Pundit claims Chelsea, Liverpool target Pulisic will stay at Borussia Dortmund

It is not difficult to understand why Christian Pulisic is attracting attention from the football world.

The USA international has starred at Borussia Dortmund over the past couple of seasons, despite only being 19 years of age.

The teenager has made 29 appearances in all competitions, contributing with four goals and three assists.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are one club interested in securing the attacking midfielder’s signature in the summer transfer window.

The publication adds that both Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Liverpool are keeping tabs on the talented teenager.

Steve Nicol, though, thinks that none of the suitors will get their way and that Pulisic will remain at Dortmund.

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According to the Liverpool Echo, the former Reds full-back, who works as a pundit for ESPN, suggested that the German club will hold firm.

“I don’t think he is going to join Chelsea. I don’t think he is going anywhere. Any of the top sides in the world would want Pulisic right now, in their squad if not the starting XI. I think he has made it very clear that, for now, he knows Dortmund is the place for him. That is the place he will progress the best. I don’t see him going anywhere.”

Pulisic made his debut for Dortmund in 2016 after spending a term in the club’s youth system following his switch from the United States.

Wenger has told his Arsenal staff he won’t resign

The pressure on Arsene Wenger has never been greater after four straight Arsenal defeats, culminating in Sunday’s reverse against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The ‘Wenger Out’ debate has raged on for the last few seasons but the calls for him to step aside are now as loud as they have ever been.

Many Arsenal fans want their board to take the bull by the horns and dismiss Wenger – or at the very least reveal that he will be moved aside at the end of the season to allow him the sendoff that he deserves between now and May.

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Any Gunners supporters hoping that Wenger will resign with dignity look set to be disappointed as the Times report that he has privately admitted to staff that he plans to stay on for the next campaign.

The report adds that Wenger still believes he is the right man to take the club forward and if the club wants to sever their ties with him, they will have to sack him.

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With the inertia at board level, the Frenchman’s stubbornness might well see him stay on as there is no force behind him pushing him to leave.

In Focus: Zivkovic is showing glimpses of quality – can he be a hit at Arsenal?

As reported by The Sun, Arsenal have recently sent scouts to track the progress of Benfica attacking midfielder Andrija Zivkovic, amidst interest from English Premier League rivals Manchester United.

What’s the story?

Arsenal are in something of a slump right now and fans are already dreaming of the summer transfer window where they hope that the club can get rid of faltering talent and bring in some new blood that can help them compete at the top end of the league table.

One potential signing could be Andrija Zivkovic, who The Sun report was recently scouted by the Gunners during Benfica’s clash with Maritimo.

Rated at £6.2m by Transfermarkt, the paper say that both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing him this summer, leading to a potential bidding war between the two.

Could he be a success at Arsenal?

Still just 21 years of age, Zivkovic is still not the finished article and hasn’t yet managed to find the consistency that would make him a guaranteed hit in the English Premier League.

With three goals and five assists this season, he is showing glimpses of quality at a decent level though and surrounded by better players could find a way to forge a career at a club like Arsenal.

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Any buying club would be shelling out for potential, rather than immediate impact, but with pace, excellent dribbling skills and a strong work ethic, Arsenal could do a lot worse this summer if they’re looking for young talent.

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Revealed: 89% of Liverpool fans want Klopp to start Robertson against Man United

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is carrying a knock going into the Reds’ crunch clash with Manchester United so we asked you whether or not Jurgen Klopp should risk him from the start at Old Trafford.

The obvious alternative would be Alberto Moreno, who has shown his defensive frailties on more than one occasion in the past, but James Milner also deputised ably last season and would be a steady bet.

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez has left Jose Mourinho scrambling around to try and find the ideal attacking formula so it is tough to predict who will line up on the right for United as they seek to extend their advantage over Liverpool in the table.

Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial – if fit – could get the nod to link up with Antonio Valencia down that flank.

No matter who he faces though, Liverpool fans were pretty unequivocal in expressing that it is the Scotsman – valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk – they want on the left of their defence, with 89% of fans saying Klopp should take a gamble and field him from the off.

Take a look at the full poll results below…

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Draxler could ease some of the creative burden on Eriksen at Spurs

Julian Draxler has been a transfer target for Arsenal in more than one transfer window and Arsene Wenger clearly still holds an interest; he reportedly looked to bring in the German to the Emirates in January.

Given the array of attacking talent on show at Paris Saint Germain and the French club’s need to balance the books after bringing in Neymar, there is surely a chance that a deal could be done.

However, the Gunners’ North London rivals Tottenham should be in the hunt. They have already done a deal with PSG for another squad player in Lucas Moura and there is no reason why they couldn’t strengthen their own squad depth with Draxler too.

He has become known as a winger but has also seen gametime as a deeper lying central midfielder – similar to Kevin de Bruyne – and could ease some of the creative burden on Christian Eriksen.

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The Dane has been moved deeper in games that Tottenham have been chasing but maybe Draxler – valued at £36m by Transfermarkt – could provide that option for Mauricio Pochettino.

He certainly showed signs of that creativity in Friday’s match with Spain. Despite the fact that the Spanish dominated the ball, Draxler was still accurate with his passing and laid on three chances with a key pass.

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Two shots, two dribbles and two crosses also hints at a man who can do a little bit of everything and there is no doubt that he would add another dimension to the Tottenham attack.

It would also be a coup to land a man who has been so heavily linked with their bitter rivals in recent years and some might argue, it would be a sign of the times if Draxler plumped for Spurs over a move to the Emirates.

Liverpool fans are LIVID with star’s performance v Everton

Jurgen Klopp rang the changes – five in all – to protect his squad for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City when his side made the short trip to Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby.

The Reds are 3-0 up from the first fixture between the two sides but Klopp was in no mood to take any chances with the likes of Mo Salah and Andy Robertson not even included in the matchday squad.

The result was a 0-0 draw in which Liverpool dominated possession, especially in the second half, but struggled to make it count in terms of clear goalscoring chances.

One man who got the nod was Danny Ings, who has had rotten luck with injuries and was starting a Premier League match for the first time since Brendan Rodgers’ last game in charge, also at Goodison.

He looked understandably rusty but Liverpool fans were ruthless in their appraisal of the Englishman’s performance.

We’ve taken a closer look at some of the criticism aimed in the direction of the man valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt…

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Revealed: Majority of Spurs fans think Christian Eriksen is their best match-winner

Harry Kane’s insistence on claiming a goal that has taken him one step closer to trumping Mohamed Salah to this season’s Golden Boot has dominated the headlines this week.

But it appears the majority of Tottenham fans don’t even rate the England striker as Spurs’ best match-winner – in other words, the player most capable of turning a game on its head with a moment of brilliance.

Indeed, after scoring a thunderbolt against Chelsea and finding the net past Stoke City, we asked Tottenham fans whether that title should belong to Christian Eriksen, while proposing Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son as alternatives.

And our poll has revealed that a whopping 60% of Spurs fans think the 6 foot Dane is in fact the club’s key match-winner, perhaps because his goals have been so spectacular of late and perhaps because this has probably been the most consistent season of his Tottenham career.

Do you think Kane will beat Salah to this year’s Golden Boot, Spurs fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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West Ham could still sign Leander Dendoncker despite Atletico Madrid ‘agreement’

According to reports in Belgian media outlet Het Nieuwsblad, West Ham United transfer target Leander Dendoncker could join Atletico Madrid this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Irons were heavily linked with a move for the Anderlecht midfielder during the January transfer window, with Het Nieuwsblad claiming that the player was keen to join either them, Everton or Crystal Palace before the deadline before an exit to England was blocked by the club.

Now Het Nieuwsblad claim that Anderlecht have a preliminary agreement with Atletico about a €20m (£17.4m) deal for the Belgium international this summer, although while they have the option the La Liga outfit aren’t committed to using it.

The report adds that should another club offer more than €20m for his services, Atletico have the right to match it.

How has Dendoncker done this season?

While the 23-year-old is primarily a defensive midfielder, he has often played at centre-back for his club in recent months, and that could be one of the reasons he is looking for an escape route this summer.

The Belgian has made 38 appearances in all competition for Anderlecht this term, while he has shown his leadership qualities by captaining them on 12 of those occasions.

Dendoncker has consistently shown that he is more than able defensively, while he is also strong and decent in possession.

Could West Ham still sign him?

They certainly could do, yes.

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While Atletico reportedly have this agreement they could still be outbid, and they may choose not to use it anyway depending on what their plans for the summer are.

The Irons are in desperate need of strengthening in the middle of the park with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate being criticised by Irons fans on Twitter following another disappointing display in the 1-1 draw against Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday night, and the highly-rated Dendoncker could be the answer to their problems.

Given he is seemingly keen to move to the Premier League and could be available for less than £20m, it would be a no-brainer for West Ham to get a deal over the line and they can’t afford to miss out.

Wenger tries to clarify controversial comments about Arsenal exit, fans react

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger raised some eyebrows this week when he discussed his departure from the club.

On Friday, the club confirmed that the Frenchman will leave his position at the end of the season, despite having a year left on his contract.

During his pre-match press conference, the 68-year-old said that the timing of the announcement “was not really my decision”.

However, according to BBC Sport, Wenger, who has guided the Gunners to three league titles this season, clarified that he was “happy” for the club to decide when to confirm his departure, and that the “timing of the announcement was right”.

For the majority of this season, as well as the 2016-17 campaign, Arsenal fans were keen for the manager to step down as they were frustrated with the lack of genuine challenges for the Premier League title.

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The club have not taken the English crown since 2004 and they are likely to miss out on a top-four spot this season as they are 11 points adrift.

After Wenger attempted to clarify his recent comments, insisting that they referred to the timing and not the decision itself, Arsenal fans posted their reactions on Reddit.

Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.Comment from discussion Ornstein: Arsene Wenger has moved to clarify his comment that the “timing” of his departure “was not really my decision” related to the announcement on Friday rather than the decision itself #AFC.

Aston Villa fans want Hutton renewal

Alan Hutton will see his current Aston Villa deal expire this summer, and the Scot has been widely tipped to leave the club on a free transfer.

Hutton joined Villa from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2011, and has made more than 150 appearances for the club in all competitions.

This season, the 33-year-old, who is believed to be a transfer target for Leeds United, has been a regular – appearing in 28 Championship matches.

There is no question that the Scot has an impressive footballing pedigree, but it seems that he will leave Villa in search of pastures new at the end of the season.

The thought of that occurring, however, is not music to the ears of the Villa supporters.

Indeed, the club’s fanbase have taken to social media to demand that Hutton, who is valued at £1.4m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is handed a new contract ahead of a potential return to the Premier League.

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Hutton was a substitute in Villa’s 1-1 draw with Derby County at the weekend, and that was actually his first Championship appearance since the end of March.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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