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This summer, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have been in action at the Africa Cup of Nations. Their respective nations Senegal and Egypt reached the knock-out stages, only for Salah to be knocked out with Mane advancing to the final.

The final will take place on July 19th and, as pointed out by the Liverpool Echo recently by then, Liverpool’s first team squad will be 13 days deep into pre-season training having already participated in three friendlies.

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As for Roberto Firmino, the third explosive talent in the Reds’ attacking triumvirate who has struck fear into the hearts of Premier League defences these past couple of seasons, he was walking out onto the sacred turf of the Maracana earlier this month for Brazil’s Copa America final against Peru.

His appearance took him to 710 minutes of competitive summer action and this after a long and demanding campaign that saw the South American star play 3,406 minutes for his club.

With Mane and Salah similarly running the risk of burn-out after a gruelling 2018/19 this understandably has concerns written around it and, as a result, their introduction to the forthcoming season will need to be staggered.

Otherwise, fatigue and injuries will become a factor further down the line as an endless cycle of football begins to take its toll.

In reserve, of course, the Champions League winners have Divock Origi, whose goals in that competition have put him in the hearts of the fan-base and recently earned him a contract extension.

Liverpool were able to let Sturridge go on a free and still be in fine fettle because finally emerging from their academy after a year’s postponement through injury is a future superstar of their own making: Rhian Brewster.

The 19-year-old is one of the best to come through the ranks on Merseyside after scorching his way through the youth levels then going on to lift the Under 17s World Cup for England and winning the Golden Boot in the process.

His goal-scoring exploits and fleet-footed movement across the final third had him down as Liverpool’s next big hope; that was until a cruel and serious knee injury sustained against Manchester City under 23s set the youngster’s development back a full twelve months.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

It was at this juncture that Klopp played a blinder two-fold.

Firstly, just five months into the player’s convalescence he was awarded a five-year professional contract.

Alongside this – to further a feeling of being included and valued – Brewster was then told to commit to his lengthy rehab at Melwood, surrounded by the first team.

It was here that he struck up a firm friendship with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

In June the fit-again arch-poacher was included in Liverpool’s 23 man Champions League final squad and having proudly won a medal he then secured the eternal goodwill of all Kop devotees by recently wearing it during a haircut.

Which brings us to the present and expectation that Brewster could feature next season. After all, he’s already scored three goals in two pre-season games.

It looks as though he could finally be set to impress at first-team level.

It is not inconceivable that the stoic dedication and belief from the teenager and the patience shown by Klopp will be richly rewarded in the months to come.

And in doing so it will additionally afford Mane, Salah or Firmino the opportunity to have a well-deserved rest.

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According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Jay-Roy Grot could be set to go out on loan again as Hearts and Vitesse are interested in his services.

The 6 ft 4 attacker spent last season out on loan in the Eredivisie, but this time United should consider keeping him in the UK.

Surprising

It’s somewhat surprising seeing Grot touted with a move away from Elland Road again this summer after reports earlier in the month stated that he would be given a chance to prove himself in Yorkshire.

The 21-year-old had a difficult debut campaign at the club scoring just once in 23 games, but he seems to have rediscovered his form back in the Netherlands as he scored six goals and supplied three assists in 33 matches. He finished the season in a flurry netting three goals in his last five games, and it seemed that he had a lifeline at Elland Road.

Hearts rather than Vitesse

Even though Grot may be more comfortable heading back for another season in the Eredivisie, Leeds must send him to Hearts if he is to have a future at the club.

The SPFL is much more similar to the physical style of English football than the Dutch league and if the youngster is to ever have a career at Elland Road he must learn to adjust to that.

The recent reports from Football Insider indicate that he may still have a part to play for the Yorkshire outfit at some point, and if he gets to grips with the physicality in Scotland he will enhance his chances of becoming a first-team player for the Whites.

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Leeds United fans are split on Jack Harrison after it was confirmed that his return is looking likely.

Harrison had a mixed first season at Elland Road, and his reported return has divided fans previously – after this latest development, the fanbase still can’t agree on whether he would be a good signing or not.

Last term he appeared 39 times for the Whites, scoring four goals and creating three assists. His performances were very hit and miss, but many believe that they saw enough potential in his game to justify bringing him back.

While some fans want Harrison lining up in a white shirt again next season, others have been rolling their eyes at this potential swoop.

It’s understandable. Leeds failed to get promoted with the Manchester City man in their side, and this transfer window is surely a chance to improve the team not to bring about more of the same.

On the other hand, they would be getting a player who knows Bielsa’s system which could prove to be valuable.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

It seems like a lifetime ago when Maxi Gomez was the name on every West Ham’s lips, but things have changed a lot since then.

Whilst Celta Vigo continue to fight for La Liga survival heading into the final games of the season, Gomez’s form in the league has dipped significantly, scoring just three goals since his proposed move to the Hammers broke down in the winter transfer window.

Although Gomez has continued to be linked with teams around the continent, reports suggest the striker is actually comfortable staying in Spain with Celta.

Speaking to Marca via Team Talk, the striker said about his future: “There are many comments through social networks, what if I sign for Barcelona, if I go to Liverpool. I am very calm and in Vigo I feel very comfortable.”

These comments could come as a big sigh of relief to West Ham fans, who could now be dismayed from wanting the Uruguayan international from joining the club due to his poor form in recent weeks, and for Manuel Pellegrini, it will be a big release of pressure on his transfer budget.

With a reported price tag of £50 million, the Hammers would be wasting close to their entire budget on Gomez, which would have been a disastrous move for the club both financially and on the pitch.

The 22-year-old striker no doubt has a big future in the game, but West Ham can’t afford to gamble so much for a player who could fail in the Premier League, and these latest comments should more than turn Pellegrini’s attention away from Gomez.

West Ham fans, who should Pellegrini sign this summer? Let us know!

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West Brom relegated Rotherham with a dramatic late comeback at the Hawthorns on Saturday, but all fans are talking about is Rekeem Harper.

West Brom made life difficult for themselves on Saturday, as Jimmy Shan’s side played out a hard-fought encounter with the Millers.

And it was the visitors who took the lead too, Clark Robertson heading home shortly after half time.

The Baggies left it late but turned it around, with Jay Rodriguez and Harper both scoring in the space of a few minutes to flip the game on its head and send Rotherham down.

Harper in particular is a big talking point, because he has been very inconsistent this season and is also close to the end of his contract with the club.

The 19 year-old will be a free agent this summer, and won the day in the 79th minute, firing home sweetly with his weaker foot.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where plenty are saying the same thing about his contract situation…

Is there as likeable a manager in English football as Harry Redknapp?

The 72-year-old coach has been in and around the English game for the best part of 50 years after breaking through at West Ham as a player and then taking his first steps into management with AFC Bournemouth in 1983, a club Redknapp would manage for nearly 10 years.

And for Portsmouth fans, Redknapp is a figure who holds a special place at the club for more reasons than one.

Having left the manager role at West Ham after the 2000/01 Premier League season, Redknapp took up the job as Director of Football at Portsmouth, and although there were reports at the time that the coach was to join Leicester City to replace Peter Taylor at the Foxes, the former Hammers boss remained with the club, and it proved to be a pivotal decision.

After poor results towards the end of the 2001/02 season, Redknapp replaced Graham Rix as manager of Portsmouth, and 12 months later the newly appointed Pompey boss guided the south coast club to the English top-flight for the first time in nearly 15 years.

Although Redknapp was able to keep Portsmouth up in their first season back in the Premier League in over a decade, the former Hammers player left the club the following campaign over disagreements with then-owner Milan Mandaric, and his move to Southampton was unsurprisingly an unpopular one with Pompey fans.

Branded a ‘Judas’ by Portsmouth supporters, Redknapp’s time with Southampton was brief after ‘Arry was unable to keep the team in the Premier League as the Saints were relegated to the Championship, and in December 2005, he was back at Pompey where he has his most successful period as a manager.

As well as keeping Portsmouth up in the Premier League in his returning season at the club, Redknapp was able to guide the side to their first piece of domestic silverware in nearly 80 years in the form of the 2008 FA Cup.

It would prove to be his best achievement with the club, as the following season Redknapp was appointed as Tottenham Hotspur manager, a team he would spend four years at and take to the Champions League before joining QPR in 2015, and then Birmingham City in 2017.

Redknapp is currently waiting for his next managerial move, but after winning 2018’s edition of the reality TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, it is likely the iconic manager’s return to football will be delayed for another year or two, and for Portsmouth fans, they remember the veteran coach as the man who brought the club to its glory days.

Portsmouth fans, is Redknapp one of the club’s greatest ever managers? Let us know!

It’s taken Unai Emery months of hard-work to lay his foundations into making Arsenal a much more attractive, positive football club in his tenure.

So, to see his good work being undone by unnecessary individual errors can be especially frustrating for the Spaniard.

So whenever Shkodran Mustafi ruins Arsenal’s plans with a mistake, it’s Emery who is undoubtedly hurt the most. The error-prone German defender was back to his worst on Sunday, ending the Gunners’ unbeaten home streak with another embarrassing performance against Crystal Palace.

Coming up against possibly the most out-of-form Premier League striker in Christian Benteke, Mustafi ended up getting bullied. He was out of position multiple times, harried with his challenges and unsure of what to do. The German allowed the towering Palace striker to waltz beyond him for the opener before making a schoolboy error for the second.

Just when Arsenal were clawing back into the game after equalizing, he sloppily allowed Zaha to slide past him to score against the helpless Bernd Leno. This isn’t the first time he’s made mistakes which have cost Arsenal points. The German’s done it time and again this season, ruining their momentum and piling on the misery on Emery.

Considering he’s reportedly paid £90k (via SportRac), it simply isn’t good enough.

At this point, even Kostas Mavropanos seems a more reliable option than him. While signing a strong centre-half must be made a priority in the summer, Emery needs to deal with his Mustafi issue immediately.

However, if he keeps on persisting with the erroneous defender, the witty Spaniard’s risking destroying everything he’s built so far at Arsenal.

Arsenal fans, do you think Mustafi should be replaced soon? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been discussing a potential move for Fulham prodigy Ryan Sessegnon, with the majority keen on a swoop for the youngster.

Since breaking into the Cottagers’ first-team at just 16 years of age, the teenager has netted 25 goals and recorded 17 assists in over 100 appearances for the west Londoners, whilst also showcasing his versatility by playing at both left-back and left-wing.

Jurgen Klopp has gotten quite inventive with his excuses this season. FFC’s James Jones think he has no one but himself to blame for Liverpol’s poor form in the video below…

Sessegnon, in what is his debut season in the Premier League, has found consistent starts hard to come by amid the mess that is Fulham Football Club this season – they have had three managers, and find themselves second bottom in the league.

Despite that, the 18-year-old has scored twice and set up five more. Sessegnon is stalling on a new contract with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season, so Fulham may need to cash in this summer or risk losing him on a free.

Sessegnon is also a self-declared Liverpool fan, stating that Steven Gerrard was his favourite player, and Reds supporters on Twitter have been debating a swoop for the young prospect who would surely jump at the chance to play for his boyhood club…

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Wolverhampton Wanderers starting XI regular Matt Doherty was left on the substitutes’ bench for the 2-0 win against Cardiff City on Saturday with winger Adama Traore starting in his spot at right wing-back, and his position could now be under serious threat.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Nuno Santo decided to take action following the 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town in midweek by making five changes for the visit of the Bluebirds, with a report in The Express & Star suggesting that Doherty was one of the players that was rested, rather than dropped.

Summer addition Traore has found first-team minutes hard to come by this term with the majority of his outings being cameos from the substitutes’ bench, but he was finally given a rare chance after being named in the manager’s side.

The 23-year-old may have been slightly nervous beforehand about playing a role that requires plenty of defending, but it certainly didn’t show on the pitch as he excelled.

Doherty in danger?

He could well be.

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

The 27-year-old has started all but two of Wolves’ 29 Premier League fixtures during the current campaign, with the only other time he didn’t make the XI being in the 4-3 win against Leicester City in January.

On that occasion he came straight back in, but it might not be so simple for him this time around.

Santo may have had some slight doubts as to whether Traore could adapt defensively, and while the west Midlands outfit weren’t up against the greatest of opposition he still did an impressive job before returning to his favoured wing position early in the second half.

The Spaniard can finally give Doherty the competition for his spot that has been severely lacking and probably led to some complacency on the Republic of Ireland international’s part.

Like every Aston Villa fan out there, Dean Smith would’ve been a happy man on Saturday afternoon after his team made light work of Middlesbrough in a 3-0 win at Villa Park, which saw the Birmingham club move up to sixth on the Championship table.

But, the Villa manager would particularly have been pleased with the excellent showing of winger Anwar El Ghazi against Boro.

The 23-year-old has been one of the standout performers in the team this season and has especially been brilliant in Villa’s last four matches, which they all won, making a massive surge up the league table. But, if the Villans were to continue this good form and finish the season in a playoff spot, then the fitness and availability of El Ghazi will be pivotal for Smith and the club.

The Dutch international has, fortunately, not had any injury problems so far this season and has enjoyed great game-time the whole campaign. Indeed, he’s particularly thrived under Smith since he took charge of Villa in October last year.

If Villa were to continue this good run and miraculously earn promotion to the Premier League for next season or at least put in a proper fight in the playoffs, then Villa would need El Ghazi to stay consistent and deliver performances like on Saturday.

His pace on the left flank has been a massive key to how Villa set up to attack, while his link-up play with striker Tammy Abraham has also been superb. He has definitely benefited from the return of captain Jack Grealish, who has also been very important to Villa’s recent success on the field.

Grealish’s good passing and movement have put El Ghazi in a better position on the wing to attack with pace and skill.

El Ghazi – rated at £4.5m by Transfermarkt – is also not very afraid to make runs in-behind defenders lately due to Grealish’s excellent long balls and distribution. A truly all-round player and one probably too good for the Championship.

Jack Grealish may take the plaudits but it’s his Dutch teammate delivering promotion punches.

Aston Villa fans, how impressed have you been by El Ghazi this season? Is he too good for the Championship? Join the discussion by commenting below…