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Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes the Whites should copy Liverpool and sign a proper left-back this summer, as they did with Andy Robertson.

The Lowdown: Alioski set to leave

Marcelo Bielsa will need to be on the lookout for a new left-back in the next transfer window, with Ezgjan Alioski almost certain to leave Elland Road.

The 28-year-old isn’t a natural in that position, however, filling in admirably but not always looking completely comfortably there.

Former Leeds midfielder James Milner played at left-back for Liverpool for a full season before Jurgen Klopp brought in Robertson from Hull City, making a huge difference to the Reds with his attacking prowess.

The Latest: Mills calls for established left-back to arrive

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills has called for Leeds to adopt the same approach, signing an out-and-out left-back who can help take the Whites up another level:

“He’s (Alioski) done incredibly well to fill in, I would say. He’s been fantastic for social media and he seems like a fantastic guy who’s done a very good job for Leeds.

“But if you’re looking to go to the next level…

“Go back to Liverpool, they tried it with James Milner, they tried it with other players at full-back and it didn’t work. They then get in Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Robertson and they go to a whole new level. It’s their position, it’s what they are used to doing.

“Players can only fill in for so long before they get found out. If it’s not natural, against the better teams you start to get found out and that’s where it becomes a bit of an issue.”

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The Verdict: Copy Liverpool’s approach

There is only so long that a player can thrive in an auxiliary role, and while Alioski has been a fantastic servant for Leeds, it would be nice to see a proper left-back come in at Elland Road.

Someone like Whites-linked Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico seems perfect, in that respect, possessing a wealth of experience at club and international level, winning 27 caps for Argentina and being valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Robertson showed the difference it can make, giving Liverpool more natural balance down the left flank, and a new signing in that role could do the same for Leeds.

In other news, a pundit has hinted at an attacking Leeds player leaving the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

After helping Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years, Romelu Lukaku is a wanted man across Europe and Steve Howey, who made 100 appearances for Manchester City, exclusively told Football FanCast that the striker would have no doubts about joining the Premier League champions.

Lukaku spent two indifferent years at Manchester United where he scored 42 goals in 96 games but eventually departed for Italy with Inter Milan in a £75m deal as he fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Sergio Aguero is set to leave after the Champions League final against Chelsea and there have been reports linking Lukaku with a sensational move to the blue half of Manchester, in a similar transfer that saw Carlos Tevez join City back in 2009.

Lukaku has proved himself to be one of the deadliest finishers in Europe with 28 goals this season and Howey spoke exclusively to FFC about how the Belgian would not be bothered about annoying Man United fans if he joined City.

Howey said: “I think given his experience at Manchester United I don’t think he’ll have any major alliances with Man United. I think some players look at it and think I’m going to go to a rival team and I’m going to make sure I’m absolutely amazing.

“He certainly knows where the goal is and his confidence seems to be sky-high. So, I think if he came back to the Premier League, he would strengthen Man City’s team, no doubt about it.”

The Belgian international won his first league title since 2010 this season when Inter Milan, in the end, breezed to the title and Lukaku’s partnership with Lauturo Martinez has blossomed into a dangerous one as the Argentine looks set to reject Barcelona’s advances and sign a new deal.

Lukaku made a name for himself during his loan spell at West Brom as his goals helped spearhead the Baggies to a respectable eight place finish during the 2012/13 season.

Leeds United are monitoring Club Brugge winger Noa Lang ahead of the summer window.

That’s according to the reliable Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, who shared the news in his transfer notebook on Tuesday evening.

McGrath claims the Whites have watched Lang, with the 21-year-old recently turning his loan from Ajax into a permanent deal.

He’s played all across the front line this season, scoring 16 goals and registering 10 assists in just 33 games during the current campaign.

Leeds aren’t the only side keen on Lang, with the Dutch starlet having a host of admirers.

Transfer Tavern take

The report claims that Leeds view Lang as a player who can provide competition for Jack Harrison and Raphinha, so we feel he could well come in at the expense of Helder Costa.

Marcelo Bielsa has handed Costa just 13 league starts this season and the club are thought to be willing to listen to offers for the Portuguese winger this summer.

Should he seal an Elland Road exit, it seems as if Victor Orta could be on to his replacement in Lang, who may well fit right in under Bielsa.

He has an eye for goal, can play on either flank or through the middle and is still early into his career. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, he could come at a price similar to the one Leeds paid for Raphinha (£17m), who has been a revelation in Yorkshire.

In other news: Noel Whelan makes big Marcelo Bielsa claim, find out more here. 

Pep Guardiola has been handed a huge injury boost at Manchester City ahead of the Carabao Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur, as Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be fit for the game at Wembley.

The Belgian international was forced off through injury in the FA Cup Semi-Final defeat against Chelsea recently and missed the midweek win over Aston Villa.

However, Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the talismanic midfielder is feeling ‘much better’ and that he had trained with the first-team squad ahead of Sunday’s game.

It will undoubtedly be a massive boost for the Spanish manager if De Bruyne is fit to play, as the 29-year-old has been a driving force behind the Citizens’ superb season thus far.

In 24 top-flight appearances, the former Wolfsburg man has contributed five goals and 11 assists, averaging an excellent 7.56/10 rating for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as City’s best performer in the top-flight this season, whilst his performances in the Champions League have also been exceptional, so it is clear just how important he is in Guardiola’s side.

Spurs’ new manager Ryan Mason will surely be worried that City could dominate the final on Sunday should De Bruyne start, as he clearly has the ability to dictate the game and turn it in City’s favour, whilst his 3.3 shots per game average in the Premier League immediately marks him out as a serious goal threat.

Last season, De Bruyne earned a lot of praise from Premier League legend Thierry Henry, with the Frenchman suggesting that:

“Kevin saw me at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial (at the start of the season) and he said: ‘This year, I’ll get you,’ and I said: ‘You will because you are just incredible’.

“His brain is somewhere else, it’s just ridiculous. I came across him (with Belgium) and worked with him and he’s one of those guys you just have to let play because if you start to understand and comprehend what he’s doing, you’re going to have a headache. He’s on another planet.”

Therefore, if De Bruyne is fit to play then Guardiola should definitely hand him a start, as he could prove to be the game-changer at Wembley.

And, in other news… Mansour call is massive news for Pep, De Bruyne will be delighted 

Mark Warburton’s Queens Park Rangers head into their penultimate Championship fixture of the season on Saturday with nothing more than pride at stake.

Following their 3-1 defeat to Norwich City last weekend, QPR find themselves occupying 10th place in the table, 15 points behind sixth-placed Barnsley and 23 points above Rotherham United in 22nd.

As such, the Rs’ upcoming clash with fellow mid-table side Stoke City this Saturday does not have a great deal riding on it, but Warburton would still want to see his team leave the Bet365 Stadium with a result in order to finish as high up the table as possible.

So, will the 58-year-old be making any changes to his starting XI? Here’s our predicted XI, along with the latest team and injury news…

In terms of injuries, both Luke Amos and Charlie Owens remain sidelined for Warburton’s side, while defensive midfielder Geoff Cameron is also a doubt.

As for the starting XI, we expect there to be two changes from the team which lined up against Norwich last week, as well as a slight tweak in QPR’s formation.

Having been brought off at half-time after a distinctly average performance against the Canaries, George Thomas drops to the bench for the clash with the Potters. His replacement last Saturday, 22-year-old Sam Field, takes his starting spot this time around.

Meanwhile, Charlie Austin also makes a return to the starting XI following his impressive second half cameo against Daniel Farke’s side, taking the place of Christopher Willock in a move which sees a change in formation from 3-4-2-1 to 3-4-1-2, with the 31-year-old partnering Lyndon Dykes up top.

In other news: Get it done: Bhatia must seal QPR swoop for £1.8m-rated ace who “works his socks off” – opinion

According to a report by journalist Sid Lowe in The Guardian, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is understood to be referencing Manchester City as the club not being ‘fully committed’ to the European Super League (ESL), which apparently played a heavy hand in the breakaway division’s eventual suspension. 

Indeed, as per this report, the Sky Blues are whom Perez is referencing when he opened up over one of the six Premier League founding clubs first getting cold feet over the project.

He explained that ‘one of the English clubs’ didn’t seem so interested and that doubt ‘spread to the rest’ of the teams (The Guardian), eventually resulting in many clubs announcing they’d be withdrawing from the ESL plans.

With Lowe explaining that this originally unnamed club is indeed City, many Sky Blues supporters erupted at this claim – with one fan calling it ‘massive’.

The proposed breakaway could have had untold consequences for English football, especially considering that UEFA threatened to ban involved sides from domestic competition and even warned that players may not be able to represent their national teams (Sam Cunningham on Twitter).

Given the huge ESL tipping point in which City allegedly played a heavy part, it’s little wonder this has grabbed plenty of attention from fans.  Lots of Sky Blues supporters protested over their club’s involvement in the controversial plans, with many now overjoyed their side eventually played a big role in its suspension.

Find some of their verdicts below.

Man City fans erupt over ESL claim

“We’re saving football”

Credit: @Prince_Ederson

“Massive”

Credit: @PelvisPoker

“We joined the ESL to bring it down. In the process, became friends with UEFA as well. And now lesser competition for Haaland.

Masterclass.”

Credit: @damned_reality

“Proud to be a blue now”

Credit: @FodenCTID

“THATS MY CLUB SAVING FOOTBALL”

Credit: @mxnciteh

“Well done Man City, good riddance Mr Perez!!”

Credit: @skyblue9320

“We’re massive”

Credit: @alexmcfc_1

“Joined just to dismantle them from inside, my owner”

Credit: @CityJoul

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to this ‘best news’, find out more here.

As relayed by reliable journalist James Pearce, Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have confirmed the £543 million sale of 10% stake in their company to RedBird Capital Partners – prompting many Reds supporters to drop their wide array of verdicts on social media.

The multi-million pound investment deal, as explained by the Athletic, now values FSG at around $7.35 billion (£5.32 billion) – coming as a potentially big financial boost for Liverpool amid the coronavirus pandemic.

American basketball superstar LeBron James, who has long held a stake in the Merseyside giants, will also a gain a stake in the Boston Red Sox as a result of these negotiations.

In terms of what it means for the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp, the agreement will allow FSG to navigate these unprecedented financial circumstances brought upon by the pandemic (The Athletic).

As well as reducing club debts accumulated over these last 12 months, it authorises Liverpool to continue their careful and calculated transfer strategy despite huge losses since the pandemic began.

Given these benefits, it’s little wonder some Reds fans sees this as ‘good news’, but other supporters are also disappointed it won’t be the huge transfer kitty injection they’d hoped for.

Find all of their social media verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans react to FSG development.

“Good news”

Credit: @nochdawe

“Hold me James”

Credit: @WeHaveKlopp

“Wow FSG not spending who would’ve thunk it”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“SIIIUUUUU”

Credit: @LFC_Ox

“Just means Liverpool are a massive, massive club.”

Credit: @wesrowe123

“This good James it is very good.”

Credit: @MrCharlieGill

“That can only be good news if it happens”

Credit: @tomehoban

“Announce Mbappe”

Credit: @davidc98

In other news: Liverpool fans blast this transfer rumour, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who is a Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Famer, believes it will require a stupid amount of money for Pedro Neto to be sold this summer.

The Portuguese international has been linked with a £50 million move to Manchester United this summer after his stand out performances this campaign for Wolves, as he is their joint-top scorer.

Neto is still only experiencing his second season in the Premier League and he’s been able to achieve a 7.13 WhoScored rating, all without Raul Jimenez to tuck away his numerous chances created.

Speaking on how much would be required for Wolves to sell Neto this summer and how good of a player he is, Bull told FFC:

“He’s an absolutely world-class player but money talks. I think if anybody comes in with a stupid amount of money, pays his five-year wages off and gives the club the money they are asking for, then fair play to them.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“As I said, it would be about £75-80 million and that is some money for a player, but he is a talented player. I wouldn’t say he’s not worth that much but I also wouldn’t say he is worth that much. 

It has also been reported that Bruno Fernandes will try to convince Pedro Neto to join Manchester United this summer during their time away with Portugal.

Wolves have an abundance of attacking options, however, they all rely on a striker being in the box to finish their chances off, which neither Fabio Silva nor Willian Jose have been able to do in general.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in making a move for Celtic striker for Odsonne Edouard this summer.

Jurgen Klopp may be in the market for a new attacking player at the end of the season, as he looks to add more quality and depth in the final third.

There are question marks over the futures of Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi, while Roberto Firmino’s form has been disappointing for a sustained period now.

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Reds eye up for move for Celtic star Edouard

It could be that Celtic hero Edouard could be a target for Liverpool, as well as Arsenal, with journalist Ian McGarry confirming as much on The Transfer Window podcast [via Rousing The Kop], also mentioning one of the front-three potentially leaving:

“Liverpool and Arsenal are two teams who are chasing Odsonne Edouard of Celtic – a player who we have mentioned a few times on the podcast. Mostly with regards to Arsenal’s interest.

“What I think is interesting about the fact that Liverpool have entered the equation is that they have done so on the basis that they expect or at least suspect one of the front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane may leave in the summer.”

The-23-year-old has scored 19 goals for Celtic this season, in all competitions, as well as incredibly netting 15 times in just 10 appearances for France Under-21s (he also scored more goals than he played games for the U-17s).

Transfer Tavern take

While the step up from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League can sometimes appear great, Virgil van Dijk is proof that it doesn’t apply to all footballers.

Edouard has been relentless in front of goal for a number of years now – he has 81 goals in 161 games for Celtic – and he could be an ideal backup option to Firmino, or even threaten to take his place long-term.

In other news, Liverpool fans are desperate to sign one Premier League star this summer – find out who it is here.

Charlie Adam has shared his delight after Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Steven Davis has signed a new one-year contract at Ibrox.

Adam delighted at Davis news

Davis was set to be out of contract at the end of the campaign but, despite being 36 years of age, the Gers have decided to keep him at the club for another 12 months.

The 55-time Scottish champions shared the news on their official Twitter account, and former Rangers midfielder Adam responded by saying this was “great news”.

Big news

Adam is far from a popular figure among many supporters, but surely Gers fans will have trouble disagreeing with him on this one. While Davis does not have long left in his career, he boasts plenty of experience; and with 40 appearances in all competitions so far this term (Transfermarkt), he has played a vital role in the Gers’ 2020/21 success.

With 45 goals and 94 assists throughout his time in the game, he can contribute directly to goals, but his importance to this Rangers side cannot be measured solely in that way. He is a cool, calming influence in the middle of the park, and he deserves all the accolades he continues to get. Who knows, he may even get himself another deal at the end of next season as well.

In other news, many Rangers fans are livid at this pundit’s comments.