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After their elimination from the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Liverpool turn their attentions back to the Premier League tonight by travelling to Elland Road to take on Leeds United.

Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to secure three points as the Reds aim to secure a top four finish, despite the looming prospect of the Super League proposals.

In order to do that, he must start midfielder Curtis Jones for the first time in the league since early March.

At just the age of 20, the Reds’ academy graduate is already the club’s highest-scoring midfielder this season with four goals. Couple this with the four assists that he has already managed to accumulate and that takes his total direct goal contributions to eight.

For comparison, the next most productive midfielder in the Reds’ squad is Georginio Wijnaldum who has only managed to score on three occasions, whilst having not managed to tee up his teammates at all.

Considering Jones has started just 21 matches in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions, that is a remarkable achievement.

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It is no surprise then when looking at Jones’ statistics per match, he continues to outperform his somewhat more illustrious teammates.

According to WhoScored, the £27m-rated midfielder attempts one shot per game, a figure not matched by any other Liverpool option in the centre of the park.

Meanwhile, only Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara account for more key passes per 90 minutes than Jones in league play, whilst the latter only just outdoes his 1.1 dribbles per game.

It goes without saying then that should Jones be included, the Reds will surely be more of a threat, of course, a useful asset as Liverpool attempt to seal what could be a key three points in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Previously labelled as “unbelievable” by the Reds’ U23 coach Gary O’Neil, the England U21 midfielder simply has to be selected from the start at Elland Road if he’s passed fit after missing out against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

AND in more news, the Reds could find their perfect Wijnaldum replacement with a current England star…

Lionel Messi has cemented his status as an Instagram king, passing the 500 million follower mark, but he is still a long way behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

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• Argentine icon hits half-a-billion followers
• Portuguese rival boast 622m
• History being made on & off the field

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who continues to make history on the field, reached another notable landmark off the pitch when hitting half-a-billion followers on his social media channel of choice. He is just the second person on the planet to achieve that feat.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Eternal rival Ronaldo was the first, with the Portuguese icon topping the charts by some distance on 622m. Musician and actress Selena Gomez ranks third (429m), followed by Kylie Jenner (400m) and Hollywood film star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (397m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Messi is now followed by 20 per cent of the 2.5 billion monthly active user base on Instagram. He has more followers than all current NFL players combined and tops the cumulative total of the 154 teams in the five major sports leagues in America.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Messi’s fan base exploded on the back of his 2022 World Cup triumph with Argentina, while he now boasts a new legion of supporters following a move to the United States that has seen him link up with MLS side Inter Miami. His following is predominately male (72%), while Brazil is his top country for followers at 12% – followed by India (8.1%), Argentina (6.5%) and the U.S. (6.2%).

Gary Neville hailed Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group for bringing in positivity in the Manchester United squad.

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• Neville hails Ratcliffe
• Man Utd on a five-match winning streak
• Man Utd beat Luton Town 2-1 on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester-born billionaire's minority takeover at Manchester United was approved by the Premier League earlier this week following an independent review. With Ratcliffe and his INEOS group set to be responsible for football operations at Old Trafford going forward, club legend Neville hailed the business for the team's "change in energy" in recent games.

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• WHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

  Speaking to reporters, Neville said, "The turn in Manchester United's fortunes has coincided at the point where Jim Ratcliffe came in. I think it might be a little bit of a coincidence. You remember that second 45 minutes against Aston Villa on Boxing Day which damaged Villa. The two Manchester United games will really damage Unai Emery because they played really well in both games.

  "They hammered United in the first half. United were breathtaking in that second half, that was Jim Ratcliffe's first game as it were as he'd been announced on Christmas Eve. It has been an about-turn. I think what Jim Ratcliffe has done, he's come in and said to all of them, I'm looking at every single one of you lot. You're all playing for your future."

  He added, "They have got the players back, Casemiro was out for a long time, and they had players out in key positions, so there was an element of that but I do believe the mood has changed. What the fans wanted, what everyone connected with United was just some interference with the complete and utter tosh we've seen for 10 years. What's happened is the boardroom has been disrupted, which means there's a completely new energy with decisions being made."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Further discussing the current mood in the club, Neville stated, "How long have we been asking for a CEO that knows football, a sporting director, a sporting department? I can shut up about it now!

  "When you think for 10 years every Manchester United manager has operated without a CEO that's actually been in a football club before, without a sporting director, without a head of recruitment. It's madness, forget negligence, it's just madness. It would never happen at any other club. The more I think about it, what the Glazers have done is show blind loyalty to people who have been really good to them over a long period of time at the club. Ed Woodward was at the club for 10-12 years before he became CEO, he was working on the commercial side. They've been very loyal to him and believed everything he said. I'm sure Ed believed in what he was doing as well.

  He further added, "I said it probably 10 years ago, it was like they were playing Football Manager. They can go and have a look at some of the best players in the world. [Angel] Di Maria, [Radamel] Falcao, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and they played Football Manager with the club for 10 years without having serious people operating the club, which other clubs have. It's unbelievable."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Erik ten Hag's side are now unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions which includes five consecutive wins. On Sunday, they registered a narrow win over Luton Town thanks to a brace by Rasmus Hojlund. They are currently five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers remain ‘hopeful’ that Steven Davis will sign a new contract to keep him at the club.

What’s the word?

The Northern Irishman has entered the final remaining months of his current deal as his future at Ibrox hangs in the balance and his manager is said to be keen on tying him down to a fresh deal.

Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard revealed back at the beginning of February that he wants Davis to extend his time at the club.

Since then though, no announcement has been made, despite the fact Davis has played a pivotal role in Gerrard’s side surging up to the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

The onus, therefore, is on Gerrard to push Ross Wilson and co. to put pen to paper and extend his contract beyond the end of the season at the very least.

Get it done

Davis has scored one goal in 36 games for Rangers so far this season. But don’t let those numbers fool you so easily, as he has been a key cog in the midfield.

Despite his advancing years, the 36-year-old has continued to turn back the clock and boasts an impressive WhoScored match rating of 6.99 which sees him rank 11th out of the entire Rangers squad, just behind Ryan Jack and ahead of Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara.

By the numbers, he ranks joint-second for interceptions per 90 in the Premiership (1.3 pg), third for tackles per game (1.7 pg), and eighth for clearances (0.9 pg), which only further illustrates his value.

He’s perhaps one of the most underrated signings of the post-Pedro Caixinha era, with Gerrard deserving immense credit for sanctioning such a move.

Davis, who reportedly earns wages worth £18,000-a-week, deserves every single penny that’s coming his way, whether that be from Ibrox or elsewhere, and Gerrard must push those above him to make sure that it’s the Scottish champions-elect who pay him such a salary.

AND in other news, Rangers in three-club transfer battle for 19-year-old Wigan strike prodigy Kyle Joseph…

Gotham FC's goal-scoring hero Esther Gonzalez, who netted the winner in the NWSL title game, spoke on the league's level compared to Europe.

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• Gonzalez says NWSL level is like 'playing Barca'
• World Cup winner previously played for Real Madrid
• Won NWSL title with Gotham FC 2-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After signing Gonzalez on August 23, Gotham went on to win the NWSL title, with the Ex-Real Madrid attacker playing a key role in their success during the regular season and in their historic playoff run.

  Speaking to reporter Marta Grinan of AS, Gonzalez spoke on the level of competition in the NWSL compared to that of Europe – specifically, Barcelona and the Champions League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal in the NWSL final Saturday, leaping all five-foot-three of her into the air to get a brilliant header off in stoppage-time during the first half.

  Now, she's made an incredible claim about the competition level within the league, stating that it's on the level of UEFA Champions League matches 'every' time.

• WHAT GONZALEZ SAID

  "One of the biggest differences with the Spanish League, which is a great League, is that here all the games, absolutely all of them, are like a Champions League game, at the highest level. In Spain there are some games that you can win four or five to zero, that your physical wear and tear is normal, that you have everything under control…"

  "Here every game is like playing against Barça, which is the best team in the Spanish League: your level has to be the maximum, your physical demand is the maximum, and that happens weekend after weekend"

  "Afterwards, the big difference is control, in Spain we have a lot of control over the games, the times, when to pause, when to attack and when not to. Here they look so physically superior that it's all about transitions"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ESTHER GONZALEZ?

  The Spain international will now enjoy her offseason with Gotham, capping off an incredible year of soccer. Winning both the FIFA World Cup and an NWSL title in the same season is an outstanding feat, so now, it's an offseason to rest and reset before the next campaign.

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai drank a shot of Palinka with Hungary fans to celebrate their Euro 2024 qualification – after a two-goal showing.

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• Szoboszlai seen drinking a shot of Palinka with Hungary fans
• Hungary beat Montenegro 3-1 having already qualified for Euro 2024
• Liverpool star scored twice

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool midfielder and Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai was seen enjoying a shot of Palinka, one of the most popular spirits in his country, while celebrating the team's qualification for Euro 2024 next summer. Hungary had already booked their spot at the tournament in Germany after a 2-2 draw with Bulgaria on Thursday, but that didn't stop them putting on a superb display in their dead-rubber against Montenegro.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hungary defeated Montenegro 3-1 in their final Euro 2024 qualification game, with the Reds midfielder bagging himself a brace in the second-half. Hungary finished at the top of Group G with five wins and three draws in their ten games to take their points tally to 18 points.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SZOBOSZLAI?

  The 23-year-old will return to action for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's men look to stay in a tight title race with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham. The summer signing has been a superb addition to Liverpool's engine room this season, and will hope for another start when they face champions City on November 25.

If anything summed up Wolves’ season, it would be the last couple of weeks.

Throughout February, the Old Gold were brilliant as they bounced back from some relegation talk to go through the month unbeaten.

Nuno Santo has been nominated for the Manager of the Month award while Ruben Neves is in the conversation to be crowned Player of the Month.

However, the cracks are starting to appear in Wolves’ armoury again. They are now winless in three successive outings with their performance against Aston Villa on Saturday providing very few positives.

Nuno’s men drew 0-0 as they lacked ruthlessness in front of goal. It has been the same story in their last two matches, drawing 1-1 with Newcastle and being battered 4-1 by Manchester City.

It has been a poor week for the Midlands outfit and nothing typifies that more than their ability or lack of it rather, to find the net.

Willian Jose is still yet to score in a Wolves shirt while Adama Traore’s goal drought goes on. It would seem that they’re beginning to rely on their defenders to score the goals.

Conor Coady netted in midweek, while he and Romain Saiss had their best chances against Villa on Saturday.

Pedro Neto whipped in a mean ball from the right during the second half which found its way to Coady at the back stick. He hit the post and then with the goal at his mercy, Saiss somehow missed an open goal from a matter of yards.

Tim Spiers claimed the effort “defied the laws of physics” and it’s hard to argue with that point. The Moroccan just needed to tap the ball home but instead skied it miles over the bar. It was a moment that ultimately cost Wolves the game and left every Old Gold player in the camera shot with their head in their hands.

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It was a bewildering miss, one that might just go down as the worst of the Premier League season. Though, it was an incident that just about summed up a woeful night for Saiss; a player who never got going at Villa Park.

The £22k-per-week defender has been inconsistent this term and his display on Saturday evening proved that very point. Nuno likes his defenders to be able to play out from the back but he failed in that department, achieving a pass success rate of just 70%.

That tally happened to be the worst of any Wolves outfield player. It was also a number that was 12% worse than his seasonal average of 82% this term.

The Express & Star were rather damning in their assessment of the defender at full-time, saying; “Headed the ball with authority, however, his passing was inconsistent throughout. But it’s the miss of the season that will cause the Moroccan international some sleepless nights.”

Saiss was kept busy by the likes of Trezeguet and Ollie Watkins but he often came out second best, winning just a solitary tackle in the entire match. In addition, the centre-back surrendered possession on 15 occasions.

It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Saiss, someone who should now be wary of his place in the team.

With Willy Boly back among the substitutes, Nuno must consider wielding the axe on his place in the starting XI and replacing him with a more reliable defender. Boly is certainly that.

AND in other news, Wolves gem who made just 23 passes let Nuno down a lot, Spiers said he “offered nowt”…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested Ryan Bertrand’s Southampton career may soon be over.

The Lowdown: Bertrand’s contract is running out

Bertrand has been at St. Mary’s Stadium since 2014, but his contract is set to run out at the end of this current campaign (Transfermarkt).

As of yet, it remains unclear whether the 31-year-old will put pen to paper on a new deal, even though he did say in December that he would like to stay on the south coast for the foreseeable future (via The Daily Echo).

The Latest: Hasenhuttl shares thoughts

Ahead of Southampton’s clash with Liverpool this weekend, Hasenhuttl was discussing the future of the left-back. He said (via Hampshire Live):

“We are looking at other targets because the offer we have made has not been accepted from his side.

“When this happens, when there is no solution for the future in this position, we will have to look at other options.”

The Verdict: On the way out

These latest comments do not indicate that Bertrand has a long-term future at the club, and it appears to be of his own doing. If the £9m-valued former Chelsea defender (Transfermarkt) will not sign a new contract, there is very little Hasenhuttl can do – as such, he must look for alternatives.

The reasons behind Bertrand’s desire to leave are uncertain. At 31, he is approaching the end of his career, and a move to a top club may have already sailed. Unfortunately, if he does leave this summer, it will mean Southampton will not receive a transfer fee, but after 240 matches for the Saints, they may have already had their money’s worth.

In other news, Southampton are interested in this 21-year-old.

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered a current Premier League boss, according to fresh reports this week…

What’s the word?

The Sun claim super-agent Jorge Mendes wants to take Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo to Spurs, and they report that he has made contact with the north London outfit over a potential switch this summer.

It could create a knock-on effect that’ll only benefit the Portuguese representative even further as he would then try to take Bruno Lage to Molineux to replace the 47-year-old ex-goalkeeper.

Mendes also brokered Matt Doherty’s £15m move to Spurs in August.

Mourinho 2.0?

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy must approach this with serious caution as he risks a repeat scenario with Nuno.

There’s no denying that the Portuguese tactician has masterminded Wolves’ rise in the last few years, going from Championship promotion to the Europa League quarter-finals. And understandably, his reputation has skyrocketed, as a result.

Arch-rivals Arsenal came close to appointing him before settling on Mikel Arteta, according to The Sun’s aforementioned report, too.

The Midlands outfit have found life tough this campaign, drawing many a similarity to Spurs under Mourinho.

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Both teams have endured defensive mistakes and problems, and both seem to rely heavily on that one talisman – Harry Kane in north London, and Raul Jimenez at Molineux.

In the Mexican’s absence, Wolves have lingered in mid-table and haven’t looked like repeating their European exploits once.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Levy gets stung by an infamous super-agent either as Pini Zahavi, who is thought to have a close relationship with the Spurs chairman, was the man to clinch the ‘Special One’ a whopping £15m-per-year, which was double the amount paid to Mauricio Pochettino, who guided them to the Champions League final in 2019.

Mourinho also walked away with a £20m compensation package, according to the Daily Mail, following his sacking two weeks ago.

Levy must remember that these representatives are looking out for their clients, rather than trying to help out Spurs, so this latest claim should be hugely worrying for the Hotspur faithful, who grew tired of Mourinho’s tactics and recently protested against the club’s ownership.

He’ll only risk opening a further can of worms if he trusts Mendes with this appointment.

AND in other news, Levy could fix major Spurs problem by hiring 51 y/o gem who “ticks a lot of boxes”…

With Liam Cooper closing in on his return to first-team action following suspension, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa will undoubtedly look to bring his club captain back into the fold.

The skipper received his marching orders in that historic 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad, and will serve the final game of his three-match suspension against Brighton this weekend.

In his absence, Bielsa has opted to go with a centre-back partnership of Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk, and the duo have been impressive in ensuring the Whites picked up big results against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

But while Cooper will be expecting to reclaim his place in the back-line, and Llorente is beginning to get a run of games under his belt following his summer arrival, the £25k-a-week earning Struijk must simply be in the team.

The £6.3m-rated powerhouse has been a massive presence at the back, and Noel Whelan has made it clear just how much he has impressed.

He said: “I thought he was phenomenal at the back. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this kid. He went through a stage of playing in Kalvin’s role but that was the wrong choice by Bielsa for me. He is a centre-half all day long. You can see him growing in that position.

“Even before Cooper came back into the side those two had a really good relationship going. It looks like they have picked up where they left off. Pascal Struijk has taken his opportunity whenever it has been given to him. It is very difficult to drop him when he plays like that against a really strong Man United front three.”

Former Leeds ace Dominic Matteo is also a big fan of him, saying: “He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for. He’ll get even better too. Struijk is one to look out for.

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“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield. He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”

So while Cooper is set to return to the squad after the clash against the Seagulls, Bielsa must continue to unleash his 21-year-old starlet, who just appears to be getting better game by game.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this £9m-rated “massive flop”…