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Aston Villa enjoyed plenty of success in the transfer market last summer as Unai Emery managed to lure players such as Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Youri Tielemans to the Midlands.

With Villa Park playing host to Champions League football next season, it is clear that the Spaniard will have to add several high-class players to his team if they stand a decent chance of progression in the competition, while also maintaining their performances in the Premier League.

Emery may have to sell a few players before any blockbuster moves are made this summer, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have his eye on a few potential additions…

Aston Villa transfer news

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo this summer, although they face some stiff competition.

Manchester United, Napoli and Atlético Madrid are all teams who could reignite their interest in the Frenchman ahead of making a concrete move for his signature.

His future looked like it would lie away from OGC Nice last summer as plenty of teams were admirers of his abilities, but he chose to remain in Ligue 1.

In January, even Chelsea were keen on bringing him to the Premier League as it looked like a fee of around £52m would be enough for Nice to part ways with one of their prized assets – although the suggestion is he could now be available for close to €25m (£21m), as per L'Equipe.

There is no doubt Emery is keen to add another defender or two to his playing squad this summer, with one player being talked about for an exit – Diego Carlos.

Why Diego Carlos’ future is uncertain at Aston Villa

Last month, the Telegraph reported that Emery would be willing to sell Carlos during the upcoming summer transfer window in a bid to get his staggering £100k-per-week wages off the bill.

While the club have secured a financial windfall due to qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition, complying with financial fair play rules means the Spaniard will have to sell this summer.

Serie A side AC Milan have shown an interest in the Brazilian of late as they seek improvements to their backline. With a contract at Villa until 2026, Emery is in a fine position to command a solid fee for the former Sevilla titan.

Steven Gerrard splashed out £26m to bring him to England in 2022, yet he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury on just his second start, thus missing the majority of the campaign.

He recovered to play a solid role under Emery during the 2023/24 season, making 38 appearances in all competitions, yet only 28 came in the starting XI as the manager tinkered with his defensive pairings quite often.

In the top flight, Carlos finished the season with an 88% pass success rate while losing possession just 6.3 times per game, although he won only two total duels per game – a success rate of just 45% – during the campaign.

The 31-year-old could be moved on this summer before he begins to decline as a player and this could allow Emery to make a move for Todibo, who is seven years younger.

Why Aston Villa should sign Jean-Clair Todibo

In 2022, U23 scout Antonio Mango lauded Todibo, who was just coming through at Nice, describing him as a “Rolls Royce of a CB" who's "very comfortable on the ball and likes to begin phrases of play.” These qualities could play into Emery’s hands rather nicely.

Last season, the Frenchman continued his rapid trajectory to the top of the game by delivering consistently solid performances for Nice as they secured a fifth-place finish, qualifying them for the Europa League next term.

The defender showed how comfortable he is on the ball by averaging 95 touches per game, while finishing the season with a stunning 90% pass success rate.

Defensively, Todibo won 4.4 total duels per game – a success rate of 59% – while also committing just 0.8 fouls, making 1.9 tackles and recovering 7.1 balls per game, further evidence of how excellent he was at the heart of the Nice defence last season.

These displays have certainly caught the eye of several European heavyweights such as Man United and Atlético, but Villa can lay claim to having a genuine chance of making a move for the 24-year-old this summer.

While he is arguably one of the finest defenders in the French top flight, his statistics from the previous 12 months rank him highly when compared to fellow defensive contemporaries on the continent.

Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Todibo currently ranks in the top 4% for passes attempted per 90 (84.43), the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.54) and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.43), proving that not only is he excellent defensively, but his attacking stats have also been wonderful across the previous 365 days.

This suggests that Todibo could offer both attacking and defensive qualities to a Villa side that is set to compete at Europe’s top table for the first time in the Premier League era.

Selling Carlos could be the catalyst for the manager to make a more concrete move for the French sensation. Not only will Villa bring in a decent fee for the 31-year-old, but freeing up his £100k-per-week wage will give Emery some financial flexibility.

The Midlands side could make a huge statement of intent by fending off the likes of United and Napoli in signing the 24-year-old this summer, with the chance to play in the Champions League looking like it could be a game-changer.

What Aston Villa’s starting XI could look like after £105m spending spree

Aston Villa will be looking to build on their momentous 23/24 campaign, having qualified for the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 6, 2024

Sonia Bompastor raised the issue of absence of goal-line technology in women's game after Hannah Hampton was left mystified by Spurs' equaliser.

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• Bompastor questions lack of goal-line technology in women's game
• Spurs scored controversial equaliser
• Chelsea beat Tottenham 5-2

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Maika Hamano's opener was cancelled out by Amanda Nilden's controversial equaliser in the 21st minute. Nilden's cross into the box caught out Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton as the England international tried to palm the ball to safety but it was adjudged to have gone over the line and the goal stood. The entire squad, including the custodian, vehemently protested but with no VAR in the Women's Super League, the goal could not be overturned.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the reigning Women's Super League champions eventually clinched the game 5-2, Blues boss Bompastor raised questions on the absence of goal-line technology in women's football even after 10 years of it being introduced in the men's game.

• WHAT SONIA BOMPASTOR SAID

  Speaking to Sky Sports, the head coach said, "I just think in this type of situation we just need to help the referees. From where I was watching the game it's difficult to say if the ball was in or out. I just feel like if the technology is in for the men's game why don't we have the same? I think it will help the referees and for the assistant referee, I think that's a hard call to make. If you're unsure it's really difficult but that's the way it is. The referee makes some decisions, and we have to accept that."

  She added, "If the technology is here we should use it. It's about having a budget – it costs money. If we want to look professional we just have to have the same thing as the men's game."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The West London side will be back in action after the international break as they next face Everton in a WSL clash on November 3.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says that Ederson stayed at the club because no club met their asking price for the goalkeeper.

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• Ederson linked with Saudi transfer
• Guardiola desperate to keep him
• Stayed as nobody met his asking price

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian was linked with Saudi Pro League teams Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad over the summer, but ended up staying put, with Guardiola making a heartfelt plea for him to remain at the Etihad. Now that the 31-year-old is staying with City, for another few months at the very least, his manager has revealed the "truth" on why he didn't move on.

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  WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

  He said, via ESPN: "He [Ederson] knew from day one I didn't want it, we didn't want it but the truth, I'm going to tell the truth, the offer didn't come. The real offer, because they make an offer, but to be for the keeper, for the team who won four Premier Leagues in a row, they have a value, you know, have a price. Otherwise, he cannot leave. This is the truth."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ederson was reportedly miffed with Guardiola's praise for second-choice City stopper Stefan Ortega during his injury absence – and that led to links away from the defending Premier League champions. However, he is first choice at the club, where he has made 341 appearances and won more than a dozen trophies during his seven-year stint. While he may be sold in the transfer windows to come, Guardiola clearly still wants to keep the ex-Benfica man for the time being.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After the international break, Ederson and Guardiola will link up again as their City side prepare to face lowly Wolves at Molineux on October 20 as the Premier League returns.

The upcoming summer transfer window officially opens for business later this month and it could be a busy period for Glasgow Rangers as they look to improve their squad.

Brazilian left-back Jefte has already agreed to join on a permanent deal from Fluminense to bolster the team's options at left-back, following Borna Barisic's departure on a free transfer.

Kemar Roofe, Jon McLaughlin, Ryan Jack, and John Lundstram have also been released by the Light Blues, which means that the roster has lost depth in multiple positions.

Manager Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen must navigate the upcoming window to ensure that they come out the other side of it with a squad that can compete to win the Scottish Premiership title.

The Ibrox giants have not won the division in any of the last three seasons, with their rivals Celtic pipping them to it once again this term, but did lift the League Cup during the 2023/24 campaign.

Changes could be made to the defensive options at Clement's disposal as the Belgian boss is reportedly looking at a deal for a young central defender.

Rangers interested in AC Milan youngster

According to the Gallant View podcast, Rangers are eyeing up a bargain swoop to sign Clinton Nsiala on a free transfer from Italian giants AC Milan this summer.

The 20-year-old enforcer is out of contract ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and could arrive at Ibrox on the cheap, as they would not have to pay a transfer fee to bring him to Scotland.

However, it currently remains to be seen how far advanced a potential deal is and how interested in making the switch to Glasgow the defender is, as he may prefer to remain in Italy or assess his options elsewhere.

It was recently reported by Al-Riyadiya, as relayed by BBC Sport, that Steven Gerrard is lining up a swoop to sign centre-back Connor Goldson for Al-Ettifaq.

The former Gers boss would like to reunite with the English battler and Light Blues captain James Tavernier, with the ex-Liverpool midfielder preparing moves to sign both of them ahead of next season.

That report did not reveal how much Rangers would demand for either of those players or whether they are prepared to cash in on them at all.

Clement could, though, wave bye-bye to Goldson and cash in on him amid this interest in his services by securing a deal to sign Nsiala from Milan on a free transfer.

Why it could be time to move on from Connor Goldson

The veteran defender turns 32 later this year and the Light Blues may not get many more chances to make money from him before his value starts to decrease with his age rising into his 30s.

He has racked up 309 first-team appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions throughout his career to date, and has undoubtedly been a fantastic servant to the club – given how many times the star has played for them over the years.

However, Rangers have only won one league title in his six years at Ibrox and it could be time for a fresh approach to the new campaign, with new heroes emerging.

Clement may want to fully start his own era, in his first full season in charge, by offloading the experienced players who have been at the club for many years and consistently lost out on the title to Celtic, to then bring in new talents who are not weighed down by failures of the past.

Goldson, at 31, is heading into the latter stages of his career and has been on the wrong end of too many title races during his time in Glasgow.

He is not a player with the potential to grow and improve and keeping him at Ibrox now could see his powers wane as his age rises and his mobility declines, which is why now could be the perfect time to part ways with him.

If Gerrard and Al-Ettifaq are ready to put millions on the table to snap the defender up then it could be an ideal move for all parties involved, with the Saudi side getting their man, Rangers getting money in return, and the player getting a chance to reunite with his former manager.

Why Rangers should sign Clinton Nsiala

However, the Gers would need to bring in another centre-back in order to wave bye-bye to Goldson first and Nsiala could be the man brought in to facilitate that exit.

The former France U16 international is a left-footed star who operates on the left side of the defence, which means that he would not be a direct replacement for the English ace.

However, his arrival at Ibrox would then allow the right-footed John Souttar, who played on the left side this season, to move over to his stronger foot next to Nsiala.

It would be a risky move by Rangers, though, as Nsiala is yet to make his first-team debut and that means that he is not a proven senior performer who you could confidently predict to hit the ground running in Glasgow.

However, his sublime form at U19 level for Milan during the 2023/24 campaign suggests that the potential is there for him to emerge as an excellent signing for the Gers.

As you can see in the table above, Nsiala was an aggressive defender for the Italian giants' youth side with almost twice as many ball recoveries and over ten times as many interceptions per game as Goldson made for Rangers in the Premiership.

This suggests that the 20-year-old colossus could win possession back for his side more frequently by winning the ball back through recoveries, interceptions, and duels won – limiting the number of chances that are created on Jack Butland's goal.

However, the Gers star has the advantage over him when it comes to his success rate in the air, which could be an area for the young star to work on if he arrives in Glasgow this summer.

Clement could sign his own Aaron Ramsey in early Rangers swoop

The Light Blues have been linked with an interest in the England international.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 4, 2024

Whilst there is no guarantee that Nsiala will be able to translate that level of performance over to the Premiership, his form in Italy is an indicator of the kind of talent Clement could land and why it could allow him to wave bye-bye to Goldson and kickstart a new era in the Light Blues defence.

A £209,000-per-week player has set his sights on joining Arsenal with the Emirates Stadium being his ideal landing spot.

Arsenal targeting new striker for Arteta this summer

Edu and Mikel Arteta have set their sights on a natural number nine, as they seek to bolster the forward area among other positions in the squad.

Arsenal ready £21 million bid for player after claims he's agreed to join

There’s been a recent whisper he’s eyeing a move to north London.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 23, 2024

The Gunners scored 90-plus goals in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on their first title in 20 years to Pep Guardiola's imperious Man City side. Strikes came from all over the pitch, with Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz scoring a combined 51 between them in all competitions.

Arteta has done very well coping without a guaranteed 20-plus-goals-per-season striker, but it is believed the Spaniard is aiming to change that when the window reopens on June 14.

Many interesting names have been linked, with RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko and Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee attracting Arsenal interest, alongside more marquee options like Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

The latter's release clause stands at around £113 million to prise away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradana stadium, but the Nigerian's exceptional goalscoring numbers over the last few years in Serie A indicate he'd be a worthwhile investment. Arsenal are apparently contenders for Osimhen, as explained by journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport earlier this year.

“We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen," said Jacobs.

"It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I'm still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”

On a reported £209,000-per-week at the moment, Osimhen would become one of Arsenal's top five highest-paid players in the event he joins, but the real sticking point will of course be his release clause.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is a famously tough negotiator, so Edu will have a lot of work to do if he wishes to negotiate a fee lower than Osimhen's £113 million clause.

Victor Osimhen wants to join Arsenal this summer

Luckily, it doesn't appear like Arsenal will run into trouble on the player's side.

Indeed, according to journalist Valter Di Maggio, speaking on Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, it is believed Osimhen would like to join Arsenal this summer, but has Saudi Arabia as an alternative if a move to north London cannot happen.

"Osimhen wants the Premier League," said Di Maggio.

"If the offer doesn't arrive, he would consider the Arab one. There is no club that pays the clause today. Osimhen would like Arsenal, otherwise he would consider Saudi Arabia."

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made quite the impact at Wrexham, with their exploits considered to make rival supporters jealous.

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• Stunning takeover completed in 2021
• Overseen back-to-back promotions
• Fully invested on and off the field

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Every club wants owners that are fully committed to the collective cause, with assistance from the boardroom being offered on and off the pitch. Hollywood co-chairmen at SToK Racecourse have quickly become the poster boys for such support, with faith and funds aplenty being invested in North Wales.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Dragons have taken flight into League One, courtesy of back-to-back promotions, and continue to see their stock soar around the world courtesy of the award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series. Understandably, the attention they have received has not been universally embraced within the football community.

• WHAT TRUNDLE SAID

  Quizzed on whether EFL foes are envious of what Wrexham have going on, former frontman Lee Trundle – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “I think it makes fans jealous. Fans would be more jealous. If you’re a player and coming to play against them, I think you understand that if you were part of that squad, what a great ride to be on. Not only what they are doing football-wise, going through the leagues, but the way the club is off the field as well. It’s brilliant what’s going on at Wrexham at the moment. When you say jealousy, I think that comes from the fans when you see on social media and hear fans speak, it is coming from a lot from them. In the professional realm, and in teams, I think they respect what Wrexham are doing.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Trundle added on the impact that Reynolds and McElhenney have made since completing a stunning takeover in 2021: “When they do stuff and they speak, when they do stuff on social media and the documentary, they come across as honest people – I don’t think they are in it to just try and get that fame, or be an owner and then sit back and let the club run how it is. You can see that they want to be hands-on, not only in the football team but helping with Wrexham as a place – going into the town and making that better, getting involved with charities around the city. It’s brilliant and I think they are great for football.”

Todd Boehly and his team may already have an eye on the upcoming summer transfer window as they prepare to dip into the market to bolster the Chelsea squad.

The American has already splashed the cash by bringing in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling, among many others, in recent windows.

However, that does not look likely to stop the Blues from investing in their team once again when the next window opens for business later this year.

The depth of their recruitment could be affected by the remaining three games of the Premier League season, though, as the club does not know what competitions they will be competing in.

Chelsea still have the chance to qualify for either the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, and playing in Europe would require more squad depth to deal with the sheer volume of matches that they could play.

One area the Blues are reportedly looking to strengthen in is the goalkeeper position, which looks set to be bad news for current number one Dorde Petrovic.

Chelsea's interest in Premier League goalkeepers

Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino are eyeing up two current Premier League goalkeepers to potentially arrive at Stamford Bridge as the new first-choice this summer.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are lining up a swoop for Everton and England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford to bolster their options between the sticks.

The report claims that they are also looking at Arsenal number two Aaron Ramsdale, who has lost his starting place to David Raya under Mikel Arteta this season.

It states that they have made signing a new number one a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window and that Pickford and Ramsdale have both been identified as targets.

Football Insider claims that the Gunners back-up is poised to move on from The Emirates after losing his spot in the lineup to the Spanish star, which could open the door to a move to Stamford Bridge.

Whereas, the report reveals that Everton are hoping to price their number one out of an exit from Goodison Park after they avoided relegation down to the Championship.

It remains to be seen exactly how much they are set to demand, though, and their interest in Pickford, as well as Ramsdale, spells bad news for Petrovic and his long-term place as the number one for Pochettino.

Dorde Petrovic's Premier League struggles

The Serbia international fought to win his position in the starting XI in the Premier League this season, after starting the term as the back-up to Roberto Sanchez.

He has started 19 of the club's 35 top-flight matches and kept clean sheets in each of his last two outings in the division – against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

The 24-year-old also made a whopping ten saves and recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.9 in the 1-0 League Cup final defeat to Liverpool earlier this season, but his form in the league has left a bit to be desired.

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez made three errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition in just 16 games at the start of the campaign, before being replaced by Petrovic.

The Serbian, however, has let in a staggering 7.44 more goals than expected based on the xG on his goal, compared to just 0.22 more for Sanchez, and this suggests that he has been in poor form as a shot-stopper.

Petrovic has also made two errors that have directly led to a goal for the opposition – one more than the current number two – and this means that he has been a liability with the ball at his feet at times, as well as struggling to make saves.

The interest in Pickford should come as bad news for the young gem as it suggests that Pochettino and Boehly are not prepared to give him time to gain experience and grow into his role as the number one, as they want to bring in an established star to assume that position next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Jordan Pickford

The Blues should sign the England international to bolster the squad as he is a proven Premier League performer who could come in as an immediate upgrade on Petrovic and Sanchez.

At the age of 30, Pickford is an experienced player who has racked up 284 top-flight appearances in his career to date – playing for the Toffees and Sunderland.

This means that he knows the ins and outs of the division and would have a great chance of hitting the ground running, as the talented stopper would not be coming over from a foreign league with no experience in England or the Premier League.

As you can see in the table above, Pickford has also outperformed Chelsea's two first-team goalkeepers in the league this season, outperforming his xG against tally by 2.08.

This means that the Toffees star, who content creator Josh Wright hailed as having a "monster" campaign last term, has kept out more goals than expected with his high-quality shot-stopping skills.

These statistics suggest that Chelsea would improve their defensive numbers by bringing Pickford in as he has the ability to consistently keep out high xG chances, whilst Petrovic has conceded over seven more than expected in just 20 appearances.

The Everton star also ranks within the top 21% of his positional peers or higher in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (1.38) and the average distance of his defensive actions (16.4 yards) respectively.

Boehly could avenge Chelsea's Lukaku mistake by signing £51m "machine"

The Blues have been linked with a move for the Serie A sensation this summer.

By
Dan Emery

May 7, 2024

This shows, along with his shot-stopping, the £125k-per-week titan is an excellent sweeper who comes off his line on a regular basis to clear up behind his defence.

Overall, Chelsea's interest in Pickford should concern Petrovic as the Blues would be bringing in a superior, more experienced, goalkeeper to take his place, leaving him on the bench or in search of a move away from Stamford Bridge.

David Beckham travelled to Sweden to attend the funeral of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday.

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• Beckham attends Eriksson's funeral
• Pays tribute to former England manager
• Eriksson passed away aged 76

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Beckham paid his respects to Eriksson's family before the ceremony in Torsby, Eriksson's home town. According to the Mirror, the former England captain flew to Sweden on a private jet in order to attend following Eriksson's death last month after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Beckham is said to have immediately embraced Eriksson's family upon arriving at Fryksande church. He gave Eriksson's daughter, Lina, a kiss on a cheek, and then hugged his ex-partner Nancy Dell'Olio once inside the church.

• WHAT BECKHAM SAID

  Writing a tribute to Eriksson, Beckham said on Instagram: "We laughed, we cried and we knew we were saying goodbye. Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been – passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman. I will be forever be grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family. Thank you Sven and in your last words to me, 'it will be ok'."

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  FANS PAY THEIR RESPECTS

  Eriksson's funeral was expected to draw a large crowd, with funeral adviser Christopher Jansson saying: "I think there will probably be as many standing outside the church as there will be inside. Sven was so popular."

Ahead of a summer of change at Liverpool, the Reds will reportedly face an unexpected battle to keep hold of a key player without the lure of Jurgen Klopp, dealing expected new manager Arne Slot a frustrating blow.

Liverpool transfer news

It's the end of an era for Liverpool and Klopp after nine incredible years. The German won it all during his time in Merseyside to awaken a giant in slumber and take them back to the top of English and European football. But all good things must come to an end and so the batton is passed to Slot. Fresh from Feyenood, the manager will arrive tasked with replacing Anfield's latest legend.

Liverpool pushing for "great" new striker who's more clinical than Nunez

This would leave Nunez’s place in question.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 2, 2024

Klopp's farewell hasn't been one without drama, however, with Mohamed Salah sparking rumours over his future in a touchline disagreement with the Reds boss in a 2-2 draw against West Ham United.

David Ornstein has since poured water on the flames of those exit rumours, but the fact that Salah's contract runs out in the summer of 2025 leaves plenty of unanswered questions. And he may not be the only departure after a recent transfer twist.

According to Sam McGuire of Anfield Watch, Joel Matip's departure may be followed by another central defender, as Joe Gomez is now contemplating his Liverpool future and is open to leaving the club. Whilst offers are yet to come his way, a return to London is reportedly preferred, although he won't force a move this summer.

This comes at the same time that Matip is preparing to leave as a free agent at the end of the season, already leaving the Reds in need of another centre-back. Given that Gomez has provided cover in that central role as well as at right-back, left-back and even central midfield this season, his exit would be a major blow to Slot's squad depth.

"Lifesaver" Gomez is an underrated key

Whilst it's easy to focus on the likes of Virgil van Dijk or Trent Alexander-Arnold, players like Gomez can quickly prove to be the key when the Premier League title race begins to come thick and fast, as shown this season. The England international has stepped up to become an unexpected standout at Anfield in the current campaign, making Klopp's praise earlier this year no surprise.

“He is a lifesaver, to be honest, that he was here, that he could play. People forget how important Joey was in the best years we had. I don’t know how many games he played in the year when we became champions and how many games he played when we won the Champions League – a lot and rightly so because he’s a top-class player.”

Gomez can be just as important for Slot as he has been for Klopp, making his stay something that Liverpool should do everything to ensure this summer. At just 26 years old too, there's plenty more to come from the defender. Earning a reported £95k per-week, Gomez doesn't excert Liverpool's books, either.

Changes are coming to the USMNT, but which players should be in the starting XI? GOAL makes the picks

There will be changes to the U.S. Men's National Team starting XI. After a performance like the one against Canada, there has to be. The USMNT needs to do something different.

Following the 2-1 loss to Canada, Tuesday's clash with New Zealand in Cincinnati suddenly feels more urgent than ever. No, reported hire Mauricio Pochettino will not be coaching, which takes some of the energy out of this match, but the reality is the U.S. needs a response. Pochettino or no Pochettino on the sidelines, this team needs to show some fight.

But what changes are necessary? Which players are in the best position to step into the XI? Those are the two big questions interim coach Mikey Varas is staring down as the USMNT prepares to take on New Zealand.

"It's a delicate balance, and we're going to find a balance," Varas said. "We want to put on a winning performance. Anybody who plays, they will have earned it. At the same time, this is a September window with a new coach coming in, so it's also my responsibility to make sure that multiple players get a chance to showcase themselves, as long as they have also shown that they can earn it."

Ahead of Tuesday's match, GOAL breaks down who should start for the USMNT…

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  GK: Matt Turner

  Patrick Schulte did well against Canada, and is perhaps the only player that can actually say that. Varas hinted, though, that there would be a change at goalkeeper and, realistically, it makes sense.

  Despite his lack of club minutes, you can't write Turner off with the USMNT. He's still arguably the team's most reliable goalkeeper, and he's earned that title particularly when wearing a U.S. shirt. Because of that, he deserves the chance to fight for his spot as the national team No. 1 with a start here.

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  LB: Caleb Wiley

  We know that Wiley is a good player. He showed it in Atlanta and he's already shown it in a few games with Strasbourg. Is he a legitimate left-back option at the top levels of international soccer? Now is the time to find out.

  A New Zealand friendly under an interim coach won't answer that question, but it could provide us with some valuable data. And, either way, neither Wiley nor Kristoffer Lund, 22, are starting over Antonee Robinson any time soon so, with that in mind, Tuesday is another opportunity to see what Wiley can bring to the fold.

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  CB: Auston Trusty

  Trusty was, right or wrong, left out in the cold by Gregg Berhalter despite playing for Sheffield United in the Premier League. Now, he has a very real chance to prove why that shouldn't have been the case.

  A big move to Celtic this summer will help keep him on the USMNT radar, but the best way to do that is to deliver big performances in actual national team matches. Trusty hasn't gotten enough chances to do so, so it makes sense to give him this one to see what he's got.

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  CB: Mark McKenzie

  Much of what we said for Trusty could apply to McKenzie. Yes, McKenzie has been more involved, even making the Copa America roster. He didn't play, though. He's a fringe player, by his own admission, but he could soon become much more.

  Now at Toulouse, McKenzie is ready to push Chris Richards and Tim Ream for one of those starting center back spots. This is an audition. Normally, you wouldn't want to swap out both center backs, but it's fine here all considered. McKenzie and Trusty, former Philadelphia Union teammates, should bring some old chemistry to the table as they both look to make their case.