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It’s safe to say Anthony Taylor has made a few enemies with his referee performance in last night’s Europa League final.

What’s the latest on Anthony Taylor and Jose Mourinho?

Meeting at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Sevilla played Roma in a scrappy encounter which ended 1-1 after 90 minutes before eventually being settled on penalties after a goalless extra time.

Two fine saves in the shootout from Yassine Bono, allowed Gonzalo Montiel the opportunity to win the tournament for Sevilla.

He actually missed the penalty but referee Taylor was advised by the VAR of an encroachment, and so the Argentine – who also netted the decisive penalty in the World Cup final – scored here at the second attempt to bring the trophy back to Spain yet again.

Throughout the game, however, much of the focus was on the officiating of the Premier League official as he handed out 13 yellow cards – a record for a European final.

Both teams had cause to be upset with the Englishman though. First of all, he failed to spot a possible foul on Ivan Rakitic shortly before Paulo Dybala’s opener.

Fans were furious right after that incident, taking to Twitter to make their feelings known.

Sadly for Taylor, things didn’t get any easier from there as he failed to give some big calls in Roma’s favour either.

Most notably, he failed to award the Serie A side a penalty for this potential handball inside the box.

After the defeat, Jose Mourinho – who had been booked during the game – seemed absolutely enraged with the referee’s display.

Speaking to the press (via Sky Sports), he publically questioned Taylor’s performance saying:

“It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish.

“It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time.”

What’s more, the 60-year-old – who had just lost a European final for the first time in his career – was then spotted in the car park confronting the English official.

It’s certainly a shameful way to take defeat, even if the referee wasn’t at his best on the day. But then again, that’s just classic Mourinho.

Celtic have put Archie Brown on their transfer radar this summer, with a report from The Mail stating that checks have already been made by the club.

Who are Celtic signing this summer?

The 20-year-old has been impressing for Lausanne in Switzerland this season, having now established himself as a first-team regular for the club. He has managed 33 league outings for the side this season and with an added amount of gametime, he has rewarded the side with plenty of goal contributions. He's managed five goals and four assists in the competition this campaign for example, despite playing as a left-back.

It's the highest amount of games that Brown has managed so far over the course of his career, with the player having never previously played regularly at the top level. Prior to moving to Switzerland, his game time came with Derby at youth level and having never broken into their senior line-up, he opted to move countries to get regular football. Having found it – and impressed – it appears there is now interest from the Scottish Premiership in his signature.

It does appear as though there could be an Old Firm battle to sign the player this summer. According to a report from The Mail, Celtic and Rangers are both keeping an eye on Brown and could be part of a tug-of-war to land the defender during the transfer window.

A deal would likely be modest but would still cost seven figures for either club if they did want to add him to their ranks. However, they aren't the only sides keen to do business, with a multitude of other sides also believed to be keeping tabs on the situation.

Who is Archie Brown?

The defender would offer Celtic a versatile option for their backline if they did manage to add him to their ranks, with Brown already having played on the left but also centrally too. He is predominantly a left-back but can also play slightly further forward too as more of a left midfielder.

That has often amounted in goals for the player, although those strikes largely came at reserve level. For example, when pushed further forward, he has scored 17 goals with nine assists over the course of his career in that left midfield position. It shows that Brown has plenty of offensive capabilities if you allow him to get the ball forward.

The Scottish side then would be getting a young player, with an attacking mindset that has proven that he can already score goals and set up teammates at a decent level in Switzerland. If he can carry that over to the Scottish Premiership, then he could be a really good pick-up for the side.

Leeds United could be one of a number of clubs keen on Arsenal loaner Folarin Balogun this summer as they have eyed him 'in the past, journalist Ben Jacobs has suggested.

What's the latest news involving Folarin Balogun?

As per Football Insider, multiple Premier League clubs are keen on signing Balogun this summer following a stellar campaign on loan at Reims, including Brentford, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Everton.

His performances have also made admirers from the continent sit up and take notice ahead of the transfer window, such as RB Leipzig, Marseille, Lyon, Villarreal and Sevilla and it is said that £30 million could be enough to tempt Arsenal into selling the forward.

In 2022/23, the 21-year-old has been in brilliant form, netting 20 goals and laying on three assists in 36 matches across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Journalist Jacobs also told GIVEMESPORT earlier this year that Leeds United had weight up a move for Balogun before, writing in his column: "Keep an eye on Leeds, and potentially Leicester, although now Brendan Rodgers has gone we’ll have to wait and see this summer. First, and most importantly, the Foxes must stay up as well. Everton, Brentford, Frankfurt, Villarreal, Milan, Marseille and Borussia Monchengladbach are among a very long list of clubs keeping tabs on Balogun, But nothing will happen until Arsenal have pitched their own plan to the player."

Now speaking to Football FanCast, Jacobs has suggested that Balogun will have plenty of interested suitors this summer due to his consistent displays.

Jacobs told FFC: "There are just too many players there at this point. I think Arsenal and Balogun have to understand each other. Balogun has just committed to the US Men's National Team and even though the World Cup feels a long way away, he'll be thinking about where he's going to get that regular game time between now and 2026 and that World Cup. There's a fair amount of interest, including from the Premier League, Leeds have looked in the past and Leicester have looked, Wolves have looked and that's just from the Premier League. There's obviously top European clubs, keeping an eye on him as well."

Would Folarin Balogun be a good signing for Leeds United?

Balogun made headlines earlier on this year when he broke a 63-year record after becoming the youngest player to reach 16 goals in his debut season in Ligue 1 since 1960/61.

Most certainly, though, any prospective move to sign Balogun, who has been hailed as "incredible", at Elland Road would be largely contingent on Leeds United maintaining their Premier League status, which is a difficult task, as they are currently in the relegation zone.

As per WhoScored, Balogun has been a constant threat to opposition backlines this term, managing to take an average of 3.4 shots per match in Ligue 1.

FBRef also show that he has managed to provide chances for his teammates and been a reliable presence to link play as a striker, generating 73 successful shot-creating actions.

And, with Patrick Bamford coming under an awful lot of criticism after his penalty miss and guilt edge chance he squandered against Leicester, it certainly appears as if a new striker is a necessity.

Balogun is a bright young star with a big future ahead of him and it's no surprise to see that there is plenty of interest in his services as the transfer window nears.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has reportedly told his club that he wants to join Tottenham Hotspur as Spurs continue their search for a manager.

What's the latest on Slot to Spurs?

The 44-year-old, fresh off his first ever Eredivisie title win, is currently a hot commodity and tactician who has amassed quite a reputation across the channel.

Slot has been revered for his attacking style of play with reports in the last fortnight suggesting he is a frontrunner for the Tottenham job.

The Dutchman joins the likes of Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou and Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as contenders for the Spurs job.

Fabrizio Romano, a reliable transfer journalist, has detailed that the likes of Postecoglou and Amorim remain on chairman Daniel Levy's list of candidates alongside Slot – who is seen as a "concrete" option.

The former AZ Alkmaar boss is said to be eyeing a move to north London, with 90min sharing an update on his stance.

Slot, who also reached the Europa Conference League final last year, narrowly missing out on a triumph to Roma, is very keen on replacing Antonio Conte.

According to their information, the tactician has told Feyenoord he is eager to take the Spurs managerial position, and talks over am exit compensation package are set to accelerate this week.

As a result, Slot is now seen as the favourite to take over, even if other candidates aren't entirely out of the frame.

The outlet, in a further piece of interesting information, goes on to state that Levy and the club's hierarchy have been impressed during "initial talks".

Who is Arne Slot?

Coming as, arguably, one of Europe's most promising in-work managers – Slot fits the profile of a young, ambitious manager who encourages a forward-thinking style of play.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan said this on the Feyenoord boss, even comparing him to treble-chasing Man City boss Pep Guardiola.

"The best thing about Arne Slot is that he is probably the best attacking coach I have seen in the last 35-40 years at Feyenoord," said Van der Kraan.

"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.

"He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Liverpool have enjoyed a successful season winning both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, but they are now ready to go again next season and could be set to bolster their squad beyond finding a Sadio Mane replacement this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Liverpool are interested in signing Matthijs de Ligt this summer.

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As per the report, the Reds are one of the most interested clubs in taking advantage of stalling contract talks between Juventus and the young defender, but they are not alone in their interest.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are all named as parties who will compete with Liverpool to secure the signing.

The news comes amidst a potentially record-breaking swoop for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez who could move to Merseyside this summer.

Dream VVD heir

There is no doubt that Liverpool have one of the best defensive set-ups in European football boasting top talents like Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Joel Matip, however Klopp could be planning for the future when it comes to their most recent rumoured transfer target.

Both Matip and Van Dijk are now in their 30s and whilst they have many years ahead of them as well as a reliable youngster in Ibrahima Konate rotating into the centre-back partnership, if the reports are true FSG are clearly planning ahead to make sure they’re not caught short in their back-line.

De Light who was hailed an “absolute monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese has had an outstanding season in Serie A with Juventus.

According to SofaScore, the £83.6m star scored three goals and created three big chances, whilst making 1.1 tackles, 3.1 clearances and taking 64.5 touches on average per game.

He also won the majority of his duels (62%) and was successful in the majority of his dribbles (67%), proving he is a nightmare for any forward line.

The 22-year-old dubbed “incredible” by Andrea Barzagli would be the perfect heir to eventually succeed Matip and van Dijk when the time comes, but there is one huge problem that puts the entire idea of the potential transfer in question.

De Ligt would only be willing to make the move to Liverpool if he was paid £200k-per-week, something that would be unfathomable in FSG’s tight wage structure and would put him at the top end with the likes of Mo Salah and Van Dijk who perform and play week in week out, which would be unlikely for the youngster due to the strength in defence.

With that being said, FSG will need to carefully consider their move for De Ligt and weigh up their options as there are other areas of the squad that need strengthening, so to offer a player they don’t necessarily needs the kind of salary he demands would likely be a non-starter.

AND in other news: Offer made: Liverpool now “want to sign” 34-goal “diamond”, Klopp absolutely loves him

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Anderlecht defender Sergio Gomez, as Steven Gerrard plots further summer additions.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic, the 21-year-old is one player that ‘has been monitored’ by the Midlands outfit, with sporting director Johan Lange on the hunt for a ‘young and progressive’ understudy to January arrival Lucas Digne at left-back.

Villa are believed to be scouting and assessing emerging talents across Europe who have ‘first-team experience and the potential to grow’ should they be brought to England in the upcoming window, with adding a new left-sided defender seemingly a priority, as well as an additional midfielder and a striker.

The club have already made three summer additions thus far, despite the window having not yet officially opened, with loanee Robin Olsen also expected to sign on a permanent deal in the coming days/weeks.

The next Iniesta?

Gomez appears to fit the bill of an exciting young prospect who already has a wealth of experience under his belt and room to grow, the Spaniard having risen through the youth ranks at Barcelona, before joining Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in 2018.

Despite making just two league appearances for the German outfit, the £9m-rated gem enjoyed a successful two-year loan stint at Spanish outfit Huesca, before eventually moving to Belgium on a permanent deal last summer.

Since then, the attacking full-back has proven a revelation under Vincent Kompany – who is set to link up with Burnley this summer – netting six goals and registering 11 assists in 39 league outings, while also averaging an outstanding 7.38 average match rating – the second-highest among the Anderlecht squad.

What is most impressive is that prior to this campaign, the £9k-per-week playmaker – who has been dubbed a “great talent” by one journalist – had largely featured as an attacking midfielder, although has put his creative talents to good use from his left-back berth.

With his roots in La Masia, the Spain U21 international had been earmarked to be a star of the future at the Nou Camp in the centre of the park, with journalist Ronan Murphy previously dubbing him the “heir to Iniesta” such is his talent.

That is high praise indeed considering the lofty career that the now-veteran ace has enjoyed, winning a multitude of honours at both club and international level, as well as being widely recognised as one of the finest midfielders to have graced the game – both of his own generation and beyond.

Although it may be as a defender that Villa view the 5 foot 7 starlet, his versatility and flexibility may prove something of a bonus, while Gerrard could well uncover a real diamond if he does opt to reinstate the former Dortmund man into an attacking midfield role.

Comparisons to the great Andres Iniesta aren’t made lightly, Villa should well take note and act swiftly.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be among the teams interested in Richarlison…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, who delivered a fresh update on the Brazilian’s status at Everton heading into the summer transfer window.

European heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also mooted by the report as the 25-year-old faces an uncertain future in Merseyside.

Richarlison has two years to run on his current £90k-per-week deal, so the Toffees will be in no rush to sell their star man; and given his importance to Frank Lampard’s side, it remains to be seen if they’d even let him go and for how much.

He is currently valued at £45m by Transfermarkt and may well represent an opportunity to bolster their transfer budget due to financial constraints.

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Shades of Lautaro Martinez

Antonio Conte’s quest to find another option up top has certainly taken a surprising twist, with the Everton frontman a potential candidate to either provide back-up to Harry Kane or play alongside him.

It could suggest that the Italian may be keen to replicate his successful tactics at Inter Milan, where he secured the Nerazzurri their first Serie A title in over a decade in 2020/21.

At the San Siro, Conte enjoyed a free-scoring duo of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, two very different profiles of strikers. The former is more of a brute force, a target man, whilst the latter is shorter, quicker and can cause trouble in behind the defensive line.

Kane is a far superior striker to the Chelsea marksman, as he can drop deeper and act as a playmaker with his impressive passing range, so the prospect of a proven attacker like Richarlison playing off him is certainly an intriguing one.

He is also the perfect fit for the 52-year-old Lilywhites boss – as per FBRef, the Brazil international ranks inside the top 1% for blocks (1.71 per 90), top 5% for tackles (1.43 per 90) and top 8% of pressures (21.05 per 90) when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s ‘Big Five’.

This suggests he has an impressive work rate in the final third and will help the side defend from the front, thus retaining possession in dangerous areas, where he or Kane can then wreak havoc.

He bagged ten goals in a struggling Toffees side last season, taking his total for the club to 53 across 152 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Also lauded as a “complete” player by his former manager Carlo Ancelotti, the 25-year-old could well emerge as Conte’s next Martinez should Spurs follow up their interest with a firm offer.

His versatility to play on either flank would also provide further cover for the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, so on the above evidence, Richarlison would indeed be a fine addition to Tottenham’s frontline.

AND in other news, Paratici could unearth the next £100m talent as Spurs now eye “unbelievable” signing…

Rangers fell at the final hurdle as they looked to secure the Europa League title by beating Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville last night.

After getting through extra time with a 1-1 scoreline, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side ultimately lost on penalties after midfielder Aaron Ramsey failed to covert his attempt.

As well as this major disappointment, the Ibrox side were also dealt another blow which not only impacted their penalty shootout on the day but could also impact their upcoming Scottish Cup final clash against Hearts on Saturday.

What’s the news?

Shortly before the end of extra time, Rangers left-back Borna Barisic went off with an injury. This not only forced Van Bronckhorst to bring Kemar Roofe on in the full-back’s place but it also made him rejig his order for penalty takers according to the Daily Record.

With 43 appearances under his belt across all competitions this season, the Croatian is definitely an important figure for his side and Van Bronckhorst, who will surely be worrying over his fitness now.

In their Europa League campaign, the 29-year-old had appeared in all but one of their 15 matches, showing that the Dutchman certainly trusted him to deliver on the big stage.

To further highlight how significant the defender has been for his side in the SPFL this season, he ended their recent campaign with the joint-highest average of tackles per game (2.1) out of players to start more than one league game.

He also racked up the second highest number of crosses (158) in Rangers’ squad behind James Tavernier (398), showing how useful he can be in defence and attack.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that it would be a big blow for Rangers to potentially not have their left-back available to play at the weekend.

With Saturday’s clash being the club’s final attempt at being able to win some silverware this season, there’s no doubt that everyone connected with the Gers will want to see them win the trophy and put Wednesday’s disappointment in Seville behind them.

Moving forward, there will surely be many fingers crossed at Ibrox that Barisic will be able to be fit enough to play in Saturday’s final and that the team can end the season on a positive note with another trophy in their cabinet.

In other news: Fewer touches than McGregor: Rangers dud who won just 33% duels let GvB down yesterday

With Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United currently staring down the barrel of relegation from the Premier League, whether or not the 48-year-old manager remains at the club in the event of the Whites dropping down to the second tier appears very much up for debate.

Indeed, this question was posed to the American in a recent press conference, with the former RB Leipzig head coach appearing to suggest that he was not brought into the club by Victor Orta to simply oversee the remaining fixtures of the season, but rather to build a project at Elland Road.

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Regarding his future in LS11 beyond the end of the current campaign, Marsch said: “I am so focused on what we are doing right here, right now. My vision was not 12 games. It’s over years. The first step is staying in the Premier League. The club deserves it and the club has earned it. But we have to earn it in the moment right now.”

However, despite the 48-year-old’s rather optimistic outlook, the fact remains that, should Leeds find themselves playing Championship football next season – an outcome which, following the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday, is now a 65% probability – he will have failed in what will undoubtedly the primary objective given to him by Orta and Andrea Radrizzani back in March.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Phil Hay suggested that securing survival for the Whites is the only real way the American can back up his positive outlook concerning his future, with the journalist writing:

“He is nine games in and you cannot tell at this stage if you are seeing all of the coach or the man, which creates confusion over whether to be convinced or perplexed by some of what he is saying. Gandhi won’t get Leeds United out of trouble and neither will Mother Theresa. Marsch, on the other hand, can. It is an essential first step in proving he can walk the walk.”

Indeed, despite Leeds’ brief upturn in form following Marsch’s arrival at the club, results in recent weeks, as well as individual player performances – have been well below par, rendering Sunday’s meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion a must-win game if the Whites are to remain a Premier League side heading into 2022/23.

However, aside from deciding the club’s immediate future, the visit of the Seagulls could also determine whether or not Marsch will fulfil his prophecy of spending a number of years at Elland Road – as a defeat against Graham Potter’s outfit will force both Orta and Radrizzani into making a decision as to whether the 48-year-old is the man who they want to lead the Whites into a campaign in the second-tier of English football.

And, in the event of relegation, while it is true that a number of the current playing staff – including the likes of Rodrigo and Mateusz Klich – should be moved on this summer, we at Football FanCast also believe it would be wise to axe the £80k-per-week American, as the 48-year-old once again appears to be “out of his depth.”

AND in other news: Forget James: “Completely anonymous” dud should’ve just played his last game for Leeds

Newcastle United journalist Dominic Scurr has been left thrilled by some news that has now emerged before they play Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Darsley Park plans

As per The Athletic, the Magpies have now submitted ambitious plans to North Tyneside Council to upgrade their training ground at Darsley Park in Benton.

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They admitted that their current facilities do not meet the standards required for a club in the Premier League, and perhaps even in the Championship.

The Latest: Scurr reacts

Taking to Twitter, Scurr shared the kind of upgrades that have been planned at the training ground, labelling them as ‘exciting’.

The Shields Gazette journalist added that it is ‘welcome news’ for the St. James’ Park faithful, and claimed that Darsley Park was in ‘dire need’ of an upgrade.

The Verdict: Exciting

The plans to upgrade the training ground are exciting ones indeed, and show the ambition from the new owners to take the North East club to the next level.

In truth, this should have come much sooner, with former owner Mike Ashley seemingly neglecting the thought of bettering the facilities, but now the plans are finally in place.

Nonetheless, the improvements should also attract new players to the Toon, as they look to move to the next stage of their long-term project.

In other news, find out what big NUFC update has Liam Kennedy buzzing here!