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As reported by The Daily Star, Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Ivan Perisic this summer.

The paper say he is the man Jose Mourinho has chosen to add a spark to the Red Devils attack next season and that the club are looking to land a £48m deal for the 28-year-old.

The Croatian international is one of the most effective left wingers in Serie A, impressing for Inter since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015. Last season in the Italian top-flight he scored 11 goals, assisting eight more in 36 appearances, not a bad return at all from the wing.

Creativity was a problem at times at Manchester United last season and Perisic could go some way towards solving that. With players like Gareth Bale apparently going nowhere this summer, affordable targets in attacking midfield areas are hard to come by.

United fans appear to be keen on getting him signed as soon as possible with many taking to Twitter to share their thoughts about the potential deal…

According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has confirmed his interest in signing RB Leipzig winger Oliver Burke this summer as he looks to bolster a squad that suffered a surprise 3-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Huddersfield Town on the opening day.

German publication Bild had previously reported that the German side, who will feature in the group stages of the Champions League after finishing second in the Bundesliga last term, are willing to listen to offers in the region of €18m (approximately £16.5m) for the 20-year-old with the Eagles listed as a potential destination.

Burke only moved to Leipzig from Championship side Nottingham Forest last August in a deal that was reported to be worth £13m at the time, but he could already be on his way back to England.

Meanwhile, Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino has seen two players arrive at St Mary’s so far this summer, and he could still bring in more before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.

Here are three reasons Southampton should hijack’s Palace’s move for Burke…

They need a wide forward

Aside from a centre-back as the Virgil van Dijk saga continues, if Pellegrino was to bring in one more signing before the transfer window slams shut it would probably be a winger, and preferably one that plays on the right flank.

With Jay Rodriguez leaving for West Bromwich Albion earlier in the summer Saints look to be short in wide/forward areas, and with Redmond settled on the left-hand side they have used the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long on the right of the preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

However, neither look particularly comfortable there and the Argentine boss may feel that Burke, who has primarily played on the right for Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig, could be the answer to the issue.

Ability

The 20-year-old quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the Championship during his time with Nottingham Forest, and he scored four goals and provided one assist in five Championship appearances before moving to RB Leipzig last August.

He showed his ability to take defenders on by successfully completing 17 of the 30 take-ons he attempted in those five outings, and while he struggled to become a first team regular for Leipzig last term – most of his appearances came from the substitutes’ bench – the quality and promise is certainly there for all to see.

Despite his tender years, Burke has also picked up five caps for the Scotland national side to show just how highly-rated he is.

Price tag

The fact that Burke could be available for around £16.5m should mean that he is a realistic target for Southampton, who have often spent between £12m-£18m on new players over the course of the last couple of years – Sofiane Boufal, Mario Lemina and Manolo Gabbiadini are just a few examples.

Because he hasn’t been a regular starter for Leipzig, Saints will also be confident that they would be able to negotiate on that asking price if the German outfit really do want to sell the 20-year-old before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.

Liverpool have not got their season off to the best start, and the fans are feeling pessimistic about their chances of reaching the group stage of the Champions League.

The Reds announced the 22-man squad that will travel to Germany for the first leg of their qualifier against Hoffenheim on Tuesday.

The most notable absentee is Philippe Coutinho, who missed Saturday’s Premier League 3-3 draw with Watford due to a back injury.

The Brazilian was already a doubt for the European outing, but some fans think that there is more than meets the eye to his exclusion.

Last week, BBC Sport reported that Coutinho submitted a transfer request via email amid speculation that Barcelona are determined to buy him.

So far, Liverpool have knocked back the Catalan giants’ advances, and they have publicly insisted that their playmaker is not for sale.

The 25-year-old’s absence has done little to quieten the rumours, but that is not all that the fans are frustrated with.

After Jurgen Klopp’s squad was announced, a number of supporters criticised the lack of quality within the setup.

The players included are: Alexander-Arnold, Moreno, Lovren, Milner, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Can, Mane, Salah, Firmino, Kent, Solanke, Origi, Gomez, Klavan, Flanagan, Robertson, Matip, Grujic, Mignolet, Karius, Ward

Philippe Coutinho is planning to hold clear-the-air talks with Liverpool after accepting that a move to Barcelona looks unlikely, according to The Independent.

What’s the word?

If reports are to be believed, Barcelona have been chasing Liverpool’s star player all summer, and they ramped up their efforts after selling Neymar to Paris St Germain for a world-record fee.

It has been widely claimed that the Reds rejected three bids from the Catalan giants, including one that Sky Sports claims was worth £113m.

Coutinho seemingly pushed for a move to the Camp Nou after submitting a transfer request via email, but Liverpool stood firm.

According to The Independent, the 25-year-old and his camp are willing to speak to Liverpool officials to smooth things over and repair any fractured relationships.

It is believed that Coutinho’s representatives intend to blame Barcelona for the playmaker’s conduct, suggesting that the Spanish club manipulated the Brazilian into trying to force a move.

How would you deal with this situation if you were Coutinho’s manager on KickOff Legends? Create your free team and play now!

How positive is this news?

Keeping a player of Coutinho’s calibre would be a huge boost to Liverpool, and would significantly improve the club’s chance of success this season.

However, there is an argument that holding on to the Brazilian will just paper over the cracks.

It is safe to say that Jurgen Klopp’s transfer window has not gone the way that the manager would have hoped.

Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk were top targets for the German but Liverpool have only managed to secure three new players so far, including Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and Andrew Robertson.

It has been glaringly obvious that the Merseyside outfit are in desperate need of reinforcements at the back of the pitch, so even a team full of Coutinhos would not solve that problem.

While it would be very good news for Liverpool fans if their star player remains at Anfield, there are other problem areas that cannot be neglected.

As reported by The Daily Record, Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has opened up about how he plans to prepare his side for Saturday’s massive test at home to Scottish champions Celtic.

What’s the story?

After dropping more points away to Partick Thistle on Friday night, questions are again being asked about the direction Caixinha is taking Rangers.

This week is absolutely massive for the club with a Scottish League Cup Quarter-Final against Thistle on Tuesday night before a frankly massive match-up with the Hoops at Ibrox this Saturday.

After a humiliating defeat to Brendan Rodgers’ side at home last time, the pressure on Rangers to show they can compete with their arch-rivals.

For Pedro Caixinha though, the preparations are business as usual as he looks to block out the hype and focus on getting his team ready for the encounter.

As quoted by The Daily Record, he said:

I cannot stop the noise around this game but I can avoid it getting on my mind. I just focus on the games and the process. I don’t care about the circus that surrounds the game. You need to know how to manage it. What is important is that we prepare all the games to win. This one is the same.

The paper also report his admission that he didn’t even watch Paris Saint-Germain’s thrashing of the Hoops last week as he didn’t think he would learn anything from it.

It’s clear he does things his own way at Ibrox, but will it all pay off with the results supporters are desperate for?

Can Rangers compete?

In many ways, Saturday’s match against Celtic could be seen as a make or break fixture for Pedro Caixinha’s team. He’s made a raft of summer signings designed to compete directly with the reigning champions and the pressure is on for them to deliver a cohesive performance and put the Hoops under pressure.

Another drubbing like the 5-1 defeat at Ibrox last term could be a step too many for many Rangers supporters who already have big question marks about the Portuguese.

On their day in the right circumstances, Rangers can compete with Celtic. Last season’s 1-1 draw at Celtic Park showed that.

The question is, can they do it on Saturday? If they don’t, where does it leave Caixinha?

Rickie Lambert has announced his retirement from football after almost 20 years as a professional footballer.

The striker has played for nine different clubs in his career, the most recent of which was Cardiff City, where he joined at the end of last year on a two-year contract from West Bromwich Albion, but left in July.

Lambert got his dream move to Liverpool – the club he supported growing up – in 2014, but he spent just one year at Anfield after failing to become a regular fixture in the team.

Southampton was where the forward spent the majority of his career, and during his five-year spell he helped the team earn two promotions.

The 35-year-old, who spoke of his “ups and downs” in his retirement statement, also represented England 11 times and managed to score on three occasions.

Lambert’s career may have dwindled, but the striker racked up 701 career appearances and scored 241 goals.

Judging by the reaction of Southampton fans, the forward will go down as a club legend, and many want him to return to St Mary’s in a coaching capacity.

According to reports by Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb, via talkSPORT, Newcastle United are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing Inter Milan left-back Yugo Nagatomo, and Magpies fans are divided on any potential deal.

Tuttomercatoweb, via talkSPORT, says that while the 31-year-old has been offered an extension to his current deal that is due to expire in 2019, he is considering trying a new challenge elsewhere.

He certainly wouldn’t be short of options if he did want to move to England, with the Magpies, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion listed as being keen on the Japan international, who has 99 caps for his country and has made more than 200 appearances for Inter since joining them in 2011.

Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.

While some said “we should get him”, others believe that he was a “brilliant player in his peak 5-6 years ago”, suggesting that he wouldn’t be worth signing now.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton disappointing start to the season continued as they fell to their second defeat in three Europa League group games after being beaten 2-1 by Lyon at Goodison Park on Thursday night, and Toffees fans weren’t impressed with midfielder Davy Klaassen’s performance.

The Dutchman has struggled to make an impact for the Merseyside outfit following his summer move from Ajax, and he was named in the starting line-up for the first time in four matches against the Ligue 1 outfit.

However, the 24-year-old often made the wrong decisions in possession and when he had an opening in front of goal, he was caught in two minds before sending a tame effort straight at the Lyon goalkeeper.

Klaassen was replaced by Ademola Lookman at half-time and Everton supporters were quick to have their say on his showing via social media.

While some said he is “out of his depth”, another went a lot further and said “he’s the worst Everton player I’ve ever seen”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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The 2017/18 campaign simply hasn’t gone as planned for West Ham. After having a season to settle into life at the London Stadium and following a summer in which the club brought in a number of experienced players with proven Premier League pedigree, this was meant to be the season that would see the Hammers fly up the table.

But after a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton, the east Londoners find themselves only above the relegation zone on goal difference, having picked up just eight points from nine games and conceded a staggering 17 goals in the process.

With that in mind, we asked West Ham fans last weekend who is ultimately to blame for the club’s current struggles; the players who are failing to deliver, the owners who have arguably taken the club in the wrong direction or the manager whose tactics have been called into question more than once before.

And although there was no majority winner, the players took in the largest share of the vote, with 43% of those who took part in our poll placing the blame on them. But do you agree with that verdict? Let us know by commenting below…

Former Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin endured a miserable match for current club Everton as they were beaten 3-0 by Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night, and Saints fans were quick to have their say on his display.

While the 27-year-old was one of the Toffees’ more impressive performers last season, he has been poor this term and after his tackle fell favourably for Bertrand Traore to score Lyon’s opener at the Groupama Stadium, he was then sent off for a second bookable offence 10 minutes from time.

The Frenchman left the south coast outfit in 2015 after seven seasons at St Mary’s, but after failing to make an impression in just over a year with Manchester United it seems he is now struggling at Goodison Park following the sacking of Ronald Koeman.

Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on Schneiderlin via social media, and while some described him as “a shadow of his former self” right now, others said it was “painful watching” him.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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