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Liverpool fell by the wayside under Arne Slot’s wing last season, the Dutch tactician getting the sack as the Anfield side failed to qualify for the Champions League and went without silverware.

That paragraph is completely, painfully incorrect, but it perhaps conveys the result that rivals had hoped for and expected after Jurgen Klopp packed his bags and left Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 term.

Liverpool might have lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, but things are going well indeed, with the Reds revelling in the glory of winning the Premier League and now making staggering moves in the transfer market.

FSG are planning for extensive changes this summer, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is sure to be the cream of the crop, currently in the process of signing for the Merseysiders.

However, Liverpool need new forwards too. Wirtz is technically an attacker, but he’s more of a playmaker, a string puller.

Liverpool looking for new forwards

With Luis Diaz potentially leaving Liverpool this summer, courted by Barcelona and Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, Reds sporting director Richard Hughes may want to turn toward a new wideman.

And if recent reports are to be believed, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon is one of Liverpool’s top targets to replace their Colombian talent.

Gordon, however, has struggled to recapture his form from 2023/24, and given the Magpies want £80m for his sale, Liverpool might be better off focusing their time and resources elsewhere.

Though the England international’s dynamism and ability to shift across the frontline is something which echoes Diaz, who has played a false nine role at times in Slot’s set-up, there might be another option on the market who can play that Bobby Firmino-esque role.

Though Wirtz would be the obvious pick for such a position, he might actually be placed on the wing during his Liverpool career, for his ball-carrying skills are “out of this world”, according to one data analyst.

Real Madrid star Rodrygo faces an uncertain future at the Santiago Bernabeu, and while Arsenal are interested in striking a deal for the Brazilian, Liverpool have also been credited with an interest last month, holding discussions to ascertain the feasibility of launching an official bid.

But given Los Blancos would be hoping to bank around €100m (£84m) for the 24-year-old’s sale, FSG would need to be certain he’s the man for the job.

Luckily, Rodrygo ticks all the boxes, and could be the perfect fit.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Real Madrid signed Rodrygo from Brasileiro Serie A giants Santos in a deal worth €45m (£39m) back in 2019, when the talented young forward turned 18.

He’s been immense in white, praised as a “world-class superstar” by former teammate Luka Modric. Rodrygo perhaps doesn’t get the acclaim teammates like Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham reap, but then he’s often placed on the right flank, which he doesn’t enjoy.

That’s because it inhibits the right-footer’s goalscoring, and given that Mohamed Salah has extended his Liverpool contract by two years, the Brazil star shouldn’t have that problem, instead allowed to play on the left or in the false nine role that Diaz has performed across the past year.

Right winger

145

34

30

Centre-forward

82

22

8

Left winger

78

23

16

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

It’s not as if he hasn’t played in the centre before, and with such dynamic technical qualities, Rodrygo could become Salah’s new Firmino, ranking as he does among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as per FBref.

Regarded as a “magician” by Statman Dave, the £202k-per-week talent has a similar silkiness to his compatriot, who in his Liverpool pomp was one of the most elegant and influential forwards in the business.

Excitingly, Rodrygo is also a superior finisher to Firmino, evidenced by his missing just one big chance in La Liga this season, converting six big chances, as per Sofascore.

Moreover, he’s one of the definitive big-game players of his generation, as evidenced by his immense record in the Champions League knockout rounds.

As Liverpool look to clinch number seven in the coming years, Rodrygo’s profile would be doubly important. You’d have to say, his record and indeed future potential suggest Liverpool would be better off moving for him than pushing ahead with a move for Newcastle’s Gordon.

With Salah likely entering the penultimate year of his legendary Liverpool career, finding the right formula to win the Champions League is going to be crucial for the Egyptian, who would certainly relish the opportunity to play alongside a seasoned continental star like Rodrygo.

And further to the point, Rodrygo’s finishing could find the perfect battery power in Salah, who stormed his way toward the Premier League Playmaker award this season, scoring 34 goals from 52 matches in all competitions but also laying on 23 assists.

Two years ago, Salah declared his departing Brazilian peer would be remembered as one of “the best players to ever play for Liverpool”, and now he could find a new incarnation of Bobby Dazzler in Rodrygo.

Only a few months ago, in March, Jude Bellingham claimed Rodrygo is “the most gifted player in the squad.”

It’s clear that Rodrygo isn’t drawing the praise he perhaps deserves, and if Liverpool were to make their move, he could become a bona fide superstar in the Premier League, acting as the connective force in the frontline to elevate Salah and combine with Wirtz.

Rodrygo, for sure, could emulate his iconic countryman Firmino and become a staple of the incipient era at Anfield.

Better than Gyokeres: Liverpool dream of signing "the best ST in the world"

Liverpool plan on signing a new centre-forward in the transfer market this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 7, 2025

كشفت صحيفة “ماركا” اليوم الخميس، عن آخر التطورات المتعلقة بخطط نادي ريال مدريد لتدعيم صفوفه خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي العام المقبل.

ريال مدريد خاض ميركاتو صيفي هذا العام جيد للغاية، وذلك بالتعاقد مع كل من ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد من ليفربول، ودين هويسن من بورنموث، وفرانكو ماستانتونو من ريفر بلايت، إضافة إلى تصعيد جونزالو جارسيا من الكاستيا إلى الفريق الأول.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن المركز الرئيسي الذي يستهدف نادي ريال مدريد تدعيمه هو مركز قلب الدفاع، خصوصًا مع احتمالية رحيل أنطونيو روديجير، وديفيد ألابا.

وسوف تنتهي عقود ألابا بجانب روديجير مع ريال مدريد بنهاية الموسم الجاري ، وعلى الأرجح لن يتم تجديد عقود الثنائي لتقدمهما في السن وتراجعهما في المستوى.

اقرأ أيضًا .. تروي ديني منتقدًا محمد صلاح: لم يلعب بشكل جيد أيضًا الموسم الماضي

وأفادت الصحيفة، أن ريال مدريد حدد كلًا من دايوت أوباميكانو، لاعب بايرن ميونخ، وقائد كريستال بالاس مارك جويهي، إضافة إلى إبراهيما كوناتي، نجم نادي ليفبول، كأهداف رئيسية لتدعيم مركز قلب الدفاع صيف العام المقبل.

وتنتهي عقود أوباميكانو، وكوناتي، وجويهي مع فرقهم بنهاية الموسم الجاري، مما يعني إمكانية التعاقد معهم مجانًا.

وأضاف المصدر قائلًا أن كوناتي وأوباميكانو على رادار إدارة ريال مدريد منذ فترة طويلة، لكن جويهي انضم لهذه القائمة وقد يوقع معه الفريق الملكي.

وأردف المصدر، أن ريال مدريد يفضل التعاقد مع كوناتي، والذي يبلغ من العمر 26 عامًا.

ويعول مدرب نادي ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، على خدمات هويسن بجانب إيدير ميليتاو، في مركز قلب الدفاع بجانب تواجد راؤول أسينسيو كخيار ثالث مع إصابة روديجير وتراجع مستوى ألابا.

da betsson： It has been a long and rather dismal campaign for Arsenal this season.

da cassino： Mikel Arteta’s side have once again failed to claim the Premier League title, although instead of just losing out to Manchester City, they have fallen miles short of Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

Going into the final game of the season, the North Londoners are 12 points off the Reds and, perhaps even more worryingly, have scored 18 fewer goals.

This evident weakness in the Gunners’ attack is something the board are clearly aiming to deal with in the summer, as reports have linked them to a whole host of incredibly talented players, including Nico Williams.

However, even with his lofty price tag, one of Arsenal’s own stars is worth millions more.

Why Arsenal want to sign Williams Market Movers

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Arsenal have been credited with an intense interest in Williams for the best part of a year now, and according to reports from earlier this month, he remains a ‘top priority’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

The story confirms that the North Londoners will need to activate the release clause in his contract to bring him to the club, which stands at a cool £48m.

With that said, then, what is it about the young winger that has made him such a firm target for the Premier League runners-up?

First and foremost, he’s a direct left-winger who can both score and create goals with relative ease.

For example, in 37 appearances for the Athletic Bilbao last season, the Pamplona-born dynamo scored eight goals and provided 18 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games.

He’s not been quite as sensationally effective this season, but he’s still been a useful outlet, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 games, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.44 games.

On top of his raw output, he has also shown an ability to deal with the biggest games.

He opened the scoring for Spain in their European Championships Final triumph against England last summer and also provided an assist in the final of last season’s Copa de Rey, which Bilbao won.

In all, it would be fair to say that Williams more than justifies the price tag Arsenal would have to pay for him, although if he does join the club, he’d have to hit the ground running to see his valuation match that of one of his new teammates.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Williams

To tell the truth, there are actually several players who are worth more than Williams in the Arsenal squad, but in this case, we are talking about one of the club’s breakout stars from this season: Ethan Nwaneri.

Yes, even though this year has been the teenager’s first proper taste of regular first-team football, he’s been so impressive that his valuation has skyrocketed.

For example, Football Transfers now value the 18-year-old at a whopping €74.3, which is about £63m, or around £15m more than the fee the Gunners have to pay to sign Williams.

Now, this might all sound rather absurd to some of you, but there are some reasons for this, chief among them being the fact that the often “unplayable” gem, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, has already scored nine goals and provided two assists in 36 appearances, totalling 1303 minutes this season.

In other words, the Hale Ender is currently averaging a goal involvement every 3.27 games, or more importantly, every 118.45 minutes, which is undeniably brilliant.

Moreover, given how he’s adapted to senior football so seemingly, there is no telling what his ceiling may be.

With that said, how does he stack up with the Bilbao gem when we compare their underlying numbers from this season?

Nwaneri vs Williams

Statistics

Nwaneri

Williams

Non-Penalty G+As

0.66

0.47

Progressive Passes

3.30

3.19

Progressive Carries

4.84

5.31

Goals per Shot

0.18

0.10

Goals per Shot on Target

0.50

0.26

Passing Accuracy

80.2%

70.7%

Key Passes

1.32

1.83

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.43

1.31

Passes into the Final Third

1.76

1.08

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.66

0.38

Shot-Creating Actions

2.41

5.12

Successful Take-Ons

3.52

2.96

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

Well, it might surprise some people to find out that overall, it’s the youngster who comes out on top, as in the majority of relevant metrics, he does better.

The metrics include, but are not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, goals per shot and shot on target, passes into the penalty area and final third, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Williams this summer, as he looks like he could add some much-needed dynamism to their left-hand side.

Still, in Nwaneri, the club already have another young talent who could further establish himself in the first-team next season.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 21, 2025

da apostaganha： Manchester City want to sign an “exciting” £34 million winger ahead of fierce rivals Manchester United, according to a new report.

Man City chasing De Bruyne replacement

da spicy bet： Kevin De Bruyne has just a few Premier League games and an FA Cup final to play for the Blues before his time at the Etihad comes to an end. The Belgian has been a stellar performer for Man City and Pep Guardiola, and therefore, it will be very hard for them to find a player who can replicate the things De Bruyne has done.

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According to a recent report, Man City have submitted a £55 million bid to sign James Maddison from Tottenham Hotspur. Guardiola is a big fan of the Englishman, as his creative ability and style of play make him the perfect player to potentially replace De Bruyne. However, it is unknown if that offer is enough to convince Spurs to sell Maddison, but Tottenham missing out on European football could persuade them into a deal.

As well as looking at Maddison, Man City are also interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues are planning to advance on a deal for Gibbs-White, with personal terms not set to be an issue. However, Forest have placed a £100 million price tag on the English star, and City will have to negotiate with Forest chiefs to find an agreement.

Man City want to sign £34m Trincao ahead of Man Utd

As well as looking for a new number 10, Guardiola also wants to add to his wide options, and according to Caught Offside, Man City are keen on signing Francisco Trincao from Sporting Lisbon, as incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is a big fan of his.

The report states that Trincao has become one of the most sought-after players in European football, as Premier League teams such as City, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle United are all keeping a close eye on the winger. However, they all face competition from Europe, as Barcelona and Juventus are also tracking Trincao heading into the summer.

It goes on to state that City’s pursuit of Trincao has come from Viana, who is set to join the Blues as their new sporting director from Sporting CP. Viana is a long-term admirer of the winger, and he is believed to be behind this potential transfer that could end up costing €40 million, which is roughly £34 million.

Francisco Trincao’s 24/25 Liga Portugal stats

Apps

32

Starts

32

Goals

8

xG

8.89

Shots per game

3.2

Assists

14

xAG

7.13

Big chances created

17

Key passes

2.3

Successful dribbles

2.2 (53%)

Man Utd and Ruben Amorim are also eyeing Trincao, given he worked with the player in Portugal. But City may hope they have another advantage in this race, as Trincao, who has been dubbed “exciting” by former Wolves technical director Scott Sellars in the past, has the same agent as current Blues defender Ruben Dias.

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinnacle： O Santos conquistou a classificação para a próxima fase da Copa do Brasil diante de uma Vila Belmiro com apenas mulheres e crianças. Esse público especial foi permitido após o clube solicitar ao Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) reversão da pena de jogar sem torcida. Confira acima o agradecimento do técnico Odair Hellmann pela presença do público feminino no estádio:

+ATUAÇÕES: Lucas Lima dá assistência, e Messias garante classificação do Santos na Copa do Brasil

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosVÍDEO: os melhores momentos da vitória do Santos sobre o Botafogo-SP pela Copa do BrasilSantos26/04/2023SantosMessias, do Santos, revela cobrança de Odair Hellmann e elogia público feminino na Vila BelmiroSantos26/04/2023SantosATUAÇÕES: Lucas Lima dá assistência, e Messias garante classificação do Santos na Copa do BrasilSantos26/04/2023

Everton’s winless run against Manchester City continues as Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice in the final ten minutes to secure victory.

Not since a 4-0 victory during the 2016/17 season have the Toffees tasted success against the Etihad side, although they did come close to sealing a draw at Goodison this afternoon.

David Moyes’ men held out resolutely throughout the match, but in the end, City’s quality shone through as goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic stole the three points.

With Premier League survival sealed, Moyes can now experiment over the final few matches of the campaign.

Against City, several players starred, whereas others struggled to make much of an impact.

Everton’s best and worst players against Man City

Before coming off with an injury, James Tarkowski enjoyed a solid display. He won 100% of his total duels contested, along with losing possession just four times. Would Everton have lost if he had still been on the pitch? Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Elsewhere, Abdoulaye Doucoure looked solid after netting a late winner last week. He succeeded with all four of his dribble attempts while winning 50% of his total duels during the game.

These two were the standouts, but a few of the starting XI struggled to contribute much. Jack Harrison delivered yet another poor performance on the right wing. He failed to deliver a single accurate cross from five attempts, lost possession 13 times and made just one key pass.

Accurate passes

Ruben Dias (97)

Key passes

İlkay Gündoğan and Omar Marmoush (2)

Tackles

James Garner (6)

Ground duels won

James Garner (7)

Successful dribble attempts

Omar Marmoush (5)

Armando Broja was by far the worst performer in an Everton shirt at Goodison today, however, that’s for sure.

Why Armando Broja must be axed by David Moyes

The on-loan striker had made just nine Premier League appearances prior to the City clash as he has been hampered by injury issues.

Indeed, he was making only his third start for the Toffees at Goodison today, but he failed to offer much threat in the final third.

Throughout his 63 minutes on the pitch, Broja completed just four passes while taking 22 touches, 30 fewer than Jordan Pickford in goal. The Albanian even failed to register a single shot at goal while winning just a single ground duel and losing the ball 14 times.

Moyes must axe the striker, as he offers no major threat when chosen to start as a centre-forward.

Journalist Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo gave the striker a match rating of 5/10, stating that he ‘worked hard to try and make an impression but needed to be stronger as little stuck before he was hooked again’, yet this simply wasn’t good enough for Moyes.

His loan deal expires at the end of the current season, and given his current form, he will return to Chelsea ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Beto replaced him during the City clash, and going forward, he should be the one to start games under Moyes. That’s a certainty.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is personally keen on the potential signing of a high-earning star at N5, and the deal could also prove enticing for new sporting director Andrea Berta.

Arsenal play Chelsea after Champions League last 16 triumph

The games are coming thick and fast at Arsenal before the next international break, with Arteta’s side set to take on London rivals Chelsea this weekend after their Champions League last 16 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven over two legs.

Arsenal open talks to sign £50m player with Berta expected to launch bid

The new Gunners sporting director already has targets in place.

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While the Gunners have everything to play for in Europe, as Real Madrid await them in the quarter-finals, both Chelsea and Arteta’s side are contending for Champions League qualification domestically, with Arsenal firmly out of the Premier League title race as Liverpool take a comfortable lead at the top of the table.

Arsenal were knocked out of the quarter-final stage last year by Bayern Munich, who beat the north Londoners 3-2 on aggregate, and Arteta has said that his team have taken plenty of lessons from that tie as they prepare for an equally tough test against Real.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
Chelsea (home)	March 16th
Fulham (home)	April 1st
Everton (away)	April 5th
Brentford (home)	April 12th
Ipswich Town (away)	April 20th

“We want to win! And to win you’re going to have to go through the stages, and because the club needs it,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s Champions League campaign.

“We are a club, a team that wants to be the best and want to be competing with the best clubs in the world. In order to do that, you have to constantly be there, and it’s very difficult. But we’ve done it for two years in a row, and we have the capacity and the ability to do it even better.

“Last year we played Bayern, and with the history of those clubs and how consistently in the last 20-25 years being there, and we were riding there in the home game, we had them on the ropes. They escaped and when we were there we were a bit short to get to that final stage. So hopefully we will learn we are better than then, and we can make it happen.”

Meanwhile, off the field, Berta’s appointment as new Arsenal sporting director has brought plenty of anticipation ahead of a very important summer transfer window. There are claims that Arsenal could invest up to £300 million on an array of different signings throughout the squad.

Berta already has some targets in mind, and one of them is soon-to-be free agent Leroy Sane.

Arteta wants Leroy Sane with Arsenal deal "tempting" for Berta

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also report that Arteta is personally keen on a reunion with Sane at Arsenal, following the pair’s time together at Man City.

The Germany international earns around £327,000-per-week at Bayern Munich, as per this report, but it is believed that he could be willing to take a pay cut ahead of a free transfer away from the Allianz Arena when his deal expires.

This could apparently prove “tempting” for Berta and Arsenal, who are reported to be contemplating an alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side (GiveMeSport).

However, they’re by no means the only side contemplating a Bosman deal for the 28-year-old, with north London rivals Tottenham and others also rumoured to hold an interest in Sane.

The former Schalke and City star eight goals and four assists from 34 appearances in all competitions this season, adding to his total tally of 56 goals and 50 assists from 209 outings since joining Bayern in 2020.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عالمية أن ليفربول لا ينوي إضاعة أي وقت في التعاقد مع خليفة النجم المصري الدولي محمد صلاح لحل محله في المستقبل.

ويستهدف آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول وريتشارد هيوز المدير الرياضي للنادي، التعاقد مع صفقة في الخط الهجومي خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوية في يناير.

وبحسب “فوتبول ترانسفيرز” فإن محمد صلاح أصبح على وشك الرحيل عن ليفربول الصيف المقبل على الرغم من توقيعه على عقد لمدة عامين مع الريدز مؤخراً.

ويبلغ الدولي المصري حالياً 33 عاماً ويأتي بعد موسم يمكن القول إنه الأفضل له في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز كما ساهم في تسجيل هدف وصنع تمريرة حاسمة حتى الآن.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رافا بينيتيز يختار الأفضل بين محمد صلاح وكريستيانو رونالدو

ومع ذلك فإن هناك إجماعاً في ليفربول أن النادي سيتخلى عن أسطورته محمد صلاح في المستقبل القريب وقد تم بالفعل اختيار خليفته في ملعب آنفيلد.

وقد تم تحديد ماليك فوفانا جناح ليون الفرنسي حيث يعد اللاعب الذي يمكنه تعويض رحيل النجم المصري محمد صلاح على المدى الطويل.

ويبدو أن ليفربول حريص على الضغط على الدولي البلجيكي في يناير، ويريد مسؤولو الريدز إتمام الصفقة الآن للاستفادة من إمكانيات اللاعب.

ويدرك ليفربول أن المنافسة على خدمات فوفانا صاحب الـ20 عاماً ستكون قوية، وقد ترددت شائعات عن اهتمام تشيلسي وآرسنال بخدماته خلال الصيف الماضي.

وكان فوفانا قد رفض في وقت سابق إمكانية اللعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز حيث قال: “فكرت في الانتقال لكني أعتقد أن اللعب كثيراً الآن أهم وهذا يجب أن يحدث في ليون”.

 

Bernardo Silva took aim at some of his Manchester City team-mates as he hinted that there are rifts forming in the dressing room.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Silva took shots at Man City colleagues
• Man City will end 2024-25 campaign without a trophy
• Cityzens next face Bournemouth on Tuesday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City's miserable journey in the 2024-25 campaign continued as they went down 1-0 against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The loss at Wembley now means that City will end the season without a trophy for just the second time in Pep Guardiola's glittering nine-year stay at Etihad Stadium.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT BERNARDO SILVA SAID

  Following the FA Cup heartbreak, Silva did not hold back as he took aim at some of his City colleagues for not showing up in the difficult times. Speaking to reporters, the Portuguese said: "In the bad moments you learn new things. Who you can go to war with, first of all, because it's in the bad moments that you see who the real ones are. It's been a really, really bad season for us. Something has to change next year. I have my opinion, but I'm not going to give it to you. It's for the big bosses to decide. But definitely, something needs to change when you don't perform at this level.

  "Our standard needs to be very, very high to be champions again – and that's the level we want to reach again. I'd say it’s a bit of everything, but the season was not good for many reasons. But there are a lot of things that were good for us, like not taking things for granted and not lowering our standards. We’ve got people used to winning every year and people demand this team wins every year. But football is a tough sport and it's not easy to beat these teams, especially in the Premier League."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  reported last month that the Cityzens have reportedly told Silva he is no longer part of their plans. The 30-year-old is said to be keen on heading back to his homeland. A return to his roots at Benfica could be on the cards if City agree to a transfer fee much lower than the €58 million (£50m/$66m) release clause that exists in the Portugal international’s contract.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  Guardiola's side will be back in action in the Premier League on Tuesday as they take on Bournemouth at home in a crucial fixture.