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Inter Miami are no longer a one-man Lionel Messi show, with Robert Taylor explaining how Luis Suarez makes life more difficult for MLS rivals.

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Argentine icon provides inspirationHerons have built all-time greatMartino's side boast multiple threatsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Herons captured the imagination of a global audience when adding eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi to their books in 2023. He inspired them to a historic Leagues Cup triumph and is expected to help put Tata Martino’s side in contention for more major honours during his first full season in the United States.

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He has been reunited in Florida with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, while veteran Uruguayan frontman Suarez joined the ex-Barcelona contingent at Chase Stadium in January. They have helped Inter Miami to make the perfect start to their 2024 MLS campaign, in a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake, with opponents having multiple threats to contend with.

WHAT TAYLOR SAID ABOUT MESSI & SUAREZ

Finnish midfielder Taylor has explained the benefits of having Suarez alongside Messi, telling reporters: “Last year we talked about how Messi opened up so much space, but you have Messi and Suarez now…it opens a lot of space for me on the wing. They link so well together, so they attract a lot of defenders to them, so it leaves space for me also sometimes.”

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Taylor opened the scoring against RSL, before Diego Gomez wrapped up the points. Gomez, who joined the Herons alongside Messi in July 2023, added on playing alongside all-time greats and how they are improving his game: “The opportunity to play was really important for me and I came in very focused and Tata has shown confidence in me since I arrived. We came in with a different mentality tonight. I’m really happy to be here playing with such great players and interact with them and enjoy the experience of being with them.”

Palmeiras will try to take advantage of Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid by extending Endrick's stay at the Brazilian club, GOAL understands.

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Mbappe to join Real in summerEndrick finally set to complete Spain switchBut Palmeiras looking to delay transferWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian sensation is due to link up with the Spanish giants when he turns 18 in the summer, after his €72 million (£62m/$78m) transfer was agreed back in December 2022. Endrick is set to be joined by fellow mercurial forward Mbappe, who put an end to a protracted transfer saga by finally choosing Madrid as his next home. However, with two attacking talents signing at the same time, Palmeiras have seen a window of opportunity.

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Despite the agreement with Real stating that Endrick would sign on his birthday, July 18, 2024, GOAL understands that the Brazilian club want to keep him in Sao Paulo until December this year. The teenage forward is considered too much of an important asset to Palmeiras, meaning a few extra months could make all the difference. He scored 14 goals in 53 matches in last season's league title win, and has already hit the ground running with a goal in his first two matches this campaign.

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Endrick's form is not just restricted to club level. The 17-year-old racked up an impressive two goals and two assists in seven matches during Brazil U23's pre-Olympic tournament. He was, however, helpless as their defeat to bitter rivals Argentina means they will play no part in the Paris event in the summer.

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Palmeiras' desire to keep Endrick an extra few months has already been communicated to Real, GOAL understands, with Los Blancos currently reticent to loan him back. Palmeiras have until April for the Spaniards to respond, after which he will be contracted to sign as a Madrid player on July 18, 2024.

Former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark has admitted watching son Bobby lift the Carabao Cup with Liverpool was an emotional experience.

Liverpool beat Chelsea to win Carabao Cup finalBobby Clark features as second-half substituteProud dad says watching was a tearful experienceGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

Clark was one of several youngsters to feature for Liverpool in Sunday's 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley. The 19-year-old came off the bench in the 72nd minute, for just his ninth senior outing, and helped the Reds secure their first silverware of the campaign with a victory over Mauricio Pochettino's men. His father Lee, who played for Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham during his career, has spoken of his pride at seeing his son winning a trophy with the Reds.

AdvertisementWHAT LEE CLARK SAID

Clark told talkSPORT: "I'm still in the clouds mate, still in the clouds. Found out Saturday [Bobby was on the bench] after the final session and Jurgen had confirmed everything with the starting XI and the substitutes before they travelled to London. When I was at the game yesterday, seeing him get the shout to get ready and stripped and play an important part in what the team achieved. It was just surreal, tears of joy at the end mate, tears of joy."

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has described the Carabao Cup victory as his "most special trophy" due to the fact it's his last season as manager and the role of the team's youngsters in the victory. Injuries saw Klopp field a host of youth players in the match with Clark, Jayden Danns, James McConnell, Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah all featuring against Chelsea.

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Liverpool won the League Cup for the 10th time on Sunday – the most by any team in the history of the competition. Two of those have come under Klopp, with only Bob Paisley (3) winning it more often in charge of the Reds.

Liverpool suffered a major blow to their transfer plans back in January when their deal to sign Fabio Carvalho fell through on Deadline Day in the very last moments, but now there has been a huge update that will surely excite supporters.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has given an update (via Caught Offside) on Liverpool’s signing of Fabio Carvalho and their intentions for the player when he arrives at Anfield.

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Romano told the sports news outlet:

“By the way, the first signing will be Fabio Carvalho: the official announcement is coming in the next few days, Fulham will receive £5m plus £2.7m add-ons.

“Liverpool want to keep him in the first team, a loan is not planned as of now.”

Supporters will be elated

Supporters of the Merseyside club will be elated that an update has finally been given on the attacking midfielder, as the transfer has been long-awaited and highly anticipated since it fell through four months ago.

It was rumoured that the 19-year-old would be put back out on loan but supporters will also be glad to hear that the youngster will be given his opportunity to break into the team at Anfield if Romano’s update is to be believed.

Fulham have recently earned automatic promotion from the Championship after finishing top of the league at the end of the season, and to say Carvalho has played a crucial part in their achievement is an understatement.

According to SofaScore, the young attacker has scored ten goals and contributed eight assists, with an impressive 13 big chances created, making 1.7 key passes, 2.2 shots on goal and 1.1 tackles on average per game and has been successful in the majority of his dribbles (53%) proving that he is a huge attacking threat for Fulham, integral in the pressing and creative play in his 36 league appearances.

It’s safe to say Liverpool are not struggling for creativity in their team with 89 goals scored in the Premier League, but with Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino all in or hitting their 30s this season, getting in a fresh young attacking perspective that fits the playmaking and pressing profile is essential for building up the successors of the current attacking threats in the team.

With that being said, Jurgen Klopp will surely be thrilled to finally have the transfer wrapped up ahead of the summer and can get to work with the youngster ahead of next season to identify the role and impact he can make on the current Liverpool team.

AND in other news: “I’m told” – James Pearce drops major Liverpool claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing

Clubs will be looking to snap up triumphant Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou this summer with his contract running out, according to regular talkSPORT pundit Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s first season at Celtic

The Australian replaced Neil Lennon as Hoops manager last summer and he has made an incredible impact, winning the Premiership title at his first attempt.

Postecoglou has become an instant hero at Parkhead, with his personality shining through and his brilliance as a manager not going unnoticed by supporters.

However, his current contract expires at the end of May, having only signed a rolling one-year deal.

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The Latest: Mills discusses possible Postecoglou exit

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills claimed that there would be interest from other clubs if Celtic fail to tie down Postecoglou’s future. He outlined:

“With a 12-month running contract there will be other teams looking at him and thinking ‘Hang on, where else can he do it?’

“He’s effectively out of contract so clubs can get him in relatively cheaply. They should try and tie him down. He’s proved what he can do.

“He brought in players who he knew which is vitally important. There were a few raised eyebrows to start with where people weren’t sure about the players from the J-League and questioned whether it was going to work. They’ve been sensational.

“He’s done it on a reasonable budget as well so other clubs will be looking and thinking ‘Oh, we’ll have this guy’. I think Celtic would be wise to tie him down for a couple of seasons at least.”

The Verdict: Surely he stays?

It would be devastating for Celtic to lose Postecoglou after just one year, having made such a massive impact in the space of just 12 months in charge.

The 56-year-old is surely happy at the club, as illustrated by his emotional speech amid Saturday’s Premiership trophy celebrations, and a new contract offer must come his way in the next few weeks, when hopefully it will just be a case of all parties agreeing on it.

It would be a huge shock, and indeed a massive blow, if Postecoglou suddenly goes elsewhere, and Celtic will certainly be playing a risky game if they allow the uncertainty to drift on for much longer.

In other news, a pundit has predicted a Celtic signing coming to fruition. Read more here.

Wolves defender Fernando Marcal will leave the club at the end of the season, reliable journalist Tim Spiers has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Marcal a good servant

The 33-year-old made the move from Lyon to Molineux back in 2020, as he looked to add squad depth to Wanderers’ squad.

Marcal has done just that, proving to be a reliable figure, when fit, going on to make a total of 32 appearances for Wolves, including 18 in the Premier League this season.

The Brazilian’s current deal expires at the end of the season, however, and his exit has felt inevitable with the emergence of Rayan Aït-Nouri.

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The Latest: Summer exit confirmed

Taking to Twitter on Friday, The Athletic‘s Spiers said that Marcal would depart this summer, as he relaid Bruno Lage’s confirmation on the matter:

“Fernando Marcal is leaving Wolves this summer, Bruno Lage confirmed today. The Wolves boss also says he wants Joao Moutinho, Morgan Gibbs-White and John Ruddy to be in his squad next season.”

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The Verdict: Right time to leave

At 33, and with his contract up, it makes complete sense for Marcal to move on and find another club, rather than be offered a new deal at Wolves.

He was a solid performer throughout this season, winning an average of 1.4 aerial duels per game in the league, while Jeff Shi spoke of his happiness when Wanderers signed him.

Marcal won’t exactly go down as a Wolves legend but his contribution will always be appreciated, as he helped his side push towards a European finish in 2021/22.

In other news, one Wolves player has been linked with a high-profile exit. Find out who it is here.

Eddie Howe can sign off the season feeling accomplished as Newcastle United finish 11th in the Premier League despite losing their first 14 games in an incredible U-turn the manager has inspired.

The Magpies are the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after losing their first 14 league games, which has been a huge achievement for Howe and his team as they finish just seven points off a European spot.

However, there is now work to do to take the side to the next level and despite the victory over Burnley, there were some unconvincing performances within the team that will give Howe food for thought this summer.

Despite the game ending in relegation for Burnley, Newcastle United were unable to dominate possession (49%), had fewer shots on goal and made fewer passes over the game, but ultimately took their chances when they needed to, to win.

Callum Wilson was the star of the show scoring a brace on his second game back after a long-term injury proving that he needed no time at all to get back to goal-scoring form leading the forward line successfully but did lose his temper with one of his team-mates.

Miguel Almiron reportedly angered the striker for making a tight attempt on goal, and unfortunately, this wasn’t the only frustrating moment from the Paraguayan at Turf Moor, with the attacking midfielder struggling to impose himself on the hosts.

Instead of squaring the ball for the striker to prod home, he decided to shoot from a tight angle and ultimately miss his attempt, proving wasteful in possession.

According to SofaScore, Almiron lost 100% of his aerial duels, in fact, he only won 33% of his duels in total and made no tackles at all over his 87-minute performance today, illustrating the player’s disappointing performance in the final game of the season.

With that being said, now that Newcastle are the richest club in the world and in a position to strengthen their team at any cost, players will need to make sure they are doing their best to compete for their spot in the team and can positively impact games to be part of the project at St James’ Park.

Almiron will need to convince Howe that he is worthy of holding onto his place in the team with the summer transfer window the main focus for the Magpies now the season has ended.

AND in other news: Signed for £20m, now worth £9m: Ashley had a howler on “struggling” £50k-p/w NUFC dud 

Liverpool have made contact with the representatives of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele as a potential replacement for Sadio Mane, according to Spanish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Man in demand

Unsurprisingly, as the one time £135.5million ace’s contract heads towards its conclusion, Dembele has been attracting plenty of interest.

Out of contract on July 1st (Transfermarkt), despite the best efforts of Barcelona to keep the skilful French forward, there is yet to be an agreement on terms and as such the 25-year-old will soon be free to negotiate with clubs across Europe.

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Having previously watched on from a distance, the Reds may now have thrown their hat into the ring to sign the World Cup winner…

The latest: ‘Finally’ Liverpool act

As per Sport, Liverpool are said to have ‘finally’ made contact with the 27-cap France star’s entourage regarding the possibility of a move to Merseyside.

It’s claimed that Dembele is ‘studying various proposals’ with one of them now being from the Anfield club as well as interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

The report also states that Jurgen Klopp could be preparing for life after Mane and therefore would view the winger once dubbed a ‘devastating player’ by journalist Andy West as a potential replacement in the Reds’ squad.

The verdict: Risk free option

Albeit plagued by injuries since making the switch to Spain, missing 102 matches in total, Dembele remains a fearsome prospect when fully fit and would represent a risk-free piece of business without what would be a lofty price tag in normal circumstances.

Capable of playing on either wing as well as centrally and therefore adding to the firepower at Klopp’s disposal, the versatile forward holds a stylistic likeness to well renowned attacking names such as PSG superstar Neymar and Bayern Munich duo Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry (Fbref), making the Frenchman a major coup, particularly on a free transfer.

Directly contributing to 15 goals in a relatively injury-free 2021/22 campaign, new Liverpool transfer guru Julian Ward should be all over adding Dembele to the ranks as a priority this summer.

In other news, one Liverpool player has hinted at a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Everton are interested in signing wantaway Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn, according to a report from The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Bergwijn’s career so far

A product of the youth system at PSV Eindhoven, the Dutchman made 149 appearances for the Eredivisie giants before moving to Spurs for £27m in 2020 to play under Jose Mourinho (BBC).

Since arriving in the Premier League, the versatile 24-year-old has scored just eight times and provided 10 assists in 83 outings for Tottenham.

After the winger recently admitted a desire to leave Spurs in the upcoming summer transfer window, saying “I want to go and play somewhere weekly”, Everton could be prepared to make their move for the wantaway ace.

The latest: Everton interested in Bergwijn

As per the Daily Mail, Everton and Ajax are leading the chase to sign the Netherlands international. It’s claimed that Bergwijn has ‘drawn interest’ from Goodison Park as Frank Lampard attempts to strengthen the ranks on the blue half of Merseyside.

The report added that Ajax had a £17m bid rejected for the 24-year-old, who was hailed by compatriot Virgil van Dijk for an ‘excellent’ performance this week as he scored in Netherlands’ 4-1 victory over Belgium.

He also completed two successful dribbles and two key passes in a performance which earned a Sofascore rating of 7.4.

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The verdict: No-brainer

During 2021/22, Bergwijn scored four times and provided two assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, demonstrating impressive versatility in the process by operating on either wing, as a centre-forward and as an attacking midfielder.

Valued at £16.2m and under contract in London until 2025 (Transfermarkt), prising the 18-cap dynamo away from Tottenham could prove to be an expensive venture for Everton’s director of football Kevin Thelwell.

However, with Bergwijn still just 24 and boasting an abundance of top-level experience, and with the capability of offering much-needed regular first-team football, Lampard and co should be doing everything possible to bring the talented Dutchman to Goodison Park.

In other news: Frank McAvennie has reacted to this Everton off-field development

Speaking live on talkSPORT, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has delivered a scathing assessment involving Liverpool and the likely departure of Sadio Mane. 

The lowdown: Move pending

Having initially remained quiet on where his future may lie after the season, it has since become apparent that the 30-year-old Senegalese star will leave Anfield in the summer.

Mane will end a six-year affinity with the Reds as both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain eye up a move in the upcoming transfer window.

Leaving with a little over 12 months remaining on a deal at Anfield (Transfermarkt), one pundit has slammed the club for allowing the winger to leave at this stage.

The latest: ‘Ridiculous’

Discussing the future of Mane and Mohamed Salah live on air (Thursday, June 2 9.35am), Agbonlahor was critical of the Reds’ owners for not giving the attacker what he wants.

The 35-year-old said: “Liverpool allowing Mane to go, next season will cost them the title. Haaland is signing for Manchester City, they are becoming stronger.

“You’re going to let Mane leave, you’ve got Diaz and Jota, but they’re not going to get Mane’s numbers, he’s a goalscorer. The threat he gives Liverpool going in behind, making unselfish runs. Salah, they can’t lose, Mane they can’t lose.

“Yes, Liverpool have always had good recruitment, bringing in players. But the numbers that Mane gets, the threat he gives opposition defenders, helps free up space for Salah. For me first of all, Mane leaving is ridiculous. I don’t blame both of them, Mane and Salah the numbers they are getting year in year out – they want paying what they deserve.”

The verdict: Ruthless operators

Albeit there has been no indication the decision is solely down to finances, ultimately, the chances of Liverpool ownership group FSG being held to ransom or indeed succumbing to pressure and paying what they perceive to be over the odds was little to none.

So far, during their 12-year tenure at Anfield, the American owners have proven to be frugal operators when it comes to contracts, transfer business and decision making generally.

Whilst simply paying whatever the likes of Mane and Salah ask for is simple in principle, with it comes demands from elsewhere within the ranks and therefore the risk of upsetting a previously harmonious dressing room.

Despite proving to remain a player at the very top of his game in a 23 goal 2021/22 campaign, at 30, Mane – dubbed a ‘wild animal’ by Pierre Emerick Aubameyang – was never likely to be offered a lucrative new deal given the club’s Modus Operandi of signing young talent and a move this summer whilst the club can likely make a profit on their £34million expenditure would be best for all parties.

In other news: Liverpool identify ‘intelligent’ forward to replace Mane, read more here!