Oh, Liverpool. What the Fekir happened this time?
I like Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, I have never hidden this fact from anyone. But they really do need to learn a little bit more about transfer etiquette. You would have thought, after the whole Virgil van Dijk palava that Liverpool might have taken stock, learned a few lessons and vowed never to mess up a major transfer again.
Well, they have. What the Reds give their fans with one hand (Fabinho, a cracking piece of business) they take with the other. Nabil Fekir is staying at Olympique Lyon after “transfer negotiations have not succeeded”. Normally, this would be fine. It happens all the time. The problem was that Fekir had already passed his medical, shaken hands on a contract and performed a few interviews for Liverpool TV, albeit ones that were not released and have probably been deleted.
Ah well, Liverpool will no doubt be linked to Thomas Lemar again by the morning.
Staying at Anfield in related news, Kenny Dalglish is soon to be Sir Kenny Dalglish. Clearly the Queen and her people have forgotten the fact that Dalglish believed he might be able to recreate the Liverpool glory years by buying Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam. I’d strip him of that knighthood straight away.
Peppy G has deemed it necessary to respond to Yaya Toure’s claim that the title-winning manager “has a problem with African players” by calling it, simply, “a lie”. Here’s a shocking idea, Yaya. Maybe Pep just had a problem with you?
It’s been a decent week for fans of Tottenham Hotspur with Real Madrid allegedly calling off the mission to make the Poch their new manager and Harry Kane signing a new, bumper 6-year-deal which can only mean one of two things. Either, this has one doozy of a release fee in there or Harry has accepted that he can be a club cult hero or win trophies in his career – but not both. Harry, there is no shame in being a club cult hero. Just ask Matt Le Tissier.
One player who won’t become a one-club man is Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish who is the most obvious piece of family silver being taken to market as it turns out Villa might just miss out on Dr Tony’s 5 year plan to be the world’s biggest football club. Spurs are interested at £40m for the Irish international.
With a load of Championship level players going on the cheap you would be right to assume that Mike Ashley is keeping tabs, looking to get Rafa a few bargains to keep him chipper over the summer. Top of the list is Jonathan Kodja who, I believe, is a striker.
I’m sticking in the Championship for a moment longer as it looks like Leeds United’s crazy dream of making Marcelo Bielsa their new manager might get scuppered by Sporting Lisbon. For those who are not too familiar with Bielsa, imagine a manager crazier than some of your recent owners, multiply the crazy by 6.8 and then you have Bielsa. But boy, would it be fun while it lasted! If they cannot get El Loco, then Leeds will turn to Mick McCarthy which is a bit like a record label trying to sign the Rolling Stones and then turning to Busted when the Stones said no.
Oh, and that tournament in Russia gets underway on Thursday. Here’s a hot tip for you. England won’t win it, no matter how good Gareth Southgate is with the press. England won’t win it no matter how good Marcus Rashford looks for England when you compare him to how he plays for Manchester United. England won’t win it, alright?
