Why Ben White is not in England squad despite impressive Arsenal form

England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed Ben White asked not to be considered for selection for his latest squad.

Southgate confirmed his final squad before Euro 2024 on Thursday and there was no sign of White, whose excellent form at club level for Arsenal earned him a new contract earlier in the day.

White’s omission was put to Southgate after the squad was announced and the England manager revealed that White had asked not to be involved.

“It’s absolutely the question you should ask because on form, I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in,” Southgate began. “We had a call from [Arsenal sporting director] Edu saying Ben didn’t want to be considered for England at this time.

“It’s a great shame, he’s a player I really like. I spoke to him post-Qatar because I was keen to pick him and there was reticence on his side. I don’t know why that is but I have to respect that and I want to leave the door open to him.”

White was part of the England squad for the 2022 World Cup but left camp after just two group games because of “personal reasons”. Reports of a bust-up with assistant manager Steve Holland have been denied.

“The other thing I would say is there’s no issue between us at all and never any issue with Steve Holland because that has been mentioned and I don’t like that,” Southgate insisted.

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White left the 2022 World Cup early / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

The boss continued: “I have to respect it. He’s not the first player that hasn’t wanted to be available for selection so I’ve always tried to protect them because I want the door to be open, even though I’m the one that gets it in the neck for not picking them.

“You have to allow them time to come through, We’ve had young players that don’t feel comfortable coming away with England so there can be all sorts of reasons for that.

“We should respect that. I repeat that he’s playing very well.”

England face Brazil and Belgium across the international break before club football returns for the final weekend of March. For Arsenal, a trip to Manchester City on March 31 is on the cards.

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Gareth Southgate explains why Kobbie Mainoo did not receive England call-up

Gareth Southgate has insisted Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is yet to pick up the experience necessary to make the jump to the senior England team.

The 18-year-old midfielder has quickly blossomed into one of Erik ten Hag’s most trusted players at United, picking up 14 Premier League stars across his 22 appearances for United this season, and many fans were keen to see Mainoo rewarded with a spot in Southgate’s England squad for the March international break.

However, the England boss decided against selecting Mainoo, insisting the youngster needs more time to develop before being handed his first call-up.

“I think that he’s doing brilliantly for a young player and we’re never slow to put a young player into seniors,” Southgate said. “But he’s only had a handful of games and you have to be very careful development-wise in making those decisions at the right time.

“So we think ideally, we should allow him that space to develop at his own speed. He’s not at the point in terms of number of games that Jude [Bellingham] and Bukayo [Saka] were when they came in for the first time.

“But I repeat: he’s doing really well for a young player. He’s a good footballer – you can see that. And he’s getting some fabulous experience with Manchester United at the moment. And he looks a really good character.”

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Stay up to date with the latest Manchester United news / Visionhaus / Getty Images

Mainoo’s total of 22 appearances at club level is fewer than half of the 45 Bukayo Saka racked up with Arsenal before his England debut, while Bellingham had over 50 games for Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund before his first call-up.

With this being the final squad selection before Euro 2024, Mainoo’s chances of making the tournament now appear incredibly slim.

One concern for Southgate could be Ghana’s public pursuit of Mainoo. Ghana executive Randy Abbey recently told The Times: “The Ghana Football Association is interested in monitoring, attracting, and persuading all eligible talents for its various national teams. Kobbie is definitely one of such incredible talents, and the Association will love to work with him and many like him at home and abroad.”

Mainoo has never represented Ghana, instead spending his youth career with England from Under-17 up to Under-19 level.

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Tottenham target reveals ‘dream’ to join Man Utd

Fenerbahce midfielder Ismail Yuksek, who has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, has admitted he dreams of joining Manchester United.

Reports in Turkey recently claimed Spurs officials are chasing Yuksek and will scout the 25-year-old in Thursday’s Europa Conference League clash ahead of a summer transfer window which could see Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leave the club.

During a recent event, Yuksek was asked what the future holds for him and the midfielder, who plays alongside former United star Fred, did not shy away from discussing his desire to move to Old Trafford.

“The club I would like to go to in Europe is Manchester United, my childhood dream.” he confessed (via TRT Spor).

“What is important is the right time, the right conditions and the system in which they play. My adaptation process there is also very important.”

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Yuksek lines up alongside Fred / LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/GettyImages

United may find themselves on the hunt for a new defensive midfielder if Casemiro leaves the club. 90min understands the veteran Brazilian is a target for Saudi Arabian clubs and could be sold at the right price.

However, any move for Yuksek could be rivalled by Tottenham. Spurs have been on the hunt for a new midfielder for months now, with their pursuit of Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher expected to continue this summer if the England international has not signed a new contract.

Further reinforcements could be needed if Hojbjerg leaves. The Dane has interest from mainland Europe and, after struggling for minutes under Ange Postecoglou, is expected to evaluate his options at the end of the season.

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How Liverpool brought Michael Edwards back and why he wants Richard Hughes as his sporting director

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) confirmed the appointment of Michael Edwards as their CEO of Football on Tuesday.

Edwards will not only play a leading role at Liverpool, but has wider responsibilities including acquiring and running a second club as they branch into a multi-club model.

So what prompted Edwards to return to Liverpool after leaving at the end of an 11-year stint back in 2022? What does this mean for their sporting director vacancy? Will stars on expiring contracts be more likely to stay under this new regime?

90min has you covered…

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Many of Liverpool’s title winners were signed under Edwards’ previous regime / PHIL NOBLE/GettyImages

Liverpool first hired Edwards as their chief analyst back in November 2011, joining from Tottenham Hotspur where he held the same role. His job title changed to head of methodology in 2013, switched to the technical director role two years later and then became sporting director in 2016.

Overseeing the club’s recruitment, Edwards was widely heralded as a transfer guru, masterminding the signings of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane to name a few. This nucleus would end up winning several major trophies together, including the Champions League in 2019 and Premier League in 2020.

Edwards stepped down in 2022 to first take a break and then become the non-executive director of sports advisory business Ludonautics, set up alongside former Liverpool colleague Ian Graham.

After leaving his Liverpool post, Edwards received various offers to return to football at club level, including a CEO of Football job at Chelsea in 2022. He was actually blown away by that offer, but the timing was all wrong. Manchester United more recently also approached Edwards.

Jurgen KloppJurgen Klopp

Liverpool will enter a new era without Klopp / Michael Regan/GettyImages

Jurgen Klopp confirmed his decision to leave Liverpool to the board in November, but only made this public towards the end of January. The club also knew that short-term sporting director Jorg Schmadtke was standing down at the end of the January transfer window.

FSG recognised they were entering a new era, but wanted to bring about change with a semblance of continuity, and so this is where an approach to Edwards – who enjoyed strong relationships with key personnel such as Dave Fallows (head of recruitment and scouting) and Barry Hunter (chief scout) – came into play. FSG sources refer to re-hiring Edwards as going “back to the future”.

Liverpool made their first approach to Edwards to return as sporting director in early January, a few weeks prior to Klopp’s public confirmation of his exit. He declined, but it quickly became clear the Reds would throw the kitchen sink in order to bring him back somehow.

They did not panic – the club rarely ever do – and sought out face-to-face talks with Edwards. Graham, on behalf of Ludonautics, was attending a conference in Boston, Massachusetts last month, and Edwards decided to tag along, having agreed to meet with FSG chiefs in person.

Edwards again made it clear he would not contemplate a return unless his job was grander than the previous sporting director gig he’d had before. This could have been via an equity stake – although one was never offered – or with a more senior role in the FSG hierarchy.

There were ultimately three key factors which saw Edwards give the green light to FSG – he would return as CEO of Football, a title he craved, and drive recruitment, while he would also be walking back into an environment he’s familiar with and enjoys good relationships.

The challenge of adding a second club to FSG’s portfolio was then the clinching factor. Edwards further admitted in FSG’s statement confirming his return he’s energised by the opportunity to find a new club to invest in.

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Edwards was chief analyst at Portsmouth when he first met Hughes / ben radford/GettyImages

Former Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes is expected to be confirmed as Liverpool’s new sporting director in the coming days, with a deal already agreed.

Liverpool were aware that Edwards would turn to Hughes as his top pick for the role and that his hiring as CEO of Football would come almost as part of a package deal. If Edwards didn’t agree to a return, then Hughes would have almost certainly gone elsewhere – but instead it worked out for all parties in the end and Liverpool have got a two-for-one hire allowing them to now rapidly focus on the search for their next manager.

Edwards and Hughes have been friends for the better part of two decades having initially crossed paths at Portsmouth when Hughes was still a player. They know each other, trust each other and Edwards believes the former Scotland international is the perfect fit for the role.

Another plus point for Hughes is he played in the Premier League and has experience of the top flight at director level, while he is also bilingual having grown up in Italy. By chance, Liverpool’s top managerial target Xabi Alonso shares the same agent as Andoni Iraola, who Hughes helped bring in as Bournemouth’s new manager last summer.

Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah - Winger - Born 1992Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah - Winger - Born 1992

Salah and Van Dijk’s futures remain unclear / Visionhaus/GettyImages

90min reported last month Liverpool wanted to finalise their sporting director situation before moving ahead with appointing a successor to Jurgen Klopp, and so these plans are set to kick into gear. Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso remains the frontrunner.

Edwards and Hughes will also need to make decisions on the futures of several key players whose contracts are winding down – captain Van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and star forward Salah’s deals are up in 2025.

Van Dijk has been coy on his future and it’s likely he’ll wait to see how Liverpool’s evolution plays out some more before deciding his next step, but he may not be done with the Reds just yet.

Salah, who like the Dutchman is now in his thirties, is nonetheless expected to be the subject of another huge bid from the Saudi Pro League this summer, with Al Hilal ready to make an offer in excess of £100m and not too far shy of the £150m total package Al Ittihad offered last summer.

Tying down Alexander-Arnold, whose peak years are still ahead of him, is a top priority. His case is also the most interesting given a new manager, such as the tactically flexible Alonso, could offer him a new role and position in the side, so there may be a new sporting pitch for him to listen to as well.

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Liverpool vs Sparta Prague – Europa League: Preview, predictions and lineups

Liverpool take on Sparta Prague in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 having won 5-1 in the Czech capital.

The Reds have one foot in the quarter-finals following their emphatic display away from home last week. Jurgen Klopp is aiming to complete the ultimate fairytale to round off his tenure on Merseyside, with his side still going strong in three competitions having already won the Carabao Cup.

Arsenal have usurped Liverpool at the top of the Premier League following the weekend’s results, but Klopp’s side impressed in their 1-1 draw with rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

Sparta, meanwhile, endured a wretched week that has seen their status as Czech First League leaders come under scrutiny. After Liverpool battered them, Sparta were beaten 4-0 away at Viktoria Plzen which means their lead at the top has been reduced to a mere point.

Here’s 90min’s preview of Thursday night’s Europa League round of 16 second leg.

Liverpool vs Sparta Prague H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current Form (all competitions)

Liverpool

Sparta Prague

Liverpool 1-1 Man City – 10/03/24

Viktoria Plzen 4-0 Sparta Prague – 10/03/24

Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool – 07/03/24

Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool – 07/03/24

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool – 02/03/24

Sparta Prague 0-0 Slavia Prague – 03/03/24

Liverpool 3-0 Southampton – 28/02/24

Slavia Prague 2-3 Sparta Prague – 28/02/24

Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool – 25/02/24

Slovacko 1-3 Sparta Prague – 25/02/24

Country

TV channel/live stream

United Kingdom

discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports Ultimate, TNT Sports 2

United States

TUDN App, Univision NOW,, TUDN.com, Paramount+, UniMás

Canada

DAZN

Mohamed SalahMohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah has appeared off the bench in Liverpool’s previous two outings / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/GettyImages

Mohamed Salah has made cameo appearances off the bench in Liverpool’s last two outings, and that should continue on Thursday ahead of a likely start against Man Utd on Sunday.

Klopp isn’t expected to welcome back any of the Reds’ injured stars in midweek, with Ibrahima Konate set for a return at Old Trafford.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Alisson, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Ryan Gravenberch, and Ben Doak all remain out for the hosts.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Sparta Prague (4-3-3): Kelleher; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; McConnell, Szoboszlai, Clark; Elliott, Gakpo, Nunez.

The visitors have been plagued by red card woes domestically in recent weeks., but they have no players suspended for Thursday’s trip to Anfield.

Jakub Posek, David Pavelka, and Asger Sorensen are all injury doubts. The latter started at centre-back in the reverse fixture.

Sparta predicted lineup vs Liverpool (3-4-3): Vindahl-Jensen; Vitik, Rynes, Krejci; Preciado, Solbakken, Kairinen, Zeleny; Birmancevic, Kuchta, Haraslin.

Liverpool surrendered chances in the first leg and were bailed out by Caoimhin Kelleher at times in the opening period. However, they’re going to have to surrender a hatful (and some) if they’re to relinquish their advantage on Thursday night.

Sparta could have some joy, as Southampton did in the FA Cup, against what should be a young Liverpool team, but winning at Anfield has proven impossible for every team to visit this season.

Thus, while they might endure one or two hairy moments, the Reds should win pretty comfortably on home soil and sail into the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Sparta Prague

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