Why Feyenoord’s Slot move to replace Klopp at Liverpool is unstoppable

There is no clause in Arne Slot’s contract at Feyenoord which would stop Liverpool from employing him to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool but they will have to negotiate a price with the Dutch club which could reach £9 million. The Premier League is Slot’s ambition and he has emerged as the new leading candidate for the Reds. His football is exciting and his Feyenoord team won the Dutch Eredivisie league last year. Liverpool have studied how he has signed young players, and what he has done with them and last weekend his team won the KNVB Cup (Dutch FA Cup). I can reveal that talks between Slot, his representatives and Liverpool have been very positive but as I write this column no deal has yet been agreed with the Dutch club.

Martinez signals a return to the United squad

United centre-back Lisandro Martinez has suggested he could yet play before the season ends.

The Argentine has played only 11 times this season after sustaining a calf strain during training on April 2.  Previously, he suffered a knee injury against West Ham on February 4 and only returned against Brentford on March 30.

United have six games left and the next game against Burnley will be too soon but he could make the team against Crystal Palace on May 6. United have had to deal with several injuries and Harry Maguire was the only centre-back available for the FA Cup match against Coventry with Willy Kambwala, Raphael Verane, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Martinez all on the sidelines. Casemiro had to play at centre-back with Maguire who played with an injury.

Chelsea plan big pay rise for Cole Palmer

Player of the Year candidate Cole Palmer has become Chelsea’s most important player and his status has risen with every game as his four-goal tally against Everton displayed. His current deal runs until 2030 due to owner Todd Boehly installing a “buy them young on long deals” strategy. However, because of Cole’s importance, Chelsea plan to meet with his representatives at CAA Base before Euro 2024 to discuss a more lucrative deal. He currently earns just over £80k-a-week whereas many of his teammates are on over £100k-a-week and not performing to his level. Still only 21 years of age, Cole has scored 20 goals this season.

Kompany has players believing Burnley can survive

After a season where nearly every club has hammered you after winning the Championship lower league last year by a mile, Burnley looked dead and buried after sitting in the relegation zone for eight months.

Suddenly everyone is asking the question…can they pull off one of the greatest escapes? The claret and blues coach Vincent Kompany says his players believe they can avoid the drop after losing only one game in the last seven.

Crushing Sheff United 4-1 demonstrates just how well Burnley are playing at the moment. Johann Berg Gudmundsson said, “We believe we can do something special. We have four cup finals left but in the dressing room, we’re all in this together. We know we are in a difficult position but we have to believe that we can pick up points in every single game.”

It is going to be tough for Burnley. Next up are Manchester United away and Erik Ten Hag needs to win that game as much as Kompany. Then comes a visit to Tottenham before hosting Newcastle at home followed by their final game when Nottingham Forest travel to Turf Moor for the Burnley fans to cheer their team in a game which could be a relegation decider.

Gunners have the perfect defender in Saliba

Every team has an outstanding player and a leader who is looked up to by others. Arsenal’s William Saliba achieves such status. It is no coincidence that his back injury of March last year began the Gunner’s demise and eventual failure to win the Premier League after heading the table for long periods. If Arsenal are to win their first title in 20 years his contribution will be vital.

Saliba has featured in every game this season with 15 clean sheets which is the highest in the league for a defensive player.

Mikel Arteta played a master stroke when he teamed up Saliba with Gabriel and the two have a perfect understanding.

Gabriel has been described as a street fighter, a player who can take on attackers and bully them, winning the ball and eventually passing to the perfectly positioned Saliba. Man City have the advantage statistically but Saliba says, “We are mentally stronger this season. We have good experience from last year and this season as well. If we want to put the pressure on we have to win, win, win and keep going as we did against Wolves. We know it will be hard but we are prepared.”

Udogie to miss the final run-in for Tottenham

Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou confirmed defender Destiny Udogie will miss the rest of this season after undergoing surgery on his left thigh. He has done well in his first season with the club and made 29 appearances. Tottenham released a statement which read: “We can confirm Destiny Udogie has undergone surgery to his left quadriceps following an injury. He is not expected to rejoin the squad until pre-season training.”

Sheffield United recognise it is all over

Sheffield boss Chris Wilder coaches a team which will likely become the first to concede 100 goals in a 38-game Premier League season. Following the Burnley drubbing he admitted his players displayed a lack of effort and he has promised fans there will be sweeping changes this summer.

He said: “There were a few players out there who wanted to get out of there pretty quickly after the fourth went in, which you just can’t accept. We will have players who want to be here, who want to run around and want to be involved when the going gets tough and be part of it when we’re going well. That’s what proper football teams look like. There will be better times and I will, with the help of the coaches and everybody, make us go again.”

Life without Toney looking good

Brentford coach Thomas Frank was smiling at training this week after his Bees team demolished Luton Town 5-1.

His upbeat feeling is because that big scoreline was achieved without talisman striker Ivan Toney. Bryan Mbeumo was at the heart of every Brentford move and proved that life will go on when Toney leaves this summer.

Frank’s side were the first team in 40 years to score four or more away to Luton. The coach pointed out that those goals came from four different scorers. Life without Toney will go on!

Transfer news…

Palace star Olise is on Ratcliffe’s list at United

Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise is in the form of his life and his strength, presence, ability and six goals in 13 Premier League matches to make him the player every club wants.

Palace realise they will have a challenge holding onto him for next season and have placed a £65m price tag on the Frenchman. Chelsea were forced to back off for illegally approaching Olise last season and offered £35m.

That interest has died with the emergence of Cole Palmer who is amazing everyone with his talent since joining Chelsea from Manchester City. New Man  United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to refresh his squad with young talent over the summer and Olise is on his list.

Big three will fight for Wolves’ Ait-Nouri

Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are lining up to fight for the signature of Wolves’ defender Rayan Ait-Nouri who is valued at £ 50 million. Pep Guardiola in particular believes the French-born Algerian international will fit in with his squad. 22-year-old Ait-Nouri has been used as an inverted left-back this season and he can move forward into an attacking position.

Eddie Howe keeping tabs on Juventus centre-back

Eddie Howe intends to bolster his squad this summer and he is planning to offer £25m for the Juventus centre-back Dean Huijsen who is currently on loan at Roma.

Howe is facing a crisis with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles out with long-term knee injuries. Ex-Roma boss Jose Mourinho described Huijsen as “one of the highest quality prospects in European football at this age level.”

Leicester want Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff

Leicester, fighting for promotion back to the Premier League, have decided to battle fellow Premier prospects Leeds United for the signature of Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff.

Longstaff has only a year left on his contract and Newcastle might be tempted to sell at £20m. I am told everything depends on which of the two clubs get back into the elite league only a year after being relegated.

Moyes refuses questions on his future at West Ham

I can now reveal that West Ham have held talks with Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim and his representatives when they flew into London on Monday.

The Hammer’s board have also approached ex-Wolves coach Julen Lopetegui who is available and out of work at present.

Watching West Ham’s coach David Moyes screaming with anger and then sitting with his head in his hands as his team were thrashed by Crystal Palace, I think he might have had dark and despairing thoughts.

He said after the game, “I have got to say I have not had many teams who have played like that in my whole career. I don’t think the team in the three years I have been here have fallen to the depths they have in a few games this year.”

Yes, that might very well be true but many of my colleagues commented after the post-game press meeting with Moyes, that he is the coach and manager and it is his responsibility.

To make matters worse, Moyes's current deal finishes at the end of this season but he refused to be drawn on his future.

He says he has a contract just waiting to be signed to prolong his stay with the Hammers but I wonder if CEO Karen Brady might “accidentally” knock the contract off her desk and into the wastepaper basket.

Only Man City and Chelsea in the Club World Cup

Following the Premier League clubs being knocked out of the Champions League, there will only be Manchester City and Chelsea in the lucrative Club World Cup next season. Arsenal would have qualified if they had won this season’s competition but Bayern Munich ended that hope with the Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg taking the remaining spot. The tournament is in the United States in 2025 and I understand the organisers are not very pleased neither Manchester United nor Liverpool will be playing because they always attract large crowds.