Liverpool have handed Premier League rivals Manchester United and Southampton a massive blow by winning the race for French youngster Yasser Larouci, Goal reports.

What’s the word?

Impressing on-trial with Southampton and being scouted by Manchester United, Liverpool have stolen a march on their domestic rivals as the Reds are set to secure the services of Algerian-born French youngster Yasser Larouci.

The attacking midfielder is set for a move after turning down a contract with French Ligue 1 side Le Harves, where he captained the U16’s team, and is tipped to follow in the footsteps of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet- all of whom were developed by the Normandy-based club.

Southampton had the youngster on-trial during December and Jose Mourinho was also keen on the attacking midfielder, who is most effective out-wide and possesses a wealth of pace and strong dribbling abilities.

Why Liverpool?

Shunning Southampton, who have a strong history of developing young talents and handing them first-team opportunities, and also rejecting Manchester United, who’s chances for youngster’s have decreased since Jose Mourinho took charge, Larouci will follow a number of predecessors by moving from Le Havre to Kirkby.

During Gerard Houllier’s reign on Merseyside over a decade ago, Liverpool brought Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec from the French minnows- although they would perhaps not be the best examples, as both failed to succeed at Anfield.

With Le Havre playing a key-role in the developments of Pogba, Mahrez and Payet in recent years, amongst others, Liverpool could have bagged themselves a real gem- but fans will likely have to wait a while before seeing his talents.

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Form dictates that one or both of Arsenal and Liverpool will miss out on the top four. With the two Manchester clubs going from strength to strength and Spurs now free from the stresses of midweek European football, Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp are in a fight to make it into the Champions League next season. They have both fallen dramatically off the pace having been Chelsea’s nearest challengers at the turn of the year.

It is a similar issue that plagues the two teams. Their managers, whether because of limitations in the squad or tactical stubbornness, are unwilling to adapt to their opponent. Arsenal and Liverpool have been sucker-punched too frequently when they have pushed high up the pitch and left acres of space for the opposition. Liverpool cannot break teams down who sit deep in their own third, while Arsenal look all at sea without Laurent Koscielny.

The marked difference between the two, though, is who they have struggled against. Liverpool are unbeaten against the top half of the table this season, with their defeats coming against the sides in the lower half. Arsenal have continued to their stage fright reputation, four of their five league defeats coming against other teams in the top seven. Wenger has a dismal record away from home against his rivals, but Klopp boasts as astonishingly impressive return against fellow top six clubs.

Their respective failings have changed the tone of their seasons. Their Anfield encounter is billed as a top four shootout, when, if we had eyed up the calendar a mere couple of months ago, this was set to be a definitive moment in the title race. But should Manchester United win their game in hand – which is not set to be played for a few weeks – Wenger and Klopp will be left outside the top four.

These two sides met on the opening day, treating us to a Premier League classic. It finished 4-3 to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, which laid down a marker for Liverpool’s season; goal crazy, defensively lax, and never dull. Arsenal built a good run of form from then on, until their inevitable dip midway through the season.

Every meeting between the top six this season has been intense and will be for the rest of the season. The current circumstances of the top six could make this match the most intense yet. Defeat for either could all but spell the end for their chances of the top four, in fact. That additional pressure only makes Liverpool more likely to succeed given their excellent big-game record and Arsenal’s continued difficulty when it matters most.

Wenger will not adapt to limit the threat that Liverpool possess and his German counterpart will play the same way he has all season. Two exciting attacks will have space to play with so much on the line. No side other than Chelsea has scored as many as these two teams this season, and neither manager will be on the back foot for a match they must win: goals and entertainment are guaranteed.

Liverpool are strong favourites, while another limp big-game performance from Arsenal would be further proof that Wenger’s time at the helm is coming to an end. Klopp’s side are suffering from a bizarre weakness, but that quirk becomes something altogether more serious if their form against their top six rivals declines. The Gunners, on the other hand, would have to change a long-running habit to deliver in a crucial away match.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have their own targets for the season, but there is also a mini battle between them on who can finish higher in the Premier League.

The Gunners have dominated that challenge over the past 22 years, with Spurs last ending a season above their North London rivals in 1995.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team came close to reaching the feat last season, but their Premier League title campaign crumbled in the closing stages and following a 5-1 loss to Newcastle United, they dropped to third and Arsenal moved up to second.

As it stands, Spurs are level on 50 points with the Gunners, but a better goal difference puts them in third, while Arsene Wenger’s men are fourth.

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Neither could be separated in November’s Premier League meeting at the Emirates as they played out a 1-1 draw, but their clash at White Hart Lane could prove to be crucial on April 29.

Walker has admitted that finishing above Arsenal would be incredibly pleasing, but he is more focused on winning trophies.

The full-back told the Press Association: 

“To finish above Arsenal would be fantastic but we’re not worried about them. When I first signed I said I wanted to win trophies and I want to do that here before my time is up. I feel the team we have now is perfect. We’ve got the players and the manager to go and do something special.”

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We all know just how good Antoine Griezmann is. There’s no need to reveal that.One of the best attackers in world football, the French international is constantly linked with a move to a ‘bigger’ club than he’s currently at – Atletico Madrid, who have appeared in two of the last three Champions League finals.But even if Atleti have had success recently enough, this season they’re starting to look like things aren’t as rosy as they have been. They may still excel in the Champions League, but there looks to be no chance of repeating their unlikely 2013/14 La Liga triumph.Yet Griezmann is still firing, and this weekend was no different. Two goals in his side’s 3-0 win over Valencia got the juices flowing ahead of next week’s Champions League last 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen – who conceded six goals this weekend – brought his tally to 55 goals for Atletico Madrid since he joined.

That wasn’t the only impressive part of his performance, though. His two goals came from seven shots, showing his value to his side as an attacking force, but he wasn’t just getting on the end of his side’s moves: his three key passes and 90% pass success rate show that he has an all-round ability to his game, making him perfect for whichever team do decide to come in for him.

Jose Mourinho and Manchester United will have liked what they saw, and an Independent exclusive reported in February that he is a transfer target, though just today the same newspaper have claimed that whilst United are still interested, they are moving on to new targets due to the difficulties in signing Griezmann this summer.

Wherever Griezmann plays his football next season, he’s sure to light up the stage.

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While Newcastle United are focusing intently on eight coming games that hold an almost immeasurable magnitude on the complexion of the club’s future, their manager has been linked with a move away.

Such is the standing of Rafa Benitez in European football, seeing the Spaniard touted in the media for other jobs is always going to be a likely occurrence during his tenure on Tyneside, no matter how long or short it turns out to be. Indeed, it’s not even the first time this season he’s been linked with an exit, with both Arsenal and clubs in the Chinese Super League credited with an interest in him of late.

Still, what makes the most recent rumours so interesting are the fact they centre around a potential move to West Ham United. Though their maiden campaign in their new home has been an almighty struggle at times, there’s little doubting the Hammers are an upwardly mobile and ambitious Premier League side geared for success. However, is that really much different to the plans Newcastle have?

Clearly, there was a breakdown in communications between Benitez and top brass at St. James’ Park over the course of the January transfer window. With no one new arriving to aid the promotion push in black and white, the 56-year-old’s long-term future was cast into doubt over a tense start to 2017 in the North East.

However, I’ve previously written about how Mike Ashley has proven willing to back his managers in the top flight, with the Magpies splashing out £50m in the summer of 2015 alone, making them one of the highest spending teams in Europe at the time. In fact, Benitez himself has recently spoken about a ‘bright future’ for the Toon Army and the Chronicle suggests transfer meetings ahead of next season have already been held.

”This is a big club and we can have a very bright future I’m sure. The fans are incredible, the stadium is superb, the staff, everything is in place to allow this club to achieve great things.”

The ‘bigger club’ debate is an age old one and an argument that has no real tangible answer when talking about Newcastle United and West Ham. Clearly, the notion of challenging for the top six in east London is somewhat more readily achievable right now, though the Newcastle project has seemed to appeal to Benitez. Why stay on in charge even in the Championship, if you plan on jumping ship to a team who probably cannot offer you much more than you’re already on?

Granted, the looming figure of Mike Ashley in the boardroom may well complicate matters. While rebuilding Newcastle from the mess the last few years have left them in may be difficult to do with such an inherent distrust of the owner, the fact is, the Sports Direct mogul is always going divide opinion amongst the club’s support.

The reports over Benitez’s future sparked backlash online against Ashley and his boardroom and rightly so. Still, it’s not as if moving to the Irons would mean working under heavenly chairmen.

David Gold and Sullivan have attracted a lot of criticism for their rather public transfer pursuits, leaving egg on their own faces as they chase for a top-level striker led to the signing of Simone Zaza. Also, the fact they are even reportedly considering getting rid of Slaven Bilic after his wonderful first season in charge would suggest they aren’t the most patient bosses in the world.

Benitez’s reputation as gun-for-hire is being lifted at Newcastle, a city in which he is absolutely adored. That seems to appeal to a man who constantly fought battles during his time in charge of Chelsea and Real Madrid, so entering another loveless marriage with West Ham seems like a strange move for the Toon’s beating heart.

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Leeds United will be happy to be back at Elland Road following a disappointing week on the road that has put their play-off spot under threat.

The Whites suffered successive defeats on their travels as they were beaten 1-0 by fellow top six side Reading at the Madejski Stadium last Saturday, before losing 2-0 against Brentford at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

The lack of goals and creativity in those two performances will be a concern for manager Garry Monk, but he knows that his side are stronger at home than they have been away this term having taken 42 of their 69 league points on home turf.

Perhaps low on confidence, beating in-form Preston North End could prove to be something of a challenge.

Simon Grayson’s men are just five points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday – and eight of their weekend opponents – with six matches of the season remaining.

The Lilywhites showed their strength by beating Bristol City 5-0 in midweek, and come into the clash at Elland Road unbeaten in their last five fixtures.

Here are THREE Preston players that could help extend Leeds’ losing run…

Callum Robinson

The 22-year-old only joined Preston on a permanent deal from Aston Villa last summer, but he has probably been one of Preston’s best players this season.

The forward has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 37 Championship appearances this term, he is one to watch at the weekend.

Robinson will come into this clash full of confidence after scoring a brace – as well as winning a penalty – in the 5-0 thrashing of Bristol City in midweek.

Aiden McGeady

The 31-year-old moved to Deepdale on a season-long loan deal from Everton last summer in order to get some regular first-team football, and he has certainly done that under Simon Grayson.

The winger is starting to display some of the form that he has shown previously in his career, and he won the Championship Player of the Month award for February.

After scoring six goals and providing seven assists in 26 league appearances this term, the winger will be one that the Leeds defence need to keep a close eye on at Elland Road.

Tom Barkhuizen

The 23-year-old striker only made his debut for Preston in January after he was released from his contract with Morecambe in November as the League Two outfit hit financial difficulties.

The attacker has scored six goals in just eleven Championship appearances since – including the opener in the 5-0 win against Bristol City during the week – and he will come into the clash at Elland Road brimming with confidence as he looks to help his side snatch a play-off spot.

Toby Alderweireld has told Tottenham Hotspur that he does not want to extend his contract at the club, reports Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

What’s the word?

The reporter has claimed on his personal website that Inter Milan are circling ahead of the summer transfer window.

Alderweireld has three years remaining on his current deal at White Hart Lane, but it is believed that talks over a fresh contract have broken down.

Di Marzio claims that a release clause of £23.4m can be triggered in 2019, and that Inter have made initial enquiries about the defender.

Tottenham have moved quickly over the past nine months to tie down some of their key players to long-term deals, but Alderweireld is one of them who has not yet signed on the dotted line.

Should Spurs be worried?

Not yet. Given that Alderweireld still has three years left on his contract, Tottenham are in a strong negotiating position if other clubs come calling.

If he is reluctant to pen fresh terms at the moment, then it could be a case of his camp trying to squeeze more money out of Tottenham.

From a footballing standpoint, it would be odd for Alderweireld to move on given that he has become a regular starter under Mauricio Pochettino and he is part of a young team that is thriving.

The club are the closest challengers to Premier League leaders Chelsea having cut the gap to just four points with six games left to play.

If the reports are to be believed, then there is no need for Spurs fans to worry about Alderweireld leaving this summer as the rumoured release clause cannot be triggered for another two years.

It’s that time of year again when the nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year awards are announced and everyone moans about why Harry Kane is up for both awards but not Dele Alli.

Who deserves to be crowned the Premier League’s best young player this season, though? Leroy Sane has enjoyed a promising first season in England with Man City, Spurs duo Alli and Kane have been at their usual best while the likes of Burnley’s Michael Keane and Sunderland stopper Jordan Pickford have both been a real breath of fresh air. Romelu Lukaku, believe it or not, is still passes off as a young player despite being around for what seems like forever.

We asked four of our writers who they think deserves the crown…

Chris McMullan – Michael Keane

The thing that differentiates this year’s nominees for the young player award from the main one is that it contains a much more balanced spread of the various contributions different players can make. Attackers, a defender, two creators and even a goalkeeper are included. Fair play. Though you get the feeling one or two will play the role of filling the numbers.

All of these players have been brilliant this season, obviously, but because I can’t elevate one player over all others in some sort of dystopian Miss Premier League contest, I think the award should go to Michael Keane: he has formed part of an outstanding defensive unit which has turned Burnley’s Turf Moor into a fortress, probably kept his unfancied side in the Premier League, and even allowed him to win his first England caps.

If this award is about recognising outstanding contributions rather than salaciously masturbating over the division’s top attackers, then why not give it to Keane?

But it’s not, though, is it?

Christy Malyan – Deli Alli

This kid just gets better and better. His debut season was phenomenal, but Alli has already overshadowed his goal return from last season by six and is now encroaching upon Gerrard and Lampard territory in terms of providing goals from midfield.

It’s not all been plain sailing for the Tottenham sensation this term; he started the campaign poorly and his sending off against Gent was a real low. But the 21-year-old always battles back and it’s that mentality which makes Alli such a special young player.

It also speaks volumes that he arrived at White Hart Lane as a box-to-box midfielder but will finish this season playing almost as a second striker in Spurs’ 3-4-3 set-up.

Matt Law – Dele Alli

Alli is not always the easiest player for opposition supporters to like, but there can be no doubting the 21-year-old’s contribution to Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The England international has 16 goals and five assists in 30 Premier League appearances for Spurs during the 2016-17 campaign, which is even more remarkable when considering his inexperience at this level of football.

The former MK Dons midfielder could become the first player to win this award in consecutive seasons for the first time since Wayne Rooney in 2005 and 2006.

Burnley’s Michael Keane and Manchester City’s Leroy Sane are worth a mention, but Alli has been absolutely vital to another impressive campaign for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

George Blake – Romelu Lukaku

Over the last few years, Romelu Lukaku has slowly been developing into the sort of player that everyone had expected him to be.

Sure, he can have off days and he can be frustrating – but on his day there is simply nobody better in the Premier League.

He has become the talisman for a club that has otherwise struggled at points this season, becoming the catalyst-like figure that his presence on the field has demanded.

The small feat of bagging a remarkable 23 league goals so far – the highest in the league – is proof of his rise, and proof that he has finally reached the level that we expected of him as a teenager.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce dropped the biggest hint yet that he could be ready to offer striker Gabby Agbonlahor a new contract this summer.

The 31-year-old’s current deal at Villa Park is due to run out this summer and it looked as though the attacker would leave the Midlands outfit after being frozen out at the start of the campaign by Roberto Di Matteo.

However, Bruce gave Agbonlahor another chance when he took the helm in October and the forward did his chances of extending his stay no harm at all when he scored the winning goal against arch-rivals Birmingham City last weekend.

Aston Villa supporters were quick to react to the comments from their boss via social media, but they disagree with him and believe that it is time for both parties to go their separate ways.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the news…

As reported in an exclusive by The Scottish Sun, Rangers striker Martyn Waghorn is a target for League One outfit Scunthorpe United this summer.

What’s the story?

Despite being the club’s top scorer this term, Martyn Waghorn isn’t exactly the most popular of players with supporters right now after a series of poor performances for the Light Blues, especially in the recent big matches against Celtic.

They might well the news from The Scottish Sun then, who say that Scunthorpe boss Graham Alexander is keen on signing the 27 year old this summer.

Having just missed out on promotion in the League One play-offs, the paper say Alexander is hoping Waghorn can lead a promotion push next season and was in Glasgow on Wednesday night to scout the striker during the Light Blues’ clash with Aberdeen.

Should they sell?

According to Transfermarkt, Waghorn’s current value sits at £638,000, not an unsubstantial amount for a Rangers that is looking to rebuild significantly over the next few months. Pedro Caixinha needs all the resources he can get and given Waghorn’s ability to be the consistent attacker they need to close the gap on Celtic, selling him would make sense as long as their asking price is met.

The striker has just over 12 months left on his current contract and actually rejected a new contract last year, meaning that his time is likely limited at Ibrox regardless. Maximising value in this situation is the right thing to do and Caixinha should look to bring in more quality in the final third.