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What a game we have ahead of us tonight. A Champions League final contested by two English teams in Tottenham and Liverpool. What an occasion it’s set to be. But what will be the outcome? That remains to be seen. For now, however, we can analyse the factors that will play a key role. 

Tottenham have received a huge boost ahead of the gigantic clash, with pivotal central midfielder Harry Winks back in action. Mauricio Pochettino is now in the fortunate position of having a genuine selection headache — a position he could only have dreamed of after what has been such a turbulent end to the season.

But how does Tottenham’s midfield man compare to Jordan Henderson of Liverpool? Let’s analyse it further below.

Harry Winks

It’s been a difficult season for the England midfielder, again disrupted by injury. But after undergoing surgery on his problematic hip, Winks is now once again raring to go, hoping to secure a place in the team for the final.

His injuries will have frustrated none more than his manager. He had truly formed a growing partnership with Moussa Sissoko, the two providing a strong, fluid and balanced midfield. In his absence, Tottenham have had to look to the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to drop into a deeper role, which has left the north London side short up top at times.

So, what does Winks bring to the team when he’s available? Well, there’s no one quite like him in the Tottenham squad. Always available and capable of moving the ball swiftly on. The Englishman often acts as the link between defence and attack, picking it up from deep before spraying an array of passes, short or long. He’s certainly not afraid of putting his foot in and looked to be improving his attacking game.

Pochettino has described Winks as Tottenham’s ‘little Iniesta’ and it’s not difficult to see why. Up against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the last two years, Winks has never looked out of place. In fact, he has shone. Fans will pray Winks’ surgery will mean the end of his injury woes as he’s such a talent when fit. His return truly is a huge boost for Tottenham. With a long-term spell without an injury, the 23-year-old could go on to become one of the best in the business.

TT Grade: A-

Jordan Henderson

This is a man who has picked up his fair share of criticism in his time, but perhaps wrongly so. The Englishman has been such a solid figure in the heart of the Liverpool midfield in recent years. Even in a season where his role in the squad has perhaps become slightly more secondary, he still made 32 league appearances.

The club captain epitomises this particular Liverpool team. He puts in maximum effort every time he steps onto the pitch and truly wears his heart of in sleeve. Yet, he’s got the talent to match his desire. Henderson is calm on the ball, capable of getting forward and back with an engine that rivals anyone’s.

But perhaps the midfielder’s strongest quality is that he’s undoubtedly emerged as a big-game player. It’s for this reason it would be a major surprise should he not be given a role from the start. It’s the type of occasion Henderson has thrived in time and again.

Like Winks, Henderson could be criticised for his lack of goal involvement, with both players having only scored one goal this season. But similarly again, the Liverpool man provides so much more than just numbers. He’s essential to Liverpool’s pressing game, giving the opposition midfield no room or time to think. To put it simply, where many felt he wasn’t good enough, he’s proved them wrong.

TT Grade: A

TT Verdict:

There we have it, Winks takes this one. It was a very hotly contested affair, with both players having similar roles in their respective teams. Yet, one thing is undeniable. Winks is more important to this Tottenham team. Yes, this is down to squad depth, but Winks is unique for Tottenham in his abilities. And he keeps getting better and better. At 23, he is five years younger than Henderson. If he continues to progress the way he does, he’ll leave the Liverpool man in his shadows.

What do you think Tottenham and Liverpool fans? Would Winks get in the Liverpool midfield over Henderson? Would Henderson have a starting role at Tottenham? Comment below.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to respond after a Manchester City fan made some quite ridiculous comments on the Champions League.

The supporter in question took to his keyboard to question the validity of Europe’s greatest club competition, implying that it was nothing more than a ‘consolation cup’ in a truly bizarre rant.

How did Mane score THAT goal against Bayern last week? Did he dazzle them with Firmino’s teeth? 442oons speculate in the video below…

Obviously, the competition that legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo obsess over isn’t a small matter – it is absolutely huge.

One could suggest that this fan in particular is still feeling quite bitter about the fact that his beloved Citizens were knocked out in the most heartbreaking of ways by Tottenham, thinking they’d progressed in the last second only to see the goal ruled out by VAR.

Given the fact that Liverpool have won the European Cup five times and hold the competition very close to their hearts, the Reds supporters on Twitter have immediately ridiculed the fan’s absurd comments…

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Everton announced on Tuesday that 21-year-old defender Matty Foulds had signed a new one-year contract with the Toffees.

Foulds’ previous deal at Goodison Park was due to expire this summer but he will spend at least one more season with the Merseyside outfit.

The defender was part of the club’s double-winning Under-23 side last term.

And he has now been rewarded with a new contract.

Foulds – a 2016 arrival from Bury – is yet to make his first-team debut for Marco Silva’s side and it is unclear whether he is in the plans of the Portuguese.

However, penning an extension is always a step in the right direction and Foulds will now be hoping to continue his development during the 2019-20 campaign.

Shortly after the club announcement, the Under-23 ace took to social media to reveal his delight at penning an extension.

And that led to a number of Everton fans responding to the contract news – a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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According to a report from The Burnley Express, Crystal Palace are among a number of Premier League clubs who have been alerted to West Bromwich Albion centre-forward Jay Rodriguez.

What’s the word, then?

A clause was inserted in the contract of the 29-year-old last summer as a reward for his loyalty to the Baggies, and it stated that if the player is sold by mid-July 2019 buying clubs will only need to pay £5m plus £5m in add-ons for his signature.

This development has caught the eye of the Eagles themselves as well as Leicester City, AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City, Sheffield United and former side Burnley.

Rodriguez is a goal-getting striker with one full England international cap under his belt – during a journeyman-like career so far he has represented the likes of the Clarets, Southampton and current team West Brom.

This cheap signing would be quick fix to Palace’s biggest problem

It’s not hard to see that this cheap signing would be an excellent quick fix to Palace’s biggest problem, and one Roy Hodgson must ensure he beats his top-flight rivals to secure.

The Eagles have been way too reliant on their wingers Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha to assist and mostly score the bulk of their goals recently.

Members of the Selhurst Park faithful can hardly remember the last time they were watching a centre-forward who can score regularly week-in-week-out with none of the current crop – Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew and Connor Wickham – up to the task.

Check out a fan’s outrageous call for England to take a leaf of out cricket and rugby’s book after a limp Nations League performance in the video below…

Rodriguez netted a staggering 22 goals in the Championship last season as the Hawthorns outfit narrowly missed out on promotion, enough to make him the joint-sixth top scorer in the division.

Plus, the Englishman is proven at finding the back of the net at the highest level as well with 33 strikes in 141 Premier League appearances.

At just £5m plus add-ons, Rodriguez is an absolute bargain and someone who has the pedigree to finally get Hodgson the goals he needs to start seeing from his strikers.

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Brazilian publication Futebol Interior have reported that Crystal Palace have renewed their interest in Santos defender Lucas Verissimo.

What’s the word, then?

The west London club have been interested in the centre-back for a while, but now a couple of sources, including Roberto Suehiro who is renowned among Santos fans as having sources at the club, have reported the link.

It is thought the Brazilian club will only sell Verissimo if a club triggers his release clause of €8m (£7.1m).

However, that could happen given the number of clubs reported to be interested including Torino, Lyon, Spartak Moscow, Nantes, Stuttgart, Saint-Etienne and Roma.

Tough deal for Palace?

Palace may find it very difficult to compete with some of those clubs given ones such as Lyon will be playing Champions League football next season.

However, with the speculation continuing regarding Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s future and his possible move to Manchester United seeming to grow ever closer by the day, the £50million that they want upfront from that deal would free up funds for Roy Hodgson to spend.

And it is entirely possible that he will start with a player like Verissimo given his defence will need shoring up if Wan-Bissaka is to leave.

No official offers have been made by Palace as yet for the defender, whose contract runs until 2022, and you would expect them to see just how much they can get from the Red Devils before they plan any other summer dealings.

But with players like Verissimo available on the market for less than 20 per cent of the price of Wan Bissaka’s valuation, it really does beg the question whether Palace would be better off getting rid of the Englishman and reinvesting that huge cash flow into five or six new players.

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According to French media outlet L’Equipe, Arsenal will face competition from north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this summer for the signature of William Saliba.

The report claims that the coveted teenager prefers a move to Arsenal, and any deal would see him immediately return to Saint-Etienne on loan for another season.

To some onlookers that may seem like an odd clause to include in any potential deal given the Gunners’ defensive problems and the fact Saliba’s estimated value falls in the region between €25 and €30m.

However, there are two major reasons why a season long loan deal could be beneficial…

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A full season of first-team football

Although Saliba’s imminent arrival is likely to generate excitement at Arsenal, it’s easy to overlook the teenager’s glaring inexperience. The 18-year-old only played 16 Ligue 1 games last campaign, and after his glowing introduction to first-team football, you would expect Saint-Etienne to utilise Saliba on a regular basis if he does indeed return to the French club.

The step up from the French top flight to Premier League football has proven to be a bridge too far for a handful of players in the past – take Newcastle United flop Florian Thauvin, for example – and without adequate experience there’s no question Saliba could struggle to make a smooth transition.

With a full season at the heart of Saint-Etienne’s defence, Saliba would return to Arsenal with a more complete set of technical, physical and mental attributes, and that in turn should put him in a strong position to challenge for a starting berth.

Arsenal have two returning loanees to call upon

With Saliba away on loan at Saint-Etienne, two returning players, namely Callum Chambers and Krystian Bielik, would help to bolster the strength in depth in Arsenal’s defensive unit.

The duo both enjoyed extremely successful loan spells away from the Emirates last season, with Chambers winning Fulham’s Player of the Season award and Bielik claiming the Man of the Match award in Charlton’s play-off final win to see the Addicks return to the Championship.

Both players have made strong cases to be handed first-team opportunities next season and their collective presence should ensure that Emery has enough depth to justify sending Saliba back to France.

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According to SPORT, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Real Betis left-back Junior Firpo as they attempt to find a replacement for the outgoing Alberto Moreno.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Champions of Europe decided not to extend Moreno’s contract and the Spanish international will be leaving Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the month.

As a result, Liverpool should probably find a back-up to Andy Robertson as they have no senior player in that position behind the Scottish international.

Firpo impressed in La Liga last season, making 24 appearances in Spain’s top flight whilst recording an impressive three goals and four assists – he can also play on the left of midfield, where his attacking qualities come in handy.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

The Spain Under-21 international has a €50m (£44.6m) release clause and is under contract at Betis until 2023 – the club have demanded that any interested party must pay his full buyout fee.

Barcelona are also said to be keeping tabs on the 6 ft full-back.

Liverpool would be crazy to pay that

Liverpool would be absolute fools to pay that much for a second choice left-back.

Andy Robertson is arguably the best left-back in Europe right now having just recorded 13 assists last term on the way to winning the Champions League, and is also an ever-present in the side – one would assume that 22-year-old Firpo would barely feature if he signed.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Reds also proved that it is possible to get a quality left-back for a minimal fee when they signed Robertson for just £10m two summers ago – in that respect, paying over four times that figure for Firpo would be downright crazy.

Robertson suffered just one injury last term ruling him out for 12 days, but it didn’t result in him missing a game – as aforesaid, Firpo would presumably only play in cup matches as the former Hull man rarely gives Jurgen Klopp an excuse to drop him.

This would be a monumental waste of money from the Merseysiders.

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Rangers fans are looking forward to the return of winger Jamie Murphy after comments from the player about his battle with injury last season.

Murphy managed to make just eight appearances last season after suffering a campaign-ending injury away to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Having put in the hard work to get back to fitness though, the player is looking forward to making an impact in Steven Gerrard’s team next season.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

As quoted by the official Rangers website, the 29-year-old said:

“I am fully aware I have to do all that now so I can keep my career going as long as possible.

“I can’t wait [to be back involved]. We improved last year, and while we still never reached where we wanted to, improving is important.

“This year hopefully we can improve again and take that last step. We have a great squad here and everyone wants the same thing.”

Murphy has already shown he can contribute consistently for the Gers so far in his Ibrox career, scoring six goals and assisting 13 times in his 27 appearances so far.

Understandable then that fans are excited about his return, with some feeling he has what it takes to win his place back in the side, despite Gerrard making a number of signings in his position.

With a full pre-season, his match fitness should improve quickly and it sounds as if supporters can look forward to seeing him back in action sooner rather than later.

These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on his return…

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It’s difficult to find any real dents in Jurgen Klopp’s heavy armour at Liverpool.

The Reds have definitely proved they are among the very best teams in the world by winning the 2018/19 Champions League and finishing second to Manchester City in the Premier League with a whopping 97 points.

But that doesn’t mean Klopp couldn’t strengthen his squad further this summer, and the newest report coming from El Desmarque links the Reds to Real Madrid’s Spanish starlet Marco Asensio.

If the outlet is to be believed, the Reds are willing to splash around €75M (£67.4m) to land the highly-rated 23 year-old to reinforce their team.

But despite his impressive trophy haul and reputation, Asensio doesn’t seem to be an extremely wanted, or even respected, player among the Kop faithful.

Many of them are urging the club not to make the mistake of chasing this starlet as they believe his quality to be subpar, regardless of the hype.

You can see some of their reactions to this news in the tweets down below…

Marvelous Nakamba is trying to force a move from Club Brugge to Aston Villa by not returning for preseason training, according to Le Soir, via Sport Witness.

The defensive midfielder had been afforded extra break over the summer, having participated at the African Cup of Nations with Zimbabwe, though he didn’t report back on Monday morning.

This comes after a €10 million offer from Aston Villa was turned down by the club, who have already sold Wesley to The Villans.

Nakamba is holding out for a move, though Club Brugge have maintained the offer that came in was below their expectations.

On WhoScored, the Zimbabwean is cited as being very strong at tackling, while passing, concentration and ball interceptions are also among his strengths.

This skillset would be of benefit to Aston Villa, as they have lost holding midfielders in the side now that Mile Jedinak and Glenn Whelan have left – having made 1.2 and 1.3 tackles per game respectively. Indeed, Nakamba made 1 tackle and 4 interceptions per 90 mins at the Africa Cup of Nations, while ESPN’s detailed write-up of him back in 2018 hint at a strong presence in the deeper parts of the midfield.

‘A captivating mix of flair and tenacity to Nakamba’s game, qualities which enable him to thrive in deep midfield areas where he uses his sheer strength to win duels, and his sharp brain to the team help retain possession’, wrote Simba Mushati.

Conor Hourihane has been filling the role, but his strengths are more centred around creation and technical ability – with his strongest traits including key passes, taking set-pieces and long shots.

This means the club are missing a midfield protector who can shield the backline. They avoided punishment in the Championship on their stunning unbeaten run but the Premier League is obviously another step up in quality.

Aston Villa should definitely be looking to bring in a natural holding midfielder who will offer greater protection to the backline following the exits of Whelan and Jedinak.

Alongside John McGinn and Jack Grealish in a midfield three, or even as a pivot with the latter ahead of them as a No.10, someone as combative as Nakamba could help ensure the team remains solid and compact.

Villa fans, how pressing is your need for a holding midfielder? Join the discussion by commenting below…