According to The Times, Sam Allardyce will try to sign Phil Jones this summer if he is still in charge at Everton.

What’s the story?

Everton have been linked with countless defenders both during and after the January transfer window, and it is clear that they are seeking reinforcements in that area.

The Times claims Phil Jones is one of Allardyce’s targets, and that the defender could look for a way out with competition heating up for the centre back spots at Old Trafford.

Jones’ contract runs out in the summer of 2019, but Manchester United have the option to automatically extend it for another season, which would of course make a potential deal with Everton a much pricier one.

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Should Everton take the plunge?

Phil Jones is a good defender. He’s not a bad defender, and he’s not a great defender. The main problem with this deal is that the 26 year-old has been plagued with injuries throughout his career, which has prevented him from ever truly making the place his own in United’s defence.

Jones, valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt, would definitely improve the Everton starting 11. In this case however, that is not the question Everton should be asking. In his six full seasons at Manchester United (not including this one), he averages 20 league appearances per season. He has never started 30 or more games in a season.

Presuming Manchester United take the option to extend the contract, Jones will cost far more than his valuation suggests. Combine that with his injury record and Everton will be paying a huge fee effectively for a squad player, rather than a guaranteed starter.

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This is the last thing Allardyce needs, and having a big money signing keeping the medical staff busy will only intensify the cloud of negativity around the club.

Everton fans, do you think Jones would be a good move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Leeds United fans are not having the best time of it at the moment due to the team’s recent results in the Championship.

The Yorkshire outfit reside 14th in the table, 12 points adrift of the playoff places, which is stark contrast to how the club began the season.

Under Thomas Christiansen, the Whites were hovering around the automatic promotion spots in the early stages of the campaign.

However, a difficult February led to his sacking and Paul Heckingbottom’s appointment has not gone to plan given that the team have picked up just one win in eight league matches.

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The four-game winless run has led some supporters to urge Christiansen on social media to return to Elland Road.

In January, the club recruited Laurens De Bock from Club Brugge, but in four starts, the left-sided player has failed to impress.

From his perspective, though, he feels that he has transitioned well from Belgium to English football.

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In an interview with Sporza, De Bock said:

“I’ve needed an adaptation period. If you’ve played a long time in Belgium this is a very different competition. The matches are much more physical and intense. “It’s more fighting football, there’s no real building-up. There’s a lot of playing with the long ball and there are a lot of solid players. “It was not easy to come here in the winter because everyone was already attuned to each other but all in all the adjustment went smoothly.”

The fans do not quite feel the same way.

Manchester City have the perfect opportunity to secure the Premier League title with a win over Manchester United on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side have dominated the top flight, leaving all of their rivals lagging behind.

As it stands, the North-West outfit have a 16-point advantage at the top of the table, and if they overcome Jose Mourinho’s men, then their lead will be unassailable.

Despite the fact that City have only suffered one league defeat this season, the team’s confidence will be dented heading into this weekend’s fixture at the Etihad.

On Wednesday night in the Champions League, Guardiola and his men were stunned by Liverpool in a 3-0 loss at Anfield.

The result means that City will have to claw back the deficit if they want to reach the semi-finals of the elite competition.

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With the second leg weighing heavy on the supporters’ minds, attention has turned to the importance of Saturday’s fixture against United.

In a discussion on Reddit, the fans discussed possible team selection and which competition should be a priority at this stage of the season.

Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..Comment from discussion Just a reminder: We’ve got a Premier League title to lock up on Saturday..

Jose Mourinho is slipping back into his default mode at Manchester United; calling out his players, the club’s fans and the history of the club in just the last few weeks.

At best, it feels like an outdated approach to provoking a reaction from those around the club. At worst, it feels like a classic self-defence strategy, aimed at protecting his own reputation, with nobody safe.

Luke Shaw has been a target for Mourinho’s ire throughout the Portuguese’s Old Trafford tenure and the most recent public attack has reportedly left the left-back seeking employment elsewhere in the summer.

Mourinho has also stated that his team is in transition but that has not washed with many observers given the money that he spent and the change he was brought in to oversee.

However, one man does agree and that is former United defender David May, speaking exclusively to 888Sport, he said:

“The team is still in transition. There are still players in that defence who were there before Sir Alex Ferguson left – Valencia, Smalling, Phil Jones and others – so maybe the manager thinks he still needs to bring somebody in to put pressure on them.

“It’s still going to take one or two windows and then you’ll see a real Jose team. Ultimately only one opinion matters and that’s Jose’s. 

On calling out the players after the Brighton game on 17 March, May added:

“That’s who Mourinho is and if he wants to call the players out in the press that’s his prerogative. He’s the manager of Manchester United and gets paid millions of pounds a year to do that so he has the right to say what he wants.

“If people don’t like it…tough. It’s down to the players to respond to it. I don’t know but he might be absolutely ripping their heads off in the dressing room and I’m sure at times he has done that.

“He’s looking for a reaction. So when they then go out onto the pitch and don’t do what they’ve been told to do maybe he got fed up with it and thought ‘you know what, the only way I can get a reaction out of them is by bringing it all out in the press’.

“That’s how the manager is and if you like it then good and if you don’t like it then so be it. Nobody should be questioning the manager because of the record that he’s got so put up with it or you have to leave. 

Specifically on the Shaw situation, which is dominating the news agenda, he said:

“I think Luke is a top, top player and one of the best left-backs in the country but is he doing what Jose is asking him to do? That’s why it looks like they’ve fell out.”

Read the full 888sport interview with David May, including his thoughts on getting the best out of Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez. 

Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s standout player this season following his arrival from Roma last summer.

The scintillating Egyptian has scored 40 goals in all competitions and is currently leading the charge in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.

Salah has a tally of 30 in the top flight, while his biggest competitor for the gong, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, is five adrift on 25.

The rivalry between the two turned spicy last week when the Liverpool attacker appeared to mock his opponent on Twitter for claiming Christian Eriksen’s goal against Stoke City.

Tottenham won an appeal calling for the Premier League to register Kane as the scorer of Eriksen’s winner in the 2-1 triumph after the ball slightly brushed the striker’s shoulder from his teammate’s free kick.

The England international has an advantage in the Golden Boot race given that Spurs have five league games left to play, while Liverpool have four.

In addition, Jurgen Klopp’s side have a mammoth Champions League semi-final tie against Roma next week, which raises interesting questions about team selection for Saturday’s game against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

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Not playing Salah could hamper the former Chelsea star’s chances of taking the top-scorer title at the end of the season, but putting him on the pitch against the bottom-of-the-table Baggies leaves him vulnerable to injuries and/or fatigue.

So, Liverpool fans, do you think Salah should be kept out of this weekend’s team? Let us know by voting below…

Manchester United fans were over the moon after yesterday’s FA Cup win, but plenty aren’t happy with the latest reports on Anthony Martial.

According to the The Times, Jose Mourinho is happy to sanction the sale of Anthony Martial if the Frenchman truly wants to leave.

Fans were annoyed recently when news broke that Martial wanted to leave the club, and they certainly aren’t any happier now.

According to the report, Mourinho is preparing for a busy summer window and will not stand in Martial’s way, so long as a proper replacement is prepared.

Of course, Manchester United fans were over the moon yesterday when their side cruised past Tottenham to reach the FA Cup final, but the news that Martial could almost definitely leave will certainly put a dampener on celebrations.

To many, the skilful Frenchman is one of the most naturally talented players at the club, and at just 22 he still has time to blossom into the player fans hope he can be.

Mourinho has taken plenty of praise for Saturday’s cup semi-final win, but fans aren’t happy at all with this news.

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Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

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According to reports, Nabil Fekir has an agreement to leave the Lyon this summer, and now RMC are reporting (via GFFN) that the Reds have agreed a fee to sign the Frenchman.

What’s the story?

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Fekir in recent times, with Jürgen Klopp still seeking a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho.

Arsenal have also shown interest in the crafty playmaker, who has grabbed 17 goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 this season, despite only starting 25 matches.

The report from L’Équipe claims Fekir has a long-standing agreement with Lyon that he will be allowed to leave this summer, even if the club secure Champions League football.

RMC then added fuel to the fire on Sunday, claiming that the Reds had agreed a €70m (£62M) fee for the Frenchman.

The perfect replacement?

If Liverpool are truly looking for a creative midfielder to replace Coutinho, as reported this week by the Liverpool Echo, then they can’t do any better than Nabil Fekir.

The 24 year-old has comparable dribbling and passing ability to the Brazilian, and can also play a range of positions across the attack.

The Frenchman’s 24 goal involvements in 25 Ligue 1 starts says it all, though it is no surprise given he averages two key passes, three dribbles and three shots per game.

Fekir is a set piece maestro, something the Reds have lacked in the absence of Coutinho, and there would be no problems breaking down packed defences at Anfield with Fekir and Naby Keita supplying the red hot front three.

Fekir is valued at £44m by Transfermarkt, but even if the Reds have to pay around the reported £62M fee they should absolutely pull the trigger.

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Merseyside would also be a better fit for the 24 year-old than North London, where he would enter into a team under transition rather than a ready made attacking force.

So, Liverpool fans, would you back a summer swoop for Nabil Fekir? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Shkodran Mustafi has had a difficult campaign at Arsenal.

There was a lot of excitement amongst the Arsenal supporters when the Gunners paid Valencia £35m to sign the centre-back in the summer of 2016.

Mustafi showed promise in the early stages of the 2016-17 season, but largely struggled to impress, and was not exactly wonderful during the 2017-18 campaign.

A number of high-profile mistakes have led to criticism of the German international, who could well be moved on by the new manager in this summer’s transfer window.

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Mustafi took to Twitter at the weekend to pay his own tribute to Arsene Wenger, who took charge of his final Arsenal match against Huddersfield Town on Sunday afternoon.

However, the responses to the 26-year-old’s post were not exactly positive.

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Indeed, one Arsenal fan even claimed that Mustafi, who is believed to be on £90,000 a week at the Emirates Stadium, was Wenger’s ‘worst decision’, and it seems that the supporters are desperate for the centre-back to be sold this summer.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Newcastle United midfielder Mo Diame produced another stunning performance in his side’s 3-0 win against Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season at St James’ Park on Sunday, and it completed a remarkable turnaround year for the Senegal international.

The 31-year-old was only making substitute appearances here and there at the beginning of the campaign with Magpies fans on Twitter often criticising him for his displays, but things improved for him at the end of 2017 and then in to 2018.

The start against Chelsea was his 17th in a row in the top flight, and he has forged a strong partnership in the middle of the park with Jonjo Shelvey as the Tyneside outfit not only preserved their Premier League status with five matches of the campaign left, but also secured a top-half finish.

The midfielder put in a brilliant all-round display against the Blues at the weekend as he made six tackles and four interceptions, while he also used his strong frame to win three aerial duels, as per WhoScored.com.

As well as his combative skills, he also showed his ability on the ball with a passing accuracy of just under 94%, while he successfully found his opponent with all eight of the long balls he attempted.

Diame has gone from a fringe player to one of Newcastle’s most important in the space of just a few months, and his Chelsea showing proves that he must be the first name on the team-sheet for them at the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

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Christian Benteke failed to set the world alight during his one-year spell at Liverpool.

The 27-year-old managed to score just nine goals in 29 Premier League appearances for the Reds during the 2015-16 season.

That summer, Benteke was sold to Crystal Palace, where he has netted just 18 times in the top flight over the past two seasons.

In the most recent campaign, the forward had 31 league outings, but he could only contribute with three goals and five assists.

Despite his lack of firepower, Benteke has been selected in Roberto Martinez’s Belgium squad for the World Cup in Russia this summer.

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Interestingly, the former Aston Villa forward has been chosen ahead of Liverpool striker Divock Origi, who recorded six goals and two assists during his loan spell at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The 23-year-old has been capped 25 times for his country, while Benteke is slightly more experienced at international level having earned 33 caps.

Some Liverpool fans, though, have expressed disbelief in the Palace forward getting the nod ahead of Origi.

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