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Barcelona provided a positive update on Pedri's injury ahead of the club's season opener against Valencia.

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Barca provide update on PedriSuffered injury during Euro 2024Returned to training earlier this monthWHAT HAPPENED?

Pedri displayed great form at Euro 2024, however, his journey in the competition got cut short as he suffered an unfortunate injury following a reckless challenge by Toni Kroos during Spain's quarter-final clash against Germany.

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It was initially believed that the young midfielder could remain out of action for at least six to eight months. He was not named in Barcelona's travelling squad for the United States pre-season tour, however, he returned to training on the pitch at Barcelona's training centre earlier this month while the squad was away.

WHAT BARCELONA SAID

Now, ahead of the Catalan giants' season opener, the club issued a positive update on the player's condition as their statement read on X, "Pedri has received the medical green light and will be available for #ValenciaBarça."

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Hansi Flick's side will play their first competitive match of the 2024-25 season on Saturday night against Valencia away from home.

Akash Singh, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan also charged for behaviour that led to “unedifying” events on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2020

Ravi Bishnoi celebrates a wicket with gusto•ICC via Getty

Describing the unpleasant events at the close of Bangladesh’s successful chase at the Under-19 World Cup final on Sunday as “unedifying”, the ICC has heavily sanctioned three Bangladesh and two India players for breaching the governing body’s Code of Conduct. India legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, was found guilty on two counts, while fast bowler Akash Singh and the Bangladesh trio of Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan were charged with violating one article of the code.ALSO READ: Under-19 World Cup takeaways: Asian dominance and spin to winWhile all five players were held guilty of breaching Article 2.21 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, which deals with bringing the game into disrepute, Bishnoi was also found guilty of violating Article 2.5, which pertains to the use of “language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal.”All five players were slapped with varying suspension points, with Hridoy bearing the stiffest penalty of 10 suspension points, which equates to six demerit points. Both Hossain and Singh were handed eight suspension points (six demerit) while Hasan was given four suspension points (five demerit). Bishnoi was handed a total of seven demerit points: five for breaching Article 2.21 and another two for the manner in which he celebrated the dismissal of Avishek Das in the 23rd over of the Bangladesh innings, which breached Article 2.5.All the above points will remain on the players’ records for two years and apply to upcoming international matches – at the Under-19 or senior level – they are likely to participate in. One suspension point equals to a player being ineligible for one ODI or T20I, Under-19 or A team international match.Match officials, including on-field umpires Sam Nogajski and Adrian Holdstock, third umpire Ravindra Wimalasiri and fourth umpire Patrick Bongni Jele, levelled the charges against the players, with the final penalty proposed by the match referee, Graeme Labrooy.Job done – Akbar Ali and Rakibul Hasan celebrate•ICC via Getty

There was a lot of aggression on both sides through the final, a low-scoring thriller in which Bangladesh chased down a revised target of 170 with only three wickets left. Players engaged in several short exchanges since the second over of the match that culminated in some players from both sides being involved in pushing and shoving and, in the process, causing damage to a Bangladesh flag.ALSO READ: Report – Akbar Ali, Shoriful Islam lead Bangladesh to Under-19 World Cup gloryBoth captains condemned the behaviour on their players’ part. Priyam Garg, the India captain, said the opposition’s reaction was “dirty” while his opposite number, Akbar Ali, was “sorry” on behalf of his team, admitting that emotions needed to be kept in check without spoiling the fabric of the “gentleman’s game”.Geoff Allardice, the ICC general manager cricket, said it was “disappointing” to see a final that was “hard fought” and ended with players being sanctioned.”The match was hard fought, as you would expect in an ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Final, but the elation and disappointment experienced by some players after the game spilled over into unedifying scenes that have no place in our sport,” he said in an ICC release issued on Monday. “Respect is at the very heart of the spirit of cricket, and players are expected to show self-discipline, congratulate the opposition on their successes and enjoy the success of their own team.”It is disappointing that Code of Conduct charges needed to be laid after such a closely contested match, but it is important to reinforce the standard of behavior that will be expected of these young players should they transition to senior international cricket.”

Leeds United do not currently know what division they will be competing in next season as they are battling to secure promotion to the Premier League this term.

The Whites are currently second in the Championship table, below Leicester City in first, and are on course to land a place in the top-flight next term.

However, Ipswich Town and Southampton are both in hot pursuit and there is no guarantee that the Yorkshire-based outfit will avoid the lottery of the play-offs, which caused them to miss out on promotion during the 2018/19 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Their divisional status could impact their decision-making regarding the first-team players who are currently set to become free agents in the summer.

However, there is one player who should be brutally ditched by Daniel Farke irrespective of the league that Leeds are in next season – Liam Cooper.

The long-serving captain, who earns more in wages than Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, should be allowed to leave on a free transfer to go and find a club where he can see out his career playing regular football, rather than wasting away on the bench at Elland Road.

How much Liam Cooper earns at Leeds

As per Salary Sport, the experienced central defender is on £19k-per-week at Elland Road, which is more than Gnonto, Summerville, and Sam Byram, among others.

The 32-year-old battler has been a solid performer when called upon by Farke throughout the 2023/24 campaign but has been riding the bench for the majority of the season.

He has only started seven matches in the Championship, out of his 14 appearances in the division, as the likes of Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and Pascal Struijk have all been preferred ahead of him.

This shows that Cooper is the fourth-choice centre-back option for Farke, whilst academy graduate Charlie Cresswell has played five times in the Championship and may be eyeing a larger role moving forward as he develops and improves.

33 in August, it does not appear likely that the Scotland international will force his way further up the pecking order, particularly if Leeds are promoted to the Premier League, and the opposite could happen if Cresswell convinces Farke that he is ready for more minutes.

Therefore, the German boss must brutally ditch the 6 foot 2 titan, who currently ranks within the top 12% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes (4.76) per 90, due to his lack of game time and lack of future prospects.

Cooper, who has not made an appearance in the league since New Year's Day, may want to look for regular football to see out his career and Leeds should be looking to move on his hefty £19k-per-week wage, given the minimal impact being made on the pitch through his limited involvement this season.

However, it is important to note that the veteran centre-back has been an outstanding servant to Leeds throughout his time in Yorkshire and should be praised for his overall contributions to the club, rather than being remembered as just a squad player this season.

Liam Cooper's Leeds career in numbers

The Scottish ace joined from Chesterfield in the summer of 2014 and has racked up 282 appearances for the Whites in all competitions across almost a decade at Elland Road.

He has scored 11 goals and provided six assists as a central defender for the Yorkshire-based outfit over the years, and played a crucial role in the club's progression under Marcelo Bielsa.

Appearances

38

Starts

36

Tackles per game

1.4

Interceptions per game

1.8

Clean sheets

15

Ground duel success rate

66%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

As you can see in the table above, Cooper was a regular starter for the Argentine tactician throughout the 2019/20 campaign as Leeds won the league title to earn promotion to the Premier League.

He was named in the PFA Team of the Year, alongside teammates Ben White, Kalvin Phillips, and Luke Ayling, for his efforts that term, which shows how highly his performances were rated by his peers.

The former Chesterfield star then went on to play 66 times for Leeds in the Premier League across three seasons in the top-flight, before their relegation last year.

Overall, Cooper has enjoyed a successful career at Elland Road but his time now appears to be coming to a natural end, as Farke has the chance to move on his £19k-per-week wages in the summer.

This could then free up more funds to hand extensions to Summerville and Gnonto, who currently earn less and have outperformed him on the pitch this term.

How much Summerville and Gnonto earn at Leeds

As per Salary Sport, Summerville is currently on £16k-per-week and Gnonto is on £9k-per-week, having both arrived as promising youngsters from Feyenoord and Zurich respectively.

Despite their low wages, in comparison to Cooper, the two wing talents have been fantastic performers on the pitch for Farke's side in their battle to win promotion to the Premier League.

The Dutch forward, in particular, has been in outstanding form throughout the season with his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate.

Appearances

34

29

Starts

32

14

Goals

15

6

Assists

8

2

Big chances created

16

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, both players have offered quality in the final third and been regularly called upon by Farke, as a starter or off the bench.

Summerville currently ranks fourth in the Championship for goals (15), eighth for assists (eight), third for Expected Assists (9.73), and fourth for 'big chances created (16), which shows that he has been one of the best attacking players in the division this season.

Gnonto, meanwhile, has only hit his stride since the turn of the year. In his last ten appearances in all competitions, the Italy international has scored six goals and provided one assist for the Whites.

These statistics show that both players have made a big impact on the pitch for Leeds as they fight to make an instant return to the Premier League, whereas Cooper has rarely been called upon.

Fabrizio Romano updates Leeds fans on Summerville future "despite rumours"

He’s been one of the best players in the Championship this season.

ByTom Coates Mar 4, 2024

Farke must brutally ditch the experienced colossus to allow him to go and find a new club in the summer, where he can hopefully play regular football to see out his excellent career.

Dani Olmo is determined to extend Harry Kane's trophy "curse" in the Euro 2024 final after denting the Bayern Munich striker's hopes in Germany.

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Olmo warned Kane ahead of the Euro finalDetermied to beat England in the summit clashHad scored a hat-trick against Bayern in the German Super CupWHAT HAPPENED?

Kane's debut outing with Bayern Munich in August ended in a shocking 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig, with Olmo scoring a hat-trick in the German Super Cup final. Subsequently, Bayer Leverkusen went on to capture the Bundesliga and an early exit from the DFB Pokal meant that Kane remained without a trophy despite his staggering £100 million move to Bayern from Tottenham.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT OLMO SAID

Reflecting on the upcoming Euro 2024 final, Olmo did not hide his desire to thwart Kane once more. "Of course, it would be a dream to score a hat-trick in the final – and win it, of course," Olmo expressed enthusiastically.

Spain enters the final with an impressive record, having won all six of their matches without needing a penalty shoot-out. This stellar performance positions them as the favourites for Sunday's clash. However, Olmo remains cautious about England's resilience, acknowledging their ability to score crucial goals late in games.

“It’s a team that never gives up, that’s for sure," he said. “We have to be focused all the game, and it doesn’t matter if we are down or up.”

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Both Olmo and Kane are tied with three goals each in the tournament, intensifying the competition for the Golden Boot. Kane scored from the penalty spot in England's semi-final against the Netherlands, while Olmo showcased his skill with a stunning goal against France. However, if the RB Leipzig star goes on to net a hat-trick then Kane might miss out on winning successive Golden Boots in the European Championship.

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As the football world anticipates the showdown between Spain and England, the personal rivalry between Olmo and Kane adds an intriguing subplot to the final. Both players are key figures for their respective teams, and their performances could be decisive in determining the outcome of the match. For Spain, a victory would reinforce their reputation as a football powerhouse, while if England lifted the trophy then it would end their 58-year wait for a major tournament success.

Joao Cancelo faces an uncertain future as Manchester City and Barcelona are at an impasse over the Portuguese.

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Cancelo not wanted by Man CityBeen on loan at BarcelonaSpanish side don't have funds to sign him outrightWHAT HAPPENED?

City have reportedly been keen to offload the full-back for a while now, and have slapped a £25 million ($31.8m) price tag on his head. The 30-year-old himself has admitted he would like to stay on at the Catalan outfit but a new development has put that move in severe jeopardy.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesTHE EXPLANATION

According to Spanish publication Sport, City want to cut all ties with the former Juventus and man and sell him outright, but Barcelona want to bring him back on loan for another season and then possibly buy him at the end of that spell. Pep Guardiola's men have reportedly received two bids from Saudi Pro League teams – but they do not have Cancelo's approval for a move to the Middle East yet. The report adds City have 'taken a stand' regarding his sale and are unlikely to budge from their position – with Barca's chances of bringing him back to the club all but over.

DID YOU KNOW?

In April, City boss Guardiola said he would wait until the end of the 2023-24 campaign before deciding on Cancelo's future. He has not played for the Premier League side since January 2023 after falling out with the ex-Barcelona manager.

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Cancelo, who spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Bayern Munich and then last term at Barcelona, is out of contract at City in 2027. It remains to be seen who he will play for next season.

Phil Foden has left the England camp at Euro 2024 in Germany to return to the UK for the birth of his third child.

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Foden representing England at Euro 2024Star has returned to homeland from GermanyFA confirm urgent family issue behind exitWHAT HAPPENED?

Foden was given permission to leave the Three Lions' training base to return to his homeland on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was in Gareth Southgate's starting XI as England played out a 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday night, but departed the squad the following day.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FA SAID

The Football Association (FA) confirmed the Manchester City star's departure from the Three Lions' camp, saying in a statement: "Phil Foden has temporarily left the England camp and returned to the UK for a pressing family matter."

It was later widely reported that Foden had left to attend the birth of his third child.

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The attacker is expected to be back with the England squad in Germany by Sunday – the same day Southgate's men face their last-16 clash.

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Foden's involvement in the first knockout round may now be in doubt as he is away celebrating the arrival of his third child and is therefore unable to train. England will face either the Netherlands or the team that finishes third in Group E at 5pm (BST) on Sunday.

A few years ago, at a gig (The Wildhearts, if memory serves; it may well not), the following exchange took place.”As I came in this evening, I saw a homeless guy just outside,” the lead singer said. “Now, if everyone here gives him a quid as they leave…”Cheers and applause rang out. But then the bass player (again from memory, but memories play tricks) chimed in. “That’s simplistic and irresponsible,” was the basis of his response. “If everyone gives him a quid, he’ll probably have overdosed by midnight.”The point of all this? That sometimes it pays to challenge the pervading view. And that just because something sounds like a good idea on a superficial level, it may do little to resolve underlying issues. It may even make them worse.All this came to mind when listening to Joe Root explain England’s decision to open the batting with Jason Roy in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. It was, Root said, “exciting” and “different” that England had “gone this way”. And it will, he said, give England “an opportunity to put pressure on the opposition at the top of the order”.Roy is, no doubt, a fine player. And a dangerous player. His impact in the World Cup was huge. Put simply, England looked a different side when he returned after injury. Irrespective of statistics, nobody contributed more to that success.But even his own county coach believes that Roy has a better chance of demonstrating his undoubted skills at Test level if he bats in the middle-order.Against the red, Dukes ball – a ball that moves far more laterally than its white, Kookaburra counterpart – and against a highly-skilled attack on surfaces which are expected to provide assistance to bowlers, Roy faces the steepest of learning curves.He doesn’t open for Surrey in first-class cricket, remember. Asking him to fulfil a role in Test cricket which he does not fulfil at either county level or for The Lions appears oddly optimistic. And like a failure in the planning process. England are asking a huge amount of Roy here.The idea that trying an aggressive opening batsman is “different” is palpably nonsense. To a greater or lesser degree, all of Alex Hales, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali and Adam Lyth might be defined as aggressive batsmen. Equally, the likes of Nick Compton and Keaton Jennings were encouraged to be more ‘positive’ – an almost meaningless word in cricket; who goes out there trying to be negative? – during their spells in the side. It didn’t work out for any of them.Jason Roy goes on the attack•Associated Press

Attacking the bowling is the get-rich-quick scheme of Test cricket. And while getting rich quickly is, without doubt, the best way to get rich, there is a reason that people view such schemes with deep suspicion. They tend to be simplistic. They tend to be a con.None of this language is new to England. Over the last few years, the rhetoric around the side has been about positivity, aggressive batting and responding to most situations by counter-punching.Instead, pressure can be put on bowlers by forcing them into fourth and fifth spells in a day. Instead aggression can be expressed by forcing the opposition into the field for a fourth or fifth session in succession. By grinding them into the dust as India did so well to England on home soil at the end of 2016. England spent 190 overs in the field in India’s first innings in Chennai and 183 in their first in Mumbai. On both occasions, India scored at under four-runs-per-over and on both occasions they won by an innings.But to do that, batsmen need to have sound defensive games. And they have to be patient. And they have to be playing in a set-up that respects and encourages such an approach. You could be forgiven for wondering how many England batsmen such criteria would fit. In the longer term, it is encouraging that Ashley Giles, the director of men’s cricket at the ECB, recognised this and promised to act to improve the development system.England’s home record is more than respectable. They’ve not been beaten in a Test series in England since 2014 – before Trevor Bayliss took over as coach – with a feature of their success being the manner in which their all-rounders have allowed them to compensate for their top-order fragility. They are, without doubt, a talented side who could win this series.But they were bowled out for 85 by Ireland last week. They were bowled out for 77 by West Indies in January. And 58 by New Zealand in March 2018. They have reached 400 only once in their last 32 Test innings and were bowled out for under 200 on two more occasions in the Caribbean.Sooner or later, that top-order fragility is going to cost them. And with the batting returns of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen having declined (the former is averaging 24.42 in Test cricket since the start of the 2018 English season; the latter 17.00 since September 2017), there can be less confidence about the ability of that middle-order to lead the recovery.It therefore becomes ever more important that the top-order sell their wickets dearly. That they dare to be dull and prepare to be patient. That they allow bowlers sessions where few runs are scored and outside edges are passed. That they embrace some of the old-fashioned virtues of Test cricket.Not since 2014 has a Test been drawn in England when the weather has not intervened. And on that occasion – the Trent Bridge Test of 2014 – the pitch was so poor it was censured by the ICC. There is plenty of time in Test cricket. Time for batsmen to play themselves in, to leave balls outside off stump, to hit the ball on the ground.This England team is wonderfully, endlessly entertaining. But if they want to go the extra mile – from entertaining and dangerous to undisputed world Test champions – they may well have to embrace a little more caution and a little less aggression. The outcome of the Ashes may depend upon it.

Jarrad Branthwaite's last-gasp, close-range header handed Everton a reprieve from the vertiginous problems painting their half of Merseyside a solemn shade of blue, but Tottenham Hotspur will be dismayed that they squandered the chance to clinch back-to-back victories in the Premier League.

Ange Postecoglou's summer appointment has refuelled the fire in the north London club after a tough period, anointed to spark vision and verve back into an ambitious outfit that had trundled to an eighth-placed finish in 2022/23.

In fairness, Spurs are just two points behind Aston Villa in the top four, having bolstered in January, seen key players filter back in from the medical room and put the skid before the festive period firmly behind them.

However, Postecoglou fashioned a blistering start to the season and while this highlighted the quality within the squad, it camouflaged the issues that will take more than a couple of months to do away with.

4/10 Spurs man who made fewer touches than Vicario was anonymous vs Everton

The Lilywhites suffered a setback in their bid to secure a top-four berth…

ByRobbie Walls Feb 3, 2024

The winter additions were a step toward plastering such cracks and aggressive Radu Dragusin and versatile Timo Werner have strengthened Spurs' accord, and while the latter has slotted right into the starting line-up, he was unable to produce a convincing performance against Sean Dyche's men.

Timo Werner's game vs Everton in numbers

Spurs took the lead on two occasions at Goodison Park courtesy of Richarlison's red-hot goalscoring form – that's nine goals from eight matches in the Premier League now – but Werner was unable to complement the talisman effectively on Saturday afternoon.

Signed from RB Leipzig on a six-month loan (with a buy option inserted for around £15m), Werner, aged 27, placed assists across his first two league appearances for Tottenham but failed to impress against a Toffees backline braided with resilience and boosted by a cacophonous home support.

Against Everton, as per Sofascore, Werner completed 86 minutes of action but took just 26 touches – only three more than Dejan Kulusevski, who replaced Brennan Johnson after the hour mark – and while he completed 80% of his 20 attempted passes, making one key pass, there wasn't enough on offer to convince Postecoglou that he is deserving of a regular starting berth.

Indeed, having won just one duel and failed to even attempt a dribble or take a shot, the former Chelsea forward flattered to deceive and few would bemoan Postecoglou if he were to relegate him to the bench next time out.

Ball retention

Finishing

Long shots

Aerial duels

Offside awareness

Source: WhoScored

Handing the German international a lowly 4/10 match rating, football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold penned his thoughts on an ineffectual effort: 'Caused Everton some problems with his runs down the left and had one effort saved before being flagged offside. He could have had more conviction in getting to a Johnson cross that was instead intercepted by Godfrey.'

While Werner struggled to perform, he wasn't the only player to miss the mark on Merseyside, with centre-midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur failing to spark any invention into the Spurs attack and consequently leaving Werner with little fuel from which to engineer openings.

Rodrigo Bentancur's performance vs Everton

Bentancur has started the past four Premier League matches for the Lilywhites after returning from injury problems that ruled him out of most of the first phase of the campaign, but it's probably fair to say he's been something of a mixed bag thus far.

Hooked shortly after 60 minutes for the industrious Oliver Skipp, Bentancur was nullified in the centre of the park and failed to make an impact, unable to place a single key pass and winning just three of his 12 contested duels.

While Gold provided Bentancur with a marginally better match score than Werner – giving him a 5/10 – he did note: 'Another very quiet display from the Uruguayan who seems to be still feeling his way back into regular Premier League football.'

It wasn't that the 27-year-old was objectively bad, he's just not maximising his myriad of midfield tools and is struggling to slot himself right back into prominent standing.

But then, of course, this will hardly fill Postecoglou with worry; the 6 foot 1 Bentancur spent the lion's share of 2023 on the sidelines and has been plunged back into the deep end over the past month and a bit.

Described as "technically immense" by broadcaster Adam Smith, Bentancur has enjoyed some moments since his comeback, scoring a well-taken goal to restore parity against Manchester United at Old Trafford several weeks ago, and kept it crisp with his passing.

Though he wasn't at the races against Everton and a case could be made that he was off the race in midweek against Brentford, substituted at half-time with the home side trailing.

There is, in what will be mellifluous words to Spurs supporters' ears, a solution, with Pape Matar Sarr replacing his South American counterpart against the Blues, having returned from the African Cup of Nations this week after Senegal's exit.

Sarr has started 16 times in the league this season, posting two goals and two assists, and is proving himself to be one of the division's hottest prospects; his return from AFCON is massive.

As per FBref, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 9% for assists, the top 18% for pass completion and the top 19% for progressive passes per 90.

Moreover, he's averaging five ball recoveries per game in the Premier League this season and will bring the energy and tenacity needed to ensure that Tottenham take control of midfield battles over the coming months.

With Yves Bissouma's Mali knocked out of AFCON on Saturday, Postecoglou will soon boast an engine room in its full force and the burden on Bentancur's shoulders will be eased somewhat, allowing him to continue to build up fitness and rekindle his best form.

Tottenham dropped points against Everton and lost their short-lived hold on the top four. Still, there is much to be confident about going forward and there is every chance that a return to the continent's pinnacle competition will be achieved in May.

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United managerial job may yet be saved as the Dutchman reportedly has 'influential backers' following his FA Cup triumph.

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Ten Hag in danger of sack at Man UtdFA Cup win gives him lifelineNow has growing support in boardroomWHAT HAPPENED?

According to The Independent, United's 2-1 win over City in the FA Cup final has helped the Dutchman's case in his bid to keep his job. While the Red Devils have spoken to the camps of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Frank, one argument being pushed by his defenders is the fact that Mikel Arteta struggled early on at Arsenal. Some believe the Spaniard had an "equivalent" first season at Arsenal to United's 2023-24 campaign, as he also won the FA Cup after finishing eighth in the Premier League, before going on to transform the Gunners into genuine title challengers.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Ten Hag led United to third place last season and a Carabao Cup triumph, without their surprise FA Cup win, they would have to reflect on an eighth-place finish this term and a sorry Champions League group stage exit. However, the report adds there is 'sympathy' for the Dutchman over injuries and a series of other distractions. Either way, the ex-Ajax boss may learn his fate in the coming week.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The report adds that while sacking Ten Hag would be an 'unpopular' decision amongst United fans, one highly prominent voice is 'adamant' a new manager should come in, and there have been questions raised about some of their recent signings.

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WHAT NEXT?

Ten Hag, who has just headed off on his holidays, could reportedly be replaced by ex-Chelsea bosses Thomas Tuchel or Mauricio Pochettino – who are understood to be United's top targets. Brentford's Thomas Frank is considered behind them, as is the greatly admired Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna.

Liverpool rebuilt incredibly well during the summer transfer window, welcoming Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Fabinho in a midfield overhaul. Reaping the rewards ever since, the Reds now find themselves in a Premier League title race, leading the way against both Arsenal and Manchester City.

Even when in the middle of that title race, however, Liverpool have turned some of their attention towards next summer, when they could reportedly look to repeat their transfer trick by landing one particular European star and submitting a "monstrous offer" to his current club.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are undoubtedly back to their best under Jurgen Klopp after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season. But that's not to say they couldn't do with further improvements.

Liverpool's rumoured centre-mid targets for January	Latest update
Kalvin Phillips	19th December
Khephren Thuram	15th December
Joao Palhinha	10th December
Piotr Zielinski	2nd December
Joao Neves	29th November

If they are to add trophies to their returned form, then Liverpool may well need to return to the transfer market for even more midfield talent. The last thing that those at Anfield will want is to endure a summer of panic once again in pursuit of reinforcements, and it appears FSG are already tempted by a big move.

According to Milan-based outlet Linterista, translated by Sport Witness, Inter are worried that Liverpool will come in with a "monstrous offer" to sign Nicolo Barella, forcing their hand to reach a new deal with the midfielder sooner rather than later.

The Italian's current contract is set to expire in 2026, meaning that he currently has just two years before he can leave the club on a free deal. The last thing that Inter want is to be backed into a corner and left with little choice but to accept an offer for Barella, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in landing his signature.

"Great" Barella would be an instant upgrade for Liverpool

There are not many players who could instantly make an incredible impact on Liverpool's new midfield, but Barella is certainly one of the few who could. There's even an argument that he would be the Reds' best option in the middle of the park. Barella's stats this season compared to the current options at Anfield certainly suggest as much.

Player	Progressive Carries	Progressive Passes	Passes into final third	Goals + Assists
Nicolo Barella	35	152	113	5
Alexis Mac Allister	15	80	57	2
Dominik Szoboszlai	51	108	65	4
Curtis Jones	10	31	28	1

Even when not at his best, Barella has earned the praise of those in Italy, with Christian Vieri telling Bobo TV via FCInterNews: "Barella isn’t at his best. But that’s okay, I don’t see this as a big problem. Inzaghi now has a very strong bench. So this season, if Barella is tired, he gets to rest and Frattesi plays in his stead. I always considered Barella a great midfielder. In my opinion, he remains a point of reference for the manager.”

With that said, it's no wonder Inter are concerned over the possibility of the likes of Liverpool presenting an offer for their midfielder, given his clear ability in the middle of the park.