The Football Association is to take no further action against Constantine Hatzidakis after it was alleged he elbowed Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.
Premier League Assistant Referee Hatzidakis was involved in a bizarre incident during halftime of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield last Sunday.
As the half-time whistle was blown Robertson approached Hatzidakis to remonstrate over an incident in the first half, but appeared to be elbowed by the official as the pair came close.
A furious Robertson, who had to be calmed down by his teammates, collected a yellow card for his troubles, but an investigation was launched by the FA following the match after the controversial incident was caught on television cameras.
Hatzidakis had initially been stood down from Premier League officiating duties while the investigation was undertaken but will now receive no consequences.
Liverpool learn new Mason Mount ‘value’ after Jude Bellingham transfer decision
Liverpool’s hopes of signing Mason Mount this summer may have just got a little bit tougher as Chelsea owner Todd Boehly looks to play hard ball.
The Reds are expected to undertake a severe re-engineering of their squad after a bitterly disappointing season that is increasingly looking like it will end without qualification for Champions League football. But the club’s long-running pursuit of Jude Bellingham appears to have been called off, with Jurgen Klopp preferring to invest his transfer budget on a number of players rather than just one superstar.
Chelsea midfielder Mount is believed to be one of the German’s top targets but according to reports, Liverpool’s decision not to go after Bellingham could now see Mount’s asking price sky-rocket as the London club looks to capitalise on the extra financial resources.
The 24-year-old is still under contract at Stamford Bridge but has rejected signing a new deal as his salary demands have not yet been met. Initial reports suggested that Mount could be captured for around £40-£50million this summer. But Sky Sports News reporter Melissa Reddy has claimed that Chelsea owner Boehly is now looking for around £70million to let go of his home-grown star.
Scouted’ Liverpool transfer option has key Virgil van Dijk trait he ‘inherited from his mother’
There will likely be major changes at Anfield this summer as several first-team names look set to depart Liverpool after a disappointing season. Reinforcements will be required and one defender who has excelled on the European stage could prove a shrewd addition for the Reds.
The majority of the headlines surrounding the potential comings and goings at Anfield in the upcoming transfer window have been centered around Liverpool’s decision to walk away from a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham this week. However, there is no doubt that alongside the need for an overhaul in midfield, the Reds will also likely require another center-half ahead of next season.
With uncertainty abounding regarding the futures of long-serving center-backs Joël Matip and Nat Phillips, it is clear that Liverpool may be a little understocked when it comes to this area of the pitch if both are to depart in the coming months. One player who could provide Jürgen Klopp with another option in this position and provide competition for first-choice pair Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté is Jerry St. Juste of Sporting Lisbon, who has caught the eye with his performances in the Europa League this season.
According to the Mirror, the Reds have been scouting the 26-year-old this season, with club representatives present during Sporting’s dramatic win over Arsenal in the Europa League last month. The former Mainz 05 defender was in imperious form against the Gunners across the two legs of the round of 16 clash, with a memorable last-ditch tackle to deny Gabriel Martinelli demonstrating the best of the center-back’s intelligence and pace.
Injuries hampered his progress in the earlier parts of his career, with the Dutchman having played just eight games in his final season in Germany, but it appears that the defender has found his feet since making the move to the Primeira Liga last summer. In all, St. Juste has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season including eight outings during his side’s European run thus far, and his release clause of $50m (£40m/€45m) would not be out of reach for any of the continent’s biggest hitters.
What will be particularly promising to potential suitors including Liverpool ahead of this summer is that the defender has comfortably been one of the most impressive players in his position when compared with other center-backs across the world’s next 8 competitions — the leagues ranked just below Europe’s top five leagues in terms of standard, as per FBref.
Really striking is St. Juste’s ability on the ball, which will appeal to a side like Liverpool who play out from the back, with the defender in the top one per cent of players in world’s ‘next eight’ competitions for a number of key metrics including progressive passes, progressive carries, pass completion and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.
In short, this is a defender who is completely comfortable in possession, with an ability to bring the ball out from the back and start attacks — something Van Dijk and Matip have been characterized by during their times at Anfield. If Liverpool are looking to sign a player who is happy to receive the ball deep in his own half and attempt to create opening then St. Juste could well be perfect for this role.
It is, perhaps, only to be expected that interest in the defender has ramped up following his heroics versus Arsenal in the last round of the Europa League and, recently St. Juste gave his own assessment of his best attributes, telling UEFA, via O Jogo: “My focus, aggressiveness, my reading of the game, being a leader, being technically skilled. I like to go out and play even playing as a centre-half, it’s all part of my game,”
“My speed? I inherited it from my mother, she was an athlete and was always very fast. However, I also trained a lot for that, mainly my strength to maintain that speed.”
“You definitely have to be able to read the game, know where the danger comes from, the positioning. If you’re in the right position sometimes you don’t need to be fast. You can channel that energy into other things.”
At 26, one could suggest St. Juste is something of a late bloomer in some respects but it is worth noting that the aforementioned Van Dijk got his move to Liverpool at the same age, and we all know the impact he has made at Anfield under Klopp. Perhaps, the Sporting Lisbon center-back can be the next Dutch defender to have a transformative effect on the Reds’ defensive fortunes — he is certainly blessed with the same speed across the ground, for which it seems he has his mother to thank.