After it was revealed recently that Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has told Philippe Coutinho that he must fight for his place at the Nou Camp (quotes sourced from the Daily Mirror), it looks as though the Brazilian could be leaving soon. 

Coutinho joined the Catalan club from Liverpool last year, but has struggled for form of late, and may well be departing soon. There is surely a host of European clubs interested in his signature, so it won’t be hard for him to find a new club.

That should put Liverpool on red-alert, and they should not hesitate to re-sign the midfield magician for their title push this season. Here are two reasons why Liverpool should re-sign Coutinho:

They’ve never replaced him

A lot has been said about Liverpool’s signings over the past year. They were extremely weak defensively, so they brought in big money signings such as Virgil van Dijk and Alisson in goal, and it has turned them into one of the hardest teams to break down in Europe.

Likewise, they have strengthened their midfield defensively with the signing of Fabinho. However, for all their defensive strength and attacking firepower with the likes of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané, they still have failed to bring in an attacking midfielder to replace Coutinho.

Naby Keïta arrived this summer, but has failed so far to thrive at Anfield or emulate the form of the Brazilian. Liverpool, therefore, have looked slightly turgid at times offensively this season, and have had to rely on individual brilliance to help them out of games. There’s still a Coutinho-shaped hole at Anfield.

Statement to the rest of Europe

When The Reds sold Coutinho last January, many fans were disappointed but also accepted that they could not stop anything from happening. They were defenceless against a team with the power of Barcelona, and many felt Liverpool were just a feeder club.

Since then, Liverpool have made the Champions League final, and are on course for their first Premier League title. By beating the likes of PSG for Coutinho, they suddenly are catapulted to the elite and most powerful in Europe. If they want to maintain their dominance, it’s statements like these that must be made, and there’s little doubt that the fans would welcome him back.

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Manuel Pellegrini says that Andy Carroll faces a “challenge” to win a new contract at West Ham United.

The striker is once again back to full fitness, but the former Liverpool striker is too big of a risk for the Hammers to take.

What’s the word?

Carroll returned to the goal trail again versus Birmingham City at the weekend, as the Hammers won 2-0 to progress to the fourth round.

It was his first strike of the season, having previously made seven Premier League appearances.

Carroll’s current contract expires at the end of the season, and the Hammers hold the option to extend that deal by a further year.

Pellegrini, though, says the 30-year-old must prove his worth between now and the end of the season, telling Football.London: “Well I think that Andy has a big challenge from now until the end of the season to try and renew his contract because he’s a player that during his career he demonstrated his level.

“I think he did very well against Birmingham. Now we are in the second round (sic) and continue in the FA Cup we will see his performances.

“It was important for him to start having more minutes but not immediately 90 minutes, that’s why I gave him 25, 30, 60, 70, that is important to him not to risk any new injuries.

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“Now he is coming back he demonstrated that he can play without problems, now we hope that he will be fit for the rest of the season.”

Football FanCast reported earlier this week that West Ham would accept an offer for Carroll this month were they to receive one, and that remains the case, despite Pellegrini’s praise.

As it stands, there seems little point even contemplating the prospect of handing Carroll a new deal.

Injury-prone and overpaid 

Carroll cost West Ham £15million in 2013, per the BBC, with the Hammers breaking their transfer record at the time to acquire a player who had struggled at Liverpool.

FFC understands that the striker earns £85,000-per-week at the London Stadium, and remains one of the highest-earners at the club.

That is despite the fact that Carroll has struggled immensely for fitness since joining the club permanently.

Since the 2013-14 season, Carroll has missed a total of 94 Premier League games.

He has only played more games than he has missed in two seasons, 2015-16, and 2017-18.

Despite that, he has never hit double figures in the Premier League for the club, with his highest-scoring season coming in his most consistent season; he netted nine times in 2015-16.

At West Ham, he has averaged 4.3 goals per season. For a striker who continues to earn a hefty pay packet, that simply isn’t good enough.

Pellegrini seems to know that, and there should be little debate if Carroll deserves a new deal; quite simply, he doesn’t.

The only issue faced by the Irons is finding a buyer this month. After all, what club in the world would deem Carroll the answer to any scoring woes?

Come the summer, however, it won’t be the Irons’ problem if they do what they must, and allow the striker to leave on a free transfer.

Roy Hodgson’s search for a new striker is on-going after Dominic Solanke’s move to Selhurst Park collapsed recently.

It’s no secret that the former England manager is in the market for a new forward to add some much-needed firepower to his side. Christian Benteke has struggled for both fitness and form in recent weeks with Connor Wickham also failing to show any sort of consistency. Palace have been overly reliant on Wilfried Zaha with summer signing Jordan Ayew yet to display his talents during his loan spell.

Hodgson targeted a move for former Liverpool forward, Dominic Solanke, but the move collapsed due to concerns over his fitness. Instead, it was Bournemouth who won the race for his signature, paying £19m to lure him from Anfield. With Solanke ruled out, Hodgson must now turn to alternatives.

One man who should be on his shortlist is Chelsea forward – Michy Batshuayi. Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the Belgium international has failed to nail down a starting role with the Blues since joining in a big-money move from Marseille in 2016. Batshuayi impressed last season during his loan spell with Borussia Dortmund last season but was once again sent out temporarily, joining Valencia in the summer.

However, the forward has struggled in Spain and could be off to Monaco, though this still could hand Palace the perfect opportunity to lure him to Selhurst Park. Batshuayi has a proven goalscoring record and has never been given the chance to display his talents in the Premier League. The 25-year-old finally hand Hodgson a top option in attack and will be desperate to prove Chelsea wrong for allowing him to leave.

The Eagles would be in no danger of relegation if they secured the services of the talented Belgian.

Crystal Palace fans, thoughts?

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According to BBC journalist Adam Pope, Leeds United have rejected an approach from Crystal Palace for 18-year-old attacker Jack Clarke.

Clarke, who came through the youth system at Leeds, is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in English football.

The versatile attacker has scored twice in 12 Championship appearances this season, whilst he starred in Leeds’ 2-0 win over Derby County last time out.

Palace have seemingly made an attempt to land Clarke, but it would be a huge surprise if Leeds allowed the wonderkid to leave.

The Leeds fans have caught wind of the rumours involving Palace and it would be fair to say that they are not overly concerned.

Palace would be able to offer Premier League football right now, but Leeds are going very well at the top of the Championship as they look for a return to the top flight.

And it would also be fair to say that, with respect to Palace, Leeds are the bigger club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Leeds fans can be seen below:

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According to The Mail Online, West Ham have contacted Chelsea about potentially signing Olivier Giroud. 

This comes in light of Marko Arnautović possibly facing another spell on the sidelines after injuring his foot against Wolves yesterday.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, as well as the recent arrival of Gonzalo Higuain at Stamford Bridge, The Blues could surely be tempted into selling the World Cup winner. Additionally, at the age of 32, it is not as if the Frenchman has a long-term future in west London.

However, from West Ham’s perspective, there is not much point in signing a player like Giroud. The Hammers are not going to get relegated this season, likewise, they are unlikely to make the top six- they will finish somewhere in between. There’s no point buying a player of his age at this stage of the season, they would be better off looking to recruit a younger player that has a longer future. Of course, Giroud is good, but this would be a short-term option they don’t need.

Chelsea signed Giroud last season, but that was a club that were chasing a top four place and were struggling with their strikers. With West Ham out of the FA Cup and League Cup as well, there is little need for an emergency signing like Giroud.

Furthermore, the Frenchman is not necessarily a player that brings a team a lot of goals. He worked well for France because he had the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé around him to find the back of the net. Outside of Felipe Anderson, West Ham do not really have other goalscorers to depend upon. It’s time West Ham look to the future.

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According to a recent report from Football.London, Tottenham Hotspur’s Jack Roles is struggling to break into the first-team under Mauricio Pochettino.

On the chalkboard

The departure of Mousa Dembele in January has left Spurs short of a key midfield lynchpin, but the stellar midfield partnership of Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks have shown they are capable of coping without the Belgium international.

Winks, in particular, has been outstanding this season, defying his doubters with every passing fixture. The 23-year-old’s quality is obvious but sceptics have often pointed towards his lack of penetration and goal scoring prowess as a reason to doubt his talent.

Neither Sissoko or Winks possess a clinical goalscoring ability in the final-third – a claim which is vindicated by the fact the midfield pairing have scored just one goal between them in 41 Premier League appearances this season.

That is hardly a problem which is desperately in need of addressing, but with Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier also offering defensive quality it’s fair to say that Pochettino is lacking a plan B in this area.

However, that problem could well be addressed if the Argentine is willing to offer a route into the first-team for Jack Roles, who has showcased a potency at youth level which points towards a bright future in the senior squad.

Roles could offer a greater attacking threat than Winks

So far this season the 19-year-old has scored six goals and provided six assists from 22 appearances for the U23s, including two goals from six games in the UEFA Youth League. By comparison, Winks scored just three times from 32 U23 outings before he made the step up to the first-team.

The problem for Roles is that his glowing performances at youth level are yet to convince Pochettino to either promote him to the senior squad or offer him a new contract.

The teenager’s current deal is due to expire in June and, despite the fact he is banging on the door for a first-team opportunity, it appears that his long-term future is hanging in the balance.

There is hope for Roles in the fact that Spurs are clearly lacking a more attacking-minded alternative to Winks, and Pochettino’s policy on internal development and the promotion of youth suggests an opportunity could be just around the corner.

The flair and goalscoring threat the Cypriot youth player could offer in midfield should be playing on the minds of Tottenham’s decision makers ahead of the summer.

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Tottenham will surely be set to splash the cash in the summer after two transfer windows without spending a penny.

Spurs are well in truly in the Premier League title race despite their lack of spending which is an extremely commendable achievement. Mauricio Pochettino has placed his faith in his current crop of players who have duly delivered. With their new stadium nearing completion, the Lilywhites are likely to spend big to improve the squad in the summer.

Pochettino should finally be backed heavily in the transfer market to improve their chances of challenging at the top of the table yet again. The Argentine’s budget should be bolstered by the sale of many fringe players. As Kieran Trippier has struggled to replicate his form of the World Cup, a new right-back could be targeted.

One man Pochettino should be watching is Napoli defender – Kevin Malcuit. Valued at £11.25m by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman is a new arrival after joining from Lille in the summer for just over £10m. The 27-year-old has been an instant hit at his new employers, making 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

With Carlo Ancelotti choosing to rotate his defenders, Malcuit could be tempted in the offer of first-team football in England. Malcuit loves to get forward to help out the attack, averaging 1.5 successful dribbles per game, but doesn’t neglect his defensive duties. A strong, powerful defender, he should have no issues adapting to the physicality of the Premier League. He loves to get stuck in, averaging two tackles per game and reads the game superbly – making 2.2 interceptions per game (WhoScored).

Landing the former Monaco man in the summer could prove to be a masterstroke.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping the Hammers can kick on in their remaining fixtures to secure a place in Europe at the end of the season.

West Ham have been much improved under the Chilean’s leadership but their form has been inconsistent. Only Fulham have kept fewer clean sheets than the London side who have kept out their opponents only four times in 25 league games so far. Pellegrini will hope his side can iron out their issues and string together a solid run of form during the run in.

Finishing in Europe would provide extra funds to strengthen his squad when the transfer window reopens in the summer. West Ham would also be able to attract a much higher calibre of player and would be an attractive option to any player looking to further their career.

One man Pellegrini should be keeping a close eye on with a view to a summer move is Brentford winger – Said Benrahma. Valued at just £1.35m by Transfermarkt, the former Algeria international is a new arrival at the Bees having signed from Nice back in July. Benrahma has made an instant impact at his new side, becoming a crucial player at Griffin Park.

The 23-year-old has netted five goals in all competitions as well as registering an impressive 12 assists for his team-mates. Benrahma is capable of playing right across the forward line making him a useful option for Pellegrini to have at his disposal. With bags of tricks and excellent dribbling ability, the former Angers man would be a nightmare for Premier League defenders.

Still developing and improving, this signing could prove to be a wonderful addition to the Hammers squad.

West Ham fans, thoughts?

When the news broke this week that Carlo Ancelotti had been sacked by Napoli, despite guiding them to the Champions League knockout stages the very same evening, it took less than a nanosecond before numerous sites and social media were linking the veteran Italian coach with the vacancies at Arsenal and Everton.

This was a wholly expected development, of course, given Ancelotti’s track record that has seen him compile a managerial C.V. that only the very elite can equal. In nearly a quarter of a century in the dug-out he has won league titles across four different countries, a feat that is unique and deserving of significant acclaim. He is one of only three managers to win the Champions League a trio of times. He is a perpetual collector of high achievements and even in his final game the 60-year-old added another to the list with Napoli’s progress meaning he is only the second coach to steer six different sides through the Champions League group stages.

Add a cabinet stuffed with other honours into the mix along with a compendium of well-organised, marvellous football teams – not to mention his fluency in English and proven Premier League credentials – and its little wonder that the Gunners and Toffees are reportedly keen to secure his prestigious services. Indeed, they would be crazy to at least not place him under serious consideration.

That, however, is not to say that he is the ideal man for either club. Perhaps he is not even the right man and at Everton in particular that is absolutely the case.

It is always something of a disservice to typecast any manager’s careers into neat tropes and that is especially true of the cosmopolitan and erudite Ancelotti. Even so, when seeking consistent traits that run throughout his long time as a coach two come strongly to the fore, as relevant in Milan as they are in Madrid; from Parma to Paris.

Firstly, the former midfielder manages as he used to play – with a minimum of fuss and pragmatism always trumping unnecessary dramatics. This lends itself to a calm working environment in which his players thrive and more so has led to Ancelotti often being credited – correctly – as one of the best man-managers around. His is a friendly approach and in motivational terms that usually means all carrot and very little stick. We will return to this shortly.

The second constant in Ancelotti’s distinguished employment is that typically he has inherited fantastic sides a touch under the weather. Early into his vocation he took on the reins at Parma, the club where it all began for him as a player in the mid-seventies and here – twenty years later – the Emilians were enjoying a golden era that had them challenging for the Scudetto on an annual basis. It was a high point still fondly recalled in Romagna, a time of Buffon and Cannavaro, Zola and Chiesa. Ancelotti took charge of a sumptuously talented side that had finished a disappointing fifth the previous campaign and in his first season guided them to second.

Juventus came next, with Zidane, Davids and all and then the gloriously gilded Milan set-up of the 2000s where the names roll easily off the tongue. Maldini. Nesta. Pirlo. Kaka. Shevchenko.

At Chelsea the savviest of operators inherited a successful squad jaded by Jose Mourinho’s demands and put his arm around each of them before repeating the trick at Real Madrid. In between these largely triumphant stints there were two years at PSG where he was heavily bankrolled to the tune of bringing in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta and Thiago Silva to an average league in his first full window.

Later there was a season at Bayern Munich – succeeding Pep Guardiola – and latterly came Napoli and a pattern emerges from all of this which is undeniable.https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7n0hnm

For while not wishing to diminish the undoubted nous of Carlo Ancelotti – one such example is that it was he who first reimagined Andreas Pirlo as a deep-lying creator – by and large he is a top-end restorer, not a rebuilder. He takes on great teams and makes them great again.

Everton are currently a very long way from being deemed great. Conversely they are a squad in dire need of remodelling and this despite some copious spending in recent years. They are ill-balanced and sorely lacking in genuine quality, as their present league standing starkly illustrates.

If that places doubt on Ancelotti’s suitability we return to his practice of getting the players on-side and content.

Within the fierce confines of Goodison Park it is not a softly-softly approach that is required, as was proven so bombastically last week as Duncan Ferguson roared passionately from the touchlines, demanding unremitting commitment from his players as they out-played Chelsea in a highly entertaining 3-1 win.

An arm around the shoulder doesn’t cut it at Goodison whereas a kick up the backside does and though Evertonains might take umbrage with the following assessment, they have typically shone brightest under sergeant major types such as David Moyes. Ancelotti, though, doesn’t do intensity.

Furthermore, as difficult as it may be for the club’s hierarchy to admit, they are currently a full pay-grade below what Ancelotti does so well. He is a man for the finishing touches.

Everton, you feel, must start all over again.

It seems that Burnley are desperate to keep their young prodigy, Dwight McNeil, at the club.

And if the words of his current boss, Sean Dyche, are anything to go by, they know they are fighting a losing battle. After all, the 20-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United and the Clarets won’t really stand a chance in that bout.

He said, as per The Sun’s quotes:

“Look, we know Dwight is a player who will certainly go beyond us – but in a positive way. We don’t remotely want to lose good players. But eventually some players will outgrow the club in the sense of a bigger club coming along and buying them because of their skill set.”

McNeil has impressed at Turf Moor since he broke into the senior squad and is one of those emerging talents that could take the stage by storm in the not so distant future.

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The Red Devils already have young players in their forward line such as Daniel James and Marcus Rashford but adding another big talent would do no harm.

But who exactly is McNeil and what makes him so special?

To answer that question, we sought the opinions of those who know him best…

Sean Dyche, Burnley manager

Not many know McNeil better than his current manager, who’s never shied away from showering the youngster with all sorts of praise.

Last season, after Burnley fell to a ravaging Liverpool, the gaffer was still happy with his player’s performance, stating that he has a chance to become one of the best in the future.

Here’s what he said in the post-match press conference, as quoted by Sportskeeda:

“That young man’s got a massive chance of being a top, top player in my opinion.

“He continues to grow. Every time I wonder whether I should leave him out, I think, ‘No, keep the boy playing’. It’s good for him and it’s good for us.

“If he keeps his head down and keeps working like he is doing, he’s got a massive future.”

Mike Rigg, Burnley’s technical director

Rigg is also well-informed when it comes to the development of McNeil and the emergence from his cocoon.

When talking to Training Ground Guru, the technical director heaped praise on the youngster, calling him an “amazing success” and also emphasising how he shows the strength of their academy.

Here’s what he said in full:

“Youth development is about getting players through to your first team, and Dwight has shown the way our club should be doing that. With Dwight having been such an amazing success this year and how he has been developed, that shows what makes this Academy so important.”

Jon Pepper, Burnley academy manager

Pepper has seen McNeil develop into the young player he is today and definitely knows where all the talent and skill has come from, despite arriving at the club a couple of years after the player’s emergence.

He praised the 20-year-old for his hard work and his perseverance, even stating that he could be a role model for the next generation of Burnley youngsters.

Here’s what he said for Training Ground Guru:

“I don’t think he particularly loved the education, but he got his head down, worked hard and exceeded his target grades, all at the same time as he was training with the first team.

“He was in and around the senior side and could have thought, ‘I don’t need to do this,’ but he completed his BTEC programme as part of his scholarship.

“He’s a good role model for the younger lads on and off the pitch and shows you can achieve big things by getting your head down, working hard and listening to the right people.”

Verdict

McNeil really does sounds like a talent capable of going all the way, if he’s properly groomed and managed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to enjoy having younger, high-potential players in the squad and the current Burnley starlet definitely fits the bill.