Liverpool tie with Sion

A dull 0-0 game with very few highlights allowed Jurgen Klopp's side to top their Europa League group while FC Sion qualify for the knock-out rounds in their very first European tournament.

Despite a near mis-hap from Simone Mignolet in the first minute, Liverpool controlled the possession in the opening of the match and had a great chance when Brad Smith crossed the ball to Divock Origi who failed to finish. The Belgian was unmarked and coughed up a very good chance which should have been converted.

Liverpool were quite happy to give possession to FC Sion and the Swiss side were struggling to do anything with it. The game wasn't played at a particularly fast pace during the first half with both sides happy to let the other take take the initiative. Sion had a few half chances but Origi had another chance but the defender covered and blocked expertly.

Liverpool had another good chance when Adam Lallana skipped by a few Sion challenges into the box, but was starved of options and the chance petered out. The chance was created down the left by Ben Smith's overlapping runs and James Milner. This is where Liverpool could get in behind the Swiss defence but the end product was often lacking.

It was a pretty dull first half, with neither side really pressurising each other. Liverpool were already qualified while Sion only needed a point to guarantee qualification.

There was virtually nothing to report on in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the arrival of Philippe Coutinho was imminent and the Brazilian had every opportunity to conjure something up in the free number 10 role. Recovering after a four week lay off, Coutinho would want to lay down a marker for future matches.

Sion had several set pieces most of which were wasted poorly. One was a training ground routine which allowed a Sion player to remain unmarked and attempt to get a decent ball in but it came to nothing. Origi had a chance when the ball was slid through to him. With the keeper baring down on him, the Liverpool man had to try and take the ball around him but the keeper got hands and diverted in elsewhere.

Coutinho broke through the middle in between the defence and midfield, and slid Roberto Firmino through but the first touch from his fellow countryman was poor and the ball rolled harmlessly out for a goal kick. Inside the last 10 minutes. Smith once again broke down the left before hitting a teasing ball into the box. Origi failed to get any meaningful contact on the ball as the keeper clutched to it harmlessly.

It was a game with a draw written all over it and I probably should have guessed this from the standings before the match. Needless to say that it finished 0-0, but the Swiss supporters were incredible as they witnessed their side qualified for their first ever knockout round in Europe.

Season Prediction 2015/2016

We're exactly a month into the new season and with the transfer window closed, let me share my opinions on how the domestic season will unfold

Relegation Battle

Last season Sunderland looked a lost cause, but managed to scrape clear, picking up 12 points in their last 8 matches. Unfortunately for them, I cannot see them surviving another season. Admittedly, I do like their summer signing in Jeremain Lens who has a goal and 2 assists to his name this season.  Also up front is 32 year old Jermain Defoe who has 9 goals in over 20 appearances for the Black Cats. Defensively is the major issue. Although good positionally, John O'Shea is not the player he once was, as is Wes Brown and both will be done for pace if a player is able to get in behind.

Bournemouth were the fairytale story from the Championship last season and even though Eddie Howe spent his transfer window bringing in many new faces, I don't see this being enough to keep them in the league. Last season, Bournemouth were somewhat a surprise package having finished in mid-table of the Championship the season before. It may be a step too far for Howe's men, but they have already thrilled the Premier League with a decent performance against Liverpool and Callum Wilson's hat-trick against West Ham and will continue to do so.

Finally, Norwich will be fortunate to beat the drop. The Canaries bounced back from their relegation in 2013/2014 with a play off win to get them back into England's top league. Norwich have several key individuals, notably Nathan Redmond. The England U21 international has the potential to be a key man and if Norwich can get him firing then they would be in with a great chance of staying up.

Champions

Similar to last year, the title is there for Chelsea or City to take. Although they have made a stuttering start to the season, I do think Chelsea will triumph in this year's campaign. Up front Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao will rotate accordingly and provide an excellent attacking threat. Defensively however they have been frail this season. Neither John Terry or Gary Cahill have performed anywhere close to the last season. Simiarly Nemanja Matic was a defensive wall last year and was a vital component behind the title victory last season. Several games in, Matic has not offered any protection to the back four. Once Mourinho rectifies this, Chelsea will be able to launch their title charge.

Champions League

Manchester City have raided the market and acquired Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Niclas Otamendi, and Fabian Delph. All of a sudden they look twice was dangerous on the attack as they did last season. The only team with a 100% record, they started like a greyhound out of the blocks. If City do not topple Chelsea then they will come second, at least five points ahead of third position. Not only are they a force going forwards, but their defensive rock in Vincent Kompany has returned from a barren spell last season and is showing why he is so highly rated by football fans.

Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal have taken a lot of stick largely over the departures of their strikers and the purchase of Anthony Martial. I think United have a strong enough squad to improve on last season, even if it is only by one position. What will hinder them from launching a proper title challenge, is their weak numbers up front. If Rooney gets injured, then United will be seriously stuck.

I seriously think Arsenal were in with a chance of pushing for the title if Arsene Wenger had got his signings right. A lot of Gooners were filled with optimism when the purchase of Petr Cech was announced, thinking that if they sign another striker and holding midfielder, then they would be on set for a great season. They missed out on key players so I don't see them finishing any higher than fourth position.

Europa League

Currently sitting in 7th with two wins, a draw and a loss to their record. Last time out Liverpool were poor defensively, showing signs that their problems at the back have not been rectified. Before their 3-0 loss to West Ham, they kept three clean sheets, which suggests that West Ham may have just been an off day. With Benteke up front, most defences will have trouble dealing with him and if they can continue to keep clean sheets then 5th place looks a certainty and can look to pressurize Arsenal who look vulnerable at the minute. A win against United tomorrow would certainly help get the momentum going.

Last but not least, Spurs are hoping to compete a bit higher than the Europa League spots. Failing to get transfer target Saido Berahino on the last day of the transfer season, Tottenham will have to struggle through the first half of the season with Son Heung Min and Harry Kane as strikers with Emmanuel Adebayor unregistered and seemingly heading for the door. They have enough to get Europa League football, but need to strengthen if they are to challenge for a Champions League spot.

Race for Europe

The race for the remaining Europa League positions is very interesting. Normally it would be Everton and Spurs leading the chase, but this season they will have competition from West Ham and Swansea.

Looking at West Ham, this season presents a massive risk. Having got rid of Sam Allardyce after the last campaign, Slavan Bilic was announced as his successor with the though of reinventing the Hammers' style of play. Bilic has built a talented squad with the signatures of Dimitri Payet and Alex Song along with the crop of players already at the side. I look forward to watching this side as the season progresses.

Swansea City Football club has grown at the same rate of their manager. Already touted as Roy Hodgson's successor, Garry Monk has been working wonders in the south of Wales. The purchase of Andre Ayew is paying dividends already, winning the player of the month for August, and Bafetimbi Gomis is on course to be one of the Premier League's top marksmen come May. Not only do they have talent up front, Jonjo Shelvey is superb at pulling the strings from deep and Ashley Williams is a superb captain and defender.

Everton struggled to cope with the pressures of balancing Europa League football and their domestic campaign last season. This season however will be different. Roberto Martinez has recruited Gerard Delofeu back from Barcelona after exciting the Toffees two seasons ago. We all know of Romelu Lukaku's prowess in front of the goal, if Deulofeu can get the correct service to the Belgian then Everton will certainly be competing for Europa League positions.

Those are my predictions as to how the season unfold. Although several game weeks in, a lot can happen in the remaining matches. I'll endeavour to cover every team at least once as the season progresses as well as others from the continent. Don't hesitate to talk back to be on one of the various social media outlets below or else in the comments below.

Transfer Round Up #6

I'm back with more opinions on the transfers in this window. Today I look at Brendan Rodgers' new attacker as well as looking in Italy for the latest deals.

Christian Benteke – Aston Villa to Liverpool - £32m

The purchase of Christian Benteke by Brendan Rodgers may signal the end of the failed experiment with Mario Balotelli. At £32m Benteke didn’t come cheap, but he will offer a lot more than Balotelli. It may also suggest a change in tactics with this signing, particularly as the Belgian international won more headed duels than any other player last season with 187, despite missing 9 league games. On the other hand, he did have the worse pass accuracy of any other Villa player last season with 67%. Benteke will be a hit on Merseyside one way or another and will be sure to be more consistent than last season’s attackers.

Arda Turan – Atletico Madrid to FC Barcelona - £23m

Under more of a ‘registration ban’ than a transfer ban, Luis Enrique has once again dipped into the transfer market in order to strengthen his already top quality Catalan side. Turan is a great signing and his consistency is probably his biggest asset. He is equally adept in defence and attack, completing 2.01 successful tackles per match as well as creating 1.31 chances per match. While he is not known for his goal scoring abilities, his expert dribbling ability can unbalance any defence given any space behind the defence. It’s a great signing but he is unfortunate to spend the first half of the season on the sidelines.

Geoffrey Kondogbia – AS Monaco to Inter Milan - £21

Not a lot was mentioned about this transfer in the media, partially because it doesn’t involve any British team. It is a very good acquisition from Roberto Mancini and I am really surprised any English side did not try and get him. The energetic box to box player will bring various skills to Milan. With Mancini often opting for a slow possession based game, Kondogbia will regularly be used to initiate attacks from the back. His combative style is further emphasised with the amount of interceptions he averaged last season, 2.48 per game. He is an excellent young player that a few Premier League sides really could have benefitted from having in their team.

Paulo Dybala – Palermo to Juventus - £22m

The partnership Paulo Dybala formed Franco Vazquez last season was unbelievable. The little Argentine netted 13 goals in 35 appearances last season on his way to becoming one of Palermo's hottest properties. Creating 61 chances only Vazquez created more for the Scillians this season with 68. Dybala will replace Carlos Tevez who moved to Boca Juniors earlier in the transfer window and he can certainly replace his goals. Like Tevez, Dybala will drop into the holes allowing his strike partners Alvaro Morata or Mario Mandzukic to move into the space created. Billed as another Sergio Aguero, this has the makings of another cracking signing from Max Allegri.

Jordy Clasie – Feyenoord to Southampton - £8m

In order to replace the departed Morgan Schneiderlin, Ronald Koeman has looked to his native lands and found Jordy Clasie. Football Manager enthusiasts will know all about the young Dutch international whose playing style has seen him labelled the ‘Dutch Xavi’. At only 24 years of age, he made 111 league appearances for Feyenoord and is already a fan favourite in the Netherlands. He won more tackles than any other Feyenoord player last season and also played more passes than his teammates, even while maintaining an 83% completion rate. He isn’t Morgan Schneiderlin, but I’m still looking forward to seeing how the player fares in the Premier League and he definitely is the player to replace the Frenchman.

Southampton may not receive an instant impact from Jordy Clasie but he is one to take over from Schneiderlin in the long term. Christian Benteke is a very good signing for Liverpool and he showed what he can do against Bournemouth on Monday night. Kondogbia is terrific signing and it amazes me why Arsenal did not try and purchase him. As for Dybala, he is a perfect replacement for Carlos Tevez at Juventus.

Christian Benteke sees off plucky Bournemouth

With adjustments made to the offside rule at the start of every season, it's hardly rocket science to predict that there would be at least one occasion in which the officials get it wrong. Christian Benteke put in a tremendous shift as his side collect all three points at Anfield. 

Bournemouth thought they had made a magical start when Tommy Elphick had headed them in front only for the referee to blow for a foul on Dejan Lovren. The south coast side had made the brighter start and looked as if they wanted to take the game to Liverpool. Callum Wilson had the beating of Lovren on several occasions but this tailed off towards the end of the half.

Front men Wilson and King persisted all night and were keen to stamp their mark on the game as where Gradel and Ritchie down the flanks. Bournemouth were getting men down the flanks to great effect and this seemed their most likely way to scoring a goal. 

Eventually Liverpool began to get a foothold in the game Phillipe Coutinho starting to get on the ball and dictate the play. Dropping into pockets of space, Bournemouth found it hard to get close to the Brazilian and he started to create chances. Liverpool were using their alternative route to Benteke well with the Belgian winning 7 out of his 9 aerial duels in the first half.

The deadlock was broken through the new man who pounced on a cross from Jordan Henderson to score his first goal for Liverpool. While the goal may have been awarded under controversial circumstances, it will be a great weight lifted from the Belgian's shoulders. Henderson went close minutes later, with a dipping shot from 30 yards that grazed the cross bar. As the first half progressed, Liverpool began to dominate more and more as Bournemouth dropped deeper and invite more pressure and were in need of a lucky break to boost their confidence. Coutinho had a glorious chance to double the home sides lead but he scuffed his shot wide. Bournemouth were unfortunate to be a goal down. 

At the start of the second half, Bournemouth had to be the first side to strike and, similar to the first half, they started the most lively. Not getting many shots on target in the first half, Howe had instructed his side to shoot more in an attempt to test Simon Mignolet in nets who had very little to do. Bournemouth continued to push for an equaliser and Matt Richie's half chance on the hour mark smashed the upright. A goal would give the visitors the confidence and switch the momentum. Bournemouth were creating chances through the middle with the midfielders overlapping.

70 minutes saw the introduction of Roberto Firmino to raucous applause as he made his Anfield debut. While Liverpool were somewhat comfortable, a second goal was required to drain Howe's men mentally. They had an excellent chance to do so on the counter when Benteke broke the line and found Coutinho but his poor first touch enabled Charlie Daniels to get the block in. 

Benteke caused problems for the Bournemouth centre back pairing all night long and nearly doubled his tally in the dying embers with his close range shot cannoning off bar. The Belgian's hold up play was exemplary and he could hardly have started his home debut in better fashion.

Eddie Howe can take many positives from tonight and look to build on them as they look to secure their Premier League status for next season. It was a professional, but not flashy performance from The Reds. Christian Benteke's performance is a major plus, but there are improvements needed to be made in defence.

Transfer Round Up #2

I'm back with another five transfers for you to take a look at. This one may be slightly tilted towards Liverpool, but I'd like to hear your opinions irrespective of your allegiance.

Petr Cech - Chelsea to Arsenal - £9.8m

I would say this deal is a massive step made by Arsene Wenger in restoring Arsenal to the heights of the early noughties. We all know of Cech’s capabilities and even at the age of 33, £9.8m is a steal. Cech has another 2-3 years at the top, but was never going to oust Thibaut Courtois of the Chelsea number 1 jersey. Edwin Van Der Sar signed for Manchester United at 34 years of age, and was able to muster 4 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and a Champions League before retiring at the ripe old age of 40. There is gas left in the legs of Petr Cech yet, and don’t expect the trophies to dry up either.

Memphis Depay - PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United - £19.25m

The signature of Memphis Depay signals Louis Van Gaal’s first foray into the transfer market. At the fee of just under £20m, he is not coming cheap, but he will offer another creative outlet for United, who have been criticised in the past for not fashioning enough chances in recent times. Creating 60 chances in total last season, this was more than any other Manchester United player. Not only can he create, he can score also. With 22 league goals last campaign, he was the Eredivisie’s top goal scorer. United fans will be hoping that he can continue his tremendous form in Manchester.

Roberto Firmino - Hoffenheim to Liverpool - £28.7m

Over on Merseyside, Brendan Rodgers pipped United to the signature of Roberto Firmino. Almost £10m dearer than Depay, these pair will be constantly correlated to each other throughout the season and the first derby will be an interesting affair. The Brazilian will be a key player to Brendan Rodgers, as it looks as if Raheem Sterling will be on his way out of Anfield. Forgetting some horrendous misses recently, Firmino completed more take ons than Neymar, Isco and Arjen Robben and also completed the second most duels in the Bundesliga behind Stefan Kießling. Similarly, he created 9 more chances than Depay last season. Liverpool have acquired an extremely good player.

James Milner - Manchester City to Liverpool - free transfer

Sticking with the Liverpool theme, I view James Milner as one of the signings of the season. It was always going to be difficult to replace Steven Gerrard, and while James Milner may not, it is a good start. While Liverpool were making defensive errors left, right and centre last season, Milner didn’t record a single mishap last season. Milner publicly announced that we wanted to play in a central role, despite playing most of his football on the flanks for Manchester City as well as filling in a full back and making a very occasional appearance up front. This is an excellent signing, but it will be interesting to see if he plays in the deeper role that was vacated by Steven Gerrard in the summer.

Danny Ings - Burnley FC to Liverpool - free transfer

Last but definitely not least, Danny Ings completed his free transfer to Liverpool at the end of the season. It was no surprise that he was leaving for Liverpool and he will undoubtedly add a bit of competition to a front line that was misfiring last season. The Balotelli experiment has backfired, Lambert has not been given a chance and Sturridge has been injured, it’s another attempt to replace Sturridge. It’s not a marquee signing and it’s difficult to predict how well Ings will do when he is not the number one player in the side. A real ‘fox in the box’ so to speak, Ings scored all of his league goals inside the box but only won 22% of his headed duels. I’m not too sure how the former Burnley man will get on in Liverpool.

I've given you another five deals that have crossed the line this summer, please share your opinions with me or even suggest deals that I could look at.

All statistics taken from Squawka or Transfermarkt.

Transfer Round Up #1

Managers in the Premier League and abroad have been dipping into the pockets of their owners frantically in order to secure their targets. Let's take a look at select transfers that have been completed so far...

Carlos Bacca - Sevilla to AC Milan - £21m

AC Milan were able to fend off interest from Liverpool in order to land Colombian Carlos Bacca. Recruited by new AC Milan manager, Sinisa Mihajlovic, the Colombian is signing off the back of excellent season, scoring 28 goals in 56 appearances for Sevilla. His tally included a well taken brace against Dnipro in the Europa League Final. Milan are getting a useful outfit and at 28 years of age, they have surely paid for his best years.

Alvaro Negredo - Manchester City to Valencia - £21m

Rather astonishingly, Pellegrini was able to make a £3.5m profit from the sale of Alvaro Negredo despite only making 49 City appearances in his two years contracted in Manchester. Valencia have signed a talented striker. He finished the 2013/2014 season with 23 goals even though his last came in January 2014. Last year he didn't quite to replicate his scoring feats, and only bagged 6 in 33 appearances. City will be glad to have him off the wage bill and Valencia will be happy to have acquired a player of his calibre.

Douglas Costa - Shakhtar Donetsk to Bayern Munich - £21m

Douglas Costa is a player well known to those Football Manager addicts out there. He can play out wide as well as in the centre. Acquiring Xherdan Shaqiri's old jersey, he'll probably slot in where the Swiss international left as a rotation option on the bench. Costa has scored 38 goals in 203 appearances, not to the same standard as Ribery and Robben, but he certainly has room to score more. Like Shaqiri, Costa is probably signed to succeed Robben and Ribery, but whether he will have have patience to break into the first team is another question. I'm not expecting much, but I hope the Brazilian is given plenty of first team football unlike the Stoke target.

Andrea Bertolacci - AS Roma to AC Milan - £14m

Mihajlovic continues his summer shopping with the signature of Andrea Bertolacci. Just matter of days after AS Roma had exercised the right to purchase the rest of the 24 year old's player rights, Milan enter with a £14m bid to prise him away from the Italian capital. In 125 Serie A appearances, the midfielder has scored 18 goals and assisted 17 times. 7 of those assists came last season for Genoa and was more than any Milan player registered. He will improve Milan and I look forward to seeing him at the San Siro.  

Nathaniel Clyne - Southampton to Liverpool - £12.39m

After objecting to renew Glen Johnston's contract, a new right back was of high priority for Brendan Rodgers, so where better place to go than to his favourite place on the south coast, Southampton. In a side that conceded just 33 goals all season, his signing will help to tighten up a leaky defence on Merseyside. Only Chelsea conceded less goals (32). While he is decent in defensive situations, he is also adept on the offensive creating 22 chances and completing 27 take ons. Liverpool have got themselves an upgrade in Clyne and he will be a key component in the Liverpool defence.

I've covered 5 of the major transfers across Europe and I will endeavour to share my opinions on many more during the Summer Transfer Window. Who is your pick of these five transfers that I've mentioned?

All statistics taken from Squawka or Transfermarkt.

Season Review

Another English season draws to a close. Chelsea were crowned deserving champions, while QPR, Burnley and Hull face the disappointment of playing in the Championship next season. Let's look at the key performances that made this season so special.

The Champions

Chelsea record their fourth Premier League title and third under Jose Mourinho. Being honest, they were never really troubled in their victory with the competition dying in various stages of the league season. At the beginning of the season, Chelsea played some nice football to build up a bit of a lead. With Jose the master of defence, the title wrapped up once Mourinho deployed his conservative tactics. The whole Chelsea team did their bit this season. John Terry and Gary Cahill formed a formidable partnership at the back, while the void left by Frank Lampard was quickly forgotten with the signing of Cesc Fabregas. Nemenja Matic was the rock in the Chelsea midfield and played a vital role in Chelsea's success, the extra man in front of the defence repelled so many attacks, as well as launching some of his own.

The Runners up

Manchester City just weren't good enough when it mattered to challenge for the title, and at one stage, looked like it was possible that they were going to finish as low as fourth. City need a massive clear out of all the deadwood in the squad. Yaya Toure hasn't been the same player since the cake-gate scandal of 2014, and neither has Vincent Kompany. With an average age of 29, youth will be the starting point for the manager at City in the summer. While they do need to bring in players, splashing the money will not solve the void. Elaquim Mangala, Fernando are examples of money being spent poorly last summer while Stefen Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo were bought the season before but have sunk into the abyss through injuries and poor form. On loan at Valencia, I doubt Negredo will ever feature in a Manchester City shirt ever again, particularly with the arrival of Wilfried Bony in January. Now, City are in pursuit of Liverpool's Raheem Sterling in order to bring the average age down, among other young English hotshots.

Relegation

In my season preview, I tipped Aston Villa, Sunderland and Crystal Palace to make the drop, and I couldn't be further from the truth, with Palace breaking into the top 10. As for the unlucky contingent of Hull, QPR and Burnley, over the course of 38 games, they were the 3 teams that deserved to be relegated. Hull saw themselves hit 10th position at the end of October, but this took a turn for the worst and culminated in an 18th placed finish with 35 points. For Burnley, they were the favourites for the drop when the season commenced (except mine!) and they fulfilled everyone's prediction. As for QPR, they flirted with the danger zone for too long and were eventually sapped into a battle that they could not win. QPR where heavily reliant on Charlie Austin, who grabbed 18 goals - the fourth best in the league - which shows where the London side would be without their star man. Similarly, Burnley relied on the prowess of Danny Ings who netted 11 times this year. With Ings already sealing a move to Liverpool and Austin looking ever more likely to leave QPR, it could be a struggle to get back into the top tier of domestic football for both sides.

The Golden Boot

With 26 goals, Sergio Aguero leads the way for the first time since his arrival in England. Even with missing the majority of December due to a ligament injury, Aguero was able to help Manchester City secure their 2nd place spot. English protege, Harry Kane, came in behind with 21 goals, which isn't a bad way to introduce yourself to the English nation. A roaring start sent the young Spurs man on his way and he collected a staggering 12 goals in the winter months as his performances help secure notable wins over Chelsea and Arsenal. Diego Costa achieved third place despite only featuring in 26 games. We know Costa is a goal scorer, so when he features for a whole season, it'll be scary to see what the adopted Spaniard can do.

The Race for Europe

Arsenal and Manchester United completed the top 4, leaving Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton to content with the Europa League. Arsenal finally broke their duck of being unable to break into the top 4, with thanks to world class performances from Alexis Sanchez. I've always said that if Arsene gets his summer signings spot on, then the team from North London could be in for a very special year. United achieved their goals, nothing more but nothing less. After spending £150m in the summer, a fourth spot was the bare minimum in terms of expectations. The wait for Champions League football continues for a another year at White Hart Lane. It will be an interesting summer for Mauricio Pochettino as he aims to clear out the deadwood in the Spurs squad. Liverpool endured a testing spell after selling their superstar for £80m last season and will be glad that this is over. Having already dabbled in the transfer market to buy Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, James Milner and Joe Gomez, Brendan Rodgers needs to have his signings spot on,

Notable Mentions

I purposely didn't mention Southampton under the previous heading as I want to focus on them now. Having sold key individuals last summer, many tipped them to struggle, with some thinking they will be doing well to survive relegation. Ronald Koeman took over as manager, and his signings have secured a memorable season for the southern side. Sitting inside the top 5 for a large chunk of the season, they surprised many people and fully deserve their season in Europe next year,

Both Swansea and Stoke achieved their highest position in the Premier League, finishing 8th and 9th respectively. Garry Monk is quietly building a strong squad off the back of the sale of Wilfried Bony for £28m. This year, Swansea became the first ever side to record away wins at both Manchester United and Arsenal in the same season. Having represented Swansea in 4 tiers of the English leagues, and also as a manager in the Premier League, Monk's regard for the club cannot be questioned, as he aims to push on for European spots in the next seasons.

A similar story is shaped at Stoke by Mark Hughes. His work at the Potters has largely gone under the radar. Largely inconsistent in the opening stages of the season, they recorded just one win in the month of November and also went on a 3 game losing streak at the end of March. Hughes has been shrewd in the transfer market and has acquired talent through former Barcelona man Bojan Krkic, who delivered performances until he ruptured his cruciate ligament against QPR and ruled him out for the rest of the season. Like Monk, Hughes is building a squad and will hope to maintain performances having sealed another 3 year contract at the start of the calendar year.

It has been a very intriguing year with many talking points occuring. Chelsea rule victorious while QPR get the wooden spoon along with Burnley and Hull. We can only hope for more thrills and spills to this calibre in the incoming season.

The Most Wanted Man in Europe

The news that Jurgen Klopp was resigning at the end of the season has shocked everyone and has left Dortmund fans significantly disappointed after he was backed by higher powers after a horrific start to the season.
 

The 47 year old has confirmed that he will take a year out, before pursuing on another adventure, most likely in England, due to the man himself admitting that he won't need to learn the language. It was a massive judgement call by the German manager, and he will now have the decision as to where he will venture in the next year. He has been linked to many English and European jobs in the past and these rumours will only intensify after his recent decision. Here are some sides that could be in with a chance of securing him as their future boss.
 

Napoli

When appointed in 2013, Rafa Benitez was expected to continue the improvements the Neopolitan club made under Walter Mazzari the four years previous. After the sale of Ezequiel Lavezzi in 2012 and Edinson Cavani in 2013, Benitez was expected to invest wisely and improve Napoli's fortunes in the Serie A. He brought talents such as Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon from Real Madrid and Dries Mertens from PSV for a combined total of €60m so far during his tenure as well as numerous other acquisitions. Benitez brought Coppa Italia glory last season as well as the Super Cup in August. Many have predicted that Benitez will be relieved of his duties in the summer if he does not show any improvement on last years 3rd place finish. Currently. they have been unable to topple Juventus at the top, who are running away with the league. Recent developments may have convinced the Neopolitan board to take a punt and attempt to bring Klopp to Naples.

Real Madrid
Although having delivered the long awaited La Decima to the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti is walking a tight rope onboard the fickle Real Madrid coach. It was reported that winning the Champions League was his saving grace last season, having been disappointing in the league with finishing behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Madristas don't take kindly to a season without silverware, and while they may look at his past exploits and ignore this season, a second season will not be accepted in the Spanish capital. Currently sitting 2 points behind Barcelona in the table and through to the semi finals of the Champions League, Ancelotti is in a healthy position, but so much can happen between now and the end of the season. I'm not sure whether Klopp would want to take on the challenge of managing Real Madrid, after all, winning trophies by playing attractive football is the only way to safe guard your job. Even at that, it's no guarantee that it will be a long term post.

Arsenal

Gooners have been calling for a Wenger replacement for the past few years. Minus the barren years, Wenger has been a terrific servant to Arsenal Football Club and I am almost certain that Klopp will be high on their list of possible successors. Arsenal will definitely need to show the same faith in Klopp that the Dortmund board did during the tough spell at the beginning of the season. If things get tough, and it will, another question would be whether the fans will keep backing the German? It was no secret that the Gunners have pursued Klopp in the past, and it really would not surprise me if the board has made an informal approach for the former Mainz and Dortmund man for the end of next season.

Manchester City
Having one the league for the second time in four years last season, many expected Pellegrini and City to kick on and try achieve some European glory. This was not the case, instead, they were dumped out in the first leg by Barcelona after, in hindsight, it looked as if Pellegrini had got his tactics wrong. City lie in fourth position, disappointing by the high standards set by the board and fans. It seems as if Pellegrini has served his time in Manchester and his time could reach an abrupt end once the season concludes. While Klopp is currently available, rumour has it that Pep Guardiola is the name mentioned at the Etihad. Still at Bayern, Pep will not leave for another season at the very least. Will City take a punt with Klopp or will they wait for Guardiola? I would probably say the latter is the most likely.

Liverpool
Last, but certainly by no means least is Liverpool. While I don't think Liverpool should part with Brendan Rodgers for any reason, it is a must to be included. Klopp would fit perfectly with Liverpool, considering the youth prospects he nurtured in Dortmund. With Liverpool having a decent number of young talent progressing through their ranks and poor results in the league may convince the American owners to part with Brendan Rodgers. Klopp isn't the only one wanted by Kopites, Rafa 'the Gaffa' Benitez is also remembered in Merseyside for his tremendous work with the side in the 2000s. Currently at Napoli, he would also be welcomed back at Anfield.

I can't assume that Klopp will have any difficulties in finding his new job, with guiding Dortmund to 2 league titles and leading them to the 2013 Champions League Final. However whether he will be as successful at his new club as he was in Germany is a completely different matter. He has confirmed that he will have a 'sabbatical' before hopefully returning to management in the summer of 2016.

FA Cup Semi Final Preview

A momentous occasion for four clubs approaches at the weekend. A trip to Wembley for the FA Cup Semi Final. Featuring Liverpool, Reading, Aston Villa and Arsenal, all sides have had vastly different seasons.

On Saturday, The Gunners from North London will make the short trip across to take on Reading. On of the inform teams in the Premier League, they will be clear favourites to progress to the final. Having won nine out of the last ten league games, Arsenal are eyeing a second place finish above current champions, Manchester City with a 5 point gap being established at the weekend. As for Reading, they have been less than inspiring in the Championship but find themselves 11 points outside the relegation zone and with nothing to play for in the league. This will mean that they can put all their eggs in one basket in the hope of another trip to Wembley come the end of May.

En route to the semi final, Reading disposed of giant killers Bradford in the previous round, while beating teams such as Derby County, Cardiff City and Huddersfield on their way to the final. Most of the teams are placed higher in the league than themselves, indicating that they have played their share of quality opposition. Although the Arsenal match will be the first time they take on a Premier League team, they will take confidence from results gained in other matches. Arsenal faced a trip to Old Trafford in the previous round and where able to come out on top in a tactical encounter. Brighton and Hull were also defeated on their journey.

It's a tie that Arsenal will be expected to win and one that I think they will duly deliver. Another boost for Arsenal is that Jack Wilshere is citing this match as his return to football after another injury lay off. I think Arsenal's form and class will overshadow a gutsy Reading performance as they march onto their second consecutive FA Cup final.

Liverpool and Aston Villa occupy the second semi final that will be played on Sunday. After the sacking of Paul Lambert in the middle of February, newly appointed Tim Sherwood brought on a new style of play, effectively utilising Aston Villa's potent attacking options. He has created a sense of optimism that wasn't at the club in the concluding days of the Lambert era. The sheer joy and jubilation was evident at the final whistle of the quarter final match where Villa defeated West Brom at Villa Park. The club has been going through a testing few years and this trip to Wembley will provide a perfect back drop to banish dire memories of a substandard league campaign.

Similarly Liverpool will be expecting to defeat the Villains on Sunday at Wembley. Having enjoyed an indifferent season with highs and lows, a trip on Steven Gerrard's birthday to the final will certainly be a way to end the season on a high as well as a celebration one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League era as his career in the North West draws to an end. Another performance from Jordan Henderson similar to the one that helped defeat Newcastle United on Monday night.

Mario Balotelli blows hot and cold and Rickie Lambert has never had a chance since he moved from Southampton in the summer. Sterling has been embroiled in contract controversy over the past few weeks and will be likely to start. I would like to see Rodgers field the same attacking options as he did against Newcastle as they were able to forge an abundance of chances, and on another day, Liverpool would have been out of sight by half time.

Sherwood has improved Villa's side since he his appointment, and with the attacking brand of football, his side will definitely pose Liverpool some problems. I still think that Liverpool will have enough to overcome the challenge and progress to their first final since their defeat against Chelsea in 2012.

Both ties will be enthralling encounters, and each underdog will look to Bradford and Middlesbrough for inspiration in defeating a superior side. This is the FA Cup and we have already had our fair share of cup shocks. Who says we won't be discussing another on Monday morning?

Rights and Wrongs about the Premier League

Sky Sports have landed the rights to 126 Barclays Premier League games from 2016/2017 to 2018/2019 at an astronomical price. A total of £5.13b was spent by both Sky Sports and BT Sport. While Sky gets the pick of the games, BT have acquired 42, 4 more than the current contract details. Why are these rights so wrong?

As much as I love the Barclays Premier League, it does have quite a few fundamental flaws with the first one being it called the "Barclays" Premier League. It should be the Premier League and it alone. While this is a minor issue, the isolation of fans due to ticket pricing is a much more serious issue.

There is no better way to demonstrate the that football is moving further from its roots than the price of tickets. People claim that politicians are becoming out of touch with their constituents and the same is happening in football. Clubs will no longer cater for the working class, who effectively built the clubs over the past decades. Constantly clubs are favouring selling up-market tickets to 'men in suits' with no interest in the football. Several football personalities have expressed their concern about this on twitter.

"£5 billion for the new @premierleague TV deal. The game's awash with money. Cut ticket prices & make it affordable for real fans to attend." - Gary Lineker 

"Great day for @SkyFootball but with the amounts involved ticket pricing especially for away fans has too change. £20 for the 20 away games." - Jamie Carragher

I'll rhyme off some facts that I'm sure everyone is aware of: Arsenal have the most expensive ticket (£97) and the most expensive season ticket costing you a whopping £2,013. Charlton's £150 season ticket is the cheapest in England's top 4 divisions, while Barcelona's cheapest is £103, although I do hope this includes a pair of binoculars. Football is slowly pricing out the people that really matter. It is becoming corporate driven with ticket prices reaching astounding heights. Surely with the billions money given to the clubs they will be able to lower their ticket prices for their dedicated fans? I highly doubt it.

Clubs today want a quick fix. Buying ready polished talent is much easier than bringing a youngster up through the ranks. I certainly take more pleasure in seeing a youth product flourish and become a Premier League star than some import who made his name in a foreign league. From Chelsea's academy, the only name of note that plays regularly is John Terry. However, in fairness to Mourinho, he would use cup games as a platform for youngsters, although in small amounts.  Also  I have to note that Chelsea have some very promising individuals in the youth set up. Looking at Manchester City, they have only one player in their first team, Dedryck Boyata who has progressed from the youth academy. Although they do have a number of young players out on loan, are they likely to challenge for first team positions or will the manager just dip into the transfer market in order to replace and strengthen? The latter is more likely. Chelsea and City are easy targets but most English clubs are just as bad.

Lack of talent being progressed will lead to the detriment of the national side. I know many people that will say 'club before country' which I don't agree with. The situation in England is similar to the rugby situation in France. The French national team players are struggling to get game time in their clubs due to the imports from the Southern Hemisphere. The situation is much worse in rugby, but English football could lead the same way. Many people have lost interest in the national team because they aren't what they use to be. Quite often when I watch England play, the game is slow and lethargic evidence showing that the players just don't want to be there. Is the national team beyond saving? I don't know, but things need to be done quickly to save it.

The money from Sky and BT is likely to get spent on players wages and could lead to the first ever £500,000p/w Premier League player. It's quite staggering when you think of it.  It will also mean that transfer fees will rocket. Ever wondered why foreign teams love selling to the English teams? It's because they always overvalue the player therefore coughing up more money in order to acquire his services. 'Sterling offered incredible new deal' was the headline on Sky Sports' News last Tuesday, as Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the 20 year old was to be offered a bumper new deal. This set the ball rolling for an inflation of wages.

I can see why Rodgers is doing this to act as a deterrent for the Barcelonas and the Real Madrids of this world. But one thing I have learnt throughout my short time in football is that if they want someone then they will certainly spend whatever it takes to land their wanted player. See Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Luis Suarez for evidence. Also, do these clubs really need Raheem Sterling? No I don't think they do. Is Sterling likely to remove Bale or Ronaldo at Madrid, or Suarez, Pedro or Neymar at Barcelona? He's good but he's not that good.

Looking at the player, does he deserve a pay rise? Currently on approximately £30k a week, it has been rumoured that he is being offered over twice as much as he is on. At 20 years old, I feel this is a bit much. Without doubt that Sterling has been one of the shining lights in Liverpool's season. He's likely to accept the new contract and with the extra money, he is likely to face even more temptations. Jack Wilshere is not the role model that kids should be aspiring to be. While he is an alright player, his off the field antics regularly make the news for the wrong reasons. Wayne Rooney was hardly an angel in his early days, the same with Saido Berahino. Sterling will face these temptations and will have to avoid them otherwise his career could stagnate and he will not reach the heights that he has showed over the last few years.

As much as we all love football, there's no denying that there are a few basic principles that need addressed. With everything becoming more and more commercialised, I am likely to be here next year, giving off about the same situation with no actions being sanctioned. 

Transfer Target #14 - Alexandre Lacazette

Alexandre Lacazette is a name that has been on everyone's lips this season. The Lyon man has been scoring for fun this year and has catapulted Lyon to the top of the table. 

With a goal scoring record only behind Messi and Ronaldo this season, it's easy to see why many English teams want his signature. The Frenchman has been in Lyon his whole career and to date, has collected nearly 130 league appearances to date. His first one was back in May 2010 against Auxerre when he came on for the last 12 minutes of the league game.

He spent the first few years of his career as a rotation option, before he broke into the first team in the 2011/2012 season, contributing 10 goals and 7 assists in 43 matches. He was beginning to lay stamp down his first team slot. 2012/2013 was a similar story, however he was yet to find the goal scoring prowess that we associate with him this season.

We witnessed him score a bounty of goals in all competitions last year, 22 in 54 to be exact, but this is nothing compared to what he has scored already this season with just under half of Ligue 1 to be played. 21 goals in 22 games is an astounding record, which asks the question how long will Lyon be able to hold onto him for?

The 23 year old has a playing style similar to Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal. His preferred position is striker, but he can also play on either flank or even as a second striker. His electric pace and acceleration has tortured French defences this year in the league, and I'm sure they will be glad if he leaves in January.

Ironically, Arsenal have expressed their interest in his capture, along with Liverpool. With Arsenal having Sanchez, Theo Walcott and The Ox, they are no short of competition for the wide positions. Up top, Giroud has been doing ok this season and Welbeck has been Mr Inconsistent as always. It seems that Lacazette would be likely to play up front in order to give Arsenal another option, however I see other areas that would benefit more than in the attacking third.

Liverpool on the other hand may be a good place to go. With Mario Balotelli looking lost in Merseyside, Sturridge injury prone and Rickie Lambert not scoring, Lacazette could be the answer to Brendan Rodgers' problems. In addition, he could adapt to playing behind Sturridge or another striker in order to give Raheem Sterling a rest. I believe that Liverpool would be a good place for him.

There is no doubt that he can score goals. The next superstar to come out of the Lyon youth set up has come along way and his hard work is paying off. With Lyon sitting pretty in 1st position, I wouldn't be surprised if the transfer goes through in the summer particularly as he has picked up a hamstring that will keep him out for 3 weeks. 

Anything Can Happen In The Cup

The FA Cup is undoubtedly the greatest domestic cup competition in the world. No other competition comes remotely close to the dreams that this remarkable tournament creates and the memories entwined into the history of English Football. The weekend past epitomised everything that the FA Cup stands for. 'Anything can happen in the cup' is a well known and over used cliche yet it's a one that is so true and was evident over the weekend. Cambridge, Bolton, Bradford and Middlesborough certainly ruined many accumulators this weekend, but dished out the dough to the courageous few.

But first we rewind back to the 1988 cup where the 'Crazy Gang' or Wimbledon had a spectacular cup run which eventually culminated in lifting the cup against clear favourites Liverpool. The FA Cup is about giving lower teams the opportunity to humble some of England's elite. The single games attempt to keep a level playing field, and the big teams know that if they take the foot off the gas, then they will be punished by the passion, will to win and aggression of their opposition. Not only does it offer the chance of a life time for players, but it will also bring in a decent amount of revenue to please the owners.

The weekend past proved that the FA Cup is magical. Louis Van Gaal took his Manchester United side to the Abbey Stadium to face Richard Money's Cambridge United. The fact that Manchester United towered 76 places above the League Two side, did not deter Money's players from delivering a performance of the highest quality. The discipline showed by the home side was second to none and they prevented the 13 times Premier League winners from scoring. They did pose a threat to the unsteady defence of the Red Devils through the pace of Sullay Kaikai and Ryan Donaldson on the wings. At the same time, the absence of Wayne Rooney was felt. His creative spark could have been the linchpin to unlock the defence, as Falcao and Wilson were feeding off scraps. When Chris Foy blew the final whistle, you knew what it meant by the emotion on the faces of the players and crowd alike. Cambridge deserve their moment at Old Trafford, and will certainly throw the kitchen sink at it and enjoy the occasion regardless of the result.

When news filtered around England that Manchester United had only drawn, many expected that to be the fairytale story of the weekend. The drama was only beginning. League One side Bradford are no strangers to the tag of underdogs and don't seem to pay much attention to the script, after their Capital One Cup exploits of 2012/2013, where they knocked out Arsenal, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa on their route to the final. Jose Mourinho fielded a team that contained only 3 regular starters - Azpilicueta, Oscar and Cahill - which could be one of the causes for a lacklustre and faltering performance. Chelsea opened a 2 goal lead inside 38 minutes and even though they look infallible at the Bridge, the wheels came off the wagon and they leaked 3 second half goals to lose 4-2. It has been dubbed as one of the great FA Cup come backs and rightly so. I was listening to the game on 5Live and when Ramires netted the second Blues' goal, was fearing the worst for the Bantams. Memories of 2013 will creep back into the minds of the players and fans and rightly so. They deserve another cup run after that performance. 

Middlesborough were the next lower division side to throw the script out of the window with their quality performance at the Etihad. Unlike Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini fielded much of his first team with Cabellero, Boyata and Kolarov the exceptions. With 65% possession and 8/24 shots on target, City were dominant but unable to capitalise, handing Boro the initiative to grab the winner through loanee Patrick Bamford. Tomas Mejias was in top form, and played a significant part in the silencing of the Etihad faithful and sending Middlesborough into the fifth round. With City pushing players forward in pursuit of an equaliser, gaps at the back were inevitably left and Albert Adomah burst forward and found Bamford before the ball broke kindly to Kike who tucked it in the back of the net to safely secure Boro's passage through to the next round.

I haven't even touched Liverpool's draw at home to Bolton - who had a combined age of 73 years up front. With a few teams from the top half of the Premier League already out, teams such as Middlesborough may fancy themselves stretching the cup run on for a few rounds yet. Arsenal are favourites, followed by Man United and Liverpool with West Ham in fourth. Even though my team did not win, it's moments like these that make me cherish the FA Cup. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest domestic cup competition on planet earth.

Transfer Target #13 - Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard is the next sensation to be produced from Scandinavia. Having made his international debut for Norway aged 15 years and 253 days in a friendly match against the United Arab Emirates on the 19th August last year, it's easy to see why he is grabbing all the headlines.

We don't have a shortage of quality attacking midfielders on our planet so the young Norwegian has a lot to live up to and he will hope to follow in the footsteps of a certain Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer to the top of the World's elite. He is already hitting the headlines over Norway and will soon be wanting to take on the world.

With Strømsgodset IF not having many televised games over here in Northern Ireland, it's difficult to judge what his style of play is. From reading several articles and watching a few clips of him on YouTube, he appears to be a confident player who has the odd trick up his sleeve and loves to be running at the defence with the ball at his feet. YouTube often gives a subjective view, so I'm not taking anything for granted. All I'm trying to determine is what all the fuss is about.

He probably isn't quite in the mould of a Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his goal scoring capabilities, but with Ballon D'Or winner endorsing the young protégé, I'm sure he will pick up a few tips if he joins the Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu. At his age, I see similarities between him and the Inter playmaker, Mateo Kovacic in terms of their vision and ability to pick out a pass.

Looking at his stats for his club,  he has scored 5 goals and assisted 6 times in 25 games in the Tippeligaen. Yes they are not the best statistics for a playmaker, but at the age of 16, I consider him to be doing well to get into the first team, never mind assisting and scoring goals. Although it is in the Norwegian league, I again point you to his age. Most 16 year olds in Northern Ireland are preparing to sit their GCSE's nevermind turning out in the first team of a professional league.

With the Odegaard tipped to emulate Lionel Messi, he hasn't gone without notice. Throughout last year, he travelled to the training set-ups at countless top European clubs over a possible transfer, Liverpool, Bayern and Barca to name a few. To date, over 30 clubs have formally registered their interest in acquiring his services showing what a prized possession he is for Strømsgodset. However as I alluded to earlier, Real Madrid are favourites to land the teenage sensation.

While Real Madrid is possibly the most prestigious club in the world at the minute, I'm not convinced that this is the right move for him. Clubs with youth academies to the standard of Ajax and Southampton have been encouraged by fans to take the player on and to aid his development, and this is not to say that Madrid don't have as good set up as the other two.

On the other hand, he would be able to play in the Segunda Division with Castilla at Madrid, and playing against other professional teams could benefit him.

I would be particularly keen for him to move to Ajax and then be loaned back until the end of the season, due to the state of the art youth facilities on offer at the Dutch capital, as for a move to England, it could be a worse decision than a move to European giant. He needs the right facilities to progress, and this can be the decision that makes or breaks his career.

There has been immense pressure put on the shoulders of the youngster by the media and with the potential move to Real Madrid looming in the horizon, he has to keep his feet firmly on the ground, if he is to progress into a top player. As for now, we can only hope and pray that he does not turn into another football manager legend who has failed to live up to expectations.

Transfer Target #12 - Xherdan Shaqiri

Most people will be familiar with the name Xherdan Shaqiri, especially after his hat trick in the World Cup, but his lack of playing time has led to doubts about whether he will remain a Bayern Munich player after the transfer window.

As with many modern day forwards, Shaqiri is dynamic and versatile, meaning that he is equally adept in several other positions. He is probably best deployed as a winger on either flank as well as a second striker, in the hole, or as a forward. He strikes me as a similar type of player as Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez and Gareth Bale. He has extreme pace and can leave even the quickest of defenders for dead. 

The Swiss international started his career at FC Basel and made debut appearance in July 2009. During his first season with the Swiss outfit, he appeared 47 times, scoring 7 and assisting 5 times. In the 2010/2011 season he showed more improvement by assisting 10 goals and scoring 7 in 42 appearances. 

The 2011/2012 season was where clubs were really starting to take an interest in the winger, even more so when he completed a man of the match victory over Manchester United in the Champions League. His pace and skill constantly troubled the United back four and he set up the 2 goals that beat the English side 2-1, and cap a famous victory. He finished his last season in Switzerland, with 9 goals and 12 assists in 41 appearances.

Jupp Heyneckes brought Shaqiri to Bayern Munich at the beginning of their treble winning year. He made 13 assists and scored 8 times in 39 appearances in his opening season, with a majority of them coming from the bench. With Heyneckes retiring at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola was appointed to lead the team onto further glory. Last season, Shaqiri was plagued by injury and was only able to make a fraction of the appearances he did in the one previous. This season was proved more frustrating for the Swiss international with him only being deployed from the bench. Having won everything at Bayern, he could be tempted to move on with Liverpool lined up as a potential suitor.

Liverpool would be a very attractive transfer for Xherdan Shaqiri and both parties would benefit from his move. The Merseyside club would be able to offer him first team football, something which Bayern haven't been able to do in previous seasons. Since the departure of Luis Suarez, Liverpool have been looking for a marquee signing able to replace the boots of the Anfield legend. While he doesn't have the goal scoring capabilities of the Uruguayan, this will come after settling in and forming a partnership with his team mates. His versatility means he would be able to have a free role, making him a nightmare to mark, allowing some of the pressure to be taken off the shoulders of Raheem Sterling, who has been a breath of fresh air for Liverpool this season. 

If Brendan Rodgers would like him to play alongside Daniel Sturridge, then he has the creativity and vision to form an explosive partnership with him. He has a strike-rate of 1 assist/goal every 113 minutes in his 9 games in the Bundesliga this year. In comparison, Liverpool's most prolific is Adam Lallana who registers one every 163 minutes. With the 'Alpine Messi', Liverpool would be able to reignite their counter attacking style of play and relive the memories of last season.

Not only does Shaqiri boast all the attributes of a world class player, he is only 23 years of age. If Liverpool were to sign him and keep hold of him, he could have at least 8 years in the form of his life on Merseyside. However, it's not just Liverpool who are interested in the Bayern player, reports suggest that Juventus and Inter Milan officials have met with the player's agent to discuss a potential move, and with Juventus able to offer Champions League football, they will not go down without a fight.