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The power vested in Michael Edwards as FSG's new CEO of Football might just work wonders for Liverpool at the advent of a new, Jurgen Klopp-less era.

Arne Slot is an exciting head coach with an aggressive, high-intensity style of play that has seen his Feyenoord team prevail against the odds and win the Dutch Eredivisie title in 2022/23 and the KNVB Cup this season, with The Athletic's Adam Crafton calling Slot's outfit "Holland's best team and best-run club".

The third-placed Premier League side are preparing for an emotionally charged final day as Klopp waves goodbye to Merseyside, but Edwards' business-savvy mind is whirring away and exciting transfer plans are already being mapped up.

Liverpool eyeing marquee signing

According to Spanish sources – as reported earlier this week – Liverpool have had an offer of €120m (£103m) rejected by Real Madrid for the transfer of their Brazilian forward Rodrygo.

Such reports might be met with scepticism but Kylian Mbappe and Endrick are joining Los Blancos this summer and there's a good chance that a high-cost sale would balance things out in the Spanish capital.

Certain variables would need to fall into play to facilitate such a staggering outlay, and while Madrid appear to have batted Liverpool's interest away at present, this is definitely one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Rodrygo's style of play

One of the most compelling things about Rodrygo is his ability to thrive across any role. The 23-year-old has spent the lion's share of the current campaign deployed at centre-forward, though he is naturally a wide attacking player and would bring the dynamism and positional flexibility to suit Slot's system.

Dubbed a "future icon" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodrygo is excelling as one of the most statistically pleasing attacking stars in the business, offering a steady goal threat while encompassing the technical and athletic skills needed at the highest level.

This season, the Brazil international has posted 17 goals and nine assists across 48 matches in all competitions, notably scoring in both legs of his club's quarter-final triumph over Manchester City in the Champions League this season.

In La Liga, as per Sofascore, Rodrygo has showcased this wonderful array of abilities emphatically, completing 90% of his passes and averaging 2.7 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per fixture, with teammate Dani Carvajal hailing his "magical" ability with the ball.

Fast, furious and effective, the £207k-per-week star would be a credit to any team among Europe's elite, but just how would he improve Slot's Liverpool side.

How Rodrygo would fit in at Liverpool

Rodrygo's incremental improvement over the years he has been at Real Madrid bears testament to both his quality and his character, thriving in the unforgiving conditions at the world's most prestigious football club.

He signed for Real Madrid as a teenager in a €45m (£40m) transfer, departing from his homeland to forge a career of significance.

His experience thus far suggests that he would be equipped to adapt to life in the Premier League and life at Liverpool, though the matter of his best position would need to be settled.

Mohamed Salah is expected to remain at the club despite interest from the Saudi Pro League, while the under-fire Darwin Nunez is also expected to be on the books under Slot next season.

That leaves Luis Diaz, who has been one of Liverpool's most impressive performers in recent months – praised for his "brilliant" performances by The Athletic's James Pearce – but is probably the most expendable high-profile forward on the books. Let's look at why that is.

The 27-year-old Colombian winger is contracted to Anfield until 2027 but has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain and. Barcelona, with Liverpool subsequently slapping a £75m price tag on his name.

Diaz is fast and influential in his defence-stretching movements down the left flank but there is a question as to whether he is too profligate to continue to star for Liverpool – especially with such lucrative interest floating about.

In the Premier League, eight goals from 36 matches is not quite the tally hoped for as Sadio Mane's successor, especially given that he has missed 12 big chances.

Rodrygo can surpass Lucho in this regard, with journalist Sam Tighe remarking that his "finishing levels are straight up terrifyingly good" earlier in the season – hence Carlo Ancelotti's decision to deploy him up top.

While the Madrid man is typically found on the right side of the frontline when placed out wide, he boasts a return of 27 goal contributions from 65 outings on the left throughout his flowering career.

Moreover, his prowess at the spearhead suggests that he could forge a level of interchangeability with, say, Nunez – who has played out wide for Liverpool and enjoyed his time out there.

Slot's definitely not rigid in the way he configures his team and this could see multi-positional players targeted this summer. Rodrygo would require significant work to prise from Madrid clutches but he would be well worth the effort.

Slot must instantly ditch Liverpool ace who earns more than Jones & Elliott

This Klopp signing is not going to lift Liverpool to another level under Arne Slot.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 15, 2024

James McClean has revealed how much Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney spent on Wrexham’s record signing, who is yet to play a minute in League One.

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• Busy transfer window at SToK Racecourse
• Squad reinforced for life in the third tier
• Promising striker down the pecking order

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A busy summer transfer window saw the Red Dragons move to further bolster their ranks. Additions were required as Phil Parkinson sought to piece together a squad that can be competitive in the third tier of English football – following back-to-back promotions.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Hollywood co-owners in North Wales are considered to have completed more shrewd business, with the likes of Arthur Okonkwo, George Dobson and Ollie Rathbone being snapped up. The latter is said to have been lured away from Rotherham in a £500,000 deal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A move for Mo Faal, who arrived from West Brom after registering 15 goals across loan spells at Doncaster and Walsall last season, was said to have matched Rathbone’s fee. McClean has, however, told those at a live recording of that 21-year-old forward Faal actually came with a £590,000 price tag.

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  TELL ME MORE

  That asking price will raise eyebrows as the youngster is yet to figure for Wrexham in League One this season. His two appearances to date have come in the Carabao Cup – when he scored against Salford – and the Football League Trophy.

Southampton would have come away from the 2-1 win at Leeds United on the action-packed final day in the Championship full of confidence again, having lost their last three league encounters before this joyous trip to West Yorkshire.

The Saints constantly troubled a nervous Leeds side on their own turf, with Kyle Walker-Peters' awareness for Southampton's second on the day showing the desire of Russell Martin's men in spades with the right-back gambling on the ball not going out of play, to then tee up Will Smallbone to fire home.

Not everything went swimmingly, however, despite the positive final scoreline with Che Adams limping off in the second half with a worrying knock.

This would be a major blow for Martin's men if the Saints goal machine isn't fit enough for the drama of the playoffs, having come into his own in recent months up top for the promotion-chasers.

Che Adams' numbers this season

Often seen in the shadow of Adam Armstrong's immense goalscoring numbers at St. Mary's, with the experienced former Newcastle United man bagging 21 goals this season, Adams is standing out in his own right now for Martin's side.

With Armstrong drafted out to the right wing for large portions of this campaign, the Scotland international has led the line as the lone striker predominantly with his prolific edge in front of goal shining in the process.

The 27-year-old forward is only four goals behind his deadly teammate, with five of his 15 second-tier goals for the season coming in a fruitful April for the ex-Birmingham City man.

If Adams' knock is a serious one, the composed Saints number ten would leave a gaping hole in attack when such crunch matches are crying out for the 5 foot 9 striker to excel in.

Still, the absence of Adams could prepare Southampton for an uneasy summer to come with the 27-year-old out of contract and waiting to be snapped up by many a Premier League suitor.

This could give another striker in the Saints camp the impetus to make the gaping hole left by Adams their own if he isn't fit for the matches to come, with one returning attacker desperate to make an impression.

The players who could replace Adams

One bold candidate to take Adams' place could be Ross Stewart, with the former Sunderland man finally tasting more second-tier action for the South Coast club against Leeds after being in the treatment room for most of this campaign.

This seven-minute run-out could well have been Martin assessing whether or not the Scotsman still looked rusty, with the forgotten 27-year-old going on to win 100% of his ground duels as a lively late option in West Yorkshire.

Having netted six goals in Scotland with Alloa Athletic and with Sunderland in their respective playoff structures, Stewart could thrive under the intense strain of the tense matches to follow if given a chance by Martin.

The safer play by the 38-year-old boss against West Bromwich Albion over two legs could be to reintroduce Sekou Mara into the first-team fold, with the Frenchman deemed not fit enough for a spot on the bench against Leeds but should be ready for the playoffs.

Mara has starred in flashes for his promotion-seeking side this season, with six goals managed in all competitions from 33 matches.

Yet, there must be some temptation on Martin's end to throw Stewart in at the deep end instead with one of his ex-Sunderland teammates Alex Pritchard describing the striker as "unbelievable" when securing the Black Cats promotion to the second-tier back in 2022. Could he fancy another big promotion moment on his CV?

Former Manchester United academy coach Nicky Butt has speculated on the Premier League transfer status of England international Angel Gomes.

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• Gomes impresses with Lille and England
• Nicky Butt discusses Gomes' future
• Linked with a number of Premier League sides

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gomes came up through the ranks of the Manchester United youth system after having joined the Red Devils' academy in 2006. Eleven years later, the midfielder made it into United's first team at the age of 17 and stayed with them until the summer of 2020, when he moved to Ligue 1 side Lille after having failed to get playing time at Old Trafford.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gomes, now 24 years old, has impressed a number of Premier League with his exploits at Lille and was called up to the England national team by interim boss Lee Carsley. As such, Butt has now discussed the potential clubs Gomes could make a switch to in the summer of 2025, once his contract expires with the Ligue 1 side.

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  WHAT BUTT SAID

  Speaking to , Butt said: "I think he can do better than some of the teams that will be in for him in the Premier League.

  "The Spanish league is written all over for Angel. He could play in the Premier League easily. He could play for City tomorrow.

  "When Angel left United (in 2020), I said to him ‘you’re going to go on and have an unbelievable career and I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up playing against Manchester United for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next five, six, seven years’, because he was that good. And I’m not just saying that now that he’s made his England debut, I genuinely thought that a long time ago.

  "He could play in the Premier League easily. He could play for City tomorrow. But then you put him in at Man United at the minute and he’s got to have the legs to go through the centre of midfield where there’s a massive gap, people run through the Man United midfield like you wouldn’t believe. Then it’s a really difficult game for him."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR GOMES?

  The England international has become a lynchpin in Lille's midfield over the last two years and the French side will likely try their best to get him to sign a new contract and avoid losing him for nothing to another club next summer.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has been named Manager of the Month in League One just days ahead of the club's crucial clash against Birmingham City.

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• Wrexham to face Birmingham on Monday
• Most anticipated game of League One
• Parkinson named Manager of the Month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons are off to a flying start in League One in the 2024-25 campaign as they remained unbeaten in August claiming 10 points from the possible 12. Head coach Phil Parkinson, who spearheaded the near-perfect start to the club's season was named League One's Manager of the Month for August.

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  Parkinson's recognition comes days before the club's upcoming crucial league fixture against Birmingham City. Both Wrexham and Birmingham have attracted plenty of headlines in recent years due to their celebrity owners, and are now set to do battle on the pitch on Monday. While the Welsh side are co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Blues brought in NFL legend Tom Brady as a stakeholder last summer.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Ahead of the mega clash in the English third division, Wrexham defender Eoghan O'Connell hailed his coach's achievement while claiming their next target is to beat the Blues. Speaking to reporters, O'Connell said: "The award is well deserved for the start we have had. A lot of it is down to the gaffer. I know he will say that it is a collective effort but he has a huge influence on all of us."

  He added: "We all love playing for him, he is someone you want to run for and do the dirty side of the game for so it is well deserved and hopefully he can win the next one as well."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  A mouth-watering clash is on the cards on Monday night as the Hollywood rivals lock horns at the St. Andrew's @Knighthead Park. Interestingly, the Red Dragons and the Blues are the only teams in League One who have yet to taste defeat this season.

Nottingham Forest will be looking for ways to improve their squad ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League, and now there has been on an update on the club’s progress in signing a key transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Nottingham Forest have approached Wolverhampton Wanderers with the intention to make the club-record signing of Morgan Gibbs-White this summer.

As per the report, Steve Cooper is a huge admirer of the player and is hopeful that Forest will meet the transfer value set by his current club which is suggested as currently in excess of £20m.

Gibbs-White is currently contracted to Wolves until 2024, but 90min claim to understand that he has no interest in extending beyond that at this present time.

Johnson 2.0

Cooper’s efforts to sign Gibbs-White this summer prove that he is interested in injecting more youth into his forward line this summer and the Wolves midfielder could be the second coming of Brennan Johnson in the squad in terms of letting young offensive players lead the way at Forest.

The 22-year-old has been capturing the attention of the football world for his impressive loan spell in the Championship with Sheffield United.

Gibbs-White who was hailed “influential” by The Athletic journalist Stuart James, scored 11 goals, contributed nine assists and created 16 big chances, making 1.6 key passes and taking 2.4 shots on average per game in 35 Championship appearances.

His impressive and impactful performances led to him being ranked as the second highest-rated player in the squad this season by SofaScore.

The Forest manager is no stranger to the Wolves star as he worked with him at Swansea City back in 2020 when he joined the side on a season-long loan deal, but it was cut short when his parent club called him back in January 2021.

Cooper had high praise for Gibbs-White when talking about his loan spell at Swansea in an interview with The Athletic:

“He’s having a good impact. Like all of the young players their challenge now is to not get complacent and keep it going. He hasn’t played much football over the last couple of years. He’s getting that opportunity here so we’re hoping he gets fitter.”

“He’s just going through that young player process of making the most of their opportunities and having a good impact, fulfilling potential.”

Clearly the Forest boss wants to reunite with the player, and if they can secure a deal he could certainly have an instant impact on the team next season in the Premier League as the Welshman is already knowledgeable in Gibbs-White’s strengths and capabilities.

With that being said, breaking the club’s record to sign the midfielder would be a great piece of business for Forest in their pursuit to have a good run back in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news: Forget Spence: NFFC plot bid for “outstanding” £20m maestro, Cooper will love him

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has been reacting to Tottenham Hotspur’s early business in the transfer window, heaping praise on the club’s new strategy.

The Lowdown: Busy busy

Spurs are busy preparing for the Champions League ahead of next season, with the fourth place Premier League side having wasted no time in adding quality and depth to Antonio Conte’s squad.

Fabio Paratici first secured the signature of Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, with the Croatian star set to arrive at Spurs upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the month.

The free market was utilised once again with the signing of Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster, coming in as back-up for club captain Hugo Lloris.

Paratici’s latest acquisition was Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, who arrived at Hotspur Way after the Lilywhites agreed an initial £25m fee for the player.

The Latest: Paratici masterclass

Sheth believes that Spurs fans will be overjoyed with Paratici’s impressive early business this window and is impressed by the new transfer strategy.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he proclaimed: “If you look back in the history of transfer windows, normally Tottenham go to the last day.

“They always seem to do something on the final day and Tottenham fans wonder ‘why didn’t we do that earlier?’ because they could have been in for pre-season and they could have got used to the squad.

“It feels different this time because they’re getting their business done.”

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The Verdict: More signings expected

As per The Athletic, Tottenham are prioritising signing a left-sided centre-back next up, with football.london’s Alasdair Gold reporting that Paratici’s top two options are Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

Furthermore, Spurs are thought to be the frontrunners in the race to sign highly rated right-back Djed Spence from Middlesbrough, with the likes of Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus touted for a possible move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Paratici’s evident success so far and reports suggesting they will rack up six total first-team signings, this could truly be a defining summer for the future of Tottenham Hotspur.

In other news: Spurs now most likely club to sign Evan Ndicka…

Leeds United have fallen behind in the race to sign Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, according to a report from The Times. 

The lowdown: Leeds interested in Minamino

The Whites have been heavily linked with a move for Minamino for some time now, and recently the interest surfaced once again as a report from This Is Anfield claimed that Liverpool were willing to listen to offers of around £17m for the Japan international.

Having successfully worked under the stewardship of Jesse Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg previously, the 27-year-old attacker was viewed as a genuine candidate to arrive at Elland Road to strengthen the ranks.

However, the Yorkshire club appear to have slipped down the list of potential destinations for Minamino as one competitor receives a timely cash injection…

The latest: Monaco lead Minamino race

As per The Times, AS Monaco have swept to the front of the race to sign the 41-cap ace ahead of Leeds, Wolves, Fulham and Southampton.

It’s claimed that Monaco are now ‘leading the chase’ to sign the man who directly contributed to 20 goals in just 22 outings under Marsch in Austria.

The Ligue 1 outfit are set to receive a massive fee in the region of €100m (£85m) for the sale of Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid and would therefore have no problem reaching the asking price for Minamino, who was hailed by James Pearce for a ‘clinical’ finish against Norwich City last season.

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The verdict: Don’t delay

With Monaco seemingly ready to act, Leeds cannot afford to wait for Raphinha to decide on his future before moving for a top target.

Despite being somewhat of an onlooker in the Premier League during 2021/22, Minamino scored 10 times and provided one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions, highlighting that aforementioned clinical nature whenever he is handed an opportunity.

Although there is no lure of European football on the table in Yorkshire, the prospect of reuniting with Marsch should excite the versatile Japanese star, and as such, Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani must be going all-out to try and make this deal happen.

In other news: Leeds now won’t sign ‘superb’ midfielder despite Phil Hay revealing talks

West Ham United manager David Moyes has set his sights on a potential ‘huge’ signing for the club, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead…

The 2022 summer transfer window officially swings open tomorrow and it’s safe to say this could be West Ham’s biggest one in years.

Having just missed out on a place in the Premier League top six last season to Manchester United, Moyes had to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League with there being no prospect of a dream Europa League journey next campaign.

The Hammers went on an unprecedented run to the semi-finals over 2021/2022, eventually falling to Eintracht Frankfurt, and supporters will be hoping they can build upon that with a memorable domestic campaign over 22/23.

West Ham will need reinforcements to compete with England’s elite, though, with 90min reporter Toby Cudworth now sharing news on a familiar face targeted personally by Moyes.

The Latest: Moyes eyeing Lingard move…

As per the journalist (via Twitter), West Ham are still eyeing a Bosman move for Jesse Lingard with the 29-year-old now confirmed to be leaving Manchester United upon the expiry of his contract.

Cudworth explained that ‘Moyes loves him’ and their interest in sealing a return for the Englishman is ‘unchanged’.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lingard shone on a temporary spell at the London Stadium over 2020/2021, scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 16 top flight starts under Moyes.

He also received praise from members of the West Ham squad during his time at Rush Green and it’s safe to say he took to Claret and Blue like a duck to water.

Fitting in seamlessly for Moyes, re-signing the attacker permanently for zero transfer cost comes a s a real no-brainer, especially given members of the media have called Lingard a potential ‘huge’ signing for West Ham (Paul Robinson, Football Insider).

In other news: West Ham officials dispatched as GSB eye ‘superstar’ signing for Moyes! Find out more here.

Rangers defender Calvin Bassey is in ‘no rush to leave’ Ibrox this summer, claims Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Transfer interest

According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa are among a number of Premier League clubs who have made enquiries about the 22-year-old.

Having signed Bassey for Rangers in 2020, former boss Steven Gerrard is said to want to reunite with the defender at Villa Park.

It is understood that it would take a bid around the £25m mark to bring Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson to the negotiating table.

The Latest: Bridge drops teasing update

Bridge doesn’t believe that Bassey needs to leave Ibrox this summer, given his rapid rise to stardom in the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“There’s already cheeky articles from Celtic-based journalists in Scotland, saying ‘Rangers should cash in on him now,’ but I think that’s them being cheeky.

“He’s only 22 and is he in no rush to leave, so I think you’ll get a lot of that over the next few weeks.”

The Verdict: Huge news for Rangers

According to FB Ref, the defender sensationally ranks in the 99th percentile for both blocked shots and dribbles completed when compared with positional peers across Europe, showing his talents on both sides of the ball.

As a result, it is no surprise to see Bassey on the receiving end of top praise from experienced defenders. For example, former Rangers man Alan Hutton dubbed the 22-year-old a ‘warrior’ after a ‘ten-out-of-ten’ performance in the Scottish Cup final.

With Bridge thinking Bassey may stay at the Ibrox beyond the summer, this will come as big news to Rangers fans, who will be desperate to keep the bulk of their squad together and mount a real challenge to take the title back next term.

In other news: GvB rejects bid for Ianis Hagi!