Luis Suarez is set for a sensational return to Liverpool, with the Uruguay international ready to feature in a charity match at Anfield later this month.
The match on March 29 has been organised by the Liverpool FC Foundation and will feature sides led by Reds legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
It has been confirmed that the now Barcelona forward will make an appearance and Brendan Rodgers has confessed that it will be great to see the tempestuous forward back on Merseyside.
“It’ll be great. We’ve kept in contact since he’s been away. He’s a top-class player. He loved his time here at Liverpool. He always wanted to come back,” Rodgers stated in a press conference.
“He’s got [commitments] internationally but he’s making every effort off his own bat to come back. It’ll be brilliant to see him and great for the supporters.
“He loved Liverpool while he was here. He’s gone to another country, but he’s certainly adored here. The supporters loved having him here.
“Every time he stepped on to a training pitch, he gave everything. He’ll probably want to win this game as well.”
Suarez was a key player in Liverpool’s title push last season, which saw the Reds finish second to Manchester City in the Premier League.
However, Rodgers’ men could not hold onto their prize asset, with Suarez now starring in Barcelona’s forward line.
He was also embroiled in a number of scandals, namely the racial abuse of Patrice Evra and biting of Branislav Ivanovic.
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Money raised from the game will go to Liverpool’s foundation, which funds community initiatives across the city.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is not thinking about leaving the Gunners and has instead made a move for his first summer signing in the shape of Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to the Metro.
The Italian international centre back is highly rated and the North London side will have to fight off interest from Juventus, AC Milan and Fiorentina.
Liverpool were also rumoured to have been scouting the 24 year old who is expected to go on and become a top defender.
Champions League football will be key for Arsenal if they are to get their man and so Ogbonna is expected to wait until the end of the season before making a decision on his future.
The Turin club want at least £17million for their main man and so the Italian clubs have quietened their interest leaving Arsenal as the favourites to snap him up.
Wenger has a large budget to spend in the summer to finally get Arsenal back in the title race for next season.
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Newcastle United can move a step closer to retaining their Premier League status when they host fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday, and they will be looking for their third successive top flight win on their own patch.
After a decent start to the campaign the Magpies suffered a real lull mid-season that plummeted them back down into trouble at the wrong end of the table, but they have hit form in the last couple of months to which has left them four points clear of the relegation zone.
Consecutive victories on Tyneside against Manchester United and Southampton without conceding have left them in a good – but still precarious – position, but a triumph against the Terriers would certainly make them more comfortable, and leave them with seven matches to get the five points that would see them reach the magic 40-point mark, which would usually be enough to guarantee their safety.
Manager Rafa Benitez will already be planning for next season whichever league the Toon find themselves in, and he needs to be considering making big changes if they do survive.
The Spaniard will probably consider walking away unless he is backed by Mike Ashley or any prospective new owner, and he will want significant funds to improve his squad to try and help them start to challenge for a top-half finish next season.
Firstly though, he would need to move the deadwood out of St James’ Park, and there is plenty of it.
Full-backs Jesus Gamez and Massadio Haidara’s contracts both expire at the end of the season and with two Premier League appearances between them this term, they will almost certainly both be on their way in the summer.
Meanwhile, Mats Selz, Jack Colback, Henri Saivet, Achraf Lazaar and Aleksandar Mitrovic are all currently on loan with the latter the only one who potentially stands a chance of staying on Tyneside when he returns at the end of the season given that he has scored seven goals in nine games for Fulham since joining them during the January transfer window – much to the annoyance of the Magpies fans.
However, with Benitez clearly not trusting him because of his temperament, the Spaniard should look to move him on and replace him with another centre-forward.
While those fringe players will leave, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss will also be taking a look at the first-team squad he has right now and believe that some need to be moved on and replaced with better quality.
Between the sticks, if Martin Dubravka signs a permanent deal at the end of his loan and Freddie Woodman is involved next season after his loan spell with Aberdeen, the futures of Karl Darlow and Rob Elliot will surely be in doubt, with at least one of them – and maybe both – going.
In defence, Chancel Mbemba could go with Benitez obviously not fancying him considering he has played just 673 minutes of Premier League football this term, while one of Isaac Hayden or Mikel Merino could also leave if the Spanish manager signs a new midfielder this summer, with Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame currently established as the first-choice pairing in the middle of the park.
Up top, Dwight Gayle looks likely to stay but it remains unclear whether the Magpies will try and sign Islam Slimani on a permanent basis given he has yet to play for them following his loan move from Leicester City in January.
Benitez will be looking to sign a new striker whatever happens this summer – it may or may not be Slimani – and he should consider moving Joselu on considering the striker has been something of a flop having scored just four goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, and having missed some real sitters on more than one occasion.
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The 6ft 4in centre-forward can’t be relied on to play up top on his own because he isn’t prolific, and the club may feel that they can get an upgrade on him this summer.
Not counting Gamez and Haidara who will go anyway, Newcastle should be looking to ship out 10 first-team players – Sels, Colback, Saviet, Lazaar, Mitrovic, Darlow, Elliot, Mbemba, Hayden/Merino and Joselu – this summer if they stay up, and doing that would allow Benitez to bring in new blood to help the team push on next season.
Brendan Rodgers is going to be a busy man this month but one of his main priorities should be signing a goalkeeper. Simon Mignolet has failed to perform in a Liverpool shirt in the Premier League this season and Rodgers has become frustrated with his inconsistent displays in between the sticks.
Liverpool will want to sign a quality goalkeeper that can slot straight into the starting eleven, adding solidarity and the ability to effectively command his area. Goalkeepers are usually available on the cheap so a potential signing should not break the bank for Liverpool, who will look to invest heavily in positions further up the pitch. However, the importance of a good goalkeeper should never be underestimated.
Here are FIVE keepers to take the number one jersey at Anfield this January…
Matthew Ryan
If Liverpool are looking to sign a long-term replacement for Simon Mignolet this January, Matthew Ryan could fit the bill. The 22-year-old has been earning rave reviews in Belgium, performing consistently well for Club Brugge.
The young Australian has been tipped to leave the Belgian league in the near future in order to develop his career in Europe further. He is currently playing for Australia in the Asia Cup but many Liverpool fans will have their doubts over whether Ryan can immediately replace Simon Mignolet this month.
Norberto Murara Neto
Reports in the Daily Star suggest Fiorentina goalkeeper Nato is the subject of a £2 million bid from Liverpool this month. The gifted 25-year-old has been identified as a possible replacement for Juventus veteran Gianluigi Buffon but Liverpool have jumped to the front of the queue in order to capture the Brazilian’s signature.
The Italian club may demand more money for a promising player that has featured 59 times for them. Again, Liverpool fans may have their reservations in signing a goalkeeper that is unproven in the Premier League.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Tipped as one of the best young goalkeeping talents in world football, ter Stegen would represent something of a coup for Liverpool as the German only joined Spanish giants Barcelona in the summer window.
The 22-year-old is believed to be unhappy with playing second fiddle to Caludio Bravo at the Nou Camp and may welcome a potential move away from the club this January. However, it is unlikely that Barcelona would let one of their goalkeepers leave permanently due to the transfer ban that has been enforced on the club. Instead, a loan deal until the end of the season would give Brendan Rodgers a short-term solution to the goalkeeping situation at Anfield and would give ter Stegen regular first team football.
Asmir Begovic
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The impressive Asmir Begovic would be an excellent signing for Liverpool in January. The Stoke City goalkeeper boasts a wealth of Premier League experience and is widely regarded as one of the best keepers in the league.
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It will take a big bid from Liverpool for Stoke to even consider selling him and Rodgers may feel that he wants to invest the money elsewhere. However, Begovic would certainly be a quality replacement for Mignolet but the goalkeeper may have higher ambitions, seeking a move to one of the European giants in the summer.
Sergio Romero
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The Sampdoria goalkeeper impressed for Argentina at the World Cup and has performed well for his club this season. His contract is up in the summer so Sampdoria may want to cash in on the 27-year-old this month.
The player has also been linked with a move to Goodison Park so Liverpool will have to move quickly if they want to sign the World Cup star. Whether the goalkeeper has the ability to become Liverpool’s long-term number one remains to be seen but he could be an effective short-term solution for Brendan Rodgers.
Andre Villas-Boas is a manager who took the wrong first step in English football, taking up the impossible job at Stamford Bridge and subsequently walking around with the apparent weight of failure following his short time at Chelsea.
But what can you say about the current Tottenham manager? Villas-Boas at Chelsea was the same manager we see today, but now he’s been given an environment where he can show his worth. In fairness, we’re very unlikely to see the true and lasting qualities of a manager who takes over the helm at Chelsea, such is the struggle to gain some form of control.
And here’s the thing: I don’t believe we should take this season for what Villas-Boas is really worth, and that on its own should tell us how good he could be. This season at Tottenham has been described as a transition, and that’s certainly the case for both the squad and the manager. The Portuguese continues to learn his trade, just as others in his age group will do despite past successes, and anything added on top – such as Champions League football, which is looking increasingly likely – will be seen as an incredible bonus.
So what do we take from Villas-Boas now? After what may have been described as a frustrating first few months, rather than difficult, this is finally looking like his team, even if it isn’t quite the finished article. Unlike at Chelsea, it appears that the manager has everyone on side, working hard for the club as well as the man in the dugout.
The manager’s handling of Brad Friedel and Hugo Lloris has been excellent; anyone who didn’t believe the Frenchman would become Tottenham’s No 1 at some stage this season was only kidding themselves. But what Villas-Boas has done is create a settled atmosphere, one where the older figure in goal knows his place but is treated with the respect and offered the dignified move to the bench he deserves. If Lloris had come in and been offered the starting role immediately, it would have been a backhand to the good work Friedel had done last season. As of now, Villas-Boas has two very good goalkeepers he can count on, rather than one in a positive frame of mind for what the future holds and the other feeling dejected.
There’s something quiet and efficient about Spurs, too. Yes, they will receive praise for being in the top four and sustaining their charge on Champions League football, but they’ve done so in the background and behind the praise that has been shelled out to David Moyes’ Everton and Steve Clarke’s West Brom.
The results over Manchester United have been outstanding, notably because Spurs have offered a resilience and fight that few have put forward against Alex Ferguson’s side this season. Yes, United have been challenged, but how many teams have been successful in taking points off them? The win at Old Trafford was incredible for Tottenham, and yet Villas-Boas had no time to rest on the glory of that win. Tottenham very much are becoming about the finish, rather than the personal glories along the way.
Football is now a young man’s game, where much more energetic and hungry figures take up the positions in the dugout. It’s a game which sees the old style of management thrown out the door and replaced with something a little more complex. Managers take notes, present spreadsheets, over examine an opponent they should beat regardless. Villas-Boas has brought greater attention to detail; he’s not a manager who will wait around for problems to fix themselves. Even if changes aren’t needed, he seems the type to make tweaks to things that do work until the whole picture is perfect.
The manager has taken what Daniel Levy has given him in terms of a squad and gone about making positive strides: more than anything, he’s holding up his end of the bargain if top four was the target for this season. You really can’t make guarantees in football, but Villas-Boas’ management style suggests that his team are unlikely to crumble the way Harry Redknapp’s did last season.
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This Tottenham team still need further investment to launch themselves away from the rest of the pack chasing a top four spot and into a position where challenging for Champions League football becomes the minimum requirement. But as is always the case, that’s down to the chairman.
It’s still early days for Villas-Boas at Tottenham, but unlike names we’ve seen in the past, this vibrant manager with the winning mentality could be the real deal.
After the arrival of Sven Mislintat came the growing possibility that Arsene Wenger’s departure may not be far away.
It’s clear that the Frenchman is sadly losing his grip on life at the very top of English football, or that at least what once was a love supreme is now growing stale.
That feeling appeared to be justified by what happened in January: not only did Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrive, but Mesut Ozil signed a new contract. Such things didn’t seem like they would have happened without assurances about the potential arrival of a new manager, and the overhaul of the club’s management structure.
We’ll see if any of that is forthcoming, but for the moment fans remain in a state of limbo: it is wrong to disrespect such a grand old figure as Wenger. But as a fan of Arsenal, watching their stagnation and eventual decline must be heartbreaking – and the manager does indeed appear to be one of the problems.
He’s not the only problem, though.
Clearly tolerating the current situation means the board are complicit in whatever is ultimately going wrong at the club. Stan Kroenke appears happy to preside over a business interest which – with Premier League TV money, a big stadium and European football – makes a fairly large profit for him, no matter what their results are.
There may also be a mentality problem at exec level, too.
Talk that Thomas Tuchel may be taking over from Wenger makes you start to wonder if Arsenal are attempting to become the English Dortmund. You have to take these reports with a pinch of salt, of course. Especially since the Frenchman’s job is always speculated upon in the media, and a cynic might point out season tickets are up for renewal. But the Dortmund link doesn’t seem unfounded given recent arrivals.
If Arsenal are indeed thinking that way, why are they modelling themselves on a club who see themselves as the smaller underdogs? Fair enough if they think Dortmund’s former players and former manager can make a step up to a higher level. But if that’s not what’s happening here, it’s a problem.
About five years ago, we were becoming used to hearing the words ‘war chest’ bandied about in the summer transfer windows when Arsenal were involved. By now, though, the phrase is a bit more scarce. But the reason isn’t that the Gunners are suddenly poor, or that they’ve lost money. The reason is that money is no longer what it used to be.
Headlines like this from 2013, for example – proclaiming a £70m ‘war chest’ – show how outdated it is. £70m would by only one top player these days. That certainly doesn’t count as a chest.
The problem, as so many predicted, is that the Gunners didn’t spend when £70m was indeed a lot of money at the upper end of the footballing aristocracy.
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Arsenal saved their cash. For want of a better analogy, they put it under the mattress. They didn’t invest it in players. But whilst the cash didn’t increase in value, perhaps players would have. Borussia Dortmund bought Ousmane Dembele from Rennes for around €15m.
They sold him to Barcelona a year later for around ten times that price. There are countless other examples of inflated transfer fees, and had the Gunners used the money they had to buy back in 2013, they might have had assets worth ten times what they paid for by now. Take Manchester City as an example: they spent £55m on Kevin de Bruyne. A lot of money, sure, but this season has proven that he’s worth much much more than that now.
Most importantly, he’s helped them win a title.
Arsenal are paying the price now for not spending when they had the chance. Now they have a squad which isn’t as good as the others and will take some serious spend in order to fix. You get the feeling, though, that there’s a growing underdog mentality about one of the richest clubs in the country.
With the January window coming up in about a months time, Louis van Gaal should already be planning some extra reinforcements for his Manchester United squad.
The club have already been linked with a host of players from a wide variety of different European leagues as their manager is still keen on bolstering all aspects of his formation.
So, instead of focusing on the whole of Europe, we take at look at five La Liga stars the Red Devils should sign to ensure them a top four finish…
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Gerard Pique
Name: Gerard Pique
Age: 27
Position: Centre Back
Nationality: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Price: £20 – £25 million
Despite signing Gerard Pique from Barcelona and then selling them back, Manchester United are once again linked with a sensational move to re-sign him once again. The Spanish centre-back was part of the squad that pulled in ever major trophy during the Pep Guardiola years so his experience will be a priceless asset to Louis van Gaal.
However, he is seeing very limited playing time this season and at the age of 27, a player of his calibre will surely be keen for a more regular role at a top club. If United can negotiate a deal, he will definitely be the first name on the team sheet when Van Gaal selects his defenders.
Aymeric Laporte
Name: Aymeric Laporte
Age: 20
Position: Centre Back
Nationality: France
Club: Athletic Bilbao
Price: £25 – £30 million
Aymeric Laporte is current one of the most promising centre-backs in the world and although Louis van Gaal is looking for some experience in his very young back line, signing him will still be seen as a very good purchase.
Despite being only 20, he has started 11 out of 12 league games for his club and was also given four Champions League starts, proving to everyone that he does have what it takes. A possible link up with Phil Jones, Paddy McNair, and Tyler Blackett is surely not out of the question.
Alessio Cerci
Name: Alessio Cerci
Age: 27
Position: Attacking midfield (right)
Nationality: Italy
Club: Atletico Madrid
Price: £15 – £18 million
Alessio Cerci only joined Atletico Madrid during the summer, but has already fallen out of favour with Diego Simeone as he is said to be looking for a new club. He only featured in 80 minutes for his side out of 12 league matches as Louis van Gaal is believed to still be open for some attacking reinforcements.
Last season when he was still at Torino, he scored 13 goals and provided 10 assist in 35 starts, showing that he has enough experience to give Manchester United what they need. The La Liga side is also willing to sell him away without taking in any profits, promoting competition for his signature to rise.
Raphael Varane
Name: Raphael Varane
Age: 21
Position: Centre-back
Nationality: France
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Club: Real Madrid
Price: £28 – £32 million
Raphael Varane is another centre-back which has huge potential to become one of the best defenders in the world. At only 21, he is already seen as a vital member of the France squad, even being named captain in his last few matches.
Although he has the world at his feet, he is still unable to break into the Real Madrid starting eleven with Carlo Ancelotti always picking the defensive pairing of Sergio Ramos and Pepe. Reports suggest Manchester United are already planning a £30million bid to make him their first choice centre-back.
Dani Alves
Name: Dani Alves
Age: 31
Position: Right-back
Nationality: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
Price: £5 – £8 million
Dani Alves is a player than is bound to give Manchester United another lethal outlet when attacking from the back as he is known for his ability to constantly cause problems down the right flank. He was a top target during the summer with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all interested in his services.
Louis van Gaal only has Rafael as his main right-back, meaning that if he can acquire Alves as his back-up, then he will have a very experience squad. In addition to that, if Van Gaal continues to use his 3-5-2 formation, the Brazilian star will fit perfectly in the wing-back slot.
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder must take a wage cut of up to £100,000 a week if he is to join Liverpool, the Daily Mail reports.
The Dutch international has been unsettled at the San Siro after disagreements over a suggested annual pay cut of £1.6million, and is now on the verge of leaving Italy with Liverpool among a host of clubs believed to be interested.
The midfielder is currently earning £200,000 a week with the Italian club, figures which Liverpool would struggle to match. They are only interested in a deal if the player takes a wage cut, however he has denied that money is an issue.
“It’s not a question of money. I have time and won’t be rushed,” The Sun quoted Sneijder as saying.
“My doubts have nothing to do with the offers.
“I don’t want to feel forced into a life decision in a short space of time.”
Turkish giants Galatasaray have had a £6.3million bid accepted for the 28-year-old, however he has been reluctant to commit to the move and is believed to favour coming to the Premier League.
Galatasaray president Unal Aysal is adament that he wants a quick decision from Sneijder otherwise they will revert their attention to other targets, saying: “We’ll wait another three of four days.”
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The saga looks set to rumble on and while Sneijder looks certain to leave Inter, his destination remains unknown.
Yosuke Ideguchi has been left out of the Japan squad for the upcoming international break, and Leeds fans are angry at the club for what seems like another disaster signing.Ideguchi was signed from Japanese side Gamba Osaka in January. The 21-year-old was immediately loaned out to second tier Spanish side Cultural Leonesa, but has barely played for the club.The midfielder was extremely highly regarded in Japan, having played through their international youth teams before earning 11 caps for the senior side. Still, his career seems to have gone downhill quickly since signing with Leeds.[ad_pod ]His loan spell in Spain has been a complete disaster, making just five league appearances for Cultural Leonesa, a side that is battling relegation in Spain’s Segunda Division.The 21 year-old was expected to star for Japan at this summer’s World Cup, meaning even if it didn’t work out at Leeds the club could move him along for a tidy profit. This has all been thrown up in the air by his exclusion from the latest Japan squad, and it’s starting to look like another name to add to the list of failed Leeds signings.Leeds fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter, and “disappointed but not surprised†is probably the best way to sum up the mood.Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
The rumours have been speculating for a while now that Gareth Bale could be on his way out of Real Madrid after just a season and a half at The Bernabeu.
The world’s most expensive player is reportedly a target for both Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Bur Bale doesn’t come cheap and Madrid would want at least £90m – surely too much for a Premier League team now that the Financial Fair Play regulations are restricting club’s spending? Out of those apparently interested clubs, only Man City appear to be willing to splash the cash and bend the FFP rules (again).
Bale has made 55 appearances for Madrid thus far, scoring 28 goals in the process. A fine record, but nothing on the #1 player at Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, who cost a little less. Cristiano has 23 goals in 17 games for Los Blancos so far in the current campaign.
The current European champions have essentially built a dream team in recent years, and they’ve never particularly struggled to field a strong squad. The Welshman is certainly a part of that, and so you would expect given how much it cost for Madrid to prise him away from the glamour of north London and the Premier League.
Despite perhaps a small bout of home-sickness, Gareth is surely living the dream, and would be mad to leave?
He’s playing with arguably the world’s best player week-in-week-out, and the rest of his teammates aren’t bad either. In his first season he won the Champions League, something which most players will never accomplish, and he also scored the eventual winning goal. Not bad, eh?
Madrid struggled to balance their domestic campaign along with their European success and consequently finished third. Yet currently they top La Liga and the Welshman will not want to leave Spain without a league title (something which he still doesn’t have to his name).
He’s only 25-years-old, so there’s more than enough time to spend in Spain before returning home to a side who can help him win a Premier League title as well.
For most players it is the dream career move. When Michael Owen left these shores to join Madrid he was at the top of his game with Liverpool and happy there too. Despite that he couldn’t turn down what was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ultimately the move wasn’t a particular success for Owen who was given a bit part role. He then went on to play for Newcastle, Man United, and Stoke – not quite fulfilling the promise that his younger self showed – but he wouldn’t turn down the world’s greatest football team.
The Wales international has already surpassed Owen’s career at Madrid, but that was always going to be the case with the amount of game-time he would get compared to Owen. After all, not even Los Blancos would put the world’s most expensive player on the bench.
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Gareth is now also playing under one of the best managers in the world, something which only a move to Chelsea would possibly challenge.
He would be mad to move before spending at least three seasons with them. Then again, if someone is willing to pay even more than Madrid for him, and they accept, he has little to no choice. But as we know, Real are not a selling club by any means, and they can more than hold their own in the transfer market.