Former Liverpool loanee Nuri Sahin is set for a dramatic reunion with Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, according to the latest reports, with speculation also growing around moves for Ruben Neves of Porto and Andrea Ranocchia of Inter Milan.  

New Reds manager Klopp is reported to be eyeing former Borussia Dortmund charge Sahin after the midfielder spent a miserable five months on Merseyside, according to the Liverpool Echo‘s Joe Rimmer.

The Turkey international was supposed to spend the entire 2012-13 campaign with Liverpool, but Dortmund agreed to cut the deal short in January 2013 after Sahin failed to settle in.

Klopp put that failure down to the mistakes of predecessor Brendan Rodgers, and Adam Skinner of the Daily Express provided quotes from the German, who said at the time: “It was the wrong position [for Sahin to play]. If you are a No. 8 or 6 and you have to as a No. 9 or 10 – it’s not possible. For some guys of course it’s possible, but Nuri’s a brilliant player – not nine-and-a-half and not 10 – and I don’t know why Brendan Rodgers would do this.”

Those comments suggest Reds fans will be appeased in seeing Klopp give players time in their preferred positions, and handing Sahin another Liverpool lifeline could be a sly way of establishing tactical superiority over Rodgers.

However, Sahin hasn’t made an appearance since February after suffering a serious knee injury, and ESPN FC’s Stefan Buczko quoted Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, who insisted a return to fitness isn’t yet in sight:

That wouldn’t prevent Klopp from pushing Liverpool to move for a player in whom he already has plenty of confidence, and it was under him that Sahin enjoyed his best years, including the 2011 Bundesliga title triumph.

Liverpool have already had to endure injury setbacks in the middle of the park this season with captain Jordan Henderson missing and Joe Allen struggling for full fitness, but Sahin could add another quality playmaking option.

Liverpool Scout Record-Breaker Neves

Liverpool scouts were on hand to witness Porto maestro Neves become the youngest player to ever captain a team in the Champions League during their 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

According to the Daily Mirror‘s Ed Malyon, an “informal approach” has been made for the 18-year-old playmaker, who is understood to be attracting interest from a raft of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Spanish football writer Sergi Dominguez took note of the teenager as a unique talent upon seeing Neves enter the European history books earlier this week:

Liverpool’s engine-room options have been hit by Henderson’s recent injury, but Neves could make for an expensive target considering Porto’s record of making a mint from their exports.

Dragons manager Julen Lopetegui is understandably eager to distance any and all hype from his sensation, per Metro‘s Primeira Liga expert Jan Hagen:

Sky Sports reported Chelsea are also understood to be following his progress, with a release clause of €40 million (£29 million) in his current contract, which expires in June 2017.

Neves is expected to receive senior honours for Portugal soon after already becoming the youngest player ever to represent their under-21s and making 37 appearances for Porto last season.

Klopp showed at Mainz and Dortmund a willingness to promote youth within the first-team ranks, and Neves is another who would definitely be seeking a starting spot were he to make any move to Anfield in 2016.

Reds in Hunt for January Ranocchia Deal

A long line of suitors are understood to be queuing up for the services of Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia as Liverpool join the likes of Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton in jostling for his signature.

TalkSPORT reported Nerazzurri manager Roberto Mancini is open to offloading the centre-back when the transfer window re-opens in January, leaving the Reds open to make their move.

Ranocchia is yet to make a start this season and has played just 70 minutes of football across five Serie A cameos thus far, evidently no longer a part of Mancini’s plans at the San Siro.

What’s more, Di Marzio translator David Amoyal proclaimed Italy manager Antonio Conte shares no affection for the 27-year-old, meaning Liverpool may not have to worry themselves with international call-ups:

The season-ending injury recently sustained by Joe Gomez limits Liverpool’s options at centre-back, while Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho gave a positive account of their partnership in Klopp’s debut 0-0 draw at Spurs.

The Reds recently had their defensive depth tested by the absence of the injured Dejan Lovren, and a move for another centre-back would seem logical, especially if Ranocchia were available for a cut-price figure.

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Brazil’s legendary defender, Lucio, has encouraged Liverpool starlet Philippe Coutinho to forget about reported interest from Barcelona and stay at Anfield.

As reported by Nicholas Godden of the MailOnline, Sport previously claimed the Brazil international midfielder was a January target for the European champions. Even so, Lucio, who won the World Cup with the Selecao in 2002, doesn’t necessarily think it’d be the correct move for him, per Naveen Ullal of IB Times UK:

If it was my decision, I would stay. If I was Coutinho, I would not leave Liverpool. Barcelona have several star players like Messi, Suarez and Neymar. If Coutinho joins Barcelona, he has to play wherever the coach wants him to play, which would be to fill in here and there.”

In the last season, Coutinho was the standout player for Liverpool. He can continue there and can go on to become a very big player for them. Regarding his future, it is a decision only Coutinho could take, but as a friend I would suggest him to stay at Liverpool.

Although Lucio cited the attacking prowess of players such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar as a reason for not joining Barcelona, there’s no reason as to why Coutinho couldn’t potentially operate alongside the trio.

Stylistically, the Brazilian looks to have all the qualities to be a long-term successor to Andres Iniesta. While Coutinho is way short of the levels currently being shown by the Spanish international icon, like Iniesta he possesses the quick feet, positional awareness and an eye for a killer pass, which are so crucial when playing at the heart of a Barcelona team.

After a storming 2014-15 season, when Coutinho was named Liverpool’s Player of the Year, things haven’t gone quite so well for the 23-year-old in the early stages of this campaign, per Squawka Football:

You suspect this blip will be temporary. The Brazilian starlet has an array of qualities that have been on show throughout his Liverpool career. Under the tutelage of new manager Jurgen Klopp he will surely preserve a key role in this Reds setup.

Still, it may take a little time for the former Inter Milan man to appropriately adapt to life under the German. Let’s not forget, for all the criticism he has received since being axed by the club, former manager Brendan Rodgers plucked Coutinho from the San Siro wilderness in 2013, channeled his mercurial talent and got the best out of him.

As Jack Lusby wrote in a recent column for Bleacher Report, there are a lot of new duties the Reds starlet will have to take on board under the new regime:

A January sale is an unlikely proposition, but for the player, if Barcelona do come calling it’d only be natural for his head to be turned. Liverpool have set a concerning precedent for letting their important players leave the club in recent campaigns, which is something the Blaugrana will surely consider if they are plotting to sign the Brazilian.

Klopp will have big plans for Coutinho. There may be a rough period of transition as the playmaker seeks to amalgamate a new demand for industry with his patented intricacy. But once the intertwining of those traits becomes second nature, Coutinho will be a much more rounded footballer; worryingly, it’s a positive process likely to keep Barcelona interested in landing him too.

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It was something we already knew, but Carlo Ancelotti confirmed it for us anyway. 

“When I joined Real Madrid I knew it could last a month, a year, or three or five, depending on the titles won,” the Italian told Le Parisien (via AS) in early October, reflecting on his time at his former club. “Madrid sacked me because in my final year we didn’t win the league or the Champions League. That is their philosophy.”

When Ancelotti was asked to pack his boxes and hand in his security pass at Valdebebas, of course, he was only 12 months removed from steering Madrid to the capture of the European Cup. But not just any European Cup; the 10th European Cup. La Decima, Real Madrid’s burning obsession.

Elsewhere in Europe, such an achievement might see a statue erected in his honour, and at a certain north London club, for instance, he’d probably be handed the keys for all eternity—even after his passing, a carefully constructed wax model of him would manage the team. 

Not here, though. 

“Winning La Decima only assured me of another year at Real Madrid,” added Ancelotti. Go and try that on for job security. 

Few will need reminding that it’s a high-stakes game managers are invited to at the Bernabeu. Nowhere else in football is a coach burdened with such intense pressure while also being routinely denied of the authority most need to succeed. This is a club with an almost unworkable win-now-or-get-your-things mentality, a point underlined by the fact not a single manager has seen out the duration of a contract at the Bernabeu since Vicente del Bosque’s dismissal 12 years ago. 

Thus, this isn’t a hot seat; it’s a rickety stool hung above a volcano with no support on any side. And now Rafa Benitez is perched on it.

So how long can he balance himself above the lava?

When it’s asked what Benitez must do this season to retain his job, what constitutes the minimum requirement, the answer seems obvious: Win. After all, that’s all that matters, isn’t it? Titles, yeah?

Well, sort of. But not really. 

Though the league title and/or the Champions League will make up one of the criteria Benitez must fulfil in 2015-16, there’s also another box he must try to cover as best he can, a box that doesn’t have an exact definition but one based upon an idea perhaps best described as a style-aura-personality-charisma cocktail. With a dash of strawberry—there’s nothing sour here. 

For Benitez, it’s not entirely fair. But like it or not, he is fighting on two fronts. 

Ever since his appointment in June, there’s been a cynicism evident in the Spanish capital toward the madrileno. Seen as prickly in character, perceived as defensive, mocked for his rants, derided for his spell at Inter Milan, Benitez is battling with his own history; to many, he’s just not good enough for Madrid.

In May, when Marca ran a poll asking who should replace Ancelotti, Benitez got just 8.9 percent of the vote. Ahead of him were Michel and Unai Emery. One is a club legend, yes, and the other is a rising boss, but Michel’s biggest job had been at Sevilla and lasted all of 11 months, while Emery is yet to win a league title of any description. 

But Benitez? He arrived in Madrid with two league crowns with Valencia—yes, Valencia—and one European Cup. But that didn’t matter. 

The cynicism, then, isn’t just founded on credentials; many simply don’t like the guy. His style. What he stands for. Thus, it’s this battle that he must neutralise—he’ll never truly win it—to prolong his tenure in Chamartin beyond this season. 

But can he?

One of the problems for Benitez is the popularity of the guy he’s replaced. In character, Ancelotti is seen as everything Benitez is not. Charming, endearing, funny, the ultimate diplomat, the Italian was not only adored by his players but was also well-liked by those who apply the external pressure at Madrid.

His sacking by president Florentino Perez, therefore, was not taken pleasantly. Particularly after El Pais correspondent Eleonora Giovio asked specifically why Ancelotti had been sacked and Perez answered with the spectacularly shambolic: “Erm, I don’t know.”

Consequently, Benitez has become another avenue through which to criticise the president for the anti-Perez camp, with Madrid-based daily AS particularly keen to stick the boots in. “Benitez is in no-man’s land,” it wrote of the new manager after the Madrid derby, presenting an unfavourable comparison with his predecessor despite the fact that Benitez’s team remain unbeaten. 

Evidently, he’ll never win the popularity war, he’ll never completely tick the style-aura-personality-charisma box. But—and this is the crucial bit—he can tick part of it: the style part. His team’s style. 

For Benitez to keep his job beyond this season, his Real Madrid will need to do more than just win. They’ll need to win with a swagger, in an expression of attacking freedom, scorelines being representative of the squad’s talent and the money spent to put it together. To date, though, this writer will argue the early signs have been positive, performances have been mixed and that hasn’t entirely been the case, but time is available to do so. 

And he must do so. He must oversee that. 

It’s the only way.

Benitez will be hard-pressed to sway people through personality or charisma; he won’t unite a club with an aura. The only thing he can do is win, and win in style. This is a club, remember, at which Fabio Capello was chased out twice after winning the league, a club at which pragmatic triumphs are not enough—particularly when you’re not popular. 

So while for Real Madrid as a club this season’s target is a double—the league and the Champions League—for Benitez, the double is slightly different: it’s win at least one of them and put on a show.

Neither will suffice without the other.

Follow @TimDCollins

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Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba was reportedly the victim of a burglary on Sunday as he took to the field for the Bianconeri‘s clash with Inter Milan.

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the Frenchman was targeted by some opportunists who knew he would not be home due to his team’s visit to Milan. More details of the reported break-in are outlined in the piece:

Thieves entered his apartment in the Santa Rita area in the south-west of Turin by breaking a window and left with a number of valuables. Among the items that were confirmed as being stolen were precious gold jewellery and a host of expensive designer clothes.

Pogba discovered the break-in upon his return home on Monday morning after the team arrived back in Piedmont, where he was horrified to find his apartment had been turned upside down by the burglars.

According to the article, local authorities have carried out an assessment of the damage done at Pogba‘s abode and are set to open an investigation into determining who is responsible soon.

The Bianconeri‘s stuttering beginning to the season continued in Milan, as they notched a 0-0 draw with the Nerazzurri. As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, although he’s been in disappointing form so far this season, the former Manchester United man looked as though he was getting back to his best during this tussle at the San Siro:

Pogba has been handed added responsibility in Turin after the departures of Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo last summer. At the moment, the club’s iconic No. 10 jersey seems to be a heavy burden on his shoulders, but the vibrant midfielder has the talent and the temperament to become a talisman for this team.

Despite regularly being linked with a move away from the club, per Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (h/t ESPN FC), Pogba has cemented his status as one of Juve’s best recent players. The youngster helped the Bianconeri to the Serie A title, Juve’s fourth in a row, and Coppa Italia victory last term, as well a spot in the Champions League final.

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Inter Milan and Juventus played to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro to close out the weekend in Serie A on Sunday.

The hosts enjoyed the better spells of possession and chances in the first half, while the visitors controlled the second half. However, neither side could power a goal past the opposing goalkeeper over 90 minutes. 

The draw placed the Nerazzurri into third place after eight matches. They are level on points with second-place Roma, while they are one off leaders Fiorentina. Juventus moved into 14th place on nine points after eight matches. 

Here’s a look at our winners and losers from Sunday’s stalemate in Milan. 

Begin Slideshow

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Inter Milan and Juventus played out a goalless draw in the Derby d’Italia, as neither of the Serie A giants could take advantage at the San Siro.

Simone Zaza replaced Paulo Dybala for the Old Lady after a disappointing start to the Serie A campaign for the Italian champions, with Claudio Marchisio also returning to the Juve starting XI.

Ivan Perisic, Mauro Icardi and Stevan Jovetic formed a sumptuous attack for the Nerazzurri as they looked to top the table ahead of pacesetters Fiorentina. 

The atmosphere was hot and loaded before kick-off, with the Inter fans taunting Juventus for their failed bid at the treble last season, as highlighted by the Associated Press’ Daniella Matar:

Juan Cuadrado went close for the visitors early on, but the Colombian winger couldn’t convert from the angle, firing at Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who beat the effort away. 

A wave of yellow cards then broke out as three players ended up in the referee’s book, with Juve’s Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira and Inter’s Felipe Melo all having their name taken in a four-minute spell. 

Zaza also saw yellow soon after for an overexuberant challenge, with the game threatening to turn into a disciplinary nightmare for the officials. 

However, football blogger Michael Cox gave credit to the commitment of both sides:

Both goalkeepers were rarely tested in the first half, with Jovetic going closest for the San Siro team.

However, the pace and passion was frenetic, with both teams putting their bodies on the line in an aggressive and entertaining affair.

Football writer Sergi Dominguez spoke about the influence of Jovetic as the attacker stretched the Juve back line:

Dominguez also speculated Juve had made a selection error:

The teams went into the break goalless, but not before Melo appeared to clash with Khedira, with both players on a booking. The challenge from the Brazilian on the German international was late, but the referee waved for play to continue. 

Juventus were positive in the opening minutes of the second half, with Cuadrado once again involved with his team’s most expansive play. 

Inter had slipped into their shell, inviting the Bianconeri onto them, but a quick break by the productive Jovetic almost caught the champions sleeping. 

Blogger Samuel Jay C tipped his hat to Juve’s legendary stopper for keeping the score goalless:

Juventus’ heads were in their hands after 68 minutes as Khedira failed to convert from 10 yards, stroking his effort against the post and away. 

Alvaro Morata kept the ball alive in the box and laid the chance on for the German, who should have scored for his side. 

Paul Pogba began to get a grip on proceedings as the second half progressed into the final 20 minutes, with the Frenchman carrying the ball and attacking the Inter defence with intent after a quiet match. 

The hosts were on the back foot for the final moments of the encounter, with Juve the aggressor against an increasingly passive Inter.

But despite a strong rally in the closing stages, Juve could not break the deadlock as Inter sat and accepted a share of the points.

Post-Match Reaction

To follow.

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