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A number of Liverpool supporters are happy after journalist Neil Jones claimed James Milner would leave the Reds in the summer.

The 36-year-old has proved to be a fantastic servant for Liverpool since arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City back in the summer of 2015.

Milner has made a total of 272 appearances for the Reds, using his experience to great use and winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.

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The midfielder’s current deal expires this summer, however, and it may be that his time at Anfield comes to an end at that point.

That certainly seems to be the opinion of Goal‘s Jones [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], who claims that Milner is ‘expected to leave’ once the season reaches its conclusion.

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Liverpool fans react to Milner claim

It’s fair to say the versatile veteran hasn’t been at his best this season, and these Liverpool fans reacted to the news positively on Twitter, claiming it is the right time for him to move on.

“Great news”

Credit: @2kelo_tuks

“Thank you Lord”

Credit: @charmokwana

“This is the best news of the year so far. Strip #7 off of him and give it to Harvey or Diaz”

Credit: @Sabista_

“Good”

Credit: @Smartooski

“Milner off to Leeds where he’ll be a player-coach”

Credit: @yemoisakop

“Give Diaz no.7 then I beg”

Credit: @BSSLFC

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly made an ‘official proposal’ for one player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp could make a return from his ‘painful’ injury against Brighton on April 16, as per football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The lowdown: Progress halted

The 21-year-old has been enjoying a breakthrough campaign in N17 following a stellar loan spell at Norwich City last season.

Having started on 14 occasions from 18 Premier League appearances, Skipp had appeared to be growing into life in the top flight before a pelvic issue took hold.

The defensive-minded midfielder has now not featured for Antonio Conte’s side since their 2-0 defeat at the hand of Chelsea in January and continues to toil against the injury.

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Further light has now been shed on the problem as well as a potential return date.

The latest: ‘painful’ complications

Gold took to Twitter to share a corresponding article from football.london regarding the England youth starlet in the build-up to Sunday’s meeting with Newcastle, which will come too soon.

The journalist tweeted: “A piece on the full story of Oliver Skipp’s painful problem, the light at the end of the tunnel and why Antonio Conte loves him.”

The report adds that Skipp has endured an ‘awkward’ pelvic problem but could be ‘back in action within a fortnight’ and ‘perhaps’ in time for the clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It’s also added that Conte has a particular admiration for the 12-cap ace and regards the defensive midfielder as an ‘important player’ in the Spurs ranks.

The verdict: Huge boost

There can be little doubting that the workaholic engine room operator has been missed by Spurs, particularly for standout showings such as the one against Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, when the youngster was singled out for praise by Conte following a ‘very strong’ display.

Overall the academy graduate has earned an impressive 6.81 rating this season (Sofascore), playing an average of 75 minutes per game.

With an opportunity to earn a place top-four still on the horizon, welcoming the £18million valued Skipp back for the run-in would be a wholly welcome boost.

In other news, Italian source delivers an update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Serie A star. Find out more here!

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League defender turned BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has reacted to a West Ham United transfer development involving Aston Villa forward Anwar El Ghazi.

The Lowdown: West Ham plotting bid…

As per Football Insider, El Ghazi is very much on the radar of Irons boss David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman as they eye winter window additions.

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According to their information, West Ham are ‘plotting a January move’ for the 26-year-old as he struggles for consistent game time at Villa Park.

Moyes personally regards the Netherlands international as someone who can lead West Ham’s frontline through the middle despite being a natural wide player as they reportedly set their sights.

The Latest: Hutton reacts…

Reacting to this news, Hutton claims that he ‘ticks all the boxes’ as a ‘big’ powerhouse forward and is disappointed to see a player of his ‘quality’ potentially leaving the Midlands.

“Look, I really like Anwar. Not just as a guy but as a player, I think he ticks all the boxes,” the ex-Scotland international explained to FI.

“He’s a confidence player, someone that has to be playing week in, week out. You have to put your arm round him and you have to make him feel special.

“If you do that, you get the best out of them. I’ve seen it, I’ve obviously had to mark him at training. I’ve seen him there, and what he’s capable of.

“He’s a big, strong powerhouse, he can play that number nine position if he needs to, he can play out wide. A lot of managers want that versatility within a player.

“He definitely ticks all the boxes but it’s about getting the best out of him week in, week out. David Moyes has managed to do that with a lot of players.

“He seems to have the whole squad pulling in the one direction. If they can get someone like Anwar in and get the best out of him, that could be another shrewd buy.

“I don’t want to see players of that type of quality leaving Villa, I know what he’s capable of.

“But I think Villa are heavily loaded in the wide areas.”

The Verdict: Surprisingly good option?

Amid their links to Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa and Sparta Prague sensation Adam Hlozek, Villa’s winger actually doesn’t come as a bad option by comparison.

According to WhoScored, El Ghazi racked up ten goals in the Premier League last season whilst also averaging an impressive 2.3 shots at goal per 90.

By comparison to West Ham’s players this season, only Michail Antonio has racked up more attempts on average (2.8) – perhaps indicating El Ghazi could do a job as his understudy.

Given Villa want a permanent deal but could also listen to loan offers, securing him on a temporary deal until the end of this season posses little risk for West Ham and the board.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’ – West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer news, find out more here.

A number of West Ham fans have been showering Ben Johnson with praise after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Hammers picked up a sweet win against Spurs at the London Stadium, prevailing 1-0. Michail Antonio was on the scoresheet, and the Irons have now moved up to fourth place in the Premier League table. David Moyes and co will surely be confident of improving on their sixth-place finish last season after this result.

Johnson was included in the starting line-up for his third league outing of the campaign (Transfermarkt) as he continued to deputise for the injured Vladimir Coufal. Once again, the 21-year-old helped the Irons keep a clean sheet as he kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon quiet down his right flank, and lots of fans were absolutely delighted with what the youngster had to offer.

West Ham have not conceded a goal whenever he has been on the pitch this season (Transfermarkt), with Johnson starring as he won all seven of his duels and made five tackles in a tremendous defensive display (Sofascore).

These Hammers fans took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on Johnson’s “class” performance.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson

“Ben Johnson has been wonderful this season. 5 games he has started in he has kept a clean sheet in every single one of them. Still a few things to work on going forward but he kept Son quiet expertly today, his awareness and urgency is superb.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“Ben Johnson was immense today.”

Credit: @aldredtj

“Ben Johnson ain’t put a foot wrong defensively yet, been class”

Credit: @DraigCawson

“Remember when we were all fuming when we let Ngakia go? Moyes got it spot on once again. Ben Johnson unreal talent”

Credit: @antonymmartin84

“How amazing has Ben Johnson been by since he has come into the side the way!? I thought he was so good yesterday. Never thought I’d say this but Coufal might not even get back in straight away”

Credit: @W_Bellow

“Ben Johnson was superb – but can’t underestimate how the arrival of Zouma has improved confidence and skill of whole back line”

Credit: @Tony_McNulty

In other news, many West Ham United fans loved this Jesse Lingard news

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder believes Leon Bailey could be a good alternative to Jadon Sancho for Manchester United.

Last summer, United spent most of the transfer window chasing Sancho, only for Borussia Dortmund to stand firm and reject an offer they deemed as unsatisfactory.

Since then, the Red Devils have been linked with a move for Bailey, with one report claiming that negotiations over a potential transfer are already underway with Bayer Leverkusen.

If United do end up managing to get a deal for Bailey over the line, Pinder is convinced the 23-year-old can make a big impact at Old Trafford.

When asked whether Bailey would have the same level of influence as Sancho, Pinder told FFC:

“I think he’d still make a really good impact. He can play either side of the striker, left wing, right wing, he’s two-footed, he can take on players, he’s got pace, he can shoot from distance and has added goals inside the box now.

“So, as a winger and still at a young age, I think for a club like Manchester United, they could really help develop his game. Champions League football, Manchester United, it would be a good fit.”

As well as out wide, United could also look to strengthen up front this summer. Edinson Cavani’s future is uncertain, while the club continues to be linked with a big-money move for Tottenham talisman Harry Kane.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it into the quarter-finals of the Europa League this evening when they head to the Croatian capital with a two-goal advantage over league champions Dinamo Zagreb.

But Jose Mourinho will surely be wary of the dangerous and cliched 2-0 scoreline, so there will certainly be a temptation to stick with a strong starting XI.

Though, given Spurs’ quality, the Portuguese boss should be able to rotate adequately and still put up a resounding display.

Which is why we’re backing Dele Alli to start tonight…

On the Chalkboard

The 24-year-old is still heavily out-of-favour in north London but has featured more frequently since his collapsed move to Paris Saint-Germain in January.

Alli has featured in five of their last six league outings, though just one of those has seen him start from the off. Whilst in Europe, the £26m-rated gem has started all three of their knockout matches, including a masterclass against Wolfsberger AC in the last round which saw him deliver one goal and two assists, via Transfermarkt.

“To have Dele back at this level is amazing,” said Mourinho after the match.

It’s often easy to forget that the attacking midfield still has a lot to give as he’s seemingly been around forever – he joined from MK Dons for just £5m in 2015 as an 18-year-old.

Throughout his career, he’s been likened to many a Premier League and England great, ranging from Steven Gerrard to Frank Lampard.

Spurs legend Darren Anderton dubbed Alli a “freak of a talent” in quotes, via Goal, whilst Roberto Carlos once claimed he was good enough to play for Real Madrid, as per The Sun (via Eurosport).

One player who did the reverse of that switch was Rafael van der Vaart, when joining Spurs from the La Liga giants in 2010 and he agreed with the aforementioned statement.

“He is still so young and already so eager, I like that a lot. He is fast, fluid and has a great skill set. He is special and if he keeps enjoying himself and the game, he may become a true great.”

Despite his lack of game time, Alli is putting up some good attacking returns with two goals and three assists in the Europa League alone, whilst his 1.4 key passes per game in the competition is only bettered by Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in the Premier League, so maybe Mourinho could do with utilising such creativity in the league more often.

Especially considering that was something they severely lacked during the north London derby on Sunday. Spurs managed only three shots on target and failed to create a big chance – Tanguy Ndombele was hooked just after an hour, having failed to make a key pass, via SofaScore.

Tonight’s encounter gives Mourinho a chance to rest the Frenchman, who has had fitness troubles in the past, and similarly, Lucas Moura could probably do with a rest after featuring as a no.10 in his last three appearances.

It also hands a rare opportunity to Alli to prove he can still be a major game-changer for Spurs.

AND in other news, why Mourinho must axe “very poor” Spurs calamity tonight…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with a tweet from Slavia Prague in the aftermath of the Glen Kamara racism row.

Slavia knocked the Gers out of the Europa League on Thursday after winning 2-0 at Ibrox. They were the better team over the two legs in their round of 16 clash, but their progress was marred by a racism row, with Kamara accusing Ondrej Kudela of the crime towards the end of the 90 minutes.

Slavia have since vehemently denied the allegations, even suggesting that Kamara hit Kudela on the back of the head (slavia.cz). The Czech club has now taken to Twitter to post a rather ironic tweet. On Sunday, it was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the Czech champions shared a video of their players saying no to racism.

The clip appeared on both their Czech and English Twitter accounts, and unsurprisingly it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Slavia’s tweet.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Obviously an attempt at damage limitation @slavia_eng . Embarrassing and absolutely pathetic!”

Credit: @Gilmourfella

“Digging the hole deeper by the day”

Credit: @SingyGBP1

“The irony of this club is unbelievable!!!!!”

Credit: @athomson71

“Doing everything they can not to get booted out”

Credit: @ThomasGillies1

“Too late. Say no to racism. Uefa to throw the book at you.”

Credit: @keithsp96712045

“You kidding?”

Credit: @islaadarlin

In other news, many Rangers fans slam this BBC pundit’s comments.

Tottenham Hotspur officials have travelled to Portugal this week as the club, and by extension manager Antonio Conte, allegedly eye one of the division’s top players.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye Nunes move?

Sporting Lisbon midfielder and star man Matheus Nunes, as per a plethora of reports, is a transfer target for Tottenham as Conte plots a major summer rebuild.

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The Telegraph claim that Spurs’ head coach wants as many as six major signings, including two new midfielders, with many Portuguese sources claiming Nunes is a man firmly on their radar.

O Jogo (via Sport Witness), back in March, stated that the Lilywhites have already made contact with Sporting over the 23-year-old pre-summer.

Meanwhile, Jornal de Notícias (via Sport Witness), more recently relayed that Nunes is still attracting real interest from Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici and Conte.

The Latest: Tottenham officials dispatched…

Now, another Portuguese newspaper in A Bola (via Sport Witness) spotted that Tottenham officials were at the Estadio do Dragão on Thursday for Sporting’s big cup clash with FC Porto.

While this report doesn’t state who Spurs employees were there to run the rule over, this midweek mission comes amid heavy links to Nunes with Conte allegedly eyeing the midfield ace.

The Verdict: Make a move?

With the rising star likely to still be on Tottenham’s radar, we believe he would seriously upgrade Conte’s options in the middle and Paratici should spare no expense in bringing him to the Premier League.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola, after his Sky Blues side thrashed Sporting in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie earlier this season, branded Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world’ – serious praise from such an elite coach.

His numbers back up this theory, as WhoScored reveal, with the starlet ranking as one of manager Ruben Amorim’s top five performers in the league going by average match rating (7.07).

He also completes more successful take-ons per 90 (2.4) than any Sporting star, attracting the joint-most fouls and proving to be a real nightmare to play against (WhoScored).

Valued at around €40 million (£33m) by the Portuguese giants and called ‘unbelievable’ by former teammate Goncalo Santos, he certainly stands at as a realistic and quality target from a Spurs perspective.

In other news: Paratici advancing: Tottenham line up fresh bid money bid after personal Conte request! Find out more here.

After missing out on several domestic targets, West Brom’s attentions have turned to a new home-grown star ahead of Monday’s deadline…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Baggies are ‘pushing hard’ to sign Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan for the remainder of the season.

It’s claimed that the 23-year-old is in need of regular minutes if he’s to remain in Gareth Southgate’s England plans ahead of the summer’s European Championships.

Albion face competition from an unnamed ‘top-four side’ and they will need to convince the Gunners as they have reservations over him joining a relegation candidate as well as Sam Allardyce’s style of football.

Massive coup

This would be quite the move from West Brom as Maitland-Niles offers vast versatility which could benefit Big Sam tenfold.

Primarily a central midfielder, the 3-cap England international has featured on both flanks as a winger as well as a full-back this season alone. Over the course of 223 career appearances, the Hale End youth product has played in seven different positions.

As BT Sport and Daily Mail pundit Chris Sutton once said, ‘the young man’s versatility is a weapon’ before adding: ‘He is such a versatile talent – a diamond.’

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The Baggies are sitting in a perilous position right now and could do with bodies across the pitch and that’s what Maitland-Niles would evidently bring.

It’s no wonder local Express & Star journalist Joseph Masi believes it would be “a major coup” to seal his signature. It really would be.

64 of those aforementioned appearances have come in the Premier League with another 30 games coming from the Europa League, via Transfermarkt.

That’s just experience that Big Sam does not have right now in any of his players, and that’s remarkable considering he’s still only 23.

“He’s got all the attributes to become a top player,” explained former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere only 18 months ago.

The Arsenal man appears to be very defensively-sound, averaging 1.7 tackles per game throughout the course of his career, whilst an average of one dribble per game suggests he likes to get forward and is a hard man to get the ball off, per WhoScored.

Those tackling figures merely highlight his impressive work-rate too.

Football Insider pundit Kevin Campbell said: “He has a great engine on him,” whilst only last month Peter Crouch told BT Sport (via the Metro): “I think he’s tremendous, I really like him. He’s got energy and he’s calm on the ball. He was full of confidence.”

“You can tell he’s got the gears,” added Martin Keown. “He’s a Rolls-Royce of a player at times.”

By comparison, Romaine Sawyers has struggled as a deep-lying playmaker, averaging only 0.4 dribbles per game as Albion’s worst-rated regular starter, via WhoScored.

Maitland-Niles is everything Big Sam needs right now – versatility, experience and quality in abundance, and given he’s only earning around £35k-per-week in north London, he’d be a bargain and cheap loan deal for the second half of the season.

Dowling must convince Maitland-Niles and Arsenal into this move before Monday. It could be huge for their survival bid.

AND in other news, West Brom could find Sam Allardyce’s next Defoe in £6m-rated “unique talent”…

With the Premier League season winding down, Leeds United appear to be hitting a golden patch in form, sealing a 2-0 win over Southampton on Tuesday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side ran out as 4-0 winners against Burnley last time out in the Premier League, and made it a third win on the trot thanks to goals from Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts.

And while Bamford produced a superb display up top, scoring the opener and trying to press from the front, it was Diego Llorente’s first-half performance that really caught the eye.

The Spaniard was taken off at the break by Bielsa, but his display in the opening period really set the tone for Leeds in terms of dealing with the now unfamiliar experience of playing in front of fans again.

The Saints supporters were naturally up for it, and it was Llorente who was leading the charge from the back in trying to making his presence felt and ensure the Whites just didn’t fall apart.

As per Sofascore, Llorente won a mammoth ten duels on the night, which was by far the highest of any Leeds player, while he also chipped in with three tackles, one interception and one clearance.

The summer signing also looked to be the one to kick-start things going forward and building out from the back, trying to step out and break the lines with his passing.

Writing in his player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a seven, saying: “One of the few to come away from the first half with a bit of credit in the bank. Was assertive and combative. Rose to the challenge of the energetic hosts and their supporters when the pressure really came on Leeds.”

Those sentiments were echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who also gave him a seven, adding: “Showed good aggression and reading of the game in the first half. Tried to get Leeds going with his passing. Replaced at the break by Bielsa.”

With reports in recent weeks claiming that Leeds are eyeing up a move for a new centre-back in the summer transfer window, with Sampdoria’s Omar Colley one of those names to be linked, Llorente just sent Bielsa a huge message.

With the likes of Liam Cooper, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk and Luke Ayling all capable of playing at the back, it’s Llorente who should be the first name on the team-sheet next season even if a new defender comes in.

The Spaniard’s recent form has even raised arguments he should be partnering Sergio Ramos at international level for the EUROs this summer, and that’s a real testament to how much he has grown at Elland Road over the season.

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His latest performance at Southampton once again reminded Bielsa that he should be helping to form the spine of any Leeds team going forward.

So while Bamford may steal the headlines for finding the net once again, it was Llorente who laid down the biggest marker on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a major Leeds United update…