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Coming up against Liverpool is always a daunting task, especially in the current campaign given their form.

And earlier in the season, it would have been an even more daunting one for Southampton considering how they were playing.

Months later, and it is a game the Saints players now look to be relishing with Ryan Bertrand sending the Reds’ star man a stark warning ahead of the St. Mary’s encounter.

The Breakdown

“It’s always good to play against the best players. That is why you play and it’s the ultimate aim,” Bertrand told Sky Sports when discussing the threat of Mohamed Salah.

“I won’t change my preparations. I’m just looking forward to seeing his strengths and seeing his weaknesses and trying to nullify some and exploiting the others.”

Bertrand’s message to Salah shows the sort of confidence in the Southampton camp right now — something that was severely lacking under Mark Hughes — and it is not hard to see why.

Since Ralph Hasenhuttl replaced the Welshman in the St. Mary’s dugout, not only have Southampton managed to put in big performances, but they have also done so against some of the division’s top dogs.

The south coast club have claimed victories against both Tottenham and Arsenal, earned a draw with Chelsea and ran Manchester United extremely close in a 3-2 defeat.

Such displays have helped to give Bertrand and co a new lease of life. And if they can take that into the clash with Liverpool, then things will not be easy for Salah and his team-mates.

Southampton fans, does Bertrand have what it takes to neutralise Salah on Friday? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Arsenal are reportedly in the race to sign Christopher Nkunku, a PSG youngster who was given his first break in Paris by none other than Unai Emery.

What’s the story?

Well, according to Le Parisien, as reported by Sport Witness, the Gunners are “in the running” to sign Nkunku this summer.

And there’s more good news as well, as the report states that Rennes, who were linked with the youngster just a few days ago, have denied any contact.

Sport Witness even go as far as to say the player is “counting on a transfer this summer”, so few are his opportunities in Paris.

There is some bad news though, as PSG sporting director Antero Henrique plans to extend the 21 year-old’s contract even if only to secure a higher transfer fee.

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No-brainer

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, a value that will likely double if the Parisiens do indeed extend his contract even despite the player’s clear desperation to leave, Nkunku is a versatile attacker with bags of pace and skill.

He is best in the number ten position, but he can also play on either wing. In fact, you could go as far as to say the French starlet is basically a winger playing as a playmaker, part of this new generation of rapid, aggressive dribblers like Kylian Mbappe and Jadon Sancho.

Nkunku is excellent on the half-turn, his first touch, composure on the ball and ability to ghost past players with electric acceleration are all sensational, and above all else he truly has an eye for a pass.

According to Transfermarkt’s stats, he averages a goal or assist roughly every two-and-a-half games based on minutes, hardly a terrible rate for a 21 year-old midfielder who is usually introduced late in matches that are already decided.

Nkunku may not be ready to arrive at Arsenal and walk into the first XI, but playing for a manager who clearly believes in him at a club with a history of developing French players would surely do wonders for his confidence.

So long as Henrique and PSG don’t go crazy with their transfer demands, this one should be a no-brainer for the Gunners.

تأهل لاعب النادي الأهلي الناشئ مصطفى عسل إلى نصف نهائي بطولة مصر المفتوحة للاسكواش، بعد الفوز على المصنف الخامس النيوزلندي بول كول.
 
وتفوق عسل علي بول كول بثلاثة أشواط مقابل شوطين، بعد مباراة ماراثونية امتدت لـ103 دقائق.

وجاءت نتيجة الأشواط “٨/١١ – ١١/٩ – ٤/١١ – ١١/٣ – ١٢/١٠”.

طالع.. حوار بطولات| بعد لقب الأفضل عالميا.. مصطفى عسل يكشف كواليس انضمامه لـ الأهلي ورسالة الخطيب المشفرة

يُذكر أن مصطفى عسل لاعب الاسكواش بالنادي الأهلي والمصنف رقم 18 عالميًا، قد تُوج مؤخرًا بجائزة أفضل لاعب شاب في العالم من اتحاد محترفي اللعبة، والذي حصد بطولة العالم التي أقيمت في كوالالمبور بماليزيا.

Jordan Veretout is set to become another frustrating case of flop-turned-good for Aston Villa fans who had to endure a single season of pure, unadulterated averageness from the player back in 2015/16.

For all his promise, what a disappointing acquisition Jordan Veretout turned out to be.

Brought in from Ligue 1 side FC Nates on a five-year deal in 2015, the touted ‘complete midfielder’ should have helped Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa towards Premier League safety.

Sherwood said at the time: “I’m really pleased Jordan decided to choose Aston Villa over the other options he had and opt to continue his development with us. He is only 22 but he is vastly experienced for someone that age.” The former Villa manager added: He has played over 140 games in France and is a really exciting young player. I know he is very highly rated, so we are delighted to get this deal over the line” (source: Guardian).

Unfortunately, he did very little prevent the Midlands giants from suffering relegation that year. His distribution was poor, if not a little too reserved; the so-called ‘experience’ he possessed may have sufficed in the vastly inferior Ligue 1 but rarely paid dividends in the Premier League; and he ultimately succumbed to the pressures of carrying a below-par Villa side.

In fairness, knowing Tim Sherwood and how abysmal he turned out to be at pretty much every club he spewed his nonsensical rubbish, it should have been alarm bells from the point he praised Veretout.

Alas, Villa fans were left in the lurch and made to wait patiently for the day their ‘really exciting young player’ fulfilled his potential.

And eventually it came…just not for the right side.

The former Villa man is now plying his trade in Italy for Fiorentina and has finally found his feet four years on from his initial transfer.

Some standout performances in the domestic league reintroduced his name into the limelight and subsequently reminded us all of what a colossal mess he was.

Jubilation for Fiorentina fans, we’re sure; commiseration for the Villans.

Just how bad was Veretout at Aston Villa? Still, considering his form now, should have he been given more of a chance?

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Liverpool are lacking options at centre-forward beyond Roberto Firmino but it appears that Jurgen Klopp is likely to lose one of his alternative options in the summer.

What’s the word?

Daniel Sturridge has struggled to make an impact this season despite an early flourish which saw him notch vital goals against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

The stunning strike which salvaged the Reds a point at Stamford Bridge hinted that the once electric attacker had turned a corner, but he has since slipped back into obscurity.

His contract is due to expire in June and Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce believes that neither club nor player are hoping to extend his current deal.

‘I’d be amazed if he stayed beyond this season. I just don’t think a new contract makes sense for either the club or the player. He could earn a lot more by leaving as a free agent.’

Time for a fresh start

The manner in which the England international’s career has faded is incredibly disappointing both for Sturridge and the Liverpool supporters.

But after suffering from a succession of injury problems it’s about time Sturridge embarked on a fresh challenge. What he needs right now is minutes on the field to rebuild his match fitness and Klopp seems unwilling to provide that – which is understandable given his future is likely to be played elsewhere.

Memories of the 29-year-old attacker’s clinical past alongside Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling in the famous S.S.S trio will live long in the memory, but the time has come for the club to cut ties with Sturridge.

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The arrival of Steve Bruce had an instant impact after officially taking the reins at Sheffield Wednesday as his side recorded a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

It was a dream start for the 58-year-old after the weeks of anticipation which preceded his arrival. A typical, solid and Bruce-esque defensive performance provided the foundations for victory, but the entirety of the fanbase are not fully convinced by loyal servant Liam Palmer.

Indeed, the club’s official Twitter account paid tribute to the 27-year-old on Tuesday now that he has surpassed 200 appearances for the club.

Some of his admirers eulogised over his commitment to the cause and the quality of his performances in recent weeks, but not everybody shared that enthusiasm.

Palmer’s contract is due to expire this summer and Bruce will have plenty to think about due to the size of his squad, with a handful of supporters urging him to offload the academy product rather than offer him a new deal.

Considering his relative popularity amongst large sections of the supporters and the fact he has spent his entire career at Hillsborough, it would take a strong call from the boss to release him in the summer.

Here’s what a handful of Wednesday fans have had to say about Palmer’s future:

Gary Stead, the former New Zealand batsman, has been appointed the High Performance director and head coach of the Canterbury team. Stead replaces Bob Carter, who has joined the New Zealand coaching staff under Mike Hesson.Stead, who played five Tests in 1999 against India, South Africa and West Indies, said he was “excited and proud” to be given the job. He is currently in Sri Lanka as the coach of New Zealand team playing the Women’s World Twenty20. The new assignment will be his first coaching stint in first-class cricket and with a men’s team.Lee Germon, the Canterbury Cricket chief executive, said that Stead was a stand-out applicant and his lack of experience in four-day cricket was “discussed thoroughly”.”When we scoped this role we were determined to find a top quality candidate who could not only coach our Wizards side but develop and implement a high performance system and environment for our elite athletes,” Germon said.”Gary brings top-level coaching and playing experience, a varied background in the high performance area of our sport and an impressive playing record for Canterbury and New Zealand. He is about to complete the prestigious coach accelerator programme and is very highly regarded by both players and fellow coaches.”Stead’s first-class career spanned 14 years, during which he scored 4984 runs with 10 centuries.

According to The Telegraph, Everton want to reward Mason Holgate with a new contract after putting in some fine displays under recently-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old has struggled to really establish himself as a key part of the Everton first-team since making the move from Barnsley back in August 2015, registering just 70 appearances across all competitions.

He has played a far more prominent role this year however, playing and completing the full 90 minutes in the Toffees’ last 16 Premier League games. And under Ancelotti in particular, the defender has really impressed, registering an average match rating of over seven in four out of the seven games in the top-flight.

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With his current deal expiring in the summer of 2022, The Telegraph claim Everton know it is the “right time” to start negotiations with his representatives over signing a potential new deal.

Smart move

Still only 23, Holgate still has plenty of years left before he should hit his prime, and so it makes no surprise the club are looking to extend his contract.

Upon his signing back in 2015, then Everton manager Roberto Martinez remarked: “With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn’t want to lose out. He is a young man with an impressive future. His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first team.”

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

Whilst he may not have kicked on as quickly as some may have expected with just the 70 games in more than four years at the club, working under someone like Ancelotti could be the key to really establishing him as a top defender. The Italian manager has worked with the likes of Sergio Ramos and Kalidou Koulibaly in his time with both Real Madrid and Napoli respectively, so he could certainly help Holgate grow a lot more over the coming months.

Meanwhile, this Everton player has received glowing endorsements from Steven Pressley.

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

Tottenham Hotspur will step up efforts to sell Victor Wanyama in January, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

The report claims that manager Jose Mourinho has placed the Kenya international in the “shop window” ahead of the January market.

Indeed, the Portuguese introduced the Kenya international as a substitute on Wednesday evening as Spurs lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich, reportedly in an effort to make clubs aware of his fitness.

Spurs die-hards are getting 70% on this Ultimate Tottenham Quiz. Can you beat them?

Wanyama has made just one start this season, against Colchester United, and three substitute appearances; he is valued at £10m by the club.

A necessary exit

Wanyama has been on the fringes of the first-team squad for some time now.

Even last season, under Mauricio Pochettino, the former Southampton ace made just four starts in the Premier League.

He has battled with injury woes throughout his career in north London, missing a total of 47 games through a cartilage problem and two knee injuries.

He is on his last legs and one feels that he cannot be expected to play a key role under Mourinho any time soon.

The time is right to move him on and potentially bring in a replacement; that should happen in January.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have been told to sign one Spurs ace.

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Charlton fans on Twitter were fuming with striker Nicky Ajose recently after his two starts in the cup games against Mansfield and Swansea’s U21 team, with many fans calling for him to be dropped or even released altogether.

Ajose signed for the Addicks in the summer of 2016 having impressed at Swindon Town the season before, but after just half a season he was loaned back to his former club to finish the 2016/17 campaign.

He was then also loaned out for the first half of last season to Bury, making this his third loan move to the Shakers throughout his career.

Ajose came through the Manchester United youth system, but at 27 years of age he has only netted one goal in nine appearances throughout all competitions for Charlton this season, and this came in an 8-0 club-record win over Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.

Check out some of the most damning tweets after Ajose’s recent performances in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy below.