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Arsenal reporter for GOAL Charles Watts has been left buzzing over the news that Bukayo Saka is close to signing a new contract, dubbing it ‘massive’.

The Lowdown: Saka contract update

As per The Daily Mail, Saka is close to signing a new deal worth over £10m-per-year, as he is convinced that the North London club are heading in the right direction under Mikel Arteta.

‘Significant’ progress has been made over the last few weeks, with Saka making it clear that he wants to stay, and the principles of an agreement are already in place.

The deal would be worth £200,000-per-week, likely making him the club’s highest-paid player.

The Latest: ‘Massive’ news

Taking to Twitter, Watts expressed his delight at the news of Saka’s contract, dubbing it ‘massive’:

“Tough to put it into words how huge it is for Arsenal that Saka’s new deal is imminent. Just massive for the club. Still a few details to be sorted, but biggest hurdles have been overcome. With Martinelli, two of football’s top talents committed on long term deals. Massive.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Saka signing a new long-term deal is no doubt a big boost for Arsenal.

The winger has nine goals and eight assists in the Premier League so far this season, more than any other Gunners player, while he also averages more crosses (1.1) per game than any of his team-mates.

At just 21 years of age, he is a huge talent with still so much potential, emphasised by the fact that he has already been capped 24 times by England.

Saka was linked with a move to title rivals Manchester City this summer, and so it is imperative that they extend his deal in order to protect his value and fend off interest.

Liverpool supporters have slammed a home ticket holder who ran onto the pitch in the closing stages of the Premier League game vs Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Emphatic victory

The Reds secured an emphatic 7-0 victory over Erik ten Hag’s visitors on Sunday with Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all bagging braces before Roberto Firmino completed the set.

During celebrations for the Brazilian’s goal, a fan jumped out of the crowd, invaded the pitch and slid into the team huddle, wiping out a couple of players in the process only to quickly be removed by stewards.

The Latest: Liverpool fans react…

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool confirmed that they are currently in the process of identifying the fan in question to hand them a stadium ban, which several supporters viewed their opinions about.

They said:

“Throw the book at him. Hoping Robbo and Jota are both ok.” – @DynastyKlopp

“Rightly so. Ban him for life. Endangering the players is ridiculous. Make an example of him to stop it from happening again.” – @Moorsey1892

“The only sour note from yesterday.” – @StevesWorldLFC

“Good, serves him right.” – @AsserArbab

“What an idiot, looked like he hurt Robbo. Could’ve easily injured 3/4 players.” – @graham1408

“Investigation? He legged it on the pitch and got marshalled out. Case closed.” – @iRobbo87

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The Verdict: Maintain focus

Liverpool’s fan entering the field temporarily dampened the spirits of the goal and scoreline celebration but it’s important that Jurgen Klopp and his side maintain their focus moving forward.

The Merseyside outfit secured this statement victory and will have the chance to back it up with yet another strong performance when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Manchester United brushed aside their 7-0 humiliation against Liverpool by taking charge of their Europa League last 16 first-leg clash against Real Betis, defeating the La Liga side 4-1 at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag must be praised for bouncing back from their Anfield disappointment and the result certainly sets them up well for the second leg.

Before that, however, there is a Premier League tie against Southampton to negotiate and with the Saints fighting to retain their top-flight status, it could be a tricky tie for United.

There will likely be some changes for the match, with a few of the side underperforming against Betis and with the club still in three competitions, Ten Hag must rotate his squad.

One such player was Fred, and he should be ditched against the south coast side this afternoon.

Will Fred start for Manchester United against Southampton?

His performance against Betis wasn’t his finest in a United shirt. The Brazilian midfielder received a Sofascore rating of 6.4/10, which ranked him as the worst player on the pitch for the Red Devis on the night.

He completed just 26 passes, had one shot, failed with both his dribble attempts, and lost ten duels during the tie and it is a surprise United still won as convincingly as they did so while he was clearly a passenger in the middle of the park.

The dud hasn’t exactly displayed his true talent in the Premier League either this term as the Brazil international has struggled for form in the division.

The £120k-per-week player ranks outside the top ten when it comes to overall Sofascore rating in the league this season (11th) while the lightweight also ranks out with the top ten for accurate passes (15th), interceptions (11th), and shots on target per match (13th), which suggests that he has underperformed since ten Hag took charge.

Following his poor display against Leicester City – in which Gary Neville dubbed him “sloppy” during Sky’s live broadcast – last month, Manchester Evening News writer Samuel Luckhurst described it as “another nightmare” performance and it would be no surprise if the Dutchman drops him to the bench today.

Having just turned 30 at the start of the month, you have to wonder, how long does he have left at United if the midfielder continues to produce disappointing performances on a weekly basis?

Liverpool have been dealt a blow after it was confirmed that Jordan Henderson is ‘ruled out’ of the Champions League game vs Real Madrid on Wednesday, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: UCL preparations

The Reds suffered a heavy 5-2 Anfield defeat to Carlo Ancelotti’s outfit back in February and are now set to complete the Bernabeu second leg tonight.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Jurgen Klopp offered his thoughts on the task ahead. He said:

“What I said 3 weeks ago after the game was Madrid were through, now we know there’s a game to play. If there’s only 1% chance, we give it a try. We play a strong opponent and try to win it. That is possible. For that we’re here. We’ll see where it leads to.”

“We are here to win the game and that is difficult enough here, one of the best teams in the world. We will give it a proper try. It’s not about sitting here saying ‘scoring three goals is no problem’. Of course it is.”

The boss held his last training session at Kirkby on Tuesday morning before him and the rest of the team flew out to Spain later in the afternoon, but it appears that they were without their captain.

The Latest: Henderson update

Taking to Twitter, Pearce revealed that Henderson was unable to join his fellow teammates on the plane as a result of being under the weather. He wrote:

“Captain Jordan Henderson ruled out of #LFC’s 2nd leg showdown v Real Madrid. Hasn’t travelled to Spain due to illness.”

The Verdict: Blow for Klopp

Henderson is a real leader both on and off the pitch for Liverpool so it’ll be a huge blow for Klopp to be without his skipper’s services for the fixture vs Real Madrid.

The England international has had an impressive Champions League campaign in 2023, averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.5 key passes per game with one assist to his name in four appearances (WhoScored).

The Merseyside star also ranks in the 97th percentile for passes attempted and the 96th for progressive passes, highlighting his desire to contribute to his side’s efforts in the final third (FBRef).

Finally, Henderson has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by journalist Josh Bunting and the Reds will be hoping that they are successfully able to secure a positive result without him in the middle of the park.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s reign at Glasgow Rangers ended in a bit of a whimper, slipping behind in the chase for the Premiership title while losing every single one of their Champions League group stage ties too, and it perhaps wasn’t a surprise when he was sacked in November.

One of the few bright moments of the Dutchman’s reign was securing a loan move for Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman, who has been a wonderful addition to the Gers squad this term.

Although joining on a season-long loan move, the Light Blues do have an option to buy the player for a fee of £6.2m, although Michael Beale has yet to decide his future.

The Ibrox side are enjoying a resurgence under Beale, losing just once since he took over in November and planning is already underway for next term, with Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell arriving in January, and it is the latter who has been particularly impressive.

Now, he may well hold the key to Tillman’s future.

Will Rangers sign Malik Tillman permanently?

Under the Englishman, Tillman has scored six goals and grabbed two assists, operating in a more fluid role behind the lone striker with that seemingly playing to his strengths more.

Thinking ahead to the future, Beale could form an interesting dynamic with Cantwell and Tillman in the same side, with the pair already impressing a great deal in the previous few weeks.

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie was excited at the prospect of Tillman playing in a more advanced role during Saturday's win over Motherwell, Tweeting: “Tillman’s eighth league goal of the season. Getting him playing alongside Cantwell going forwards is an exciting prospect.”

The 25-year-olds creative ability has been a breath of fresh air in what was a stagnant Rangers midfield. He is already averaging 1.3 key passes per game and has created two big chances while also succeeding with 65% of his dribble attempts.

Combine this with the American's eye for goal and ability to generate goal-scoring opportunities for teammates, having already created ten big chances, then it is a duo who could make up the future of this Rangers side.

Tillman has been dubbed “phenomenal” by Gers teammate John Lundstram, and although he is still a rough diamond, Beale has managed to utilise his strengths and got him to adapt to Scottish football extremely well.

If a deal can be struck with Bayern to sign the 20-year-old ahead of 2023/24, he and Cantwell could be a wonderful combination going forward.

Unai Emery has enjoyed a terrific start to life in charge of Aston Villa by winning eight of his first 14 Premier League matches at the helm since replacing Steven Gerrard earlier this season.

One of his former teams, Arsenal, are outshining the Villans in the division this season, though, as the Gunners are currently top of the table with 11 games to play.

Emery had the pleasure of managing a number of their current squad during his time at The Emirates; including Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson.

They are now playing their part in a potential title-winning campaign and the Spaniard could use inspiration from his work with those talents to develop some of Villa's promising young players.

Only three outfield stars featured in more games for Emery than Xhaka during his spell with Arsenal and the boss could find his next version of the Switzerland international by unearthing Tim Iroegbunam next season.

Who is Tim Iroegbunam?

He is a 19-year-old central midfielder who has graduated from the Villa academy and is currently out on loan at Queens Park Rangers until the end of the campaign.

Like Xhaka, the England U20 international is a tall and combative force at 5 foot 11 in the middle of the park, someone who is also capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch.

In the Premier League this season, the Arsenal enforcer has scored three goals and provided five assists from midfield while averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.2 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 53% of his individual duels.

Iroegbunam, who scored four goals and provided four assists in 30 matches for West Brom's U18s, was recently described by manager Gareth Ainsworth as a player who "glides past people and can finish with both feet" and this highlights his attacking threat.

The "impressive" – as dubbed by ex-coach Michael Beale – teenager has only scored twice in 25 Championship starts for QPR but is in his first season of regular first-team football and is still finding his feet at first-team level.

His defensive attributes are also there for all to see. In the Premier League last season, the youngster made five tackles and interceptions combined and won four of his six duels in a 2-0 win over Norwich, which shows that he has the quality to make an impact at the top level on his day.

Iroegbunam, who has averaged 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match in the Championship, is a midfielder with the potential to influence games at both ends of the pitch and Emery could utilise his talent as a box-to-box player, as he did in 51 games with Xhaka.

Therefore, the Spaniard could unearth his next version of the possible title-winner by bringing the teenage Villa talent into the squad for pre-season this summer after his loan spell in London.

Much of the recent conversation at Newcastle United has been about the club's inability to put the ball in the back of the net.

Ahead of the 2-1 wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest, Eddie Howe's side had failed to win any of their previous six Premier League games, scoring just twice in that run.

Callum Wilson deservedly came in for some criticism after a run of just one goal in 15 games for the Toon and was promptly replaced by Alexander Isak, who managed three goals in two before the international break.

With the 31-year-old striker misfiring and likely to find himself benched for the remainder of the season, Howe may be considering how he could be replaced in the long term.

Fortunately, the former Bournemouth boss could have an ideal candidate already at the club, as 18-year-old Garang Kuol looks destined to go to the very top.

Who is Garang Kuol?

Newcastle signed the Australia international from Central Coast Mariners in September 2022, having caught the eye with his performances in the A-league, with journalist Craig Hope labelling him a "wonderkid" shortly after his signature was confirmed.

The teenage forward managed seven goals and four assists in just 22 appearances in Australia before finalising his move to Newcastle in January, when he was quickly sent out on loan to Hearts.

Kuol first burst onto the scene when he impressed greatly in a charity match against none other than Barcelona. Aged just 17, he left both managers in amazement.

Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery said: "I put Garang in the first team midway through last season, and he was soon creating havoc against opposition defences in the A-League. Then an A-League All-Stars team managed by Dwight Yorke played Barcelona last May.

"Garang came off the bench for them with 30 minutes remaining and just completely ripped Barca to shreds. He literally ran past the whole team about three times and should have scored. Everyone just went, ‘Wow, this kid is unbelievable’ — including Xavi.

"Garang made some of the world’s best defenders look like mannequins. That’s not easy to do, but that is when the interest from Barcelona came. Xavi said, ‘This kid is really special’. When you’ve got someone like him talking like that then it’s pretty obvious these clubs are going to show some interest."

Although the 18-year-old's time at Hearts has so far been unsuccessful, with no goals or assists in his first seven appearances for the Jam Tarts, he did score his first goal for his country last week and looks set for a very bright future at St James' Park.

The teenager, who was named in the NXGN top 50 wonderkids in the world recently, could easily take over from Wilson in Howe's squad if he can live up to his immense potential.

Tottenham Hotspur have struck a pre-agreement with the 16-year-old winger Herbie James over a three-year deal to move to north London.

Who is Herbie James?

Back in 2018, James made the move from Port Vale to City after the Premier League side bought the winger as an 11-year-old prospect.

The now 16-year-old has been hailed as an "exciting winger" by The Secret Scout on Twitter who originally broke the news of the youngster's agreement with Spurs.

James has already set his targets with the youngster saying he is eyeing a spot in the England side over the coming years back in 2018:

"I am looking forward to playing at the 2026 World Cup," he told the Biddulph Chronicle (via Stoke Sentinel).

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has provided some insight on the deal to bring the 16-year-old to north London over the summer:

"From what I understand, another forward – very young one, though – 16-year-old Herbie James is set to come across from Man City this summer as well.

"So they are making these signings, and from what I understand, [Fabio] Paratici has also increased the wage structure within the academy."

Is Spurs' academy producing enough talent?

The obvious success story from Tottenham's academy is Harry Kane with the 29-year-old established in the history of not onl the north London club but the Premier League.

Kane has become Tottenham's all-time top scorer and last week matched that achievement for England as he surpassed Wayne Rooney's record against Italy.

However, there does seem to be a lack of real stars that have come through the academy in the last decade which have made a real impression on the side.

The likes of Harry Winks have come through and played over 200 times for the senior side, but he has not been able to see out the recent instability at the club, unlike Kane.

Winks' spot in the side came under serious questioning during Jose Mourinho's tenure at the club where the backend of the Portuguese manager's tenure saw Winks as a regular feature on the bench (via Transfermarkt).

Oliver Skipp has impressed at an early age and is capitalising on the injury to Rodrigo Bentancur which could have been the break he needed to show the current regime what he is capable of.

However, it will be interesting to see what role he is able to maintain next season after Spurs have had a summer window to bring in some reinforcements and Bentancur returns to the fold.

There are also players like Dane Scarlett and Troy Parrott who have been tipped for exciting futures but are struggling on their respective loans at Portsmouth and Preston North End.

So it appears Spurs are creating the talent, however, it also seems as if there is a major struggle in converting their potential into results in the senior game.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could not have picked a better time to play Chelsea, with the west London outfit struggling recently, and having sacked Graham Potter, they will have Frank Lampard back in the dugout on an interim basis.

Julen Lopetegui started off well at Wolves, but the Old Gold haven’t won since the start of March, and with things extremely tight at the bottom of the Premier League table, a win against the Blues could go a long way to securing safety come the end of the season.

The Molineux side had the perfect chance to move further clear of the relegation zone against Nottingham Forest last week, but they stumbled to a 1-1 draw and Lopetegui could make a few changes in response.

One player we think must be unleashed against Chelsea is winger Adama Traore, whose pace and strength could seriously test their fragile backline.

Will Adama Traore start for Wolves against Chelsea?

The Spaniard started against Forest last week, succeeding with two dribble attempts, making one key pass and winning seven duels during the tight encounter, but he couldn’t push his side towards a winner.

Chelsea have conceded 30 goals this season, and although they could receive a 'new manager boost' with Lampard arriving in midweek, Wolves will have other plans in order to make his first match back one to forget.

Traore hasn’t quite been at his swashbuckling best this season, scoring just twice in the league and creating only four big chances – but there is an argument to say the better the opposition, the better he plays.

Against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the £55k-per-week speedster scored the winner, hit the woodwork and made one key pass in a fine 45-minute display, proving that when he is on form, the 27-year-old can cause havoc to opposition defences. He also assisted in Wolves' 3-0 win over Liverpool in February.

He enjoyed a loan spell back with Barcelona last season in a bid to gain some more game time and get back to his best, and Xavi was full of praise for Traore, saying: "Adama has matured a lot. And physically, he is a beast, a monster… In 1v1 situations, you cannot beat him. Adama is the perfect winger for me. I am convinced that he will be great for us."

His hot-and-cold nature is certainly problematic, but Lopetegui should give him another chance this afternoon, especially with Pedro Neto still battling back to full fitness.

The winger may just deliver again when it matters most and secure Wolves a precious three points, which could go a long way in the relegation battle.

كشفت تقارير صحفية تركية، منذ قليل، أن مباراة كأس السوبر التركي بين فريقي جالطة سراي وفناربخشة، لن تُلعب في موعدها المقرر مساء اليوم.

وكان من المفترض أن يستضيف ملعب “الأول بارك” في المملكة العربية السعودية مباراة الفريقين في السوبر التركي.

ورفض الفريقان الدخول إلى أرض الملعب بسبب إصرار اللاعبين على ارتداء قمصان تحمل صورة كمال أتاتورك.

وفي ظل ذلك، رفض مسؤولو المملكة السعودية الانصياع لرغبة اللاعبين، ورفضوا كذلك حمل الجماهير للافتات وملصقات تحمل صورة أتاتورك، أو ترديد نشيد الاستقلال (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “ntv” التركية، فقد تقرر إلغاء مباراة جالطة سراي وفناربخشة في السوبر التركي، مساء يوم الجمعة.

وأوضحت أن مسؤولي الاتحاد التركي عقدوا اجتماعًا مع ممثلي الناديين، وتم التوصل إلى قرار عدم خوض اللقاء.

وأفادت أن لاعبي فناربخشة وجالطة سراي لم يغادروا الفندق حتى الآن، حيث ينتظرون رحيلهم عن الأراضي السعودية.

وأشارت إلى أن الاتحاد التركي لكرة القدم سيصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن تلك المباراة في وقت لاحق.