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Lots of Liverpool fans on Twitter have called on the club to sign Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus after the 5ft 9 ace hit it off with Roberto Firmino in Brazil’s 2-0 Copa America semi-final win over Argentina.

The former Palmeiras striker scored a goal and recorded an assist for Firmino, who returned the favour with an assist for Jesus’ strike himself.

The pair were certainly crucial in getting their country to the final with their efficiency at the top of the pitch.

Jesus also stood up for the Liverpool No.9 when an on-field scuffle sparked after Firmino cheekily nut-megged Lautaro Martinez, pushing an Argentina player away when they tried to confront the former Hoffenheim man.

As a result, lots of Liverpool fans seem to have taken a shine to the City forward and would apparently love to bring him to Anfield judging by their responses to the incident on Twitter.

Let’s see what loads of Reds supporters have been saying…

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A report from the Yorkshire Evening Post has named Helder Costa as Leeds’ number one target in this upcoming transfer window.

Marcelo Bielsa’s priority this summer has been to strengthen the wings and bringing in Costa would undoubtedly do that.

Getting a deal done for the Portugal international may be a bit more complicated though, and Leeds must be careful not to get stung by Wolves when moving for their man.

Number one target

If a deal was more straightforward then making Costa their number one priority this summer would be a stroke of genius by Leeds.

The winger is fantastic at this level, and the performances he put in during the two seasons he spent with Wolves in the Championship were impressive – 15 goals and 14 assists in 71 outings.

If Bielsa does want to strengthen his wide areas, then the 25-year-old’s arrival would be a step in the right direction.

Could backfire

Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t going to be easy to negotiate with. Wolves have already reportedly been looking at a swap deal with the Yorkshire club which would see Kalvin Phillips go the other way.

It has also been reported that Wolves want to get rid of Ivan Cavaleiro along with Costa, but they want to receive a fee for at least one of those players meaning that the Whites may have to cough up for their target.

The Whites mustn’t spend too long pursuing him as they risk putting all of their eggs in one basket. Their other targets could slip away while they focus on the Wolves man.

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The Yorkshire club are interested in other wingers, but they may go elsewhere if Bielsa’s side focus too much on a deal for the former Monaco man.

For example, Ryan Kent is being eyed by the Whites, but he could very easily go back to Rangers if Leeds don’t move quickly as the Glasgow outfit are also keen.

Leeds United will look to put the disappointment of last season behind them following their play-off final loss to Derby County.

Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to stay with the club is something which should be viewed as a massive positive for the Whites, and the Argentinian will be hoping to go one better and win promotion next year.

To do so though, the club must move to bring in new players, while also keeping hold of some their more talented players who sit within the squad at the moment.

That’s why we here in the Tavern feel that the club’s latest stance in terms of interest in Jack Clarke and Kalvin Phillips is a refreshing update for the Elland Road faithful, but should also be viewed as a warning shot to the rest of the Championship.

We say this as it could have been so easy for the club to fold and sell some of it’s better players with the hope of cashing in big sums of money and bringing in cheaper replacements. However, it doesn’t look like Leeds are going to be taking that route.

This is a worry for the rest of the Championship really, who sat back and watched Leeds deliver some brilliant displays last season full of energy and with the likes of Phillips at the heart of proceedings.

Indeed, for Phillips in particular it is tremendous news, as so much that Bielsa sets his team out to do seems to revolve around the young midfielder.

While Jack Clarke might not be a first XI regular at the moment, he has featured prominently off the bench, and you would assume going into next season he will be given even more opportunities by Bielsa and the coaching team at Elland Road.

Leeds will surely only go out and add more quality to the ranks, which, coupled with keeping the likes of Clarke and Phillips, bodes extremely well for the Whites in their pursuit of success.

وصل المغربي بدر بانون، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي، إلى القاهرة اليوم الأربعاء، تمهيدًا للانتظام في التدريبات الجماعية للفريق، استعدادًا لمنافسات الموسم الجديد.

ووصل اللاعب منذ لحظات إلى مطار القاهرة، وكان في استقباله رأفت إبراهيم، إداري الفريق، الذي أنهى إجراءات دخوله واصطحبه إلى فندق الإقامة.

طالع أيضا.. بدر بانون: فخور بارتداء قميص الأهلي.. وأشكر الرجاء وجماهيره

وكان الأهلي قد أعلن في وقت سابق عن انضمام الدولي المغربي بدر بانون قادمًا من فريق الرجاء، بعقد يمتد لأربعة موسم، وقام اللاعب بالتوقيع على العقود، ثم غادر إلى المغرب لإنهاء كافة متعلقاته، قبل أن يعود اليوم إلى القاهرة لبدء مشواره مع الفريق.

جدير بالذكر أن الأهلي يستعد لملاقاة نظيره أبو قير للأسمدة يوم السبت المقبل في دور الثمانية من بطولة كأس مصر.

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According to The Sun, Southampton are one of the Premier League clubs weighing up a summer move for Everton winger Yannick Bolasie, but manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s previous transfer admission proves the club won’t be in for him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun report that Saints, along with top-flight rivals Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, are all considering making a move for the wide man during the window.

The Sun say that the Toffees are looking to sell the 29-year-old on a permanent basis following an mixed loan spells with Aston Villa and Anderlecht this term, and are keen to recoup at least £7m for a player they paid £25m for in 2016.

Marco Silva clearly sees no future for the DR Congo international at Goodison Park, but would he have one at Southampton?

Hasenhuttl comments rule it out

The Austrian manager has already outlined the type of player Southampton will look to sign this summer, and Bolasie doesn’t fit within that criterion in any way, shape or form.

Remember Fraser Forster? No? Well he’s still a Southampton player on 80k-a-week! How can have revive his career? Check out the video below…

Earlier this month, the 51-year-old said, via The Daily Echo: “I guarantee we try to bring players here who see us as the next step in their devolvement.

“The most important goal is they are not too old and sign a first or second contract and see us as a big chance to show up in the Premier League.”

Those words clearly state that the south coast outfit will be looking to sign players in their early 20s with big potential to use Saints as a platform for their future success.

Given Bolasie turns 30 next week he wouldn’t be suitable at all, and signing him would go against everything Hasenhuttl has said and what he wants.

Southampton may well need a boost in attack and in wide areas in particular this summer, but it’s time to firmly file this one under agent talk.

If there is one thing Newcastle United fans want above all else, it is a long-term contract for Rafa Benitez. And then maybe just about everything else wrong with the club addressed, as well.

Owner Mike Ashley and manager Benitez have been chasing each other in circles for some time now like excitable dogs. The Spaniard, who is due to run out of contract in May, will surely only commit his future to the club if certain demands are met, while notoriously frugal Ashley is only will to make assurances if Benitez blindly extends his contract.

However, much to the joy of Newcastle fans, it seems the two parties who have for so long waged war on each other are finally willing to break the deadlock. Chronicle Live have reported that the Newcastle hierarchy, in all their wisdom, hope to come to an agreement on Benitez’s contract extension within the next two weeks-or-so. Though there is a very slim chance that this period of negotiation could be stalled (again) as the club are yet to come to an agreement over some of the proposals tabled by former Liverpool man Benitez, who is presumably just asking for a reasonable transfer kitty in the next window.

We think it is fair to say that the Magpies have been one of the better sides in the lower half of the table thanks to Rafael Benitez. Their defensive record is actually strong than eight of the ahead of them in the table, including Manchester United, Watford, Leicester and Everton. And though their offensive stats leave a lot to be desired, a decent transfer window could quite easily address their shortcomings.

The words ‘transfer’ and ‘window’ probably send shivers down the spine of owner Mike Ashley. But the budget store tycoon will have to address his attitude if he wants to tie Benitez down, and surely that is a very, very good thing. For too long now has Mike Ashley cowered away from his duties to recruit new and exciting players and provide unrivalled entertainment for the Newcastle faithful; simply accepting mediocrity without challenge and allowing his managers to struggle without hope. A new contract would symbolise the end of this trauma. A fresh start filled with optimism, transfer activity and exciting football.

Newcastle United fans, do you truly think things will change if Benitez signs a new contract? Let us know in the comments below…

With Rangers desperately trying bring back the days when the Scottish Premiership title was a two-horse race, Steven Gerrard’s comments dispelling hopes of buying on-loan winger show their is still some way to go.

Ryan Kent has been a sensation since his temporary switch to Ibrox from Liverpool, and Gers fans will be extremely disappointed were he not to return in some capacity next season.

So to hear Gerrard say the club will not be able to afford to buy the player outright, will be a bitter pill for fans to swallow.

With the fee Liverpool would demand — rumoured to be around £12 million — Gerrard is still hoping to bring the player back, albeit in another loan deal, but the ball is, very much, in the Merseyside club’s court.

Gerrard told the Scottish Sun: “I think it would unlikely be a permanent move. The numbers being spoken about, I’m out.

“I would be more confident about getting him back on a loan. If Liverpool wanted to sell him, that’s out of my hands. We’ll have to wait and see.

“There are a lot of boxes ticked with him being at Rangers. Liverpool know that, Ryan and his people know that and we certainly understand that.

“We have to make sure we have an offer for Ryan.

“Our supporters need to know I’m doing everything I can to make sure he is here next year because he is one of the people I want to build the team around.”

The club may be back in the upper echelons of the top tier table now, but after the problems that beset the club from past regimes, it seems that they are still a long way from being able to compete in the transfer market for the quality of player that would see them mount a realistic title challenge.

In modern football, £12m is not an enormous fee, but that Rangers are unable to fork out those amounts, while disappointing for fans to hear, means the club are trying to manage their budget in such a way to prevent repeating mistakes of the past.

But when it comes to as player like Kent, who Gerrard publicly said he wants to build a team around, surely there has to be some way of balancing the books and still be able to back the manager with, what he sees as, a key signing.

The opportunity to win the Premiership title, and the riches that a subsequent Champion’s League qualification could bring, would far outway the initial £12m outlay on Kent.

So maybe there should be some semblance of speculating to accumulate, rather than simply going through the motions year upon year, while watching your neighbours rack up trophy after trophy.

What do you think of the current financial situation at Ibrox, Rangers fans? Should they start to be more ambitious in the transfer market? Let us know…

It is not very often that a swap deal works out for both parties, but that is exactly what has happened with the deal that saw Dwight Gayle head to the Hawthorns and Salomón Rondón head to St James’ Park.

Gayle has scored 17 goals in 34 appearances for West Brom this season, while Rondón has bagged 10 in 28 for Newcastle.

Both Rafa Benitez and the fans, have urged The Magpies to make the Venezuelan’s stay on Tyneside a permanent one, while Albion fans are making similar noises about Gayle.

But Benitez has insisted there could still be a St James’ Park future for the former Palace striker.

Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle about Gayle’s future, Rafa said: “Dwight is doing really well.

“It’s good when players are doing well for their teams and you have to consider them for the future.

“OK, you never know what can happen but it’s good when they are doing well and enjoying themselves.”

It is certainly not the biggest endorsement of the player’s likely return to Newcastle next season, but it has left the door ajar.

The problem is, the preferred scenario would surely be for Gayle to be used as a make-weight in a deal to secure Rondón’s future on Tyneside, while getting a high earner off the wage bill at the same time.

Whether that comes to fruition relies on several permutations: whether West Brom get promoted — at which point the asking price rises; whether there is rival interest for the player — something that has looked increasingly likely in recent weeks; or whether Gayle fancies a permanent switch to The Baggies — which would likely see him take a wage cut.

But of course, one of the major unknowns, is whether Benitez will remain manager next season. If not, then it remains to be seen what personnel a new man in charge would want to keep, or let go.

In truth, despite Rafa’s public comments, it is hard to see a future for Gayle at Newcastle, regardless of who is in charge next year.

He is, in some ways, a victim of his own success in the Championship, with him scoring goals in the division for fun, at both Newcastle and West Brom, but never looking so prolific in the Premier League.

Time will tell who stays and who does not, but whichever way you look at it, it is going to be a very interesting summer in the North East.

What do you think, Newcastle fans? Would you welcome Gayle back to St James’ Park? Or would you like to see him go, regardless of what happens with Rondón? Let us know your thoughts…

It’s pretty safe to say that Rafa Benitez and Newcastle fans alike have suffered in recent seasons in terms of watching their team develop. So, with Mike Ashley holding onto his purse rather tightly, it is going to be another interesting summer at St. James’ Park. No Newcastle reading this will need telling that the Sports Direct mogul likes to keep a lid on things financially but, with the arrival of Miguel Almiron for a club-record fee back in January, there does appear to be more wiggle room than before. 

Over the last few years, we have seen a confused and rather agitated Rafa Benitez come out and say how badly he wants to move this team forward. Music to the ears of a long-suffering fan base, many of whom pin their hopes solely on the Spaniard to change the culture on Tyneside.

So, here we are going to look at a couple of requests that the Spaniard (if he is to stay and sign a new deal) should look to make in order to finally push Newcastle United back to that next level.

Improve youth facilities 

It can be argued that a club the size of Newcastle United should be producing more outstanding youth prodigies then they have been. With only a handful of players in recent years emerging as serious talents, it is imperative that Benitez looks to improve.

For years, fans have been urging the chairman to put some money into the youth system. A footballing hotbed such as Newcastle surely has talent waiting to be found there. Look at the likes of Peter Beardsley, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer and – more recently – Sean Longstaff, after all.

It’s important for any club looking to become a mainstay in the Premier League that they can rely on youth prospects during the course of a season, and with some money in to improve facilities, there is no doubt that Newcastle can become one of them clubs again.

Spread the funds around

The signing of Miguel Almiron finally broke the record transfer fee for a player since Michael Owen and, every Toon supporter reading this will know, the Paraguayan has been a revelation.

But, is that really what Newcastle need?

As nice as a £21 million signing sounds, there are far more problems around the pitch that must be addressed.

With positions like a full back, and a few talented players needed as back up in attack, it’s important that Rafa chooses wisely in the next window, and doesn’t look to just sign one player for all of the money he has in his surprisingly low transfer budget.

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Manchester United legend Gary Neville has revealed that he thinks Liverpool should exit the Champions League and focus all of their efforts on winning the Premier League title.

The Reds are still in the prestigious European tournament, and have the second leg of their last 16 tie against Bayern Munich to come on Wednesday – the scores are tied at 0-0 after a stalemate in the first leg.

Of course, Liverpool’s title rivals Manchester City are still in the Champions League, and have an excellent chance of progressing into the quarter-finals after beating Schalke 3-2 in the first leg.

Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…

What did Neville say?

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit said: “Getting points on the board is a big advantage. I always thought that if Liverpool could win the league this season then they’d need a clean fixture list.

“I’m going to say it: go out against Bayern Munich. That sounds like madness.

“Of course, you’d never play to lose a game but it will be in Liverpool’s favour if they have a clean run as they can get everyone fresh. City have got a couple of FA Cup games, where Liverpool could go five or six points in front. That’s tough to pull back in the closing weeks.”

It’s hard to argue with him

Liverpool don’t have anywhere near the squad depth that Manchester City do, and it seems like the only way they could offset the difference between the two squads is to exit the Champions League and have a clean schedule for the title run-in.

As Neville mentions, City are still in the FA Cup and the Champions League, as well as the title-race, so if the Merseyside club can drop out of Europe and Pep Guardiola’s men progress further in the aforementioned cup competitions, Jurgen Klopp will be afforded the luxury of keeping all of his players fresh and their heads clear, focused for the challenge ahead.