Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool midfielder James Milner may leave this summer amid transfer interest in Jude Bellingham.

What’s the latest on Milner, Bellingham and Liverpool?

The Reds have been said to be in the market for a new midfielder for some time now and the Borussia Dortmund star is understood to be one of the club’s biggest priorities this summer.

However, manager Jurgen Klopp made it clear in January that the club don’t have the resources to just go out and sign expensive new players. With that in mind, it seems a few midfielders could be leaving Liverpool this summer to make way for Bellingham.

Indeed, while talking on his YouTube channel, Romano noted that loanee Arthur Melo won’t be joining the club on a permanent basis, while Milner’s future is yet to be decided.

He said (3:40): “Let’s see what happens with James Milner. This will be decided in the final months of the season.

“But also Arthur Melo. Arthur will not stay at Liverpool next season. The idea is clear, he is expected to return to Juventus and then Juventus will discuss with other clubs to find a solution for Arthur.

“But Liverpool will cut many players from that position because Jude Bellingham is the big target. Of course with Man City and Real Madrid also involved in the race.”

What could Milner’s contract situation mean for Liverpool transfers?

Milner has been a great servant for the Premier League club since arriving from Manchester City for free back in 2015. The Englishman has played over 300 games for the Reds, winning essentially every major trophy available.
However, at 37 years of age now, it might be time for him to retire soon or at least bring his time with Liverpool to an end. With his contract set to expire this summer, this could be the right moment for the two to part ways.

Saying all that, Milner has still played in 28 games across all competitions this season for Klopp (albeit mostly as a sub), so it’s not as if he’s an unused squad member,
But with a fee in the region of £130m being quoted for Bellingham, Liverpool may have to cut costs in other areas to fund a move and so perhaps the club will decide against renewing the contract of their veteran midfielder this summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as Manchester United manager will go down as underwhelming, to say the least. He failed to win a trophy in nearly three years in charge at the club while making off-field decisions which set the club back.

He splashed out £80m on the much-criticised Harry Maguire in 2019 while also wasting money on the likes of Donny van de Beek and Daniel James, but he arguably had his biggest howler by selling Chris Smalling in 2020.

What has Chris Smalling done since leaving Manchester United?

The Englishman was sold for £18m to Serie A giants AS Roma, and he has gone on to thrive in Italy.

Last season, United conceded a total of 57 goals in the Premier League, 14 more than the Giallorossi shipped from the same number of Serie A games, and Smalling clearly enjoyed being reunited with his former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico.

He even managed to win silverware with Roma as they claimed the inaugural Europa Conference League title, and he excelled during that triumph by averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.19/10.

He kept four clean sheets across ten matches while winning a staggering 80% of his duels, along with making 3.5 clearances per game, and he was clearly an integral member of the team which claimed Roma’s first European trophy in 61 years.

Media personality Imoh Umoren even dubbed Smalling “one of the best defenders in the world on current form” last April, and the ex-Fulham centre-back certainly justified it with his form in Europe.

The 33-year-old has carried on that form into this season, playing 23 times in Serie A and keeping eight clean sheets while utilising his physical presence with his 6 foot 4 frame to win 66% of his duels.

Smalling is clearly enjoying himself in Italy, and his performances in recent months show that United had a howler by getting rid of him when they did.

There is no guarantee that Erik ten Hag would have played him as often as Mourinho has, but the Englishman’s experience and ability would surely have made him a solid option to be called upon when required.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Tottenham Hotspur for playing a weakened side in the FA Cup only to lose the next Premier League game.

What’s the latest on Spurs’ form?

It was bad afternoon for the north London club this Saturday as they fell to defeat away against Wolves with Adama Traore netting the only goal of the game in the 82nd minute.

To make things worse, this caps off a week where Spurs were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Sheffield United.

What’s more, clearly prioritising this most recent league game, Conte and assistant manager Stellini opted to rotate and rest in the mid-week defeat only for it to backfire as they ended up losing both matches.

While speaking about this all on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton said he couldn’t understand why the club would not do more to try and win a cup competition considering their trophy drought.

He said (2:34): “Spurs fans, what is going on at Tottenham? I think it’s been a really disappointing season. May well finish in the top four but so inconsistent.

“But my beef with Spurs is that why would you play a weakened side – when your fans are desperate for you to win a trophy – why would you play a weakened side again Sheffield United in the FA Cup?

“I’ve got to say, I don’t get that one.”

Why aren’t Tottenham winning any trophies?

In that game against Sheffield United in the FA Cup, key man Harry Kane started on the bench and played just 25 minutes. Seeing as he has started all Premier League and Champions League games, it’s clear how important he is to the team.

With that in mind, Conte and Stellini must have felt it was okay to rest his legs, assuming that they could beat their Championship opponents without the use of the England captain.

That clearly was a mistake and with the club trophyless throughout Kane’s senior career – having last won silverware when they lifted the League Cup back in 2008 – it’s little wonder some fans would have been baffled by the dismissive attitude towards their mid-week clash.

It does seem as if they should know by now that if they want to win a trophy, they have to take the domestic cup competitions more seriously.

As Celtic romped to victory over Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday to continue their remarkable surge under manager Ange Postecoglou, it was telling that nine of the starting lineup at Hampden had been signed during the 57-year-old’s tenure, with only Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor having been at the club prior to his arrival.

While rival boss Michael Beale has previously suggested that Postecoglou has been somewhat “lucky” to be able to carry out such a vast squad overhaul over the past 18 months or so, it is a testament to the latter’s man judgement that he has rarely put a foot wrong in the transfer market, having routinely snapped up previously hidden gems on the cheap.

Of course, there have been those additions that have not worked out – with Yosuke Ideguchi recently departing on loan after a year plagued by injury – yet on the whole the Old Firm side’s recruitment has been near-on perfect under the Greek-Aussie’s watch.

One notable transfer success that the title-winning coach has enjoyed has been the signing of Japan international, Daizen Maeda, with the 25-year-old having thrived after signing as part of a triple J-League swoop alongside both Ideguchi and Reo Hatate back in January 2022.

Having initially joined on loan from Yokohama Marinos – where he had played under Postecoglou – the relentless dynamo was then signed permanently for a fee of just £1.3m last summer, with that minimal cost already looking like a total bargain as far as the Glasgow giants are concerned.

How much is Maeda worth now?

As ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton stated earlier this week on the BBC’s Monday Night Club, the Parkhead outfit have effectively been “stealing” players from the Japanese market after securing deals on the cheap, with Maeda one obvious success story.

A player who is simply a “one man closing down machine” with “incredible energy” – as per Sutton – the 12-cap ace is now said to be worth around €9.4m (£8m), according to Football Transfers, with that representing a major increase on the forward’s initial cost.

That valuation has been more than justified amid the £18k-per-week man’s standout displays in recent times, as he now boasts nine goals and six assists in 36 games in all competitions this season, with his overall record for the club now standing at 28 goal involvements in just 58 appearances.

That’s not to suggest that it has all been plain sailing for the 5 foot 8 ace as he notably missed a number of big chances (three) in the Champions League group stage and has been branded a “headless chicken” by writer Casey Evans in the recent past, although he is now undoubtedly a key figure in Postecoglou’s side.

A real “nuisance” in attack who looks like a “man possessed” at times – as pundit Rio Ferdinand noted during the World Cup in Qatar – Maeda has rightly earned plaudits for his remarkable work ethic, with it no doubt pleasing to see that energetic approach now combined with a regular end product.

While those at Celtic Park will not be looking to cash in any time soon – despite recent interest from Premier League strugglers Southampton – it will be pleasing to know that if he does eventually depart, it will likely see the club make a notable profit on their initial investment.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has been suffering from injury problems, after he limped off the pitch in the victory over Everton.

What’s been going on with Nketiah?

The striker found himself thrust into the starting XI following an injury to Gabriel Jesus at the World Cup, and initially did well before suffering from a dip in form.

With nine goals in all competitions this season, he is one of the highest scorers in the Arsenal squad but was benched for Leandro Trossard in the last two games.

He has been struggling with a knock during this time, and this may be of some concern to Mikel Arteta.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts explained why Nketiah was on the bench and hinted that he could be a doubt for Arsenal’s upcoming match against Bournemouth.

(8:30) “Eddie Nketiah limped off at the end of the game,” he stated.”He went down as soon as the full-time whistle went, he fell onto the ground and then he got up and he limped off.”He went down the tunnel straightaway with one of the fitness coaches at Arsenal. He has been suffering with an issue for a while now, Eddie, which is kind of why he was rested at the weekend against Leicester.”His form hasn’t been great but I think a lot of that is down to his injury as well he’s been struggling with something. Arsenal will be managing it.”Are Arsenal better with Nketiah in the side?Although he has scored more than Jesus this season, Nketiah does not have the same level of influence on the pitch as the Brazilian, particularly in his ability to help his teammates improve.With Nketiah in the starting XI, Granit Xhaka has failed to score a league goal, whilst Gabriel Martinelli’s form slightly dipped.With Nketiah on the bench recently and Trossard starting, Martinelli scored against Leicester and Everton, before the Englishman came on and assisted Martinelli for another goal.When Jesus was starting, Martinelli and Xhaka were both at the top of their game in front of goal, possibly as a result of the former Manchester City star’s technical ability and work rate.Whilst Nketiah has proven himself to be a suitable understudy to help Arsenal score goals, the signing of Trossard and the potential return of Jesus could limit his game-time again, particularly if he continues to struggle with his injury problems.

Sky Sports presenter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Chelsea’s large squad is causing a problem for Graham Potter as training sessions are now too crowded.

What’s going on with Potter at Chelsea?

The Englishman is under heavy pressure after a disastrous run of form, which has seen them win just three of their last 16 matches in all competitions.

Chelsea recorded a 1-0 victory over Leeds, in a match that Potter could not afford to lose, but despite heavy spending in the last two transfer windows, the club look set to miss out on a Champions League spot.

The club recruited 16 new players in the last two windows, and the squad is so large that a number of senior players including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could not be registered for the Champions League matches.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Sheth revealed that Potter would like to set up 11 vs 11 games in training, but cannot due to the size of the squad.

“I know it’s sometimes very difficult to have sympathy for a club that spent nearly £600m pounds in two transfer windows, but I think there is a little bit of sympathy towards Graham Potter, simply because nearly half of that money was spent when he wasn’t even the manager,” he stated.

“How many of those players would he have actually signed, had he been in situ at Stamford Bridge at the start of the summer?

“People say ‘he’s got some great players there,’ yes, he has, but he’s going to be working and wanting to work in a particular way. I’ve heard stories that he wants to do 11 v 11 in training, but he can’t do that because there’s like 11 V 11 V 11. V 11. How is he supposed to?

“It’s so difficult to have sympathy for a club that spent that much money but I think you don’t have to go too far to have a bit of sympathy for Graham Potter in this situation.”

Is Potter entirely to blame?

Potter has received a lot of criticism for Chelsea’s run of form, but he has landed in a difficult situation to manage.

He joined the club during the first half of the season after Thomas Tuchel was dismissed, taking over a squad that had already been through a lot of changes, before a crazy January window in which eight players were recruited, whilst outgoings were minimal.

Hakim Ziyech, for example, saw a loan move to PSG collapse, meaning the Moroccan was forced to remain at Chelsea despite wanting to leave for game time. Having so many players in one squad makes man-management more difficult, as players will have less opportunities for minutes.

Whilst he does deserve a lot of the criticism, any manager coming into the same situation will have faced the same issues given the club’s squad building tactics under owner Todd Boehly.

Newcastle United will be hit with a big blow for their upcoming two Premier League games with Joelinton set to sit on the sidelines on the back of his recent suspension.

Why is Joelinton suspended for Newcastle?

The Brazilian midfielder will now miss the upcoming games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest having picked up his 10th yellow card on the weekend against Manchester City.

Joelinton has already served a one-game suspension earlier in the season having picked up five yellow cards in the Premier League by the end of October.

His disciplinary record has failed to improve since and now the 26-year-old is set to reduce Eddie Howe’s options in the middle for the next two games.

And speaking on the Everything is Black & White YouTube channel, journalist Andrew Musgrove has shared his concerns about the Brazilian’s absence:

“Without Joelinton, it’s going to be a huge challenge, I think, to get six points, but they’re more than capable. Just because they haven’t got a like-for-like replacement, they’ve got quality players to replace Joelinton.

“But yeah, devastating blow. He’s not going to be in the side for the next two games, which hopefully means he can rest up, come back after the international break fresh, [have] a bit more energy about him. He probably has looked the only one still with a full tank.”

Who will Eddie Howe play instead of Joelinton?

Howe’s options in midfield have been tested over the course of the 2022/23 campaign and this is just another example of the 45-year-old having to make do with what he has.

January saw the Magpies fail to add to his options in the middle and, instead, see his numbers reduced as a result of Jonjo Shelvey’s exit for Nottingham Forest.

Disciplinary issues have certainly proven to be a bit of a problem for Newcastle’s Brazilian midfielders with Bruno Guimaraes also recently serving a multi-game suspension as a result of a straight red card in January.

And although it is football and these things happen, it is probably in the position in which Howe’s options are already stretched.

The obvious replacement for Joelinton would be Joe Willock who has only just returned from an injury issue that saw him start the game on the weekend as a substitute.

Willock’s recovery will likely have a big say in whether he is chosen to start in the weekend’s game against Wolves with Elliot Anderson also an option for Howe.

But considering these two games feel like huge opportunities to keep their Champions League dreams alive, missing one of their mainstays in the middle of the park will naturally feel like a huge blow.

Newcastle United will return to Premier League action today when they head to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City following their disappointing defeat in the League Cup final at Wembley last weekend.

Eddie Howe will be keen for his team to bounce back and channel their focus into their promising Premier League campaign which could result in a chance to compete in European football next season if they continue their incredible form.

The Magpies are fifth in the top-flight table and no other team has conceded fewer defeats so far, however, they have also tallied up the joint-highest amount of draws (11) which has seen them recently fall out of their long-standing position in the top four with Tottenham Hotspur four points clear in fourth.

Taking all three points from their visit to Manchester this afternoon would give Newcastle a great opportunity to close the gap with Spurs and continue their ambitious pursuit of Champions League football next season, anything less could cause them to fall even further away.

As a result, Howe must look to his squad to improve performances and the attacking threat, in particular, as they haven’t won a Premier League game since the 15th of January against Fulham – picking up three draws and one defeat thereafter.

One player who has been an inconsistent presence since the turn of the year is Callum Wilson and now the Newcastle boss must make an important decision on the popular striker’s selection in the difficult meeting with Manchester City.

Should Howe ditch Callum Wilson vs Man City?

There is no doubt that Wilson has been a consistent and reliable performer in front of goal for the Magpies over his time at St James’ Park – tallying up 68 appearances, 27 goals, and registering eight assists, however, injury issues have always plagued the player.

The 31-year-old has suffered several incidents of injury over his career including two Cruciate Ligament Ruptures and has been unavailable on numerous occasions since joining Newcastle in 2020.

In the first half of this season, Wilson was a huge threat in front of goal scoring six times which led to his inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad, however, since returning to action on Tyneside the forward has struggled to be effective.

His most recent appearance as the starting striker at Wembley on Sunday against Manchester United was a testament to how much Wilson has been struggling to impose himself on opponents and led to BBC Radio Newcastle’s John Anderson this week claiming the player “hasn’t looked the same”.

Over his 89-minute performance, the £46k-per-week dud only managed eight accurate passes, 25 touches, and lost possession of the ball every 3.8 touches, as well as failing to have a single shot on target throughout the monumental fixture.

Wilson has only found the back of the net once in the Premier League since returning from international duty in Qatar and now puts his manager under pressure to make changes in the final third to find a resolution.

With that in mind, Howe must now ruthlessly ditch Wilson this afternoon and instead give Alexander Isak the opportunity to prove himself to stake his claim to the starting role in front of goal as the England international’s recent performers have not warranted an extended run in the XI.

Arsenal are now in pole position to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Arsenal targeting Rice

By now, Arsenal’s interest in Rice is well-known, with a report from The Guardian at the end of January indicating that the player himself was favouring a move to the Emirates Stadium, rather than returning to boyhood club Chelsea.

Another boost for the Gunners is that the midfielder would prefer to stay in the capital, which could persuade him to seek a move to north London, rather than joining the likes of Liverpool or Manchester United, who are also interested.

The Latest: Pole position

As per a report from Football Insider, Mikel Arteta is in the pole position to land the 24-year-old this summer, after receiving further encouragement behind the scenes.

In order to win the race for the Englishman, Arsenal have tried to negotiate an agreement with the player before the end of the season, and they remain in sustained contact with the representatives of the £70m – £80m midfielder.

The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by the media, the 39-time England international is yet again in fantastic form this season, ranked as West Ham’s best-performing Premier League player, with an average match rating of 7.21.

The Gunners missed out on signing Moises Caicedo in January, despite making a bid of £70m, however that could end up being a blessing in disguise, as Rice is expected to cost a similar amount, but he is a better player on almost all important metrics.

In the past year, the West Ham ace has averaged more interceptions, progressive carries, and a better pass-completion rate than Caicedo, although one aspect of the game that the Ecuadorian is better at is tackling.

That said, Rice should still be Arteta’s priority in the summer transfer window, and so it is fantastic news that Arsenal now appear to be leading the race.

An update has emerged regarding the fitness of Glasgow Rangers ace Malik Tillman ahead of the Viaplay Cup final next weekend…

What’s the latest on Malik Tillman’s fitness?

According to Football Scotland, the USA international is ‘likely’ to return to training with his team-mates this week ahead of the Hampden Park showdown on Sunday.

The report claims that the 20-year-old missed the 3-0 win over Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday due to a hamstring issue, but he will not remain out of action heading into the cup final clash against Celtic.

It is stated that John Lundstram and Ryan Jack are also nursing injury issues and are facing a race against time to be fit for the Sunday decider.

This news comes after the Light Blues head coach Michael Beale, claimed at the weekend that it was “by no means certain” that Tillman would be back this week.

Tillman’s return would be a huge boost for Rangers

Having Tillman fit and available to face the Hoops would be a welcome relief for Beale, as the return of the attacking midfielder would offer a huge boost for Rangers heading into the final.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been in phenomenal form this season, winning 24 of their 26 Premiership matches to date, and the Gers will need their best players available to give them the best chance of lifting the trophy on Sunday.

Celtic have only conceded 18 goals in their 26 top-flight outings, which suggests that if Postecoglou goes with his regular league XI for the Viaplay Cup final, it could be quite difficult for the Light Blues to break them down.

Therefore, Tillman’s availability would be crucial, as the Bayern Munich loanee has been a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch since arriving at Ibrox last summer. The 20-year-old has plundered nine goals and five assists in 36 matches in all competitions for the Gers, including seven goals and four assists in 23 league appearances.

These statistics indicate that the youngster offers a big goal threat who could cause Celtic a few problems with his ability to arrive into the penalty box to goalscoring effect.

Tillman has also created a whopping ten ‘big chances’ for his team-mates in the Premiership – two more than James Tavernier – and this shows that the American gem is adept at providing the other forwards at Ibrox with quality opportunities from which to score.

Therefore, the USA international’s return would be a huge boost for Beale this weekend, as Tillman has the quality to finish off chances whilst also creating them for his team-mates, and his ability in possession could be vital to opening up the Hoops’ impressive defence.