EXCL: Southgate Man Utd TRUTH, Liverpool CB plans and Lijnders exit certain, big race to sign Arsenal forward, Iling-Junior decision soon & more

Today's exclusive column, featuring Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and much more...

Liverpool centre-back targets will depend on new manager, plus Pep Lijnders on Ajax list

I reported a few months ago that Liverpool would start speaking with agents to explore the centre-backs market for the summer, but there’s still no major update here for now.

It’s not time for concrete names yet, as again the crucial part will be Liverpool’s next manager. We have to wait for the coach to understand who’s the player they want, how much they want to invest on that position - Liverpool have always involved the manager in their transfer plans.

And speaking of managers, Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has emerged as one of the candidates to be the new Ajax manager for next season. Lijnders is under consideration at the club, but still waiting on a decision. For sure, he will be leaving Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp - he’s not staying on beyond the end of this season.