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Jurgen Klopp’s final season as Liverpool manager has ended in disappointing fashion. Despite Carabao Cup success in February, the Reds failed to win any of the other three competitions that they were involved in.
In the Premier League, Liverpool will finish third, after a messy run of form ended their title hopes, with Manchester City in the box seat to win a fourth consecutive league title. Klopp’s side can, at most, end on 82 points this season.
Liverpool were knocked out of the Europa League in disappointing fashion to Atalanta, who overcame them across the two legs. In fact, the Italian side are now set to meet Bayer Leverkusen in the final, hoping to spoil their incredible unbeaten season.
Manchester United knocked the Reds out of the FA Cup, beating them in one of the most incredible cup ties of all time. A late winner in the dying embers of extra time from Ivorian Amad Diallo was enough to send Liverpool home.
With a summer of change coming up at Anfield, what with Klopp and assistant manager Pep Lijnders' departure, and Arne Slot’s pending appointment, it could well be the end of several players’ time at the club. In particular, one classy midfielder could be on his way out of Anfield.
The player in question here is elegant Spanish midfielder Thiago. He joined the club from Bayern Munich in 2020, for a fee of £20m plus £5m in potential add-ons. However, after four years in Merseyside, he will depart this summer.
This was confirmed by The Atheltic journalist James Pearce last week, who discussed in an article that 33-year-old Thiago “will leave as a free agent when his contract expires this summer."
As for his destination, Saudi Arabian clubs could well battle it out for Thiago’s signature this summer. Football Insider have explained that a move to Saudi is his “most likely destination”, although a return to his native Spain could also be on the cards.
Indeed, Thiago’s time at Liverpool has been clouded by injuries. This season, he has played a single game in all competitions, making a fleeting five-minute appearance off the bench against Arsenal in the Premier League.
|
Thiago's injury record at Liverpool |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Days missed |
Games missed |
|
2020/21 |
95 |
27 |
|
2021/22 |
98 |
23 |
|
2022/23 |
365 |
57 |
|
2023/24 |
101 |
22 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
||
He has played 98 times for the Reds in total, scoring three and assisting six. Yet, he has missed an astonishing 129 games due to eight injuries and contracting COVID, which has kept him out for a total of 659 days.
Given the sheer number of injuries he has suffered, it will no doubt be frustrating for Liverpool to have had such an exceptional player like Thiago unavailable for such a long period of time. Not only that, he is one of the top earners at the club.
According to Capology, there are only two players who earn more than the £200k-per-week that Thiago is on; Mohamed Salah, the club’s highest earner, who takes home £350k-per-week, and Virgil van Dijk, who receives £220k-per-week. Indeed, Thiago earns more than Liverpool stars including Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is on £180k per week, and Alisson, who earns £150k per week.
That's pretty staggering, particularly in Alexander-Arnold's case. Having captained Liverpool this season at various stages, he is the future under Slot and having supplied 19 assists in the last two seasons, deserves a little more cash.
That said, Liverpool fans must surely view it as a real shame Thiago’s move to Liverpool was ravaged by injuries so much; he is a classy midfielder, who would have lit up the Premier League had he been fully fit.
Given the change of era at Liverpool, and the reports that Thiago will leave the club at the end of the season, it is certainly something that seems inevitable.
Incoming manager Slot will no doubt want to stamp his own identity onto the side. That could see the likes of Thiago, and potentially some other big earners, depart the club for pastures anew. FSG and Co are making the right decision by not renewing his terms at Anfield.
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Angus Sinclair
May 15, 2024
The centre-backs proved too much to handle in the opposition penalty area as the Reds picked up a win at San Siro
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate proved vital at both ends as they guided Liverpool to a 3-1 win against AC Milan in their opening Champions League game of the season on Tuesday.
The Reds found themselves on the backfoot early on as Milan saw a dangerous attack flagged for offside following Van Dijk's last-gasp clearance. Almost immediately afterwards, Kostas Tsimikas was left hapless to let Christian Pulisic break down the left side, and the United States winger left Van Dijk in his wake before he fired past Alisson.
Liverpool soon grew into the game despite the early shock and looked set to pull level when Mohamed Salah was found in a dangerous position, only to strike the bar, which he did again later in the first half, too. The Reds continued to push and eventually earned a dangerous free-kick that Trent Alexander-Arnold placed onto Konate's head for the equaliser. From then on, it was all Liverpool and a dangerous attack saw Salah earn a corner which was crossed in for Van Dijk to nod home from close range.
Midway through the second half, Liverpool put the game to bed when Ryan Gravenberch passed to Dominik Szoboszlai, who unleashed Cody Gakpo down the wing. The Dutch winger cut into the Milan box, shook off a challenge and squared for Szoboszlai to finish.
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A brilliant performance from Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky kept the Rossoneri scoreless, snapping Pulisic's goal streak
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Since becoming the manager of Arsenal in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has overseen several transfer windows, which have all had varying degrees of success. In total, the Spaniard has spent around £700m.
Some of the success stories include the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. The Norweigan midfielder joined Arsenal on a permanent basis from Real Madrid, after an initial loan move to the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth roughly £30m, in August 2021.
England international Rice, who has now captained his country, signed for the Gunners in a club-record deal which saw him move from West Ham to the North London club for £105m. It is fair to say both deals have been a success so far.
Meanwhile, some have not been quite as good. The likes of Nuno Tavares, who Arsenal signed from Benfica for £8m in 2021, has not worked out for either party with the full-back spending two consecutive seasons out on loan. Another in Pablo Mari, who cost £8m, is no longer at the club.
However, there is one player whom Arteta brought into the club in January 2023, who has ended up becoming an integral player for the Gunners during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
The player in question here is Polish international defender Jakub Kiwior, who has become an important player under the Spaniard this season, as Arsenal looked to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.
The 24-year-old defender has played 30 times in all competitions for the Gunners this season, with 20 of those appearances coming in the top flight, and seven in the Champions League, a competition that Arsenal were eliminated from in the quarter-final, by Bayern Munich.
Kiwior has also chipped in with some handy goal involvements this season. The Poland international, who is likely going to go to Euro 2024, went on a run of four goals and assists in five Premier League games across February and March, which included finding the back of the net against Newcastle in a 4-1 victory at home.
Competition for a place at left-back for the Gunners this season has been high, although Arteta has often struggled to find the right formula for that side. Aside from Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu have played at left-back this season.
|
Arsenal's main 3 left-back options in 2023/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Left-back apps (all comps) |
|
Kiwior |
19 |
|
Zinchenko |
30 |
|
Tomiyasu |
19 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt. |
|
Despite this competition for places, Kiwior has put in some big performances across the season, something which has seen a spike in his market value going into the 2024 summer transfer window.
According to the market value tool by CIES Football Observatory, Kiwior has seen his transfer value rise to £34m, which is a sizeable increase compared to the sum that Arsenal paid for him in January 2023.
Indeed, the Gunners paid Kiwior’s former club Spezia £20m to acquire his services, seeing an impressive increase of £14m on his current transfer market value. This certainly reflects Kiwior’s consistent performances at left-back this season.
In fact, with that increase in his transfer value, Kiwior is now valued the same as some of Arsenal’s most important players.
Specifically, he shares the same value as the likes of Leandro Trossard and David Raya, who are also worth £34m, whilst fellow left-backs Tomiyasu and Zinchenko are valued at considerably less, at just £17m.
Both of those players have been particularly key for Arteta this term, Trossard notably scoring 17 goals in all competitions and Raya taking home the Premier League's Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets.
Should Arsenal wish to move Kiwior on this summer, it would be a deal which they can likely make a profit from. Whilst a transfer seems highly unlikely given Kiwior’s impressive season, it is certainly a deal Arsenal may consider if they can strengthen at left-back as a result of a departure.
Without a doubt, the deal to bring the defender in can be seen as a success from Arsenal. He was described as "extraordinary" by Poland teammate Robert Lewandowski, and this season he has shown why. Kiwior's cost, performances this season and subsequent rise in transfer value are testament to that, and overall it has been a good piece of business by the Gunners.
Arsenal hit the jackpot with a "warrior" who's now worth 2x more than Son
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Jack Salveson Holmes
May 22, 2024
Several years ago, Carlo Ancelotti was asked a question. How many Champions Leagues can you win, Carlo? No, it wasn't that. Will you go down as one of the greatest, Carlo? It wasn't that either.
Instead, the illustrious Italian manager was asked: "Why have you decided to release Luke Garbutt?"
It feels like a parallel universe, doesn't it? In classic fashion, Ancelotti raised an eyebrow before replying "who?" It really was press conference cinema.
At the time, he was managing Everton, a moment in his rather incredible career that will probably fall towards the bottom of his achievements. No disrespect to the Toffees, but it does defy belief that they were able to entice him to Goodison Park.
In the four years since that remarkable moment, Ancelotti has cemented himself as one of the greatest tacticians to have ever lived.
On a brisk Sunday evening at the beginning of June, he took home a fifth Champions League trophy and his second since leaving Merseyside behind, cementing Real Madrid's legacy even further.
This time it was achieved under the famous arch at Wembley Stadium. Madrid took longer than they had hoped to break the deadlock, but after Dani Carvajal headed home, it all began to feel rather inevitable.
Vinicius Junior soon scored to make it 2-0. "Ballon d'Or, Ballon d'Or," Rio Ferdinand shouted. Quite. The Brazilian should well be in the conversation.
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However, we're not here to discuss that, we're here to discuss the greatest manager of all time, a debate Ancelotti more than deserves to be mentioned in. So, what are his credentials?
The 64-year-old has a great love affair with Europe's premier competition, winning the title now on five occasions.
The first of those titles came with AC Milan in 2002/03 before the Italian giants were crowned continental winners again in 2006/07.
The veteran had to wait until 2014 to take the crown home once more, winning the first of three Champions Leagues with Real.
Back for a second spell in Spain's capital, he won it again in 2021/22, a season after leaving Everton – and then rounded off a handful of triumphs in 2024.
So where does that place him among the best to do it in the competition? Well, he's right at the very top. No manager has won more Champions League trophies than Don Carlo. In fact, he's now two clear of some pretty illustrious names.
|
Most UCL wins by a manager |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Manager |
Titles |
Years won |
Club(s) |
|
1 |
Carlo Ancelotti |
5 |
03, 07, 14, 22, 24 |
Milan, Real Madrid |
|
2= |
Bob Paisley |
3 |
77, 78, 81 |
Liverpool |
|
2= |
Zinedine Zidane |
3 |
16, 17, 18 |
Real Madrid |
|
2= |
Pep Guardiola |
3 |
09, 11, 23 |
Barcelona, Man City |
|
16 have won it 2x, including Mourinho, Ferguson, Del Bosque & Clough. |
||||
So, as far as Champions League success is concerned, there is no one more decorated than the current Madrid boss.
But what about when it comes to overall trophy wins, who reigns supreme there?
Ancelotti's haul of five European trophies is a rather remarkable tally, but he's not just a one-trick pony.
The former Chelsea boss has achieved some pretty impressive accomplishments domestically, too, notably winning all of Europe's big five leagues – the only manager to record such a feat. His first came in 2003/04 when he guided Milan to the Serie A title.
He then won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2009/10 before guiding PSG to Ligue 1 glory in 2012/13. A Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich was forthcoming in 2016/17 and he is now also the proud winner of two La Liga titles with Real, winning the trophy in 2021/22 and 2023/24.
Throw in a bucket load of cup victories and it means that as of June 2024, Ancelotti has won 29 major honours, the fifth-most of any football manager in history.
Who comes out on top? It'll be no surprise to see Sir Alex Ferguson sit at the summit of the list with a staggering 49 trophies throughout a decorated 39-year career in management.
|
Most honours won by a manager |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Manager |
Trophies |
Years Active |
|
1 |
Sir Alex Ferguson |
49 |
1974-2013 |
|
2 |
Pep Guardiola |
39 |
2007-present |
|
3 |
Mircea Lucescu |
38 |
1979-2023 |
|
4 |
Valeriy Lobanovskyi |
30 |
1969-2001 |
|
5 |
Carlo Ancelotti |
29 |
1995-present |
|
6= |
Jose Mourinho |
26 |
2000-present |
|
6= |
Luiz Felipe Scolari |
26 |
1982-present |
|
6= |
Jock Stein |
26 |
1960-1985 |
|
6= |
Ottmar Hitzfeld |
26 |
1983-2014 |
|
7 |
Giovanni Trapattoni |
23 |
1972-2013 |
Considering Ancelotti's age, it's highly unlikely he'll get anywhere near the 49 won by Sir Alex, but providing Pep Guardiola can't inspire anything further with Man City in the next few years, he will hold onto that incredible Champions League record for a little while longer.
Celebrated as "an unbelievable person" by Cristiano Ronaldo, as "a second father" by Alessandro Nesta and as a "world-class" coach by Jude Bellingham, he is a manager to have gained praise from some of the greatest we've seen in the game.
He's achieved things no other manager has ever done and deserves to go down as one of the best to ever stand in a technical area. It will be a sad day when that retirement announcement comes.
Still, he has a few more years to go. With Kylian Mbappe in tow from next season too, you wouldn't put it past Madrid to win a 16th Champions League and Ancelotti's sixth. Watch this space.
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Glasgow Rangers failed to end their run of seasons without winning the Scottish Premiership title as they finished second in the division this term.
They have now gone three years without a league trophy to lift and they may look back on their recruitment last summer as not being good enough to help them oust their rivals in the race for domestic silverware.
Michael Beale made a number of signings in an attempt to bolster his squad but did not have the best of luck, as two of his additions left the club on loan by January – Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes.
However, there were some success stories to come out of the window. The signing of Dujon Sterling has, so far, been a fantastic piece of business by the Scottish giants, as his value has soared this season.
The versatile star arrived on a free transfer from Premier League giants Chelsea last summer and arrived as a natural right-back, having made more appearances in that role than any other in his career.
With James Tavernier being the Rangers captain, Sterling may have joined knowing that there was the potential for him to spend a lot of time on the bench behind the skipper in the rotation.
However, the English whiz ended the 2023/24 campaign with 1,780 minutes under his belt across 36 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues.
|
23/24 Premiership |
Dujon Sterling |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
24 |
|
Starts |
11 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
50% |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, Sterling made 11 starts in the Premiership, in 24 outings in total, and his versatility was key to his success on the pitch.
The ex-Stoke City loanee, who scored one goal in three Europa League outings, also started all four of his games against Celtic in the Old Firm, which speaks to how much trust the manager has in him.
He played in six different positions for Rangers, including left-back, right-back, right midfield, left midfield, defensive midfield, and right wing, across all competitions, which allowed him to earn appearances and starts in several roles when needed.
Beale struck gold by bringing the 24-year-old star to Ibrox as he has proven himself to be an incredibly useful operator for Philippe Clement, who has trusted him to play in a multitude of positions within his system.
At the time of his free transfer to Glasgow, after his contract with Chelsea expired, FootballTransfers estimated that the young defender's market value was €800k (£680k).
His emergence as a versatile and key performer for the Light Blues under the Belgian head coach, since Beale's departure, has seen his value soar this season.
At the time of writing (30/05/2024), FootballTransfers places Sterling's xTV (Expected Transfer Value) at €2.8m (£2.4m), which means that his value has soared by 250% from the €800k it was sat at last summer, before his move to Ibrox.
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Therefore, Rangers have hit the jackpot with the 24-year-old, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, as his value has soared and he has been a valuable figure on the pitch for Clement.
Hopefully, the club can land more players like Sterling and fewer like Lammers and Cifuentes when they come to make signings this summer.
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Arsenal are increasingly interested in signing a £38 million forward alongside RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, as links continue to surround the Slovenia international.
Reports have suggested that the 6 foot 5 star is now manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu's top target for the Gunners, with Sesko also being chased by a few other elite sides from both the Premier League and further abroad.
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Emilio Galantini
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Arsenal have made a proposal for Sesko behind the scenes, but the 21-year-old is believed to have offers on the table from both Man United and Chelsea as well. In Europe, PSG contacted the striker according to HITC, with Sesko's £55 million release clause proving to be a huge draw for interested sides.
However, Leipzig are also fighting to keep their star striker, as Fabrizio Romano explained on the Here We Go podcast earlier this week.
"He wants to take some time to decide if he will stay at RB Leipzig and sign a new contract, or leave to try a new experience," said Romano (via football.london).
"The first step has to be to inform RB Leipzig of his future at the club. Leipzig presented an important contract to Sesko to be the star of the squad with an improved salary and big money."
|
Benjamin Sesko's 2023/24 stats (all competitions) |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Total |
|
Appearances |
42 |
|
Goals |
18 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Minutes per goal |
115 |
|
Minutes played |
2,057 |
|
(via Transfermarkt) |
|
"He has to decide whether he wants to be the superstar of Leipzig for one more season or to leave in 2025. He has already said no to two big proposals for €30 million (£26 million) per season salary in Saudi Arabia, so he was not attracted by the possibility.
"He has three proposals from the Premier League – Manchester United, Chelsea & Arsenal – these three clubs have already approached Sesko and presented their project. They want him so now it's basically on the player."
The first transfer saga of this summer window is well underway, but it is believed that Arsenal are keen on signing another forward alongside Sesko. Juventus forward Federico Chiesa, who will be representing Italy at Euro 2024, scored nine goals and registered two assists in 33 Serie A appearances.
As per Tutto Juve, Arsenal are increasingly interested in doing a deal for Chiesa this summer, who is said to be valued at around £38 million. The winger is someone who supporters will be familiar with, as Arteta and co were linked last year as well.
Journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, branded Chiesa a potentially amazing addition to Arsenal's ranks at that time.
"I love Chiesa and I've always hoped he would one day land in the Premier League. It will be interesting to see how this summer window pans out for him. He's obviously had some injury problems in the not-too-distant past. He's such an exciting player.
"You can imagine he would be awesome in that Arsenal attack too. I'm not convinced it'll be that easy to sign him though, I'm really not."