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Some Liverpool supporters have been left frustrated after Naby Keita’s former teammate provided some insight on the midfielder.

The Guinean has suffered a disappointing Reds career to date, having arrived with such huge expectations of him back in 2018, actually joining the year before.

Keita has been limited to just 76 appearances in the three seasons he has spent at Anfield, with injuries and patchy form both proving to be frustrating.

There is no denying that the 26-year-old is a talented footballer when he is fit and in form, but he has also clearly been an underwhelming signing.

Speaking to Goal, Keita’s former RB Leipzig colleague, Willi Orban, said he is a ‘sensitive’ soul who needs to be handled correctly:

“Naby is a very sensitive guy who has to feel completely comfortable in his environment in order to perform well.

“You have to take special care of him, talk to him a lot. He needed breaks from time to time when he was with us.

“The Premier League is certainly even more demanding in this regard.”

This arguably further points towards the Guinea international not kicking on at Liverpool, so often looking a tentative figure on the pitch.

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Liverpool fans react to comments on Keita

These Reds fans took to Twitter to admit their frustration with the comments, not expecting Keita to have a change in fortunes any time soon.

“What a mentality monster”

Credit: @actualaidan

“So neither mentally tough enough to go with the physical, so frustrating as there’s a player in there”

Credit: @jonqpr422

“Christ, what have we got ourselves into…”

Credit: @TheEngancheRole

“He’s had a break for last 2 years”

Credit: @KhalilTaylor

“Can’t baby a player at the top level in order to obtain their potential”

Credit: @Cam_731

“Honestly just get him out of the club man. These excuses are getting ridiculous”

Credit: @ftblShafic

In other news, Man United could possibly scupper a move for one Liverpool target – find out who it is here. 

Leeds United would be making a major transfer mistake by signing Newcastle United star Jacob Murphy this summer.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season reaching its climax on Sunday, Marcelo Bielsa will be keen to kick-start the summer transfer window with a few early signings at Elland Road.

According to Football Insider, the Whites are set to join Scottish giants Rangers in the race to sign Murphy.

The report added that the winger has just over a year left on his contract at St James’ Park, with a number of other Premier League clubs also interested in signing him.

Underwhelming from Bielsa

While Murphy has lately been deployed by Bruce as a right wing-back, his record when used as a winger is rather underwhelming, and one which won’t have Leeds fans excited at all.

In the 19 games this season where he has played further forward out wide, the £25,000-a-week earner has managed just two goals and three assists in all competitions. By contrast, Raphinha has four goals and five assists in 22 games from the right flank for Leeds this term.

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Murphy has effectively been a passenger for the Magpies going forward, and that’s not the kind of player the Whites need if they are to reach another level next season in the Premier League.

Bielsa needs to be targeting more proven options in the top flight, and Murphy’s below-par goalscoring record raises some major questions marks over Leeds’ reported interest in signing him this summer.

In other news, Leeds could reach a new level if they pull off a deal for this “extraordinary talent”.

Manchester City are reportedly willing to sell Bernardo Silva this summer, which could prove to be a huge error by Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola.

It was suggested by Mike McGrath in The Telegraph earlier this week that City’s plans for a rebuild has sparked interest in the Portuguese winger ahead of the summer transfer window.

It has previously been reported that Atletico Madrid are among the clubs interested in signing him ahead of next season, which could well see him depart the Etihad Stadium over the summer.

Since joining from Monaco in the summer of 2017, the Portugal international has gone on to make 201 appearances for the Citizens, contributing 35 goals and 44 assists.

During his time with Guardiola’s side, he has helped City win three Premier League titles, four League Cups and one FA Cup, so he has been a big part of one of the most successful periods in City’s history.

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It seems strange, therefore, that City are apparently willing to sell the £63m-rated wizard this summer, especially as his £150,000-per-week contract at the Etihad doesn’t expire until 2025.

Although last season was arguably one of Silva’s least effective in a City shirt, as he managed just five goals and nine assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, his average rating of 7.07/10 from WhoScored ranked him as the ninth-best performer in Guardiola’s side in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, he clearly still has a lot to offer in the Spaniard’s squad in future seasons, and at 26, he is arguably at his peak now, so it would be a strange decision to let him leave this summer. Indeed, Guardiola was full of praise for Silva earlier in the season, saying: “Every time he plays he is an exceptional player with exceptional quality.”

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Therefore, considering that next season City will want to go one step further and win the Champions League, it would surely prove to be a mistake to allow a player of Silva’s quality to leave this summer, so Begiristain and Guardiola should keep him at the Etihad.

In other news… Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “versatile” £22.5m-rated beast, Pep would love him

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing up a move for Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa as proven Premier League experience grows as a desirable trait for the club’s next manager.

The Lowdown: New names emerging consistently

In the last two weeks, many names have been throw into the hat as rumours continue to circulate in the press, with the latest previously being Gian Piero Gasperini and Simone Inzaghi from Serie A.

Naturally, with Tottenham aiming to appoint a new boss by the end of this season according to Alasdair Gold, chairman Daniel Levy will have to consider numerous candidates as he attempts to make the right step for Spurs’ future.

The Latest: Bielsa emerges as candidate

In this update, Football Insider bring yet another new name into the fold as Leeds boss Bielsa is mentioned as an option for the club.

Indeed, this is allegedly because Premier League experience and proven results at the top level are becoming more and more desirable traits to Spurs chiefs as the managerial hunt goes on.

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Even though Bielsa has stated his happiness at Elland Road, his knack for only signing one-year deals means his current one is close to expiring.

Tottenham, as a result, are eyeing a move for the Argentine and will sound him out due to his impressive debut campaign in the English top flight.

The Verdict: Get it done Levy…

Perhaps the most exciting name dropped yet alongside former target Julian Nagelsmann, Bielsa is a manager revered throughout the footballing world for his tactical nuance and eccentric personality.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is a known fan of the 65-year-old, having called him ‘unique’ and the coach he admires most in world football (Leeds Live).

If that wasn’t enough, former Lilywhites boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino dubbed Bielsa a ‘genius’ whilst also professing his admiration (France 24).

Regardless of his reported £8 million-per-year salary (£154,000-per-week), we believe this would be an incredible move by Levy.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign this ‘sensational’ powerhouse, find out more here.

Henry Winter has dropped a Wolves managerial update by giving news on some of the candidates who could replace Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Nuno leaving

It has been confirmed by the Midlands club that Nuno will leave after he took charge of his final game against Manchester United at Molineux as the Premier League season drew to a close this afternoon.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Fosun initiated the end of his reign and moved to take action after what has been a highly disappointing season overall for Wolves.

It is understood that the Chinese ownership thought that the 47-year-old leaving was the way forward after months of tension behind the scenes, as they were left frustrated by some poor displays and results, while there have also been arguments over the transfer policy and Nuno’s communication.

The Latest: Winter on manager candidates

Winter has since dropped a manager update, as The Times journalist tweeted that both Rui Faria and Sergio Conceicao are ‘not in the frame’, while Bruno Lage is Nuno’s ‘likely successor’.

All three managers are Portuguese and duly fit in with the club’s current model, as they will be expected to announce their new manager in due course.

The Verdict: Lage not ideal

Faria and Lage are both currently without a club and so would perhaps be the easiest coaches for Wolves to approach, but according to Winter, it does not seem as if Jose Mourinho’s long-time assistant is being considered at this moment in time.

Conceicao would have been a viable option, having guided FC Porto to a commendable second-placed finish in the Portuguese top flight this term while also taking them far in the Champions League, knocking out Serie A giants Juventus before eventually being beaten by finalists Chelsea over two legs in the quarter-finals.

Lage’s preferred formation is a 4-4-2, which was not a system that Nuno preferred to play, so if the 45-year-old were to become the next manager, some players may struggle to adapt to his tactics and philosophy.

With no prior experience of managing in the Premier League either, the former Benfica coach may struggle to adapt to this league, and the English top flight is a whole different animal to the Primeira Liga.

Nonetheless, with the summer transfer window not open yet, Wolves can afford to wait a little before making such a big decision.

In other news, find out who else is a leading contender to replace Nuno!

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips believes there are two areas of the pitch in which Leeds United must improve next season.

The summer transfer window could be a busy one at Elland Road as Marcelo Bielsa aims to fine-tune his squad. Leeds are currently in mid-table in the Premier League, and while that may suggest not too many reinforcements are needed, the hope is that next season sees a push for European football.

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Phillips discusses Leeds’ summer business

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips claimed a left-back and a striker need to come in at the end of the season, pinpointing them as the key areas to improve upon:

“They need a left back and another striker before anything else.

“They’re your two main priorities when you look at the Leeds squad, a recognised left back and another striker because they’ve relied heavily on Bamford this season.

“It’s always difficult in your second season so they’re the priorities. They could also look to get a utility player in the midfield area that can do two or three different jobs.

“Those players should be the priority.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is hard to disagree with Phillips’ thoughts on Leeds’ summer business, with the rest of the squad well covered in terms of quality and depth.

The seemingly imminent exit of Ezgjan Alioski will leave a void at left-back and Bielsa can’t be depending on youngster Leif Davis at this point given his lack of experience, with just 31 minutes of league action coming his way this season.

Equally, Leeds have relied on the goals of Patrick Bamford too much this term – his league tally of 14 is twice as much as anyone else – so they need another option to add more firepower in the final third.

In other news, one pundit has been explaining a key moment that happened after Liam Cooper’s red card against Manchester City. Read more here.

Six of Everton’s Premier League rivals have signed up to become founding members of a European Super League (ESL).

Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal have been threatened with a ban from the English top flight if they go ahead with their plans, under which they would be guaranteed annual European qualification.

Everton already given green light for £500m arena

Everton have committed to the building of a new 53,000-seater stadium at Bramley Moore Dock in time for the 2024/25 season, but the future of the game is now shrouded in uncertainty (via The Guardian).

The construction of the stadium is expected to cost £500m and inevitable, concerns about the project have been raised in light of the ESL announcement, as club fan channel Toffee TV released a video discussing how the Super League might ‘kill’ the new stadium.

Everton confident Super League will be nipped in the bud

However, The Athletic correspondent Patrick Boyland reported that Everton remain hopeful. The Toffees are optimistic that the plans for the new competition, which are ‘light on detail’, will unravel before they even ‘get off the ground’.

Boyland added that the new stadium is intended to be a ‘catalyst for a renewed assault on the Champions League places’. Intriguingly, JP Morgan, who are set to fund the Super League, have been enlisted by Everton to back the Bramley-Moore Dock project.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Everton fans probably don’t need to worry, as there has already been some encouragement on Tuesday morning,

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekhol revealed that some of the executives involved are getting ‘cold feet’, with ‘strong differences of opinion emerging in private’.

The united front could soon break down.

In other news, Gary Neville had this to say about Everton’s Super League stance.

Leicester City’s return to Premier League action did not go the way they wished after falling to a 2-0 defeat to leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

Second-half strikes from Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus sealed a deserved reverse for Brendan Rodgers’ men on a thoroughly underwhelming evening.

Up against Pep Guardiola’s men, it was a poor afternoon for the UEFA Champions League hopefuls but they certainly were not helped by a woeful performance from Jamie Vardy.

Predictably leading the line for the hosts, he eventually had just 14 touches of the ball throughout the game according to WhoScored. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel shockingly had 40 more than that, highlighting just how anonymous the Foxes’ striker was.

Even when the £9m-rated forward did get the ball, he was simply not able to affect the game in any way – a dramatic drop off from the exhilarating treble that he plundered against the same opponents earlier in the campaign.

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Vardy did not have a single shot during his 90 minutes, whilst he could only complete eight passes, none of them being key. For context, substitutes James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira, who were both introduced at the 70-minute mark, each completed 12 and eight of their own respectively.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old striker also served to frustrate his teammates. He gave the ball away twice, and got caught offside on a further two occasions – the former of which saw him round Ederson and tap into an unguarded net for what potentially could have been a Leicester opener in the half but it was ruled out.

Now having scored just once in his previous 13 Premier League matches, Vardy did not look anywhere near ending that particular poor record on Saturday against Manchester City.

Brendan Rodgers will certainly have expected more than the poor display from his usually reliable forward.

AND in more news, find out which defensive colossus the Foxes must keep in the East-Midlands…

Celtic are currently without a manager but that hasn’t stopped the Bhoys from considering new recruits ahead of the summer window.

What’s the word?

One player Celtic have been linked with on a frequent basis in the past is Aaron Hickey.

The teenager left the Hoops when he was still an academy player, joining Hearts in 2018. However, the Bhoys seemingly hold regret and have been keen to bring him back.

In a recent interview, Hickey admitted there was a heavy interest from his boyhood club last summer before he joined Bologna for a fee of £1.8m.

The 18-year-old commented: “I’m a Celtic supporter and it was massive for me, but I just didn’t think it was the right time to go there,”

In light of this, Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie gave his thoughts on the left-back when speaking to Football Insider: “It sounds like a come-and-get-me plea. He’s a good left-back the young boy, I would take him.”

Ideal Tierney successor

Ever since Kieran Tierney left for Arsenal in the summer of 2019, Celtic have been trying to find a solution.

They signed Diego Laxalt on loan from AC Milan but his future at the club is in doubt with the defender only on loan in Glasgow.

With Boli Bolingoli frozen out after his pandemic-related mishap last summer, the Hoops are in desperate need of finding another full-back.

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In letting the likes of Tierney and Hickey go, Celtic are obviously full of regret but they could make a huge step towards correcting their decision by bringing the latter back.

He has developed excellently in recent years and a move to Serie A is a testament to that. He sparkled on his debut for Bologna, earning rave reviews from the Italian press.

Gazzetta dello Sport wrote: “Debuted at 18 as if he’d always played here. In the first half he showed personality and quality, a player who was bought for almost nothing.”

Hickey is evidently wise beyond his age and like Tierney, possesses attacking qualities in abundance. In a scout report on the player, The Footie Analyst wrote: “One of Hickey’s key strengths is his ability to run with the ball at speed, utilising the space available to drive his team forward.”

That is near identical to Tierney, a player who is often so rampant down Arsenal’s left-hand side.

What sets him apart, however, is his versatility. The youngster is capable of playing on the right-hand side too. Having also featured centrally, Hickey has been compared to one of the finest to grace the game.

Former Hearts man Austin MacPhee once said: “He’s so young he could play a lot of positions. He could end up being like Busquets.”

With defensive solidity to his game too – he has made 1.4 interceptions per game this season – he would be an excellent addition.

Celtic should consider reviving their interest in Hickey when the time is right.

AND in other news, Celtic hero sees value soar by 257% after leaving, Rodgers called him a “big talent”…

Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news that Pep Guardiola will ask Sergio Aguero if he wants to stay at the club and, ultimately, it will be down to the player to decide whether he wants to stay or go.

The £31.5m-valued Argentina international (Transfermarkt) made the move to the Etihad Stadium in 2011, and has since gone on to become a club legend. With 257 goals for the Citizens in all competitions, he is their record goalscorer (bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk), and his strikes have helped the Manchester outfit win four Premier League titles.

However, his importance is dwindling at City. He has played just 32 league matches across this season and last (Transfermarkt), with a number of injuries keeping him out of the action for sustained spells. He is out of contract at the end of the season, and it is not clear whether he will stay with his current employers.

According to journalist Lu Martin, Guardiola will ask Aguero himself whether he wants to stay – it will be down to the 32-year-old himself to make the decision. The news, which was shared on Twitter account @City_Xtra, has delighted the City supporters, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Aguero news below

“Aguero is our greatest legend ever! He will remain no1 in our hearts no matter what ! I’m happy pep is giving him a choice!”

Credit: @BlissMcfc

“Good”

Credit: @FPL_Ben_

“Pls be true”

Credit: @DavidsQuests_

“you love to hear it, all I’m asking is for Agüero to surpass Rooney as the 2nd greatest goal scorer in EPL history. He only needs 28 between now and next season”

Credit: @secondImpact

“Best news ever”

Credit: @Libulele_

“I’ll tear up if he actually stays another season but If he wants to leave understandable”

Credit: @MCFCAG

In other news, Man City fans react to this £128m transfer claim.