Liverpool travel to Wembley to take on Chelsea this afternoon in their second cup final clash against the Blues this year, and there have been some fitness doubts in the Londoners’ squad which will be a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp.

What’s the latest?

Thomas Tuchel took to his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon to cast doubt on N’Golo Kante’s availability for the final today.

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The Chelsea manager told the press about the Frenchman (via Chelsea’s official website): “He’s also trying and tried yesterday in team training and did more or less everything, hopefully now without a reaction,”

“It was a reduced training session because of the travel and fatigue so it was not a high-intensity training session but we will also try today with him.”

The midfielder is racing to recover from an injury he sustained in the Blues’ draw against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago and has missed three games so far.

Klopp will be relieved

If Kante isn’t in the line-up, it will be a huge boost for Liverpool when attempting to win the midfield battles this afternoon. Klopp will surely be relieved to see the Chelsea colossus missing, especially with Fabinho unavailable for selection after sustaining a hamstring strain earlier this week.

James Pearce revealed on Thursday morning that Jordan Henderson would reprise his role in the centre of the pitch to cover for the injured Brazilian, tweeting: “Jordan Henderson set to play the holding role in Saturday’s FA Cup final.”

Although not the starting midfield that the Liverpool manager may have envisioned playing in the final, Klopp still has solid options like the club captain to cover in the midfield three. With Henderson’s experience and leadership, there is no reason why he can’t inspire the Reds to victory against Chelsea this afternoon.

The Blues have been going through a period of inconsistent form in the Premier League lately, with only two wins from their last six games, whereas Liverpool continue their long unbeaten run in the top flight as they chase for the title.

However, with the two sides meeting three times over the season so far in all competitions, neither has managed to get a winning result inside 90 minutes, so it will be interesting to see if this match goes all the way to penalties like it did in the Carabao Cup final.

AND in other news: Liverpool eye summer move for £144m-rated “golden boy”, he’s even better than Haaland

Liverpool are having a phenomenal season already winning the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, with the chance to win both the Premier League title and Champions League over the next few weeks too, so it will surely be an exciting time to be a player or a supporter of the club.

With that being said, to stay on top you must keep strengthening, improving and developing the squad and with many of Liverpool’s side already in or entering their 30s this year, it would be a good idea for Jurgen Klopp to start considering the next generation of talent he can develop into superstars.

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Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane all have contracts ending in just over 12 months, with the Egyptian winger’s contract, in particular, being a highly speculated subject ahead of the summer transfer window.

Liverpool’s top goal-scorer has been one of the side’s best players over the years but it seems that his contract is at a stalemate, with Caught Offside reporting two weeks ago that a source has told them the negotiations have not progressed any further and the Reds are not interested in budging when it comes to their strict wage structure.

If the powers at Anfield and Salah can’t come to an agreement it could see the player leave the club, whether that means he will be sold for a profit this summer or allowed to see out his last 12 months at the club and leave on a free transfer next summer.

Regardless of the outcome, Klopp must start preparing for the worst-case scenario and could be eyeing up his replacement who already plays in the Premier League with Bukayo Saka heavily linked with Liverpool for a while now.

The £150m ace who was hailed a “wonderkid” by journalist James Benge has been impressing for Arsenal and England over the last 12 months, playing his part in the Euro 2020 final last summer and being part of Arsenal’s impressive season that has kept them in the top four race for months.

Saka has scored 11 goals and contributed six assists for the Gunners in 37 Premier League appearances, creating eight big chances, making 1.8 key passes and 1.1 tackles, proving how effective and creative he can be in attacking play.

Podcaster Ian McGarry even claimed back in January that the youngster fits into Liverpool’s system in an interview with talkSPORT:

“Saka is someone who is a player who suits Liverpool’s style.

“Liverpool would provide the opportunity and platform for him to play and compete at the highest level. And that would certainly be something that I’m told he and his representatives are very interested in.”

Ultimately, Saka will likely want to continue to play first-team football and get regular game time whether he stays at Arsenal or moves on, so if FSG are seriously interested in the young talent they will need to sacrifice a position in the attacking rotation to provide him with a regular spot in the team.

Perhaps they ought to wait until Salah really has had enough of Merseyside before making a move.

AND in other news: Huge boost: James Pearce delivers four-word injury update that’ll delight supporters

Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave the club alongside Fernandinho this summer, claims the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan.

The Lowdown: Gundogan’s City career

The Germany international signed for Man City in the summer of 2016 from Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £20m.

Since then, the 31-year-old has gone on to have an illustrious career with the Sky Blues. In 252 appearances for the club, the midfielder has scored 47 goals and has produced 33 assists.

However, Gundogan has found game time to be less regular this season due to a mixture of injuries and the good form of his teammates. As a result, he has started just 20 league times during the 2021/22 campaign.

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The Latest: Gundogan set to leave

Taking to Twitter, Mike Keegan shared the shocking news that Gundogan is set to follow Fernandinho out the Etihad exit door this summer:

“EXCLUSIVE: Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave Manchester City this summer. Club say no talks until season end but understand position made clear. Situation with Guardiola first signing ‘very amicable’. Player took jet to Madrid this morning.”

The Verdict: Big loss

Described by teammate Joao Cancelo as a “phenomenal player”, the German’s presence and experience will be heavily missed in Pep Guardiola’s midfield, especially with Brazilian general Fernandinho also departing.

This is illustrated by his incredible underlying stats. As per FB Ref, Gundogan ranks in the 99th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists; furthermore, he ranks in the 98th percentile for shots, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received.

With just a year left on his current contract, a whole host of European clubs will be lining up to secure the midfielder’s signature on the cheap this summer.

In other news: Manchester City: Fabrizio Romano shares details on first summer exit

Aston Villa head into today’s match against Crystal Palace with a chance to finish in the top half of the Premier League table, something which looked unlikely when Steven Gerrard joined from Rangers in mid-November.

The 41-year-old has endured a turbulent campaign so far, but the chance of a top-half finish would be an excellent base to build upon for next season as Gerrard aims to take Villa into Europe.

What’s the news?

However, there is some worrying news from a Villa perspective ahead of today’s match, and it concerns striker Ollie Watkins.

Gerrard stated after the midweek defeat to Liverpool that “there might be a small injury to Ollie and we will have to analyse that”.

Although no more information was given, it could mean that the striker will miss the last three matches of the Premier League campaign. This will be a big worry to Gerrard, who might need to make a few tactical tweaks this afternoon.

Gerrard will be gutted

Watkins has scored 10 times this season whilst having 2.39 shots on target per 90 minutes. That tally might not seem like much over the course of the season, but he is currently Villa’s highest scorer, with Danny Ings second on seven goals.

This shows the importance of the 26-year-old and may spark fears that the Villans could struggle for goals against Palace, although new permanent signing Philippe Coutinho could well stand up and power the team to victory.

Its clear that Gerrard needs further firepower if he wishes to take the next step with Villa, with a move for Lille’s Jonathan David being touted during the summer transfer window as part of a potential overhaul of the Midlanders’ attacking options.

It looks like an exciting time to be a Villa supporter if that move comes off, but the possible absence of Watkins for the rest of the current campaign could be a big setback in the short-term which will leave Gerrard gutted.

AND in other news, Lange plotting Villa swoop for “fearless” 87-goal monster, he’s even better than Watkins

Manchester United have held internal discussions over a move for Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow, according to Samuel Luckhurst.

The Lowdown: Henderson to depart?

New United manager Erik ten Hag is set to be extremely busy over the coming months, and he could now be on the hunt for a new back-up goalkeeper to David de Gea.

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That’s because Dean Henderson may well be on the move to Newcastle, with reports in the week suggesting a transfer to St James’ Park was close.

Should Henderson depart, Ten Hag would be left with De Gea and Tom Heaton after Lee Grant announced his retirement on Thursday.

The Latest: Darlow links

Chief writer Luckhurst shared a story for the Manchester Evening News on Friday morning regarding United’s back-up ‘keeper targets.

He revealed that United are considering a move for Darlow after Newcastle suggested including the 31-year-old as part of a deal for Henderson.

Darlow, described as ‘terrific’ by Steve Bruce, is aware of discussions, with Watford’s Daniel Bachmann another player of interest to United chiefs.

The Verdict: Good move?

As back-up targets go, Darlow could be the ideal man to arrive at Old Trafford. He’s made 33 appearances across the past two Premier League campaigns, taking his tally in the top-flight to 52.

Older than De Gea by just one month, the 31-year-old stood in for Martin Dubravka during the early stages of the 2021/22 season. He was on the bench after Eddie Howe took over, so he could well be open to serving as second choice under Ten Hag.

Bringing him to the club as part of a transfer for Henderson would also give the United boss one less transfer headache as he looks to make some marquee additions.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals Man Utd & Ten Hag eyeing another Dutch gem along with De Jong and Timber. 

Phil Hay has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Calvin Ramsay.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent revealed that, alongside a deal for RB Salzburg attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, Victor Orta has also been working on a move to bring the Aberdeen right-back to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

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In his piece, Hay wrote: “The club have agreed a fee for Aaronson from RB Salzburg, and have also been working on Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a prospect Ramsay quite clearly is, the news that Orta and his Leeds United transfer team have been working on the transfer of the defender behind the scenes is sure to be an update that will have left the Whites faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £540k-rated talent enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough season for Aberdeen, bagging one goal, providing five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

These returns saw the £880-per-week 18-year-old average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Jim Goodwin’s joint fifth-best player in the Scottish top flight.

And, with Luke Ayling looking as if he will be ruled out of the start of the Whites’ 2022/23 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, the argument that Jesse Marsch and Orta could do with signing a new right-back this summer is an easy one to make.

As such, considering his age, undoubted ability and huge potential for future growth, it would appear an extremely wise move for the Spanish sporting director to do everything he can to secure a deal for the Dons teenager in the coming weeks, as Ramsay could quite easily prove to be the next big thing to come out of Scottish football.

AND in other news: Forget Raphinha: Radz now set for LUFC disaster on £20m talent, he’s “one of the best”

Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils “are still fond admirers of the Dutch winger a year after he was considered as an alternative to Jadon Sancho”.

After scoring 17 goals and delivering eight assists in 52 appearances for Bournemouth, Danjuma joined the La Liga club last August in a deal worth a reported £21.3m.

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The 25-year-old has since enjoyed an impressive debut season with Unai Emery’s side as he racked up 16 goals and four assists in 34 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League.

Having scored against the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid this season, this shows just how capable the attacker is at performing against some of the top clubs in Europe and making himself a real threat in front of goal.

Better than Rashford

While the versatile attacker was once reportedly seen as a transfer alternative to Sancho last summer, Danjuma could now be a better option for Erik ten Hag at United than another attacking figure at Old Trafford, namely Marcus Rashford.

To compare the two players from their latest individual league campaigns, the Villarreal star totalled more goals, assists, dribbles and crosses than his Red Devils counterpart. This suggests that the former Bournemouth attacker could be a better attacking option for Ten Hag than the Englishman.

It also backs up what Kevin Phillips had to say about the Dutchman when he spoke about him earlier this year, saying: “On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.”

To further highlight his attacking prowess, no other player in Villarreal’s squad could match the number of shots (59) or shots on target (25) that Danjuma racked up in La Liga this season.

With a reported price tag of £50m on the 25-year-old, the Villarreal hotshot could be just what Ten Hag needs to freshen up the United squad and add a bit of life to their attack ahead of his debut season in charge of the Red Devils.

In other news: MUFC now want £54m-rated “phenomenon” as Ten Hag’s first signing, imagine him and Timber

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham are set to hold an important meeting with Antonio Conte to discuss the club’s plans for the future and are ‘optimistic’ that he will decide to stay in N17 for next season and beyond.

The Lowdown: Conte’s change of heart?

The Lilywhites appointed the 52-year-old as their new head coach last November following the abrupt departure of former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Although the Italian’s contract with the north London giants not set to expire until June 2023, his future has been very much up in the air of late after it was claimed last month that he had offered his services to Paris Saint-Germain, amid reports that the French champions were considering sacking former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

However, after successfully securing Champions League football for Spurs next term following an emphatic 5-0 victory over relegated Norwich City on the final day of the Premier League season, it would appear that the Tottenham hierarchy are now confident of being able to keep hold of Conte.

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The Latest: Romano reveals meeting plans

Taking to Twitter, Romano shared details of a meeting between Conte and Tottenham officials which is due to take place in the coming weeks.

He wrote: “Tottenham are waiting for important meeting with Antonio Conte to plan for the future – Spurs sources are feeling optimistic about Antonio’s decision, waiting for his ‘green light’.”

The Verdict: £150m windfall could make the difference

As a result of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League, Tottenham’s shareholders ENIC Sports Inc have recently announced that they will be putting an additional £150m into the club.

This should no doubt have a positive influence when it comes down to Conte deciding whether or not he wants to remain in charge at Spurs, as this hefty sum could be used to fund some big transfers during the upcoming window.

It is thought that the Italian has been promised six new summer signings in a bid to convince him to stay. Therefore, if Paratici does provide Conte with the financial backing and support that he needs, you’d imagine that the 52-year-old will want to assemble his squad in a way which will give Spurs the best possible chance of getting their hands on some silverware next season and mounting a greater challenge to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

In other news… a transfer insider has revealed that one of Tottenham’s summer targets is set to join the club ‘very soon’

Youri Tielemans could provide Tottenham Hotspur with the goals and assists that they have been lacking since the departure of Christian Eriksen…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Leicester City dynamo has been put on a shortlist of potential midfield options, with the former Danish playmaker also among the options.

Signing another midfielder, following the arrival of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January, appears to be one of four main areas that the club is looking to strengthen.

Arch-rivals Arsenal have also been linked with a move for the Belgian, who is thought to be expendable at the King Power Stadium this summer. He could command a fee in the region of £25m.

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 Midfield monster

Indeed, the north Londoners have struggled to provide creativity and threat from attacking midfield ever since Eriksen swapped N17 for Inter Milan – indeed, it was Conte who signed him at the San Siro.

Whilst a romantic return would be of appeal to many associated with Tottenham, it is perhaps Tielemans who the club should opt for instead.

The Italian’s current system does not cater for an out-and-out no.10 but rather two deeper-lying midfielders, one of which could be more of a roaming playmaker or a box-to-box type.

This is where the Foxes man fits the bill more than Eriksen.

The £49.5m-rated maestro ended the 2021/22 campaign as Brendan Rodgers’ sixth-best performer in the Premier League, whilst across all competitions, he delivered seven goals and five assists, adding to his total of 15 goal contributions last term, which included an FA Cup final game-winning effort.

According to The Athletic’s Rob Tanner, Tielemans has often been regarded as a “creator” in this Leicester side, whilst former Anderlecht and Sweden midfielder Par Zetterberg once dubbed him a “phenomenon”.

Comparisons to players like Frank Lampard only reinforce his credentials as a player capable of influencing the game at both ends of the pitch and for Conte right now, that has to be a mouth-watering prospect.

On the above evidence, Tielemans would be a very worthy signing and one which could add an enormous amount to the Italian’s engine room.

AND in other news, Reliable journo: Spurs now gifted huge boost after £150m reveal, Conte will be buzzing…

Erik ten Hag will have a major rebuilding job on his hands this summer at Manchester United, and with their defence urgently needing improvement, there could be a few players in that position brought in over the coming months.

What’s the word?

French journalist Fabrice Hawkins tweeted that United “are tracking” Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka ahead of the summer transfer window with a view to submitting a transfer offer, with Tottenham also interested.

The defender is out of contract at the end of next season, with a fee of around £17m being enough to secure his services this summer.

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Ten Hag must swoop for Ndicka

This season has been one to forget for the Old Trafford faithful, with United nowhere close to achieving any kind of silverware, leaving new manager Ten Hag with a major rebuilding job awaiting him over the summer and beyond.

With the Red Devils shipping a total of 56 goals in the Premier League with one game still left to play, it’s no surprise that the defence is one of the main areas to be worked upon before the next campaign.

Ndicka has helped Eintracht Frankfurt to win the Europa League this season, defeating Rangers on penalties in the final in midweek, and he would be a bargain addition to the United squad.

His performances this season have been incredible, and he has the figures to show for it. Compared to his positional peers in the big five European leagues, the 22-year-old ranks in the 94th percentile for aerial duels won (4.34 per 90) and the 95th percentile in blocks (2.46), while he has only received three yellow cards in the Bundesliga despite playing 32 matches in defence.

With four goals and four assists in the German top flight this term, he has outscored every single United defender put together in the 2021/22 Premier League.

These numbers clearly show that the Frenchman would be a fantastic signing for United, and with journalist Christopher Michel describing Ndicka as the “complete package”, Ten Hag surely can’t pass up a glorious opportunity like this to improve the Red Devils’ defence ahead of the 2022/23 season.

AND in other news, Man United nearing the signing of “magic” £58m “unicorn”, he’s Modric 2.0