All posts by n8rngtd.top

AC Milan are reportedly discussing a sensational return to San Siro for retired Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Former frontman retired at the end of last season
• Enjoyed two memorable stints at San Siro
• Could fill post alongside coach Pioli

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The enigmatic 41-year-old hung up his boots at the end of last season as injuries finally caught up with him. The curtain came down on his remarkable career while in Italy, with a second Serie A title-winning spell being enjoyed with the Rossoneri.

Advertisement

• GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ibrahimovic was recently spotted back in Milan ahead of a Champions League clash with Newcastle, and reports that talks have been held between the former Sweden international and club owner Gerry Cardinale regarding a possible role for him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Milan are eager to bring Ibrahimovic’s experience and character on board – as someone that knows all about the pressures of performing under the brightest of spotlights and a figure capable of bridging the divide between the dressing room and dugout.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  There have been suggestions that – following the departure of club legend Paolo Maldini over the summer – Ibrahimovic could be handed a role as team manager, allowing him to work alongside head coach Stefano Pioli. Ibrahimovic will not be rushing into a decision, as he seeks greater clarity over the structure of the club and what his new role would entail, but further meetings are planned for either November or December.

Luis Enrique has dismissed Neymar’s claims regarding the supposed “hell” that he and Lionel Messi experienced while at Paris Saint-Germain.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Brazilian forward now in Saudi Arabia
• Argentine icon starring in the States
• Pair endured a tough time in France

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The two superstar forwards have severed ties with the reigning Ligue 1 champions in 2023. Brazil international Neymar has – six years on from his record-breaking €222 million (£190m/$240m) transfer to France – headed to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, while Argentine icon Messi is in the United States with Inter Miami.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both were expected to help deliver elusive Champions League glory at Parc des Princes, but they failed in that quest. A demanding fanbase grew disillusioned with the efforts of Neymar and Messi in Paris, leading to them becoming targets for terrace taunts. Neymar has now claimed the pair of prominent South Americans went through “hell” before heading for the exits.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  New PSG boss Luis Enrique is reluctant to be drawn into a debate regarding what Neymar and Messi put up with, with the Spaniard saying of his own stint at PSG: “These are personal experiences. I don’t want to get into that. I can tell you about my experience: I’m absolutely delighted. I feel like I’m in charge of a rather unique team with a club that trusts me 100 per cent.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  PSG have reportedly told that Messi and Neymar “both wanted to stay”, with the club refusing to be drawn on the “hell” comments, while former France international Robert Pires has branded the pair “crybabies”. The 1998 World Cup winner told : “I call that being crybabies. Being a professional player means withstanding the pressure. Sometimes, when you play well, you're glad to receive praise. When you don't, that's part of the game.”

Last week, David Turnbull scooped the award for Celtic’s Player of the Season.

It was richly deserved for an impeccable first term at Parkhead. Having signed for the Hoops last summer, the Scot hasn’t let the negativity distract him.

From an offensive point of view, he’s been a shining light. Turnbull stepped up to the plate in the absence of James Forrest, scoring ten goals and registering eight assists.

That said, there was one player who no matter the scoreline and no matter how bad things got, they were always a beacon of hope and positivity. That happens to be Kristoffer Ajer.

The Norwegian is likely to leave Paradise this summer and if he does indeed head for the departure lounge, he can do so with his head held high.

Ajer has been a consistent figure, a man who is every bit a leader, someone who could easily fill the leadership void of Scott Brown.

Saturday’s clash with Hibernian was all about the affectionately known Broony. This was his final outing in a Celtic shirt but he waved farewell to the Hoops with a goalless draw.

That said, there was one stand out player, someone who should have stolen the plaudits over their tireless defensive midfielder.

Again, we come back to Ajer. He was the heartbeat of the side, marauding forward at regular intervals and dictating the game from centre-back.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

We should hardly be surprised with this performance, though. During negative times, the Norway international had been a shining example for the rest of the team.

Speaking earlier this season, John Hartson commented: “He’s grabbing the bull by the horns and he’s almost dragging the team through, even to these draws. You see him making these lung-bursting runs forward, he’s marauding with that big stride, he’s challenging, on his backside, making blocks, in the opposition’s penalty area.”

Hartson added: “He’s a credit to the rest of the players. They should all look at him and if they’d all adopted the same attitude as Ajer then might have made a better fist of it in terms of holding on to the title.”

That was exactly the attitude the defender showed against Hibs on Saturday.

He completed a whopping 97% of his passes and took 115 touches during the contest. Only Brown and Callum McGregor took more than Ajer.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old won seven ground duels, more than anyone to take the field at Easter Road this weekend.

For a centre-back, his performance was full of attacking intent. He completed two dribbles, the same number as Ryan Christie, and was fouled on three occasions. One of those came after a lung-busting 50 yard run forward.

Those numbers are remarkable for someone playing in the position Ajer features in.

If he does walk out the exit door this summer it’ll be a huge loss. However, you can’t be surprised. His ball-playing abilities will fit right at home in a number of top sides south of the border.

AND in other news, £12k-p/w dud must never play for Celtic again, he lost the ball every 5 touches y’day…

According to a report by Foot Mercato, talks between Paris-Saint Germain and Tottenham have been initiated over the sale of defender Serge Aurier – with a four-year deal and salary of around €7 million-per-season (£6 million) already drawn up from their side.

The Lowdown: Aurier linked with exit

The Ivorian has been attracting interest from France in recent weeks with reports detailing interest from PSG.

RMC Sport revealed earlier this month that the Ligue 1 giants hold an interest in Aurier and even touted a possible sale price of around €10 million (£8.6 million).

The 28-year-old, despite enjoying a fine start to the season, hasn’t been at that imperious level since then – resulting in speculation mounting over his future.

The Latest: Contract offer already drawn up

Foot Mercato, bringing an emphatic claim, believe talks are already well underway between PSG and Aurier’s representatives  – so much so that a four-year contract has been drawn up with a wage offer of around £6 million (£125,000-per-week).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest/” title=”Tottenham latest…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As well as this, talks with Tottenham are said to be ‘initiated’ despite the lack of a real bid – with chairman Daniel Levy now setting the asking price at around €12 million (£10.3 million).

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is also believed to be in favour of the right-back’s return to Parc des Princes nearly four years after he swapped the French capital for north London.

The Verdict: Aurier make way…

Aurier has just one year left on his Lilywhites contract and Tottenham need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer, making him one of the prime candidates to be sold.

Even though £10.3m seems like a disappointing price for a player with 66 international caps at 28-years-old, this market marred by coronavirus means bumper sales will be made that bit more difficult.

Finding a buyer willing to spend big on Aurier would prove a tough task given his contract situation, and we believe that Spurs need to sell him and bump up Tottenham’s transfer kitty for their next manager – regardless of the price.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing ‘one of the best coaches in Europe’, find out more here.

Though the Reds have brought in some reinforcements this summer, they are still short in key areas as they aim to bounce back after last season's woes

From quadruple-chasers to Premier League also-rans – Liverpool suffered quite the fall from grace in the space of six months. The suddenness of the slump took everyone by surprise, but there is no getting away from the fact that there had been concerns over the squad's strength in depth in midfield for some time, and there was always the fear that the decision to wait for Jude Bellingham was going to backfire badly.

So, an overdue overhaul was required this summer and Liverpool began brightly, by activating buy-out clauses to bring in Alexis Mac Allister, from Brighton, and RB Leipzig's Dominik Szoboszlai – two slick, attack-minded players with an eye for goal.

There was clearly still a gaping hole in the middle of the park, right in front of an undeniably brittle backline.With both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson having accepted money-spinning moves to Saudi Arabia and Thiago Alcantara once again recovering from injury, Jurgen Klopp had no experienced No.6 to call upon. Well, he's emphatically addressed that area now, with news breaking late on Thursday night that the Reds had agreed a British-record £110 million ($140m) deal to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

There are also ongoing concerns over the wisdom of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold as an inverted right-back, in light of the counter-attacking opportunities the 3-2-5 offensive shape offers opponents down the left flank, while the Reds really could do with another top-quality centre-back.

With Caicedo added, Liverpool do appear in a much stronger position to bounce back from last season's fifth-placed finish, although Europa League football is likely to prove far more of a distraction than a benefit. Klopp, though, insists that the 2020 champions will be a "contender" this season – and we'll soon find out if he's right…

• Getty Images
  

  Realistic Expectations

  Liverpool were always likely to be physically and mentally drained after a 2022-23 campaign in which they played a whopping 64 games. A hangover was inevitable. It just lasted a lot longer than everyone expected, Klopp included.

  The question now, of course, is whether Liverpool have sufficiently recovered to re-establish themselves as the only credible threat to City's dominance of English football. Klopp says his side simply cannot compete with the Abu Dhabi-backed club, at least in the transfer market – which obviously has a major say in who's successful on the field – and that's been proven again this summer.

  Liverpool have finally pumped some money into their under-resourced midfield, but it's clear that greater investment is required if they are to have a serious crack at the title because, right now, Liverpool just don't look strong enough from a defensive perspective to get close to City.

  However, a top-four finish is still well within this squad's grasp, primarily because of their formidable forward line. Indeed, do not be surprised if Liverpool score more goals than anyone else in this season's Premier League.

  The Europa League could prove an inconvenience from a logistical perspective but, at the same time, it also represents an opportunity for Klopp to rest his most important players – a luxury their primary top-four rivals will not have – and give more precious experience to an exciting crop of youngsters.

  At the very least, this season promises to be far more exciting than last.

Advertisement

• (C)GettyImages
  

  Best-case Scenario

  Moises Caicedo is on his way to Anfield and although Jones may be required the stop-gap No.6 in the first game against Chelsea, the problem should now be solved for the long-term. Even as a back-up, though, Jones certainly doesn't lack confidence and Klopp has plenty of faith in the local lad, who finished last season strongly before going to play a key role in England's victory at the Under-21 European Championship.

  "In possession, there’s no doubt that Curtis can have a massive impact from that position," the manager told reporters earlier this month. "I think his development in the last few months since he was with us is remarkable.

  "He was held back especially by the last injury, which was really not helpful, wrong moment, too long, everything. [The injury] looks stable since and the Euros gave him, for sure, confidence. So, having him on the pitch makes sense."

  However, when asked if that meant playing Jones in front of the back four, Klopp's response didn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement, "If nobody else is there, he can play [that role] definitely."

  The dream for Liverpool is that Caicedo slots in seamlessly and plays it so well that Fabinho isn't missed. In such an ideal world, he'll mesh perfectly with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, simultaneously providing sufficient cover for an over-exposed back-line, and the perfect platform for the fantastic forward line to fire a rampant Reds side to a surprise title triumph.

• (C)GettyImages
  

  Worst-case Scenario

  Liverpool miss out on Champions League football for the second successive season, prompting Klopp to quit a club he loves because of his frustration with the Fenway Sports Group's refusal/inability to spend as much money as the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United in the transfer market.

  It may seem a little far-fetched, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Certainly, as it stands, a top-four finish is by no means a guarantee with Liverpool preparing to kick-off their campaign without a recognised defensive midfielder – an immense and understandable source of frustration for the fans, including Jamie Carragher.

  The risk, of course, is that the Reds, even with Caicedo, will remain horribly vulnerable to the counter-attack, particularly with Alexander-Arnold likely to be once again tasked with playing as an auxiliary midfielder – a risky but rewarding play that contributed significantly to Liverpool going unbeaten during their final 11 games of last season.

  So, if Klopp doesn't have all of the players they need to pull off this delicate balancing act, the whole thing could once again come crashing down.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  The MVP

  Mohamed Salah is Liverpool's most valuable player in the strictest sense of the term, in that he guarantees the most precious commodity in the game: goals. Even during a desperately trying 2022-23 campaign for his team, the Egyptian still struck 30 times in 51 appearances – and Klopp will need another prolific season if the Reds are to have any chance of challenging for the title.

  In reality, though, everything hinges on the defence, meaning the dual role of new captain Virgil van Dijk is of the utmost importance.

  First of all, he has a responsibility to ensure that neither standards nor heads drop this season, which will not be easy. Van Dijk has already admitted that he can understand why the supporters have "doubts" over the strength of the squad. As he pointed out himself, it wasn't just his predecessor Henderson who departed, vice-captain Milner has also gone, taking with him a huge amount of experience, drive and determination. Liverpool have other leaders, of course, but Henderson and Milner will arguably be missed more for what they contributed off the field – than on it.

  However, Van Dijk's most important assignment – which he simply cannot afford to fail – is restoring order to a backline that was in total disarray at times last season, and worryingly porous in pre-season. To do that, he has to lead by example. It's time for the most expensive defender in the world to prove that he is also still its best.

After dismantling Burnley last time out in the Premier League, Leeds United will be hoping to continue their good form when they travel to face Southampton on Tuesday evening.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side ran out 4-0 winners at the weekend against the Clarets, and with nothing left to play for, they turned on the style to produce one of their biggest victories of the season.

The Whites were boosted by the returns of both Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha to the starting line-up, and with the Premier League campaign nearing its end, it will be interesting to see whether Bielsa hands out first team opportunities to any fringe players or young talents.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up when they make the trip to St Mary’s tonight to face Southampton.

In goal, Illan Meslier will be hoping to add to the 11th clean sheet he picked up this season in the win over Burnley, with one more taking him joint-fourth in the division with Spurs’ Hugo Lloris.

The back four should also remain unchanged, with Bielsa confirming in his pre-match press conference that Robin Koch has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign in order to protect him for Germany and the upcoming European Championship.

In midfield, Phillips should keep his place after making the starting line-up against Burnley, with Stuart Dallas and Tyler Roberts joining him. Bielsa has confirmed that, similar to Koch, Mateusz Klich will be given the rest of the season off ahead of Euro 2020.

One exciting change Bielsa could make is handing Crysencio Summerville his debut for the club, with the 19-year-old starring for the club’s under-23s this season.

Up front, Patrick Bamford was once again hooked before the hour mark against Burnley – the second time that’s happened in three Premier League games – and Bielsa may take the opportunity to give Rodrigo a well-deserved start after he scored twice upon coming on as a substitute against the Clarets.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

Predicted XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips, Raphinha, Dallas, Klich, Summerville; Rodrigo.

Meanwhile, Bielsa must drop this Leeds star tonight…

Where to watch Champions League clash between Benfica and Inter – team news, kick-off time and more.

Benfica will host Inter in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Benfica were on an eight-game winning run until recently and that included comfortable wins over Club Brugge in the previous round of the Champions League.

The run came to an end with a defeat against rivals Porto in their previous league outing.

The team that ended Benfica's winning run was the team Inter just about managed to beat in the Round of 16 of their Champions League run. The former Italian champions have struggled to record wins this season and are currently without a win in six matches across all competitions.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Benfica vs Inter below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more…

• Getty Images
  

  Kick-off time

  Date:	April 11, 2023
  Kick-off time:	4pm EDT
  Venue:	Estádio da Luz

  The game is scheduled for April 11, 2023 in Lisbon. It will kick off at 4pm EDT in the US.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  How to watch Benfica vs Inter online – TV channels & live streams

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	TUDN	Paramount+, ViX+

  In the United States (US), the match will be available to watch on TUDN, Paramount+ and ViX+.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Team news & squads

  Benfica team news

  Mihailo Ristic, Goncalo Guedes and Julian Draxler will miss Benfica's Champions League clash against Inter due to injuries. They will also be without Nicolas Otamendi, who is suspended for the clash.

  Right-back Alexander Bah had to be taken off in the first half against Porto in the team's last outing and his participation in the upcoming fixture remains doubtful.

  Benfica predicted XI: Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Silva, Verissimo, Grimaldo; Florentino, Chiquinho; Mario, Silva, Aursnes; Ramos

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Soares, Vlachodimos
  Defenders:	Gilberto, Grimaldo, Silva, Verissimo, Morato
  Midfielders:	Aursnes, Mario, Chiquinho, Florentino, N'dour, Jevsenak, Neves
  Forwards:	Neres, Silva, Musa, Ramos, Moreira, Tengstedt, Schjelderup, Santos, Semedo, Sousa

  Inter team news

  Inter will miss the services of Milan Skriniar and Hakan Calhanoglu who are sidelined due to injuries.

  There could be a few changes in the lineup for Inter. Federico Dimarco could return to the lineup on the left flank, replacing last game's goalscorers Robin Gosens. In between the sticks, Andre Onana conceded a poor goal from a cross in his last outing but he is expected to continue in goal.

  Inter predicted XI: Onana; D'Ambrosio, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Onana, Handanovic, Cordaz
  Defenders:	Bastoni, De Vrij, Acerbi, Dimarco, Fontanarosa, Dalbert, Bellanova, Darmian, Zanotti, Skriniar.
  Midfielders:	Brozovic, Asllani, Barella, Gagliardini, Dumfries, Gosens, Mkhitaryan, Carboni
  Forwards:	Correa, Martinez, Lukaku, Dzeko

  Head-to-head record

  Benfica and Inter have only met twice in the 21st century and both those appearances were in the UEFA Cup in the 2003-04 season. They met over two legs in the fourth round and it was Inter that came out victorious with a 4-3 win at home.

  Date	Result	Competition
  March 2004	Inter 4-3 Benfica	UEFA Cup
  March 2004	Benfica 0-0 Inter	UEFA Cup

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Useful links

  • Benfica team page

  • Inter team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

  • Lukaku suspension following racist abuse sends ‘wrong signal’, says lawyer

Manchester United could be hit with a bitter blow following the decision to postpone their Premier League meeting with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

The fixture, that was originally due to be played on Sunday, was postponed following a protest by Red Devils supporters at the Glazer family’s current ownership of the club.

Fans managed to make their way into the stadium and onto the Old Trafford pitch as numbers grew, leading to the decision to postpone the match to another date.

Whilst a potential rearrangement wil,l of course, frustrate the squad and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with them having already prepared, it could also have damaging consequences on the remainder of the current campaign.

Looking at the Red Devils’ current calendar, two out of the next three weekends between now and the end of the campaign are already taken up by Premier League fixtures against the likes of Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-from-old-trafford-fofana-solskjaer-van-de-beek-wwodward” title=”The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

Meanwhile, mid-week fixtures against the likes of Fulham and Leicester City are added into the mix, along with the second-leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final against AS Roma. Should the Red Devils progress past the Serie A outfit, Solskjaer will also have the Europa League final to consider on the 26th May where they will be required to travel to Gdansk in Ukraine.

The only free weekend for the Red Devils is the 15th or 16th of May, however, this could cause serious problems for the team in the fact that they could potentially be forced to play seven fixtures in just 20 days.

It goes without saying that this packed calendar could cause some complications for Solskjaer in relation to injuries and fatigue.

So whilst it remains to be seen when the fixture between the Red Devils and Liverpool will actually be played, it will certainly be a worry for United going forwards for the remainder of the campaign as wherever it get squeezed into the calendar, it won’t come at an ideal time at all.

AND in more news, read which current Red Devil has given the club a huge boost…

The Gunners drew with relegation-threatened Southampton to leave Manchester City firmly in the driving seat for the title

Arsenal struck twice in the final few minutes but could only draw 3-3 with relegation threatened Southampton as they let two more crucial points slip away in the Premier League title race.

A horrendous error by Aaron Ramsdale gifted Carlos Alcaraz the opening goal inside 30 seconds and things got even worse for the home side Theo Walcott doubled the visitors' lead after just 14 minutes.

Gabriel Martinelli reduced the deficit, but a Duje Caleta-Car header midway through the second half looked to have won the game for Southampton.

Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal some hope with a curled finish two minutes from time, however, before Bukayo Saka pounced from close range to equalise.

Arsenal had eight stoppage time minutes to try and grab a winner, but they couldn't find a way through, with Leandro Trossard coming closest when his shot clipped the crossbar.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium.

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Aaron Ramsdale (4/10):

  Horror moment after just 25 seconds. Set the tone for such a nervy display.

  Ben White (6/10):

  Probably Arsenal's best defender on the night. Had one header cleared off the line.

  Rob Holding (5/10):

  Slow in possession at times. Won his aerial battles well.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (5/10):

  Looks very nervy without Saliba next to him.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko (5/10):

  Not at his best. Lacked composure.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Thomas Partey (5/10):

  A bit isolated without Xhaka in the team. Couldn't get control.

  Fabio Vieira (3/10):

  No impact at all, replaced before the hour mark.

  Martin Odegaard (5/10):

  Lacked his usual quality to make something happen until he curled home the goal to spark the late fightback.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  Set up Martinelli's goal and always looked the most likely to make something happen. Was alert to make it 3-3.

  Gabriel Jesus (5/10):

  Missed a great chance in the second half.

  Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

  Along with Saka, the only real bright spark on the night for Arsenal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  Leandro Trossard (6/10):

  So close to scoring the winner in stoppage time.

  Eddie Nketiah (5/10):

  Gave Southampton something else to think about.

  Reiss Nelson (6/10):

  Very bright late cameo.

  Mikel Arteta (4/10):

  Bad night for the Arsenal manager. His players were poor and his decision to start Vieira backfired.

Watford are plotting a move for Inter Milan’s Ashley Young this summer, according to reports.

What’s been said?

A recent report by Football League World has claimed that sources have released Xisco Munoz’s plans to bring Young back to the club where he started his footballing career, with an offer believed to be in the process of being lodged with the Serie A side.

The report also states that the 35-year-old is interested in the switch back to his old club, who have recently secured their immediate return to the Premier League after being relegated last season.

Past his best

Regardless of how romantic a summer return to Watford would be for Young, there are a considerable amount of reasons why a move for the left midfielder, who Paul Scholes once dubbed as “embarrassing”, simply would not make sense for the club.

Firstly, with Young edging closer and closer towards the end of his career as a footballer, the signing of the 35-year-old would not exactly be a move that screams of the Hornets planning for the long-term, as Young is not likely to have too many seasons remaining at the top of his game.

Secondly, with the former Aston Villa man reported to be on a whopping £91,000-per-week in Italy, if the midfielder were to demand a salary anywhere near this amount of money in a potential switch to Watford, he would comfortably become the club’s highest earner – something that is not likely to please a number of the current squad.

Furthermore, with a number of options already in the Watford side who can comfortably operate along the left-hand side of the pitch, there does not particularly appear a real need to sign Young – particularly when considering how much the midfielder would cost the Hornets in wages.

As such, it would be highly advisable for Xisco to turn his gaze away from a summer move for Young, and rather concentrate on building a team that is capable of surviving in the Premier League on a long-term basis.

In other news: Bye-bye Deeney: Journalist drops transfer news on “magnificent” ace Watford must land – opinion