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Liverpool are considering a move for Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix, Sportsmail claims.

What’s the story?

Mail Online and Sportsmail have produced a list of 12 likely transfer targets for Liverpool this summer, and the Reds were linked with a £61m bid for Felix back in January.

According to Sportsmail’s update, Liverpool are still considering a swoop for the 19 year-old, but he has a release clause of a whopping £105m.

However, the report claims Jurgen Klopp “has resources to dip into if the right calibre of player becomes available”, despite a willingness not to spend big just for the sake of it.

Do they need him?

Common sense would suggest Liverpool will pursue a versatile forward and a creative midfielder this summer, as those are the two positions they lacked depth in last season.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming off a lengthy injury and Naby Keita not quite living up to expectations yet, a creative player in the middle of the park is a must.

However, with Daniel Sturridge expected to depart on a free transfer, an adequate deputy for Roberto Firmino should be the top priority, and Felix could be exactly that.

Is he good enough?

The teenager had a stunning breakout campaign with Benfica, grabbing 19 goals and eight assists.

Like Firmino, he plays up front but is by no means a traditional number nine, often dropping deep or drifting wide to create space for the wingers.

He has an eye for an incisive pass and loves unleashing shots from long-distance; two strengths of his game that will help the Reds unlock deep-lying defences.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

The youngster will need to work on his pressing – he averaged just 0.5 tackles per game this season while Firmino managed one per match – but this is a crease that can be ironed out in a young player.

Felix is a once-in-a-generation prospect, and is perhaps one of the few youngsters in world football capable of replicating what Firmino gives the Anfield faithful week in, week out.

Even at £105m, Klopp should be very tempted to go all in on this one.

Nervous?

As you’ll know and probably be trying not to think about right now, Aston Villa’s fate will be sealed in a number of days and the tension is becoming unbearable. Why, oh why, is football so stressful?

Indeed, it could be Villa’s second successive play-off final loss, or their greatest day in recent memory (probably not just that recent, anymore) that grants them access back into the Premier League for the first time since 2016. Still, whatever happens, the turnaround that Dean Smith and his team managed to produce was sensational and they will surely feel that alone could see them past Derby.

On the day of a final, anything is possible but after, attention straight away must turn to the transfer window and who could strengthen their team for either the Premier League or Championship. So, reports from the Daily Mail earlier this week already suggesting that Aston Villa could conduct some shrewd, early business with the capture of Luton’s left-back James Justin hit the right notes, we believe.

The 19-year-old, (who is valued at £23k on Transfermarkt) was sensational for the Hatters as they gained promotion to the Championship as League One champions this season. Indeed, he amassed 43 appearances in the league and had a hand in eleven goals, 3 himself whilst setting up eight others.

That’s pretty good going for a youngster in such a physically demanding league and the kind of dynamic vibrancy he showed all season long would easily translate to a step (or two) up in division, should he be given the time. Obviously, full-backs are HUGELY important to the modern game and securing one of such promise would be both a major statement in the market (considering the fact Leicester are also linked in the same report) and a sensible move.

The EFL Young Player of the Year has the potential to get much better and would already be considered an upgrade on Neil Taylor, judging purely on the season he has just endured. While it could be a costly deal and there will be a lot of competition to sign him but Dean Smith would love to finally have James Justin in his squad for next season.

Would you like to see the Luton man in a Villa shirt? If not, why not? Let us know!

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According to The World Game, Wolves are one of the teams interested in Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy.

Per the report, It’s set to be a hotly contested chase for the Australian who is also on the wanted list of a host of Premier League clubs including West Ham, Watford, Southampton, Newcastle, and Leicester.

The Australia international was recently relegated with Huddersfield so his services could be easier to secure than if the Terriers had stayed in the division.

Mooy found the net three times this season, adding to the four goals he scored in the Yorkshire side’s first season in the Premier League.

Since arriving from Manchester City, the 39-cap man has been a reliable performer for Huddersfield but hasn’t usually been one to grab the headlines.

If he signed for Wolves you’d imagine he’d play back-up to the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker.

With a possible transfer on the cards, we asked three of Football FanCast’s writers to give their verdicts on whether he’d be a good signing for Nuno Santo’s team. Here’s what they said.

Harry Sherlock

“No, he wouldn’t. Mooy is a fine shuttler for a lower-tier team but Wolves should be aiming much higher. If they simply want to bring in a player to boost numbers and potentially make an impact off the bench, he’s fine. But he’s unlikely to ever dislodge Moutinho and Neves from that Wolves midfield; the club need to make a statement of intent by bringing in the best possible players they can this summer. Mooy is certainly not that.”

Billy Meyers:

“I think a player of Mooy’s ability would be a fantastic addition to most sides, but maybe not Wolves. In Moutinho and Neves, they have arguably the best midfield pairing outside the top six, and it is unlikely that Mooy will break that apart. A fine option for the bench, but nothing more unfortunately.”

Raul Jimenez is turning it on for Wolves and Mexico right now! He definitely deserves the song in the video below…

Ben Goodwin

“Mooy would be a total waste of money for Wolves. Nuno’s side already have a superb midfield pairing in Neves and Moutinho, and the manager’s system doesn’t really have room for a roaming midfielder anyway, relying on more technically gifted players to string things together and afford space to the attackers and wing-backs. The Australian international is also not a Europa League calibre player, so signing him for depth and to use in that competition would be pointless as well.”

Lookman is gutted, but he is still behind the Young Lions as they look to win some silverware.

His teammate Dominic Calvert Lewin responded to Lookman’s post and sympathised with his fellow Toffee.

Lookman signed from Charlton Athletic for £11m and has not kicked on as he was expected to, but there is still potential there waiting to be untapped.

He must use this disappointment as motivation to challenge for a first-team spot next year or go out on loan to get some regular football.

If Lookman fails to, we could see another exciting youngster drift away into obscurity.

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Arsenal fans, if all you want to hear about is links to the latest wonderkid defender, look away now. You may already have Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but according to Sky Sports, the Gunners are in for another striker.

The young CSKA Moscow man Fedor Chalov is the striker in question, and whilst no one is doubting his credentials as an out and out goalscorer, he just isn’t what is needed at the Emirates considering their current crisis at the back.

What’s the story?

Sky Sports are linking the Gunners with a move for 21-year-old Russian Premier League Golden Boot winner Chalov.

The report claims that the Gunners are rivalled in their interest in Chalov by both Monaco and Sevilla, while also pointing out that the hitman has three years left on his deal with CSKA.

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

Considering the youngster’s age and goalscoring record, this could prove to be a pricey deal for Unai Emery, although there’s no mention of a fee in the report.

Arsenal fans have seen him up close too, as he actually scored against them in their Europa League clash with CSKA back in the 2017/18 season.

Unneeded Quality

The first priority for Emery right now is of course his defence. In the last Premier League season, the Gunners shipped 51 goals in the 38 games, ranking 8th out of the top ten clubs, and that is not the sort of stat that gets you into the Champions League.

Emery has the firepower at his disposal to bag plenty at the other end, so bringing in a means of scoring more just doesn’t seem like a wise use of the club’s measly finances.

There’s no reason why Chalov shouldn’t sign, we just don’t think it’s a safe option to bring the Russian in until the defensive issues have been fixed first.

There is no point blowing part of the transfer budget on an inexperienced 21-year-old striker when you’ve got Shkodran Mustafi in your starting line-up, it’s really that simple.

There will be a lot of changes at Arsenal this summer and Chalov would undoubtedly be a good signing if it happened. With so many problems to fix at the other end of the pitch though, Emery has bigger fish to fry and should forget about the young Russian for now.

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In recent months there hasn’t been a great amount for West Brom fans to cheer about.

Following the sacking of Darren Moore in March, the club failed to achieve promotion and are now still searching for a new manager.

Although talks with Slaven Bilic are in their final stages, there’s been some negative news in terms of backroom staff.

John Percy confirmed on Twitter that academy manager Mark Harrison would be leaving Albion to join Aston Villa this summer.

It was an update that left supporters of the Baggies extremely concerned as they left a host of replies expressing what they thought about the situation.

One fan simply said that the shambles at the club was now continuing whilst another claimed that West Brom were falling apart.

A further supporter expressed concerns over Rekeem Harper, speculating that he could follow Albion’s former academy boss to Villa.

Harrison spent 13 years at the Hawthorns in the role he’ll now leave behind, bringing through the likes of Saido Berahino, Izzy Brown and Kemar Roofe.

Considering the position the club’s academy is in, this will come as a bitter blow to lose him to a rival.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

It’s now well-documented, Christian Eriksen has shown his hand, admitting he’s ready for a new challenge (speaking to Ekstrabladet, via Sky Sports) away from Tottenham. However, the Dane has perhaps dealt his cards too early and may now actually struggle to find anything representing a significant improvement. 

Rumours circulated regarding Zinedine Zidane’s interest in the former Ajax wizard prior to his statement with AS claiming Daniel Levy had met with Florentino Perez in the build-up to the Champions League final amid interest in the player.

Still, such is the nature of the ever-churning rumour mill, it has later been claimed by Marca that Los Blancos are no longer interested in the creative midfielder, with journalist Tom McDermott (via The Sun) also reporting that Eriksen has turned down a proposed move to Manchester United.

It makes you think, where could Eriksen actually go?

The Sun stated that Eriksen turned the move down as he prefers a move to Spain. That’s all well and good and surely the idea of seeing such a good player leave for a different league rather than a domestic rival is more appealing to Spurs, but it doesn’t look as if the La Liga giants want him.

Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a natural move for the 27-year-old, unless he either changes his apparent stance on a move to Old Trafford or Madrid change their reported decision on him. Tough times.

So, with a move to a rival Premier League team seemingly unlikely, and links to the Bernabeu cooling down, that doesn’t leave all too many options to leave north London. Indeed, it must be stressed that he is still under contract with the Lilywhites, of course, but there does look to be a busy summer ahead for the club in terms of potential arrivals.

With Spurs now reportedly interested in both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, the Dane may find himself in trouble. Of course, he remains a top talent but if he isn’t fully committed to the cause, would Mauricio Pochettino seriously stick with him? There is always a chance, obviously, but perhaps Spurs’ summer business could leave him behind.

Tottenham fans, what do you think about the current Eriksen situation? Will he be at Tottenham next season? Comment below. 

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Gareth Barry was a fabulous player back in the day.

He earned 53 England caps, won a Premier League title with Manchester City and played a monumental 653 games in the Premier League.

But at the not so ripe age of 38, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d be settling down for retirement or seeking a fresh challenge elsewhere.

Barry admitted back in April that he’d like to play one more season, but after undergoing minor knee surgery he looked to have played his final match for West Brom. So we thought anyway.

On the chalkboard

Slaven Bilic has a number of tasks to carry out now he’s arrived at the Hawthorns. He has significant transfer business to conduct both in terms of those who may leave the club and also in terms of recruitment.

As many as five bodies could walk out the exit door but Barry is a face who might be returning.

Express & Star reported over the weekend that Bilic is set to have a look at the midfielder once he’s back from injury with a view to offering him a new deal.

Originally the veteran had been released but it appears as though he could be wanted after all.

However, you can’t help but feel as though the Croatian boss would be sending out the wrong message by doing so.

Barry was a bit part of the first-team squad in the opening months of last season but found himself to be a regular throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

But as the Baggies look to embark on a new era, they need fresh faces and young blood to help guide them through it.

The former Aston Villa man has been a wonderful servant to the game but if Bilic is planning on giving him a swansong at Albion he must think again.

As Rekeem Harper gets set to potentially leave to one of a number of destinations, there will be a spare place in midfield. If that’s taken up by Barry, Bilic would be setting a poor first impression.

Instead, it should be afforded to Sam Field, a talented 21-year-old who was unfairly left out on multiple occasions last term, starting just four times in the Championship.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

Having an experienced head in the dressing room can prove crucial, but West Brom already have plenty.

In midfield they’ve got Jake Livermore and Chris Brunt for instance. Neither player is particularly eye-catching and the same can be said for Barry.

Now is the perfect time for Albion to move on properly from their days in the Premier League.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Bradley Dack would help to give West Brom something they desperately lack; creativity from a central area.

Albion are long term admirers of the Blackburn man according to The Daily Mail who after having two bids rejected last summer hint they could come back in for him.

On the evidence of scoring 15 goals and claiming a further seven assists, you’d assume he’d be a good addition. And in terms of his end product that’s certainly the case.

However, there is one specific aspect of his game that he’ll simply have to get better at if he makes the switch, particularly to a team competing at a better level than Blackburn.

The fact is that Dack gets dispossessed too often. In the Championship last term he lost the ball 2.2 times per game, a tally that took him to 93 dispossessions of the football in 42 outings.

Comparing him to those already at West Brom, this is a very high number, eclipsing each and every member of their squad.

The 25-year-old is a fine dribbler of the ball, but it would feel rather wasted if he’s constantly losing possession.

Hal Robson-Kanu and Jacob Murphy were two particularly frustrating figures at the Hawthorns last campaign. The latter put in some woeful displays, losing the ball 1.7 times per match and only finding the back of the net twice after arriving on loan in January.

It’s that kind of player that does enough to enrage supporters and as such, signing another individual who fails to keep hold of the ball could be seen as a negative.

Although his prowess in front of goal compared to Murphy’s would help make up for it, it is an area that needs drastic improvement in order for him to become a hit if he signs.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

In one game last term, Dack was dispossessed an incredible nine times in a match at home to QPR. He then lost the ball a further five times against Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday.

But the worst stat is perhaps the number of times he lost the ball two times in a match. Rather unbelievably, he was dispossessed twice in a game on as many as 17 occasions.

It’s a particular cause for concern and if West Brom return for him this summer, they’ll have to be prepared for some frustrating moments, as well as golden ones in the final third.

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Liverpool fans are eager to sign Nicolas Pepe this summer after reports claimed his preferred destination is England.

African football journalist Sega Diallo reckons the winger wants to plays his football in the Premier League, snubbing interest from Bayern Munich.

The update comes after the Anfield club dismissed reports they were discussions to sign the Lille player last week.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

Pepe, who has a market value of £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, had a remarkable season in Ligue 1 last term, scoring a magnificent 22 goals and assisting 12 more.

It’s the kind of contribution that suggests he’d be a potent addition to Liverpool’s right flank, even though they are hardly lacking for attacking talent right now.

The player is currently with his Ivory Coast national team at the African Cup of Nations, so any imminent news of a move from Lille seems unlikely.

Liverpool supporters are eager to see him at Anfield though, with one fan even suggesting he could be the new Mohamed Salah.

These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts…