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The 30-year-old filled in at Manchester City, but he is fundamental at Anfield. He may not play in his preferred position, but he does so from one of power Jurgen Klopp had barely mapped out his way to Melwood before he first commended James Milner’s cerebral comprehension of the game.  “A complete football player, the perfect professional, a machine” was the German’s assessment after a 1-1 draw at Tottenham last October; his first fixture as Liverpool’s manager. Right at the start of his tenure, it was apparent on the training pitches at the West Derby complex that there was very little Milner could not do, and even less that he did not understand. With Zeljko Buvac, Peter Krawietz and Pep Lijnders helping Klopp bank the smallest details from every session - supported by the performance analysis team - the decision to utilise Milner as a left-back for the season was logical rather than some elaborate experiment. “It was clear that if Millie was open for this position the

   Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has urged the club to make a £40m bid for Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal as he seek to replace the departing Super Eagles Captain Mikel Obi in January. The Italian brought in N’Golo Kante in midfielder during the summer after failed attempts to land Roma's Radja Nainggolan and the Chilean. CONTE TIES MUNCHEN STAR A CONTRACT However, with the departure of Brazilian midfielder Oscar and the expected sale of Mikel, Conte feels a great need to bring in a new midfielder and has narrowed his choice down to Vidal whom he worked with in the Serie A during his spell at Juventus. According to The Sun, “Conte is keen on a reunion with the Chilean international after deciding against an increased bid for Roma's Radja Nainggolan. “It has been claimed that the Belgian would cost over £50m, leaving Conte to focus on other targets in January as he looks to strengthen his squad after the departure of Oscar.” Vidal who has made 21 appearances for Ba

There is a story that during Alexis Sanchez's time in Barcelona that the Chilean once rescued a rabbit and made it a pet of his own. The Arsenal super star who helped Chile to two consecutive Copa America triumphs in 2015 and 2016 has given finally his take on the tale once and for all and revealed just how it came to exist.   "Yes, that story is true. I was driving up in the mountains not far from Barcelona with my mother and friends when a white rabbit got in our way and stopped in front of us.  "Apparently rabbits get blocked when a strong light points at them. I suggested that we catch him and that’s what we did. “I ended up having three pets as opposed to two. I took care of him and fed him. I remember [once] being on my way to training and having to turn back and return home because I had forgotten to feed my pets!" Alexis told Arsenal Player. The striker also has two dogs who have become a big part of his life since he was playing for Barcelona, and the Chilea

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has handed Marco van Ginkel a contract extension that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2019. According to a club statement, the Dutch midfielder will now spend the rest of the 2016/17 season on loan with PSV, the club he helped to the Eredivisie title last season. The 24-year old arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2013 before enjoying loan spells with both AC Milan and Stoke City.  Last season his impressive performances in his native Netherlands contributed to PSV lifting the Dutch league title. Marco van Ginkel joined Chelsea from Vitesse Arnhem in July 2013, penning a five-year contract with the Blues. The 6ft 1in tall star has built a reputation for good energy, ball control and passing in central midfield, both as an attacking force or in a more defensive role.  CONTE MONITORING AKE An anterior cruciate ligament injury, picked up in a Capital One Cup game early in his first campaign, halted what had been a promising start to t

The Manchester United manager says the Dutch winger has continued to be overlooked this season because he is seeking a January exit Jose Mourinho has revealed he banished Memphis Depay from his first-team plans after the out-of-favour Manchester United forward sought a move away from Old Trafford. Depay is set for a January departure after struggling to make an impact since his big-money arrival from PSV last season, managing just 20 minutes of playing time in the Premier League under Mourinho this term. In total, the 22-year-old Netherlands international has only appeared in eight matches in all competitions and was last seen in the United squad for the Europa League fixture against Feyenoord in November. And United manager Mourinho explained the reason why Depay has been on the sidelines in 2016-17. "He was not playing last season. It was not that last season he was playing phenomenally and this season he is not playing at all. That's

The Tottenham head coach has backed the England international to join the global elite if he continues to shine in the Premier League Mauricio Pochettino believes Dele Alli can be one of the world's best players as he predicts a decade of dominance for the highly-rated Tottenham midfielder. An unheralded arrival from League One side MK Dons in January 2015, Alli has made a seamless transition to the Premier League, winning last season's PFA Young Player of the Year award. The 20-year-old England international has scored six goals this campaign -his second season in the top flight - and Tottenham head coach Pochettino has backed Alli to enjoy continued success in London. "Yes [he is a £50m player], why not? Today Dele Alli is showing a quality, a talent that it's difficult to find in Europe at 20 years old," said Pochettino, whose Tottenham face Watford on Sunday. "There's no doubt he is and will be one of the best players

Manchester City's final game of 2016 could be one of their toughest as they face second-place Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. Pep Guardiola's men are on a three-match winning streak in the league, but the Reds are unbeaten at home in 16 fixtures in a stadium they have made a fortress under Jurgen Klopp. The prize for the winner will be guaranteed second place heading into 2017 behind leaders Chelsea. MAN CITY INJURIES John Stones is unlikely to be fit to face Liverpool after picking up a bruised knee early in City's 3-0 victory at Hull, but Pablo Zabaleta has fully recovered from his knock. Leroy Sane missed the last match as a precaution and remains a doubt to be fully fit to feature, while Ilkay Gundogan and Vincent Kompany are long-term absentees with knee ligament injuries. Fabian Delph's not expected to feature even though he's believed to be fit. MAN CITY SUSPENSIONS There are no City players out with suspension. Sergi

A former coach of the 19-year-old believes that the Brazilian forward is destined for greatness, and can become the best player in the world in the next few years New Manchester City signing Gabriel Jesus will win the Ballon d'Or in the next three years, according to his former coach. The Brazil international is set to make his Premier League debut in January after a £27 million move from Palmeiras. Despite being only 19-years-old, he already has four goals in six international appearances for his homeland, as well as an Olympic gold medal from the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Man City team news vs Liverpool  Jose Francisco Mamede coached Jesus at junior club Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente de Sao Paulo, and has tipped him to become the best player in the world in the near future. “Gabriel came from a very poor neighbourhood and that’s why he’s not afraid,” Mamede told AFP . “He will adapt to the food, to the cold in Manchester and everything else. “In three years

  The super agent claimed an ambitious Chinese Super League club had set its eyes on his client with a mega bid that was turned down out of hand Jorge Mendes has claimed that a €300 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo was made to Real Madrid by a Chinese club, but the star turned the move down. TEVEZ: world most highest paid Chinese Super League sides have made a massive splash in the transfer market of late, notably signing Oscar and Carlos Tevez in quick succession. Chelsea's former Brazilian star will line up for Shanghai SIPG in 2016, while the Argentine signed for two years with fellow Shanghai club Shenhua. There is apparently no limit to their reach either, with Mendes stating that a Chinese outfit had offered his client Ronaldo a salary of over €100m a year in addition to the astronomical transfer fee to Madrid. That would make the four-time Ballon d'Or winner comfortably the highest-paid footballer in history, a title now held by Tevez foll

Still signs of progress for Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham this season Tottenham's 4-1 win at Southampton on Wednesday made it three wins in a row to take Mauricio Pochettino's men to within a point of the top four. Adam Bate looks at why the Premier League table obscures the fact that Spurs are still a side on the up... For the second season in a row, Tottenham are preparing to travel to Watford for their 19th Premier League game of the season. A year ago, there was a real buzz about their exciting young team and a 2-1 win at Vicarage Road took them into third spot in the table. This time around, they go there with more wins and more points than last season. They have scored more goals and conceded fewer at the other end too. These are the statistics of a side on the up. And yet, Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier Leagu

  Anthony Martial is weighing up a potential move to Sevilla due to a lack of first-team opportunities with Manchester United, his agent has admitted. The 21-year-old has found Premier League starts difficult to come by under Jose Mourinho, scoring just one goal in 11 appearances in the English top flight this season. He has subsequently been linked with a January loan move away from Old Trafford and Sevilla, who signed fellow Frenchman Samir Nasri on a temporary deal from Manchester City in the summer, have been credited with an interest. Martial's representative, Philippe Lamboley, has revealed that his client is willing to consider the idea of rediscovering his best form elsewhere. "We are studying the Sevilla option in detail," Lamboley told ABCdeSevilla . "Sevilla are a very good club, are in a good position in La Liga, play in the Champions League and have a great coach. That's all I can tell you." Reports in th

  The Argentine forward's lucrative move from Boca Juniors to the Chinese Super League has been confirmed Carlos Tevez has completed a lucrative move to Shanghai Shenhua from Boca Juniors, signing a contract that will reportedly see him become the highest-earning player in the world. Tevez, 32, has long been expected to make the switch to the Chinese Super League (CSL), which was confirmed by both clubs on Thursday. The Argentine will reportedly earn a pre-tax wage of £615,000, which equates to an estimated salary of £32 million per year. In a statement, Boca wished Tevez – who returned to his boyhood club last year and won two more trophies – all the best. "Good luck Carlitos," a statement read. "You will always be in our hearts." Tevez's arrival is a boost to Shenhua, who finished fourth in the CSL in the 2016 season. He joins the likes of Demba Ba and Obafemi Martins in Gus Poyet's squad. Image credit: @asaikana

The Gunners are looking at possible successors to the Frenchman at the Emirates, and view the Juve manager as a suitable candidate to take the role Arsenal are targeting Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri as the long-term replacement of Arsene Wenger, according to  The Sun . Wenger has yet to agree a new deal with the Gunners, meaning Allegri could be appointed during the summer when his own contract with Juventus runs out. The 49-year-old has a 69 per cent winning record with the Old Lady, claiming the Serie A and Coppa Italia double in both of his seasons at the club so far. However, he may seek to move on from Juventus Stadium if he wins a third successive league title with the Italian giants, and his agent has reportedly already made contact with Arsenal.

The Camp Nou legend believes the Catalan giants would remain 'in very good health' if their Argentine talisman and head coach remain at the club Former Barcelona captain Xavi is eager for Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and head coach Luis Enrique to remain at the club beyond this season. The future of Argentina star Messi remains the subject of debate as there has yet to be a breakthrough in discussions over a new contract at Camp Nou. Current skipper Iniesta has only 18 months left on his contract, while reports in Spain have claimed that Barca have already earmarked potential successors to Luis Enrique, who has refused to guarantee he will extend his own deal that expires at the end of the season. But Xavi, who won the treble in his last season with the club - and Luis Enrique's first as coach - in 2014-15, hopes all three commit their futures before the end of the season. "I'd like to see Iniesta, Messi and Luis Enrique together next year,"

The Venezuela midfielder is poised to join the Serie A champions from Genoa after travelling to Turin to complete a physical examination Juventus are set to complete the signing of Venezuela captain Tomas Rincon from Genoa after the midfielder arrived to complete a medical. The Serie A champions tweeted a picture of the midfielder arriving at their medical centre on Thursday to finalise his move. View image on Twitter  Follow JuventusFC   ✔ @juventusfcen Tomas  # Rincon  has arrived in Turin! Medical now underway for the Venezuelan! 12:44 AM - 29 Dec 2016     257 257 Retweets     242 242 likes "Tomas Rincon has arrived in Turin! Medical now underway for the Venezuelan," the post read. Goal journalists also captured the South American in Turin as he prepares to undergo a physical examination. The 28-year-old is expected to join Juve on an initial loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent

The PSG forward is reportedly a target for Jurgen Klopp's side, with fellow suitors Las Palmas believing they are priced out of a move for the Spaniard Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramirez believes Liverpool, Milan and Roma are all 'ready to pay' to sign Jese Rodriguez from PSG. The Spanish forward is a native of Las Palmas, and Ramirez would love him at his hometown club, but feels that the La Liga side will be priced out of the market for the 23-year-old. Embolo responds to Man Utd links Jese moved to Paris in August for €25 million, but has only made nine appearance for Unai Emery's side, with PSG's chairman hinting that a January exit could be on the cards. Ramirez has set his sights on bringing Jese back to Las Palmas, but despite his admiration, believes a move to Liverpool or Italy seems most likely. "Jese Rodriguez is a great footballer," Ramirez told  Las Provincia . "He wants to come to Las Palmas, but he is owned by

Manchester City’s only Premier League win at Liverpool came in May 2003 and with the Reds unbeaten at home in 16, they face a conundrum on Saturday     linearsports Pep Guardiola watched intently as Stoke, for a flicker, looked as though they had deciphered how to undo Liverpool at Anfield.  On Tuesday evening, sat amongst the home club’s legends in the Main Stand, the Spaniard also witnessed why multiple opposition managers have rattled off their difficulties against the Merseysiders.  Mark Hughes’ decision to negate Liverpool’s press and fluency through an aerial approach, with Joe Allen snapping at the second balls, briefly unsettled the Reds and allowed the visitors to go 1-0 up. But in a 10-minute period, goals from Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino put Jurgen Klopp’s men ahead at the interval, and in the position to put the game beyond doubt.  Liverpool did exactly that, doubling their score as Stoke failed to produce a single shot on target in the second ha

  The Swedish striker shows no sign of letting up despite his age but the writing is on the wall for his Old Trafford captain who is not missed in the starting XI or squad COMMENT BY LINEARSPORTS The latest signal that Wayne Rooney serves no purpose for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United came not in a game when he played badly or appeared out of his depth but one in which he was completely absent. The United squad stepped off the coach at Old Trafford for their Boxing Day fixture against Sunderland without Rooney, providing the decisive clue that he wouldn’t be involved. He had pulled up with an injury during Christmas Day training and Mourinho is already planning for Saturday's match at home to Middlesbrough without him. "Honestly I don't think so,” he said of Rooney’s chances of recovering in time. “Let's see. It's not a big deal but in four days I have my doubts." He probably wouldn’t start anyway, not the way United are p