Bradford City defeated League One team Notts County in the first round, their victory coming in extra time through a James Hanson goal.
Bradford’s second round tie was against Championship side Watford, who went ahead after a 71st minute goal from Ikechi Anya. Bradford scored, first through Kyel Reid’s 84th minute equaliser, and then found a winner through Garry Thompson in injury-time.
Fellow League Two side Burton Albion played Bradford in the third round. Bradford were behind by two goals for the majority of the match, but Bermudian international Nahki Wells scored twice in the last ten minutes, taking the game into extra time. Stephen Darby scored the winning goal in the 115th minute. The victory put Bradford into the last 16 of the competition for the first time in 24 years.
Bradford were drawn against Wigan Athletic of the Premier League in the fourth round. The match was goalless after 90 minutes and also after extra time, resulting in a penalty shoot-out. Bradford won the shoot-out 4–2 with successful penalties from Nathan Doyle, Gary Jones, Stephen Darby and Alan Connell. It was the first time Bradford had knocked a Premiership club out of the competition since they defeated Nottingham Forest in September 1995.
Bradford’s quarter-final victory over Arsenal of the Premier League at Valley Parade was also decided on penalties, after the match finished 1–1 during regulation time. Garry Thompson put the Bantams in the lead in the 16th minute, but the Gunners found an equaliser through Thomas Vermaelen in the 88th minute. Nathan Doyle, Gary Jones and Alan Connell all successfully converted their penalties for Bradford, who won 3–2 on penalties and recorded a historic victory over Premier League high-flyers Arsenal.
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In the semi-final first leg against Premier League Aston Villa, Nahki Wells gave Bradford the lead after 20 minutes and Rory McArdle scored in the 77th minute. Andreas Weimann scored for Aston Villa in the 82nd minute, but Carl McHugh restored Bradford’s two-goal lead in the 87th after heading home Gary Jones’ corner. Aston Villa won the second leg 2–1, but Bradford won 4–3 on aggregate. Christian Benteke put Aston Villa ahead in the 24th minute, before Bradford’s James Hanson levelled in the 55th minute. Andreas Weimann scored an 89th minute goal for Aston Villa to win the game for the Villans but it was not enough to overturn their aggregate deficit. With three Premier League scalps now claimed, Bradford City look forward to an epic clash with Swansea City at Wembley on the 24th February.
The proverb has it that every cloud has a silver lining, but if you’re a Tottenham Hotspur fan, bar a spot in the next quarter finals of the Europa League you can’t imagine there was an awful lot of positives to take out of last night’s 4-1 mauling at the hands of Inter Milan.
Indeed, the train wreck that was Spurs’ hammering at the hands of Andrea Stramaccioni’s side was a chastising experience for all involved, with not a single Spurs player – or their manager, for that matter – coming out blemish-free from the San Siro.
Yet within the grander context of Spurs’ season, last night’s defeat marked only the third time this season that Andre Villas-Boas’ side have lost more than once on the spin, following their 3-2 loss at the hands of Liverpool last Sunday. And as we head in towards the final push of the 2012-13 campaign, that might be more of a blessing, rather than a curse.
Because in recent weeks, for a team that have traditionally been plagued inconsistency, Spurs have begun to develop an incredibly uncharacteristic steel to their performances.
It’s not very often supporters have been able to lay claim to an unbeaten run that’s stretched into double figures within the league, but when Tottenham fans claim to have not been able to remember a time when the side last showed such remarkable resilience, they weren’t joking by any means – defeat at Anfield on Sunday saw the end of a 12 game unbeaten streak; a club record within the Premier League era.
Now while it might seem naïve to suggest that supporters were getting carried away with recent events on the white side of North London, for all the new found confidence and resilience that might have been forged out of this recent run, a lot can be said for looking to keep one’s feet on the ground.
It may sound strange, but for as vitally important as that 12 game unbeaten run has been to the club, it’s the recent couple of losses that could prove to be just as important in propelling them towards achieving success both at home and abroad.
Following the 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the recent North London derby, it’s difficult to remember a time when confidence had risen quite so high within the Spurs camp. A fitting reminder would perhaps lie within the 10 point gap they amassed – only to blow it come the end of the season – over the Gunners last term. But if patience is short within the beautiful game then memories are even shorter and the side’s recent success under Villas-Boas has done an awful lot exorcise the demons that resided after last season’s self-destruction.
Although even if last season’s scorching experiences have felt somewhat distant to supporters, then the last seven days should serve as a genteel reminder that the job is far from finished this season.
Contrary to popular belief, Tottenham aren’t Champions League qualifiers-elect within the Premier League and to a slightly lesser extent, their name most definitely isn’t on the Europa League trophy, either.
The sight of Arsene Wenger’s men trudging off at White Hart Lane looking like beaten men catalyzed a cascade of headlines crowning Spurs as the new top dogs in the north of the capital and further still, perhaps even the kings of London all together come the end of the season.
Seven days later however, and should both Chelsea and Arsenal win their games in hand, then they can end up placing one point ahead and four points behind Spurs respectively. With only nine games to play in the Premier League, there’s still the capacity for plenty more fluctuation and everyone from those on the pitch to those sitting in the stands would do well to remember that.
And within the nature of both the defeats to Liverpool and Internazionale, Spurs were handed a fitting reminder that there is simply no room for complacency or sloppy error – both within the playing staff and the management.
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The feeling after the defeat at Liverpool was that the pain of the defeat was eased as a result of their downfall being mainly induced by a couple of one-off individual errors, as opposed to being systematically outplayed. But regardless of a seven-point gap or not, there is never any breathing space in this league and the 3-2 loss served as a chastising reminder of that. Before kick-off, they were shoo-ins for the top four. 90 minutes later and they’re back to where they started before they kicked off against Arsenal.
Within the Inter defeat, too, for as much maturity and adaptability that Andre Villas-Boas has shown this season, to turn up the San Siro and set the side up the way he did – regardless of the aggregate score – was incredibly naïve. The four goals that i Neazurri put past Brad Friedelwere a brutal reminder of how quickly fortunes can fade and with Spurs having conceded seven goals in two games, the onus will now be on the Portuguese to shore up a rearguard that’s not without its faults.
But far from feeling overly dejected after the last two games, the fact remains that despite the nature of the defeats, Tottenham still remain well on course to achieve both a top four finish and a run to the final stages of the Europa League.
The last week might not be one fondly remembered for its results, but should it give Spurs the shot in the arm they require to try and get back on the horse and rack up another unbeaten one, it could prove to be one of the most poignant of the entire campaign.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has confessed that he could leave the club this summer in search of Champions League football.
The Uruguayan international has been in fine form for the Reds this season, netting an impressive 29 goals in all competitions.
Naturally, this tally has alerted a number of Europe’s top clubs, including Juventus, who could be willing to make big money moves for his signature this summer.
With Liverpool unlikely to be able Suarez regular Champions League football in the immediate future, the 26-year-old has confessed that he may look to move on to further his career:
“A player’s ambition is always there, the ambition of wanting to play in elite teams is always there.” He is quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
“If another team comes around with more prospects of competing in international club competition games, which is willing to have me, they are welcome.
“We would talk to the club, we would see if I want to go, if I don’t want to go.”
Suarez only committed to a long-term contract at Anfield last summer, ending speculation if a move away from Merseyside.
Despite suggesting he could move on at the end of the current campaign, the South American did state that he is happy at Liverpool and that he feels the club are heading in the right direction:
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“I am very happy at Liverpool but you never know in football,
“I’m in a world-class team, an elite team like Liverpool. We have to realise we have a new manager who is imposing a philosophy and a way of playing that the players are adapting to as best we can. We hope that it will bear fruit next year.”
Manchester United are setting their sights on a deal for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as a possible replacement for Wayne Rooney, according to the Sun.
Benzema could be one of new manager David Moyes’ first signings in the summer if Rooney gets his way and forces through a switch out of the club.
United have had a long-standing interest in the French international and actually tried to sign him from Lyon for £35m prior to his transfer to Real in 2009.
It’s believed the Premier League champions will listen to offers for Rooney starting at the £25m mark, and if he can be sold those funds will be reinvested immediately to secure the signature of a new forward such as Benzema.
Nothing will be decided on the England international’s future until Moyes takes up office at Old Trafford following his appointment as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor.
It had been suggested in some quarters that Rooney was against the idea of working with the Scot again after a falling out between the pair during their time together at Everton.
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Rooney made some derogatory comments about Moyes in his autobiography, but that rift was healed some time ago, with the incoming United boss praising the forward’s maturity after the man who gave him his debut as a 16-year-old received a call of apology.
Dortmund faced a tricky Last 16 first leg away to Shakhtar Donetsk made all the more difficult by a league position that saw them go into the Champions` League away leg a massive 17 points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. To add psychological insult to injury the weekend before Dortmund went to the Ukraine they lost to Bayern in the German cup.
The game began at a high tempo although the earliest highlight, if it could be called that, was a mammoth Reus run up to a free-kick whereby the journey was more remarkable than the arrival as the German Footballer of the Year lifted his weak 30 yard effort into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper.
Mats Hummels had the best chance of the opening spell but planted his eight yard header against the bar when it did seem easier to score than miss.
The remarkable feature of a cut and thrust game was the rare run around Donetsk were subject to on their own pitch. However the Ukrainian side stuck at it and although they grew into the game they still lacked the zip of their opponents.
But who needs zip when you can convert the kind of free-kick Darjo Srna did, just past the half hour. From 25 yards the Shakhtar man whipped a superb curler over the wall and into the goal plumb centre.
Buoyed by their lead Donetsk continued to press Dortmund but it was the visitors who struck next with a rather fortuitous equaliser.
Goetze fired in a cross and Lewandowki produced the kind of fresh air shot that embarrasses players in end of season DVDs. The Pole though may claim it was intentional because both Donestsk centre backs were drawn into a `ghost block` and by the time they realised they had been duped the Dortmund striker had lashed home the equaliser.
On the hour Shakhtar surprisingly replaced the impressive Taison with Costa. Seven minutes later the substitute justified his insertion to put the home side 2-1 up though the defending was not from the German handbook of defensive play.
Both Dortmund centre backs hesitated when a long ball was played towards their goal and Costa, after one superb touch smashed home from 12 yards.
No one, with a German passport could have complained had the score remained 2-1 but with five minutes remaining Hummels made up for a less than convincing evening`s work by heading home to make it 2-2.
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Dortmund`s open, free style football was easy on the eye as they completed the job at home. Santana powered home a header to put the German side ahead on aggregate and from there on in, a couple of Donetsk chances apart, it was plain sailing.
Gotze scored the second with a tap in and Jacob Blaszczykowki, in less time than it takes to write his name capitalised on a fumble by the Donetsk goalkeeper Pyatov to complete a 5-2 aggregate win and set up a quarter final with Malaga.
Marseille manager Elie Baup has said Andre Ayew will not leave the Stade Velodrome, despite interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, The Express reports.
Ayew has been strongly linked with a Premier League move this summer after clashing with Baup over his desire to play as a central striker.
But Baup, who has preferred deploying Ayew out wide, has spoken out on the issue, backed by Marseille president Vincent Labrune.
“Let me be clear: I am counting on all the players who are here,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of Ayew playing through the middle, he added: “Who has promised to change our structure? Certainly not me.”
Ayew himself spoke last month about his desire to play in the Premier League, particularly at Anfield.
“The English league would be a dream,” he said.
“It is the most followed league in Ghana so, yes, I have a big preference for England.
“I’ve always supported Liverpool.”
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With Baup and Ayew’s turbulent relationship set to continue, Premier League sides tracking the 23-year-old Ghanaian will not see reason to stop doing so.
Ayew, who reportedly was the subject of a £5million bid from Arsenal in 2010, scored ten goals in 39 appearances last season, taking his overall record at Marseille to 148 games played and 41 goals scored.
It’s safe to say that it hasn’t been an easy start for David Moyes at Manchester United. The Red Devils have already lost nearly half the Premier League games they did last season, and we aren’t even at the end of October.
Granted, the Scot has faced a series of incredibly tough fixtures, taking on Swansea, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the opening five weeks of the new campaign, but all the United boss has proved so far during his Old Trafford tenure is that Sir Alex Ferguson is an almost impossible act to follow.
Of course, it doesn’t take the brain power of Steven Hawking to realise that a 13-time Premier League title-winning manager would be irreplaceable, but many expected the former Everton manager to have made better progress.
The theory was at the start of the summer that Manchester United’s talented squad, who claimed the English accolade last season, along with the club’s monolithic infrastructure and efficiency off the pitch would be able to withstand losing such an iconic manager, even if his replacement bared no particular experience at title-winning or even Champions League level.
But the transition process hasn’t quite gone to plan, as the Red Devils find themselves in 9th place with 10 points after seven games, and the performances have been almost as disturbing as the results.
So what is it that the reining Premier League champions are missing exactly without Ferguson at the helm? They have the same title-winning squad as last season, with the added midfield influence of Marouane Fellaini, and although the Scot’s talents are well-known, he’s hardly been the most hands-on manager over the last few years.
Joey Barton even quipped in a recent meeting with the press that Ferguson ‘couldn’t put on a training session to save his life’, and although few United fans would pay attention to the words of a controversial midfielder who has spent the majority of his footballing career with the noisy neighbours and can’t even claim first-hand experience on the issue, it’s by no means the first story we’ve heard to suggest the Scot’s role significantly reduced in the latter stages of his managerial tenure.
Yet, Jamie Carragher believes the former gaffer was still worth in excess of ten points per season, for his ability to pressurise referees, galvanise his players and wind-up the opposition. An interesting valuation considering the Red Devils have dropped eleven points so far this year.
More than anything else however, or any particular positive managerial attribute to Ferguson’s name, I believe it’s the psychological edge over opponents Ferguson, or rather Ferguson’s image, provided that the Red Devils are suddenly missing this season.
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With a Ferguson side, you knew exactly what you were getting, because it was what the man came to symbolise over the years; work-rate and hustle for a full ninety minutes, an aggressive determination to succeed, and the confidence that they could beat any opponent, big or small, and overcome any burden to recover from a losing position.
The combination provided a fear factor the Red Devils, just as the famous ‘hairdryer treatment’ did for Ferguson’s players, a kind a preceding reputation, a myth of monolithic dominance, that insisted upon their opponents to play in a more negative and cautious manner to accommodate for it.
But now, for the first time in the best part of twenty years, United’s ability to overcome any endeavour has seriously come into the question, as has their in-build determination, and as a result, other Premier League clubs have simply stopped being scared of them. As West Brom proved a few weeks ago, if you go to Old Trafford positively and well-prepared, without getting caught up in Manchester United’s tradition of success, then you can claim results, and other clubs are now beginning to follow suit.
And it’s not simply a case of what goes on during any particular match-day -Ferguson’s image of a man who should be feared, and subsequently United’s as a club that should be feared, was constantly maintained in the media and by pundits, as well as being a rather self-fulfilling phenomena.
Now however, we’ve already seen a wealth of criticism from the British press over Moyes’ failed transfer pursuits in the summer, not to mention his side’s performances on the pitch. If Sir Alex had made just a single addition to a title-winning squad, nobody would have batted an eye-lid. Similarly, if the Red Devils had started the season in such poor form with Moyes’s predecessor still at the helm, they would have undoubtedly been tipped to bounce back in the title race, rather than suddenly fade away.
It’s this psychological edge that Moyes must somehow try to reaffirm if he’s to make a success of his Manchester United tenure. It will be no easy feat, considering Ferguson’s powerful image was a cumulative effect of his maintained managerial successes over the years.
But if he can’t do it via results, there are other ways too. Ferguson regularly criticised referees and the press to put pressure on them, which was yet another showing of the Scot’s entrenched desire to succeed, and something Moyes should strongly consider replicating.
So far, we’ve seen the United boss criticise the FA’s schedulers by alluding the tough start to his Old Trafford career in terms of fixtures could only have been a product of design rather than fate, but we need to witness further aggression and temper from Ferguson’s successor in the public eye.
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That being said, the Ferguson mark 2 act won’t be convincing without results – in fact, it could have the adverse effect – and although United’s performances have a long way to go before they start living up to the dominant displays that further helped provide the Red Devils’ fearsome image, the impetus over the next few weeks must be to claim as many wins as possible, and put notions that the United have become a soft touch over the course of the summer to bed.
Moyes has a great opportunity to do so however now that his difficult start in the Premier League is out of the way. Regular giant-killers Southampton may prove an issue, but after facing the Saints at Old Trafford this weekend, the English champions take on Stoke, Fulham and Norwich over the next month, which is a more than ample enough opportunity for Moyes to re-instate his side’s dominance and monolithic reputation.
Is it Sir Alex Ferguson’s psychological edge Manchester United are missing most?
side host Norwich City in the Capital One Cup at Old Trafford in yet another crucial game for David Moyes.
Moyes has enjoyed an indifferent start to life as United boss and he of all people realises how important it is to win silverware in his first season at the club.
After narrowly edging past Stoke City on Saturday, the United faithful will no doubt demand a comprehensive victory here against a Canaries side who are not just struggling for goals, but also form in general.
But Norwich can take hope in the fact that they have never lost a League Cup fixture against United, winning two and drawing one, while they have netted a combined nine goals in the previous rounds of this competition this season.
However, United’s home form in this competition is strong with just one loss from their last eleven at Old Trafford, which doesn’t make pretty reading for Norwich who have failed to win a match at Old Trafford in any competition since 1989.
Despite Moyes’ need for silverware and the fact that that the Capital One Cup looks like a golden opportunity to do so this season, he is still expected to rest some big names on Tuesday night. Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney are likely to sit this one out, paving the way for Saturday’s match-winner Javier Hernandez to get the nod up-front. Wilfried Zaha may also start to United, with the England U21 star hoping to impress Moyes in order to earn a chance to play a part in the Premier League.
Considering Hughton’s need to get the Canaries’ league form back on track, he is expected to make a host of changes to his side. Ricky van Wolfswinkel will definitely miss out due to a toe injury, Johan Elmander and Gary Hooper fighting for a starting spot, although Hooper looks a more likely choice after impressing with a match winning brace in the previous round against Watford.
David Moyes knew how much pressure the United job came with, but he will not have expected to be under so much pressure from the fans so soon in to his Old Trafford career, which makes winning this tie more important than it perhaps would have been normally.
Hughton will not want to see he side roll over for United and will, of course, welcome an upset here. And he will telling his players to take a leaf out of Swansea and Bradford’s books from last season after they both caused big upsets to reach the Capital One Cup last season.
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Fulham travelled to the KC Stadium this afternoon to take on Hull City, and considering both clubs are out to avoid relegation this season, you’d be forgiven for expecting a simple scoreless draw.
Especially after the first 45 minutes, where the only considerable action to speak of was a series of relatively tame free kicks from Tom Huddlestone. Both sides went in at half-time without finding the scoresheet, or even significantly threatening to.
But the Tigers quickly upped the ante after the interval, instigated by a 49 minute goal from wing-back Ahmed Elmohamady. A Huddlestone corner fell loose in the box, allowing the Egyptian to swivel and volley the ball into the net from around 12 yards.
Fulham’s David Stockdale was then beaten again ten minutes later, as Robert Koren went unchallenged to get on the end of a low and hard Yannick Sagbo cross and calmly find the net.
George Boyd then got in on the action a matter of minutes later, soon followed by Tom Huddlestone, who will be booking an appointment at the barbers after finding his first goal in 52 games in the 67th minute, making it four goals for Hull without reply. The former England midfielder amused fans with his unique hair-cutting celebration.
With the flood-gates now opened and the Cottagers sinking without a trace, substitute striker Matty Fryatt got the fifth for the KC outfit, pouncing on a rebound from another Huddlestone free-kick which Stockdale initially did well to push onto the woodwork.
The thumping was then finished off by Robert Koren, who got his second goal of the game and the season in the 84th minute after the Fulham ‘keeper failed to deal with a Hull cross, leaving the midfielder to bundle the ball into an open goal.
Manager Steve Bruce will be ecstatic with the result and the performance, with the 6-0 romping pushing Hull into the top half of the Premier League table, at least until Stoke City play tomorrow afternoon. Fulham on the other hand, are still in the relegation zone, and now have the worst goal difference (-22) in the division.
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Appearing as a substitute in Sevilla’s 4-1 victory over Espanyol at the weekend, Ivan Rakitic delivered another impressive performance and notched his 12th La Liga goal of the season.
With the Croatian’s contract expiring in 2015 and discussions yet to produce a new deal, competition is likely to be fierce for the signature of one of European football’s hottest properties. From the Premier League, Liverpool and Manchester United should be preparing to do battle in the summer over the Croatian attacking midfielder.
Sevilla President Jose Castro has recently rubbished rumours linking Rakitic with a move to Real Madrid and would be loathe to lose his club captain having sold Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo last summer. Speculation unsurprisngly intensified in the wake of the Croatian’s performance in the club’s recent victory over Madrid and that outrageous flick over Pepe.
Having recorded ten assists so far, Rakitic is one of only four in La Liga this season to have recorded double figure totals for both goals and assists. Sevilla’s captain was named Player of the Month for January and the time is now for the Croatian to establish himself at one of Europe’s elite sides.
Available for an affordable fee, Liverpool and United should be the Premier League sides most desperately jostling for the player’s signature. Both clubs would surely be viewed as attractive propositions and each would benefit enormously from the potential addition of the playmaker to their ranks.
Considering Liverpool’s free scoring nature, it may seem odd to suggest that the Merseysiders are in need of any more attacking talent. Whilst the ‘SAS’ partnership of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez has delivered beyond all reasonable expectations, the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling have all pitched in with crucial goals. Brendan Rodgers has been able to seamlessly switch between numerous formations and still maintain his side’s goalscoring threat.
But beyond the usual suspects, Liverpool’s depth of options in an attacking sense have flattered to deceive. The likes of Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas and Victor Moses have all failed to make an impact in their time at Anfield.
Without the hardships of European football, Liverpool have been fortunate to avoid injuries to any of their key attacking personnel. But with Champions League football beckoning, Rodgers will know that squad strengthening in the summer will be required.
Having been utilised in several central midfield roles, Rakitic possesses the talent and versatility to flourish at Anfield. A confident passer who regularly shows for the ball and is physically strong, the Croatian could effortlessly slot into any of Rodgers’ formations. The signing of the Sevilla captain would significantly strengthen Liverpool’s attacking options and provide valuable competition for the likes of Coutinho and Henderson.
Unlike their free-scoring adversaries, United have been far more inconsistent in the final third. Injury has deprived David Moyes of the services of star striker Robin Van Persie for much of the season. Juan Mata has flourished recently when deployed in his favoured central role, but too often United have unsuccessfully focused their efforts from the wide areas.
With Shinji Kagawa seemingly unable to convince Moyes of his merits as a playmaker, the Red Devils’ creativity through the middle is limited beyond the club’s record signing. Tom Cleverley has failed to make any real impact in the final third and Marouane Fellaini has struggled to convince since making the move to Old Trafford.
A midfielder in Rakitic’s mould is desperately required at Old Trafford. Averaging 2.3 key passes per match according to Who Scored, the Croatian would provide a much needed goal threat and incisive presence from any of the central positions. Moyes should be considering the Croatian as one of many that United should move for in a summer rebuild.
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Out of the Premier League’s elite, Liverpool and United are the clubs that would benefit most from the potential signing of Rakitic. Unsurprisingly, they have both been linked with moves throughout the course of the season.
At the end of the day, Sevilla’s captain could quite possibly choose to extend his contract at the club or make the move to either Atletico Madrid, Barcelona or Real. But if Rakitic decides that the Premier League is his next destination, Liverpool and United should be jostling to head the queue for his signature.