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Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita could be ruled out of the Reds’ Premier League clash with Watford after failing to recover from injury.

The Lowdown: Reds return to action

Jurgen Klopp’s men are back in action after the international break, as a relentless April begins in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple.

Liverpool host Watford on Saturday lunchtime knowing that victory over the Hornets will put them two points clear at the top of the table, for the time being at least.

While the Reds’ injury situation is largely positive, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hamstring is a big question mark, with Klopp saying it will be “tight” to get the England international back in time for Saturday’s early kick-off.

Now, it appears the playmaker extraordinaire isn’t the only issue…

The Latest: Keita ruled out

As confirmed by journalist James Pearce on Twitter, Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Keita didn’t train on Thursday, suggesting he won’t be available unless a full recovery was made behind the scenes on Friday:

“Klopp on Keita: ‘Naby couldn’t train yesterday, we will see how it is for today.'”

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The Verdict: Hugely frustrating

Keita’s entire spell at Liverpool has been injury-plagued, with the Guinean limited to just 63 starts in nearly four seasons, in all competitions.

He has been afforded a two-week period to stay fit and not go on international duty, yet he is still the one player who looks set to be out of contention with another niggling problem.

The more Keita’s time at Anfield goes on, the more it feels as though he will never stay fit for a genuinely prolonged run in the team, failing to reach his undoubted potential in the process. Liverpool need him in the title run-in, so the hope is that it is nothing serious.

In other news, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for one exciting attacking player. Find out who it is here.

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It seemed bad when Tottenham lost Harry Kane to injury just before Hueng-Min Son left for international duty. Then came the cherry on top of a disastrous month for the North London side: in the closing minutes of a dramatic victory at Fulham, Dele Alli joined the list of injured Spurs stars when he suffered a hamstring strain that’s to set keep the England international out until March.

But Tottenham are still competing in three major competitions this season following Thursday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea. Sitting third in the Premier League, Spurs also remain in the FA Cup and will meet Crystal Place on Sunday, and next month are set for a two-leg Champions League Round of 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

A packed schedule now faces Mauricio Pochettino and his heavily depleted squad, with some difficult decisions to make. As injuries cut into Tottenham’s star power and depth, their ability to remain contenders across several competitions has diminished and the club should look to prioritise various fronts for the rest of their season.

Sitting nine points back from Liverpool in the Premier League, the title is out of reach for Spurs. A friendly league schedule up through to a meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will allow Tottenham to remain in the top four as Manchester United and Arsenal continue to apply pressure from behind, but a lukewarm performance at Craven Cottage showed this Tottenham squad are not potent enough to contend without Kane. From here on out, maintaining the pace and earning a Champions League spot should be the primary goal.

Given Kane’s history of speedy recoveries, Spurs could receive a boost in the Champions League ahead of their second leg in Germany on March 5th if the England captain pulls off another one. But with quick turnarounds before and after each leg, this diminished Tottenham side may find itself drained for their European commitments. The North Londoners put on a valiant effort away at Barcelona in December to get through to the Round of 16, but with a weakened attack they will struggle to blast past the Bundesliga side.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

Spurs have not taken home a trophy since their League Cup title in 2008, and their best remaining shot to end the drought in 2019 now remains in domestic competition. Tottenham suffered defeat via penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup but their FA Cup hopes are still alive, with the Fourth Round trip to Selhurst Park up next.

Given the drawn out nature of the tournament, it’s possible that Tottenham could find themselves much healthier come the latter stages and able to field essentially their strongest starting XI. Just as easily though, Palace could pull off the kind of emphatic performance against high-quality opposition that has littered their season, especially against this weakened Spurs team.

But a domestic trophy would come as a validating mark of success for Tottenham and that should be the club’s priority. It’s been more than 10 years since that last trophy, and it’s time for Spurs and Pochettino to finally bring one home.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford didn’t miss the Whites’ 3-2 win over West Ham through injury, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Famous win for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up an enormous three points on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a fantastic victory at the London Stadium. Jack Harrison stole the show with a well-taken hat-trick but it was a superb team effort overall from Leeds, who dug deep in the absence of numerous key players.

One man who didn’t feature against the Hammers was Bamford, with the 28-year-old playing only once since the middle of September because of injury problems.

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The Latest: Hay gives positive Bamford update

Taking to Twitter after the West Ham game, Hay confirmed that Bamford didn’t miss out with an injury, with Bielsa instead exercising caution on his use of the striker given how much of the season he has missed.

The journalist revealed: “Bamford isn’t injured but in the end, Bielsa thought it would have been ‘premature’ to use him.”

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The Verdict: Season-changing return?

If Bamford is not injured, as Hay claims, then he should soon be set to return to action for Leeds for the first time since the clash against Brentford in early December. That could be huge for the Whites, considering how influential he had been last season, scoring 17 times and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

His end product should certainly make the team more potent but it is his all-round game which has also been greatly missed, from his link-up play to his work ethic.

Getting Bamford back on the pitch will give Leeds a very different look, and his 2020/21 return suggests that he can be the man to ensure that they pull away from any potential relegation scrap in the coming months.

In other news, Leeds have been given hope in their quest to sign one midfielder this month. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani will not remain at the club past this season, according to Fabrizio Romano, who said there is “no intention” from the club to extend his contract beyond this season.

With star-signing Cristiano Ronaldo not putting up the kind of numbers fans were hoping for this season, and now 37-years-old, the club are likely to make signing a new striker their priority – and Harry Kane is believed to once again be at the top of their shopping list.

What’s the news?

According to The Athletic, the England captain is “prime among thoughts at Old Trafford”, and a move is far likelier than it was last year due to “budgetary constraints” at the club after they signed Jadon Sancho for £76.5m from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

The report also states that Tottenham are in fact looking at potential replacements for the striker, utilising their relationship with ‘super-agent’ Jorge Mendes by holding talks over Benfica’s Darwin Nunez and Roma’s Tammy Abraham.

This development should give United fans hope that they will see Kane line-up in a red shirt next season, as it appears that the north London club may already be preparing for life without their homegrown star, and have already conceded that they will have to sell him.

Kane would bring United back to glory

Kane would serve as an excellent alternative to clinical Borussia Dortmund Erling Haaland, who despite managing more league goals than the Spurs striker this season, is still the inferior option.

Interestingly, he has completed far fewer dribbles than the £90m-rated Englishman, who has been described as “sluggish” at times throughout his career.

However, the Premier League is the best league in the world, and the most difficult challenge for any player wanting to test themselves at the highest level, and Haaland is yet to do that – so to replicate Kane’s achievements will still be incredibly difficult.

Football writer Andrew Gaffney described him perfectly in 2020, saying: “Harry Kane is a different kind of animal. There is no striker in world football like him. First line of attack and first line of defence. What a captain.”

In the last 365 days, the 28-year-old has ranked in the top 5% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for passes into the final third per 90 (2.55), top 1% for through-balls per 90 (0.40), and top 7% for successful dribbles percentage per 90 (65.3%) – proving just how complete of a forward he is aside from just goal-scoring.

In comparison, United target Haaland, who rated Kane better than him in 2020, is in the worst 15% for passes into the final third per 90. He is also only in the top 50% for through balls and in the worst 46% for successful dribbles. As a result, it’s evident the Spurs man would offer a great deal more to the Red Devils’ front line.

With him now just 83 goals away from breaking Alan Shearer’s record for all-time Premier League goals scored (260), Kane is hungrier than ever to score goals, and with his incredible teamwork, hunger and desire to improve not only himself and the players around him, he can help United return to the glory days of old.

In other news: “Completed in the coming days”: Romano drops big MUFC claim, supporters surely buzzing

Pundit Paddy Kenny has been reacting to an update regarding Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Summer exit?

Saint-Maximin has been a regular for the Magpies this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

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The 25-year-old has been deployed as a left-winger under Eddie Howe and has contributed to eight Premier League goals.

However, according to The Daily Mail, his days at St. James’ Park could be numbered. They believe that Newcastle are ready to sell the French forward over the coming months and would accept a bid in the region of £50m.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Talking to FI following the update on Saint-Maximin, Kenny labelled £50m as ‘crazy money’ and admitted he’d be ‘surprised’ if the Magpies didn’t accept an offer in that region, should one arrive.

“£50million, that’s crazy money.

“For a man who has scored five goals this season? For an attacking player, it’s not good numbers.

“I know Newcastle don’t need to £50million but if that offer was on the table, they would take it.

“You can invest that in a player who will provide more goals and assists.

“I would be surprised if Newcastle didn’t accept an offer like that.

“There are quality players out there who you could get for £50million who will get you more goals than that.

“I know he’s good to watch but you need results in this business and that is a lot of money to turn down.”

The Verdict: Keep?

A £50m move away would make him Newcastle’s most expensive departure of all time, surpassing the £36.9m fee Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll.

However, Saint-Maximin appears to be a key player for the Magpies, with Howe admitting in the week that he has a ‘great relationship’ with the attacker, adding that he ‘has a long-term future at the club’.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £28.8m, so the best of Saint-Maximin could yet be to come, possibly making him a key player to build a team around in an attacking sense.

In other news: ‘At the moment’ – Transfer insider says NUFC ace will only be a ‘rotation’ player next season. 

Sky Sports have dropped a live TV update on new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: Official announcement

The Red Devils first spoke to the Dutchman last month and have now confirmed the 52-year-old as their new manager.

Ten Hag will replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer and has penned a deal through to June 2025 at Old Trafford, with United having the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

The club pointed out that a move is subject to work visa requirements, and Sky Sports have been speaking to ‘people close to Ten Hag’ following the announcement.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol was speaking live on Wednesday, relayed by Football Daily, after talking to those close to Ten Hag ‘in the past few minutes’.

Solhekol revealed that Ten Hag has been told the first things he needs to do by United – ‘stop the rot’ and to ‘get Manchester United to play the way United are supposed to play’.

The Verdict: Summer rebuild required

Ten Hag is going to have an extremely busy first summer at Old Trafford, both on and off the training pitch looking for immediate results.

Up to 12 players could reportedly leave over the coming months and the new boss may have £200m to spend on new players, with Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves four targets for Ten Hag.

He’ll be looking to get key incomings and outgoings finalised as soon as possible, which will allow him to work with a fresh squad for pre-season, looking for instant results when it comes to a playing style at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.

In other news: ‘Revolution begins’: Fabrizio Romano now shares key Man Utd exit news emerging from Old Trafford. 

Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of a top-four finish were dealt a serious blow as Antonio Conte’s men lost 1-0 at home to Brighton on Saturday afternoon thanks to a last-minute Leandro Trossard strike.

Spurs were toothless throughout, managing just five shots all afternoon with zero on target, compared to the Seagulls’ 12 shots, five of which were on target.

Despite the defeat, the north London outfit remain fourth, however, there are still results elsewhere to come through in the Premier League, as well as the fact that numerous sides have games in hand on the Lilywhites.

It was an afternoon to forget for everyone associated with the football club, although winger Dejan Kulusevski had arguably his worst game in a Spurs shirt.

The January loan signing from Juventus has started life in England excellently, scoring three goals and registering six assists over just 12 Premier League appearances.

However, Saturday’s showing fell well below the standard set by the 21-year-old Swede – with journalist Vaishali Bhardwaj dubbing his display as “quiet”.

According to SofaScore, the wide man managed to make just 18 touches in a 64-minute spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, during which the 21-year-old lost possession seven times, an average of once every 2.6 touches of the ball.

Moreover, the winger failed to complete a single dribble, attempting just one, whilst also winning just one of five attempted duels.

There was little from the Sweden international at both ends of the pitch, offering zero shots whilst also failing to make a single clearance, block or interception.

A rare positive of the Juventus loanee’s display was his passing accuracy, which stood at 90%. However, the Tottenham newbie attempted just ten passes, completing nine.

To cap the off-colour performance, the winger was booked 27 minutes into the match – catching Marc Cucurella with a nasty elbow, perhaps being lucky to remain on the pitch.

Spurs supporters will be hoping that the performance was a one-off from the January signing who had instantly impressed the Tottenham faithful.

Moreover, they will be desperate for their side to avoid such a result again this campaign, with just six league matches to go in the race for a top-four finish.

Despite the fact that Graham Potter’s men had won at Arsenal last weekend, it was still a poor result for Conte’s men and can’t be repeated if the North London outfit are to secure Champions League football for next season.

AND in other news: Insider drops major Spurs claim on £30m maestro, it’s great news for Conte

Aston Villa and Leeds United are just two of the clubs who have contacted the agent of Marseille defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, and their update has had a number of fans talking on social media.

Both Villa and Leeds are looking to bolster their midfield ranks before the end of the month, with Villa also keen on Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur.

Kamara is also on Johan Lange’s list, though, and Villa, Leeds and Manchester United have all contacted the Frenchman’s agent ahead of a possible late swoop.

The Daily Mail believe that Marseille are willing to sell the 22-year-old for £10m before the end of the month due to the player being out of contract in the summer.

Kamara has made 146 appearances for the Ligue 1 side and is also capable of playing at centre-back when required.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared the update regarding Kamara on Twitter. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘interesting’.

“Who invited Leeds?”

Credit: @coutinho_szn

“£10m oh my god. When Gerrard comes calling we know what happens”

Credit: @MackenzieDeery

“Interesting…”

Credit: @CaptainScott87

“PAY I BEGGGGGGGGGGGGGG”

Credit: @Jamie_UTV

“Would be a massive bargain”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“£10m is an absolute steal. Has been playing midfield this season but he could still quite easily cover CB. Get all over it please Villa.”

Credit: @TEB3190

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt as Sky Sports reporter shares ‘quality’ news. 

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Armando Broja to the London Stadium this month.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that, following reports of West Ham’s interest in the on-loan Chelsea centre-forward, David Moyes and Rob Newman are indeed keen on a move for the 20-year-old this month.

The Hammers insider went on to state that Newman has personally visited St. Mary’s in order to keep an eye on the progress of the Albania international, although also suggested that a number of other Premier League clubs – including Arsenal and Southampton – are also looking at the striker.

Speaking yesterday about the club’s interest in Broja, Ex said: “The latest striker [West Ham are interested in] which has broken this morning is Armando Broja.

“West Ham are interested, why wouldn’t West Ham be interested in this player? He fits the age, he proved in England, he’s homegrown – which is an important factor. He’s kind of available because he’s been on loan.

“West Ham will probably enquire about him, I’m not denying that. Where the problems lie is that he is on loan at Southampton, and Southampton want to sign him on a permanent deal.

“Chelsea might be able to recall him, which I think they can. Chelsea will be looking at the player and thinking: ‘Do we want to let him go at this point? His value is only going to go up in the summer.’

“Rob Newman’s watched him. Rob Newman’s seen that he’s a decent player, but other clubs [are also interested]. I’ve heard that Arsenal are looking.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how desperately West Ham require a new centre-forward this January, the news that the Irons are finally stepping up their interest in an attacking addition, particularly one as talented as Broja, is sure to have left Hammers fans buzzing.

Indeed, the £34m-rated centre-forward has been deadly in front of goal for practically every side he has played for, scoring 16 goals and registering five assists over 35 appearances for Chelsea U18s, bagging 11 goals and three assists over 34 outings while on loan at Vitesse Arnhem last season, and having already netted seven goals and provided one assist over his 21 fixtures for Southampton in the current campaign.

As such, while still just 20 years of age, the £8.5k-per-week Chelsea starlet would undoubtedly make a fantastic addition to Michail Antonio in the West Ham attack, with Broja undeniably possessing the potential to push the 31-year-old for his starting spot in Moyes XI in the second half of the season.

However, whether or not Newman will be able to pull a deal off the forward this winter looks very much up in the air at present, but, at least progress appears as if it is being made in the Hammers’ hunt for a new centre-forward this month.

In other news: GSB must sanction West Ham swoop for “unplayable” £5m gem, he’s Lanzini’s perfect heir

After sealing a loan exit from Leeds United in the January transfer window, it’s fair to say that Cody Drameh didn’t leave himself in former manager Marcelo Bielsa’s good books.

Following the move, the Argentine said: “I did not think he needed to play games elsewhere. He was a player who was very necessary with all of the absences we have. Clearly, I calculated things wrongly because what I consider as a great opportunity, those who are benefiting from that position, they prefer to abandon the club looking for another type of competition.

“Evidently, what I imagined as a great chance, they don’t. Perhaps I overvalue that you’re in a 20-man squad in the best league in the world. Of course with a player leaving it’s one alternative less. But when a player wants to leave, there’s no point trying to keep them.”

Since then, however, Drameh has been fully vindicated in his own personal decision to seek first-team football elsewhere, becoming a regular in Cardiff’s starting line-up. He has featured in 16 successive games, completing the full 90 minutes in all but the first one, when he was taken off with just over ten minutes to go.

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After seeing his side pull off an impressive 4-0 victory over Peterborough United, manager Sean Morrison waxed lyrical about the Leeds loanee.

The Bluebirds boss said: “Barnsley was a horrible game. He’d never experienced anything like that and he came in with a couple of last-ditch tackles right at the death of the game, which was phenomenal. Tonight? Pff. It’s a good thing they can’t call him back after that because he was outstanding.”

It’s perhaps no surprise that Drameh has even been nominated for Cardiff’s Player of the Year award despite his mid-season arrival. Given his superb form for the Bluebirds, the youngster should surely now fancy his chances of becoming a more valued squad member at Elland Road when he returns from his loan spell this summer.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has even suggested that the 20-year-old could well be the long-term heir to Luke Ayling.

He said: “The point about Drameh was that he could be a natural successor to Ayling, who still has time left but is clearly not in his first flush of youth. Drameh is well thought of and I do feel like he’s got a serious chance here if he’s patient.”

Meanwhile, LUTV commentator Tom Hill described the 20-year-old as a “box of tricks” after an impressive performance against Sunderland at under-23 level, and that bodes well for his future as a more adventurous full-back.

With 217 games under his belt for the club, Ayling has been a long and loyal servant for Leeds over the years, but it might well be time for Drameh’s introduction into the first-team fold on a more regular basis next season under Marsch.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22y/o