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The former Italy midfielder is one of the most coveted coaches in European football right now as he is poised to make history with the Rossoblu

When Xavi announced in February that he would be down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season, Deco, the Catalan club's sporting director, was asked if Bologna boss Thiago Motta was in the running to take over. "I don't follow Motta's work on a regular basis," the former Portugal international told , "as I'm not used to following his Italian team."

It was an astonishing admission, given the remarkable job being done by Motta at Bologna had already put him on the radar of nearly every top European club considering a change of manager this summer.

Indeed, both Manchester United and Juventus are both said to have stepped up their interest in hiring the former Italy international over the past few weeks – and rightly so, with Motta on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League with a team that last appeared in continental competition 22 years ago – in the Intertoto Cup.

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  'I see him doing very well'

  While making a very public plea to Xabi Alonso to replace him as Liverpool boss this summer, Jurgen Klopp claimed that the "next generation" of great coaches was already out there. The German labelled the former Anfield favourite the "standout" and pointed out that Alonso had acted "like a coach" on the field during his illustrious playing career.

  Motta was exactly the same (even though he may not have been quite as elegant a midfielder as his Spanish peer!). Former Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc – who entrusted Motta with the responsibility of implementing his "footballing philosophy" – was even willing to predict, "I see him doing very well in this profession in the future."

  It was a view shared by the PSG board, who put Motta in charge of the club's Under-19s immediately after his retirement from the game in 2018. He may not have lifted any trophies during his short spell in charge, but he did win plenty of plaudits for the attractive brand of football he coaxed out of a team with several youngsters that were playing at least two years above their age grade.

  However, Motta's methods were met with scepticism by some within the game. He infamously spoke of his 4-3-3 formation as more of a 2-7-2, prompting widespread ridicule, and even though the two-time Champions League winner subsequently explained that he was speaking in vertical rather than horizontal lines while also including the goalkeeper in his system, the doubters were lining up to stick the boot in after he was sacked just two months – and 10 games – into his first coaching role at senior level, with Genoa bottom of Serie A.

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  'Met all our criteria'

  Despite the backlash, Spezia turned to Motta after losing highly-rated coach Vincenzo Italiano to Fiorentina during the summer of 2021. "When we were looking for a new coach, we tried to analyse those candidates that could be compatible with my ideas of football, and, above all else, trying to find a coach capable of implementing a style of play that fit with the culture of Spezia," former sporting director Riccardo Pecini told GOAL.

  "We analysed some profiles and we watched many games of the two or three coaches that we focused on. In the end, Thiago was the one that met all of our criteria."

  His tenure could not have got off to a worse start, though. Just 11 days after Motta's appointment, Spezia were hit with a transfer ban that prevented Pecini from properly strengthening the squad.

  "Even when he arrived, he did around 20 days of quarantine because of Covid-19, and couldn't attend friendlies and training, so it was difficult for him," Pecini admitted. "But he managed to concentrate solely on his work and not on all of the problems that we had."

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  'When he speaks, you listen'

  Motta also managed to keep it together during a particularly tough period in the run-up to Christmas when it was widely reported that his job was at risk. Ultimately, though, Spezia resisted the temptation to wield the axe, partly because the players still had full faith in the manager – and his methods.

  That was partly down to his pedigree. As former Spezia midfielder Giulio Maggiore told GOAL, "He was an incredible player, so it's normal that when he speaks, you listen."

  However, ex-Spezia forward Emmanuel Gyasi also appreciated the fact that Motta was such a "straight-talker". "He's very honest," the Ghanaian told GOAL. "He says things to your face. He'll just let you know directly if you're doing well or if you're doing badly."

  Spezia's decision to stick with Motta was ultimately vindicated. A shock win away at Napoli just before the winter break sparked a fine run of form that also included a sensational 2-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro, and played a pivotal role in Motta's team avoiding the drop in spite of all of their off-field issues.

  It was that impressive escape act that convinced Bologna to hire Motta after a winless start to their 2022-23 Serie A season.

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  'Big change'

  Motta was not exactly welcomed with open arms at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. The fans had respect for the job he had done at Spezia, but in Sinisa Mihajlovic, he was replacing a beloved coach, a legendary figure who had continued to lead the club during his brave battle with cancer. Roberto De Zerbi had even turned down the role because he didn't want to succeed the Serb.

  Motta had an enormous amount of respect for Mihajlovic himself. "Sinisa will always be part of Bologna's history," he acknowledged, but he was nonetheless confident that even though he wouldn't be given much money to work with, he could build on the solid foundations that his predecessor had left behind.

  He made an inauspicious start, failing to win any of his first four Serie A games, but that was hardly surprising. His daring tactics represented "a big change", as attacking midfielder Lewis Ferguson told .

  Motta often sounds like Johan Cruyff when he says that "the most difficult thing to do is play simple football" and there's certainly nothing straightforward about the demands he places upon players. As Maggiore told GOAL, Motta is "a bit different to other coaches in that he doesn't have a precise formation. He thinks that every player can interpret several roles", which is why striker Gyasi quipped, "I've learned to play not just on the wing but also in midfield, and even at left-back."

  This versatility and fluidity is a reflection of Motta's reluctance to put labels on formations, as he feels numbers can be misleading. "You can be super offensive with a 5–3–2 and defensive in a 4–3–3," he once told the .

  However, with Bologna, Motta's plan was to play even more aggressively than he had at cash-strapped Spezia, as he believed he had players even better equipped to implement his possession-orientated game. Luckily for him, the squad embraced this bold, high-risk approach in possession, which revolved around slowly building from the back in order to draw opponents out, while also pressing intensely immediately after losing the ball before slipping back into a low block.

  "He clearly explained his ideas with his way of playing, his vision of football, how he wanted us to be," Ferguson said. "We quickly got hooked and I think you can see it not only in the results, but in the performances, in the way we run for him, in the way we all defend together."

After recent stutters against Luton Town and Toulouse, Liverpool got back to their ruthless best against Brentford in the Premier League to cap off an impressive start just before the third international break of the season. Sitting second and just one point away from league leaders Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp's side have the opportunity to go above last season's treble winners when they square off at The Etihad in the first game back after the international break.

If the Reds are to mount a serious title challenge, however, then they may need to look towards the January transfer window to complete Klopp's midfield rebuild. And reports suggest that FSG could be about to do exactly that.

Liverpool transfer news

Liverpool's summer overhaul, despite how many changes were made, has been fairly seamless. Those who arrived have slotted straight in and have impressed where the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho began to fail. Dominik Szoboszlai has been particularly impressive, offering the Reds mobility in the middle of the park once again. Ryan Gravenberch, meanwhile, has shown signs of becoming yet another bargain under Klopp, as he bounces back from Bayern Munich failure.

One struggle that has remained is the defensive midfield role, however. So far, Alexis Mac Allister has been shoehorned into the role and has, therefore, been exposed at times. Reports suggest that FSG could solve that problem in January though. According to Sport, Liverpool have taken the lead in the race for Andre Trindade. The Fluminense man is reportedly worth €35m (£30m) and has attracted the interest of the Premier League giants, alongside Barcelona.

Previous Liverpool transfer news suggested that the Reds had pulled out of the race to sign Andre, but now it seems as though they are leading the way in the chase for his signature in a major twist ahead of January. When the winter window opens, the Brazilian is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Liverpool leading the way for "monster" Andre

When looking at Klopp's newest version of his Liverpool side, there's a sense that the only player missing is an out-and-out defensive midfielder capable of replicating Fabinho's role when at his best. It has become clear fairly quickly that Mac Allister is not the man to do that and would be better used in a more advanced role similar to his Brighton & Hove Albion days. Andre, however, could be that player for the Reds. Andre's stats, compared to Mac Allister's, certainly suggest as much.

It comes as little surprise that the Fluminense man has been at the centre of praise over the last year or so, including from ESPN's Fernando Campos, who posted on X: "Pressing and playing with the confidence of someone who knows he's different. Get out of the hush and make the team work. André Trindade is the best defensive midfielder in the country and is a monster of a player."

Sports presenter Kate Abdo and her boyfriend Malik Scott caught up with Thierry Henry and CBS team ahead of Champions League action.

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• CBS team meet-up ahead of Champions League action
• Abdo had dinner with boyfriend Scott and CBS team
• Real Madrid face Man City while Bayern host Arsenal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Abdo had dinner with her boyfriend Malik Scott, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards as the CBS team caught up ahead of an exciting evening of Champions League action. Scott took to Instagram to share a photograph of the group with the caption, "Pre-Game Meal with The Best Panel in Sports."

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  THE GOSSIP

  Scott had issued a sort of warning to Carragher after the former Liverpool star made a cringe-worthy joke on-air after a Champions League match targetting the couple's relationship. The ex-England international questioned Abdo's "loyalty" to her boyfriend in a completely unprompted deviation from her football team allegiances.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Scott – a trainer to heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder, however, shares a close bond with former Manchester City star Micah Richards as he revealed they speak on the phone and he is his favourite panellist on CBS.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  On Wednesday night, Real Madrid are all set to face Manchester City at the Etihad while Bayern Munich will host Arsenal at Allianz Arena.

It has been a reported that a Tottenham prodigy has been ruled out "for up to six weeks" through injury.

Spurs injury crisis worsens for Postecoglou

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is already having to cope with a plethora of injuries, as the club suffer a real absentee crisis right now. James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips, Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur are all currently on the treatment table, dealing Postecoglou a real problem as we head in to the hectic festive period.

Coupled with a suspension for Cristian Romero, that's nine Spurs players who are currently unavailable to feature as the Lilywhites squad is stripped to its bare bones.

"Yeah, that's a pretty good summation," said Postecoglou on Spurs' injury list. "We have got eight (injuries), Bentancur nine, we had a couple of suspensions today and we've only got a squad of 25. You do the sums and that's what we've got.

"We lost Ashley Phillips during the week as well. It is just the situation we're in at the moment, but we'll get through it. It might take a little while, but we'll get through it and as long as we show the same intent and play the football we did today, I've got no doubt when we come out the other side, we'll be a very good football team."

The north Londoners take on Premier League champions Man City next, with more tough matches against West Ham and Newcastle United coming soon after the Blues.

George Abbott "out for up to six weeks" at Spurs

Now, according to independent Tottenham news account Lilywhite Rose, who regularly breaks news on the Spurs academy, the injury crisis is also sweeping beneath the first team.

In-form striker Mikey Moore has apparently been sidelined for over a month after picking up a calf injury on international duty, and it now appears highly-rated young midfielder George Abbott has been sidelined too.

The England Under-18 international will apparently be "out for up to six weeks" with an injury in what is a "massive blow" for him.

"Understand George Abbott will be out for up to six weeks with an injury," wrote Lilywhite Rose insider John Wenham.

"Massive blow for the hugely talented England youth international who made his first team debut away to Leeds last season. Wishing you the best George."

Abbott's debut for the Spurs first team came under interim boss Ryan Mason, who spoke of the importance surrounding giving youth an opportunity.

"I would say the most important thing is to have people who have energy, who feel that pride to wear this shirt," said Mason after handing Abbott his debut (via tribalfootball).

"Those two lads that came on I said it to them afterwards that they are an example of what an academy player should look like in terms of their work rate.

“I've been in the academy, I know both of them very well and that's not a gift for either of them. That's hard work, consistently every day, doing it right, so they deserve that moment and I really value young players in any squad, because when you've got a player that feels the club and knows what it's like to represent the football club it can be powerful."

Both Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah were unable to turn the tide for Milan, who were forced to watch rivals Inter claim the Serie A title.

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• Milan fall 2-1 to arch-rivals
• Pulisic and Musah both start for Rossoneri
• Inter claim Scudetto with victory

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Milan had no one but themselves to blame for the loss as the Rosonerri were exposed defensively by their crosstown rivals, who solidified the Scudetto with Monday's win.

  Inter's first goal was entirely due to terrible set-piece defending as Milan were punished early. Just 18 minutes into the match, Milan lost track of Inter's Francesco Acerbi in the box. The defender was left with a free header, and he made no mistake as he placed his shot past a helpless Mike Maignan.

  Milan conceded again just four minutes into the second half, ending all hopes of a comeback just a few moments after emerging from the halftime break. Marcus Thuram was the goalscorer, with his goal essentially killing off any chance of Milan getting back into the match.

  They did fight back as Fikayo Tomori did get a goal back in the 80th minute, but it ended up being a consolation as Milan fell 2-1. They didn't go down without a fight, though, as late clashes saw Theo Hernandez, Denzel Dumfries and Davide Calabria all sent off before the final whistle.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the win, Inter claimed the Serie A title, earning the Scudetto for the second time in four years. The victory gave them a 17-point lead over second-place Milan and, with just five matches left to play, the Rosonerri are mathematically unable to challenge their local rivals.

  This title will be particularly sweet for Inter considering the fact that it came at the expense of a rival. It also ensures that Milan go trophyless this season, having already been bounced from the Champions League, Europa League and Coppa Italia.

  Reports out of Italy indicate that manager Stefano Pioli will pay for this season's failures with his job. Before that, though, Milan will have to finish off the campaign as they look to hold on to second place in the season's final weeks.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  Pioli relied on both of the USMNT stars he had at his disposal, although he did shift things tactically at the start. Pioli opted to use Rafael Leao as a No. 9, moving Pulisic to the left wing while inserting Musah as a right winger rather than a central midfielder.

  Pulisic was kept rather quiet from that left-sided spot, making it the second consecutive match where he failed to impress. He mustered just one shot and was unable to really influence the game.

  Musah, meanwhile, returned to a wing spot that he played so much of at Valencia. The USMNT midfielder was more influential than his international teammate, creating a few chances that Milan just couldn't make anything of.

  Overall, though, it was a difficult day for all involved as Milan could not prevent Inter's tidal wave en route to a Scudetto.

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  GOAL'S RATINGS

  Christian Pulisic (6/10):

  Just didn't get enough of the ball. Part of that is down to tactics, but Pulisic wasn't really able to influence the game in the moments where he did get opportunities.

  Yunus Musah (6/10):

  Was miscast as a winger, but he did his best. Starting him over, say, Samuel Chukwueze was an interesting choice, but you can't fault Musah's effort as he did have a few good moments going forward.

The TST 2024 group stage bracket dropped on Tuesday, as Wrexham, Sergio Aguero, the U.S. Women and many others learned their team's fate.

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• TST 2024 group stage revealed
• Wrexham, USWNT & others learn fate
• Women's division launched in 2024 edition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After it's successful inaugural tournament in 2023, TST returns in 2024 bigger and better than ever. The 7v7 World Championships will feature a 48-team men's bracket and for the first time, an eight-team women's field as well. With two $1m cash prizes on the line, teams from all around the world learned their group stage fate on Tuesday ahead of the competition in June.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  From Sergio Aguero to Maicon, Chad Ochocinco to JJ Watt, and Pat McAfee to Jimmy Conrad, among countless others, TST 2024 will feature a field of athletes, celebrities and amateur sides looking to secure the ultimate cash prize and glory for their team.

  However, all eyes will be on the Wrexham Red Dragons this year following their second successive promotion. Reynolds and McElhenney's club will now compete in both the men's and women's division in TST 2024. The latter will have an incredible test in the group stages against the U.S. Women squad, which features several World Cup winners.

  The men, meanwhile, will be taking on lifestyle soccer brand FC Roha Eagles and Desimpedidos in the group stage. The full men's schedule can be found here.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Local amateur side Newtown Pride FC won the 2023 edition of the tournament. They were the lone amateur side competing in 2023, and ended up on top.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TST?

  The 2024 edition of the tournament will arrive in just under a month's time on June 5 for the men's division. The eight-team women's bracket begins June 7, and both run through to June 10.

Manchester United have completed a clean sweep regarding November's Premier League awards, with Erik ten Hag crowned Manager of the Month, Harry Maguire provided the player's award for his rock-solid defending and Alejandro Garnacho earning Goal of the Month for his almighty bicycle kick against Everton.

But Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth underscored the glaring issues that threaten to spiral the club's campaign into the abyss, with the vertiginous gulf between United and their Manchester neighbours, along with Arsenal and Liverpool, pretty staggering.

After 16 matchweeks, the Red Devils are just three points behind imperious neighbours Manchester City – who albeit could stretch that gap with victory over Luton Town on Monday – and while six victories have been claimed from the past nine outings, improvements are needed across the pitch.

It's clear that United's offensive ranks are not quite gelling, with Scott McTominay actually the squad's top scorer across all competitions this season, netting six goals thus far.

Rasmus Hojlund, aged 20, completed a £72m transfer to Old Trafford in the summer and is unquestionably a talent of immense potential, though the cogs are not clicking yet and he has blanked across all 11 Premier League appearances – though he has scored five in five in the Champions League.

With Marcus Rashford starkly out of sorts, it's clear that firepower is needed to ensure that the prestigious outfit does not fall by the wayside, and with the January transfer window looming large,

Man Utd transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United have enquired about the availability of Stuttgart's red-hot striker Serhou Guirassy, who may be allowed to leave the Bundesliga in January but for no less than €20m (£17m).

Similar to Garnacho: Man Utd could sign a "sizzling" Rashford replacement

Man Utd have been linked with a move for the versatile forward ahead of January.

By
Tom Lever

Dec 8, 2023

This follows transfer news from Football Insider earlier in the week, claiming that United should now be considered frontrunners for the Guinean's signature – alongside Newcastle United – after Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Fulham and Aston Villa had initially been credited with an interest.

The 27-year-old is believed to be open to holding winter discussions with Manchester United, though is happy to remain with Stuttgart until the summer, currently third in the German top-flight and boasting a five-point cushion over fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Serhou Guirassy's season in numbers

Guirassy, simply, has been in unbelievable form throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far, having plundered 18 goals from 13 matches across all competitions – including 16 from 11 in the Bundesliga.

For reference, Harry Kane, who has been widely praised for tearing German football apart since departing Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich in the summer, has scored 18 league goals, just two more than Guirassy.

Heralded for his "outrageous hot streak" by The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor, the £36k-per-week goal machine has built considerably after displaying flashes of top-class quality last term, scoring 14 times from 29 matches during the 2022/23 campaign – including 11 from 20 starts in the Bundesliga.

As per Sofascore, he has been astounding in his relentlessness, averaging 3.7 shots per game in the league, also completing 81% of his passes and creating 1.7 key passes each outing.

Serhou Guirassy's style of play

Clearly a brilliant goalscorer, the 6 foot 2 Guirassy is not just a target man and would offer a myriad of qualities to improve Manchester United's frontline, crisp and commanding as the focal frontman and eager to influence the play with his distribution.

There's an element of selflessness too, which is an interesting trait for one so prolific, and he has been dubbed an "incredible" player by journalist Dean Jones for his efforts.

As per FBref, the Guinea international ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for pass completion and the top 14% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Interestingly, Manchester City's world-class talisman Erling Haaland is listed as a comparable player to the in-form star, and it certainly wouldn't be a half-bad acquisition to sign a clinical presence to rival the Norwegian machine.

In fact, Guirassy is actually outscoring Haaland in league football this season, with the 23-year-old posting 14 strikes from 15 Premier League appearances.

Of course, Haaland is arguably the best centre-forward in the world and is definitely the best out-and-out goalscorer, but Guirassy's cutting edge is something that United have been lacking this term and if he could emulate that on English shores, Ten Hag might have the means to craft a truly excellent end to a campaign that has ebbed and flowed to this point.

How Guirassy compares to Martial

Should Manchester United succeed in signing Guirassy, Ten Hag could finally axe long-time servant Anthony Martial, who remains a regular presence in the matchday squad despite failing to impress for considerable time now.

Across 18 appearances, the once-prodigious talent has only scored two goals and supplied two assists this season, and has even been branded a "humongous waste of talent” by former professional Craig Burley.

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, Martial has actually only scored 20 goals across all competitions, including just 12 in the Premier League.

It's not good enough and it's not what Ten Hag needs to bridge the gap between his side and the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool at the forefront of the Premier League.

Hojlund, it's worth noting, has bags of potential and could bloom into a formidable attacking force in years to come, but with the experienced Guirassy serving as a counterweight up top, United could find the weapon needed to fire them into first-class form.

Who needs what heading into the final gameweek of the season?

As the 2023-24 Premier League season heads into its final week, a few things remain unresolved, meaning plenty of teams have something to fight for.

Will Manchester City wrap up an historic fourth title in a row or will Arsenal end a 20-year wait and clinch the trophy for the first time since 2004?

Newcastle United, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea all have European concerns, while two teams are still in danger of relegation.

Here, GOAL takes a look at the permutations of the final gameweek.

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  What do Man City need to win the title?

  Manchester City can win the Premier League by beating West Ham at the Etihad Stadium on May 19.

  If Arsenal fail to beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium, City will be crowned champions regardless of the outcome in their game against the Hammers.

  Simple.

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  What do Arsenal need to win the title?

  Arsenal lie two points behind City in the table, so their fate is not totally in their control.

  Mikel Arteta's side absolutely need to beat Everton and they also require City to lose at home to West Ham.

  Should the Gunners fail to defeat Everton, they will hand the title to City.

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  Champions League

  Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
  1	Man City	37	27	7	3	+60	88
  2	Arsenal	37	27	5	5	+61	86
  3	Liverpool	37	23	10	4	+43	79
  4	Aston Villa	37	20	8	9	+20	68

  The Champions League places are all locked in for next season, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa confirmed as England's representatives in the group stage of the 2024-25 competition.

  Unai Emery steered Villa to a Champions League finish by clinching fourth place ahead of the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea. It marks a return to the top table of European football for the 1982 European Cup winners.

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  Europa League & Europa Conference League

  Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
  5*	Tottenham	37	19	6	12	+10	63
  6**	Newcastle United	36	17	6	13	+22	57
  7	Chelsea	36	16	9	11	+12	57
  8	Manchester United	36	16	6	14	-4	54

  Champions League football may be out of reach for Tottenham, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United, but European football is still up for grabs.

  Tottenham are in pole position for a Europa League place, being six points clear of Newcastle and Chelsea. They will qualify if Newcastle and Chelsea lose to Man United and Brighton, respectively in their penultimate games. Otherwise, it will go to the final gameweek.

  Newcastle and Chelsea are on the same points with two games to go, but the Magpies' superior goal difference means they are ahead of the Blues in the table. Both teams will need victories in their final two games in order to keep their Europa League hopes alive.

  Manchester United cannot qualify for the Europa League directly through the league but will take part in the competition if they win the FA Cup final against Manchester City. If they lose to City, that Europa League spot will go to the team which finishes seventh.

Unfortunately for Mauricio Pochettino and Todd Boehly, Chelsea’s dominance in the transfer market hasn’t been mirrored on the field, with the Blues currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League after 16 matches.

Chelsea’s latest game was a narrow 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park. The Blues had 72% possession, but they lacked movement and imagination to break down Sean Dyche's side.

Connor Gallagher is being opted for in the slightly advanced midfield role, but he doesn’t offer much creativity. Cole Palmer’s inclusion in the starting XI has boosted Chelsea’s output in recent weeks but the need for another magician in attack is clear to see.

Chelsea transfers latest – Thiago Almada

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are one of four Premier League clubs that are interested in acquiring the Atalanta United star.

The attacking midfielder looks destined to move to Europe in the near future and the Blues view him as a long-term investment.

As per other reports, Almada is valued at £24m, and he is the finest prospect in the MLS.

The stats that show Thiago Almada would be a good signing for Chelsea

Before looking at the Argentinian creative mastermind in more detail, his MLS goal involvement statistics speak for themselves. In just 66 appearances for the Five Stripes, he has scored 20 goals and registered 23 assists.

He’s simply a “monster of a player” and as you can see, Almada is just as much of a goal-scoring machine as he is an artist, which gives him the pedigree of an elite attacker.

The Chelsea faithful have previously witnessed a young attacking midfielder come to life in their first season playing at Stamford Bridge, Juan Mata. A like-minded creative wizard, the Spaniard became the London club’s player of the season, netting 12 goals and registering 21 assists in his debut campaign. Boehly, therefore, will be hoping that Almada can have a similar impact to what Mata had in 2012.

The right-footed, dynamic youngster mainly features as an attacking midfielder who likes to drift over to the left-hand side, where he can pick up the ball in the inside channel. At just 22 years of age, he shows maturity and expresses himself on the field like a seasoned professional.

However, the defensive side of the game is rarely addressed by Almada, with his role simply being to create. This resembles the ex-Manchester United midfielder, who thrived with the ball at his feet, yet was slightly passive out of possession. Both players are and were the heartbeat of each side they've played for.

As already shown, his output is immense, but his dribbling, passing and technical ability is second to none. The table below shows a handful of statistics that he ranks in the top 2% in compared to positional peers in similar divisions across the last year.

Although these statistics are clearly at a world-class level, it is important to take the competition, MLS, into context and the Premier League will provide a much sterner test for the Argentine.

Almada would be an excellent signing for any top club in Europe, but with the amount of talent Chelsea has in attack, and the fact that Christopher Nkunku is getting closer to returning, his game time may be limited at the Blues.

Liverpool have displayed a certain sense of profligacy across recent weeks but remain at the forefront of the Premier League table as the new year looms, with Jurgen Klopp's side actually in first place after 19 matches.

Of course, there are a host of contenders for the trophy and the business end of the campaign will be a gruelling storm to navigate through, but the Reds have been here before and will be confident that they can keep pace with the likes of Arsenal and champions Manchester City right to the decisive stage.

Klopp could land Endo upgrade in Liverpool swoop for £51k-p/w "colossus"

The Reds were touted with a possible move for the midfielder over the summer.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 28, 2023

It's remarkable that Klopp's side have done so well given last year's travails resulted in the framework of the midfield being removed and replaced with four new additions, with injuries to key players combated expertly across recent weeks.

But with left-back Kostas Tsimikas breaking his collarbone against Arsenal last week, Klopp might be forced to accelerate his transfer plans and move for a defender this January, with a summer target still on the radar.

Liverpool transfer news – Goncalo Inacio

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool's Premier League title rivals Arsenal have 'positioned' themselves to win the race to sign Goncalo Inacio from Sporting CP, meaning that the Reds will need to act fast to secure their man's signature.

The Portugal international is understood to have a €60m (£52m) release clause inserted into his contract, and while this is a heavy price to pay at the campaign's midpoint, his sublime ball-playing and technical ability would fit like a glove for an outfit fighting for the top spot on English shores.

Liverpool have sent scouts to observe the 22-year-old in action since the start of the year, but will indeed need to act fast to stop the Gunners from securing his services.

Goncalo Inacio's style of play

Few defenders across Europe offer the kind of passing prowess that Inacio holds within his skill set, with talent scout Jacek Kulig marvelling at his "complete" array of abilities.

A centre-half, Inacio is left-footed and this is something that has no doubt attracted the attention of Klopp as he plots for the perfect addition to augment his backline, with it a well-known fact in the summer that this profile was the preference for the Merseyside club.

Having joined Sporting as a youngster, Inacio has succeeded in cementing a starring role under Rúben Amorim's stewardship, notably winning the 2020/21 Liga Portugal and two Portuguese League Cup trophies across 145 appearances, having impressively scored 14 goals.

As per Sofascore, he has featured 14 times in the Portuguese top-flight this term and completed 88% of his passes, averaging 5.4 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 70% of his dribbles and 56% of his ground duels.

The five-cap Portugal international – already with two goals for his country – has so much more to give and may well need to take the leap and join a side such as Liverpool (or Arsenal) to truly unlock the full scope of his potential.

The stats behind Liverpool's interest in Goncalo Inacio

BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan is among those to be convinced by the player's ability and has revealed his thoughts in the past regarding Inacio's suitability for a move to Anfield.

He said: "Gonçalo Inácio is the perfect counter-weight to Konaté. Inacio-VVD-Konaté: Build-up conductor. Leader/aerial dominator/switches of play. Immense recovery speed & coverage of space."

As per FBref, the star ranks among the top 8% of central defenders across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.

Effectively, such metrics highlight his brilliance in the modern skills of a defender, which in turn would allow him to succeed at a club such as Liverpool, where swift transition and inventive ball-playing are essential to the success, allowing the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and co to strike like lightning on the counter.

Inacio could instil dynamism and fluency across Liverpool's backline to continue the seasonal resurgence and ensure that the Reds remain on track for silverware, or at the very least, on course to challenge for honours until the death.

And given that he is a left-sided centre-half, he could also slot in and allow Virgil van Dijk to shift to the right side of the rearguard, with the Liverpool captain's style sure to blend effectively with Inacio's.

Imagine Goncalo Inacio & Virgil van Dijk

Joel Matip's season ended when he ruptured his ACL against Fulham at the start of December, and while Ibrahima Konate is a formidable player, breakout star Jarell Quansah is the only other option in front of Alisson's goal, with Joe Gomez regularly deployed as a full-back this term.

With Konate a monster of a centre-back but prone to injury himself and far more comfortable on the right side, Inacio would be the perfect player to bolster the backline, especially with the aforementioned Matip's contract concluding at the end of the season.

And with Van Dijk back at the top of his game after struggling last year, the prospective arrival could absorb the fruits of one of the very best to do it, nurturing and refining his craft over the coming years.

Van Dijk, aged 32, joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75m in December 2017 and has won the full sweep at the club, having completed 241 appearances and taken the captain's armband in the summer.

Ranking among the top 5% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for assists and attempted passes and the top 2% for aerial wins per 90, the Dutchman makes a very good claim for standing as European football's superlative defender this term.

Indeed, across 17 Premier League displays, he has completed 90% of his passes, averaging 4.7 recoveries and clearances per game and winning 78% of his contested duels.

Such exemplary metrics would allow Inacio's style to flourish, and there is every possibility that the Portuguese defender would be the missing piece of the puzzle for a Liverpool side pushing for illustrious success once again.