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Arsenal fans on Twitter are divided on the legacy of Laurent Koscielny as the French defender prepares to play what could very well be his last game for the Gunners.

The experienced centre-back still has one year left on his contract but could depart the Emirates this summer with talks over a new deal yet to begin, according to L’equipe.

Now 34, Koscielny was snapped up by Arsene Wenger in the summer of 2010 and has gone on to make 352 Arsenal appearances, while also captaining the side permanently following Per Mertesacker’s retirement last summer.

The former Lorient defender will be hoping to end his distinguished Arsenal career on a high as the Gunners prepare to face Chelsea in the Europa League final on May 29 in Baku.

Koscielny missed the first half of the season due to a ruptured achilles tendon but has returned to consideration in the second half of the campaign making 29 appearances in all competitions under Unai Emery.

It remains to be seen if the European showpiece in Baku will be the France international’s final match for Arsenal, but either way Gunners supporters are split on how the defender should be remembered.

Check out the best of the reaction below!

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Liverpool supporters are celebrating the ultimate success in club football tonight.

Their 2-0 UEFA Champions League final victory over Tottenham Hotspur means they’ve now lifted the famous trophy six times.

It’s their first triumph in the competition since that incredible night in Istanbul way back in 2005.

A year on from heartbreak against Real Madrid in the 2018 final, Jurgen Klopp’s side went one step beyond against their division rivals, showing that extra bit of class to win the game with a Mohamed Salah penalty and an emphatic second half Divock Origi finish.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

Despite all the attacking talent on display, it was the rearguard action of defender Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson that many fans credited as being the difference at this level.

Van Dijk played in last year’s final but was still settling into this Liverpool side after a January move from Southampton.

One season later he is now a dominating force in the defensive line and coupled with his goalkeeper built a red wall to keep Spurs quiet in the final third all evening.

When you consider Liverpool’s big failing last season was in the goalkeeping department, the investment in Alisson has proven to be priceless.

Many fans have taken to Twitter on Saturday evening to share their belief that duo are the reason the Reds are now European champions…

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According to L’Equipe, Everton are in talks with Roma over the availability of midfielder Maxime Gonalons in a potential loan deal, whilst West Ham are also in discussions with the Serie A side.

What’s the word then?

Well, the French international spent the entirety of last season on loan with La Liga side Sevilla, but featured sporadically due to an ankle injury in November which ruled him out for three months, and a tear to the abductor which set him back further.

Gonalons made just 13 appearances in all competitions as a result and didn’t feature enough to make an impact, hence his return to Roma, who also don’t seem intent on keeping him around.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

His next destination may well be the Premier League, with the Toffees and the Hammers in talks.

Wouldn’t make sense for Everton

Sporting Director Marcel Brands came out at the beginning of April and said that the club were targeting younger players, so a move for an injury prone 30-year-old would be strange in that respect.

Additionally, the Merseysiders already have a tall French international midfielder that they don’t use in Morgan Schneiderlin, who only made 14 Premier League appearances last term despite being injury free throughout.

The former Southampton man cost them around £24m when they signed him from Manchester United and he showed in his few appearances last season that he can still do a job in midfield, where his dominant physique and decent ball skills make him an excellent defensive midfielder.

There would be no point bringing in Gonalons when Schneiderlin is sat on his backside not being used, all whilst picking up a reported £100k-a-week; it would be a simply brainless move from Brands and Marco Silva.

Andre Gomes has also indicated that he wants a permanent move to Goodison Park, so focusing any effort at all into signing Gonalons would be stupid.

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If Aston Villa are unable to bring Tammy Abraham back after his loan spell with the club came to an end it may represent a significant blow.

The forward was exceptional last season, scoring 26 goals in the Championship to lead his side into the play-offs.

But what if they were able to sign a mega-money replacement?

In Maxi Gomez they have a transfer target who could be capable of being exactly that.

With a release clause of £43.5m, the 12-cap Uruguay international has been attracting their attention per the radio show Tiempo de Futbol on Sport 890, broadcast 6 June.

Villa scout Juanfran has also shown admiration for the striker whilst journalist Alan Nixon confirmed their interest this week.

But how could he benefit Villa if he joined?

On the chalkboard

We’ve already focused on Gomez’s superb aerial presence, but he offers another threat that could prepare the Villans for life in the Premier League.

In La Liga last season the 22-year-old was excellent in his hold up play, bringing others into the picture on the turn and starting attacks from deep.

As well as being clinical inside the area, his work from outside of it was also impressive.

Bearing that in mind, he could allow Villa to play on the counter attack more often next season.

Although not boasting the best passing stats, completing 73.1%, he’s productive when it comes to working the ball onto his teammates under pressure in tight spaces.

For Celta Vigo he showed that on a regular basis, linking up with the wide players and setting them free into the channels.

Considering Villa aren’t likely to have much of the ball when they step up a division, having someone they can play off and then wait for teammates to arrive in the final third could be game changing.

“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…

Had Abraham stayed at the club, the chances of bringing in this style of play would have been reduced significantly.

In the Championship he averaged 2.7 unsuccessful touches of the ball per game, highlighting his inability to hold things up.

Gomez, on the other hand, averaged 2.1. Abraham’s passing was also worse with a success rate of just 69.3%.

With his back to goal, he can be a huge threat and if Aston Villa do pull off a massive coup and sign Gomez, they’d have a striker perfect for helping them adapt to the top-flight.

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are preparing a bid for Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai.

Indeed, according to the report, the Gunners have joined a host of elite European clubs vying for the £10.8million-rated (per Transfermarkt) player’s signature this summer.

Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are the main proprietors of interest, which gives you some indication of the level of potential he has shown. In fact, the RB Salzburg ace is commonly regarded as one of the best young talents in the world after impressing on the domestic and international stage in the last year, as per Goal.com’s reckoning, who ranked him in their ‘NxGn 2019 50 wonderkids in football’.

As it stands, Arsenal have a couple of top-class talents rising through the ranks of the club who can operate in a similar attacking midfield role as Szoboszlai. Both Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe are highly regarded players in north London and have spent time on loan out in Germany, an arena rapidly building a reputation for developing English youngsters like Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

Right now, there’s every reason to believe that opportunities will be opening up in the first-team, considering Emery’s use of young players last season across the Europa League, as well as the departures of Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck in attacking areas.

Out with the old in with the new. Indeed, this is an ideal time for Arsenal to usher in fresh new talent; ones who are ready to stamp their authority and give their all for the badge.

Szoboszlai produced 11 goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances for Austrian giants Salzburg during the recently completed campaign. As far as we’re concerned, that suggests he’s ready for a step up. And Arsenal could, and should, be the ones to provide him that opportunity.

Arsenal fans, do you think signing for the future should be your priority? Let us know in the comments below…

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According to Fotomac, Besiktas could be closing in on a loan deal for Crystal Palace defender Jairo Riedewald.

What’s the deal, then?

Supposedly the Turkish giants are looking at the possibility that the Dutchman could replace their defender Isimat Mirin.

Much would have been expected from Riedewald when he was brought to Selhurst Park from Ajax by Frank de Boer in 2017, but has failed to really nail down a place in Roy Hodgson’s starting Xl and has only made 19 appearances in two seasons.

The 22-year-old had previously been linked with Fenerbahce but it is now their Turkish rivals who seem the most likely destination for him after less than two years with Palace.

Riedewald needs more games before a decision should be made

If he leaves the club in the summer then there will always be a feeling of what might have been because the talent he has at this level is yet unknown.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It may be the case that he is simply not the type of player who thrives in the Premier League and is therefore better off elsewhere.

However, he showed glimpses during his time with Ajax especially that he is dynamic on the ball and a technical player and was clearly highly-rated, and could prove a useful asset to a mid-table side like Palace in pushing them on up the table and into the top half.

And just four games last season is not enough to gauge how well a player could perform at a club, especially given none of them were in Premier League games.

It seems particularly strange to not give him a chance for a couple of reasons.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

Firstly, because he is highly rated enough to have already made three appearances for the Netherlands national side.

And secondly, Palace continue to give players like Christian Benteke the time of day despite a lack of goals – so why not give a promising youngster the time to bed in?

Hodgson is one of the few English managers in the Premier League who has had success at bringing through players abroad, so he should relish the opportunity to try and bring out the best in Riedewald.

Competition for a midfield spot is set to be fierce at Chelsea next season.

Frank Lampard, if he is appointed manager as expected, will be able to call upon the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek when he returns from injury.

Bearing that in mind, even though he has already worked under Lampard at Derby, you could excuse Mason Mount for feeling a little anxious as he prepares for a possible Chelsea stay next season.

Factor in the potential signing of Mateo Kovacic, something which Mundo Deportivo (via The Chelsea Echo) expects to happen, and things do not get any better some might argue.

But does Mount really have anything to fear if it comes down to a straight shootout between himself and the Croatian? On last season’s showing, probably not.

All things considered, the 20-year-old looks capable of offering so much more going forward than Kovacic and that will arguably be hard to ignore. Yes, he played his football in the Championship. But even so, his numbers still make for good reading. For example, Mount made just under 2.0 key passes per game, a display of the kind of creativity he can bring to attacks. To give some context, Kovacic, in contrast, averaged 0.8 (as per WhoScored).

With 1.1 crosses and 1.6 long balls compared to Kovacic’s 0 and 0.9, Mount also looks like an option in the middle of the park who is willing to go for the more brave and riskier passes — or at least compared to the former Inter Milan man.

If that is what Lampard wants, then Mount will surely fancy his chances against Kovacic in the battle for a starting berth in the midfield.

Chelsea fans, who would you prefer to see in the engine room next season, Mount or Kovacic? Let us know who and why in the comment section below!

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are hoping for an improvement from Jack Harrison next season after Phil Hay all but confirmed that he would be returning for a second loan spell.

The Manchester City man spent last term at Elland Road, enduring a mixed time as he scored four goals and assisted three.

This goal contribution return isn’t fantastic, but many fans are optimistic that a second campaign will prove to be more fruitful for the 22-year-old.

Marcelo Bielsa clearly has a lot of faith in the winger, and after a year of his tutelage he should know Leeds’ system very well.

Harrison did put in some of his best performances towards the back end of the last campaign with a goal against Sheffield Wednesday and an assist against Derby, and fans are hoping that he can build on that and have a better return this time around.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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According to the BBC, Burnley are set to bring back West Brom’s Jay Rodriguez to the club this summer after the Clarets met the striker’s release clause.

The forward looks as though he’ll depart for £10m, £5m of which will be paid now. The remaining fee will then be paid next summer per the report.

Facing a season without Dwight Gayle, it will leave the Baggies with just one central striking option in Hal Robson-Kanu.

Understandably, certain segments of the Hawthorns faithful raised concerns about the news on Twitter. One fan claimed he thought the club were now in trouble whilst another said they found it difficult to have any love for the current squad.

Another supporter said that pre-season had been an emotional rollercoaster. One individual urged West Brom to spend, saying they were ridiculously short on forward options.

Rodriguez was in brilliant form for Albion last term, scoring 22 goals and claiming a further six assists as he struck a wonderful partnership alongside Gayle. Between them, the pair notched 46 times in 2018/19.

The 29-year-old had attracted the interest of Bournemouth earlier in the window before Luke Dowling claimed he wouldn’t be surprised if he actually stayed.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…Glen Johnson has urged West Ham United to sign Diego Costa this summer, per talkSPORT.

What’s he said?

The Hammers have been left with just two senior strikers after the departures of Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll throughout the transfer window.

And Costa has been heavily linked with a potential return to the Premier League, with EvertonÂcredited with an interest.

The Spain international, of course, spent three years at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles and scoring a total of 58 goals in 120 appearances for the club.

And Johnson, who came through the ranks at the Hammers before a 2003 move to Chelsea, believes the Irons should swoop as they look to bolster Manuel Pellegrini’s squad.

He said: “I could see it happening at West Ham. I could see someone like that.

“Obviously, the club have shown over the years that if they want someone, they’ll go and get them and they could pay Diego the wages that, no doubt, he’ll demand. And I reckon he’d thrive being a big fish in a smaller pond. I’d love to see him back, I’d love to see him play for West Ham.â€

Asked if the club could merely be swapping one controversial striker for another after Arnautovic’s departure, he added: “Of course, if Arnie’s gone, I would’ve swapped the pair of them over anyway. I’d rather Diego in my team than Arnie, all day long.”

Nailed it

Costa would be the perfect striker signing for West Ham this summer.

This is a player with proven Premier League experience and, while he will turn 31 in October, he has all the skills required to be a hit in east London.

Costa is a physical striker, a nuisance for defenders and he has a hammer of a right foot.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

West Ham have already tasted defeat in their pursuit of Celta Vigo forward Maxi Gomez.

But the signing of Costa could be the ideal acquisition for the Irons this summer.