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The midfielder quietly became an alternative Premier League icon with his collection of sublime goals for Blackburn Rovers in the noughties

'The Barclays'. While the Premier League was technically sponsored by the aforementioned bank between 2001-16, the period which is so wistfully looked back upon by fans of a certain vintage is the first decade of the 2000s.

After its initial emergence in 1992, the English top flight enjoyed a secondary boom in popularity following the turn of the millennium, as overseas television deals and a secondary influx of foreign stars gave the league a truly global appeal. It played host to a number of the game's modern icons, too, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba among those who lit up the Premier League on a weekly basis.

When fans talk about 'The Barclays', though, it is not those household names they are referring to. Instead it is the players who were largely in the background when it came to being headline-grabbing, but were seen as key cogs in the Premier League machine by die-hard fans, while still able to produce moments of magic on occasion.

These players have come to be known as the 'Barclaysmen', but what made them so beloved, and what became of them once their Barclays life was over? Here at GOAL, we will endeavour to find out with our latest series, 'Ultimate Barclaysmen'.

When you think of ultimate 'Barclaysman', one name in particular springs to mind: Blackburn Rovers legend Morten Gamst Pedersen. Quite simply, he ticks all the boxes: a back catalogue of outrageous goals, a cannon of a left foot, a mop of highlighted blonde hair, adidas Predators and a storied career with one of the Premier League's unfancied sides. A man with one of the best highlight reels around, Pedersen is an alternative icon.

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  Where he came from

  The true mark of a 'Barclaysman' is someone who emerged out of nowhere, captured the imagination in the Premier League and then faded into obscurity as soon as they left British shores, and that was certainly the case for Pedersen.

  Hailing from the small Norwegian town of Vadso, which has a population of just 6,000 and is located within the Arctic Circle, Pedersen's breakthrough came at Tromso in his homeland, where he would spend the first four years of his senior career. Something of a late bloomer, he was already 22 when Blackburn came calling in 2004.

  The £2.5 million transfer was prompted by Pedersen's fine form for the Eliteserien side, where he had scored seven times in the first half of the March-to-November season alone. He made the switch to the Premier League in August, with Blackburn and then-manager Graeme Souness still looking to replace Damien Duff, who had joined Chelsea a year earlier.

  Pedersen joined Rovers among a host of other notable Blackburn 'Barclaysmen' that summer, including the likes of Ryan Nelson, Robbie Savage and Aaron Mokoena.

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• Barclays highlights

  Pedersen's start to life in the Premier League was far from memorable as he struggled for minutes after Souness was replaced by Mark Hughes in September 2004, but that would all change in early 2005 as he forced his way into the team with three goals in as many games and effectively made himself un-droppable.

  With his smiley demeanour, blonde highlights, classy technique and traction engine of a left foot, Pedersen would go on to become a cult hero at Blackburn and one of the finest midfield players outside of the established top six at the time. Dubbed the 'Norwegian David Beckham', outrageous goals became his trademark, and in nine years at Ewood Park he put together quite the repertoire.

  The standouts among his substantial back catalogue include a thunderous volley on the run against Fulham in August 2005 and a match-winning brace against Manchester United at Old Trafford the following month, coming in the form of a direct free-kick and an emphatic finish into the roof of Edwin van der Sar's goal. That performance is widely considered to be his best in the Rovers shirt.

  He wasn't just all about spectacular goals, though – he 'had that dog in him', too. The winger developed a reputation for playacting and was capable of rubbing opponents up the wrong way, once clashing with now-Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta against Everton and even taking a punch in the gut from ex-Newcastle man Joey Barton.

  Despite playing for an often-middling Blackburn team for the best part of a decade, Pedersen made a creditable 75 goal contributions in 259 Premier League appearances for the Lancashire side, with 2006-07 his most productive season as he scored 11 times and laid on eight more.

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  'Morten is up there with Beckham'

  The main reason Pedersen is remembered so fondly by noughties football aficionados is undoubtedly his ball-striking ability, with the midfielder capable of unleashing rockets off both feet. He didn't actually start developing his famous left until the age of 15, when his father noted that there were too many right-footed players coming through in Norway.

  His reputation as one of the cleanest strikers of a ball in Premier League history is no fluke, then – coming as result of countless hours of practice on the training pitch. "We have just highlighted certain things to Morten and he has worked on it," ex-manager Hughes said in 2007. "He works extremely hard after training every day, hitting numerous balls into the net, with or without 'keepers in goal. David Beckham was one of the best set-piece experts in my time at Manchester United and Ryan Giggs before him, but I would say Morten is up there with David."

  Pedersen was something of a trailblazer – a fleet-footed technician in an era when the Premier League was all about power and physicality, before the days of David Silva and Eden Hazard, loyally plying his trade for a club the size of Blackburn for the peak years of his career. "I like to try different things," he told UEFA back in 2005. "In some parts of the game it's not the thing to do, but when you have time you can maybe try something. I like to play with the ball and give something back to the crowd. It's fun to try things but you have to be at the right place at the right time."

  He also endeared himself to Barclays followers with his cheery manner, seemingly joying every single second out on the pitch. "I always have a smile on my face, off the pitch as well," he said. "That's a part of me, a smile and a good mood."

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  Moving on

  After nine years of loyal service, Pedersen's Blackburn career arguably came to its natural conclusion back in 2013, but he didn't actually want to leave the club.

  Rovers had been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2011-12 campaign and the 31-year-old had admirably gone down with Rovers amid top-flight interest. However, despite providing seven assists in the Championship the following season without being a regular starter, he was told he could move on in August 2013.

  It was reported at the time that his preference was to stay, but he wanted regular game time and that was not forthcoming at Ewood Park. Financial constraints following their relegation also meant Blackburn needed to trim their wage bill, putting relatively high-earner Pedersen in the firing line.

  "There is no big issue. Morten is a top, top professional who wants to play football," ex-Blackburn chief executive Derek Shaw said at the time. "He has found himself out of the team and we will do anything we can to assist a move. You don't meet people as professional as Morten too often and he is a man who wants to play football."

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti personally has his eyes on an £86 million Arsenal star who is absolutely crucial for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal set for busy summer transfer window

Sporting director Edu looks set to oversee a busy summer transfer window at the Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners likely to overhaul a few key areas of Arteta's squad.

Arsenal table formal bid to sign £52 million man who's "perfect" for Arteta

The Gunners are moving quickly pre-summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 15, 2024

The north Londoners' defence could look slightly different next season, as it is believed that Arsenal could replace goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale following his season relegated to the bench in favour of David Raya.

Standard Sport also state that Arsenal will look to bring in another defender. Ben White has shone at right-back under Arteta yet again this season, but it is believed they're keen to acquire a more natural full-back option on that side.

Girona defender Yan Couto has been linked with Arsenal this week, alongside Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu before him, and it hasn't been ruled out that they bring in a new centre-back as well. Sporting Lisbon starlet Ousmane Diomande is a rumoured target for Edu in that regard, but he'll find it very hard to play his way into the first team if he does join.

The Ivory Coast ace has both Gabriel and William Saliba ahead of him in the pecking order, with the Arsenal duo forming an excellent partnership since the beginning of 2022/2023. Spending the season prior out on loan at Marseille, few expected the Frenchman to come in and be quite this pivotal.

Saliba is now an indispensable member of Arteta's starting elevens, playing every single league game this term, and many pinpoint his injury at the end of last season as a key reason why Arsenal lost the title to Man City that year.

The 23-year-old's form hasn't gone unnoticed across Europe, and it is now believed Ancelotti has taken a personal interest.

Ancelotti eyeing Real Madrid move for Saliba

According to CaughtOffside, Ancelotti is personally an admirer of Saliba and Real Madrid are eyeing a move, but they'll be disappointed. Arsenal have no intention of selling their star defender, who they value at around £86 million, and even plan to extend his contract to tie him down further.

"His attitude, the way he came in and said I’m going to prove that I’m very good and I deserve to be here," said Arteta on Saliba's excellent form over the last two years.

“Without any looking back or being shy, he was doing it the right way and giving the right reasons to think that he was going to be really good for us. He had an immediate impact. The first two training sessions that we looked at home we went: There’s huge potential here.

“He took out every question mark that we could have with him and gave us all the reasons to play him. And I think he’s been exceptional since that day.”

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor revealed she was going to text her predecessor Emma Hayes after their thumping pre-season friendly win over Feyenoord.

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• Bompastor succeeds Hayes at Chelsea
• Blues trash Feyenoord in pre-season friendly
• Ex-Lyon boss reveals text to USWNT manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea warmed up for the start of the new Women's Super League season with a 9-0 thrashing of Feyenoord on Saturday, while also losing Niamh Charles to injury. When it was pointed out to her that the victory eclipsed an 8-0 win against Bristol City in Hayes' last home game in charge of the Blues in May, the former Lyon boss quipped she would text her about the result.

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  WHAT SONIA BOMPASTOR SAID

  "That’s not a competition, but I am going to text her to make sure she knows about the result! I am sure she will be happy for me and for the team especially," she said, laughing.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bompastor has huge shoes to fill following Hayes' unprecedented success at Chelsea. The legendary Blues manager decided to step away from the west London outfit earlier this year to take up a role as United States women's national team manager. Now, the Frenchwoman will be tasked with delivering more trophies for Chelsea this season. While it won't be easy, her success of winning a whole heap of silverware at Lyon may put her in good steady for this big task ahead – and wins this like may help, too.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea continue their pre-season preparations on Saturday when they host Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, before beginning their WSL campaign at home to Aston Villa on Friday, September 20.

Over the last couple of years, Everton have conducted excellent business in the transfer market, turning their attention to younger talents and allowing them to develop at Goodison Park.

James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite have both arrived on Merseyside in recent seasons, making huge impacts on the club's first-team – including in the 2-0 victory over Merseyside rivals Liverpool on Wednesday night.

The latter only joined the Toffees from Carlisle United for a reported £1m back in 2020, with the youngster having to bide his time before making an impact under Sean Dyche.

However, this season he's started 31 times in the Premier League, with his performances attracting interest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United, who are rumoured to be targeting a big-money move for the 21-year-old this summer.

Despite the excellent incoming in recent seasons, the club have also conducted fantastic business in offloading multiple players who weren't up to the level required of the Premier League, including one former Toffee whose market value has plummeted.

Nikola Vlasic's stats at Everton

After joining the club in an £8m deal from Croatian side Hadjuk Split, midfielder Nikola Vlasic arrived at Goodison with high expectations following three goals in six appearances at the start of the 2017/18 season.

However, he struggled to make any meaningful impact, failing to score or assist in any of his 12 Premier League outings and only featuring for a total of 574 minutes.

Despite his poor form in the league, Vlasic impressed in the Europa League under boss Ronald Koeman, grabbing himself two goals and an assist in his six European appearances for the Toffees.

His impressive record in Europe wouldn't be enough for the Croatian to secure a regular place at Goodison, however, departing the club on a season-long loan to join Russian side CSKA Moscow for the 2018/19 campaign.

The move would see the midfielder recapture his excellent form, achieving 15 goal contributions in his 31 appearances for the club in all competitions.

After taking Russia by storm, CSKA decided to permanently buy Vlasic, departing Merseyside less than two years after arriving – but making the club a tidy profit of £6m, as the Toffees managed to secure a £14m fee for the former Hadjuk Split talent.

Nikola Vlasic's market value in 2024

Nearly five years on from his Everton departure and Vlasic has struggled to recapture his form in multiple leagues across Europe, returning to the Premier League to feature for West Ham United, before making a move to Italy in 2022.

His time at Torino has been a struggle, only managing 18 goal contributions in 70 games for the Serie A outfit, with his market value plunging as a result.

The Croatian is now only valued at £10m, as per Transfermarkt – a figure that is £2m less than current Everton youngster Nathan Patterson, who boasts a value of £12m, despite enduring a bit-part role this season after starting just nine league games.

Given Vlasic's recent form and drop in value, the club made the perfect decision to sell the now 26-year-old, with the club making a decent profit on a player who has undoubtedly failed to live up to his potential.

His time in Italy is further evidence that he simply isn't able to produce his quality on a consistent basis in any of Europe's top five leagues, with his £14m deal allowing the club to invest in the likes of Garner and Branthwaite in recent seasons.

Everton's 9/10 ace is now as undroppable as Tarkowski after Liverpool

He produced a brilliant display during the Merseyside derby.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 25, 2024

Lionel Messi is “enjoying it” at Inter Miami, says new team-mate Oscar Ustari, with the Argentine superstar not allowing “stubbornness” to set in.

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• All-time great joined the Herons in 2023
• Has won just about every major honour
• Showing no sign of slowing down at 37

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has achieved just about everything that it is possible to accomplish at the very top of his chosen profession. He has won trophies with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while capturing World Cup and Copa America crowns with his country.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The all-time great has broken countless records down the years, as the history books are rewritten, and could hang up his boots at any point safe in the knowledge that many of his exploits will never be repeated. Messi is, however, still going strong at 37 years of age.

• WHAT USTARI SAID

  He has been joined in Florida by another familiar face – one that he savoured Olympic gold medal glory alongside in 2008 – and Ustari has said of the Messi that he has been reunited with some 16 years on from their last professional engagement: “What I value most is how he always leads with the right foot forward, he’s never forgotten his roots. In the case with me, he has always been the same, so it makes me very happy that he hasn’t changed and with time he hasn’t developed that stubbornness. He has achieved everything there is to achieve and he’s earned it by working hard. I am in a stage of enjoyment with Leo and I am happy to be here and to see him also enjoying it.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Messi could be forgiven for feeling a little frustrated at present, with an unfortunate ankle injury having been picked up in the 2024 Copa America final. That knock has prevented him from rejoining the ranks at Inter Miami, but a long-awaited return to action is expected to be made in MLS action against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

It hasn't been the best of seasons for Manchester United this year, to put it lightly.

Erik ten Hag has been unable to build upon his impressive first season at Old Trafford. His side are sitting in sixth place, 13 points from the Champions League spots, and fighting tooth and nail for a place in the Europa League with four games remaining.

United's issues aren't limited to one area of the pitch either. Their goal difference of plus one highlights their weaknesses in attack and defence, meaning that this summer is likely going to be one filled with transfer activity as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co try to build a squad capable of challenging the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal in the future, and it looks like he has already identified a potential long-term upgrade for Raphael Varane.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from the Times, Crystal Palace 'fear' that star centre-back Marc Guéhi could be set to leave the club in the summer, with Manchester United one of the clubs most interested in his services should that happen.

The report has revealed that, alongside Arsenal, the Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the former Chelsea ace and are primed to strike with just two and a bit years remaining on his £50k-per-week deal.

The report has also revealed that should the 23-year-old United target leave Selhurst Park in the summer, it'll cost interested parties around £55m, and while that would certainly represent a sizable investment from Ratcliffe and Co, it could be somewhat offset by the potential departure of one of the highest earners at Old Trafford, Varane.

According to a report from ESPN last week, the three-time European Champions could allow the former Real Madrid ace to leave the club for nothing to free up his £340k-per-week wages to invest in fresh signings such as Guehi.

That said, how does the young Englishman stack up to the French superstar?

How Guéhi compares to Varane

Now, on the surface, it might seem entirely unfair to Guehi to compare him to one of the most decorated defenders playing today, a centre-back who has won the World Cup, four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup, one League Cup and plenty of other individual awards, but when it comes down to their pure underlying numbers, it's closer than you might imagine.

For example, according to FBref, while the former Lens-gem has his young rival beat in certain metrics such as progressive passes, progressive carries, passing accuracy, shot-creating actions and aerial duels won, he comes out second best in several other relevant statistics.

These include ball recoveries, tackles won, goal-creating actions, live passes, completed passes and, perhaps most crucial for how the modern game is played, the number of times he is dispossessed and the number of times he miscontrols the ball.

Furthermore, with The Athletic revealing that centre-backs do not hit their peaks until the age of 27, the young Palace "tank", as described by former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik, has plenty of time to reach Varane's progressive passing and carrying levels in the right setup.

Ultimately, while it would be foolish to expect Guéhi to come into the United side next season and have the impact that a fully fit Varane could in his pomp, there is no reason why he couldn't reach that level in time.

Moreover, with United unlikely to seriously challenge for the top honours in the immediate future, the "complete" centre-back, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, could be the perfect long-term upgrade for the Frenchman.

Man Utd eyeing summer transfer for "dangerous" £49,000-a-week USMNT star

The USA international’s contract talks with his current club have stalled.

By
Henry Jackson

Apr 29, 2024

Sky Sports have provided a big update on Manchester United’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, going against previous news of an opening bid.

The Lowdown: Bid turned down?

Erik ten Hag is seemingly keen to reunite with De Jong at Old Trafford and has reportedly persuaded him over a move to England.

However, United and Barcelona are yet to reach an agreement when it comes to a fee.

Fabrizio Romano claimed last week that the Catalan giants have turned down an opening offer from United worth €60m plus €10m in add-ons.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Dharmesh Sheth provided the latest when it came to transfer updates from Old Trafford. He said live on Sky Sports that the club’s priority is still a new midfielder and that they remain locked in talks over a move for De Jong.

However, Sheth said that ‘we’re told there’s been no official offer yet’ but added that the ‘noises’ are that a deal is there to be done.

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The Verdict: Need to get a move on…

It is certainly interesting to hear Sky Sports say that a formal offer is yet to be made, despite reports from Romano who has said that a first bid was rejected.

United do need to get a move on when it comes to additions for Ten Hag, though, so it could be wise to set a deadline regarding a move before looking elsewhere.

The Red Devils seemingly haven’t made any real progress when it comes to De Jong after first being linked with a transfer at the end of April, and with time ticking, action is urgently needed.

In other news: ‘They’ve looked at him’ – talkSPORT man drops huge Man Utd transfer claim involving ‘lethal’ ace. 

A major update has emerged on Tottenham’s pursuit of Yves Bissouma in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Gary Jacobs of The Times has claimed that Spurs have agreed a deal with Brighton to land the central midfielder in a deal worth around £25m.

Fabrizio Romano has since added: “Tottenham are set to complete their third signing: agreement in place for Yves Bissouma joining from Brighton, as first reported by @garyjacob. Final details on the add-ons, €26m fee. Spurs are offering Bissouma a five year deal – new midfielder is coming for Conte.”

It will now be down to the player to decide whether or not he wants to accept the personal terms on offer before completing a medical to finalise the move.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg upgrade

The club are now closing in on the Mali international and this means that Antonio Conte will have an upgrade on Hojbjerg for the 2022/23 campaign.

Seagulls reporter Andy Naylor once dubbed him an “absolute joy to watch” and his statistics in the top-flight illustrate why that is the case.

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In the 2021/22 Premier League season, Bissouma made a whopping 4.8 tackles and interceptions per match as he won 59% of his individual battles. This comes after he made 4.7 per game in the previous campaign, along with completing 1.5 dribbles.

Meanwhile, Hojbjerg made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game and won 58% of his duels in total, whilst also completing 1.2 dribbles per match in the season just gone. However, in 2020/21, the Dane made 3.9 tackles and interceptions and only won 51% of his battles with only 0.6 take-ons per game.

These statistics suggest that Bissouma would be a big upgrade on the former Southampton man both in terms of his ability to win the ball back off the opposition and having the quality to burst through the lines in transition.

This will help Spurs on the counter-attack as the Brighton man can nick the ball off an opponent before driving through the middle to pass to the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

Of course, Antonio Conte may opt to play both of them in the same midfield but the stats indicate that he can come in and improve the team in place of Hojbjerg. This would leave Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur running the midfield in north London next term… an exciting prospect.

AND in other news, Paratici now given green light to seal “outstanding” Spurs signing, he’d be “clinical”…

It’s fair to say that Frank Lampard’s time at Everton so far has been one of strife, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation thanks to a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate Premier League clash.

This isn’t a season that the Everton faithful will remember with any degree of satisfaction, and it should be confined to a locked box with the key thrown in the Mersey, with the manager facing a crucial summer transfer window ahead.

Poor recruitment might put an end to the 43-year-olds reign at the club, but there is time for him to bring in the players he needs and axe the ones that have underperformed.

One such player that should be leaving the club is Salomon Rondon. Last summer, the striker joined the club on a free transfer but hasn’t hit the heights required, netting just three times all season. Former Everton defender Michael Ball dubbed him as a “problem” earlier in the season and from his goalscoring stats, it’s clear to see why.

Lampard urgently needs to improve his attacking options, with Richarlison (11) being the club’s highest scorer this season.

There could be a solution however, with the club linked with New York City striker Valentin Castellanos, Lampard may have found a saviour to his attacking woes.

Ronny Deila hailed the Argentinian frontman as “top class” following a season in which he won the MLS golden boot with 22 goals, more than the other Everton strikers put together in the league.

Scoring goals isn’t his only strength either, as he provided eight assists during the MLS season as well as creating a further eight big chances for his teammates.

The player certainly looks like an upgrade on the £43k-per-week Rondon and despite the Venezuelan striker having another year left on his current contract, Lampard should be making a concrete effort to add Castellanos to his squad ahead of next season.

AND in other news, “Everton also..”: Reliable journo drops huge transfer claim, supporters surely buzzing…

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is a target for Paris Saint-Germain and could follow Sadio Mane out the Anfield exit door, according to a report from Guinean outlet Imedias.net.

The lowdown: High expectations

Signed for a then club-record £48million from RB Leipzig in 2017 (BBC), Keita arrived on Merseyside 12 months later with a weight of expectation to impress from the outset.

Despite showing fleeting glimpses of his first-class ability, the Guinean struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and picked up regular injuries throughout his first three seasons at Anfield.

However, having made 40 appearances across all competitions in 2021/22, Keita had appeared to turn a corner in terms of fitness and availability.

The latest: PSG keen

As per Imedias.net, an outlet in the player’s homeland, French Ligue 1 winners PSG are ‘ready to welcome’ Keita to their ranks this summer with an offer in the region of €50million (£42.5million) expected.

It’s claimed that ‘sources’ have informed the outlet that the Parisien club ‘respectfully follows his situation’ and have placed the 48-cap Guinea captain on the ‘short list’ as incoming Sporting Director Luis Campos weighs up possible targets.

Ironically, the report goes on to say that the man hailed as ‘outstanding by Jurgen Klopp and ‘one of the best midfielders’ he’s ever seen could be lined up as a successor to former Anfield favourite Gini Wijnaldum.

The player shares an agent with Mane, so perhaps the Reds are not on the best of terms with the duo’s representatives.

The verdict: Tough call

Deciding what should happen with Keita is a difficult judgement to make for the Reds and in particular Klopp.

Starting on 25 occasions out of those aforementioned 40 outings, the dynamic maestro is clearly a preferred option of the German boss, but there can be no guarantees that the injury issues that plagued the 27-year-old’s early career at Liverpool won’t return in the future.

With the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already reportedly on the way out, at the mooted price, there will undoubtedly be a temptation to cash in on Keita and spend the combined funds on a more reliable midfield option to bolster the options at Klopp’s disposal.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.