Liverpool FC

IT’S opening night at football’s multi-billion dollar circus and spending has gone through the big-top roof.

So despite an almighty spree of his own, Arne Slot believes his Liverpool side will face tougher competition than ever if they are to retain their Premier League title.

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England’s biggest five clubs have already shelled out more than £1billion between them this summer, in a whopping total spend of £2.1billion — or £2.5bn including deal add-ons.

And as the defending champions roll up to Anfield to face Bournemouth, kicking off another season for the greatest show on Earth, the Dutchman expects the title battle to be fiercer than ever.

Liverpool’s imminent signing of Giovanni Leoni would take their summer outlay to around £300m  — with deals for Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi still possible.

But world champs Chelsea have spent another quarter of a billion, followed by Manchester United (£200.5m), Arsenal (£181.8m) and Manchester City (£150.1m for a total of £324m in the calendar year).

And Slot said: “The reason why it’s so difficult lies mainly with the fact there are so many that can win the league over here.

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“To win it once is very special, if you can win it twice in five years like us — and City did even better — then that is unbelievable.

“And probably this year’s going to be harder than any year before because every team brings in new players. Our main competitors definitely did as well.

“The challenge in the Premier League is always the teams. We start with Bournemouth — the most intense in the league in terms of running and also playing style — and after that it’s Newcastle and Arsenal.

“That sums up this league and the challenges we have.”

If winning the title is a serious achievement, retaining it is far tougher — only Pep Guardiola’s City, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea have won back-to-back Premier League crowns.

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Slot would be walking among giants if he wins a second title in two  seasons.

And while the signings of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provide a major platform, he still wants Newcastle striker Isak as well as Guehi, the England defender who skippered Crystal Palace to beat the Reds in Sunday’s Community Shield.

Perennial runners-up Arsenal are in  a major recruitment drive too — adding Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Kepa  Arrizabalaga and Cristhian Mosquera ahead of a critical campaign for Mikel Arteta.

As ever, Chelsea have bought in bulk — with strikers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap joining wingers Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian, left-back Jorrel Hato and midfielder Dario Essugo at a club powered by its own brand of chaos.

Guardiola’s City — four-in-a-row champions before  last term — have made four big signings in Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and James Trafford, to add to their January quartet.

With United’s attacking overhaul bringing Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in, never before have all of England’s major clubs seen such change.

Europa League winners Spurs have spent  £100m-plus, with more to come — with even promoted Sunderland well over nine figures.

The league is increasingly competitive. The Liverpool-City duopoly — when two near-perfect teams needed close to 100 points to take the crown — is over.

No longer does one defeat spell disaster, yet fewer fixtures are a formality for any title-chasers.

With Liverpool making so many changes, Slot faces a different pressure to when he inherited Jurgen Klopp’s squad last summer.

He said: “I took over a team with only two weeks to prepare due to the Euros and Copa America.

“This year we’ve brought in very good, intelligent players who need to integrate. Bournemouth will bring a big challenge but everyone is looking forward to it.”

Roll up, roll up — tonight’s the night we begin to find out if they all have more money than sense.

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A MAJOR UK TV provider is scrapping a popular sports app in just weeks, in a major blow to football fans.

Customers will lose access to the service before the end of the Premier League, with Brits urged to upgrade to avoid missing out.

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From September 22, a number older of EE TV boxes will stop supporting the Discovery+ app, the streaming home for TNT sports content.

You will still be able to watch shows in real-time, but all on-demand content will be removed from your TV box.

That means customers will no longer be able to access Premier League highlights, catch up on missed Champions League matches, or watch any of their favourite Discovery+ reality or entertainment shows on demand.

The EE TV devices that will lose support for the Discovery+ app are:

• 4K Recordable TV Box
• TV Box
• Recordable TV Box

The newer devices, TV Box Pro, TV Box Mini, and the custom Apple TV 4K EE Box will continue working as normal.

Following the changes, your subscription won’t be cancelled, and you can still watch Discovery+ and TNT Sports on other devices.

If your TV box is affected, then you will need to upgrade, or find an alternative means of watching.

To upgrade to a newer model, all you need to do is call EE.

The device will typically be sent to you for free, however, you will usually need to begin a new 24-month contract to get the upgrade.

However, it is important to note that any recordings on your older device will not be switched over to the new device, so you should make sure to watch them all before making the switch.

If you don’t want to upgrade, you can still watch Discovery+ on your Smart TVs, tablets and laptops and smartphones.

If you’ve got a Smart TV, you can watch TNT sports and Discovery+ using that, and use your EE TV box for everything else.

Alternatively, you could switch to another TV subscription service instead.

EE TV (formerly BT TV) is a service available to BT and EE broadband customers.

It offers various packages ranging from a £20 a month entertainment package to an £80 a month Full Works plan.

JOHN TERRY was the epitome of Chelsea’s golden era under Roman Abramovich.

The most successful captain in the club’s history now thinks the Blues are ready to challenge under new ownership.

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For all the chopping and changing at Stamford Bridge, Terry — who mentors players in the academy — can see a bright future after a summer of success.

Eight months ago, boss Enzo Maresca was shooting down suggestions of a title challenge.

Six months ago, the fans were chanting angrily towards their manager that they wanted “their Chelsea back”.

Since then, Todd Boehly’s Blues have claimed a Champions League place, won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.

And JT – who has exclusively revealed he’s made a decision about his own future in the game – does not think Maresca will talk down their title hopes any more.

The Chelsea legend, 44, told SunSport: “I really liked the honesty from the manager because the message is clear to the players. We’re not there yet.

“If you’re the manager now coming into that dressing room and you’re going, ‘We’ve got a chance this year’, the players will think we’ve got a chance. This year I think his message will be different.

“He was spot on because we were young, it was a little bit up and down last year. At the moment, we’re clearly building and moving in the right direction.

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“I’m not sitting here saying I want to wait five years to win another Premier League. We’ve got to go into it 100 per cent with the mindset of going, ‘Yes, we have to try to win the league this year’.

“Without a shadow of a doubt. But there’s other big competitions as well.

“You fight right to the end until it’s not possible. The Premier League was done last season, Liverpool were very good last year and rightly the winners. We have to compete for that again.”

Key to success will be whether or not the fledgling leaders within Maresca’s squad can find another level.

Reece James, 25, was called out by his manager last season for not doing enough as a captain but has stepped up since.

Centre-back Levi Colwill looked to be following in Terry’s footsteps at the back before his cruel ACL injury last week.

And Chelsea’s 15-time trophy-winning former skipper has long been impressed by Enzo Fernandez.

But James staying fit and leading on the pitch will be vital after missing months at a time with hamstring, knee and thigh problems.

Chelsea’s transfer deals

IN

• Joao Pedro – from Brighton – £60m
• Jamie Gittens – from Dortmund – £52m
• Jorell Hato – from Ajax – £37m
• Liam Delap – from Ipswich – £30m
• Estevao – from Palmeiras – £29m
• Dario Essugo – from Sporting Lisbon – £18.5m
• Kendry Paez – from Independiente – £17.5m
• Mamadou Sarr – from Strasbourg – £12.5m

TOTAL – £256.5m

OUT

• Noni Madueke – to Arsenal – £52m
• Joao Felix – to Al-Nassr – £44m
• Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – to Everton – £28m
• Djordje Petrovic – to Bournemouth – £25m
• Lesley Ugochukwu – to Burnley – £25m
• Bashir Humphreys – to Burnley – £15m
• Mathis Amougou – to Strasbourg – £12.5m
• Kepa Arrizabalaga – to Arsenal – £5m
• Marcus Bettinelli – to Man City – £5m

TOTAL – £183.5m

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Terry added: “For Reece, concentrate on staying fit and having a fully-fit season for him is the most important thing. He can make such a difference.

“We’ve seen the quality. When Reece is at it, he is the world’s best right-back.

“When you’ve picked up a couple of injuries like Reece has had, it’s difficult to really feel like you belong.

“So when you start demanding from people around you, when you’re the one not playing, that’s also very difficult.

“When you’re in the starting line-up week in, week out, it’s easy to command and run the dressing room — and the standards of the football club.”

Terry made more than 500 appearances as captain and says boss Jose Mourinho always demanded his skipper be robust and a regular.

JT said: “You need to be robust. You need to understand that you can push through little injuries, niggles, and you can kind of come out the other side of it.

“You need to manage your body throughout the week and all of that.”

As well as mentoring players in the Under-18s and U21s, Terry stops in to catch up and offer support to players such as James and Colwill.

He even spoke to the pair of defenders before this interview.

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Terry added: “We talk generally about football and some situations — but it’s super relaxed.

“Out of pure respect, I don’t get too involved because I fully respect the  manager and his role.

“I would never want to say something that goes against what he’s saying to those players.

“But the boys know I’m always there if they need me.

“Not just the defenders but the ones that have just arrived. Always here to help. That’s my role as someone who has been at Chelsea for so long and the club means the world to me.”

And that is the clubman role he wants some of his academy predecessors to take up.

Terry said: “You’ve got Reece and there’s a few other boys that really live and breathe Chelsea.

“But the boys that come in and really buy into the club, this is where the importance of Reece, Levi and the academy graduates really play an important role.

“This is how we do it. This is what we do at Chelsea. We win football trophies and we win cups on a regular basis.

“All the top clubs have that. Man United have that, Liverpool have that, Arsenal. Spurs not so much . . . 

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“But all the big football clubs have that — they find a way to win.

“So in terms of where we were last year . . . a little bit inexperienced. Thiago Silva left and all of that. But the team managed to find a way to win.”

Terry also believes recent successes will be transformative for the Blues.

While the Conference League would have been scoffed at during Terry’s era had it existed, now it is viewed as a stepping stone within the camp.

He said: “It gives you belief, back when we won our first one, the 2004-05 Carling Cup at Cardiff, it gives you belief that it can be done within the squad.

“When you’re a young group, it ripples throughout the whole squad of players.”

If this group can match what Terry and his team-mates did after that Carling Cup win 20 years ago, the Blues will be in for one hell of a ride once more.

John Terry is an investor in and ambassador for LEBOM —  the low-stakes football betting app where It’s You vs Your Mates. 18+ BeGambleAware

CRYSTAL PALACE fans have been struck by another bout of tough luck as the Premier League has rescheduled their upcoming match with Aston Villa

The match, scheduled to be held at Villa Park on Friday August 29th, has been moved to a 7pm Sunday kick-off.

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The move adds insult to injury following the confirmation of their demotion to the Europa Conference League for the upcoming season.

The rescheduling has been made to accommodate the second leg of the Eagles’ opening fixture of that competition.

They will face either Fredrikstad or Midtjylland on August 28th.

The decision has piled the misery on to fans who are only just coming to terms with the brutal rejection of their CAS appeal on Monday.

Some fans have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the impractical timing of the fixture.

One fan said: “7pm on a Sunday is outrageous.”

Another sarcastically pointed out the difficulties the fixture can bring travelling fans.

They said: “Oh brilliant. That will be fun with an early shift the next day.”

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The game’s 9pm finish will cause havoc for fans making the over-200-mile round trip from Selhurst Park to Villa Park.

The topsy-turvy week just keeps getting more conflicting for fans following their surprise victory over Liverpool to secure the Community Shield on Sunday.

Ecstasy made way for disappointment as news emerged of their defeat at CAS the following day.

Now news has emerged that Spurs have joined Arsenal in their pursuit of Palace talisman Eberechi Eze.

And now Liverpool have reportedly agreed terms with Palace captain Marc Guehi over a move to Anfield.

Should one or both of those deals go through, the club will be in dire shape ahead of their season opener at Chelsea this weekend.

THERE are just four days to go until the new Premier League season kicks off.

Champions Liverpool wasted no time in dropping nearly £300million to bolster Arne Slot’s squad ahead of their title defence.

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But as managers across the division make their final preparations ahead of this weekend, chairmen will be trying to get some more players in through the doors in time for the curtain-raisers.

SunSport rounds up ten mega-money transfers that could get done THIS WEEK…

ALEXANDER ISAK

The Newcastle striker’s future has been one of sagas of the summer – will he stay or will he go?

Liverpool had a £110m offer rejected as the Toon want £150m but how helpful could a sulking, unhappy Isak be for Eddie Howe?

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SAVINHO

The Brazilian winger only joined Manchester City a year ago – seen as very much the replacement for Riyad Mahrez.

But Tottenham have entered talks over the wide man – although City would not entertain offers under £50m.

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MARC GUEHI

The Crystal Palace captain led his side to a second Wembley trophy in three months on Sunday – but could line up for opponents Liverpool this season.

Steve Parish admitted the Eagles will sell if the right bid comes in as Guehi enters the final year of his deal. Newcastle have also been interested.

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YOANE WISSA

The mass exodus at Brentford this summer may not be over just yet if Wissa follows Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and Mark Flekken out of the Gtech.

Newcastle reportedly had a £25m bid turned down but look set to go back in for the DR Congo international, with Liverpool monitoring the situation.

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KEVIN

Another Brazilian winger, this time it is Kevin who could be on the move – and heading to the Premier League.

Fulham submitted an offer of £32m but Shakhtar Donetsk are trying to hold out for £43m.

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CARLOS BELEBA

Manchester United want to bring in another midfielder before the window closes – and would love Baleba in time for the start of the new season.

The Cameroon star is only 21 but Brighton will not let him go on the cheap, so much so that the Red Devils may well need to pay a record-breaking £115m-plus for the holding midfielder.

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XAVI SIMONS

Chelsea are after a young, exciting attacker – again. This time it is Xavi Simons being lined up.

RB Leipzig will want at least £60m but the Blues may try and strike a deal which sees Christopher Nkunku return to his former club – plus Tyrique George.

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ALEJANDRO GARNACHO

Copy and paste from above – but this time it is Alejandro Garnacho who could be on his way to Stamford Bridge with talks underway.

He is part of the ‘bomb squad’ deemed surplus to requirements by United gaffer Ruben Amorim, who will happily see the back of the Argentine wideman who was left out of the USA pre-season tour.

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NICOLAS JACKSON

But with all the incomings at Chelsea – including strikers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap – there may be a major exit, too, with Jackson third-choice No9.

Jackson would prefer a switch to Newcastle, but the Toon will only bid for him should Isak leave – and they are determined not to let that happen.

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EBERECHI EZE

Just like his skipper Guehi, Eze continues to be linked with an exit away from Selhurst Park.

With the Ademola Lookman deal seemingly off the cards, Arsenal may swoop for the Palace talisman in a package worth £55m to £60m – although Tottenham may attempt to hijack the transfer if they can’t get Savinho.

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View of SunSport’s Martin Lipton from Wembley

Penalties, then. But the longer that went on, the more likely Palace were to win it.

Credit to Glasner and his side.

They might have caved in with the way Liverpool started, boosted by that terrific Etitike opener.

But they refused to buckle, trusted in their game plan and got stronger and stronger as the match wore on.

Indeed, Mateta, set up by Richards, had a great chance to clinch it.

The disruption of the Jota “silence” was a black mark for the Palace fans. A huge one.

After that, though, they were relentless in creating a wall of noise, backing their team, slaughtering Uefa and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

It was the palace supporters who created the atmosphere. Then again, Liverpool are used to this place. For Palace, it is still something new.

As is a shoot-out for a trophy.

LIVERPOOL have announced the arrival of new striker Hugo Ekitike in a £79million deal from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Frenchman’s arrival comes after months of the Reds courting him and his camp, with an end-of-season meeting with Arne Slot proving crucial in turning his head.

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Eiktike, 23, becomes Liverpool’s latest big-money addition this summer after splashing out on the like of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Florian Wirtz – taking their total spend to just under £300m.

The striker has penned a six-year deal on Merseyside, tying his future down with the champions after his impressive campaign in the Bundesliga last term.

Ekitike scored 15 goals and registered eight assists in his 33 Bundesliga appearances during the 2024/25 campaign, earning himself a spot in the league’s Team of the Season.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool beat a number of their Premier League rivals to Ekitike’s signature.

Chelsea are said to have explored a move, Manchester United considered a late bid and Newcastle were well-known to have had an offer knocked back by Frankfurt.

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FLORIAN WIRTZ will reportedly pocket a mammoth salary at Liverpool.

The Reds agreed a record Premier League fee for the Bayer Leverkusen and Germany midfielder earlier this week.

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The Merseysiders will pay the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions a whopping £116.5MILION for the 22-year-old.

Liverpool have fended off the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid to land Wirtz, who has reportedly been handed a mammoth five-year contract.

And according to Sky Sports, the German will pocket a whopping £245,000 a week during his Anfield stay.

That works out to a whopping £12.7m a year, a fee which is nearly TWELVE TIMES what he currently earns at the BayArena.

A whooping £10.2m of that figure is guaranteed for the attacking midfielder, who will pocket the remaining £2.5m if individual and team performance targets are met.

Wirtz’s salary will make him the THIRD HIGHEST-PAID player at Anfield ahead of Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac-Allister, Allisson, Ryan Gravenberch, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.

Only Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who both inked new one-year deals with the Prem champions last season, will earn more than him.

Egyptian Wizard Salah currently takes home a staggering £400,000 a week, which works out to be a jaw-dropping £20,800,000.

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Dutch defender Van Dijk, meanwhile, earns an annual salary of £18,200,000 thanks to his £350,000 weekly wages.

Wirtz will be joined at Anfield by his former Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong.

The Dutch defender became the Reds’ first signing of the summer late last month.

After the completion of his £29.5m move, the 24-year-old said: “Liverpool fans, I’m going to give my all.

“My energy, my work-rate. And hopefully, we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together.

“I’m just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me.

“And I won’t let you guys down and I’ll give you the energy that you guys want.”

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LIVERPOOL could be set to lose a second top star to a Madrid rival after Atletico Madrid reportedly made Andy Robertson their top target.

The Reds are already reeling from the loss of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and could now be forced to deal with the loss of left-back Robertson in the same window.

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THE Under 21 Euros kick-off today – bringing a whole host of new stars.

England are the holders and some of their winners from two years ago are now in the senior squad.

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The likes of Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and James Trafford have been with Thomas Tuchel‘s party over the last week.

Premier League clubs will surely be interested ahead of the proper transfer window opening on June 16.

So, here is SunSport’s five to watch – although one of the names will be familiar…

NICK WOLTEMADE (Germany)

Stuttgart’s 6ft 6in striker is anything but a target man and arrives full of confidence after making his senior bow against Portugal last week.

The £34million-rated star’s 17 goals this season have alerted a host of Prem clubs, including Everton.

Woltemade, 23, could now earn himself a big-money move by firing the Germans to Euro glory.

CONRAD HARDER (Denmark)

Sporting Lisbon brought the hotshot, 20, to Portugal for  £16m last summer and now value him at nearly FOUR TIMES that amount.

Harder had seven goals and 16 assists this term — with Chelsea, Manchester United and Juventus all watching him closely.

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YEREMAY HERNANDEZ (Spain)

Deportivo winger was playing third-division football in Spain a year ago — but now has a host of top clubs eyeing him.

The 22-year-old led them to promotion with 15 goals and five assists.

His electric pace and dribbling make him one to watch.

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JORREL HATO (Holland)

Despite being just  19, the classy defender has been named Ajax vice-captain.

Even though the Dutch giants suffered title agony, Hato was named the Eredivisie Talent of the Year.

Arsenal and Liverpool are among clubs eyeing the teen star.

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ETHAN NWANERI (England)

Arsenal’s attacking sensation, 18, aims to announce himself on the international stage this month.

Nwaneri produced 11 goal contributions for Mikel Arteta’s men in a breakout campaign.

Equally happy out wide or centrally, Nwaneri is arguably the Young Lions’ biggest threat.

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ASTON VILLA want to hijack Bournemouth’s move for Rennes skipper Adrien Truffert.

Villa look keen on the left-back and could swoop for the 23-year-old if they can quickly sell a player.

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The Cherries are close to agreeing a £20million deal for France international Truffert.

They see him as a replacement for Milos Kerkez, who is expected to join Liverpool.

Truffert has scored two goals and provided two assists in 33 Ligue 1 games this season.

But the 23-year-old has understandably struggled to get into France‘s star-studded squad.

The full-back has made just one appearances for the Les Bleus, after receiving his first call-up fir two Uefa Nations League matches.

The switches get more complicated when you consider that Bournemouth were interested in Anfield left-back Andy Robertson.

The Villa Park outfit may struggle to bring the 32-year-old Scot to the West Midlands, considering Arne Slot’s stance on an exit.

Unai Emery is believed to be in the market for a new left-back with Frenchman Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen failing to impress the Spaniard.

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Bournemouth are also in the market for Spanish keeper Joan Garcia, who was linked with Arsenal.

The 24-year-old is set to sign for Barcelona from Espanyol — but could then be loaned out for a season in the Premier League.

OH, to be a fly on the wall of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s office when news broke that Bruno Fernandes had snubbed a mega £100million bid from Saudi Arabia.

Manchester United’s part-owner could not have believed his luck when Al-Hilal offered to take captain Fernandes, who turns 31 in September, off their hands and give the Red Devils a much-needed cash injection.

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Ratcliffe, who claimed the “bloated” club was set to go “bust at Christmas”, has led a ruthless cost-cutting drive at Old Trafford — culling 450 staff including the much-loved receptionists and also withdrew free canteen food for workers at the ground.

So to have the potential of receiving a nine-figure sum for a player whose legs are only going to get wearier was almost too good to be true.

And it turned out to be . . . but only because Fernandes rejected Al-Hilal’s advances.

Even the offer of tax-free £700,000-a-week wages was not enough to lure the Portuguese star to the Middle East.

Yet Fernandes’ admirable resistance has thrown United’s chaotic transfer plans up in the air once again.

It is back to the drawing board for Ratcliffe and manager Ruben Amorim, who are under pressure to juggle the books with Profit and Sustainability Rules after their failure to qualify for Europe.

Despite Fernandes turning down the Saudi riches, the midfielder could still be a target for European clubs this summer — although the offers are unlikely to be even half the astonishing transfer fee on offer from Al-Hilal.

And even if he stays, Red Devils fans will now be debating where  Fernandes fits into Amorim’s rebuild next season?

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Amorim is wedded to his 3-4-3 formation and his early transfer activity seems to match up.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha has signed in a £62.5m deal and Bryan Mbeumo is now a £50m target from Brentford, with the duo  expected to play in the attacking positions behind the lone striker.

Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, linked with Chelsea and Napoli, are other options for the wide forward roles.

That quartet is likely to see Fernandes move further back to one of the two central midfield berths which he fulfilled in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham.

Amorim has other options in the centre of the park, including Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount.

Casemiro is on big wages, Amorim knows Ugarte well from their time together at Sporting Lisbon and the United boss lavished praise on Mount following his return to fitness towards the end of the season.

While homegrown talent Mainoo, 20, is an intriguing prospect.

So where will Fernandes play on a regular basis? In last season’s disastrous campaign, Amorim relied heavily on  talismanic Fernandes to dig his woeful 15th-placed Prem side out of the mire, netting 19 times in all competitions.

Failed Coutinho moment

Fernandes’ quality and consistency led to the eye-watering bid from Saudi and the  £100m fee will play on Ratcliffe’s mind in their ‘Mission 21’ operation to  knock Liverpool “off their perch” once again.

The Reds went through a similar scenario over seven years ago when they sold star man Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a staggering £142m.

The transfer fee gave Jurgen Klopp the chance to rebuild as the German used that money to bring in Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, and his new spine delivered the Champions League and Premier League titles.

If Fernandes remains at United then club legend Gary Neville believes Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho must all leave.

Garnacho clashed with Amorim after the Bilbao loss to Tottenham, while the other three have all been out on loan this season.

Neville said: “If players are taking on and questioning the manager in public through social media, the manager has to win.

Neville’s transfer advice

“If the manager doesn’t win, the manager has to leave and I don’t think that’s going to happen this time. That’s happened far too many times before. I think Garnacho will leave purely because of that, I think they’ve had enough.

“Marcus has to leave for him and the club. I think that ship has sailed and he needs to find himself another club.

“It  sounds to me like Villa aren’t going to keep him. I would say for Marcus’ and United’s sake that it feels like that path has come to an end.

“I feel a little bit similarly with Jadon as I do with Marcus. I’d be a bit concerned that Chelsea haven’t made the noises that they’re going to keep him.  United have to make sure they part ways with him.

“Antony has gone to Spain and having seen a couple of players that I played with not do it Old Trafford but do it in Spain . . . I think he’s suited down to the ground and it’s been proven.”

Ratcliffe may have canned hundreds of local staff but he will soon discover it’s much harder to get rid of superstar players who are tied down to huge contracts.

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LIVERPOOL goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been tipped for a shock move to fierce rivals Manchester United.

United’s goalkeeper crisis means they could look to sell Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir and release Tom Heaton this summer.

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Onana and No 2 stopper Bayindir are both prone to howlers, with United eyeing a complete reset.

Meanwhile Kelleher, capped 22 times for Ireland already, is understood to want to compete for regular minutes.

Kelleher secured his second Premier League title with Liverpool this season but only started 10 games with Alisson ahead of him in the pecking order.

Prominent United reporter at ESPN Mark Ogden has put Kelleher on his shortlist of potential goalkeepers to replace Onana.

Ogden said: “Kelleher wants to move, he wants to play football.

“It would be good deal at such a low price to get someone with proven experience in English football.”

Liverpool value the 26-year-old in excess of £20million, with Brentford also interested.

The champions have only been open to selling him since securing Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia last summer.

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Meanwhile, Aston Villa No 1 Emi Martinez is the bookie’s favourite to replace Onana at Old Trafford.

SunSport exclusively revealed that Martinez, twice voted Best Goalkeeper in the world, is reportedly up for the challenge.

Martinez, 32, fuelled speculation when he broke down in tears and  took a bow in front of the Holte End after Villa’s final home game of the season.

The World Cup winner’s contract runs until 2029 but a bid of £40million or more would ease Villa’s PSR concerns.

FLORIAN WIRTZ reportedly chose Liverpool over Bayern Munich after being given an irresistible promise by Arne Slot.

The highly-rated German star was courted by both clubs but in the end the guarantee of the No10 role tipped the scales in the Reds’ favour.

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According to Caughtoffside, Wirtz revealed that the decision was ultimately made after Slot assured him he would be THE playmaker in his Liverpool team.

While Bayern offered him the prospect of competing in their world-class side, the path to regular first-team football was far from clear.

Jamal Musiala’s rapid rise at the Allianz Arena and the presence of more established players such as Joshua Kimmich meant that Wirtz would have had to fight for his place in the midfield.

But at Liverpool, it is a different story – he would be the main man at Anfield.

The creative hub of the team, controlling the game from midfield and leading Liverpool’s attack.

Slot promised Wirtz full control of the No10 role, a position that would be his alone.

This clear-cut offer of a starring role was a far cry from the uncertainty Bayern offered.

In the end Wirtz made his choice opting for the chance to be Liverpool’s attacking leader.

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The fact that Liverpool have won the Premier League in Slot’s first season is also contributing factor as it has highlighted the manager’s ability to bring the best out of young players.

The Dutch manager has been able to get the best out of both old and new faces with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk enjoying stellar campaign as well as Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo

How close are Liverpool to a deal?

The Premier League champions have submitted a second improved bid for the Germany midfielder.

Liverpool’s latest offer for the 22-year-old is about £109m, including add-ons.

Wirtz is a key target for the Merseyside club and has made his wishes clear about wanting to join Liverpool before next season.

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Open justice 

WHEN an incident unfolds as shocking and horrific as the car ramming at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade, the public has a right to know as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. 

Following Axel Rudakubana’s murderous rampage in Southport last July, silence from the authorities allowed conspiracy theory, rumour and deliberate disinformation to fester online. 

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This, in turn, fuelled terrible scenes of violence and destructive riots. 

By revealing the ethnicity and age of the arrested suspect in the Liverpool incident within two hours – and swiftly ruling out terrorism – the police stopped malicious or kneejerk attempts to spread false narratives. 

They were right to do so, and local politicians have expressed their support for the decision. 

It’s a welcome step back from recent sinister attempts by police and Government to muzzle our free press. 

But the real test of our authorities’ new-found spirit of sensible openness will come the next time there is a tragic incident or terrorist attack. 

As Jonathan Hall, the Government’s terror law reviewer, points out: “The lesson has been learnt, don’t give any fuel to the conspiracy merchants. 

“You’ve got to roll with it. 

“If it had been a Muslim, an Asian, a black man or woman, they would have to say that. 

“You’ve got to be fully consistent.” 

Having now embraced transparency, the public will not understand why they shouldn’t always be given the full picture by the cops. 

Whatever that may be. 

E-bike blitz

CRACKING down on lower-level crime is known to help prevent more serious offences later on. 

So Government moves to crush mopeds, bikes and e-scooters used by criminal yobs within 48 hours rather than weeks to curb re-offending should be applauded. 

Just one problem: how does this get-tough approach sit with Labour’s prison reforms. 

After all, they will mean thugs convicted of crimes which should attract a 12 months sentence are now a lot less likely to go to jail? 

Reform rebirth 

BRITAIN isn’t having enough kids. 

Instead, we have come to rely on importing more and more young workers from overseas in a faltering bid to get the economy growing, and pay the bills for our ageing society. 

Nigel Farage’s proposed tax breaks for married couples could help to reverse that damaging long-term trend. 

Making it more affordable for young parents to have children is key. 

JEREMIE FRIMPONG touched down in the UK on a private jet today to complete his £29.5million move to Liverpool.

The Bayer Leverkusen right-back, 24, had a medical last week after the Premier League champions met the Dutchman’s release clause.

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Now Frimpong is ready to finalise his transfer and become Arne Slot’s first summer signing.

His imminent arrival coincides with the departure of long-serving full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is set to join Real Madrid.

He is set to be in competition with homegrown talent Conor Bradley, 21, for the right-back spot.

Frimpong will increase the Dutch influence at Anfield, alongside captain Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.

Kop boss Slot, who took over from Jurgen Klopp and won the league title during his first season in charge, is also from the Netherlands.

Liverpool are also closing in on a second high-profile signing from Leverkusen — midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The German sensation’s parents met Anfield officials a fortnight ago.

And Slot’s men appear to be edging out Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in the race for the £126million-rated midfielder.

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Manchester City initially held an interest in Wirtz but withdrew from the transfer race last week.

City had considered signing him as a replacement for the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne.

However, the overall cost of a potential deal was deemed too high.

The Cityzens were said to be concerned that such a move would not represent good value for money.

LIVERPOOL fans who lined the streets to celebrate the club’s Premier League triumph have spoken out after a car ploughed into a crowd.

A 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6pm and is thought to have been the driver of the car, police said.

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Some 27 injured people were rushed to hospital – two with serious injuries – and 20 were treated at the scene, with more patients self-presenting later on, the North West Ambulance Service said.

A survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing was one of those knocked to the floor by the car.

Frankie, 24, told the Mail: “I was at the Manchester Arena incident. I don’t want to go out again.

They continued: “The side of the car went into me and I fell to the floor. It’s all a blur.

“I’ve got cuts and bruises and I’ll be fine but there’s loads who have got more severe injuries.”

Meanwhile, supporter Harry Rashid, 48, was a stone’s throw away from the swerving vehicle during the terrifying scene.

“It happened about 10 feet away from us,” he said.

“We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street. 

“The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up.

“This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.

“It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards this strand, which is where the docks are.

“It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Merseyside Police are leading the investigation and were initially supported by counter-terrorism police.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.”

He later praised the “remarkable bravery” shown by the emergency services in Liverpool and added: “Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the scenes as “truly shocking” and thanked the emergency services for their “swift response”.

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NOTTINGHAM FOREST would have earned a Champions League spot at the expense of Newcastle if VAR did not exist.

And the Magpies’ escape from any consequences for their home defeat by Everton is put into even starker content as they would have missed out on European football altogether without the technology.

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SunSport have analysed all 380 Prem matches this term and worked out how the table would have looked if the original on-field decisions had not been overturned after intervention by the Stockley Park video booth.

Our number crunchers found that Eddie Howe’s men were by far the biggest beneficiaries of VAR changes. 

Newcastle had a staggering 13 decisions changed in their favour, with just five reversals hurting them.

That brought a net figure of +8, with Aston Villa and West Ham next in the benefits column with each having four more interventions in their favour than against them.

Our analysis, which assumes every penalty that was initially awarded and then wiped was scored, suggests that without VAR Newcastle would have picked up four fewer points – dropping them to eighth in the table – and conceded seven more goals.

Forest, whose home defeat by Chelsea left them in the Conference League slot, would have finished fifth in our “No VAR” table.

And Bournemouth, ninth in the actual table, would have been preparing for a first continental campaign in the Europa League without the technology changes.

Andoni Iraola’s side had 11 VAR changes against them and just three in their favour, costing the Cherries EIGHT points and seven goals.

The study of the 111 changed decisions cannot determine definitively what would have happened in real life if the initial decisions had not been overturned.

But one of the most contentious calls saw Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp “winner” against Newcastle in August chalked off for a handball PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently conceded was wrongly overturned after the VAR intervention.

Over the course of the season there were 12 goals and 25 penalties awarded through VAR intervention – with 21 of those spot-kicks converted – compared to 48 goals and 11 penalties disallowed.

Liverpool’s 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the pile would have been reduced to just two without VAR, as the Gunners lost eight points from the six overturns against them – including “winning” goals against Chelsea, Fulham and Aston Villa.

Chelsea and Manchester City swap places, with the Londoners up to third, with Villa down one to take the Conference League slot.

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THE final day of the Premier League is here, and there is so much still to be decided!

Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are the FIVE teams in the mix for the remaining three Champions League spots.

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MO SALAH and Arne Slot made the secret pact that took Liverpool to the title and made him Player of the Year.

The campaign began with Anfield shrouded in doubts – especially over whether Salah would sign a new deal and how Slot might handle the strain of being Jurgen Klopp’s successor.

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But Salah revealed how he was certain he could make the Dutchman a Prem champ in exchange for a pledge from the new manager.

Slot kept his word and so did the Kop’s Egyptian king as he reveals how over a series of discussions between the pair he declared: “I was very honest.

“I told him: ‘with me, you are going to win the Premier League but I have to feel really comfortable with the way we play.’

“He was very honest with me, we had a few honest conversations and he said to me: ‘OK, I will get the best out of you. I will put you in a situation where you feel comfortable but I need you to provide the numbers’.”

Provide those numbers Salah, just crowned the Football Writers Association’s player of the year for a third time, certainly did.

In what became a cruise to the crown he has set a new Prem high for a 38 – game season of 28 goals and 18 assists.

He needs two more goal involvements in tomorrow’s last game of the season against Crystal Palace to claim history by overtaking the joint record of 47 held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole set over 42 matches.

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What’s more Salah will spend at least two more seasons with Liverpool having agreed a near – £400,000 a week new deal when he admits that the one pre – season doubt he did have was whether the club would come up with the numbers to make him stay.

Part of his concern was over the fact that owners Fenway Sports Group had always made age a number for older players.

He explained: “There is always a time either now or later when it is going to happen (Salah leaving) but I love this club.

“I always wanted to stay but I know my value and I was waiting for the club to arrive to the right point where me and the club are both going to be happy so that’s why the contracts took so long.

“Based on the club history, because the club treated players of 30 or 31 in different ways I wasn’t clear in my head that I was going to stay 100 percent.”

Salah, who has equalled Thierry Henry’s record of three FWA awards, couldn’t be happier with the way it has all worked out for him – and for the former Feyenoord manager.

His content is based not only on his own personal pride over what he says was a “crazy season, a crazy year” but also on the warm respect he has developed for Slot.

The 32-year-old stresses: “It’s so special, I have a good relationship with him and I am very respectful towards him and his staff because we all work really hard.

“At the beginning, we had that conversation, he asked me for stuff he wanted me to do.

“I asked him and put me in the positions and situations where I can really provide numbers and our relationship is very good and it’s working well.

“And he has improved me, absolutely. Now he will have to deal with me a bit longer!

“I’ve always believed there’s always room to improve and I think he did it very well and you see the numbers this year and I feel very happy about it.

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“I would give him half the credit and the other half to my teammates because they always help me in the situations to give me the ball or be at the right spot so they can pass the ball and I score.”

Salah also speaks warmly of the bond he has always had with the fans, even throughout a campaign of questions over whether he would go, or like skipper Virgil van Dijk, also sign on for another two years.

He says: “My relationship with the fans, I see it as very special.

“They see me as an honest guy and they could see that straight away.

“I think that’s why our relationship is special and that’s why they love me. I don’t hide the stuff, I always share.”

He has improved me, absolutely. Now he will have to deal with me a bit longer!

Mo Salah on Arne Slot

Having picked up the FWA prize at an awards dinner on Thursday night he can now look forward to an even brighter future with Slot – and makes another vow.

He says: “One game to go, I broke the record for 38 games so I am going to go fully focused for the last game and hopefully I can get two goals or assists.

“So I go again next year to break records again!”

There are no doubts for him that he can keep doing so either, even if he turns 33 next month.

The daddy of them all throughout Liverpool’s Prem history insists: “People need to realise that in the last five or ten years players start hitting their peak when they are 30 and upwards.

“When they have more experience and can manage their emotions and can provide big numbers.

“Football has changed now, people take care of themselves, if you try to do everything right you are going to play until you decide it’s time to retire.

“I said the other day I will probably play until I’m 39, 40 … until the kids tell you: ‘It’s OK, you leave football now and you stay with us!”