It took the introduction of Brazilian-born Sampdoria forward Eder Citadin Martins to spare Italy’s blushes in their Group H match with Bulgaria. Eder smashed in an equaliser to even the score at 2-2 after the Italians had been punished for a drab performance during the first half.

A sluggish Italy failed to sparkle against a daring and determined Bulgaria during most of a frenetic match in Sofia. The Italians found themselves stunned when they went in at the break down 2-1 despite taking the lead inside the game’s opening five minutes.

Stout defending is usually a given for Italy’s national team, but it deserted them here. Manager Antonio Conte‘s players were in chaos at the back.

Playmaker Ivelin Popov caused havoc to equalise before calamitous stuff from Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci contributed to a second, this one from striker Iliyan Mitsanski.

Forza Italian Football detailed the mess in the box prior to Mitsanski‘s decisive header:

The unusually generous defending left Italy in an unfamiliar position at the break, per Opta Paolo:

A lack of efficiency in the final third was at the root of Italy’s woes. Borussia Dortmund forward Ciro Immobile was typically wasteful.

His spurned chances rendered Italian dominance of possession largely meaningless:

Italy continued to work the ball patiently after the break, with midfield general Marco Verratti at the heart of things. But their approach play was still missing a flourish.

That was soon provided with Eder‘s introduction. He wasted little time making a key contribution:

The Italians then continued to boss possession. Verratti and company were helped by Bulgaria sitting a little too deep.

Their one-goal advantage at the half had brought the cautious side out of the hosts, and that gave the Azzurri the initiative. Italy even found themselves unfortunate not to snatch a winner via several excellent chances late on.

Selected Player Ratings

Eder: B+

The 28-year-old was a controversial inclusion in the national team. Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini was blunt in his disapproval, per The Independent’s Pete Jenson: “If you play for Italy, you should be Italian.”

But the striker rose above the debate and showed the pressure wouldn’t get to him. His finish was emphatic, and he remained a consistent menace to the Bulgarian defence.

Italy played with more purpose, verve and pace in the attacking third once the Sampdoria star entered the fray.

Ivelin Popov: B+

Popov was central to everything the home team did going forward. His movement was intelligent, always creating an extra yard of space and another second on the ball in crowded areas.

His goal was first rate, but so was his classy distribution. The Kuban Krasnodar ace was never wowed by his more illustrious opponents and delivered a quality performance.

Leonardo Bonucci: F

It was odd to see such a normally reliable presence appear as shaky as Bonucci did in Sofia. He’s usually a steady defender, particularly comfortable on the ball, but Bonucci never settled as crosses flew past him and midfield runners left him chasing shadows.

He failed to close down Popov, or even stand up to his rasping shot, for Bulgaria’s first goal. The less said about his attempts to cut out the service for the second goal, the better.

Bonucci will rarely have endured this dire a performance in a high-profile game.

Marco Verratti: A-

He received little help from those in front of him, but Verratti‘s determined attempts to create chances were worthy of applause. He used the ball well, constantly recycling possession and looking to play between the lines.

WhoScored.com detailed the Paris Saint-Germain schemer’s industry and skill:

Verratti needed better runs from the members of Italy’s forward line. Sadly, Immobile and others were rarely on his wavelength.

Yet despite the lack of support, Verratti kept Conte‘s team moving forward and made sure Bulgaria spent most of the second half on the back foot.

Post-Match Reaction

This mediocre result caps a tough few days for Conte. The former Juve boss was astonishingly subjected to death threats following an injury sustained by midfield workhorse Claudio Marchisio during a training session, per BBC Sport.

The result leaves Conte‘s men still trailing Croatia in the group standings. The latter gave their goal difference a huge boost after they dismantled Norway 5-1, per Sky Sports.

Conte needs more from both his forward players and senior figures at the back if Italy are going to turn things around.

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Liverpool‘s attempts to sign Mateo Kovacic are over before they had the chance to begin. But missing out on the Inter Milan playmaker is not a blow for a Reds squad already loaded with talented attacking midfielders.

Liverpool were linked with a potential £23 million bid for a schemer they’ve scouted in recent weeks, according to The Telegraph. But with those reports still fresh, Kovacic‘s agent has moved quickly to quash talk of a move from Serie A.

Nikky Vuksan told Vecernji list (h/t Goal.com writer Harry Sherlock) his client will stay in Milan:

It is not going to happen. Mateo extended his contract with Inter in January. Could it be that clubs are negotiating? No, that is not possible without Mateo and me knowing about it.

Also, I have a player at Liverpool, Dejan Lovren, so I would know about it. Both the English and Italian media speculate and find new clubs that want Kovacic every week. He’ll stay at Inter.

Despite Kovacic‘s talent for dictating play and creating chances, Liverpool should hardly rue Vuksan‘s words. After all, manager Brendan Rodgers’ squad is already built around the mercurial brain of Philippe Coutinho.

His flair and creativity are the hub of Liverpool’s forward play. The Brazilian is enjoying an exceptional season and certainly doesn’t need to be replaced or upgraded.

He’s fired in five goals and provided six assists for the Anfield club so far this season, per ESPN FC. But Coutinho isn’t the only gifted maestro in Liverpool’s midfield.

England international Adam Lallana is another intelligent schemer who can create chances and find the back of the net. Staying injury-free has been a problem for the 26-year-old this season, but his ability is beyond question.

While Coutinho has taken a big step forward during this campaign, Rodgers may soon expect the same from Lazar Markovic. He’s largely struggled since arriving in England’s top flight for £20 million last summer.

But the 21-year-old Serbian is a hard worker and plays with excellent technique. An ex-Benfica star, Markovic certainly has the talent to become a key figure on Merseyside.

The picture is clear within the current Liverpool squad. Whatever else Rodgers’ group needs to improve, another attack-minded playmaker shouldn’t be a priority.

Instead, the Reds’ transfer budget would be better spent recruiting another striker as an upgrade over the misfiring duo of Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert. Rodgers also needs a pair of competent and athletic centre-backs to bolster a fragile rearguard.

Kovacic is certainly a rising star. But he’s far from a player Liverpool should target to help put themselves back in the Premier League title picture next season.

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Arsenal would have to pay £60 million to sign Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, one of manager Arsene Wenger‘s long-term targets. That’s the staggering fee Morata‘s current club Juventus and former team Real Madrid have set for the talented 22-year-old, per Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express:

Real Madrid have an option to bring Morata back to Spain after he was sold to Juve less than 12 months ago.

But the player’s reluctance to return to the Bernabeu means Real and Juve have struck a deal that will see the 22-year-old sold to another team if someone is willing to pay £60m.

Jefferson cited unnamed Italian reports indicating that, despite the astronomical fee, Morata remains on Wenger‘s radar ahead of this summer’s transfer window. That’s perhaps understandable, given how thin Arsenal’s options at striker may look come the end of this season.

Lukas Podolski is on loan at Inter Milan and out of favour with Wenger. Raw youngsters Yaya Sanogo and Chuba Akpom are also out on loan, along with Joel Campbell.

It’s possible that only one member of the latter trio returns next season. That would leave Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck as the Gunners’ only credible first-team centre-forwards.

Giroud has been in fine form this season. He’s netted 17 goals in all competitions, per Arsenal’s official site.

But the former Montpellier star will be 29 shortly after the new season starts. Wenger may see this as the right time to find some young competition for Giroud.

Morata fits the bill. He certainly offers more pace than Giroud. In fact, he’s a different type of striker than the tall Frenchman, despite similar physical attributes.

Morata offers height and strength, but he thrives playing between the lines—on the shoulder of the last defender. That’s a skill suited to Arsenal’s expansive passing game, even if Morata won’t hold the ball up and link with others the way natural target man Giroud expertly does so often.

The young Spaniard has already earned the seal of approval from Arsenal’s pocket-edition midfield schemer Santi Cazorla. He dubbed Morata the “future of the Spain side,” per AS reporter Joaquin Maroto.

Cazorla‘s praise came after Morata netted Spain’s winner during a 1-0 victory over Ukraine in Euro 2016 qualifying, per BBC Sport.

The talent is obvious with Morata. But even with his potential for future stardom, there’s no way Wenger would pay £60 million for a striker who has scored just nine goals since joining Juve last summer, per ESPN FC.

That’s the kind of fee reserved for established stars—not to mention Arsenal’s greater need for more talent in defence and at the base of midfield.

Gunners to Pay £2.5 Million for Teenager Federico Valverde

Wenger won’t break the bank for Morata, but he’ll still have one eye on the future in the transfer market. The Gunners chief is ready to pay £2.5 million for 16-year-old Federico Valverde, per Italian site TuttoMercatoWeb.com (h/t Metro’s Ben Grounds).

Apparently, Wenger is suitably impressed with the player who briefly trained with Arsenal during January. Now he’s ready to snare one of Penarol’s leading prospects.

Snapping up young talent early has always been a hallmark of the Wenger era. While the current squad isn’t as reliant on precocious gems as previous groups were, the Frenchman still makes room for intriguing youths.

Full-back Hector Bellerin, still just 20, has made a quick leap from the reserves ranks to the first team since joining from Barcelona in 2011. Wenger will be hoping for the same from Krystian Bielik, the 17-year-old defensive midfielder he signed from Legia Warsaw back in January.

Perhaps Valverde will be the next project for the production line at Arsenal.

Even a highly touted youth prospect represents a more realistic target than paying a not-so-small fortune for Morata.

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Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao could be moving to Serie A giants Juventus next season, according to Italian agent Giovanni Branchini.

The Colombia international was rumoured to be close to joining the Bianconeri before United stepped in and brought the forward to Old Trafford, and after a dismal season in the Premier League, a move to Turin could still be on the cards. As Branchini told Gazzetta TV (via Metro‘s Jon Harvey):

“Last summer he [Falcao] was really close to joining Juventus. Then Manchester United’s unbeatable offer arrived and due to the high costs involved, it was not possible for him to join the Bianconeri. Let’s see what will happen in July. Maybe we will try again.”

Falcao arrived at Old Trafford having missed the bulk of the 2013-14 season due to injury, and he has failed to have much of an impact for Louis van Gaal‘s side. He’s scored just four goals, per Harvey, and Bleacher Report’s Stan Collymore thinks it would be best if the club don’t make his current loan move permanent:

The 29-year-old was one of the most feared strikers in the world during his time with Atletico Madrid, and the debate on whether his current form is due to his lengthy absence from the pitch or a sign of his decline is an intriguing one. After all, he showed against Bahrain he can still score goals, via Bleacher Report UK:

United could opt to sign Falcao and give him one more season to prove he can get back to his old self, although a split seems more likely at this point.

As shared by FourFourTwo‘s Sam Pilger, his price tag would be an issue should Van Gaal feel inclined to give the Colombian the benefit of the doubt:

Juventus have preferred a system with two strikers of late, partnering Carlos Tevez with Alvaro Morata. The former has already made it clear he wishes to return to Argentina when his contract runs out in 2016—the latter’s contract contains a buyback clause Real Madrid could activate until 2017.

The Italians will undoubtedly address the striker position at the end of this season and have had success bringing in players who were struggling to find their old form, like Tevez and Andrea Barzagli. With that in mind, a move for Falcao could pay huge dividends if the price is right.

Matteo Darmian Opens Door To Transfer Move

Torino full-back Matteo Darmian is being linked with a move to Old Trafford, and he recently refused to rule out an exit from Torino at the end of the season. As reported by the Daily Express‘ Anthony Chapman, he said: “We will see [what happens] at the end of the season. Certainly for my growth, all credit goes to Torino.”

The 25-year-old was one of Italy’s top performers at the 2014 World Cup, with his best match coming against England. For his efforts, he was voted best Italy NT player of the year by the fans, per FourFourTwo‘s Adam Digby:

Darmian is a typical Italian full-back, combining pace and power with great defensive instincts and discipline. He almost embarrassed Leighton Baines at the World Cup, taking full advantage of the space and doing the all the hard work for Mario Balotelli’s headed goal.

He has continued his progression this season, attracting plenty of attention from other clubs. Inter Milan are the favourites for his signature, and they’re already preparing an offer, via Football Italia:

Darmian is an excellent player, but fans may be wondering why Van Gaal would move for a relatively unknown full-back with limited upside given his age. The club could use an upgrade over current right-back Rafael, and you have to assume United have the cash to go after a star player, something Darmian is not.

The Italy international would be a solid signing, but he’s too old to be a prospect and not the kind of impact player the club needs right now. Inter seems like a better fit, and expect Darmian to be plying his trade for the Nerazzurri next season.

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Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and now Paris Saint-Germain—Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for some of the biggest clubs in world football.

However, he has never played in England and that is a crying shame, according to Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel.

In fact, the great Dane says that Old Trafford would have been the perfect place for Zlatan, claiming the Swede could have had a similar impact at the club as Eric Cantona. 

Schmeichel told French daily L’Equipe, as per the MailOnline:

Last summer there were rumours that he would come to Manchester United. I then said that Zlatan was built for the club, he was born to play there.

It’s why Cantona was so strong when he was there, not at Leeds or in all other clubs in France? Why? Because it is Manchester United. In Manchester, there was the freedom given to the players, but also responsibilities.

We do not care who you are or what you love, we look at what you’re doing on the pitch and the influence you have in the club. If you do not respect that, you’re leaving.

But you can have any personality. Beckham, Cantona, they could go out and also be at their best. There are hundreds of players who are trying to be a Beckham or Cantona, but do not have the personality, and they fail.

Zlatan is now 33 so a move to Old Trafford seems unlikely, but with Radamel Falcao’s loan unlikely to be renewed and Robin van Persie struggling again with injuries, who knows what might happen?

[MailOnline]

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Inter Milan midfielder Mateo Kovacic “will join Liverpool for £22 million in May,” according to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb (translated by ITV).

ITV’s report notes “cash-strapped Inter are desperate to sell and the Reds have agreed to meet their asking price.” At 20 years old Kovacic represents everything Brendan Rodgers looks for in a player: He is young, versatile and confident on the ball.

The Croatian international has made 20 starts and five substitute appearances in Serie A this season, according to WhoScored.com. He has scored five, assisted one and picked up a red card in the latter stages of Inter’s January draw with Juventus.

Roberto Mancini primarily deploys Kovacic in central midfield, but he regularly takes up a more attacking position and can work from the left flank. He is a confident mover of the ball—completing 86.3 percent of his passes this campaign—and averages 2.9 successful dribbles per match, recorded by WhoScored. Only seven Serie A players have managed a higher average.

However, as tweeted by Fabrizio Romano of Sky Sport, Kovacic’s agent says he’s going nowhere:

Kovacic’s qualities can be seen below:

Rodgers may be looking to land greater experience, though, particularly with Steven Gerrard exchanging the club for Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer.

Roma’s Miralem Pjanic “has put Liverpool and Manchester United on red alert,” according to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Bruce Archer of the Express). Although Archer outlines the Bosnian as an “option” to replace Gerrard, they aren’t similar players.

Pjanic doesn’t add a physical presence, but he is combative and willing to work hard for the team. He’s never scored more than six goals in a domestic league campaign—be it with Roma or Lyon, per WhoScored—but is the kind of player who can help out on multiple fronts.

Rodgers’ 3-4-2-1 formation welcomes tenacious, gutsy stars, but it’s wrong to suggest Pjanic can replace the outgoing captain on a like-for-like basis.

Spanish publication Sport (h/t Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail) recently outlined Liverpool as one of the six clubs looking to lure Dani Alves away from Barcelona. This was highlighted by Sport‘s recent headline, tweeted by 101 Great Goals:

Xavi Canals of Sport believes Alves remains important to the Camp Nou side: “(Boss) Luis Enrique still counts on Dani Alves. He wants the club to give him a new deal, although now there are other clubs in the picture which makes things more difficult.”

It seems Rodgers would have to work extremely hard to lure Alves to Anfield. He cannot offer the same level of wages as teams like United and Paris Saint-Germain—who are highlighted on the above newspaper frontpage—so this may be a lost cause.

Kovacic, Pjanic and Alves all represent the kind of quality Liverpool should be chasing, meaning fans can look forward to an exciting summer. Although the club’s Champions League hopes remain in the balance, Rodgers has proved himself as a competitive player in the transfer market over the last couple of seasons. As such, top-class reinforcements shouldn’t be too far away.

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Australia and Germany served up an entertaining 2-2 draw on Wednesday in Kaiserslautern, during an international friendly that was filled with wide-open, attacking football.  

The result is a fantastic outcome for the Socceroos, who came within 10 minutes of beating the defending world champions and thoroughly deserved the tie.

Before the match, OptaFranz shared Germany’s recent record in friendlies played at home, which didn’t look as good as you might expect from the current world champions:

Die Mannschaft had a strong start, however, threatening Mathew Ryan’s goal early. Holger Badstuber connected with a nice cross before Ilkay Gundogan attempted to curl the ball into the far corner, just missing the target.

The Socceroos were somewhat taken aback by the pace of the hosts early, and Ryan needed to produce some technical trickery to deal with pressure from Marco Reus. Mathew Leckie then found some space, beating Benedikt Howedes before placing his shot just wide of the post.

Australia quickly grew into the match, and chances were coming fast and furious. Mario Gotze had some success with the ball at his feet, and Reus nearly opened the scoring with an effort from Sami Khedira, only to be called back for offside. The Borussia Dortmund man was more successful minutes later, again linking up with Khedira.

The New York Times‘ Cristian Nyari was impressed with the way the Germans were linking up, even if it was clear Reus was not at his best:

Reus should have taken advantage of some poor defending from Mile Jedinak to double the lead minutes later, forcing a difficult shot into the side netting when Ryan left more space at the far corner.

Khedira was bossing play in midfield, and Australia had no answer for the soon-to-be free agent. FourFourTwo‘s Alex Chaffer wondered how his performance would play into his value on the market this coming summer:

Jedinak in particular was struggling with the pace but almost made up for his earlier mistake with a superb shot from distance which troubled goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.

The Socceroos thrilled the home crowd by not backing down and playing the world champions head-on, and their approach was rewarded just before half-time. A great cross fell to James Troisi, who powered home a header from close range.

Sure enough, the team’s official Twitter account was excited:

The Germans tried to pick up the pace again to end the half, but Australia comfortably stood firm, ensuring the score would remain 1-1 heading into half-time.

Bleacher Report’s Simon Edmonds noted how the development of Australia’s domestic league has really helped the game tremendously in the past few years, culminating in the Socceroos’ win at this year’s Asia Cup:

Things were about to get even sweeter for the visitors, who took a shock lead after just four minutes in the second half. Jedinak curled home a magnificent free-kick, leaving Zieler no chance:

Cue the memes, courtesy of Bleacher Report AUS:

The Germans were now reeling, and Troisi missed a unique chance at doubling the visitors’ advantage, curling a shot past the far post.

A bevy of substitutions sucked all of the momentum out of the match—and the stadium—until Zieler decided to get adventurous, dribbling the ball right into the feet of Tommy Oar. The stopper was very lucky Oar couldn’t gather the ball in time to take advantage.

Bleacher Report’s Karl Matchett made a reference to team-mate Manuel Neuer:

With the substitutions, the match somewhat collapsed. Howedes appealed for a handball inside the box, although it was unclear where exactly that would have taken place. Lukas Podolski’s introduction added a little boost to Germany’s attack, but it still seemed as if the Socceroos would hold on to their lead easily. 

The Inter Milan man had other plans, however, tying things up with less than 10 minutes left on the clock. Andre Schurrle did all of the hard work, setting his team-mate up beautifully for the easy finish. Chaffer was hardly shocked:

You would forgive the Aussies for parking the bus and playing for a draw at this stage, but the Socceroos had been attacking all night and had no intention of changing that. With Zieler looking shaky in goal at best, a handful of long-range shots were tried in the final five minutes.  

The home fans were not satisfied and made their feelings known, but to no avail. Podolski had one more shot on goal, driving it miles wide.

Fans shouldn’t forget this is just a friendly, and a host of regular starters were on the German bench. But that said, Australia can take plenty of positives from this match. The Socceroos took the game to Germany and arguably had the better chances, a clear signal their attacking approach works and shouldn’t be shunned even against the top sides.

Die Mannschaft can certainly do better and have been slumping of late, but this team will easily qualify for Euro 2016 and likely play far better once the chips are down and the regular starters return. 

Relevant Match Grades

Mile Jedinak: B+

He bounced back well after some initial struggles and used his physicality well to break up the German attacks. He was always strong in service of Troisi, who deserves a special mention. He had a superb free-kick to make it 2-1.

Mathew Ryan: B

The Club Brugge man may be slightly undersized for the position, but he more than makes up for it with elite athleticism and fantastic reflexes. Ryan was already a popular name in terms of transfer speculation, and his performance on Wednesday will only add to the chatter.

Sami Khedira: B+

Say what you will about Khedira, but when healthy, he remains one of the most uniquely gifted players in the world. He was excellent in the first half and very good in the second. Whichever team lands him on a free transfer this summer will be conducting some of the best business imaginable.

Post-Match Reaction

Scorer Troisi was understandably ecstatic with the result, noticing the German defenders were under real pressure all night:

Jedinak even thought more could have been achieved:

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Chelsea are ready to rival Arsenal for Palermo striker Paulo Dybala, having reached out to his agent with an eye on a summer transfer, according to the latest rumours.

Sky Italia (h/t Telegraph Sport) believe the Gunners were in pole position to sign the talented youngster, with Palermo holding out for a fee of £28.9 million, but it now seems the Blues are ready to ruin their transfer plans:

Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly locked in a battle to sign Palermo forward Paulo Dybala.

That’s according to Sky Italia, who claim both clubs have made contact with Dybala’s agent to discuss a summer swoop.

Whatever his destination, it seems Dybala is set to join one of Europe’s biggest clubs at the end of the season following a sparkling 18 months.

Apparently, Arsenal did look in pole position, with talks scheduled for next week, but Chelsea have stormed in. Palermo are ready to sell the forward for £28.9 million.

Arsenal have been linked with Dybala for several weeks now and are widely considered favourites for his signature by the British media. The player himself has indicated he would rather stay in Italy for now, however, with Juventus seen as favourites around the peninsula, per Football Italia:

The Bianconeri are reportedly unwilling to meet Palermo’s valuation but will offer a handful of players and roughly half of the transfer fee. Arsenal and Chelsea have tabled bids closer to what the Sicilians want.

The Argentinian has exploded onto the scene during the 2014-15 campaign after a promising first season in Italy, showcasing incredible pace, finishing ability and technique for a side that doesn’t feature a whole lot of talent besides him.

Dybala is raw and flawed as a player—he still needs to learn how to use his right leg, for example—but extremely talented, and with youngsters like Erik Lamela struggling to adapt to the Premier League in recent years, it’s not surprising to hear he prefers an extended stay in Italy, per Gianlucadimarzio.com’s David Amoyal:

That said, Arsenal are still among the favourites to land his signature, particularly if Juventus can’t come up with enough cash to convince Palermo. And while some fans will question Arsene Wenger’s decision to invest heavily in a young, unproven player, Dybala‘s talent and potential warrant a significant transfer fee.

Statsbomb’s Ted Knutson doesn’t think he’s worth £40 million, although Palermo’s asking price is significantly lower, at €40 million, but he still acknowledged the talent Dybala possesses:

The Gunners may not have a particular need for another forward, as Bleacher Report’s James McNicholas noted Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud rank as two of the club’s top players, but Dybala certainly has the talent to rival the latter for playing time at some point in the future:

Dybala is frequently compared with Sergio Aguero, and while he doesn’t have the latter’s strong build, his playing style is quite similar. His blazing speed and nose for goal should serve him well in England, even if he would need some time to adapt to the quicker pace and physicality of the league.

Dybala isn’t the only youngster from Serie A the Gunners are reportedly eyeing, and per Metro‘s Will Giles, another Premier League club is preparing to rival Arsenal for one of their targets. He reports Liverpool will launch a bid for Inter Milan‘s Mateo Kovacic:

The Inter Milan star has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, who hope to tempt him to the Emirates with the prospect of regular Champions League football.

The Gunners are far from the only club interested in Kovacic, though, and reports in Italy now suggest that Liverpool are also eager to add him to their ranks.

With manager Roberto Mancini looking for funds to rebuild his squad, Inter are resigned to losing some of their star names, but are thought to prefer the prospect of selling Kovacic than their sought-after striker Mauro Icardi.

Kovacic has been a popular name when it comes to transfer speculation, despite recently signing a new deal with the Nerazzurri. He arrived in Milan to much fanfare and was already drawing comparisons to current Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, mainly for his versatility and vision in the attacking third.

The Croatia international is seemingly for sale, but not because Inter need the money: Kovacic has spent most of 2015 on the bench, and for good reason, via Amoyal:

Maybe all the 20-year-old needs is a change of scenery, and given his young age, he still has plenty of room for growth. But fans expecting an instant-impact player could be in for a shock, as Kovacic has struggled with retaining the ball all season and simply hasn’t been productive.

The Croatian would be a smart investment if the fee is manageable, but with Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona reportedly all interested, that may not be the case. Inter can hardly afford to offload one of their most talented youngsters, and their willingness to sell now suggests something may be going on that we don’t know about.

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Arsenal have entered talks to sign the “new David Villa.” The Gunners have also received a potential boost after longtime target Sami Khedira appeared to confirm he’ll leave Real Madrid at the end of this season.

First, though, Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger is reportedly keen to add to his options up front. His current target is Sporting de Gijon‘s teenage striker, Carlos Castro.

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (h/t Daily Star reporter Jamie Anderson), the Gunners have started negotiating a possible summer move for the prolific 19-year-old. Anderson detailed Castro’s rapid rise that’s earned him comparisons to a Spanish footballing great:

Though Castro is yet to finish a full 90-minute match for Sporting Gijon, he has still managed to bag seven goals in what equates to eight full games.

The 19-year-old has been compared to former Barcelona and Valencia forward David Villa for his pace, trickery and keen eye for goal.

Wenger‘s team is currently bloated with attacking talent in forward areas, but he’s never been shy about making room for another talented prospect.

Actually, Wenger might not have much choice. The Gunners are likely to wave goodbye to flop Lukas Podolski this summer. The Germany international is currently enduring a rough loan spell with Inter Milan.

Yaya Sanogo is another striker out on loan. The promising but extremely raw and brittle Frenchman is currently honing his craft with Crystal Palace. Sanogo‘s scored just once during two seasons with the Gunners, so doubts about his long-term future are warranted.

Similar doubts exist about Theo Walcott. The fleet-footed England international is stalling over a new contract—a deal he hopes will pay him in excess of £100,000 per week, according to MailOnline writer Chris Waugh.

Wenger‘s even clearing the decks up front by getting ready to send free-scoring reserve Chuba Akpom out on loan. Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph has named Championship side Nottingham Forest as one of seven clubs keen on the 19-year-old.

A loan is a good way for Wenger to see exactly what he has in Akpom.

But even if the youngster impresses, the question marks surrounding Podolski, Sanogo and Walcott mean another striker would be welcome to support Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck.

Of course, the Gunners could also use a more powerful presence at the heart of midfield. Germany international Khedira certainly fits the bill.

He’s confirmed he will walk away from the Spanish capital when his contract expires this summer, per Marca’s Juan I. Garcia-Ochoa. Khedira is anxious to leave Los Blancos on good terms, saying, “I love Real Madrid, it will be hard to leave this club. I will give everything for this shirt until the last day of my contract, there should be no doubt about that.”

According to the Daily Mirror‘s John Cross, Arsenal have been strongly linked with Khedira since the summer. However, the player has also recently been linked with a return to the Bundesliga to join Schalke 04, per Sky (h/t ESPN FC’s Stephan Uersfeld).

Journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft even recently seemed to confirm that move and rule out Arsenal’s interest:

Despite those claims, Khedira sounds noncommittal about his next destination. His energy, strength and late runs into the box would certainly be major assets to the Gunners.

Ultimately, Arsenal may not move for Khedira, but knowing an experienced international with his talent is available on a free transfer will certainly make Wenger consider a deal. That’s especially true if he’s still intent on spending to add to the riches up front.

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Radamel Falcao has confirmed he will sit down at the end of the season to “find a place” where he can “have continuity,” suggesting he is unlikely to remain with Manchester United.

This will likely catch the interest of Liverpool, who have been linked with signing him on loan from Monaco in the summer, reported by Simon Jones of the MailOnline.

The Colombian striker—who has scored just four Premier League goals this season—admits he needs greater playing time if he’s to remain at Old Trafford, but he is committed to the Red Devils until the end of his temporary spell, per Radio Caracol (h/t ESPN):

I just need to play. I can’t let myself get worried—I need to be prepared to take the opportunity when it comes. I am happy at the club and with how the fans and my team-mates have treated me. I will keep fighting until the end at Manchester United.

[…] 

When the championship finishes, of course I will sit down, analyse things and decide what is best for me. Obviously I need to find a place where I have continuity and where I can play. I am totally focused on the club. There are eight games left and anything can happen.

Falcao admits his personal relationship with United boss Louis van Gaal is “difficult to sum up” due to “different ways of thinking and different philosophies,” per ESPN. He says he possesses a “normal relationship” with the Dutch manager, a review that will hardly fill United fans with confidence he’ll be in Manchester next season.

Nick Sutton of BBC Radio 4 tweeted The Sun‘s suggestion that Falcao could head to Merseyside:

Liverpool were linked with Falcao last summer before United worked quickly to snap him up on the season-long loan. He has scored goals that could turn out to be vital this season—winning five points with his quartet of strikes—currently the gap separating fourth-placed United and Liverpool below them.

Even so, he hasn’t netted since Jan. 31’s 3-1 win over Leicester and will be looking to produce a defining moment to his year across the Premier League’s final stretch. Falcao‘s movement has appeared slow this campaign and his physical ability weak. He’s lost the ability to confidently hold the ball up and bring others into play.

These are attributes Brendan Rodgers will be looking for at the spearhead of his 3-4-2-1 formation, which currently lacks a powerful and responsible central figure. Like Falcao, summer signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have disappointed.

B/R UK’s Sam Tighe believes Falcao is best suited to proving himself in Monaco:

United need a more mobile presence up front, someone with the speed to break beyond the opposition’s defensive line. Liverpool possess this in abundance with Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge often stretching play through their speed alone. What’s missing is someone in the middle to mop up chances.

Brendan Rodgers is excellent at getting the best out of faltering players. Sturridge used to overthink his forward play, but he now moves the ball on quicker. Philippe Coutinho had the opposite problem at Inter Milan but now has the confidence to dart beyond players when necessary. If there’s a manager in the Premier League who can get his team working to Falcao‘s strengths, it’s Rodgers.

Whether Liverpool are willing to pay his reported wages of £265,000 per week remains to be seen. The club cannot chuck money at players like United, particularly if Champions League qualification isn’t secured.

Falcao is committed and cannot be accused of putting in a lack of effort for United. However, he may have missed his chance to make a lasting impression, particularly as his run of 12 starts has been followed by two seven-minute appearances from the bench and total exclusion during the FA Cup loss to Arsenal, per WhoScored.com.

United’s play has dramatically improved without Falcao in the side, something Liverpool became victims of on Sunday. Although Wayne Rooney—his replacement up front—had a poor game, the Englishman’s movement at least put Rodgers’ men onto the back foot. Falcao is yet to manage this in a United shirt.

He could be viewed as the bargain of the upcoming summer if he moves cheaply and bangs in the goals, but as Falcao reaches 30, he is becoming more and more of a risk. Rodgers isn’t adverse to taking punts—a certain Balotelli is evidence of that—but it still seems more likely Falcao‘s future resides away from England.

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