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A number of Liverpool fans have been bemoaning a report which claimed that Liverpool are interested in signing Joaquin Correa this summer.

Jurgen Klopp may feel that his attack needs freshening up ahead of next season following a number of struggles in that area in 2020/21. Liverpool simply haven’t clicked in the final third like they have in recent years, with poor finishing too often letting them down, as was the case against Real Madrid last week.

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Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have been particularly culpable, enduring tough campaigns for the Reds – they have scored just 13 Premier League goals between them – but Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota haven’t been completely blameless either.

According to Il Messaggero [via Sports Mole], Liverpool are interested in signing Lazio forward Correa, with the 26-year-old scoring four goals and registering three assists in Serie A this season.

Liverpool fans don’t want to sign Correa

Some Reds supporters don’t like the sound of him moving to Anfield, however, taking to Twitter to explain why.

“No thank you”

Credit: @rayvon_uk

“Get Mauro Icardi instead. We need a finisher”

Credit: @ShakirSH35dv5e7

“No just another Firmino, need an actual clinical striker”

Credit: @TheGoatMilner

“A striker with 4 league goals this season is not what we need”

Credit: @ynwa8476

“He’s 27 in Aug. Doubt LFC are paying big money for a 27yr old, at a time when they are in process of getting younger players to succeed Mane, Firmino & Salah.”

Credit: @GegenPool

“<50 career goals in 273 apps. Sounds like an ideal Firmino replacement”

Credit: @akashag6797

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a move for a Serie A star this summer – find out who it is here.

As per the Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers are in advanced talks to take Fashion Sakala to Ibrox on a free transfer.

Gers close to Sakala signature

The Gers have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, with the Scottish champions even said to be Sakala’s preferred option ahead of French side Lille (Voetbal via Glasgow Live).

It is now being reported that a deal is within touching distance for the striker, who is out of contract at current team KV Oostende this summer (Transfermarkt).

Bargain signing

Sakala has been enjoying a fantastic campaign in Belgium. In 29 games in all competitions, he has managed 13 goals and three assists, taking his career tally to 38 goals and 10 assists at senior level (Transfermarkt). His goals have helped his side climb to fifth in the Jupiler League table – they will no doubt be gutted to lose him on a free transfer.

Toby Sibbick, the Barnsley defender who played alongside Sakala during a loan spell at Oostende earlier this season, described the Zambian as a “quite tricky” player, adding that he “definitely has a big future” and “would be a great addition for Rangers”. (Daily Record)

There had previously been suggestions Alfredo Morelos could leave Ibrox this summer – he said in an interview with Radio Caracol that he dreams of playing in the Premier League – but a recent report from The 4th Official stated the Colombia international wants to stay with the Gers.

Sakala’s arrival would give Steven Gerrard five centre-forward options in that event, so one of Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten would surely have to depart given the enormous level of competition.

In other news, this ace previously compared to Lionel Messi would be interested in a move to Rangers.

After their 2-2 draw against West Brom on Sunday, it’s now just one win in eight Premier League games for Aston Villa as their quest for a European place for next season took another major hit.

Dean Smith’s side took the lead thanks to an early Anwar El Ghazi penalty, but the Baggies cancelled it out with a spot-kick of their own from Matheus Pereira.

Tyrone Mings’ own goal gave Sam Allardyce’s men the lead, before Keinan Davis popped up with a late equaliser to spare Villa’s blushes.

But while Ezri Konsa in particular had an off-day by his standards, including conceding the penalty and then slipping in the build-up to the Baggies’ second of the match, John McGinn also let his manager down with a really disappointing performance too.

As per Sofascore, the Scotland international’s 87 touches were the most of any player on the pitch, and yet that didn’t translate into anything really meaningful.

His total of two key passes were even bettered by left-back Matt Targett who had four, while only one of his five crosses found the mark. McGinn was also incredibly wasteful in possession too, conceding the ball on 22 separate occasions – the highest amount of any Villa player.

The midfielder saw a lot of the ball but struggled to really find any penetrating passes, either in between the lines or in behind to try and stretch the Baggies defence, and it all made things that little more difficult for Villa to break Albion down.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a five, noting: “Deeper for this one compared to recent weeks with his passing very much off in the first half. McGinn was competitive in the challenge as he always is but lacked that quality here. McGinn picked his head up well to put Watkins away but struggled in terms of his short, five-yard passes.

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“The Scot took a few strikes from range as he tried to add to his goal in midweek. A battling performance but Villa needed more before Davis came good at the end.”

In a game where Villa knew the opposition were just going to sit back and try and soak up possession, Smith desperately needed his key midfield players to show a bit of creativity and class on the ball to try and unlock the Baggies defence.

Instead, McGinn had nothing really of note in the game other than that brief moment of quality to put Watkins through, and he let his manager down badly with a wholly ineffective display.

Meanwhile, Villa are facing transfer misery over this starlet…

Leicester City missed the chance to strengthen their hold on a Champions League place as they were held to a 1-1 draw against 10-man Southampton on Friday night.

Jannik Vestergaard was sent off in just the ninth minute of the game but Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes could not find a way through before the interval, even falling behind to James Ward-Prowse’s second half penalty before Jonny Evans rescued a point.

A huge culprit of Leicester’s failure to earn three points at St Mary’s on Friday was in-form striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Despite having scored 14 goals in all competitions since early February, the Nigerian was a disappointment on the south coast last night.

According to WhoScored, he had three shots throughout the game, failing to draw Saints stopper Alex McCarthy into any strenuous work with any of them.

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He provided two key passes and it was his cross which was headed home by Evans for the eventual Leicester equaliser, but that does not quite tell the whole story of Iheanacho’s evening.

The £13.5m-rated striker could only accumulate a woeful pass accuracy rate of 58.3%, which was by far the worst from a Leicester player. This is compounded by the fact that Iheanacho lost possession on 16 occasions throughout the 90 minutes according to SofaScore as he continually struggled to control the ball.

Having also failed to complete a dribble and being flagged offside once, the Nigerian served to frustrate his team.

To compound that frustration, the former Manchester City man was at fault for the hosts’ goal, with his handball directly resulting in a penalty kick being awarded and then converted by Ward-Prowse.

Considering that the Foxes were up against ten men for almost the entire match, Rodgers will surely be fuming at Iheanacho’s hugely wasteful performance against Southampton.

AND in more news, find out why Leicester have been boosted in their pursuit of a La Liga star…

Southampton’s hopes of signing Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams this summer appear to have suffered a blow after it was revealed that West Ham and Norwich City are both keen on adding him to their squads ahead of next season.

According to The Sun, the Hammers and the newly-promoted Canaries are both interested in the 20-year-old, who has been regularly linked with a move to Southampton since the January transfer window.

After a failed loan move for the youngster in January, which left Ralph Hasenhuttl extremely short of full-back options at Southampton for the second half of the campaign, it seems as if the Austrian is desperate to not make the same mistake this summer and wants to bring the £9m-rated defender in on loan.

The Athletic suggested that Southampton are likely to return for the Manchester United academy graduate, who has struggled for regular game-time in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this season, due to the impressive form of Luke Shaw and the signing of Brazilian left-back Alex Telles in last summer’s transfer window.

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Southampton’s need for a left-back this summer will arguably be even greater than in January, as it now looks as if Ryan Bertrand will leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. It has also been suggested that Sam McQueen might never play football again, which currently leaves just Jake Vokins available as a left-back in the Austrian’s squad for next season.

Considering the 20-year-old has struggled to get game-time on loan with Sunderland in League One this season, it seems clear that the Saints will need to strengthen in that position this summer.

However, it looks as if they will face a battle for Williams’ signing this summer and Manchester United may well prefer to send him to West Ham, who look set to be playing European football next season and were boosted by the loan signing of Red Devils midfielder Jesse Lingard in the winter, which will surely have strengthened the relationship between the two clubs.

The 20-year-old, who was dubbed an “exciting young English talent” by Gary Lineker last year, looks as if he will be spoilt for choice of a loan club this summer, and it would be quite a blow for Hasenhuttl if Southampton were to miss out on him again.

In other news… Semmens drops huge claim on £20m Saints beast, Hasenhuttl must be buzzing

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 343 appearances for Newcastle United, has claimed that Jonjo Shelvey is in the team to do things other than run about the pitch.

During an episode of Zoom Army, a series on Newcastle’s YouTube channel, Shelvey was asked by a fan why he was so lazy which saw the stand-in captain claim his running stats said otherwise.

The £70,000-per-week midfielder is more known for his passing ability, something that often left Rafa Benitez awestruck during his time at the club.

Speaking on how Shelvey is not in the team to run about the pitch and what he really brings to the team, Lee exclusively told FFC:

“I think he probably runs but doesn’t sprint, but he probably covers a lot of ground. I’m not a believer in stats because Jonjo Shelvey is not in the team to run around and close people down.

“Jonjo Shelvey has great passing ability and on his day his passing is as good as anybody so I’d say he is probably one of the best passers in the league.”

Shelvey signed in January 2016, which was to be only months before Newcastle were relegated to the Championship. However, the former Liverpool midfielder stuck with the club and helped get them promoted at the first time of asking.

The England international has been handed the captain’s armband while Jamaal Lascelles is recovering from an injury that could keep him out for several weeks.

Rumoured Leeds United target Matthew Sorinola has rejected a new deal at MK Dons, acting as a potential boost to the Whites.

The Lowdown: Sorinola impresses for MK Dons

The 20-year-old has shone for the League One club this season, making 23 starts in the league and enjoying a total of 40 appearances, in all competitions. Manager Russell Martin has hailed him as ‘excellent’ in the past, clearly rating him highly to utilise him so often at such a young age.

Sorinola has chipped in with one League One goal and four assists from left-back, with his performances leading to interest from a number of clubs.

The Latest: Sorinola rejects new contract

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of the sides keen on acquiring the youngster’s signature this summer, perhaps partly due to Ezgjan Alioski being expected to leave Elland Road.

Chelsea, Bournemouth and Norwich City are also mentioned in the report, as are Scottish Premiership heavyweights Rangers and Celtic, with the youngster allegedly deciding to quit Milton Keynes this summer as his ‘future lies elsewhere’.

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The Verdict: Rival for Leif Davis?

Despite Sorinola’s quality, it would be a huge surprise if Marcelo Bielsa was targeting him as a regular next season, given his lack of experience.

A more established replacement for Alioski needs to come in, but the MK Dons man could rival Leif Davis for the backup spot, looking to prove they could be the long-term first-choice in the role.

The fact that the report states that Sorinola wants regular playing time suggests Leeds may want to avoid a move, however, allowing Davis and someone like Nicolas Tagliafico to dovetail with one another instead.

Another alternative could be to sign him and loan him back to a club lower down the English football ladder, so this feels like one to just keep an eye on for now.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to leave the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

Daniel Farke’s Norwich City side are interested in a move that would bring Stjepan Loncar to Carrow Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Bosnian outlet SportSport (via the Eastern Daily Press), who claim that the Canaries, alongside the Italian duo of Verona and Monza, are keeping a close eye on the £2.25m-rated HNK Rijeka central midfielder ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window.

The 24-year-old’s current contract with the 1.HNL side is set to expire this summer, however, the EDP report that Rijeka have a clause to extend Loncar’s deal for a further season – something that it is presumed the club will activate at the end of this term.

Webber must move

With Norwich confirming the departures of both Mario Vrancic and Alex Tettey this summer, as well as Oliver Skipp’s return to Tottenham Hotspur and Kenny McLean being ruled out for three months due to a knee injury, bringing in fresh faces to the Canaries’ central midfield is absolutely paramount for Stuart Webber ahead of the club’s Premier League campaign.

And, after looking at Loncar’s returns from his most recent campaign with Rijeka, it is easy to see why Norwich are keen on the 24-year-old.

Over 30 appearances in the Croatian top flight, the left-footed midfielder scored two goals, provided two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game, as well as averaging an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90.

The nine-time capped Bosnia-Herzegovina international also impressed over his six appearances in the Europa League, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating two big chances, while averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.95.

As such, it would very much appear as if Loncar has both the talent and experience to be able to slot into the Norwich midfield rather nicely this summer, leading us to believe that Webber should be doing all he can to get a deal over the line for the 24-year-old as quickly as possible.

In other news: Imagine him & Pukki: Webber must sanction NCFC swoop for £9m-rated “complete package” – opinion

Many West Ham United fans are eager to sign Alex Kral this summer after it was revealed that they have reignited their interest in the midfielder.

The Hammers ended their season in style on Sunday as they defeated Southampton 3-0 at the London Stadium. The result means they will be playing in the Europa League next term, a fantastic achievement from the Irons considering that they finished above the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham in the Premier League table and came a lowly 16th in the previous campaign.

As such, David Moyes and co will need to get their squad ready for a European campaign, and that is likely to involve new players being brought in. According to the print edition of The Sunday Mirror (May 23rd, page 74) [via Hammers News], West Ham remain interested in signing Kral from Spartak Moscow this summer, and he would reportedly cost around £14m.

The Czech Republic international is a tenacious defensive midfielder, with match averages of 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.6 successful aerial duels this season. The interceptions average exceeds that of international team-mate and Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek with 1.6 for the campaign.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the rumour, with one fan describing Kral as a “superb” midfielder.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kral news below

“Fantastic ball carrier. Great ability. Versatile. Get him in.”

Credit: @alanrzepa

“£14m would be an absolute bargain! Make it happen! Young, physical unit, excellent technical ability & skill, great passing range & should settle quickly!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Would be a great signing.”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“Would love him”

Credit: @CristianoCruzJ

“Kral would be superb.. get him in the team”

Credit: @Dave83238635

“Would love it. Fits the mold we were promised of young and hungry players with upside”

Credit: @JesseLarch

In other news, many West Ham fans are delighted by this transfer news.

Joe Willock ended his short but yet spectacular half-season on Tyneside with his seventh goal in seven games when he netted the opening goal against Fulham, but former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey still thinks £20 million would be a lot of money for the 21-year old.

Since the Arsenal midfielder made his debut in the 3-2 win against Southampton, in which Newcastle finished the game with nine men, the Magpies have only lost four games in the Premier League – against Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton.

Several reports have suggested that the Magpies still intend to test the Gunners’ resolve on Willock and bid £20 million for him, however Mikel Arteta confirmed that the club would be planning his future for the coming years, a huge blow for Steve Bruce and the fans.

Willock was serenaded when he limped off during the 1-0 victory against Sheffield United in front of 10,000 fans as the Geordies told him ‘we want you to stay’, but Howey exclusively told Football FanCast that £20 million is still a lot of money:

“For a young lad, who I think has got a very good future, you’ll be looking at £20 million which I still think is a lot of money and I know in today’s market that bang average players get bought for that amount of money.

“I just think that he’s enjoyed a purple patch and we’ve seen before that players have gone to clubs done really well on loan, signed permanently and then not done great. I’m not saying that would happen with him but in all fairness, from the noises coming out of the Arsenal camp, I don’t think Newcastle are getting him anyway.”

One loan player who did well and then returned to Newcastle, that Howey may have been eluding to is Kenedy. He did not sign permanently but did arrive for a season-long loan after impressing during the second half of the 2017/18 season, however, the following season saw just one goal in 25 appearances.

After he found the back of the net against already relegated Fulham, Willock became the youngest player in Premier League history to net seven goals in seven consecutive league games.