Cody Gakpo admits to confusion over his Liverpool role

Liverpool January signing Cody Gakpo has admitted that he doesn’t know Jurgen Klopp’s long-term plan amid uncertainty over his current role in the Liverpool tactical set-up. The Netherlands international joined Liverpool in January for a reported £35.4m and has proven to be an intelligent addition. This comes after struggling in his first few games. The forward has scored four goals since his move to Anfield, including two against Manchester United, a record 7-0 win. But despite his improved form, Liverpool have struggled to win games in recent weeks and are now on a run of four games without a win.  Read more: Robert Lewandowski reveals he wanted to join Man Utd Speaking to the press, Gakpo has discussed his side’s poor run of form and their upcoming game against league leaders Arsenal. Although the forward admitted that things are not going how Liverpool wants, he insisted on looking at the positives of the recent performances. “I think if you see this game [against Chelsea], we got a point here, and it is a small step in the right direction, and for me, it is something for the club to get some momentum again and start winning games again,” he said. “Obviously, when you don’t have support from the home crowd, it’s slightly different, but I don’t know. We just have to be better in the away games. We wanted to win here, but in the end, we made a step in the right direction if you compare it to the last game, so we have to keep building on that and improve.” Gakpo also spoke about the uncertainty around his best position in the team. The 23-year-old has recently played as a number nine but admitted that he’s tactically unsure where his future lies. “I have played almost every game in that central position, and for me, it is just about getting used to that position. I don’t know the long-term plan. You will have to ask the manager,” he added. “For sure [Firmino has helped], Bobby is an amazing player and person. He tries to help me where I can, and I really appreciate that. I like to be here and having a good time.”

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Lampard to become new Chelsea boss

Chelsea are reportedly close to hiring former player Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season. According to a report by Italian football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano via 90mjn, the Blues are close to reaching an agreement with the Chelsea legend, with the final details currently being finalised. Lampard has previously managed and played for the club, making 648 appearances and scoring 211 goals during his career at Stamford Bridge. Read more: PSG concede defeat in the quest to extend Lionel Messi’s contract  But he didn’t enjoy so much success as a first team manager of the London side. During his previous short tenure Lampard won 52.4% of his games and was eventually sacked after a run of poor results. However, he is set to return to the Chelsea dugout, albeit temporarily, following the sacking of Graham Potter. According to Romano,  Lampard and Chelsea have an agreement in place, and only the finer details of the deal are still left to be decided. According to reports, the decision to search for a new temporary coach has come from Bruno Saltor’s unwillingness to continue in the role.  Bruno is keen to stay loyal to Potter – the man who gave him a start as a coach when he retired as a player in 2019. Despite Lampard accepting an interim role, he still fancies himself as good enough for Chelsea and would be keen to find a permanent post. Meanwhile, Chelsea have opened talks with former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique, who we reported had flown into England with his agents for talks with the Blues regarding a permanent managerial role.

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Robert Lewandowski reveals he wanted to join Man Utd

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed he was eager to join Manchester United earlier in his career when he was still playing for Borussia Dortmund. The Polish international was among the most sought-after rising stars in 2011 when he received a direct phone call from legendary Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to join the Premier League. But Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp blocked a potential move. Read more: Graham Potter TURNS DOWN Leicester’s approach  Lewandowski began his career in the Polish lower leagues at age 16 before landing with top-flight Lech Poznan in 2008. He scored 41 times in 82 appearances across all competitions for the club before earning a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2010. He was a regular in Klopp’s side that won the 2010/11 Bundesliga title.  However, he wasn’t a prolific goalscorer at that stage of his career. Nevertheless, it appears that Man United and Alex Ferguson quickly saw his enormous potential and wanted to sign him around July 2011. United needed a fresh injection up front and would sign Robin van Persie to spearhead their next Premier League title charge the following year, but they also spoke to Lewandowski. “I remember the moment exactly,” Lewandowski has now recalled in an interview with Sport Bild. “We had a friendly with Dortmund in preparation, I think, against Bochum. I was subbed at half-time. I looked at my mobile phone in the dressing room. There was a text message with the sender +44. Ferguson had tried to call me and then sent me a message. He wanted to talk to me. “I was still in the dressing room. I took a shower and called him back in a quiet corner. My English wasn’t as good as it is today. He has a strong Scottish accent. I was so focused on understanding what he meant! Alex Ferguson tried to be considerate and spoke slowly. “I was 22 years old. It was a special moment. I spoke to Aki Watzke and Jurgen Klopp in the camp. I wanted to go to Man United! But they said: ‘No chance, Robert. We need you. You have to stay.” Lewandowski stayed back and went on to score 30 goals in all competitions the next season for the first time in his career as Dortmund retained their title. He took the club to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich a year later before a free transfer to the Bavarian side in 2014. He seemed to get even better at Allianz Arena and netted 344 times in 375 games.

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Luis Enrique arrives in England for Chelsea talks

Former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique has reportedly arrived in England to discuss taking over the vacant managerial spot at Chelsea.  The Blues are looking for the third permanent manager of the season after they sacked Graham Potter at the weekend following a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa.  Chelsea began the campaign with Thomas Tuchel in charge but let go of the German after they went on a run of just three wins in their first seven matches of the season despite spending £278.4m in the transfer market this summer. Read more: Graham Potter TURNS DOWN Leicester’s approach  However, despite more spending in the winter, things did not improve for the Stamford Bridge side, and they had to pull the plug on Potter, who had the club sitting in eleventh place before his dismissal.  The search for a permanent replacement is hitting up and Chelsea has been linked to recently sacked Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann and former Blues coach Frank Lampard.  However, according to a report by 90min, recently sacked Spain coach Luis Enrique is also in the running for the job and has travelled down to England for talks.  The Spaniard, who left his role as Spain’s boss following their exit at the World Cup finals in Qatar, has made open his wish to work in the Premier League. “I would like to go to England to work. I follow English football a lot, more than Spanish. It’s a very interesting league. I don’t hide it. I would like to go to work there,” Enrique said recently. The report also claims that Enrique has also had contact with Tottenham, who are keen to talk to him about their managerial vacancy following Antonio Conte’s recent dismissal.

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Graham Potter TURNS DOWN Leicester’s approach 

Graham Potter has reportedly rejected Leicester City after the Foxes approached him to take over at the King Power Stadium. It has been a whirlwind few days in the Premier League, with at least three coaches sacked since after the international break. Antonio Conte left his post at Tottenham before action returned this weekend, while Potter and Brendan Rodgers were relieved of their duties at Chelsea and Leicester, respectively.  Read more:  Liverpool ahead of Juventus in the race for Teun Koopmeiners However, Potter has already been offered a job less than 48 hours after his exit was confirmed at Stamford Bridge. According to talkSPORT, Leicester approached the former Brighton coach to take over the vacant seat at the King Power Stadium, but he turned down the offer because he wants to take a break from football. Potter’s Chelsea sacking is the 13th managerial departure in the Premier League this season–three more in-season departures than in any previous campaign. For now, both clubs are managed by their assistant coaches until they can find permanent replacements. Chelsea have been linked to former Bayern coach Julain Nagelsmann, while Leicester are yet to decide who they want to hire.  The Blues will return to action on Tuesday with a visit from struggling Liverpool, while Leicester City will play Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday.

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Wolves ready to make a huge offer for Dani Ceballos 

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly planning to make an audacious bid for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. The Spanish midfielder’s contract at Santiago Bernabeu will end this summer, and he can negotiate terms with interested parties over a potential move. Present club Real are in talks with the 26-year-old about extending his contract, who is said to be happy in Madrid. The club are confident or renewing his deal, but there are ongoing concerns about his playing time at the Bernabeu. Read more: Man United preparing a bid for Benjamin Pavard  Madrid have a swathe of quality options in midfield, including Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, to name just four. The La Liga giants are also looking to add further steel in their midfield this summer as they reportedly have a strong interest in signing Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. That could mean even less game time for Ceballos. The player has recently enjoyed a run in the first team, putting in several impressive performances. Yet, he has never started more than 13 La Liga games in a season for Real since arriving from Real Betis in 2017. Ceballos is reportedly attracting interest from England again, this time from Wolves, who are looking to bolster their central midfield options and are managed by former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui. The Spanish coach knows and admires Ceballos very much, given that both men spent a couple of months together during Lopetegui’s brief stint as Madrid’s boss. The 26-year-old could help fill the potential voids left by Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes in midfield, as both players could be sold this summer. 

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Saudi Arabian club preparing a bid to sign Coutinho

A Saudi Arabian club have reportedly set their sights on signing Aston Villa’s Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian midfielder is facing an uncertain future at Villa Park following the arrival of Unai Emery.  He has struggled to make an impact under the Spanish coach and is likely to be sold this summer for the good of the club and the player. Read more: PSG identify Messi’s successor from Barcelona   Coutinho is the top earner at Aston Villa after signing from Spanish side Barcelona for an initial loan fee. His performance in the first six months of his arrival under Steven Gerrard made the club sign him permanently. But since his deal was made permanent, the Brazilian has been off-colour. As a result, Villa wants to cut their losses and are ready to sell him for cheap. However, his wages appear to be a stumbling block for interested teams in Europe. But according to Football Insider, things could change this summer as an unmanned Saudi Arabian club wants to sign the player. The club has reportedly prepared a mega bid to make the Brazilian join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.

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Man United preparing bid for Benjamin Pavard 

Manchester United have reportedly shown interest in signing Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard. The Red Devils are interested in upgrading their right-back department this summer and have identified the French star as the ideal candidate for the job. Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are the two first-choice right-backs currently at Old Trafford, but Erik ten Hag considers Pavard, a better all-round player than the duo. Read more: Man United make Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani their Harry Kane transfer alternative According to The Athletic, United are already preparing a bid to bring the World Cup winner to Old Trafford next season. Given his experience and the fact that he is nearing the end of this contract, the Red Devils consider him a safe gamble as he would only cost a little to acquire. Pavard’s contract with Bayern runs until 2024, and the player has yet to hold talks with the Bundesliga giants over a contract extension. However, with just one year to go in his contract after this season, the Bavarians could be tempted to sell him if they receive the right offer from the Red Devils. Pavard has made 33 appearances in all appearances for Bayern this season. He has six goals to his name and one assist. The 27-year-old can play as a right-back and also as a central defender. He joined Bayern in the 2019/20 season from Stuttgart for a reported €35million and has enjoyed remarkable success in his time.

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Liverpool ahead of Juventus in the race for Teun Koopmeiners

Premier League giants Liverpool are reportedly ahead of Serie a side Juventus in the race for the signature of Atalanta man Teun Koopmeiners. The midfielder has been one of the key players under Gian Piero Gasperini, and his form is attracting interest from the two European heavyweights.  The Dutchman predominantly plays as a defensive midfielder but has an eye for goal. His six goals and three assists in 26 appearances for Atalanta this season is better than the contributions of any of Liverpool’s midfielders. The Reds want to improve their ageing midfield and consider Koopmeiners, a player that can fit into their system. Atalanta under Gasperini are known for their pressing style of football, so the 25-year-old will need little introduction to Klopp’s style. Read more: Bayern Munich eyeing a summer move for Havertz and Mount  According to a report on Tuttomercatoweb, Liverpool likes the midfielder, and the Reds are the top side in the race, ahead of Juventus, who are also keen. Atalanta values the midfielder at 50m euros, a figure that is reportedly within the range of what Klopp’s side are willing to pay, as it is cheaper than what Dortmund want for Jude Bellingham.  Liverpool are desperate to sign the Borussia Dortmund man but is looking more likely that they will be priced out of a move for the young Englishman, who is also attracting interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid. 

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Man United make Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani their Harry Kane transfer alternative

Manchester United have reportedly identified highly rated Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani as alternatives should they miss out on signing Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer. The Red Devils are searching for a goalscorer to add to their ranks and are expected to splash the cash to sign a world-class No.9 during the next transfer window, given that there currently are no suitable options to fill that role at Old Trafford. Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst, who was signed on loan in January, have both struggled to fill the void, leaving only Marcus Rashford to carry the goal-scoring burden.  It has been suggested that Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane are the two figures prominently on Erik ten Hag’s wish list. However, the Premier League giants know that England captain Kane will command a huge transfer fee.  So they have identified Atalanta striker Hojlund and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani as more affordable options. The 24-year-old France international Kolo Muani, who has hit 16 goals for Frankfurt this season, is also attracting interest from PSG. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Danish star Hojlundhas registered eight goals for the Serie A side this season. During the March break, the Dane hit a hat trick on his senior international debut against Finland.  However, both players are tied to contracts with their current employers through 2027. United faces competition for both players, with heavyweights like Chelsea and Bayern Munich also monitoring Hojlund.

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