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Manchester United and Liverpool are more than likely going to be on opposite ends of the spectrum in the transfer window in terms of the amount of business needing to be done.

While United will be looking to complete a massive summer overhaul, Liverpool will be keen to keep their squad together and will surely only look to tinker if the right player becomes available.

One of the players that both clubs are being linked with a move for though is Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez, who has been disappointing in his spell with Bayern Munich, dramatically seeing his stock drop since his breathtaking 2014 World Cup campaign.

The Colombian is undoubtedly a massive talent, but here in the Tavern, we feel that both United and Liverpool need to be wary of snapping up the 27-year-old.

This last season saw him net only seven times in a massively successful Bayern side, and with the German giants not wanting to keep hold of the Madrid man, there has to be some questions asked about just what is holding Rodriguez back from fulfilling his huge potential as a footballer.

At 27 though, he should be coming into the prime of his career, but something is just not quite sitting right with him. This should be of particular concern for United, who are looking to bring in players of suitable character to their squad who want to play for the club and prove themselves. There is an argument to be made that Rodriguez might only choose a move to Old Trafford purely for financial benefit.

Liverpool on the other hand may well need that bit of extra quality, but is Jurgen Klopp going to be able to get the maximum out of Rodriguez? It is a question which can only be answered obviously going forward.

Either way, the Colombian is a risky signing for both clubs given his salary and track record in the last few seasons.

[ad_pod ]Both Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino took their places before the media on Friday afternoon, ahead of the biggest game of the season for their respective sides.The Liverpool boss is more familiar with this kind of environment having already overseen two Champions League finals throughout his career, whereas his counterpart in Pochettino is far less experienced; the Argentine has only ever made it to the League Cup final as a coach.It may be for that exact reason why Klopp was in such good form in front of the onlooking journalists, leading to a couple of genuine comedy moments. Let’s take a look at two of them…What one weakness can Spurs exploit against Liverpool in the UCL final? Fans discuss in the video below…

On the format of the competition potentially changing

It has been reported that the Champions League could become a competition consisting of four groups with eight teams in each, which would be a major shift from the current format.

When quizzed on what he thought about the proposal, Klopp was in good spirits and reacted with a typically cheeky answer.

The German said: “If they could make the semi-final the final then I would be completely happy with it! I don’t know what people want to change. I love the competition. The right teams play in it, each team has the same chance to go through.”

He was, of course, referencing the fact that he’s twice made it through the semi-finals of the competition, but never won the grand prize.

Being described as a ‘shiny’ person

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, one journalist described the former Mainz boss as a ‘shiny’ person, which is a fairly unusual term.

Klopp clearly felt the same after the attempted compliment, looking on in confusion before being told that it meant he was in fact ‘brilliant’ and not literally shiny.

Always good value is Jurgen.

It’s fair to say that Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League success feels even more impressive when you consider they’ve yet to replace the departed Philippe Coutinho. Yes, it seems almost churlish to bring up the Brazilian after THAT night in Madrid, but there have been questions asked of their engine room at times this season. 

Now, Klopp has seemingly identified his Coutinho replacement – almost a year after the Nabil Fekir saga – as according to Record via The Mirror, Liverpool are apparently now rivalling Manchester United for Portuguese sensation Bruno Fernandes.

After a heroic performance in the UEFA Nations League – where he had 3 shots on target and created 3 chances (thanks to FotMob) to trouble Virgil van Dijk’s Netherlands side – his stock has seemingly sky-rocketed. Indeed, his exceptional work with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, where he scored 32 goals and assisted 18 in all competitions, surely paints the picture of his quality in attacking areas.

To put things into perspective, all together Liverpool’s midfield four of Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita and Fabinho contributed towards 10 goals and 6 assists in all competitions last season. Obviously, nobody can deny their midfielders’ work-rate, defensive solidity or ability to control games and kill games – such as the Champions League final – but there simply isn’t the creativity that was there when Coutinho donned the famous red strip.

Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness (via the Sun) blamed their lack of intricate passers as the reason the Reds slipped up against Everton back in March, so you can start to see a need for someone to come in and both supplement and feed their attack.

Indeed, what appears to be a dependency on creating through the wings or scoring through the front-three could potentially come down drastically with a dynamic playmaker controlling things centrally. Although averaging 0.4 interceptions, 0.6 clearances and 1.6 fouls (thanks to WhoScored) perhaps the Portuguese (valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt) isn’t the strongest defensively, the attacking statistics we’ve already mentioned would make him a good fit at Anfield.

Liverpool fans, do you think Fernandes can help take Klopp’s style to another level? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]According to ExWHUemployee, West Ham United have offered a contract to Yacine Brahimi, who will soon be available on a free transfer.

What’s the word, then?

Brahimi enjoyed another successful season with Porto – scoring 13 times and contributing nine assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese giants.

The 45-time Algeria international will see his contract expire at the end of June, however, and he is widely expected to move on in search of pastures new.

Sports WitnessÂrecently claimed that reports in Turkey had said that Brahimi wants a £5.3m signing-on fee from his next club.

According to ExWHUemployee, West Ham have offered the attacker a contract, although there is no mention of any potential sweetener in the deal.

In truth, £5.3m would be small change for a player of Brahimi’s ability and the Hammers must do all they can to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.

Why should the Hammers fight hard for Brahimi?

Brahimi has scored 54 times and contributed 43 assists in 215 appearances for Porto since a 2014 arrival from Spanish outfit Granada.

It would probably be fair to say that the Algerian will command fairly sizeable wages but West Ham can hopefully afford to match his demands.

A well-rounded attacker, Brahimi has experienced top-flight football in France, Spain and Portugal, which will stand him in good stead if he moves to the Premier League.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Pellegrini’s side won their final three matches of the 2018-19 campaign to finish 10th in the table – five points off seventh-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Hammers will need to further improve their squad this summer in order to challenge for the top seven next season but signing Brahimi would be a huge step in the right direction.

To be blunt, the deal is an absolute no-brainer for the capital club.

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Marcelo Bielsa has made strengthening the wings his priority in this upcoming transfer window.

Ryan Kent, Helder Costa and Jack Harrison have all been heavily linked, but is the answer to the Argentine’s problem right under his nose?

Mallik Wilks is returning from an incredibly successful loan spell at Doncaster Rovers and he looks ready to make the step up to play Championship football.

He scored 14 goals and created eight assists during his stint in League One, and now it looks like it could be time for him to get some game time at his parent club.

Fans have been excited by his performances at points this season, and Noel Whelan has urged Bielsa to give him a shot.

Trying Wilks would certainly save the club a lot of money, but is it too much of a risk heading into a season where anything other than promotion would be deemed failure?

Football FanCast’s writers have had their say as to whether or not he should be a part of Leeds’ plans next season.

Matt Dawson

“Wilks may have enjoyed a terrific season in League One but making the step up to a team who have desires of competing in the Premier League would be an almighty task. Leeds are a side who need to stop mucking around and sort themselves out this summer. There were still a few gaps in the side that failed to achieve promotion and Wilks would not plug one of them. They’d be far better off getting in Helder Costa, a player with proven pedigree in the Championship.”

James Beavis

“Leeds United obviously feel that strengthening in wide areas is the key to winning promotion next season, and who is to argue with Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta? If the Argentine doesn’t feel Wilks is good enough for a starting spot, then he shouldn’t be handed one just because of how well he performed in the 2018/19 season. Both Bielsa & Orta know what they’re doing, and the Whites are right to ignore Wilks if they can bring in more quality to Elland Road.”

Luke Glanville

“Giving young Mallik Wilks a chance next season rather than splashing the cash on multiple new wingers is certainly a cheaper option for Leeds United this summer. The 20-year-old managed 22 goal contributions in League One for Doncaster Rovers last season and definitely deserves more of a chance with the senior side next term. But there’s no guarantee that he would be able to cut it in the second tier so Marcelo Bielsa would be putting all his eggs in one basket with this move. I think they should do both, give the starlet a chance in 2019/2020 and recruit more wingers.”

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According to Sky Sports News, Newcastle United are interested in a potential £6m deal for Real Salt Lake attacker Jefferson Savarino.

The 22-year-old, who is currently with the Venezuela squad at the 2019 Copa America, has scored three MLS goals this season.

West Ham United have also been credited with an interest in the South American, who is reportedly available for £6m.

It is still unclear whether Rafael Benitez will be manager of the Magpies entering the 2019-20 campaign given his contract is due to expire in less than a fortnight, with no update on a potential extension.

To be honest, it has been a strange few weeks for the club. Newcastle, however, cannot afford to dwell in the transfer market as a number of teams are currently picking up bargain deals.

Whether a move for Savarino actually transpires remains to be seen but it is certainly one to keep an eye on.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle fans can be seen below:

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Slaven Bilic started his reign today as West Bromwich Albion manager by taking charge of his first training session. The Croatian will be wanting to get his squad ready as soon as possible for the new season. Today’s Baggies transfer roundup includes interest in their 19-year-old midfielder, an update in regards to a transfer target and the pursuit of a 23-year-old Benfica player.

Giants interested in Harper

According to the Daily Mirror, Juventus, Liverpool and Tottenham are all interested in signing West Brom’s 19-year-old midfielder Rekeem Harper. The player is out of contract this month and is yet to sign a new deal.

Lowe wants Portsmouth exit

West Brom target Jamal Lowe has told Portsmouth that he wants to leave the club this summer according to Sky Sports. The winger has one year left on his current deal, so Portsmouth may need to let him go now to be able to get good money from him.

Interest in Krovinovic

Portuguese outlet Record is reporting that West Brom are interested in Benfica’s Filip Krovinovic. The Croatian 23-year-old has been with Benfica since 2017 and has so far made 28 appearances for the club’s senior side.

It seems mad to think that from out of all the players from the ‘British core’ at Arsenal, only Carl Jenkinson remains at the club, but even he could find himself out the exit door.

The right-back failed to make much of an impact under new boss Unai Emery in their first season together in north London with Jenkinson making just eight first-team appearances for the Gunners, and with one year left on his contract, the former Charlton prospect could be one of the many names likely to leave the Emirates this summer.

And with that information, it is now being reported by the Sun that Celtic are interested in Jenkinson with the Scottish giants keen on bolstering their right-back options this transfer window, and here are two reasons why the Arsenal man could be a coup for the Hoops…

Versatility across the backline

Although Jenkinson was hardly used last season by Emery despite being fit for the majority of the campaign, the Spaniard was able to discover a new way to get the best out of the defender in cup competitions when fixture congestion was at its peak.

Mainly a right-back, Emery utilised Jenkinson in a variety of different positions for the Gunners over the course of the year, from centre-back against Vorskla in the Europa League to left-back against Blackpool in the League Cup, and the crazy thing was that the defender excelled well in these unnatural roles.

Arsenal kept two clean sheets out of the five games Jenkinson played away from the right-back position and won four of them, and this new-found versatility could be some Celtic can exploit massively if they are to sign the Gunners defender.

Premier League quality signing

Now before you laugh at that statement, hear us out. Has Jenkinson underperformed in recent seasons largely due to injury? Yes, but that doesn’t mean his talent has magically disappeared, and at Celtic with regular minutes, the right-back can become a vital player for the Scottish side.

In his last full season of first-team football, during the 2014/15 season with West Ham whilst on loan, the defender was a solid option for the Hammers that year, starting 29 times for the east London side, assisting twice, and putting up a pass completion rate of 78.3% as well as averaging 1.5 long balls per game.

As well as exhibiting some decent numbers, Jenkinson’s experience of playing against some of the best players in world football means he will be more than capable of dealing with attackers of the quality of the Scottish Premier League, and playing for a club like Celtic will only make it easier for the former England international.

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According to Turkish outlet Sabah, Slaven Bilic is trying to convince Shinji Kagawa to join West Brom this summer.

If the deal went through it’s safe to say it would be one of the most bizarre of 2019. After all, this is a footballer who has plenty of European pedigree, playing the brunt of his career with Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Kagawa joined the German club all the way back in 2010 and has since gone onto score 41 Bundesliga goals in 148 matches, as well as assisting 37 strikes.

Coupled with that, he’s won two league titles out in Germany, as well as winning the Premier League in his stint with Manchester United too.

As a result, it would likely take some convincing for him to drop down to the Championship.

The 30-year-old spent a period on loan at Besiktas last term, playing just 14 times but managing four goals in the process.

However, it now appears as though he’s attracting the interest of the Baggies.

A switch involving the pair seems unlikely, so with that in mind, what do the writers at Football FanCast make of it? Check out their thoughts below.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

James Beavis

“Despite the quality Kagawa has shown during his career – spells with Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund prove that – West Brom should not be considering signing him this summer. The 30-year-old may have a wealth of experience and showed glimpses of his brilliance last season – five assists in a 5-0 win against RW Essen and two goals in nine minutes on his debut for Besiktas – but he isn’t a player that strikes you as being ready for a long and arduous season in the Championship.

“It is hard to imagine the Japan international being anything other than a luxury player at this level, rather than somebody who will give absolutely everything over a 46-game campaign, and that isn’t what the Baggies need as they look to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking. All in all, this deal would make even less sense than signing Tyrone Mears – something Albion did last summer – with the experienced 36-year-old only going on to play 381 minutes of league football.”

Charles Jones

“You can’t fault Bilic’s ambition in trying to get this deal done, but it seems a bit unrealistic to me. Kagawa is still good enough to play for a Europa League team, and six goal contributions in just 549 minutes for Besiktas shows that he is still a good player. This is a man who’s spent the bulk of his career at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, so stepping down to the Championship at the age of 30 doesn’t seem likely.

“West Brom would likely need to offer him a hefty wage to bring him in, but even then it is a tough sell to get a player of his calibre to drop down to England’s second division. If you don’t ask the question you won’t get an answer, but in this case, I can only imagine the answer being no.”

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

Harry Sherlock

“Kagawa is a bit above West Brom. That’s not to disrespect what Bilic is trying to build but this is a player who was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson for Manchester United. To expect him to rock up at the Hawthorns is a fantasy. He’s 30 and is still on the books at Borussia Dortmund, a genuinely elite European club. Beskitas took him on loan but one cannot expect the Japan international to decide that his future lies in the West Midlands. Bilic can certainly try – there’s no harm in asking the question – but it’s difficult to imagine it actually coming off.”

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According to journalist Gregg Evans on Twitter, Tyrone Mings is nearing a return to Aston Villa after the club agreed a £20m deal with Bournemouth.

Mings starred for the club on loan last term, helping them achieve promotion and win a club-record ten games on the bounce towards the back end of the season.

Therefore this signing could be major for the Midlands outfit after already bringing back two loan players in Anwar El Ghazi and Kortney Hause.

Unsurprisingly, Villa fans were absolutely buzzing with the transfer news as they flocked to Twitter to reveal their delight. One supporter called it absolutely superb and another claimed it would be the most important transfer so far.

A further fan commented that they couldn’t be happier whilst one individual went as far as calling him a new Aston Villa legend.

Mings featured 18 times for the Villans after arriving for a temporary stay in January. Crediting assistant manager John Terry for the move, he won 3 aerial duels per game, making a massive 4.3 clearances every 90 minutes, too.

The 26-year-old also popped up with two goals after initially moving over the winter.

Here’s some of the reaction.