new ways to do things. But in saying that, there is a risk you can complicate things.” For now, simplifying them is as much as he wants from his coaching career.

Liverpool are not interested in the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho back from Barcelona, according to El Desmarque.

What’s the story?

Coutinho moved to the Camp Nou in January of 2018, but it has not gone too well for him in Spain. Although he did manage 21 goals and 11 assists in 76 appearances, it was not enough to keep him in the good books, as he was loaned out to Bayern Munich for the entirety of this current campaign.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

It seems that the Bundesliga champions are not interested in paying the €120m (£101.2m) fee to keep him permanently, however, and an Anfield return at the cost of €108m (£91.1m) won’t be happening either.

The report states Klopp either already has or would turn down the opportunity to bring Coutinho back to Merseyside, in part because he’s a bigger fan of Fabian Ruiz.

Moved on

There was a time when the Brazil international was a vital member of Jurgen Klopp’s side. In the first half of the 2017/18 campaign before he made the switch to La Liga, he scored seven goals and provided six assists in 14 Premier League matches, with him also having bagged 13 strikes the season before as well.

However, things have now changed at Anfield. Coutinho’s departure meant an increased role for Sadio Mane on the left wing, and the Senegal international is now one of the best players in the world – he finished in fourth place in the last Ballon d’Or rankings. Coutinho is far more of a creative winger than Mane – in those six months preceding his move he averaged 3.9 key passes per match, compared to the 1.8 the former Southampton man has amassed so far this campaign.

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This current system that Klopp uses, which relies more on fast wingers, appears to be doing the trick – they lead the Premier League by a huge 16 points with a game in hand, and are still unbeaten in the top-flight this term, with Mane himself netting an impressive 15 times across all competitions.

Although Coutinho was undoubtedly a good player on Merseyside, Liverpool have now moved on and are doing better without him. It was even reported Klopp told the Brazilian that he would “have a statue” if he stayed at Anfield for a longer period. Now, though, it is far too late for that.

Elsewhere, Liverpool eye this Premier League talent.

When Fernandinho plays for Manchester City their chances of winning increase exponentially, so the theory goes. 

There is something distinct about Fernandinho’s ability to blend the role of a ball-winning midfielder and a deep-lying playmaker which Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones simply cannot emulate. Both of the aforementioned players are lacking fundamental qualities to deputise for the Brazilian: Gundogan is short of the nous required to pickpocket attackers in promising positions and Stones, after building his career as a centre-back, is lacking the energy and positioning sense to thrive in front of the defensive line.

That Fernandinho’s return to the starting line-up against Southampton coincided with a dominant 3-1 win was certainly no coincidence, and his impact was timely with a season-defining fixture against Liverpool set to take place at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday evening.

But City’s over-reliance on Fernandinho could prove to be a narrative which defines their season, adding further pressure on Txiki Begiristain to take decisive action during the January window.

The impact Aymeric Laporte has had since arriving in Manchester proves that a single mid-season addition can bolster the squad without upsetting the balance of the dressing room, and City should use the Frenchman’s success as reason to justify another extortionate transfer plot in the shape of a move for Tanguy Ndombele.

In terms of his suitability to the role of Fernandinho’s understudy Ndombele is about as good as it gets, and at 22-years-of-age he represents a long-term solution to a problem which needs resolving this month if City want to keep their title dream alive.

According to a recent report from Italian media outlet TuttoMercato, NDombele could be available for 60 million euros this month (£54 million) although Lyon are holding out for 80 million euros (£72 million).

In the current market £54 million would represent decent value for a player of Ndombele’s potential, and a club of City’s riches will undoubtedly be entertaining the prospect of forking out for him this month as they look to record back-to-back Premier League titles for the very first time.

Discussion of a move for Frenkie de Jong has also been discussed at length, but Ndombele appears to represent a more like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho and murmurs emerging from Ajax hint that De Jong is edging towards Barcelona.

Ahead of Liverpool’s visit on Thursday, City’s title dream is hanging in the balance. Inflicting defeat on the unbeaten Reds will go some way to injecting a spark back into City’s title bid but even a priceless victory tomorrow night might not be enough to pave the way to top spot if they fail to land a new midfielder this month.

Txiki Begiristian could change everything with the capture of Ndombele.

Manchester City fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is looking to bolster his side’s ranks in January with additions in three key areas, FootballInsider reports.

What’s the word?

The Peacocks have enjoyed a fine start to the Championship campaign under Marcelo Bielsa and are ranked amongst the favourites for promotion, which would see Leeds return to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in 2004.

Bielsa improved his squad in the summer with just two permanent deals, landing Barry Douglas from Wolves and Patrick Bamford from Middlesbrough, with the rest of his additions coming in the form of loans.

With the push for Premier League football well and truly on though, FootballInsider states Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is ready to back Bielsa in the market as the club seeks the additions of a striker, winger and a centre-back.

Are they needed?

Leeds may be flying high but they have suffered a blip in recent weeks, winning just two of their last five matches without the injured Kemar Roofe. Bamford’s lengthy absence has put pressure on the younger players in the squad and, while Tyler Roberts has impressed, landing a new forward could provide a huge boost.

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The wide areas of the side could also do with bolstering as Ezgjan Alioski has been inconsistent during Pablo Hernandez’s absence, while Harrison is yet to get going in his loan from Manchester City. Again, this is an area where a new signing could provide the catalyst for promotion.

Lastly, the Peacocks could also do with additional depth in the heart of their defence and signing a player with Premier League experience could be key.

Nowadays, astronomical transfer fees are the norm, and most Premier League clubs will have to pay over the odds to get their desired target.

Despite this, whenever a club tables a hefty amount, there is criticism from some quarters, and Liverpool are currently experiencing it.

According to BBC Sport on Wednesday, the Merseyside outfit have had a fee in the region of £66m accepted by Roma for goalkeeper Alisson, who is expected to finalise a switch to Anfield in the coming days.

If the deal goes through, then the Brazil international will be the world’s most expensive keeper.

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It will be the second time in seven months that Liverpool have smashed a world-record fee having spent £75m on defender Virgil van Dijk in January.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been receiving some criticism for the lavish spending after he claimed to reporters in 2016 that he would quit football if world-record fees became the norm.

“If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney. The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore.”

The German coach has been accused of hypocrisy, but now some Liverpool fans are hitting back at the haters.

According to reports in the London Evening Standard, Newcastle United are interested in signing £13.4m-rated Arsenal striker Lucas Perez, but they would prefer to bring the Spaniard to St James’ Park on loan.

Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is looking to sign a striker to provide competition to the likes of Dwight Gayle, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Siem de Jong – and following the departure of Daryl Murphy to Nottingham Forest last month – and is keen on the Gunners attacker.

The London Evening Standard says the 28-year-old wants to leave the Emirates following a disappointing first campaign with the north London outfit following a move from La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna last summer.

Perez spent just 948 minutes on the pitch across 21 appearances in all competitions, but did score seven goals and provide a further five assists.

Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and they were understandably concerned that the club aren’t willing to pay £13.4m for the striker, with many questioning the club’s ambition ahead of their Premier League return.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

As reported in an exclusive by The Times, Bayern Munich are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur’s in-form attacking midfielder Dele Alli.

What’s the word?

The transfer window is over but it hasn’t stopped the flow of outlandish transfer rumours and today’s latest one involving Spurs is a big one.

The Times report that Bayern Munich have made Dele Alli a long-term priority in terms of signing and are considering making their move as early as this summer.

Spurs of course are in no rush to sell him and according to The Times would seek more than the £85m they received for Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, a club record.

Dele Alli’s contract isn’t up until 2022 so the North London side are in the driving seat in this scenario and the player seems happy too, recently taking to Twitter to enthuse about his time so far at the club.

The report in The Times goes on to say that further contract talks between Spurs and the player will take place in the summer, with the expectation that he will be amongst the highest earners at the clubs.

How much is he worth?

In truth, Dele Alli has been almost invaluable to Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season. He’s contributed 13 goals and 3 assists so far this term, one of the most effective attacking midfielders in the entire country.

If Spurs truly have ambitions to win the Premier League in the coming years then keeping players like Dele Alli will be absolutely key. There’s no doubt that on current form he’d get a game for any side in the country and most teams in Europe too.

Still just 20 years old, the future is incredibly bright for the young Englishman and whether it is at Spurs, Bayern or anywhere else, he is destined to become one of the best players around.

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