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According to ChronicleLive, Newcastle United will be offered the chance to sign AC Milan left-back Diego Laxalt in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

The Magpies are expected to be in the market for a new left-back at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and according to ChronicleLive, Laxalt is an option.

Indeed, the 26-year-old will reportedly be available this summer having struggled to impress for Milan since a move from Genoa in August 2018.

Laxalt made 117 appearances for Genoa ahead of a switch to Milan, but it would be fair to say that he caught the attention of a wider audience with his performances for Uruguay at the 2018 World Cup.

The defender appeared on four occasions for his country in last summer’s tournament and was actually linked with Everton off the back of the competition.

Newcastle are now being strongly linked with a swoop and it will be very interesting to see whether the Magpies follow up with an offer.

What would Laxalt bring to Newcastle?

Far from an orthodox left-back, Laxalt has played as a left midfielder on many occasions.

Three of his four appearances for Uruguay at the 2018 World Cup came as a defender, but he has been used further forward by Milan this season.

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It has not quite happened for the South American since his arrival at the San Siro, but he has still made 28 appearances in all competitions during the 2018-19 campaign.

It is difficult to know whether Laxalt would be a success in the Premier League, but his his energy and enthusiasm would certainly excite the supporters, and Benitez is keen to bring in a new No.3. A lack of options there has forced Matt Ritchie to become Newcastle’s emergency left wing-back at times this season.

Newcastle should seriously consider a swoop this summer if the price is right.

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Blackburn Rovers fans on Twitter have been divided by comments made by manager Tony Mowbray about youngster Ben Brereton.

The gaffer at Ewood Park was talking to the club’s official website about how the 19-year-old has a big future in Lancashire, with Rovers posting some of the quotes on social media and supporters having their say.

Brereton signed from Nottingham Forest in early January having impressed during the first half of the season on loan from the City Ground, but has seen his football rotated between the first team and the under-23s since.

At one time, the starlet was one of the hottest young strikers in English football after firing England U19s to European Championship glory in 2017, however, his reputation has fallen somewhat since.

Mowbray’s comments received mixed replies from the Blackburn fan base, with one member making it clear their belief that Brereton won’t make it in blue and white, while another contrasted him by saying it’s “written in the stars” that he’ll get his first goal against former club Forest this weekend.

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Manchester United have it all to do against Barcelona inside the Camp Nou this evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men find themselves trailing by a goal to nil after a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford in the first leg, courtesy of an own goal by Luke Shaw – the England left-back is suspended for the game against the Spanish champions.

As a result, Solskjaer will need to replace the former Southampton full-back, although Marcos Rojo’s stint on the left of defence against West Ham at the weekend did little to strengthen the Argentine’s claim for another start.

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The Red Devils will need to go on the attack from the off against Ernesto Valverde’s side, as they need two goals to progress into the semi-finals in normal time having conceded an away goal to the Catalans at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, Solskjaer needs to pick an attack-minded eleven, although one that will be secure enough not to concede another, which would all but end their hopes of progressing.

Whilst that is easier said than done, we’ve put together a potential XI that Solskjaer could opt for this evening…

This line-up sees Ashley Young come in at left-back to replace Shaw, with Diogo Dalot slotting in at right-back to cover the former Aston Villa man’s swap over to the other side of defence.

Ahead of the backline, Scott McTominay, who performed so well in the first leg, is reinstated into the starting lineup after being rested against West Ham, whilst Fred, who has been playing well of late, comes in alongside him. Overall then, that’s four changes from the starting XI that beat West Ham on Saturday.

Under Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Redmond is finally fulfilling his potential at Southampton.

With the Austrian at the helm, the 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength and is now being tipped for a big move by his manager.

“I think when you look at the last games a few players showed up that they can be an option for a bigger club. You never know,” Hasenhuttl was recently quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“At the moment I am not afraid somebody is knocking on my door and saying they want to leave. If this moment will come everybody knows they have a good value and they cost a lot of money but so far we have nothing to hurry.”

As good as Redmond has been since Hasenhuttl took the reins at St. Mary’s, though, a move to one of the Premier League big boys now is still a bit premature.

The England international probably has the tools to play in a top team in the future. You could definitely see him doing well in a side like Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino or making an impact off the bench for an outfit such as Liverpool.

But before even thinking about making such a jump, Redmond needs to find more consistency and better his end product.

And at Southampton, under Hasenhuttl’s tutelage, the former Norwich City man has the opportunity to do just that.

No, rather than take a massive career gamble, Redmond should stay at St. Mary’s for the time being and continue to improve his game under a coach who is finally getting the best out of him.

Southampton fans, do you expect the club to keep hold of Redmond? Join the discussion by commenting below.

كشف سامي قمصان مدرب فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، عن الفارق بين رينيه فايلر المدير الفني السابق للأحمر وبيتسو موسيماني المدير الفني الحالي.

وقال سامي قمصان في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير “أون سبورت اف ام”: “الفريق قدم أداء متميزا منذ بداية الموسم مع فايلر، نعم الأداء انخفض بعد فترة الإيقاف بسبب فيروس كورونا ولكنه أمر طبيعي وحدث في العالم كله”.

وأوضح: “الفارق بين فايلر وموسيماني، الأول قدم أداء متميزا والفريق تغير شكله معه بجانب الوصول معه لنصف نهائي أبطال إفريقيا، أما موسيماني يعرف كيفية التعامل بشكل نفسي مع اللاعبين وهو يعلم قيمة النادي ومكانته الكبيرة بجانب الاستقرار الموجود بالأهلي”.

وأكمل: “واجهنا ظروف صعبة قبل عودة النشاط وكان هناك مجهود كبير من كل المسؤولين وهذا عاد على مستوى الفريق والأداء الذي قدمناه أمام الوداد والزمالك أمام الرجاء”.

طالع| سامي قمصان: لم نحسم ملف المعارين.. وصالح جمعة يستطيع المشاركة ولكن!

وأردف: “تأجيل نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا أربك حساباتنا وهناك لاعبين دوليين مع منتخبات بلادهم بجانب سفر بعض اللاعبين لبلادهم من أجل الاطمئنان على أسرهم ونحاول تجهيز الجميع”.

وأشار: “وتم الاجتماع مع المحترفين والتشديد على الاجراءات الاحترازية والعودة في المواعيد المقررة بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي، والجهاز الفني سيجتمع من أجل الاتفاق على ملامح الفترة المقبلة والاستعداد”.

واختتم: “كنت أُفضل لعب مباراة في كأس مصر قبل الإيقاف الدولي ولكن سنتعامل مع المتاح بالفترة المقبلة”.

Steven Gerrard’s ability to keep Scott Arfield will define their bid for next season’s Scottish Premiership. The 30-year-old is vital to the club’s plans and his departure would signify a deeper-lying issue.

Football Insider have claimed the Gers’ manager shares the view of the board on Arfield, and that’s the stance he’s not for sale, as he is key to Gerrard’s plans. That’s no real surprise, but it’s whether his head is turned by Premier League clubs that will be the question Rangers fans will want to have answered.

The Canadian has been a bargain since he arrived on a free transfer and signed a four-year deal in summer. He’s scored 10 and assisted seven in 25 appearances for the Gers this season and has been used right across the midfield and as a supporting striker. He’s been a jack of all trades!

That contract made him the highest paid player in Scottish football according to Football Insider, but money might not be enough to keep him at Rangers. According to the Mail Online earlier this month, Southampton are readying a £3m summer bid, and he could be tempted away.

If Gerrard loses him, it means one of his most senior players will be gone, and he still needs those considering the youth he’s trying to bed in too. But, in the bigger picture, it proves that Rangers just don’t have the pulling power to bridge the gap to Celtic, and that’s key.

Keeping Arfield puts them in a great position to fight for the title, both mentally and physically. Losing him creates the sense that every time Rangers start to build something, it’ll be pulled apart by other clubs.

Rangers fans, who would you replace Scott Arfield with if he leaves in summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Another day, another Tottenham Hotspur academy product. The likes of Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Kyle Walker-Peters have all starred this season, and the Lilywhites are desperate for Marcus Edwards to do similar next season. The 20-year-old is currently on-loan at Excelsior in the Eredivisie, and his Spurs future is up in the air.

Seeing as the weekend just gone had very little in the way of action or talking points for Tottenham Hotspur fans, Football.london’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold decided to do a Spurs Q&A to give the fans their fix, and one question that came in surrounded the future of Edwards. Back in summer 2016, the youngster impressed Mauricio Pochettino during pre-season, but nothing has come of him yet.

After that summer, Pochettino made the grave mistake of comparing Marcus Edwards to Lionel Messi and to this day the young midfielder has been unable to shake the comparison. It seems to have hindered him a lot more than it’s helped him, and attitude issues have apparently held him back too. However, the fans are desperate for him to come good and would be more than happy to give him another chance next season when he returns from his loan.

You can read the Lilywhites’ thoughts on Marcus Edwards’ future here:

The Lilywhites are desperate for Edwards to make it at Spurs and will hope the 20-year-old can prove himself to Poch upon his return in the summer.

What an embarrassment that was! Manchester United’s 4-0 loss at Everton was one of the lowest post-Sir Alex Ferguson moments, and it should wake up Ed Woodward to the mess he has to sort out in summer.

The squad is full of players who don’t look like they’re putting their all in for the club, and the prime suspect is probably (in our opinion) the supposedly world-class Paul Pogba. Most blamed Jose Mourinho for their lack of desire, but it’s clear now that it wasn’t his fault at all.

Aside from some genuinely below-par players such as Ashley Young and Phil Jones, there’s clearly toxic talent in the dressing room spearheaded by Pogba. The club need to get rid of him and anyone else who isn’t fully committed to the club, and that includes Anthony Martial and David De Gea.

It’s laughable that arguably the biggest club in the world seems to be run like an old circus with the animals’ cages left unlocked. It’s not been the ringmaster’s fault in the case of Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but it’s certainly been the man with the keys, and that’s Ed Woodward.

The club will struggle to move forward with him at the helm, but if he is to stay, there’s one hell of a job to do in summer. If he didn’t realise that last May, he certainly knows it after that defeat on Easter Sunday. United are a laughing stock, but the players don’t seem to care.

To challenge for the title, half the squad needs to be changed, and that’s no overstatement. The players with the quality haven’t got their heads in it, and those that aren’t good enough can’t even force performances despite trying. What a job Woodward has on his hands!

United fans, who needs to leave United in the summer before the club can be successful again? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Scott Brown has finally had his say on the media backlash directed at him after March’s Old Firm, and Celtic fans will surely love his verdict.

Never before has a player been the victim of three separate red card incidents in one match, two of which were correctly penalised by the referee on the day while Ryan Kent was banned after the fact, only for the media to paint said victim as the bad guy.

That’s exactly what happened with Brown after Celtic’s 2-1 win against Rangers, so much so the Bhoys skipper was even cited by the SFA for “not acting in the best interests of the game”, whatever that means.

And now, the 33 year-old has hit back at the bizarre reaction to his involvement in the incidents involving Alfredo Morelos, Kent and Andy Halliday.

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What has he said?

Asked about winding up his rivals, he told The Daily Record: “I’m doing something right! If people hate me it puts a smile on my face. It must mean I’m either playing well or I’m noising somebody up in the wrong way.

“I don’t care. I think for me I celebrated with my team-mates and a fight kicked off and I walked away from it.

“Somebody elbowed me in the face and I walked away from it. Somebody punched me in the face and I walked away from it. If I was a hooligan I’d have started a brawl in the middle of the pitch.

“But I just walked away from it all, I didn’t want to get myself booked or suspended. I think I acted quite well on the day.”

Never change!

Brown’s first four words that “I’m doing something right” should be music to the ears of Celtic fans, because it means he has no intention of changing his ways.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of extra bite, especially in derbies, and Brown’s ability to get under the skin of opposition fans and players is all part of what makes him such an effective player and leader.

If the Hoops ace was to sacrifice that in the hopes of placating some moaning media members, then he wouldn’t hold anywhere near the level of adoration he currently gets from the Parkhead faithful.

In short, he is never going to change, and that’s the best news Celtic could possibly get.

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Alfredo Morelos has scored 29 times in 45 appearances for Rangers this season, and 47 in 88 games in total for the Scottish giants since arriving in 2017.

At his best, the 22-year-old is a devastating striker.

At his worst, though, he can be a real problem.

Three red cards in the league this season – including during the last meeting with Celtic on March 31 – means that his position in the XI for this weekend’s clash with the Hoops is far from secure.

Indeed, it has been suggested that Jermain Defoe could get the nod against Celtic, who have already wrapped up the league title.

It will be fascinating to see what Steven Gerrard decides to do on Sunday afternoon, and a number of Rangers fans have been on social media offering their views.

Whilst some want Morelos to be handed a starting berth this weekend, others clearly feel that the Colombian cannot be trusted.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: