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Leeds United have the opportunity to move into the top two in the Championship when they take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Monday night.

Ipswich Town were not in action over the weekend, as their clash with Coventry City was postponed due to their involvement in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and this means that the Whites have the chance to leapfrog the Tractor Boys for now.

A win against Boro would put them on 90 points, one point ahead of Kieran McKenna's side, and pile the pressure on their rivals to make the most of their game in hand.

The Whites head into this clash with Michael Carrick's men off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road last time out in the league, with Sammie Szmodics scoring the only goal of the game in the second half.

Daniel Farke may now look to make some alterations to his starting XI from that loss in order to freshen his team up and attempt to return to winning ways.

With that in mind, here is FFC's predicted Leeds lineup to take to the field on Teeside against Middlesbrough in the Monday night Championship clash…

1

Illan Meslier

Starting off in goal, Illan Meslier should keep his place between the sticks as he has been the manager's first-choice option throughout the season.

There was little the French shot-stopper could have done to stop Szmodics' clinical finish from inside the box against Blackburn last time out, and should start against Boro.

2

Archie Gray

Archie Gray, who started in central midfield against Rovers, could be moved back to right-back for this match in order to make room for another player to return to the XI in the middle of the park.

The 18-year-old starlet was crowned Championship Young Player of the Year last weekend and could play in the position that he has nailed down the majority of the campaign.

This would see Connor Roberts, who made one tackle and created one chance in 67 minutes against Blackburn, drop down to the bench for this clash, as he has been ruled out of the game – and the upcoming clash with QPR – through injury.

3

Joe Rodon

To the left of Gray, Joe Rodon should retain his place at the heart of the back four for Leeds, as the Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been superb throughout the season.

The Wales international has dominated opposition attackers on a regular basis in the Championship for the Whites, with a duel success rate of 66%.

4

Ethan Ampadu

Pascal Struijk has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a groin injury and this means that defensive midfielder Ethan Ampadu looks set to continue at centre-back.

The Welsh battler has made more Championship interceptions per game (1.4) than any other player in the squad this season, which speaks to how well the former Chelsea man reads the game and breaks up opposition attacks.

5

Junior Firpo

Junior Firpo is the manager's only natural option at left-back and should lineup once again. Sam Byram, who is naturally right-footed, could be deployed in this role, but the ex-Barcelona man offers a creative outlet down the flank.

He has registered five assists and created an eye-catching 11 'big chances' in 23 appearances and 16 starts in the Championship for Leeds so far this season.

6

Glen Kamara

At the base of the midfield, Gray could move to right-back to make space for Glen Kamara to return to the starting XI after being an unused substitute against Blackburn.

The Finland international, who was described as being made of "iron" by ex-boss Neil McCann, could have extra motivation to put in a strong performance after being dropped for the clash with Blackburn.

In the Championship this season, the summer signing from Scottish giants Rangers has completed 93% of his attempted passes and won 58% of his duels across 34 appearances.

7

Ilia Gruev

Ilia Gruev could start alongside the former Arsenal academy graduate in the middle of the park after he won 100% (3/3) of his duels in the defeat to Blackburn.

The Bulgaria international has completed 92% of his attempted passes in the Championship this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a reliable operator in possession for Leeds.

8

Wilfried Gnonto

On the right of the attack, Wilfried Gnonto should keep his place in the starting XI ahead of Dan James after his fantastic performance last time out.

The Italy U21 international made five key passes and created two 'big chances' against Rovers, only for his teammates to fail to make the most of the those high-quality opportunities in front of goal.

9

Georginio Rutter

In the attacking midfield position, Georginio Rutter could be selected once again by Farke despite a recent dip in form in terms of goals and assists.

The 22-year-old magician has failed to register a single goal or assist in the last five league matches but has created 22 'big chances' in 41 league starts this season, and the head coach may hope that the Frenchman bounces back to form on Monday night.

10

Crysencio Summerville

The Championship Player of the Season should be selected to play on the left wing in the hope that he extends his impressive record in the division.

Crysencio Summerville has plundered 17 goals and eight assists in 40 league matches for Leeds, and his attacking quality could be key during the last few games of the campaign as the Whites look to fire themselves back to the Premier League.

Bayer Leverkusen's historic unbeaten run was stopped at 462 days as RB Leipzig defeated Xabi Alonso's men 3-2 in Bundesliga.

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• Leverkusen's historic Bundesliga streak broken
• Blew away a two-goal lead at home to Leipzig
• Lois Openda scored a brace for the visitors

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leipzig refused to be written off even after falling behind by two goals in the first-half. Just before the half-time break they found hope when former Leverkusen midfielder Kevin Kampl reduced the deficit. The goal shifted the momentum, and Leipzig emerged from the dressing room with renewed determination. Lois Openda, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, came alive with a clinical finish just 12 minutes after the restart. And 10 minutes from full-time, he struck again to secure a stunning comeback victory for Leipzig that ended Leverkusen’s long-standing unbeaten run.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Leverkusen’s defeat is a significant setback for the reigning Bundesliga champions, who had not lost a league match since their 3-0 defeat to Bochum on the final day of the 2022-23 season, a remarkable 462 days ago. Whereas, for Leipzig, this victory extended their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 13 matches, a streak that dates back to the previous season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Leipzig’s head coach Marco Rose was sent off during the first half by referee Matthias Jollenbeck after he vehemently protested a challenge by Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah on Openda. However, he did not go back to the locker room and instead sat in an unoccupied seat in the Leverkusen stand. Soon a child came up to him but the manager remained seated and instead struck up a conversation with the fan for the rest of the half.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEVERKUSEN?

  Leverkusen will seek to bounce back and re-establish their dominance in the league after the international break when they take on Hoffenheim on September 14 away from home.

Emi Martinez faces possible punishment from FIFA after slapping a camera operator to the floor at the end of Argentina’s defeat to Colombia.

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• Albiceleste suffered rare setback
• Emotion running high at final whistle
• FIFA being urged to take action

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa goalkeeper was in a foul mood after seeing the Albiceleste – who remain without talismanic captain Lionel Messi following his injury in the 2024 Copa America final – slip to a rare defeat in 2026 World Cup qualifying. Ex-Real Madrid star James Rodriguez netted the decisive goal from the penalty spot.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As Argentina’s players were jeered by home supporters at the final whistle, Martinez took issue with a cameraman getting in his face. He slapped the recording equipment out of his path, knocking operator Jhonny Jackson to the turf.

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• WHAT THE CAMERAMAN SAID

  Jackson told of his experience: “They blew the final whistle and as a camera operator and steadycam operator I always go looking for reactions. I simply enter the field, I look for reactions. I see Dibu, I see him shaking hands with a substitute goalkeeper, I think, and I approach him. And out of nowhere Dibu knocked me down. It made me angry, very angry, because I am working, just like he was doing, him saving and me operating my camera, I wasn't even playing soccer with him. But I didn't say anything to him.”

  Jackson did go on to send a message to Martinez, adding: “I wanted to tell you to stay calm, brother. In life, at any time, everyone has lost a game, and suddenly that defeat meant a lot to you. But keep going, Dibu.”

West Bromwich Albion are not completely secure in their playoff position in the Championship, with a far nervier final game of the regular season coming up this weekend as a result.

Carlos Corberan's men looked like absolute certainties to make the top six without any fears of dropping out of the playoff picture at one point, but with three second-tier defeats on the spin now, Preston North End could really sour the mood at the Hawthorns on Saturday by winning and denying the Baggies a route back into the Premier League.

Away from this current drama, the powers that be at West Brom will be also be contemplating what the playing squad will look like next season soon with the likes of Cedric Kipre and Alex Mowatt nearing the end of their current deals.

To potentially fix the issue surrounding Kipre's future in the West Midlands, the Baggies could look towards this young trialist as a new centre-back option who might well end up being their next Mason Holgate.

West Brom looking at Everton trialist

According to a report from Express and Star, West Brom are casting an eye over exciting 19-year-old Everton defender Ed Jones who featured for the Baggies U21s last match versus Leeds United on trial.

Playing in the first 45 minutes against the Whites, with the youthful Baggies winning 4-2 overall courtesy of a returning Josh Maja bagging a double, Jones will look to try and win a contract at West Brom with his current Everton deal expiring in June.

Playing for the Toffees in various different age brackets at youth level now – with Jones last playing for the U21s before this Baggies trial with ten appearances next to his name this season in Premier League 2 – the teenager will no doubt view a move to the Hawthorns as his first big chance to try and make the leap up to the men's game.

Corberan's men will hope Jones can be a similar star, if a permanent deal can be reached, to that of Holgate who is still fondly remembered for a loan stint in West Brom quarters back in 2019 joining from Goodison Park.

Jones as the next Holgate

Holgate became an instant fan's favourite at the Hawthorns when signed as a deadline day deal by Darren Moore, with the 6-foot defender primarily used at right-back during his impactful half-season loan.

Opening up after this loan spell that he 'loved every minute' at West Brom, with an impressive goal and four assists tallied up playing out from the back from 21 outings, Corberan's side will hope Jones can be as useful as Holgate once was but on a permanent basis.

The Spanish Baggies boss will be utilising the 19-year-old strictly in the heart of defence if he impresses past this trial stint however, with Kipre looking like he could be heading out of the exit door soon.

With Erik Pieters and Kyle Bartley also representing an ageing back four in the West Midlands at centre-back – with a combined age of 67 between the pair of them – Jones could be the fresher body West Brom desire that gets more chances over the experienced heads soon especially if the promotion-chasers stay put in the second tier.

Once trying to re-sign Holgate after the Everton man had exited Hawthorns in the blink of an eye after excelling, Jones might well be their next defender brought in from the Toffees with the same success.

They'll just have to hope they get the version they saw at the Hawthorns, rather than the defender who's had a torrid time of it with relegated Sheffield United.

West Brom struck gold selling star who'd be worth £23m in 2024 money

West Bromwich Albion cashed in on this former star at the best possible time.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 26, 2024

Tottenham have moved into pole position to land an exciting new option at the heart of defence this summer, as they look to bounce back from a tough end to the season.

Spurs' Champions League hopes hanging by a thread

Defeat in the north London derby in front of their home fans has left Tottenham's season threatening to fizzle out without the prize of Champions League football at the end of it.

They battled back from 3-0 down to 3-2, but could not find an equaliser in the dying minutes as Arsenal rode their luck to come away with all three points and boost their own hopes of winning their first Premier League title since 2004.

Spurs and Arsenal target's agent spotted in North London – report

His client has been strongly linked with both sides in recent weeks.

By
Ben Browning

Apr 28, 2024

After England's poor performance in Europe, only the top four sides qualify for the Champions League next season, instead of the widely anticipated five teams. Currently fifth, Ange Postecoglou's side are seven points behind Aston Villa, but have two games in hand on the Villans.

However, even were they to be perfect between now and the end of the campaign, their fate would be out of their hands, and they face a tricky run of fixtures that includes another London derby against Chelsea as well as games against two sides above them, though they also face an already relegated Sheffield United side and a potentially soon to be relegated Burnley.

But attention is turning firmly to the summer, with the squad rebuild begun 12 months ago after the departure of Harry Kane set to continue ahead of the new season.

Tottenham in pole position for defender

Now, reports in Italy could have handed Spurs a boost, claiming that the Lilywhites are 'first in line' to land impressive Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, Calafiori has been a revelalation for Thiago Motta and Bologna this season, making 27 appearances to help the Italian side into 4th, a spot currently enough to guarantee Champions League football next season.

Dubbed an "extraordinary" talent in the Italian press, he is an outside bet for Luciano Spalletti's EURO 2024 squad and his star is firmly on an upwards trajectory.

His form has not gone unnoticed though, with Tottenham and Juventus both having been alerted to his situation. Though Juventus usually have the advantage when it comes to landing Serie A talent, it is claimed that this time round Tottenham are the frontrunners due to the fact that they have more cash available than the Old Lady, who would likely try and engineer a loan deal or part exchange for his services.

Though no price tag is mentioned, he has previously been reported to be available for around 25m euros (£21m) this summer, which could prove to be a bargain should he continue to deliver on his immense promise.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his legendary career in Portugal's UEFA Nations League tie against Croatia.

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• Portugal face Croatia in Nations League
• Ronaldo scores 900th career goal
• Al-Nassr star wants 1,000 goals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Diogo Dalot's seventh-minute opener, 39-year-old Ronaldo bagged the 131st goal for Portugal and the 900th of his illustrious career as he swept home Nuno Mendes' perfect cross on Thursday night at Estadio da Luz. The Al-Nassr star cut an emotional figure after firing the ball into the net, before a Dalot own-goal reduced Croatia's arrears shortly before half-time.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Apart from the World Cup, he has won every major trophy available to him in a glittering career that has included spells with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, and more. And despite approaching 40, he is still proving his worth for club and country.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo, who featured for Portugal in their run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals this summer, left United for Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr at the start of 2023 and since then the former Sporting Lisbon ace has scored a remarkable 68 goals in 74 matches in all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After this Nations League match against Croatia, Portugal will face Scotland on Sunday night. It remains to be seen if national boss Roberto Martinez will rest Ronaldo or start the veteran for the weekend encounter.

Gianluca Busio scored his first Serie A goal to help lead Venezia to the club's first win of the season

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• Busio scores for Venezia
• USMNT midfielder's first goal of season
• Leads way in 2-0 win

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  USMNT midfielder Gianluca Busio's first goal of the season came in the 63rd minute, and it seemed even he was willing to admit that it required a bit of luck.

  Busio's attempted cross weaved through the box and found the back of the net, ultimately giving Venezia the game-winning goal they'd need. They would add another for good measure, as Joel Pojanpalo, who missed a penalty earlier in the match, atoned with an 85th-minute finish to earn a 2-0 win over Genoa.

  The victory is Venezia's first of the Serie A season as they continue their first campaign back in the top flight after earning promotion from Serie B last season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Busio has been with Venezia since 2021 and was a key piece in their promotion run last season. Alongside fellow American Tanner Tessmann, who made a move to Lyon this summer, Busio anchored the Venezia midfield while scoring seven goals in Serie B during the 2023-24 campaign.

  Internationally, Busio has earned 12 USMNT caps and has scored one goal: the fifth of six finishes in a 6-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago at the 2023 Gold Cup. The 22-year-old midfielder was also a part of the U.S. U-23 squad at the Olympics this past summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The goal put an exclamation point on what was already a memorable day for Busio. Before the game, the American was recognized for making his 100th appearance since joining Venezia from Sporting KC.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BUSIO?

  With the win, Venezia will now look to build a little bit of momentum, but they're heading towards a tough test. Up next is a visit to Roma on Sept. 29.

Arsenal have the opportunity to sign a "great" attacker during the 2024 summer transfer window, with his current club willing to sell.

Arsenal transfer rumours

Arsenal are in the midst of a superb 2023/24 campaign that could still end in Premier League glory. Whatever happens in the final week of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, though, it has been another season of growth for Arsenal, who had already bottled their title chances at this stage last term. However, it remains clear, as shown by their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage, that the Gunners still have some improving to do if they are to be considered one of Europe's premier clubs.

On this front, Mikel Arteta and co have already seemingly begun planning improvements to their squad ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window getting underway. Arsenal have maintained their interest in signing Victor Osimhen and are said to have a significant advantage over sides outside the Premier League, as the 25-year-old's "preference is England."

Elsewhere, Arsenal have reportedly held talks with Nico Williams as they seriously consider signing him for £43 million this summer, while the Gunners are also said to be "pushing" to sign Ajax's incredibly exciting and highly rated young centre-back Jorrel Hato. Reports this week have also suggested Arsenal are holding talks with Real Sociedad midfielder, Martin Zubimendi.

Now, a fresh name has been tipped to make the move to the Emirates in the coming months. The player in question is Raphinha, who was heavily linked with Arsenal during the 2023 summer transfer window.

Arsenal offered chance to sign "great" forward in £50m+ transfer

Those links have emerged once again just under a year later, with TBR reporting that Arsenal are one of several Premier League clubs being offered the chance to sign the FC Barcelona star. The report adds that the Premier League clubs interested in Raphinha have been informed that he is set to be available this summer, with contact seemingly being made between Arsenal and intermediaries.

Raphinha has enjoyed a solid 2023/24 for Barcelona, scoring nine and assisting 12 in 35 appearances across all competitions. However, TBR claim that the Spanish outfit are still not free of financial restrictions and some exits will be needed if they are to allow head coach Xavi to make some of the changes he wants.

The Brazilian has previous experience in the Premier League, netting 17 and assisting 12 in 67 games for Leeds United. During his time with Leeds, Raphinha earned high praise from then-teammate Daniel James, who was hugely impressed with what he saw from the South American in West Yorkshire:

"He’s a magician," James said in an interview with FIFA. "He’s always been a great player – I played against him at United and he was always great – but he’s improved so much.

"He fully deserved his Brazilian call-up and I think since he got it, he’s pushed on even more, he’s even more confident. He can do absolutely anything on the pitch. It’s great playing with him."

In terms of a potential transfer fee for the 27-year-old, TBR claim Barcelona paid £50 million to Leeds in the summer of 2022 and they will expect to make a little profit on him – should he move.

The Red Devils were held at home by the Dutch side as their Danish midfielder opened the scoring, only to be robbed of possession for the equaliser

Manchester United are regarded as one of the favourites to win this season's Europa League, but they had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their opening league-phase match against Twente on what proved to be a mixed night for Christian Eriksen.

Twente gave United an early scare when Sam Lammers angled an effort narrowly wide following an error from Diogo Dalot, but the home side soon took control, with in-form Marcus Rashford causing plenty of problems down the left.

The Red Devils eventually took the lead 10 minutes before half-time when Eriksen lashed home his third goal in as many games after the ball fell for him on the edge of the penalty area, and they looked comfortable until midway through the second half.

It was at that point that Twente began to cause more problems, and it was Eriksen giving the ball away inside his own half that led to Lammers running in on goal and firing past Andre Onana. United did push for a winner in the final 20 minutes, with Joshua Zirkzee, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho all going close, but they couldn't find a winner against a team Erik ten Hag represented as a player.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (6/10):

  Excellent with his feet throughout and made a fine save to deny Sem Steijn from a free-kick. Again, however, he was beaten at his near post, this time by Lammers.

  Noussair Mazraoui (5/10):

  Not quite at the level as some of his previous performances this season. Few too many heavy touches and inaccurate passes.

  Harry Maguire (5/10):

  Hadn't really put a foot wrong until needlessly diving in during the build-up to the equaliser, which left United short-handed. Suddenly looked all at sea from there on.

  Lisandro Martinez (7/10):

  Snuffed out plenty of dangerous Twente attacks and carried the ball out of defence effectively. Was booked for one overzealous challenge.

  Diogo Dalot (6/10):

  Fortunate to get away with the error that led to Lammers' early chance, but was otherwise decent. Movement and positioning in midfield when United had possession caused problems, including in the build-up to Eriksen's strike.

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  Midfield

  Manuel Ugarte (6/10):

  Solid on his full debut. Won plenty of tackles and used the ball smartly for the most part.

  Christian Eriksen (6/10):

  From hero to zero. Superb strike opened the scoring, only for his lapse in concentration to lead to the equaliser. Looked to lose confidence from there on.

  Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

  Looked to be at the heart of everything United did and certainly worked hard, even if he didn't produce any real moments of note until firing wide late on.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Amad Diallo (5/10):

  Struggled to get into the game, and showed only flashes of his pace and direct dribbling. Replaced by Garnacho midway through the second half.

  Joshua Zirkzee (4/10):

  Clearly a technically-gifted footballer, but looks out of his depth currently. Didn't seem confident in the penalty area for much of the night, but did test Lars Unnerstall with a decent effort in the second half.

  Marcus Rashford (8/10):

  Back to his old self as he caused Bart van Rooij countless problems with his direct style. Combined well with Zirkzee and Fernandes at times and looked the most likely to create something in attack.

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  Subs & Manager

  Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):

  Posed a threat after replacing Amad and curled one effort over the bar. Combined well with Dalot and also did some good defensive work.

  Kobbie Mainoo (N/A):

  On for Eriksen for the final 10 minutes.

  Mason Mount (N/A):

  Didn't offer much in his short time on the pitch.

  Rasmus Hojlund (N/A):

  Didn't get a sight of goal after coming on for Zirkzee.

  Erik ten Hag (5/10):

  His decision to have Dalot drift into midfield caused plenty of problems, but his team yet again lacked cutting edge or the control required to see out the game. More questions will be asked of the Dutchman.

As Jurgen Klopp's last Liverpool game approaches, so does Joel Matip's after the Reds confirmed that the defender will be leaving upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.

Liverpool transfer news

It's fitting in many ways that Matip is leaving on a free deal, given that he is likely to go down as one of the best free agents to have ever signed for Liverpool, particularly in the Premier League era. The defender won every major trophy there is to win in English football with his infamous mazy runs from the backline becoming synonymous with Klopp's Liverpool.

Now, Liverpool must find a replacement for those mazy runs and defensive prowess, which has already seen the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande steal the headlines. The two Sporting CP defenders have both enjoyed excellent campaigns under once Liverpool-linked Ruben Amorim, but it may not be either of them who Liverpool sign to replace Matip.

"World-class" £200,000-a-week Liverpool star "has offers" for shock move

The Reds may see a familiar face again sooner than they think…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 17, 2024

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign Antonio Silva in a move that could see the Reds trigger his €100m (£86m) release clause to hijack Manchester United's potential deal. In one move, the Reds could get one over on their rivals and replace Matip with a statement-making arrival from Benfica.

The central defender, who is still just 20 years old, even has the potential to eventually help Liverpool replace Virgil van Dijk in the long-term, whilst alongside the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah. They may not even have to rely on triggering Silva's hefty release clause too, with Benfica reportedly willing to negotiate a cheaper price in desperate need of easing financial concerns this summer.

"Hero" Silva could kill two birds with one stone

At the top of Liverpool's defensive priority list should be to replace Matip, but with replacing Van Dijk not too far down that list, ticking both off at the same time would certainly be ideal. And at such a young age, Silva has the time and potential to do just that. Described as a "hero" by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, he certainly has his fans too.

Beating Manchester United to Silva's signature would certainly be an ideal way for Michael Edwards to kick off his first summer back at Anfield, especially if he can negotiate a cheaper price in the type of move he's become famous for over the years.

With that said, Silva will be one to watch when the summer transfer window swings open and Liverpool look to bolster their defence under Arne Slot.