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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…

As quoted by The Daily Mirror, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out making an incredible move for Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe.

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner has often been linked with a move to Real Madrid to join up with Les Bleus legend Zinedine Zidane, but reports in recent weeks have suggested Liverpool may enter the race to sign him in the future.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Reds’ titanic clash against Manchester City on Sunday, Klopp played down speculation that they could pounce for the 20-year-old.

He said: “OK, from a sporting point of view, there are not a lot of reasons to not sign Mbappe, what a player he is. But it is about the money of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance, sorry for killing that story.

“I don’t think there is a club in the world that can buy Kylian Mbappe from PSG. And we are involved in that too. We cannot do it, it is as easy as that. We have nothing (more) to say about it to be honest, but (buying) this calibre of player is difficult.”

Anfield lure

Make no mistake about it, if PSG were to make Mbappe available, then Liverpool would be right up there in terms of being one of the most attractive propositions in European football for him to join. The Champions League holders may not have the financial resources as Klopp alludes to, but they have certainly built up the reputation and profile to be a destination for some of the game’s best players.

Money does talk of course, but if the French starlet was considering his options, then looking at joining Liverpool and playing under Klopp must surely be appealing. The chance to play in the Premier League, for a team that has already achieved major European success, sounds like the perfect job description for a player. So whilst the Reds manager may be distancing the club from a potential move, it may not be too big of a stretch as he thinks.

Jordan Pickford did not have the busiest of nights for England against Montenegro.

Indeed, on just two occasions was the goalkeeper called into action to make a save, but he made a wonderful stop to keep out a bullet header from Marko Simic in the first period.

And many football fans have taken to social media to praise the 25-year-old for the role he played in Thursday night’s Euro 2020 qualification match.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Pickford entered the clash off the back of keeping just three clean sheets in 12 Premier League appearances for Everton during the 2019/20 campaign.

The stopper remains England’s number one, though, having featured in each of their last 13 matches in all competitions.

And surely something dramatic would have to happen for the 6 ft 1 ace not to be between the sticks for his country’s Euro 2020 opener next summer.

Supporters from a variety of clubs were keen to pay tribute to the Toffees star on Thursday evening, a selection of which can be seen below:

Leeds United made it a sixth game unbeaten as they defeated Luton Town 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa needed a 90th-minute own goal from Matty Pearson to ensure all three points returned to west Yorkshire.

The Whites overtook Preston North End to move into second place, two points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion, who also won 2-1 at the weekend.

Patrick Bamford opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season before James Collins headed home an Izzy Brown cross just a few minutes later to tie things up.

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The 26-year-old then got the final touch before the Luton defender put the ball into his own net.

Despite the victory, some members of the travelling support weren’t thrilled, with centre-back Gaetano Berardi coming in for quite a bit of flak.

His lack of pace in defence was the main issue pointed out as one fan claimed that the club would not gain promotion this season if the 31-year-old is playing regularly.

Another member of the Elland Road faithful believes that Berardi’s legs have gone while one more supporter said the defender looked like he was playing in treacle.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Everton have very lofty ambitions as a club, which was just as evident when appointing a manager that has enjoyed a rather trophy-laden career in Carlo Ancelotti.

And the Italian has made it abundantly clear himself, proclaiming that the squad has to push for a place in Europe next season, speaking after their win over Crystal Palace, he said:

“The work everyone has done was really good, players, club, staff everyone and now our table is good and we can dream to fight for the Europa League in the next games. It is not enough to fight for the Europa League but I think we have the quality to fight.”

Such a target could well be achieved if the Merseyside outfit clinches Espanyol lynchpin, Marc Roca, this summer.

According to La Razon, the Toffees are eyeing up a cut-price move for the midfielder with the La Liga strugglers flirting with relegation – it’s claimed that Espanyol would accept a lower bid than his release clause of €40m (£36m) as a result.

Ancelotti has been working his magic at Everton already, largely deploying a 4-4-2 system, but the balance of Andre Gomes and Tom Davies in central midfield isn’t one that’ll reap the rewards long-term.

Which is why Roca makes for an interesting case as a defensive-minded option, he’s averaging a massive 2.4 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game as well as 4.4 long balls a match, via WhoScored.

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The 60-year-old has had world-class talent wherever he’s been – when winning the Champions League with AC Milan, he had Andrea Pirlo at his disposal and likewise at Real Madrid where Xabi Alonso protected his backline on their way to four trophies.

And while Davies and Gomes are decent options in their own right, neither are in the same category as the above two names.

Roca can be Ancelotti’s Alonso at Goodison Park and he comes primed to breed the very success that the boss is demanding – he’s been playing in a 4-4-2 at Espanyol, and his tackling and superb passing vision has been pinpointed in just one scout report about the 23-year-old.

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

His best performance of the season came in a 2-2 draw against big dogs Barcelona where he recorded seven tackles, two key passes and six long balls.

That in itself hints at the sort of potential he’s got hiding in his locker, and just as he did with Pirlo, Alonso and many more, Ancelotti can transform him onto a new level and at the same time, it’ll help Everton get into European contention.

AND in other news, Ex-Everton player Tim Cahill makes joke about Phil Neville…

Liverpool’s almost inevitable title win now hangs in the balance.

Just a few weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before their status as champions was confirmed as they held on to a 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League. However, the pandemic that has worked its way across the globe has halted normal life as we know it, including football.

There has been talk that the season could be cancelled if the campaign can not be re-started in the near future, and it seems that Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw is of the opinion that it should be null and voided. The 24-year-old said during a live stream on Twitch: “Scrap it and start again. Start it again, yeah. It’s gotta be you know. If we can’t carry it on it’s got to be void.”

Although he didn’t explicitly say it, ending the campaign now would mean that Liverpool would miss out on the league title. As you can imagine, many supporters of the Anfield outfit are in uproar at his comments.

One fan even suggested that the United defender is ‘not even relevant at his own club’. You can see some of the best reactions below.

Do you agree with Shaw? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

According to the Mirror, Manchester United are looking to offload Phil Jones this summer and would be willing to accept as little as £12million for the centre-back. Newcastle have been linked to a move for the Englishman, and now ownership of the club is prepared to change hands, the talks could come to fruition.

Jones has been with the Red Devils for nine years, but has had little luck with securing game time as of late. The last time the 28-year-old played for United was against Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup in January. Overall, Jones has played a total of eight games this entire season, phased out by the likes of Victor Lindelöf and Harry Maguire who have formed a new centre-back partnership.

However, the defender could be given a lifeline to stay in the Premier League as the Magpies are reportedly keen on snapping up the veteran.

Jones has been with Man United since he was 19, so a change of club will definitely be a shock to the system. But the time has come to seek pastures new after falling dramatically down the pecking order over recent years. Newcastle could be in a perfect position to guarantee him regular Premier League starts, pairing him up with captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Newcastle fanatic? Name how much Mike Ashley paid for this lot…

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Jones could be handed a ticket to be part of something very exciting unfolding at Newcastle. A struggling club that has been crying out for new investment is finally getting its wish and the 28-year-old could become an integral part of this new era.

The England international’s experience in the top-flight will benefit the Magpies during clashes against more attacking teams. Not only that, but an experienced defender could be the key to keeping young talent like Allan Saint-Maximin. With less goals conceded and less bad results, players of the Frenchman’s calibre will be less likely to look for a move elsewhere.

However, if the Northern club is keen to acquire his services, they must act fast. West Ham are also reportedly interested in Jones as they look to bolster their squad following a difficult time in the league this season.

The first signing under new ownership doesn’t have to be worth big bucks, but instead must make a statement. And the addition of Jones to Newcastle’s squad will prove they are serious about making a comeback and tightening the screws in their problematic areas.

Newcastle United’s imminent takeover is slowly building momentum, even if reports from the Daily Mirror regarding another interested party have somewhat thrown further doubt over the Saudi-backed consortium getting their deal over the line.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

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The Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt has cooled such reports by claiming that those in the north-east will find out in the next few days if Amanda Staveley’s bid to take over the club from Mike Ashley has gone through.

He tweeted last night:

Last week the BBC claimed that contracts had been signed and a deposit was put in place, meaning it was down to the relevant parties such as the Premier League to rubber-stamp the change in ownership.

The deal is expected to be worth in excess of £300m and could give supporters at St James’ Park a new lease of life that they have been desperately craving in recent times.

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans fume at this potential Steve Bruce successor…

Tottenham Hotspur could be in for a busy summer of activity going by what has been reported in recent weeks, and supporters in north London have been reacting to latest reports linking them with a new right-back.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is after Real Betis’ Emerson, who is also co-owned by La Liga rivals Barcelona.

Whilst Diario de Sevilla claim that the Premier League side have already enquired about the Brazilian ahead of a potential switch in a few months time.

It remains to be seen how much the 21-year-old would command given he is contracted to two different clubs, although Transfermarkt currently value him at £16.2m and other reports from Sport, via Sport Witness, have mooted a €20m (£17.8m) fee for his services.

The right-back position at Spurs is by no means safe, particularly after current first-choice Serge Aurier was seen breaking the UK’s lockdown regulations for a third time, resulting in a two-week fine.

Kyle Walker-Peters has also been out on loan at Southampton and isn’t likely to have much of a future at the club if Mourinho was willing to let go of him in January – even temporarily as it left the Portuguese boss light on options in the role.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Emerson would be an interesting acquisition and many in north London seem to agree with one supporter hyping him up to be the ‘perfect’ signing.

The Betis ace has provided three goals and five assists in La Liga this term and has also averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.6 long balls and 0.9 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the transfer report…

AND in other news, Tottenham could ease Harry Kane concerns with SWOOP for Serie A STAR…

Chelsea are almost ready to take to the stage and resume their Premier League season, and the players have been working hard in training.

The club’s

/CBTGBV9pi_4/?utm_source=ig_embed”>official Instagram account has been getting fans excited for the league return by posting images and videos of the Blues preparing for their match against Aston Villa.

One post in particular has got a lot of fans talking. The social media admins uploaded a clip of Michy Batshuayi firing a long-range shot into the back of the net during a session at Cobham.

Despite his form on the training pitch, the Belgium international has played just 16 Premier League games this season, scoring only one goal (via Transfermarkt). His position at the club came under threat when Frank Lampard opted to utilise Tammy Abraham as his first choice striker, and the English youngster hasn’t disappointed.

As a result of Abraham’s impressive form this term (13 Premier League goals), Batshuayi has become less and less involved, and many fans believe a summer exit is on the cards judging by the replies to the aforementioned Instagram post.

Chelsea are currently linked to some big names, including Kai Havertz, and they have also agreed terms with Timo Werner, who will likely be their marquee signing ahead of next season. Such signings will only see the Belgian become more of an outcast at Stamford Bridge.

Do you think the club should keep or sell Michy Batshuayi this summer? Have your say in the comments below…

Liverpool will look to improve on their disappointing 0-0 derby result on Sunday by seeking revenge against upcoming opponents Crystal Palace.

The Reds are still in a very impressive position, leading reigning champions Manchester City by 20 points. However, to calm any nerves, Jurgen Klopp and his men will want to grab a win against the Eagles on Wednesday.

A player who could help Liverpool come out on top is Naby Keita. The Guinean has struggled for game time this season due to ongoing injuries, but his performance against Everton was one of note, despite the overall underwhelming team display.

Keita caught Klopp’s attention back in 2017 during an electric season with former club RB Leipzig. His tally of nine goals and seven assists were attractive numbers for a side who were struggling to find goal contributions outside of the front three. However, since he joined the club, the 25-year-old has faced heavy competition for his spot in midfield, as well as hindering injuries over the years.

His performance against the Blues was one that turned a lot of heads. Keita looked a lot more fluid on the ball and was confident in taking players on and trying to conjure up attacks. According to Sofascore, Keita made two tackles, one interception and created one goal-scoring opportunity. He also kept an 88% pass accuracy rate, which was higher than Jordan Henderson.

His lack of game time this season may have been frustrating, but could now work in his advantage. Crystal Palace won’t be expecting his input in the middle of park and likely won’t have prepared themselves to face him. If Liverpool opt to start Keita behind their usual front three, he could be a real driving force in creating chances for Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah to put away.

Do you think Klopp should start Keita against Palace, Reds? Have your say in the comments below!