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Everton have now made a move to sign a “commanding” £12 million player this month, according to a reliable journalist.

Everton transfer news

Given that the Friedkin Group have completed their takeover of the Toffees, there is hope among the supporters that January could be a busy month for them. Everton remain near the bottom end of the table, and Sean Dyche will hope funds becoming available will allow him to bring players in, and that will help them climb the Premier League table.

Everton keen on signing £7m+ defender to replace both Coleman and Young

This could be a much-needed upgrade.

1

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 3, 2025

The Merseysiders have been linked with a move for Yunus Akgun recently, and he would be an exciting addition for Everton, as he’s scored five goals in six Europa League appearances this season. The Toffees are expected to “knock on Galatasaray’s door” this month and make an official offer. This is because one of the two positions that Everton are looking to strengthen is the wide area.

The Premier League side are also looking to bring in a new right-back, and they are keen on signing Elias Jelert, who also plays for Galatasaray. The Toffees are keen to bolster this area of the team, as both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman are not getting any younger, and they are keen to bring in a player for the future. The Turkish giants are willing to sell the player for around £7.4 million, so a move this month could happen if an offer arrives.

Everton make approach to sign "commanding" £12m player

As well as looking to sign a new right-back and winger, the Merseysiders are also looking to further strengthen their centre-back options, as according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon via Goodison News, Everton have made an approach to sign Juma Bah from Real Valladolid this month.

The 18-year-old joined the La Liga side on loan during the summer transfer window from AIK Freetong. Bah has impressed during his time at Valladolid, and he has now emerged on the radar of Everton, but a transfer doesn’t look as possible as the Toffees would have hoped for.

Nixon states that while Everton have made an approach to sign Bah, they would need to sell one of their defenders first before signing the 18-year-old. As well as Everton, Manchester City are also keen on landing the young defender, but Bah is against the idea of him being loaned out twice.

Therefore, given Everton and City’s situation, Inter Milan look set to complete the signing of Bah for around £12 million. If Everton are to beat Inter in the race to sign Bah, they will be hoping they can shift one of their current centre-backs on as quickly as possible.

Bah has been rather impressive since joining Valladolid, and after he played for the club’s B team earlier this season, football analyst Chencho Alonso labelled Bah “commanding”. He said: “He was commanding and pushing forward, showcasing solid defensive concepts in movement and marking adjustments. He is very calm on the ball and plays simply.

“The next day, I said he would be called up in September for the first team, and on Saturday he was a starter.”

Perhaps the biggest tactical change at Chelsea since the arrival of Enzo Maresca is the usage of their full-backs, tweaking their positions in possession to platform the rest of the playing personnel.

The likes of Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella have been key to this, occasionally inverting into midfield alongside Moises Caicedo or sometimes providing width allowing the winger to drift infield, and even occupying the half-spaces as temporary “number tens” at times.

In order to carry out this variety of roles, the wide defenders must have a complete blend of attacking and defensive qualities, being technically gifted enough to occupy midfield zones, whilst having the recovery pace and athleticism to counter-press and retreat into their natural position when possession is lost.

How Marc Cucurella has performed under Enzo Maresca

Cucurella has proven to be a favourite of Maresca since taking over at Chelsea, already making 20 appearances so far this season in all competitions, scoring two goals, providing two assists, contributing to three clean sheets and totalling 1,629 minutes played.

Maresca himself has even labelled Cucurella as “very important” in an interview this season, stating “Marc Cucurella has something you sometimes struggle to find in other players”. At 26-years-old, the Spaniard is also one of the Blues more experienced players, which has seen him acting as more of a leader on the pitch.

The Spaniard has shown the intensity needed to back up the press in midfield areas, tracking players in a man-to-man fashion, being aggressive and tenacious in the duel, but then being calm on the ball to circulate play, and be a useful tactical tool for Maresca to plot in different positions on the pitch.

That being said, technical quality is only rising in the Premier League year-on-year, and this also applies to the full-back areas, which are becoming increasingly important to modern-day football tactics. Chelsea could well look into the transfer market for another technically gifted option to compete with and challenge Cucurella.

A dream replacement for Marc Cucurella at Chelsea

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Chelsea are one of the teams keeping an eye on Bournemouth defender, Milos Kerkez, with other interest coming from Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.

The reports suggest Bournemouth want £50m to let the 21-year-old leave, which is to be expected with the Cherries performing so well this season and Kerkez being such an important factor in that. Bournemouth will also be hoping, with the amount of interest in the Hungary international, that they can spark a bidding war between clubs.

Kerkez has made 19 appearances (all in the Premier League) this season, scoring one goal, providing two assists, contributing to four clean sheets and totalling 1,641 minutes played.

Transfer Focus

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How Kerkez compares to Cucurella

Both Kerkez and Cucurella have been playing in very different roles and systems this year, with the former playing under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, who has taken the league by storm with his high pressing and direct style of play. Kerkez is often tasked with overlapping and underlapping runs to support the wingers, finding himself in brilliant crossing positions, and often providing assists from these zones.

In comparison, Cucurella has been somewhat of a chess piece for Maresca, being moved accordingly to suit the needs of others on the pitch. For example, holding width when João Félix plays on the left and drifts inside, but playing as more of a number 8/10 in the pocket when Pedro Neto or Jadon Sancho are on the left, who tend to stay and hold the width looking for 1v1 isolations.

When comparing the two in their underlying numbers this campaign, the Hungarian clearly ranks ahead in many areas, providing more progressive actions per 90 (both carries and passes), making more key passes, more passes into the penalty area, and averaging more shot-creating actions per 90.

That being said, the former Brighton ace does have slightly better defensive numbers, winning more tackles and making more blocks per 90. But this isn’t a weakness for the Chelsea target. In fact, he still makes more interceptions than Cucurella per 90, and has more ball recoveries per 90 (4.62 compared to 4.06), showing his tenacity to recover the ball in a high-pressing side.

Kerkez has been described as “one of the most talented left-backs in world football” by scout Jacek Kulig, after getting two assists against Manchester City, and scoring against Wolves in quick succession. The addition of someone like the Cherries defender, who is more natural at attacking wide spaces and providing width than Cucurella, could actually get the best out of one of Chelsea’s 2024 summer signings.

A Jadon Sancho and Kerkez dynamic

Sancho often finds himself isolated in wide areas, and despite being a tricky winger who wants to initiate 1v1 isolations with opposition fullbacks, he does not necessarily have the pace to beat them without support and is far more effective when he is given players to bounce off of and combine with.

Kerkez’s desire to attack the byline, make overlapping and underlapping runs and deliver crosses into the box, would make Sancho more unpredictable in his game, being able to vary his actions with combinations with the full-back, but also combinations inside with the strikers and attacking midfielders, as the wide defender drags a man away with him.

This is something Cucurella has tried to provide for Sancho in Maresca’s attacking system, but his lack of confidence to beat a player in a wide area and put a cross into the box himself has often seen Chelsea stunted in those wide left areas, and recycle play to go again.

Kerkez could offer a new dynamic for Maresca to experiment with, and having both him and Cucurella would open up the tactical realms of possibility even further for the Italian coach.

Better than Kolo Muani: Chelsea eyeing "one of the most exciting CFs"

Chelsea could be about to make a move for a top quality centre-forward.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 1, 2025

GOAL brings you all the major takeaways from British stars playing overseas, including the current England captain and Los Blancos' star midfielder

There are still a few weeks left in the 2024-25 campaign, but the key narratives have already been wrapped up in England and Scotland. Liverpool moved 13 points clear at the Premier League summit by beating West Ham on Sunday, while Ipswich and Leicester both failed to win yet again, meaning it's now inevitable they will join doomed Southampton in dropping straight back down to the Championship.

In the Scottish Premiership, meanwhile, first-placed Celtic extended their lead over Rangers to 15 points, and although their arch-rival's last-gasp draw at Aberdeen forced the Hoops to cancel their title party, it won't be delayed for very long. British fans will, therefore, be deprived of a dramatic end to the campaign as most teams start shuffling their line ups and planning in earnest for next season.

Fortunately, there is plenty still at stake in Europe's other major leagues, and indeed in those on different continents. A host of homegrown stars currently plying their trades outside of Britain are being called upon to deliver as their clubs bid to finish on a high, and in the cases of England team-mates Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, with some silverware.

Kane did himself no favours in that regard on his latest outing for Bayern Munich, but Bellingham certainly stepped up for Madrid in their time of need. One Scottish star also made a decisive impact in La Liga this week, while another managed to do what Kane could not for his Bundesliga employers, and GOAL is on hand to shine a light on all of these expats in our latest edition of Brits Abroad…

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  Kane misfires in Klassiker

  This has been a week to forget for Kane. After missing a golden chance in Bayern's 2-1 home defeat to Inter in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, the former Tottenham star forgot his shooting boots again for Borussia Dortmund's visit to the Allianz Arena.

  Bayern had the opportunity to open up a commanding eight-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen after the reigning champions' 0-0 draw with Union Berlin earlier on Saturday, but ultimately failed to see off a Dortmund side still reeling from their 4-0 hammering against Barcelona in the Champions League. However, Vincent Kompany's side would have almost certainly beaten BVB had Kane been more composed in front of goal.

  In the first half, Kane should have scored with a close-range header and when he found himself through with only Gregor Kobel to beat, but on both occasions the Dortmund goalkeeper denied him. Kane then hit the woodwork late in the second half when he decided to go for a volley at the back post instead of stooping to nod in a cross, forcing Bayern to settle for a 2-2 draw.

  Kane will likely still end his trophy curse given there are only five games left to play in the Bundesliga, but this was a huge opportunity missed. His England colleague Eric Dier didn't cover himself in glory either, with the 31-year-old caught on his heels for both of Dortmund's goals, and both men will have to up their games if Bayern are to have any hope of completing a comeback win over Inter at San Siro on Wednesday.

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  Benched Bellingham gets Madrid over line

  Carlo Ancelotti made the wise decision to rest Bellingham for Real Madrid's trip to Alaves on Sunday, after the midfielder's fruitless exertions in their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League. Bellingham would have probably hoped to remain among the substitutes, especially after Eduardo Camavinga put Madrid in front in the 34th minute, but an act of stupidity from Kylian Mbappe changed everything.

  Mbappe was shown a red card for a horrible high tackle on Antonio Blanco shortly before the interval, and when Alaves started the second half in the ascendency, Ancelotti had no choice but to throw on the big guns. Bellingham and Vinicius Jr both entered the action after the hour mark, with the former putting in a gritty display to help 10-man Real close out a vital 1-0 victory.

  Bellingham did squander a good chance to score a second for the visitors, but his industry in the middle of the park made all the difference as Madrid overcame their numerical disadvantage. The final result ensured that Los Blancos remain only four points behind Barca in La Liga's title race with seven games to go, and if Bellingham is in the same mood when Arsenal arrive at Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, a miraculous comeback cannot be ruled out.

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  Greenwood & Marseille's UCL hopes damaged

  Mason Greenwood snapped a three-game scoring drought with a wonder goal for Marseille in their 3-2 win against Toulouse last week, which was the perfect response to recent criticism from head coach Roberto De Zerbi. But after Saturday's nightmare trip to Monaco, the former Manchester United forward finds himself back at square one.

  Marseille suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat at Stade Velodrome that saw Monaco leapfrog them into second place in the Ligue 1 table. It was a damaging blow to Les Phoceens' hopes of Champions League qualification, with Lyon, Lille, Strasbourg and Nice also fighting for a top-four berth, and Greenwood didn't do nearly enough to impose himself on proceedings.

  Indeed, the 23-year-old was given a brutal 3/10 rating by French newspaper , who called out his "nonchalant" body language and asserted that "a player of his talent must do much more". It's impossible to disagree with that statement.

  Greenwood is Marseille's top scorer with an impressive 17 Ligue 1 goals to his name, but he still goes missing far too often. De Zerbi needs Greenwood to start taking these kinds of games by the scruff of the neck if Marseille are to return to Europe's elite stage, with a crucial trip to Lille now looming large on the horizon.

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• Lingard to the rescue for Seoul

  FC Seoul have not made the best start to the 2025 K League 1 season, winning just three of their opening eight games, but supporters will hope that Saturday's 2-2 draw against league leaders Daejeon Hana can be a turning point. Kim Gi-dong's side battled back from two goals down to steal a point on home soil, and Jesse Lingard was the man who completed their comeback with a well-taken effort 20 minutes from time.

  Moon Seon-min, scorer of Seoul's first, was the architect as he embarked on a jinking run down the right flank before digging out a perfect cut-back for Lingard, who then calmly side-footed the ball past the Hana goalkeeper to level the scoreline. That was Lingard's second goal in as many home games for Seoul as they stayed within four points of the early pace-setters.

  Lingard has three goals in eight K League appearances so far this term, which is already halfway to his final tally from 2024, and the ex-Manchester United star seems to be playing with a spring in his step again since being made Seoul captain. We shouldn't expect an England recall anytime soon, but Lingard might just attract some of Europe's big boys if he can keep it up.

GOAL provides you with the major takeaways from British stars playing overseas, including the current England captain and Los Blancos' star midfielder

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OK, so the Easter weekend didn't quite bring more twists and turns in the world of European football as it did for the people of Jerusalem when Jesus Christ was said to have returned from the dead, but there was still plenty of drama to be feasted upon.

The title races in Spain and Italy swung to and fro even if those in England and Germany moved one step closer to meeting a finite end, while La Liga gaining an extra Champions League qualification place has added more spice to their mid-table scramble as has been the case in the Premier League.

There's still every chance that Britain's two premier players in Europe, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, end the season as champions of their respective countries on the continent, while Scott McTominay has been doing all he can to join them in such a pantheon. With the 2024-25 season heading down the home stretch, GOAL fills you in on how the home nations' finest exports are doing…

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  End to Kane's curse is near

  The wait is almost over. Within the next week, Kane could be a champion at long last. Bayern Munich romped their way to a 4-0 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, and with Bayer Leverkusen held to a 1-1 draw at St Pauli 24 hours later, they now have an eight-point lead atop the Bundesliga with only four games remaining.

  Much talk out of Bavaria heading into Saturday's game at the Voith-Arena was centred on providing a more-than-adequate response to Bayern being dumped out of the Champions League by Inter in midweek, so Kane breaking the deadlock at the end of a flowing team move – and with his usual brute force on his weaker left foot – set the tone for a memorable day. The England captain swivelled inside from 25 yards and unleashed a fierce drive into the bottom corner to get his side on their way, with Konrad Laimer, Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich also on the scoresheet.

  That goal was Kane's 60th in 60 Bundesliga appearances since joining Bayern from Tottenham in 2023, and this brought about special praise from club director Max Eberl: "Harry is doing it himself. He's scoring the goals, getting involved and getting on well with his team-mates. Harry is doing everything, we as a club are doing everything – and of course we want to bring the title back to Munich."

  The German media were also glowing in their reviews of Kane's performance, even if a famed perfect score from escaped him, with playing up his selfless "willingness to compromise". Eternal and immortal compliments aren't too far away now.

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  Bellingham & Madrid stay on Barca's heels

  Like Bayern, Real Madrid also had plenty to prove after unceremoniously being dumped out of the Champions League, falling 5-1 on aggregate to Arsenal despite the club and Spanish media doing all they could to play mind games with the Gunners.

  Bellingham was thrust back into the role of the protagonist against Athletic Club in a 1-0 triumph amid Kylian Mbappe's suspension – the Frenchman was whistled by the Santiago Bernabeu crowd when shown on the stadium's futuristic screens – as an attacking midfielder-false nine hybrid between wingers Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. Though he covered plenty of ground and essentially did the running of veteran playmaker Luka Modric for him, he still lacked that cutting edge and missed a couple of good chances.

  Nevertheless, Madrid still responded to Barcelona's 'remontada' against Celta Vigo in style, as Federico Valverde smashed in a stoppage-time winner to snatch the three points and ease the pressure on everyone at the club, not least under-fire manager Carlo Ancelotti. They are four points behind Barcelona with six rounds of fixtures remaining, while their Copa del Rey final is looming over the horizon.

  For his lung-busting efforts, Bellingham was afforded some kudos by the Spanish press, though the fires of social media were far less forgiving after failing to come up with a telling contribution himself. You can't please everyone, it seems.

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  McTominay continues Neapolitan legend

  Scott McTominay's move to Napoli could hardly have gone any better for him and any worse for Manchester United to this point. While the Red Devils are lingering in 14th in the Premier League, the Scotland midfielder is into double figures of goals in Italy – only Romelu Lukaku on 12 has more than him in the famous sky blue – while becoming a favourite among the people of Naples.

  This weekend, Napoli moved level on points with Serie A leaders Inter, who were beaten 1-0 at Bologna. Antonio Conte's side put the pressure on the Nerazzurri a day earlier after McTominay's header earned a 1-0 win of their own away at Monza.

  There's always some sort of culture or civil war going on at Napoli, and the Italian press have taken aim at Conte lately for his assertions that his squad simply are not good enough to go stride-for-stride with a team like Inter. Yet here was McTominay once again coming to their rescue, all the while the British media hammer United for allowing him to leave the club so easily in the first place.

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  Greenwood criticised despite brace

  The circus of Marseille is completely inescapable even when they're winning comfortably, but this is a club who were chaotic at the best of times even before they decided to take a punt on Mason Greenwood and had Roberto De Zerbi fanning the flames of controversy every week, so it's hard to have much sympathy.

  After being lambasted by De Zerbi and the French media in recent weeks for his substandard work rate, Greenwood was targeted with a banner by Marseille fans prior to their 5-1 demolition of Montpellier, telling him and winger Luiz Henrique to 'get a move on'. The forward responded with two goals, including a penalty taken with his weaker right foot. Even despite these contributions, outstanding praise for Greenwood was in short supply from the press, even if he was hailed as the game's best player.

  Meanwhile, fellow Englishman Jonathan Rowe was also among the goals for OM, ending a goal drought which lasted six months. The former Norwich City attacker broke his duck in some style too, racing onto a delicious cross from Ulisses Garcia and flicking the ball in at the near post with the outside of his boot on the volley.

  Marseille put a halt to their barren run of late and moved back up to second in Ligue 1 with four rounds of fixtures to go, taking advantage of Monaco's draw with Strasbourg. A top-four finish would be enough for OM to qualify for the Champions League.

This season has been full of incredible highs and dismal lows for Tottenham Hotspur.

For example, despite blowing both Manchester United and Manchester City away in the Premier League, they find themselves down in 12th, yet in the League Cup, they have a 1-0 lead over Liverpool heading into the second leg of their semi-final.

So, while their league campaign might well be over, there is still plenty to play for and to ensure Ange Postecoglou continues his record of winning silverware in his second season, Daniel Levy and Co must provide him with some new talent this month.

Fortunately, recent reports have revealed that the North Londoners are closing in on a sensational attacker who could do precisely that, an attacker who has been compared to the prolific Omar Marmoush.

Tottenham Hotspur close in on sensational striker

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are looking to wrap up the signing of Randal Kolo Muani later this week.

The report claims that the North Londoners have been in talks with Paris Saint-Germain this week and that while the Parisians would prefer an obligation to buy in the deal, Spurs are pushing for an option.

Interestingly, the report has also confirmed that Manchester United and Juventus are looking to hijack the deal, but their unwillingness to even entertain an option to buy the Frenchman has left Levy and Co in an advantageous negotiating position.

There are clearly still things that need to be worked out for this loan deal to be finalised, but as things stand, it looks like Spurs will get their man, and considering his ability and the fact he’s been compared to Marmoush, that can only be a good thing.

How Kolo Muani compares to Marmoush

Okay, so in terms of exciting, game-changing and sought-after forwards across Europe, Marmoush is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects around, and considering he’s racked up a sensational haul of 18 goals and 12 assists in 22 games this season, it’s not hard to see why.

With that said, where do the comparisons between him and Kolo Muani come from?

As so far this season, the French international has been limited to just 453 minutes of first-team football, and while he’s racked up a reasonable haul of three goal involvements in that time, he’s still just been a rotational player in Paris.

Well, aside from their positional similarities and the fact that, before he moved to PSG, the 26-year-old was also utterly unstoppable for Eintracht Frankfurt and produced 40 goal involvements in 46 appearances, this comparison primarily stems from FBref.

It compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Egyptian is the seventh most similar forward to the Frenchman over the last 365 days.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected assisted goals and actual assists, goals per shot, progressive passes and passes into the penalty area, carries, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Finally, while the record from his time in Germany and the similarities to Marmoush should be reason enough for the North Londoners to go all out for the 26-year-old “superstar,” as dubbed by German legend Lothar Matthaus, his international experience is another big bonus to signing him.

For example, the £202k-per-week dynamo has already won 27 caps for the French national team, which, when you consider the quality of players in that squad, is seriously impressive.

Ultimately, Spurs need some attacking reinforcements this month, and while he might not be the biggest name around, Kolo Muani could be the perfect addition to Postecoglou’s squad.

Their own Rice: Spurs chasing "box-crashing" Bissouma upgrade in £42m star

The experienced midfielder would be an excellent addition for Spurs.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 10, 2025

Victor Osimhen is not a player on Manchester United’s wish list, according to reports, with the identity of attacking transfer targets being revealed.

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• Nigerian striker starring on loan in Turkey
• Expected to see sale sanctioned by Napoli
• Red Devils focused on Cunha and Delap

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils are in the market for more firepower after seeing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee fail to convince when being asked to lead the line in 2024-25. Plans are being drawn up at Old Trafford for the summer window.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Funds are available for notable additions, without the need for sales to be sanctioned, and United are confident that they can still attract some big names. Osimhen will not be among those.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  That is despite the Nigeria international being a proven goalscorer at the highest level and a player expected to be on the move over the coming months after enjoying a productive loan spell at Turkish side Galatasaray from Serie A title hopefuls Napoli.

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  WHAT TRANSFER EXPERT SAID

  Discussing the Red Devils’ recruitment drive, transfer expert David Ornstein told : “The priority for Manchester United in this upcoming transfer window is attack. They are looking at a centre-forward and a No.10 as their main focus. They want to get on with it pretty quickly. The finances are in place, as I understand it, to do the deals they would like to do. They do not depend on European football, I am told, nor on sales to necessitate them.

  “Their main focus for the No.10 position is Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has a £62.5m release clause. He wants to come, but personal terms would still need to be agreed, which is not a formality.

  "In the striker department, it is Liam Delap of Ipswich Town that is their No.1 target. He has a £30m release clause if Ipswich are relegated. But there are a lot of other suitors for him, including Chelsea. I think Liam Delap will decide before the European U21 Championship on where he wants to go.

  “If Manchester United are to look at others, I’m assured it will not be Victor Osimhen. Despite reports you might be reading, he is not on the agenda for Manchester United. They will have other options because they might have to turn to them, or they stick with internal solutions such as Rasmus Hojlund and they focus on other positions.”

Still looking to commence their January business, Liverpool are now reportedly battling against former manager Jurgen Klopp to sign a future star who is attracting plenty of interest.

Liverpool transfer news

Having opted not to splash the cash in the summer transfer window upon Arne Slot’s arrival, some may have expected the Reds to hand the Dutchman one or two reinforcements this month, but so far that has not been the case. Top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League – and both very convincingly so – those at Anfield have so far decided that Slot’s squad good enough as it is.

Liverpool "in the transfer race" for £85m ace who could revive Nunez

Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the race for this “special” talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 25, 2025

Instead, Liverpool have been forced to think about potential departures this month. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are still yet to put pen to paper on new deals and that has only sparked exit rumours, particularly in the case of Alexander-Arnold. With Real Madrid’s interest no secret these days, the right-back has seen his name linked to the Bernabeu since the beginning of the month.

That’s not to say no rumours over potential incomings have arrived, however. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are now battling Klopp to sign Ryan One from Sheffield United. The 18-year-old has impressed for the Blades and earned interest from Anfield, Brighton & Hove Albion and Red Bull clubs RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg as a result.

Whether the Reds make their move as early as this month remains to be seen, but seeing Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes square off against Klopp in the transfer market would certainly be an interesting scenario a year on from when the German announced he would leave at the end of the last campaign. That said, One could be a player to watch in the final days of the winter window.

"Powerful" One is a rising star

At just 18 years old, One is already making an impact for Sheffield United’s senior side under Chris Wilder, scoring once in two starts and 10 appearances in the Championship. As things stand, the only way is up for the young forward who may yet have the biggest decision of his career so far to make in the coming weeks or months.

The striker role is certainly one that is up for grabs at Liverpool, even for a player as young as One. With Darwin Nunez yet to convince, Diogo Jota proving unreliable thanks to his injury record and Luis Diaz merely a square peg in a round hole, any forward who is good enough should be considered ready enough to lead the line at Anfield.

One has unsurprisingly found himself at the centre of praise in recent months, including from Scottish football experts Scotball, who described the young Scotland forward as “powerful” at the start of the month.

A player to watch, One could find himself playing Premier League football with or without Sheffield United by the time that next season arrives.

Liverpool finished the league phase of the 2024/25 Champions League season on Wednesday night with a 3-2 defeat to Dutch giants PSV away from Anfield.

The Reds had won all seven of their matches in the competition prior to that match, which meant that they had already qualified for the last 16, and Arne Slot made the decision to go with a younger group for the clash.

Jayden Danns, Harvey Elliott, and James McConnell were among the young stars who were given a chance to shine, with a host of first-team players not selected for the squad.

Tyler Morton, however, was not selected in the starting line-up and could be one of the players to move on from Anfield before the end of the January transfer window.

Premier League club eyeing Tyler Morton

According to talkSPORT, West Ham United are considering an approach to sign the English central midfielder before the deadline on Monday.

The report claims that the 22-year-old midfielder is not currently in Slot’s plans at Anfield and that a move away to play regular Premier League football could be an attractive option for him.

However, it adds that there has not been any contact between the two clubs at this moment in time, and it is unclear as to whether the Hammers would be interested in a loan or a permanent deal for the England U21 international.

With this interest from West Ham, albeit not far advanced, in mind, Liverpool must brutally ditch the academy graduate from the club before the deadline, selling him to their Premier League rivals.

Why Liverpool should sell Tyler Morton

The English midfielder turns 23 this year and has not made a single appearance in the Premier League, or started in the Champions League, this season, which aligns with talkSPORT’s claim that he is not in Slot’s plans.

Six midfielders between the ages of 21 and 26 have played in the Premier League for the Reds this term, which shows that there is huge competition in that area of the pitch that is not going anywhere any time soon, which is why it seems unlikely that Morton is going to break into the side.

Morton also reportedly earns more (£12k) than McConnell (£3.1k) per week, despite the 20-year-old, who is two years younger than him, seemingly being ahead of him in the pecking order.

McConnell started against PSV, whilst Morton was left on the bench, and Slot revealed after the game that he was so impressed with the youngster that there will not be a loan exit for him this month.

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old ace caught the eye as a defensive enforcer in the middle of the park against the Dutch side, and clearly did enough to impress his manager.

This also makes it easier to cash in on Morton this summer because it shows that the club potentially have an even bigger talent than him, given Slot’s selection and transfer decision, who is also two years younger and on much less money.

Liverpool hold concrete interest in "exceptional" £50m Salah replacement

The Reds now hold concrete interest in a forward who has been in impressive form this season, as a potential heir to the Egyptian.

By
Dominic Lund

Jan 30, 2025

Therefore, Liverpool, who are well stocked in his position in the here and now and for the future, should ruthlessly sell the dud before the deadline on Monday, amid interest from West Ham.

Manchester United and Newcastle have reportedly joined Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in the hunt for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko.

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• Sesko's stock continues to rise
• Premier League teams vying for his signature
• Scouts were present during Leipzig's clash with Bayern

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sesko continues to be one of the hottest names in the European transfer market, with the RB Leipzig forward now attracting concrete interest from five of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Already on the radar of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle have now also joined the queue of suitors closely monitoring the Slovenian striker, according to

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Scouts from Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all been tracking Sesko closely and even attended Leipzig's latest Bundesliga fixture against Bayern Munich, where he scored in a 3-3 draw. Those in attendance were not only watching Sesko, but also keeping tabs on his team-mates Castello Lukeba and Xavi Simons.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal appear to be the frontrunners for Sesko at the moment. The Gunners are reported to have done significant groundwork on the player over the past year, including internal evaluations and conversations about how he might fit into Mikel Arteta’s long-term vision.

  Although Arsenal showed interest in Sesko during the previous summer window, the striker opted to remain in Germany and extend his stay at Leipzig to continue his development. However, reports now indicate that Sesko has changed his stance and is enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the north London club. Alexander Isak is reportedly the ideal target for Arsenal, but with Newcastle unlikely to sanction a deal for their star forward, Sesko is emerging as the more attainable choice.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sesko’s future seems increasingly tied to English football. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining where the highly rated striker ends up, but if the current momentum continues, a blockbuster move to Arsenal or another top Premier League club appears inevitable. While Sesko remains the centrepiece of transfer talks, interest in Lukeba and Simons suggests that the Bundesliga outfit may have a challenging few months ahead.

Lamine Yamal made an emotional vow to Barcelona fans after the La Liga giants crashed out of Champions League semi-finals at the hands of Inter.

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• Yamal sends emotional message to Barca fans
• Raphinha also left devastated after UCL loss
• Inter reach final for second time in three years

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona were on the verge of a famous victory in Milan as they came back from a 2-0 deficit in the first half, only to concede twice late in the game and lose 4-3 after extra-time as they crashed out of the Champions League semi-finals, with Inter progressing 7-6 on aggregate. Blaugrana sensation Yamal was left heartbroken after the second leg thriller, but made a vow to fans that he will help deliver Europe's most prestigious trophy in the coming years.

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• WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

  Taking to hours after the game, Yamal said while also looking ahead to this weekend's crucial El Clasico encounter against Real Madrid: "We've given it all, this year it couldn't be but we'll be back don't have any doubt "culers" we won't stop until we leave this club where it deserves, at the highest. I will fulfill my promise and bring it to Barcelona, we won't stop until we get it. But Sunday is another final and we all have to be together. Long live Barça!"

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raphinha, who scored Barca's third goal in the 87th minute, was left devastated too as he posted: "We will come back stronger… Thanks to everyone's support, culers… we are still together… The season isn't over yet. Every day that passes, I am more proud to wear these colours, proud of this team. Long live Barca always."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Hansi Flick's side will now focus on sealing the La Liga title and completing a domestic double. Barca will be next seen in action on Sunday as they take on arch-rivals Real Madrid at home, with four points currently separating the two teams in the table.