Newcastle fans react to transfer report involving Barca duo

As Newcastle United’s prospective takeover edges closer and closer to completion, the number of audacious transfer rumours linking the club to an elite string of players increases.

This week has been no different with the Magpies being mooted with a move for Barcelona duo Philippe Coutinho and Carles Alena, according to Marca.

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Both players are currently out on loan, the former Liverpool star is at Bayern Munich whilst the young Spaniard has been impressing at Real Betis.

Alena, a product of the La Masia academy, has played 13 times this term, including one appearance in the Champions League where he played the full 90 minutes against Inter Milan, recording four key passes, three dribbles and a 85.1% passing success rate, via WhoScored.

While Coutinho has found the net nine times and also provided eight assists in 32 appearances for the Bundesliga champions this season.

Although, many at St James’ Park only have one thing on their mind – the takeover being complete.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Newcastle swooping for this PL FLOP would be so foolish…

Everton line up summer transfer move for Roma winger Cengiz Under

According to Turkish-Football.com, Everton are reportedly lining up a summer move for AS Roma winger Cengiz Under.

What’s the word, then?

Well, according to Turkish-Football a source close to the 22-year-old, the Toffees remain interested in the attacker despite being rebuffed by the Serie A giants when they made an enquiry about him earlier this month, as per Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones on Twitter.

The report says Roma are unwilling to let the 20-cap Turkey international leave the Italian capital this month, but the Merseyside outfit haven’t been put off and are considering submitting an offer in the next transfer window.

Turkish-Football add that Under favours a move to the Premier League if he is to leave the Stadio Olimpico, and that he is valued at £34m.

Would he be a good addition?

He certainly would be.

Theo Walcott has been underperforming on the right-hand side for too long, and the fact he has two goal contributions – two assists and no goals – in 21 appearances in all competitions this season tells you all you need to know about the impact he is having.

To be fair the 22-year-old Roma star only has two goals and no assists in 16 appearances himself in 2019/20, although he has missed a large chunk of the campaign with a muscle injury.

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

That said, the Turkey star showed exactly what he is all about in his side’s 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Lazio on Sunday, when he made two key passes and won nine of the 13 ground duels he faced, as per SofaScore.

Perhaps most impressive at all was the fact he successfully completed nine dribbles against Simone Inzaghi’s men – in comparison, Walcott has 0.6 per game in the Premier League this term according to WhoScored.

It is clear to see that while Under needs to improve in terms of actual goals and assists in the final third, he does have the ability to cause left-backs real problems in the Premier League.

£34m could prove to be a bargain price for the Toffees in the long run.

In other Everton news, reported transfer target Everton Soares has interacted with another club-related post on Instagram…

Revealed: Arsenal fans are desperate for Bukayo Saka to start against Blackpool

Arsenal host League One outfit Blackpool at the Emirates Stadium in an FA Cup third round clash on Saturday evening.

The Gunners are of course heavy favourites for this match, so Unai Emery may well take this opportunity to rotate his squad, rest some key players, and hand vital first team experiences to some of the club’s young talents.

Pl>ymaker FC believes Arsenal fans won’t have to wait long to see Unai Emery’s long-term ambitions for the club come to fruition. Watch the video below to find out why…

One such youngster who could be due his first senior start for the north London club is Bukayo Saka. The 17-year-old has featured fleetingly for Emery’s side already this season, making three substitute appearances to date, including a Premier League bow against Fulham last time out.

When he has played, the England under-19 international attacker has shown flashes of quality. Emery now ought to give Saka his first start, to see what the youngster can really do.

Arsenal fans agree. Of those who took part in our poll, 94% voted in favour of Saka starting against Blackpool. See the full results below.

Hareide comments on Hojbjerg show just how far the Southampton midfielder has come this season

So far this season, deadline day signing Danny Ings has taken most of the plaudits at Southampton, and understandably so.

Ings has netted three goals in six Premier League appearances and, overall, has rejuvenated a very underwhelming Southampton attack.

But as well as the English striker, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has also impressed during this campaign, a thought echoed by the Denmark head coach.

The Breakdown

In the Denmark national team set up, manager Age Hareide and Hojbjerg have endured a difficult relationship with each other.

However, that has not stopped the 65-year-old from singing the Southampton man’s praises, believing he has developed both into a better man and player in recent months.

Speaking to Ekstra Bladet on Hojbjerg (via Sport Witness), Hareide said: “Pierre Emile Højbjerg has managed to act for the team and not just for himself. he’s become a grown boy.

“Even when we had him inside the squad before the World Cup, I could see that he has grown both on and off the pitch.

“The time in Southampton has been a bit turbulent, but now he has recovered. He has added several dimensions to his game. I think he has been in a positive development over a long period of time.

“I really sense he wants to play on the national team, he has also expressed his wish to return.”

As alluded to by Hareide, despite arriving at Southampton from Bayern Munich back in 2016 with much expectation, Hojbjerg had not been able to influence matches in a way that supporters would have expected him to.

However, this season, the 23-year-old is starting to impose himself more on games. He scored a fantastic strike last month at St. Mary’s in the Saints’ 2-2 draw with Brighton, while his passing and dribbling ability has definitely been an asset for the team.

In the south coast, Hojbjerg is finally starting to deliver after all the hype around his name during his time in the Bundesliga, and that will come as a massive boost to manager Mark Hughes and Southampton.

2018/19 Premier League Away Shirt Power Rankings

Everyone loves a kit release – it’s one of the most anticipated announcements of the summer for most football fans.

Earlier this week we ranked every Premier League home shirt ahead of the 2018/19 season, and it’s now the away shirts’ turn to go under the microscope here at Football FanCast.

The results you’ll find here aren’t the work of just me and me alone though, it’s the work of the entire team at Football FanCast – so don’t blame me if you disagree with them.

Everyone ranked each shirt from one to 20 and then, using a unique scoring system, I tallied all the votes up to conclude the results of our very first Premier League Away Shirt Power Rankings.

Can Wolves deliver again? Have Tottenham improved on their woeful looking home strip? What state will Liverpool’s away shirt be in this year? Can Manchester United redeem themselves?

Let’s take a look…

Oh Liverpool, what have you done?

This shouldn’t really come as a surprise because the Reds have a habit of making awful away shirts with either weird designs or dodgy colours.

They’ve gone for the latter this year with a bold purple number, and everyone here absolutely hates it.

Is this a leaked version of Watford’s away shirt? Perhaps so – it’s a rubbish shade of green so we hope that it isn’t the real deal.

That’s why it’s been ranked so low and Watford fans will be hoping this isn’t what they should expect to see being released.

I’m not sure what’s going on here because while this is only a concept design of Burnley’s away shirt – it hasn’t been leaked or released yet – it’s actually quite nice.

My colleagues clearly don’t agree, though, and it’s been given a relegation spot as a result.

Brighton’s home shirt is incredibly dull, and their away one isn’t much better.

Come on Brighton, you need to do better here – you’re a Premier League club now. Your fans don’t deserve such mediocrity.

We’ve come to expect the odd yellow strip from Southampton and this one, despite it’s 16th-placed ranking, isn’t too bad.

The collar is pretty decent, as is the sleeve design. But it’s just yellow kits that we can’t quite get on board with, especially this shade of yellow.

I love a pink kit, but clearly my colleagues aren’t quite as keen.

I’d have perhaps gone with black adidas stripes instead of a darker shade of pink, but it’s not quite as bad as everyone thinks.

Unfortunately my influence couldn’t get this shirt higher in the rankings.

A nod to the 1996 strip is a classy touch from the Toon Army, and it’s another shirt that deserves a higher rank.

It’s in a 14th though, which isn’t the worst. The colour combination isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, admittedly, but the general style of the strip is pretty smart.

No thrills from Cardiff with this one. Grey doesn’t really do football shirts the justice they deserve and that’s evident here.

They’ve gone with the round neck collar, which is nice and goes well with the design, but overall it’s not really trying hard enough.

If you ever want to look a little bit like Bournemouth, then design your kit like this. That’s what Huddersfield have done, and they’ve done it well.

Would’ve been nicer if they’d tried to be a little more creative though. Be yourselves, Huddersfield, don’t be shy.

Not a bad effort from the Blues, even if it’s another dodgy shade of yellow.

We’ve overlooked the colour here and decided to give a complimentary nod to the simple and classy shirt design. Thumbs up.

Now this away shirt from Leicester City is a really nice little number. As I’ve said before, grey doesn’t really do football shirts justice, but the addition of gold stripes and a gold crest really adds a bit of sexiness to this one.

Fair play to the Foxes, they’ve produced a real gem here.

You’d be mistaken for thinking Phil Foden is modelling Man City’s new training kit but he’s not – it’s the away strip.

It’s an interesting design with a fine looking collar, and the luminous socks are a nice touch to what is a pretty discreet kit. Wonderful.

Puma have delivered here with Arsenal’s away strip. I’ve noticed a lot of criticism towards the Gunners’ home design, but this one seems to have earned the praise it deserves.

The red design/hoop gives it some va-va-voom, which I’m sure is to keep Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger’s legends alive.

Fulham’s home kit this season is a real gem and they’ve delivered with the away kit as well.

The fact Ryan Sessegnon is modelling it will give Cottagers fans hope he’ll still be there come the end of the transfer window.

If they can play with as much class and pizzazz as their kits this season, they’ll be fine.

For Crystal Palace fans seeing Wilfried Zaha modelling the away kit is the best news of the summer.

Other than that, I’m not quite sure how this shirt made it in to the top six. I’m no fan of the sash but for some reason everyone here seems to like it.

Zaha doesn’t though, judging by his face!

Here at FFC Towers, we found Everton’s home kit to be rather boring, but by simply changing the colours, it’s a hit!

Still unsure on the Angry Birds sponsor, but so are Everton fans.

Bournemouth have a lovely, simple and classy away strip here.

The white body with subtle orange trim gives it a real sophisticated feel. The design and colour choices ensure the sponsor isn’t too imposing either, which is a real bonus.

Spurs’ away shirt is infinitely better than their home one, but they should feel pretty cheated by Nike.

Turns out its the exact same design as Barcelona’s training kit – the absolute cheek of Nike to go ahead with that!

This away shirt weirdly works wonders for the Hammers.

They’re spending big in the transfer market at the moment and if they can be as classy as their away strip on the road this season then it’ll be money well spent.

Of course, it’s Wolves.

They’ve returned to the Premier League with two absolutely outstanding shirts. Their home strip is a stroke of genius and this away one is just as good.

Sensational efforts, absolutely sensational efforts!

In Focus: Richarlison one for the future at Chelsea but shows exciting potential

As reported by The Daily Mail, Chelsea are interested in signing Fluminense winger Richarlison this summer.

What’s the story?

Having made some elite big money first team signings this summer, Antonio Conte appears to be turning his attention to the future and is hoping to beat Dutch side Ajax to one of the most exciting prospects coming out of Brazil.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say that the Blues are hoping to hijack Ajax’s £12m move for the 20-year-old.

The paper say the Dutch side had even agreed a contract with the player but now Chelsea have stepped in to make their move.

Why should Chelsea fans be excited?

The 20-year-old Brazilian is fast gaining a reputation in his homeland as one of the best young players in the country. Richarlison moved to Fluminese in January 2016 and has worked his way into first team contention at one of the most successful clubs in Brazilian football.

Last season, Richarlison featured in 17 games for Fluminese, scoring six goals. Predominantly utilised on the left-wing, the 20-year-old has fantastic pace and dribbling ability.

While he may not be the finished article that can immediately come in and do a job for Antonio Conte, he does possess exciting potential and is the kind of signing that can ensure the Blues’ long-term success.

Conte has made his big first-team signings this summer, now it’s time to secure some of talent of tomorrow.

Five reasons why Celtic will become the invincibles

In a modern context, Celtic going an entire domestic season unbeaten is unheard of. The club have only had one unbeaten league season in their history and that was way back in 1898, when there were only 18 matches across a campaign.

The Hoops broke the legendary Lisbon Lions’ record for consecutive wins from the start of a season on Sunday, their 27th game this term without suffering defeat.

Incredibly they’ve won 26 of those matches, only Inverness Caledonian Thistle have managed to draw against them and that goal came in the dying moments of the game.

With four home games in February, the prospect of them losing anytime soon seems remote.

However, they do face one of their toughest tests of the domestic season with the visit of Aberdeen tonight. Although the Dons haven’t come close to Rodgers team, over the last few years they’ve certainly been the Bhoys’ closest challengers.

Can Rodgers inspire his side to an unbeaten domestic season?

Here are FIVE reasons why we think he will…

The fear factor

One of the key features of great Celtic sides of the past has been the intimidation opponents felt before a ball was even kicked, and Rodgers has brought that back to Celtic Park for the first time in over a decade.

Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Stiliyan Petrov were just some of the names that brought a reputation with them into games that must have made defenders and midfielders pause for thought about their ability to match up these big names.

The increasing profile of Moussa Dembele and the likes of Scott Sinclair coming north means that teams across Scotland must expect defeat, or at the very best, a draw even when hosting the Hoops.

The treble

Unbeaten records and the like are all well and good but what supporters care about most is tangible success, silverware.

For players, coaches and the manager too the treble is the ultimate aim and may be the biggest factor in determining whether Celtic can keep up performance and concentration levels over the next few months.

It’s true that the Bhoys have a significant financial advantage over the other Scottish teams but that doesn’t guarantee anything – hard work and effort is still required.

Trebles are rare, even in Scotland. Celtic have only managed it three times in their entire history and the chance to win that in Rodgers’ first season in the club is a massive carrot on a stick for the entire club.

Squad kept intact

It’s been a long transfer window for Celtic fans as they’ve waited to find out whether they’ll retain their key players for the rest of the season and beyond.

Rumours have swirled around the likes of Kieran Tierney, Craig Gordon, Moussa Dembele, Erik Sviatchenko and Jozo Simunovic all month but it nows seems likely that Rodgers has managed to keep everyone happy at the club who has played a big part of their success so far.

That’s going to be vital if they truly want to make history this season. The Bhoys have a fantastic first-team and depth in most areas but losing the likes of Dembele would have been a significant blow given his impact on the side so far.

Late, late goals

Celtic’s determination to keep picking up points is evident in the way they finish matches this season. As shown by this stat from Norwegian journalist Christian Wulff, the Hoops are destroying teams in the final 15 minutes of games.

That will to win is going to serve them well if they carry their unbeaten streak towards the deep end of the season and the pressure and expectation begins to mount on them actually finishing the entire campaign without losing.

Fitness plays an issue here too. Celtic have arguably never looked as full of life and fit as they do now, even though that was a much-heralded aspect of Ronny Deila’s tenure at the club.

That’s making sure they are head and shoulders above the opposition no matter what, even if fans have to be patient and wait for the goal that gives them victory.

The entire team is scoring

Goals are coming from all over this Celtic side. Four players have scored ten or more goals in all competitions this season.

In the absence of both Moussa Dembele AND Leigh Griffiths on Sunday, Scott Sinclair stepped up to the plate to grab a double and move his tally onto 15 for the season.

It’s ability to find goals from all over the team that means Celtic are going to be a formidable force for the rest of the campaign. Even with big players out they always have a star or two who are going to make themselves count come the end of the 90 minutes.

Hoops fans don’t have to worry about an injury to one player or the form of another. This team is a unit and that’s proven by the variety of goalscorers and style of goals scored this season.

Why the next few months for Newcastle are the most important in their history

The wins over Liverpool and Tottenham in recent weeks had seen an air of excitement flow through Newcastle United not seen in a long time. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all, perhaps they could actually make a good go of things and not be dragged into a relegation battle.

While the draw with Aston Villa could have been a lot worse, it did put a downer on the new found belief. For large parts of the second half, the side rock bottom of the Premier League were rampant as the Magpies nervously held on. Granted, some better finishing would no doubt have won the game for the Toon Army, but there was yet again a huge air of disappointment.

So, they aren’t out of the woods just yet. The next few months could be the most important in the North East giants’ history. Reports in recent weeks suggest the club will indeed look to strengthen in January in order to maintain their Premier League status. It’s crucial they do so. It’s crucial they get the right players.

Over the summer, owner Mike Ashley finally loosened the purse strings and afforded Steve McClaren around £50m to improve his squad. What followed were some embarrassing losses, abject capitulations and rumours of training ground bust-ups. Typical Newcastle, really.

[ffc-gal cat=”newcastle-united” no=”5″]

While there have been some top quality additions in the likes of Georgino Wijnaldum and Chancel Mbemba, the jury is still out of £13.5m striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. French winger Florian Thauvin has disappointed during his early stages on Tyneside thus far.

The feeling that the Toon had turned a corner after finally splashing the cash has since evaporated and we can start to see that former England coach McClaren has far more of a project on his hands than something that can be mended over the course of a single summer.

That’s where these next few months come in so important. Should Newcastle retain their top flight status, they can move on with their project. Now Ashley is willing to spend, helped by the lucrative TV deals now in play in the Premier League, they can build off this summer and start to shape a more competitive squad.

Already the likes of Saido Berahino, Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey have been linked to the club, taking the calibre of supposed targets up another level. To turn the club round from the dark days of John Carver in just one transfer session is asking for too much, too quick.

If the current crop of players can churn out performances like those against Spurs and Liverpool, the club can look forward to a brighter future. The last few seasons have been miserable for those in the North East, but the next few months will shape the complexion of Newcastle United going forward.

Perhaps a project like the one Southampton are undertaking so successfully could be put in place, constantly remaining competitive and delighting their fans. Perhaps it will take a different path, the route is not abundantly clear. What is clear, however, is the fact it’s likely to be a lot brighter than the dismal last few years.

Building a competitive squad full of exciting players is so nearly in sight, though the threat of relegation looms. With the club so finely balanced between conquering or capitulating, it’s hard to truly rule out the prospect of a second relegation under Ashley’s control.

While it’s clearly stating the obvious in saying dropping down into the Championship would be a disaster for any team with the broadcasting deals soon coming into play, but for Newcastle specifically, it could start an alarming side.

Some of the teams in the relegation scrap could survive with going down and coming back up again. Any of the promoted sides, though that currently looks unlikely, or the likes of Sunderland under the stewardship of Sam Allardyce could feasibly deal with the ordeal.

The Magpies, however, are likely to crumble in the face of such adversity and could tumble down the league structure. Though they made a pretty rapid return to the Promised Land after their last dropout, things are universally different now.

Back then, players like Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll formed a strong backbone of players who understood just what it takes to get a club like the Toon back into the Premier League. Should they be condemned to a similar fate, they do not possess such riches.

The best players; Wijnaldum, Perez, Sissoko, would all leave and the squad does not boast a wealth of academy prospects to promote in such an extreme case. It would be an unmitigated disaster. Think Portsmouth, or Leeds.

Entrusting such an unpredictable group of players with perhaps the most important few months with the future of Newcastle United is a huge gamble. However, it’s one they’ve chosen to take themselves.

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Class from Kobbie Mainoo! What Man Utd midfielder did to inspire next generation of Old Trafford stars following exceptional display in Luton victory

Kobbie Mainoo's class act to inspire Manchester United youngsters, following his exceptional display in Luton Town victory, won hearts at Carrington.

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Mainoo rising rapidly at Man Utd Starred in United's win over Wolves & Luton Town Met the club's U-8s to inspire them for greater glory GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Amidst the buzz surrounding his breakout season at United and the potential senior England call-up ahead of the Euros, Mainoo remains grounded, showcasing maturity beyond his years. According to thein a heartwarming gesture, the teenage midfielder surprised everyone by visiting an Under-8s training session on Monday after he was done with the recovery session following the victory at Luton.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Engaging with the young players for an hour, Mainoo shared his experiences of professional football and offered encouragement, leaving an indelible mark on the budding footballers. The pre-academy group also had the privilege of witnessing the first-team training session. As a token of appreciation, the players posed for photos with the youngsters and graciously signed autographs, fostering a sense of camaraderie and unity within the club.

DID YOU KNOW?

Under the stewardship of manager Erik ten Hag, Mainoo has emerged as a regular starter this season, featuring in 15 appearances and making 13 starts. The stellar performances have caught the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate, who is reportedly contemplating including the 18-year-old sensation in the national squad for the upcoming fixtures against Brazil and Belgium.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

As Mainoo continues to flourish in his footballing journey, his humility, dedication, and talent serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for United's next generation of players. He will be next in action against Fulham on Saturday.

Premier League permutations: The race for Europe and what Leicester, Leeds & Everton have to do to avoid relegation

All the key outcomes and results required as we enter the final weekend of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign.

The 2022-23 Premier League has been a rollercoaster of emotion and excitement, but the race is nearly run, with European spots to be decided and dreaded relegations confirmed on the final day.

Fans of Manchester City can pop the champagne, but at the other end of the table there will be a nail-biting 90 minutes ahead for Everton, Leeds and Leicester City, with two of the three certain to suffer relegation today.

Here, GOAL takes a look at all the Premier League permutations as the 2022-23 season comes to a conclusion.

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    Premier League table (as of May 28)

    # Team MP W D L GD Pts
    1 Manchester City (C) (UCL) 37 28 5 4 +62 89
    2 Arsenal (UCL) 37 25 6 6 +40 81
    3 Manchester United (UCL) 37 22 6 9 +14 72
    4 Newcastle (UCL) 37 19 13 5 +35 70
    5 Liverpool 37 19 9 9 +28 66
    6 Brighton 37 18 8 11 +20 62
    7 Aston Villa 37 17 7 13 +4 58
    8 Tottenham 37 17 6 14 +4 57
    9 Brentford 37 14 14 9 +11 56
    10 Fulham 37 15 7 15 +3 52
    11 Crystal Palace 37 11 11 15 -9 44
    12 Chelsea 37 11 10 16 -9 43
    13 Wolves 37 11 8 18 -22 41
    14 West Ham 37 11 7 19 -12 40
    15 Bournemouth 37 11 6 20 -33 39
    16 Nottingham Forest 37 9 10 18 -30 37
    17 Everton 37 7 12 18 -24 33
    18 Leicester 37 8 7 22 -18 31
    19 Leeds 37 7 10 20 -27 31
    20 Southampton (R) 37 6 6 25 -37 24
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    Leicester City relegation picture

    Leicester will be relegated to the Championship just seven years after winning the Premier League if any of the following plays out on the final day:

    • Leicester fail to win against West Ham
    • OR Everton win against Bournemouth.

    Leicester City fixtures

    Date Match Kick-off time
    May 28 Leicester vs West Ham 4:30pm BST (1:30pm ET)
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    Leeds United will be relegated if…

    Leeds United could be heading back down to the Championship this weekend in the event that:

    • Leeds fail to win against Tottenham.
    • OR Everton win against Bournemouth.
    • OR Leicester win against West Ham (goal difference unlikely to be a factor here…)
    • OR Everton draw against Bournemouth AND Leeds win against Tottenham by two or fewer goals.

    Leeds United fixtures

    Date Match Kick-off time
    May 28 Leeds United vs Tottenham 4:30pm BST (11:30am ET)
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    What about Everton?

    Everton will be relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history if any of the following play out:

    • Everton lose to Bournemouth AND Leicester or Leeds win against West Ham or Tottenham respectively.
    • OR Everton draw against Bournemouth AND Leicester win against West Ham OR Leeds win by three or more goals against Tottenham.

    Everton fixtures

    Date Match Kick-off time
    May 28 Everton vs Bournemouth 4:30pm BST (11:30am ET)
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