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Liverpool face another tough task at the weekend with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League after securing a big 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek.

In the Spanish capital, goals from Naby Keita and a Mohamed Salah double were enough to secure the win in their latest group game despite two goals from Antoine Griezmann, who was later sent off, restoring parity for a while.

Ox was impressive v Atletico

Looking ahead to the weekend’s big match against the Red Devils, one Liverpool figure who played a part in midweek that we feel should be in the starting XI to face United is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

On Tuesday night, the ex-Arsenal midfielder came on as a substitute in the second half to replace James Milner.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old completed 14 out of the 15 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, completed one accurate long ball attempt, made two successful dribbles, won five out of his six ground duels, and made one interception and three tackles. Those efforts earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.2/10 according to SofaScore, higher than a significant number of Liverpool players who started the game.

This not only shows how useful a midfield option Oxlade-Chamberlain is for Liverpool but also why he should be in the running to start against United on Sunday ahead of the likes of Keita and Milner, who both failed to impress in midweek.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Merseyside club back in 2017 from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Since then, the £120k-per-week midfielder (according to Spotrac), has made 111 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in the process.

So far this season, while Oxlade-Chamberlain may have made seven appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions, he has only started twice, making him a bit of an outcast. That is something he has apparently acknowledged, as it was recently reported that he could seek to leave the club in the near future to find regular game-time elsewhere.

However, in our view, we feel that this next match against United would be a great chance for him to show why he should be a regular starter for the Reds rather than just an impact sub.

In other news: Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted

West Ham are interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, but a move would not come until late in the window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Nketiah out of favour at Arsenal

The 22-year-old has been hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Gunners manager Mikel Arteta but he hasn’t been considered a key man in the Premier League at the Emirates this season.

Nketiah has only appeared in 38 minutes of action in the Premier League in 2021/22 to date, with his three starts all coming in the Carabao Cup.

However, he has been phenomenal in those cup showings, scoring five times in just 263 minutes on the pitch – a goal every 52.6 minutes. He has also boasted an incredible 4.7 shots per game in the cup, one of which was a sublime back-heel finish to complete a hat-trick vs Sunderland.

The young striker has been linked with a move to West Ham in the past and it appears as though a switch could still happen.

The Latest: Journalist confirms West Ham’s interest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that the Hammers see Nketiah as a target, although there are other players higher on the list too:

“I’m sure he’s on the list at West Ham but I don’t think he’s a top target.

“He could be a cheap option late in the window if they don’t sign their other top targets. Arsenal will probably be looking to sell with his contract up in the summer.”

The Verdict: Long-term investment?

There is a risk element to signing Nketiah, considering he is yet to show that he can perform at a consistent level in the Premier League, scoring just five times in 41 appearances in the competition.

That being said, he is still only 22 and could arrive on a free transfer after his contract expires this summer or for a nominal fee this month, acting as a backup to Michail Antonio and hopefully maturing in the coming years into his replacement.

In truth, not signing Nketiah certainly wouldn’t be a blow for West Ham but there is sense behind taking a punt on him. His pace has been described as ‘blistering’ by Tony Cascarino, and he is England Under-21s’ all-time record goalscorer, so the ability is certainly there if he can find the consistency.

In other news, a reporter has shared some West Ham transfer news. Read more here.

Liverpool are eying a swoop for PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo in the summer transfer window.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Dutch media outlet Voetbal, who claim the winger has already spoken with Liverpool regarding a transfer to the Premier League side at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and even Bayern Munich are also interested in a move the PSV sensation this summer.

It looks increasingly likely that Gakpo will be leaving the Dutch side and he has no shortage of admirers. The player did recently sign a new contract until 2026 following discussions with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy recently and this could be to secure his club the best possible fee.

Mane 2.0

Liverpool’s recent recruitment has been excellent, with the additions of Luis Diaz and Diego Jota have added extra dimensions to the Reds’ attack and it looks like Klopp is looking to the future.

With Gakpo only being 22, he could well be a fine signing and eventually look to take over from the ageing Sadio Mane.

Indeed, the Dutchman’s attacking output is similar to that of the 30-year-old, having scored a scintillating 18 goals and registered 15 assists over 42 outings in all competitions this season. Although primarily a left-winger, he can play across the forward line.

His performances have gathered a great amount of praise, with the former Netherlands midfielder, Theo Janssen, stating his belief that Gakpo is a talent who “has everything.”

Liverpool could secure his services for £33m which, would be a record fee for PSV.

Indeed, considering the sheer amount of potential the Netherlands international quite clearly possesses, it would not be surprising to see the 22-year-old – if he does indeed secure a move to Anfield this summer – eventually go on to take the place of Mane in the Reds’ starting XI – as it is clear Gakpo is very much a player in the Senegal international’s mould.

AND in other news: Cost £3.5m now worth £19.8m: Liverpool struck gold with “sensational” gem – opinion

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been flocking to some comments which have emerged from Jermain Defoe.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the striker was talking about how he left club earlier this week and suggested that he wanted to stay and continue playing for them. He confessed: “Even at the age of 39 I still wanted to be involved. Towards the end it was affecting me, I was taking it home and I was a little bit down…”

Defoe was a wonderful servant to Rangers during his time at Ibrox, scoring 32 goals and supplying a further 10 assists in 76 games over all competitions across the last four seasons (title last term.

However, he has now left the Light Blues, and if he wants to continue playing football, he will have to find another club as a free agent. Nonetheless, many Gers supporters seemed moved by his admission.

Rangers fans on Defoe comments

These Rangers fans flocked to the striker’s comments as they were shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that Defoe is a ‘phenomenal’ person:

“Phenomenal guy with a phenomenal attitude. @IAmJermainDefoe is always welcome back to Ibrox as a fan.”

Credit: @norrie9791

“Tears man… Absolute gem of a guy and fantastic player, wish we had him years ago, always welcome back JD”

Credit: @Rangers4life_

“Okay I wasn’t ready for this”

Credit: @RaviSood10

“Crying now! What a man”

Credit: @ClaireMackay19

“He gets it.”

Credit: @nrpsimpson

“Someone cutting onions somewhere”

Credit: @youngdavid85

In other news, find out what transfer update has had these Gers fans buzzing

Celtic are still in discussions with Tottenham over a permanent deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers, John McGinley reports.

The Lowdown: Impressive loan

Carter-Vickers made the move to Glasgow late in the summer window and has been a near ever-present figure under Ange Postecoglou.

The centre-back, labelled as ‘quick’ by former Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate, has missed just one Scottish Premiership fixture since becoming a Hoops player and has been the club’s best performing centre-back, as per WhoScored.

Reports at the beginning of January suggested that the club were working on permanent moves for both Carter-Vickers and Jota after including options in their respective loan deals. Full-time transfers failed to materialise last month, but it seems as if Celtic are still in talks.

The Latest: McGinley’s tweet

Celtic reporter McGinley took to Twitter on Saturday evening to relay comments from Postecoglou on Carter-Vickers and Jota.

He said that talks are continuing and are being led by CEO Michael Nicholson.

“Ange Postecoglou says discussions re: the purchase of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are ongoing ‘over the next period’, led by Michael Nicholson and involving the players themselves. ‘It will take care of itself.’ No guarantees, of course.”

The Verdict: Needed

Carter-Vickers, on £22,000-a-week, has proven he can be a reliable and top member of Postecoglou’s squad, so making his move permanent appears to be a no brainer.

The option to buy fee reportedly stands at an initial £6m, a figure which is over twice his Transfermarkt valuation. Nicholson may be looking to bring that fee down slightly, however, there is thought to be no wriggle room on the overall price.

It could well be that talks continue until the summer, where Nicholson and Celtic may have to make a decision one way or the other on Carter-Vickers, but it would be disappointing if he isn’t a permanent Hoops player ahead of the 2022/23 season following his impressive temporary stay.

In other news: Kieran Devlin drops scary Reo Hatate claim from sources close to Celtic dressing room. 

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reflecting on their 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich, and they’re more than a little worried about a bad patch of form for Andy Robertson.

Robertson has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League since joining Liverpool in a deal worth an initial £8m, as the Scottish captain’s performance levels rarely drop below a seven out of ten.

That hasn’t been the case recently though, as he seems to have lost a little bit of the attacking spark that has seen him rack up eight assists in all competitions this season, and even more worryingly he has looked shaky at the back.

After a poor showing in the 1-1 draw against Leicester, it was the 24 year-old who needlessly gave away a free kick at the London Stadium, from which West Ham equalised, and he struggled massively with Bayern ace Serge Gnabry on Tuesday night.

That is now three games out of the last four that the all-action left-back hasn’t been at his best, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Last week, it was revealed that West Brom defender Kean Bryan will now be ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage in their recent 1-0 win over Hull City.

Despite this disappointing development, it seems as though the Baggies now have something positive to focus on moving forward.

It has recently been reported by Football Insider that Baggies centre-back Dara O’Shea, who has been out of action since September with a fractured ankle he sustained while away on international duty, is “making excellent progress in his recovery” and could well be set to return in January.

On the chalkboard

With this in mind, if O’Shea is fit enough to play in January, Ismael should have no doubts about putting him back into the team when the time comes.

Given how O’Shea had played every minute of action for West Brom in the Championship before picking up his injury on international duty and managing to grab two goals in the process, this shows just how important he is to the side and why Baggies manager Valerien Ismael will undoubtedly be over the moon to hear that O’Shea’s recovery is going well.

As well as showing that he can be a goalscoring threat for the team, O’Shea has also proven himself as a solid defensive unit as well with the 22-year-old racking up an average of 2.4 tackles, 3.6 clearances and 2.2 interceptions per game in the league.

Since making his senior debut for the Midlands club back in December 2019 under former Baggies manager Slaven Bilic, O’Shea, who has been described as a “confident” player by West Brom and Ireland teammate Callum Robinson, has made 57 appearances in total for the first team.

Despite only playing five league games this term, the £4.4k-per-week defender’s performances in those appearances have earned him an overall season rating of 7.73/10, making him West Brom’s highest-rated player according to WhoScored, further highlighting how impressive he was for the Baggies before picking up his unfortunate injury.

Moving forward, if he’s able to recover fully by January and keep fit for the rest of the season, then he should be one of the first names on the teamsheet on a consistent basis as his defensive talents and his knack for finding the back of the net at the other end of the pitch could be exactly what West Brom need to push them to promotion by the end of the campaign.

In other news: Ismael could unearth the next Townsend at West Brom with “excellent” 19 y/o prodigy – opinion

Aston Villa and Leeds have both approached West Ham over a possible move for Manuel Lanzini, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: Gerrard’s huge January kitty

Steven Gerrard looks set to be a busy man in the New Year in what will be his first transfer window as Villa boss.

A new centre-back and a defensive midfielder are reportedly his main priorities, with Marvelous Nakamba suffering a serious knee injury in recent weeks.

He’s been promised a huge transfer kitty by NSWE, and it appears as if attacking midfielder Lanzini is a player of interest to Gerrard and sporting director Johan Lange.

The Latest: Villa’s enquiry

TEAMtalk shared a story on Wednesday evening suggesting both Villa and Leeds made it clear to the Hammers they are keen on the Argentine.

West Ham were open to an exit earlier in the season, but they have rebuffed approaches regarding a January transfer involving Lanzini.

The 28-year-old, labelled as a ‘top player’ by Darren Bent, has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, with his three league starts coming in the last three fixtures.

The Verdict: Priorities

Gerrard and Lange’s main focus should be on a holding midfielder in January, so their failed approach for Lanzini shouldn’t be viewed as a disaster at this moment in time.

The club have just Douglas Luiz as the only available senior defensive midfield option following Nakamba’s injury. Should they get one in early next month, then perhaps a move for an attacking midfielder could be of use, with Jacob Ramsey the club’s only out and out attacking midfielder.

However, Gerrard has plenty of wide attacking talent on the books who could adapt to a central role, but losing Luiz alongside Nakamba and not bringing in a replacement could be extremely worrying.

In other news: ‘Disgrace’ – Lots of Villa fans fume as ‘ridiculous’ pre-Chelsea update emerges. 

Glasgow Rangers have the chance to put an end to a frantic week by securing a place in the final of the Scottish Cup.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were in action on Thursday night as they made it through to the semi-finals of the Europa League by beating Braga 3-1.

The Gers now take on Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, having lost to the Hoops in the SPFL earlier this month.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start in midweek that should now make a return to the starting XI for Rangers is midfielder Glen Kamara.

Having replaced Ryan Jack after 80 minutes on Thursday, the 26-year-old ended up playing 40 minutes in total as the game went to extra time.

In those 40 minutes, the midfielder did his best to make sure his side kept their composure and see out the match once Kemar Roofe had scored the goal that put Rangers ahead on aggregate.

With 42 touches of the ball in total, the Finnish international completed 32 of the 35 passes he attempted, including two successful long balls.

He also managed to win four of the five duels he was involved in, block one shot and draw two fouls, showing how useful he was when he came on.

In the SPFL, Kamara has also shown what a useful defensive figure he is, with Joe Aribo (32) being the only other midfielder to have won more than his 19 tackles.

Similarly, John Lundstram (28) is the only other Rangers midfielder to rack up more interceptions than the £21k-per-week talent (22).

Taking into account the fact that Celtic ended up scoring seven goals in their previous outing against St Johnstone and have had a full week of rest, having a defensively capable player like the £5.4m-rated figure in his starting XI would appear a very wise move by Van Bronckhorst.

Labelled both “aggressive” and a “class act” in the past by former Gers manager Steven Gerrard, Kamara would very much appear to be the right player to break up the Bhoys’ attacks most efficiently.

Indeed, after his solid run out in midweek, Van Bronckhorst should definitely unleash the midfield machine from the start this time around – as Kamara’s presence in the middle of the park would certainly terrify Celtic.

AND in other news: £10.1m in the bank: Rangers hit the jackpot on “brutally ruthless” £31.5k-p/w machine

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Manchester United are considering a move for Brentford’s attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen. 

The lowdown: Eriksen enjoying fairytale comeback

When regulations in Italy ruled out the possibility of a career in Serie A following a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 clash with Finland, Eriksen had to be released by Inter Milan.

The 30-year-old subsequently signed for Brentford on a short-term deal and continued a fairytale return to professional football in west London on the weekend, netting a first Premier League goal since joining the Bees against Chelsea.

This came just after the former Tottenham star scored twice upon his comeback to the international stage recently.

As the end of the season and the conclusion of a deal at the west London club comes into view, it appears that Brentford may struggle to retain the Dane’s services…

The latest: United watching Eriksen

As per the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are believed to be ‘monitoring’ Eriksen ahead of a potential summer swoop.

With the 30-year-old set to become a free agent in July (as per Transfermarkt), Manchester United and Tottenham are both attentive to the 111-cap playmaker’s situation at Brentford.

The verdict: Perfect Pogba replacement

As Eriksen becomes a free agent, there can be no doubting the logic in pursuing a deal for the £13.5m valued man, particularly as United brace themselves for the seemingly imminent departure of Paul Pogba.

Boasting an enviable trophy haul along with 230 English top-flight appearances, signing the Denmark star would be the ideal tonic to boost the Old Trafford squad in terms of quality and experience.

Previously hailed as ‘world class’ by former Spurs team-mate Dele Alli, adding Eriksen’s impressive technical ability to the squad to dovetail alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho would surely be an exciting prospect, particularly on a free transfer.

In other news: Source makes worrying claim regarding Man Utd star. Find out more here!