Football rumours: Manchester United in the hunt for Ross Barkley

Virgil van Dijk has warned Chelsea it would not be wise to underestimate a Liverpool team without Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.

Jurgen Klopp’s side proved in midweek, when they came from behind to beat Luton 4-1 with an impressive second-half performance, they are capable of scoring goals without two of their major stars.

Both face late fitness tests ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final after Salah suffered fatigue in his first match back at Brentford last weekend after a month out with a hamstring injury and Nunez was replaced at half-time in the same game as a precaution.

It will be a very proud day, a special day.

Virgil van Dijk on leading Liverpool out in a final at Wembley:

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

With Diogo Jota, their secon…

Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has confirmed the club s interest in signing Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha on loan when the transfer window re-opens in the New Year, understands.

The England international, who joined United from Palace in a deal worth £15 million in January, has made just four appearances in all competitions for the Reds this season.

His first-team opportunities were always going to be few and far between, but even more so now that Nani has inked a new five-year deal worth £120,000-a-week.

The likes of Adnan Januzaj, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Nani and Shinji Kagawa are currently ahead of Zaha in the pecking order at Old Trafford, fueling speculation he could be loaned out in the near future.

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Portuguese international Pepe, who has not played for Real Madrid since December due to injury, said Thursday he is keen to return to action for the Spanish giants.

I feel fine and am eager to step onto the pitch and help the team. I can?t wait to play at the Bernabeu again. It is very important to me, he said in comments published on the team s website.

The Brazilian-born defender suffered knee ligament damage that required surgery during Real s 3-2 La Liga win at Valencia on December 12 which forced him to miss the rest of the 2009-10 season.

The player, whose full name is Kleper Laveran Lima Ferreira, recovered in time be a part of Portugal s World Cup squad in South Africa but he then tore a muscle in his left leg in august during Real s pre-season US tour.…

Diego Simeone refused to view Atletico Madrid s goalless La Liga draw against Villarreal in a negative light.

Like city rivals Real Madrid earlier on Sunday at Malaga, Atleti were forced to settle for a share of the spoils and are now eight points behind defending champions Barcelona at the summit with 13 games remaining.

However, speaking at a post-match news conference, Simeone was reluctant to discuss the title prospects of his 2013-14 champions – preferring to focus on maintaining a six-point advantage over their miserly opponents Villarreal, who lie fourth.

The top-three teams in La Liga earn automatic Champions League qualification, while the side in fourth must undergo a preliminary round in Europe s premier club competition.

If we focus on our …

Manchester City have denied that they are to make an approach for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas,.

The 27 year old looks set to move away from the Catalan club this summer, though he will not be joining the Premier League champions, who are instead expected to pursue more defensive targets.

Fabregas returned to Barcelona in 2011 after an eight year spell with Arsenal, during which time he scored fifty-seven goals in three-hundred and three appearances in all competitions.

Arsenal were linked with a move for the Spaniard last summer, as were then champions Manchester United though neither were successful in their pursuit of the player.

In eight-seven international appearances, Fabregas has scored thirteen goals and he will be hoping to add to tha…

February 3 – In an interview with Catlaan publication Sport, sporting director Eric Abidal says the club had begun considering Valverde s future after the 0-0 draw with Real Madrid on December 18. He adds that he and his colleagues identified many players weren t satisfied nor working hard and there was also an internal communication problem .

February 4 – Messi hits back at Abidal, calling on him to name individuals rather than tar every player with the same brush. Writing on Instagram and highlighting a section of Abidal s quotes, Messi says: I honestly don t like to do these things, but I think everyone has to be responsible for their tasks and take care of their decisions. The players [are responsible for] what happens on the pitch and we are also the first to recogni…

Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix has been voted the world s best under-21 player after winning the 2019 Golden Boy award, beating Borussia Dortmund s Jadon Sancho.

Portugal international Joao Felix broke into the Benfica first-team last season and swiftly became a fixture in the side, impressing with his athleticism, ability on the ball and strong finishing skills, earning comparisons with Brazil and Milan great Kaka.

He finished the 2018-19 season with 15 Primeira Liga goals from just 21 starts and featured for Portugal in their Nations League triumph.

Joao Felix s form understandably led to transfer speculation and, although several of Europe s biggest clubs were said to be interested, Atletico got a €126million deal over the line in July as they identified hi…

Former Manchester City boss Joe Royle says Pep Guardiola’s current side is “one of, if not the best” English football has seen.

City completed the treble on Saturday night with victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final and Royle has no doubts where Guardiola’s class of 2023 ranks in the all-time list.

Royle, 74, who led City from the third tier to the Premier League after back-to-back promotions in 1999 and 2000, told the PA news agency: “There’s no doubt about it. They’re one of, if not the best English club side there has been.

“They’ve got to be talked of as one of them. They can play off the cuff or play in various systems and they can counter very quickly.

“They’ve got world-class individuals, they’ve got the team…

Alexis Mac Allister is exactly the type of player Liverpool need if they are to return to the top, according to Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool wrapped up a £35 million deal to sign the Argentina midfielder from Brighton last week.

The Reds are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing Premier League season that saw them miss out on the top four as they finished fifth despite a strong finish to the campaign.

Van Dijk, speaking before the Netherlands play Croatia in the Nations League semi-final in Rotterdam on Wednesday, thinks the swoop for Mac Allister is an ideal start to the transfer window.

He is a very good player, said Van Dijk.

Obviously, we have played against him many times [with Liverpool] and also with Holland against Argentina.

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Defender Filipe Luis has set his sights on a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double in his first season at Chelsea.

The full-back completed his move from Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Friday, penning a three-year deal.

Filipe was part of the Atletico side that won La Liga on the final day of last term and then lost in extra time in the Champions League final against city rivals Real.

And the 28-year-old is determined to go all the way in Europe with 2011-12 winners Chelsea as well as mounting a sustained title challenge domestically.

Last season was brilliant but I ve come here to do exactly the same, Filipe told the club s official website.

I want to go one better in the Champions League and, in terms of the Premier League, …