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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Liverpool have triggered a clause in Joel Matip’s contract to extend his current deal by a year, report The Athletic.

What’s the latest?

Matip joined the Reds on a free transfer in 2016 having spent seven years at Schalke, and with his current Liverpool deal set to expire next summer the club seem to be keen to ensure they don’t lose him in a similar fashion.

The Cameroon international has received many plaudits in his time at Anfield and last season secured his place as Jurgen Klopp’s main defensive partner for Virgil van Dijk, although injuries to Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren also contributed to that.

His average of 34 appearances a season underlines his importance to the team and suggests the management and fans alike will be pleased to see his deal extended.

Given he will be 30 when contract expires in 2021 it is an extension which should suit both teams, and by that point the likes of Gomez and perhaps even Sepp van den Berg could have established themselves as first-team players.

Has he been a success?

Even under Klopp, Liverpool’s defence has been their primary weak spot over the last few years, and it was an area which only improved once van Dijk arrived at the club.

However, Matip did make an impact upon signing, and his performances were a marked improvement on the likes of Kolo Toure, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren, with Liverpool’s defence often criticised in 2015/16 when they conceded 50 Premier League goals.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Last season the Reds conceded just 11 goals in the 17 league games in which the centre-back started, whilst he has also proved useful in the opposition’s penalty area at times.

Given he was signed for nothing he has been a very successful addition for the Anfield outfit, and if he can maintain his performance levels or improve as he has done so far, then he should be able to win more trophies with the club.

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Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City are gearing up for their final challenge before the start of the new 2019/20 Premier League season.

And traditionally, the teams will participate in the yearly Community Shield clash that will see the defending champions of England face off against last year’s runners-up.

This means that on 4 August we will see another Guardiola vs Jurgen Klopp matchup.

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But the Citizens are still not 100% ready as some of their players are still in the process of getting their sharpness and fitness up to speed.

Riyad Mahrez is one of them as he has had a slightly longer holiday due to his extremely successful campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The 28-year-old Algerian played a big part in his country’s trophy-winning run that saw them clinch the title against Senegal in a tight 1-0 victory.

But now he is finally back at the training facilities and Benjamin Mendy has filmed him a welcoming video.

Mahrez scored a total of three goals for Algeria in a total of seven games, thus helping his team reach the final stage.

His 2018/19 campaign with Manchester City was also a success.

The Algerian has played 44 games across all competitions and scored 12 goals and tallied 12 assists in the process.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele has admitted that a major motivating factor behind his move to China was the money on offer, per BBC Sport.

What’s the word?

The 32-year-old left Spurs in January to join Guangzhou R&F.

Of course, Mauricio Pochettino’s side went on to reach the Champions League final following the Belgian’s departure.

And, in a week that has been dominated by reports that Gareth Bale could earn over £1m-per-week in the Chinese Super League, Dembele has now confirmed that the wages on offer in the country had a considerable influence on his decision to move.

He said: “Money is a thing in moving here, of course.

“People who come here earn good money but it depends. If you come here only for the money and you don’t enjoy the experience and lock yourself away in your hotel then it’s bad.

“If you earn good money and you enjoy the culture then it’s a good experience.”

Refreshing honesty

It’s about time a player was honest about their motivations.

Very few players move to the Chinese Super League for the quality of the football.

After all, it is not comparable to the Premier League, the Bundesliga or Serie A in terms of the overall ability of the playing squads.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But Dembele, at the age of 32, has moved to a league where the pace is slower, where he has fewer demands placed upon him by the intensity of the game, and he appears to have earned himself a pay rise.

When he was at Spurs, he was an important cog in the machine, making 249 appearances.

But he is now winding down his career and his honesty is really rather refreshing. One imagines that few Spurs fans will begrudge him the move.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Pundit and football agent Allan Preston insists Celtic hold all the cards when it comes to a potential Kieran Tierney exit this summer, speaking on Saturday afternoon’s edition of BBC Sportsound.

What’s he said?

Preston works for the football agency that represents the Scotland international and is a regular on the BBC Radio Scotland show, so when he appeared on Saturday’s panel one of the topics that came up was inevitably the talented left-back.

Refuting any suggestion that Tierney could be looking to force a move away from Celtic Park, Preston’s comments gave an insight into the current situation, amid bids from English Premier League sides Arsenal.

Celtic fans aren’t happy about Arsenal’s bid for one of their key players…

Speaking at length on the programme, Preston explained:

“It is all down to Celtic. If they get a price that they believe is the correct value for Kieran Tierney he could possibly be on his way. No one has hit that price yet.

“I know Kieran really well, I had some food with him the other day, he is such an unassuming young man. He is wealthy at the moment but he doesn’t possess a watch, he isn’t into material things like this.

“He still hangs about his pals from when he was a youngster, he sponsors his local pub team where his pals play and he’s not into his designed gear or anything like that.

“As the guys say he loves Celtic, he absolutely loves Celtic.”

Celtic’s negotiating position

Having already rejected two bids from Arsenal, it’s clear that the Hoops aren’t looking to make a quick buck when it comes to Tierney’s departure.

He is one of the key assets in Neil Lennon’s first-team squad and still just 22 years of age with four years left on his current contract, there is absolutely no rush to sell.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Preston’s comments also make it clear that Tierney won’t be taking the huff anytime soon and handing in a transfer request or anything as dramatic as that.

That love for the club along with the business realities of any potential deal means that any side looking to sign the left-back will have to be serious and weigh in on the full £25m valuation Celtic have placed on his shoulders, before the Hoops even entertain the notion of him leaving.

Following his arrival at Atlanta United prior to the start of the 2017 MLS season, Miguel Almiron lit the league up. He was one of the main stars of the side, along with Josef Martinez, as they won the MLS Cup in 2018 with the Paraguayan scoring 12 goals and assisting 13 more during the campaign. Although it was amidst the lower quality of US football, Almiron stood out, and it seemed only a matter of time before a European side snapped him up.

It therefore came as no shock when he got his move in January of this year. What was surprising, however, was that Newcastle United won the race to sign him, especially considering they parted with £20m to bring him to the Premier League according to the Panini Tabloid.

For a lot of clubs, that sum would represent pocket change, but not for the Toon as it set a new club-record transfer fee. It had previously been set by the capture of Michael Owen in 2005 from Real Madrid, for whom they had paid £17m and therefore taken them over 13 years to break their highest fee, but for some clubs such a milestone is a near-annual occurrence. The fee paid for Owen is lower than the highest paid by all but two of last year’s 20 Premier League clubs.

As such, it was a big deal for Newcastle, and a lot was expected of the attacking midfielder. But, whilst he impressed with his performances, he flattered to deceive from a numbers point of view. In his 10 games in the Premier League following his arrival, he failed to register a single goal or assist. Next season, he will need to do a lot more to prove he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League.

The transfer record may soon be broken again, of course. Recent reports suggest that the Bin Zayed group may soon purchase the club from Mike Ashley and while there is no guarantee they will spend lavishly, if the example set by fellow Sheikh owners at Manchester City is anything to go by, Newcastle fans shouldn’t be waiting another 13 years to see a record purchase.

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Tottenham Hotspur have pulled out of the race to sign Youri Tielemans from AS Monaco, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

Spurs are attempting to secure their first deal since January 2018 this summer, and have been linked with a number of midfielders.

Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, of Real Betis and Lyon respectively, are both targets, per the report, but an attempt to sign Tielemans has now been all but ruled out.

The central midfielder spent the second half of the season on loan at Leicester City and the Foxes are said to be interested in signing him permanently.

Spurs, though, have been put off by the prospect of paying over £40m for the Belgium international, with Monaco keen to receive a major fee for his services.

Indeed, Football Insider claim that Lo Celso and Ndombele are regarded as higher-quality acquisitions in this transfer window.

Recruitment is right

Tottenham are making the correct decisions here.

Tielemans made an impact during his time at the King Power Stadium – he scored three goals and registered five assists in 13 Premier League games – but his sample size may be too small to convince top clubs.

Ndombele, by comparison, is perhaps the best young midfielder in Europe while Lo Celso is a goalscoring No.10 – netting 16 times last season – who can either replace or provide competition to Christian Eriksen.

Tielemans should be nothing more than a back-up at this stage, should those two deals fall through.

That Spurs aren’t willing to shell out £40m for a sub-par recruit should encourage fans ahead of what is likely to be a busy summer.

وجه سيد عبد الحفيظ مدير الكرة بفريق النادي الأهلي رسالة إلى الإعلامي عمرو أديب بعد التتويج ببطولة كأس مصر.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في تحقيق فوز صعب على نظيره طلائع الجيش في مباراة نهائي المسابقة بركلات الحظ الترجيحية بعد انتهاء المباراة بالتعادل الايجابي ليحقق الثلاثية التاريخية.

وقال سيد في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “إم بي سي مصر” عبر برنامج “الحكاية”: “ينتظرنا عمل كثير جدًا، والأهلي في الانتصارات يعلم جيدًا وجود أخطاء يجب أن نعالجها، خاصةً وأن الموسم المقبل سيكون عنيفًا”.

الأهلي عن دعوة الزمالك لحضور احتفالية التتويج بالثلاثية: نرحب بمشاركة الجميع

ووجه عبد الحفيظ رسالة لـ الإعلامي عمرو أديب قائلا: “بعد كل هذه السنوات والخبرات والمواقف يجب أن يُراجع الشخص نفسه، ألن تراجع نفسك؟”(يقصد تشجيعه للزمالك)، ليرد أديب قائلًا: “لا وسنظل أوفياء!”.

وأضاف: “الأرقام التي حققناها هذا الموسم لم تكن سهلة، أكبر عدد نقاط في تاريخ الدوري 89 نقطة، فزنا بالدوري والكأس للمرة الـ15 في تاريخنا، وهذا رقم كبير على المستوى العالمي وليس على المستوى المصري، حققنا ثلاثية لثالث مرة أرقام كبيرة جدًا”.

وأردف: “يوم الثلاثاء أول تدريب لنا وسنستعد بقوة، إذا أردنا تحقيق انتصارات أخرى لابد أن نجتهد”.

وتابع: “بعد إهدار أيمن أشرف لركلة الترجيح قلت صعب أن يهدر الركلتان الرابعة والخامسة وتخسر الكأس، ثم تذكرت أننا في مباراة السوبر أمام الزمالك بالإمارات أضعنا الركلة الرابعة والخامسة وخسرنا اللقب”.

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With the Champions League final edging ever closer, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool head into the showpiece game against Tottenham as favourites.

And, in an added boost for the Reds before the clash, it was confirmed via the club’s official website that Roberto Firmino has now returned to first-team training this week.

The Brazilian has spearheaded an electric attacking trio alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane this season, but after suffering a groin injury, was ruled out of the side’s last three games.

Despite the prospect of his imminent return ahead of the side’s biggest game since last year’s Champions League final against Real Madrid, some Liverpool fans on social media questioned whether Firmino should even be put straight into the starting line-up.

They felt that the 27-year-old’s presence off the substitute’s bench could be a game-changer for the Reds, and would add some serious firepower in the closing stages of the game.

Some Liverpool supporters appeared to clamour for Klopp to choose the same starting line-up that produced that miraculous 4-0 comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final at Anfield.

With Divock Origi proving himself to be an unsung hero in the Reds’ end to the campaign, check out the reaction of Liverpool fans contemplating whether Firmino should be included from the get go next week.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية أن ويليان لاعب آرسنال سيحتاج إلى إجراء فحص قبل انضمامه إلى تدريبات الجانرز، حيث لابد من سلبية الاختبار المتعلق بفيروس كورونا.

وتوجه ويليان خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي إلى الإمارات لقضاء عطلة قصيرة.

وذكرت صحيفة “تليجراف” الإنجليزية أن ويليان لن يستطيع المشاركة في تدريبات آرسنال بعد عودته من الإمارات، ما لم تأتِ نتيجة فحص كورونا الخاص به سلبية.

وأوضحت أن ويليان لم يكن في حاجة إلى الدخول في عزل صحي في إنجلترا بعد عودته، ولكن يجب أن يكون فحصه سلبيًا حتى ينضم إلى تدريبات مايكل أرتيتا.

وأشارت إلى أن إنجلترا لم تضع الإمارات ضمن الدول المحظور السفر إليها حسب بروتوكول فيروس كورونا، كما إنها سمحت للعائدين من الدولة بعدم عزل أنفسهم بداية من 14 نوفمبر الجاري.

وأكدت أنه رغم كل هذا، فإن مشاركة ويليان في تدريبات آرسنال مرهونة بنتيجة الفحص الذي سيخضع له في الأيام القليلة المقبلة.

ويخوض آرسنال مباراة أمام ليدز يونايتد يوم الأحد المقبل في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي.

He’s given many sweet memories at the London Stadium, but Marko Arnautovic’s departure from West Ham United only seems like a matter of time.

Obviously, it was almost sealed in January, before a few issues stopped him from making his destined move to the Chinese Super League and a new contract was signed. There was also that weird video of him announcing his intention to remain in East London. Very strange.

However, the Hammers have surely realised by now that an unhappy Arnautovic is the worst thing to have. The team is in dire need over a severe striker overhaul this summer, but replacing a talented striker like Aranautovic is difficult. Granted, he might be extremely controversial but his excellent goal-scoring ability is unmatched at the Hammers.

That being said, Pellegrini is seemingly looking at options to replace the Austrian international. According to reports (via The Express), West Ham are interested in Fulham star Aleksandr Mitrovic as a potential option to lead the line and, while he’s barely free from controversy himself, the Serbian might just be a strong addition.

If the Hammers want an appropriate replacement to Arnautovic, the former Newcastle United star is the man to go for. In spite of having to play for an inefficient, lacklustre Fulham side, the Serbian international shined through with some excellent performances. Indeed, he scored 11 goals from 36 appearances, bullying defenders with his physical prowess and predatorial instincts.

Alongside a better quality of player and a team that can defend (well, kind of) the ex-Anderlecht ace could finally prove he’s worth the hype on these shores.

Like Arnautovic, Mitrovic is quite the moody striker with that potential brilliance in him. Granted, even he gets into troubles at times, but the Serbian’s looked an awful lot different over the last season or so. All in all, Mitrovic can thrive amid West Ham’s sleek attacking system, being their ruthless hitman up front and soon making fans forget about Arnautovic.

West Ham fans, would you be happy with Mitrovic as Arnautovic’s potential successor? Join the discussion by commenting below…