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Liverpool turn their attention back to the Premier League this weekend as they travel away from Anfield to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

The Reds have the chance to move level on points with Arsenal at the top of the division, although they would need a big ten-goal swing in goal difference to go ahead of them, if they pick up all three points against Marco Silva's side.

Jurgen Klopp's men, despite winning the second leg 1-0, were knocked out of the Europa League by Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday night, and must quickly move on from that disappointment to bounce back in the Premier League.

Liverpool have also failed to win in their last two domestic outings, with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, which is why it is so important that they return to winning ways today.

Klopp may look to make some changes to the starting XI that lined up against Atalanta last time out. With this in mind, the boss must unleash Diogo Jota over Cody Gakpo.

Cody Gakpo's goalscoring form

The Netherlands international was selected to lead the line, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah either side of him, but he failed to register a single effort on goal.

He has only scored one goal, which came in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United, in his last seven matches for the club in all competitions, which speaks to his lack of goal threat.

The 24-year-old forward, who was signed from PSV in January of last year, has scored 21 goals in 74 appearances for Liverpool so far, but has only managed six strikes in 30 games in the Premier League this term.

As you can see in the table above, Gakpo is almost underperforming his xG and has been helped out by his teammates, who have scored three goals from 1.6 xA created by the former PSV star.

Quite simply, the right-footed attacker has not provided a consistent threat in the final third as either a scorer or creator of goals, whether that is down the left as a winger or through the middle as a centre-forward, in the Premier League.

The Dutch gem has not done enough to prove that he deserves to be a regular starter for the Reds through the middle of the pitch, and that is why the manager should drop him down to the bench for this clash with Fulham.

Jota must now be unleashed in his place as the Portugal international has the finishing quality to put Fulham to the sword this afternoon.

In fact, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed in January that the forward is "clinical" in the final third and a better finisher than Salah, as well as legends Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler.

Mohamed Salah's finishing this season

The Egypt international's finishing has not been at the peak of his powers in the Premier League for the Reds so far this season, with some wasteful displays from the attacker.

Over his last four league appearances for Liverpool, Salah has had an astonishing 23 shots on goal and scored one from open play and one from the penalty spot.

The experienced star has scored 17 goals from 26 matches in the top-flight, which is a solid return, but it has come from an Expected Goals (xG) of 18.27.

Salah has missed 13 'big chances' in the division and his xG underpeformance suggests that the attacker should have more goals than he has.

As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old whiz also underperformed his xG in the Premier League last season, with 19 goals from an expected tally of between 21 and 22.

These statistics show that Salah's finishing has not been impressively efficient in the league over the last two campaigns, as he has missed 30 'big chances' and scored 36 goals from an xG of 39.95.

Jota, on the other hand, has been ruthless in front of goal for Liverpool and Klopp must unleash his lethal finisher from the start ahead of Gakpo this afternoon.

Diogo Jota's big xG overperformance

The Portuguese ace scored seven goals from an xG of 6.5 in 22 appearances and 12 starts in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign.

He made the most of the opportunities that his teammates created for him in front of goal throughout the season, and that has been the case once again this term.

As you can see in the table above, Jota has been efficient in the Europa League this season, with three goals from 2.08 xG in five outings before the Reds were knocked out of the competition on Thursday night against Atalanta.

His finishing in the Premier League has been even more impressive. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star has fired in nine goals from an xG of 4.91 in just 13 starts, and 20 appearances in total.

Jota, who has also recorded four assists in that time, has two goals and one assist in his last four Premier League starts for Liverpool, and must be brought back into the XI.

His exceptional finishing quality, with 16 goals from 11.41 xG in the league since the start of last season, backs up Carragher's comment on him being a better finisher than Salah, who has been wasteful during the same period.

The Portugal international has proven that he has the ability to be ruthless and effective in front of goal when his teammates create high-quality chances for him, which is something Gakpo is yet to prove.

Therefore, the £140k-per-week star should be selected to lead the line for the Reds against Fulham this afternoon, as his statistics suggest that he is Klopp's best choice to fire his team to the win against the Cottagers.

Alan Brazil has described an off-field update coming out of Leeds United as “incredible” and questioned how it has managed to happen.

Leeds release 2022/23 financial accounts

On the pitch, the Whites, under Daniel Farke, are pushing for one of two automatic promotion spots in the Championship alongside Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.

Leeds already have their next Dallas in "unbelievable" star who Farke loves

Leeds United will hope this blossoming young star becomes their next Stuart Dallas over time.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 11, 2024

It promises to be a dramatic run-in, and news recently coming out of Elland Road has highlighted how important promotion back to the Premier League promises to be.

Leeds released their 2022/23 financial accounts, with reporter Joe Donnohue sharing the main takeaways, with the overall loss before tax standing at £33.7m.

Another eye-catching point from the figures is that the club currently owe £190m to clubs in unpaid transfer fees, relating to players Leeds purchased when they were in the Premier League.

TalkSPORT presenter stunned at “incredible” Leeds update

Finance expert Kieran Maguire was speaking to talkSPORT, relayed by MOT Leeds News, regarding the numbers coming out of Elland Road and if Leeds could be in trouble further down the line.

Specifically, in regards to the £190m in unpaid transfer fees, Maguire said former owner Andrea Radrizzani was using ‘the Leeds United credit card’.

“Well, possibly [Leeds could be in trouble], and the reason for that is that, under Jesse Marsch, Leeds spent a fortune on players last season. They bought players for £170m and Leeds fans were saying, ‘Well, that’s great, but we thought the owner was looking for a way out, so where’s he getting the money from?’

“It turns out [former chairman Andrea Radrizzani] has effectively used the Leeds United credit card. So Leeds now owe other clubs £190m in unpaid transfer fees. How are they going to do that in the Championship?”

Presenter Brazil couldn’t believe what he was hearing, saying in response: “That is unbelievable! How has that just come out? That is incredible.”

To make matters worse at Elland Road, it has also emerged that Leeds have withdrawn their appeal against FIFA’s award of £24.5m in compensation to Jean-Kevin Augustin, so you’d expect we’ll be seeing these figures in future accounts.

The figures also show what a good job Leeds, now under new owners the 49rs Enterprises, are doing with the club appearing to be on the right side of PSR at this moment in time.

The Norwegian grabbed his seventh Premier League treble in what was eventually a routine win after Pep Guardiola's side fell behind early

Fantasy Premier League managers were licking their lips at the prospect of Erling Haaland facing newly-promoted Ipswich Town in Manchester City's first home game of the season on Saturday, and they had every right to be excited.

The Norwegian bagged a hat-trick as the champions monstered the top-flight new boys 4-1, but the performances of Kevin De Bruyne and Savinho were equally impressive in what was a hugely enjoyable afternoon for Pep Guardiola's side, save for an early shock.

That came in just the seventh minute when Ipswich crafted a clever breakaway move and Sammie Szmodics put the ball through Ederson's legs, sending the travelling Tractor Boys (and girls) into raptures. But the joy of the visitors, who were playing City for the first time in the league since the 2000-01 season, did not last long.

The electric Savinho soon earned a penalty, given via VAR, which Haaland duly slammed home. The Brazil winger then pressured hapless Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric into an error and De Bruyne took advantage.

De Bruyne, who later smashed the bar with a sizzling strike from well outside the area, then laid on a pass for Haaland to score from a tight angle, meaning City had gone from 1-0 down to 3-1 up in just 193 seconds.

The second half was a stroll as Ilkay Gundogan made his first appearance back in a City shirt since completing his return to the club from Barcelona. But what everyone wanted to see was Haaland complete his hat-trick, and he finally did so with by arrowing home a shot from outside the area late on. for what is already his seventh Premier League treble. There will be plenty more to come.

GOAL rates City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ederson (5/10):

  Let Szmodics' shot through his legs too easily.

  Rico Lewis (7/10):

  Played the hybrid full-back/midfielder role to perfection, but should have scored when he smashed against the bar.

  Manuel Akanji (5/10):

  Lost track of Szmodics for the goal. Otherwise was assured.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  A commanding presence and also supplied plenty of useful passes into attack.

  Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

  Focused on defending, which he did well, and let the experts do the attacking.

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• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (6/10):

  Didn't directly contribute to the win but engineered a lot of the build-up play.

  Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

  Very tidy in possession and out of it. A shame to see him forced off injured early in the second half.

  Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

  One of those games where nearly everything he touched turned to gold. A goal, assist and a near-worldie when he clanged the bar.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Jeremy Doku (6/10):

  Lively but the occasional heavy touch let him down. Upstaged somewhat by the man on the other flank.

  Erling Haaland (8/10):

  His second goal was him at his clinical best. Finally got his hat-trick with a deadly strike from outside the area. He now has as many Premier League trebles as Wayne Rooney, who played for 16 seasons.

  Savinho (8/10):

  Ipswich just couldn't live with his trickery and relentless energy. Won the penalty, robbed Muric for De Bruyne's goal and dragged Davis all over the place. All that was missing was a goal.

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• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  John Stones (6/10):

  Looked at home in midfield after replacing Kovacic.

  Jack Grealish (5/10):

  Things didn't quick click for him and was booked at the end for diving.

  Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

  Got a hero's welcome when he came on but didn't do loads in his 21 minutes on the pitch.

  James McAtee (N/A):

  Brought on in added time.

  Matheus Nunes (N/A):

  On in stoppage time.

  Pep Guardiola (6/10):

  A very comfortable afternoon for the coach, save for the shock early goal and the Kovacic injury. And this was without Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Rodri…

Liverpool have been closely linked with a move for Marco Asensio this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Spanish news outlet AS (via Paisley Gates), Liverpool are readying an offer for Marco Asensio.

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As per an AS subscription article, AC Milan are pressing to secure a deal for the Real Madrid winger, however, the Merseyside giants are now putting together a lucrative offer to secure a deal for the player this summer.

The Madrid-based outlet claim Liverpool have already offered the star £100k-per-week compared to AC Milan’s offer of £70k-per-week, with his transfer fee reported to be in the region of £34.4m.

Imagine him & Salah

Liverpool are clearly attempting to rebuild after losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich this summer, and now Jurgen Klopp can start building a new era and a new formidable duo of Asensio and Mohamed Salah next season at Anfield.

Asensio has remained faithful to Los Blancos despite never getting the starring role in the team since joining the club seven years ago, but his patience and hard work in the team has seen the player win three Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles and three FIFA Club World Cups.

The 26-year-old magician who was hailed “outstanding” by journalist Dermot Corrigan, has scored 49 goals and delivered 24 assists for the current European champions, with a goal contribution every 167 minutes over his 235 appearances, proving that he is a consistent attacking threat that can be relied on when called upon.

This season in his 31 La Liga appearances under Carlos Ancelotti, Asensio has scored 10 goals and created one big chance, making one key pass and taking 2.1 shots on average per game, as well as completing the majority of his dribble attempts successfully (68%).

Asensio’s goal contributions and work rate won’t be the only attributes that have made him a target for the powers at Anfield, as Klopp highly values players that can play in a range of roles in the forward line, something that the Real Madrid star can offer.

Although found mostly on the right wing, Asensio is capable of playing on both sides of the flank as well as being effective in a more central advanced midfielder role, scoring in both the right winger and attacking midfielder position on multiple occasions this season.

With that being said, there is no doubt that the Spanish player would be a great addition in Klopp’s side and would be the perfect signing to add further depth and goal-scoring opportunities next season.

AND in other news: FSG make LFC transfer decision on “world-class” £81m-rated star, Klopp will be fuming

Manchester City have been known to secure summer transfers for players from other Premier League clubs over the years.

Players such as Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, John Stones and Kyle Walker, among others, have all made moves to the Etihad Stadium from other top-flight sides.

One other Premier League figure that the Citizens have been mentioned with in recent weeks is Chelsea right-back, Reece James.

Although, it has also been reported that Chelsea are looking to tie the defender down to a new contract, which could scupper City’s chances of securing a deal for the Englishman.

With that in mind, one other Premier League player that Pep Guardiola’s side could look to sign this summer as their own version of the Chelsea star is Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Marc Cucurella.

Having been linked with a move for the Spaniard in recent weeks, the City boss is reportedly a big fan of the left-back and would like to have him in his ranks.

Both Cucurella and James have shown during their previous Premier League campaigns just how capable they are in terms of their defensive and attacking work.

With 62 league appearances between them last season, the duo racked up a combined total of 177 crosses, 103 dribbles, 95 interceptions and 86 successful tackles.

In fact, James is included on a list of similar players to the Brighton figure according to Football Transfers.

In terms of a potential move to City this summer for Cucurella, The Athletic’s Brighton journalist Andy Naylor, said it would take an “eye-watering” offer to get the Seagulls to sell their left-back during this current period.

In fact, it has been reported that the south coast club value the defender at £50m, suggesting that it would take this sort of fee from the Citizens to get him.

Having shown how capable he is of playing in the Premier League and being a useful figure up and down the pitch, it could be very much worth the club paying what Brighton want for him.

Moving forward, if a move for James is off the cards for the current summer window, launching a move to sign Cucurella could be a smart bit of business from the Premier League champions, enabling them to continue their track record of signing other players in the division.

In other news: Man City now eyeing swoop for “unbelievable” £50m star, he can be Pep’s new “warrior”

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Charlie McArthur in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has revealed that the Magpies are on the verge of signing the youngster as Dan Ashworth closes in on his second piece of business since arriving at the club.

He has already secured the services of Matt Targett on a permanent basis and is now looking to bolster the academy set-up.

McGrath Tweeted: “Newcastle are close to completing deal for Kilmarnock centre-back Charlie McArthur. Scotland youth international seen as huge prospect but sources at his club say it is difficult to stand in way when youngster is targeted by a Premier League club.”

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

The Toon head coach will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, he will be excited by McArthur’s potential and will be looking forward to seeing him develop in the coming years.

Kilmarnock dubbed him their “rising academy star” and he has previously been linked with both Manchester City and Liverpool. This shows that he has caught the eye of both sides of the border and has done enough to convince two of the best teams in the country to take an interest in him.

The gem has captained Scotland at U17 level on ten occasions and made his debut for his club at the age of 16 – making four appearances for Kilmarnock in total to date.

These achievements show that he has made incredible progress at such a young age as he has become a leader amongst his peers for his country and he has been fast-tracked to the first team at club level.

He, therefore, is a promising young player with the scope to develop in the future and Howe will be buzzing to help him to fulfil his potential in the years to come at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies coach will also be delighted by this deal as it shows that Ashworth is thinking about the long-term as well as the here and now. He is not willing to go all out on experienced, first-team, options with no view to how the team will look in five or six years and this shows that he has a proactive approach that will help the club build for the future.

This will allow Howe to plan what he wants his side to look like in the long-term and allow him to make strategic signings with a view to progressing the club, which is why he will be buzzing with this swoop for a ‘huge prospect’.

AND in other news, NUFC can land their own Foden in deal for “explosive” £30m dynamo, he’s “dangerous”…

Midlands-based football journalist Josh Holland has made a claim involving Tottenham Hotspur and their former transfer target Adama Traore. 

The lowdown: Stuttering career

After spending the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan back where it all began at Barcelona, the Spain winger has reached an impasse in what was once a promising career.

Expected to return to Wolves this summer, the 26-year-old had been deemed surplus to requirements under Bruno Lage as Spurs actively pursued a move when Nuno Espirito Santo was in the Tottenham hot seat last autumn.

That interest had since appeared to have cooled from north London, although one informed onlooker believes that Tottenham could reignite their admiration for the rapid winger…

The latest: Holland on Traore

Discussing the future of Traore and Spurs-linked Ruben Neves with GiveMeSport, Holland suggested that Tottenham could foreseeably reignite their interest in the Spaniard.

He said: “I think the Traore one is a more difficult circumstance than the Neves one. I think Neves has been respectful the whole time. Traore has to the public, but we don’t know what’s happened within the changing room.

“I won’t be surprised if Tottenham swoop round for him again, or another Spanish team come in for him, but I can’t see him playing at Wolves next season.”

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The verdict: Worth the risk

Despite his ineffectiveness in front of goal, the powerful winger still possesses all of the physical attributes which make him such a threat; and if used in the right way, Antonio Conte could be adding a potential wildcard star to the Tottenham ranks.

The eight-cap Spain winger scored just once and managed only four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona and Wolves in 2021/22, highlighting a worrying absence of clinical end product.

Nonetheless, signing the man who Jetro Willems called a ‘beast’ and said was harder to face than Cristiano Ronaldo due to his incredible speed for anything south of his Transfermarkt valuation of £18m would remain a worthwhile move for Tottenham, as Conte and Fabio Paratici attempt to strengthen the attacking ranks in north London.

In other news: ‘Being negotiated’ – Club now want their ‘sensational’ star to join Tottenham! Find out more here

Celtic won’t be completing the signing of Benfica youngster Paulo Bernardo this summer, according to a new transfer update from his homeland.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Bernardo move

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping for a productive summer in the transfer window, as the Hoops look to build on last season’s Scottish Premiership triumph and build a squad capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

One player who has been linked with a move in recent days is midfielder Bernardo, who is making a name for himself at Benfica, appearing 24 times for the first team to date, dubbed a player with ‘endless’ potential.

Now, it appears as though Celtic will need to look elsewhere, however.

The Latest: Transfer off the table

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], there is not ‘any kind of negotiation’ between Celtic and Benfica over a summer move for Bernardo, pouring cold water on the claims.

The 20-year-old is expected to remain at his current club moving forward, with the Portuguese giants seeing him as an important figure for their future, even protecting that with a €100m (£85m) release clause.

The Verdict: Move on and look elsewhere

While this is a blow, considering Bernardo’s standing as a talented young midfielder, it is no disaster to miss a target this early in the summer and Postecoglou has plenty of time to move on and look at alternatives.

Midfield is certainly an area of the pitch that needs additions this summer, with Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton moving on and leaving a sizeable void in the middle of the park.

Someone older than Bernardo would make sense however, in terms of coming in as an immediate regular with experience on par to one of those departing heroes, while David Turnbull could be ready to go up a gear, too.

In other news, Celtic have been backed to seal the signing of one player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are reportedly monitoring Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, ahead of a potential deal this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers have been named as one of the clubs who are ‘keeping tabs’ on the Frenchman’s situation, albeit with the Bundesliga outfit seemingly set to hold firm in their desire to keep the 22-year-old.

The report suggests that the German giants are ‘not entertaining offers’ for their young starlet – with the lack of a release clause aiding their cause – although there has been some indication that a bid of around £60m could be enough to tempt them into a sale.

That would prove to be a club-record offer for the east Londoners were they to pursue a deal, although they are also likely to face competition from Newcastle United, with the Magpies seemingly willing to break the bank with a £50m plus bid, as per the report.

Payet 2.0

That clamour for the five-cap international’s signature has undoubtedly been justified in recent seasons, with the former Paris Saint-Germain gem having registered 72 goal contributions in just 124 games in all competitions for his current club since making the switch from the Parc des Princes in 2019.

That impressive haul includes a sparkling tally of 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions during the 2021/22 campaign, helping to fire Gerardo Seoane’s side to Champions League qualification with a solid third-place finish.

A Frenchman with a devastating ability to make the difference in the final third? Irons supporters can’t be blamed for beginning to dream of the next Dimitri Payet strolling through the door this summer at the London Stadium.

In his 18-month spell with the club, the set-piece specialist dazzled with his tricks, flicks and all-round class, pulling off the frankly unthinkable at times, including that rabona in a clash with Watford back in 2016.

The comparison between the two compatriots doesn’t simply lie in the country of their birth, however, with the duo sharing a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

That is seemingly a sure sign that the youngster would be a real success in English football, with the hope he can replicate Payet’s stunning, albeit brief, impact in a claret and blue jersey, in which he registered 29 goal contributions in just 48 Premier League games, before making a swift return to Marseille on a £25m deal in January 2017.

Although the former West Ham genius may no longer quite be at his peak at the age of 35, it is still telling that the one-time talisman has been outperformed by the younger man in recent times, Diaby netting more goals (13 to 12) and registering more assists (12 – 10) in the league in the 2021/22 season.

Dubbed an “important” player by Leverkusen sporting director Simone Rolfe, it is easy to see why the German outfit are so keen to hang on to him in the upcoming window, with the “lethal” speedster – as he has been described by one journalist – continuing to make an impact on a consistent basis.

If he can produce anywhere close to the mesmerising quality that was provided by Payet during his time with the Hammers, then both David Moyes and the club’s supporters are in for a real treat.

IN other news, “Another target…”: Ex drops big WHU summer transfer claim that supporters will love

Journalist Rudy Galetti of Sport Italia TV has shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update on their hunt for Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Spurs want new striker…

After crunch talks with club chief Fabio Paratici in Italy, it is believed that Spurs and their manager Antonio Conte have a star striker on the agenda for the summer transfer window (The Telegraph).

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Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus is one of the targets as the Lilywhites set their sights on an alternative option to centre-forward mainstay Harry Kane (The Telegraph).

The Premier League giants recently announced a £150m equity increase which will apparently be used to back Conte in the next transfer market ahead of his first full season in charge of the club.

Aiming to put it to good use, Spurs are apparently in contention to sign a ‘big name’ forward in Nunez.

The Latest: Galetti shares Nunez update…

According to Galetti, the north Londoners are ‘fully’ in the race for the Benfica sensation amid their pursuit of a star striker. Nunez is apparently destined for England, with Spurs, Manchester United and Newcastle United seemingly all in the mix.

The reporter explained (via Twitter): “Darwin #Nunez will leave #Benfica in the summer – as reported in Feb – and his future will be in #EPL. #MUFC are the front-runners, #NUFC and #THFC are fully in the race.”

The Verdict: Ambitious move…

As per The Daily Star on Sunday (via Sky Sports), the 22-year-old’s club will demand a fee in excess of £100m for his services, potentially making this transfer a tough one for Spurs to pull off.

Even with chairman Daniel Levy’s significant financial windfall, the funds must be used wisely as Conte reportedly eyes a major N17 overhaul in a variety of different positions (The Telegraph).

Nunez’s phenomenal haul of 34 goals and four assists in all competitions over 2021/22 is certainly an indicator of his obvious quality, but the sky-high asking price will be a major factor in determining Tottenham’s next move.

In other news: Tottenham chiefs willing to back Conte with risky signing as they make special exception! Find out more here