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Virgil van Dijk is in contention to play against Leicester City on Wednesday after an injury scare, according to a fitness update from Jurgen Klopp posted on Liverpool’s official website.

Van Dijk picked up an illness during the Reds’ trip to Dubai last week.

However, Klopp revealed on Tuesday that he has taken part in training this week, raising the possibility that he could be involved on Wednesday.

FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video below…

Van Dijk has not missed a Premier League game for Liverpool since last January, per Transfermarkt, when the Reds faced Huddersfield Town, and will likely partner either Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren at Anfield.

Indeed, the Netherlands international has been a colossus at the centre of the defence this season, even captaining the club on five occasions, donning the armband in the Merseyside derby against Everton and in wins over Cardiff City, Fulham, Manchester United and Arsenal. He also wore the armband in the Champions League victory over Red Star.

And fans have expressed their delight at the news that Van Dijk is set to continue in the heart of defence.

While things at Wolverhampton Wanderers appear to very much be on the up in recent months, with Bruno Lage’s side picking up a highly impressive 16 points from a possible 20 over their last seven Premier League fixtures, there are nevertheless a couple of issues at Molineux that will be a cause for concern amongst fans.

Indeed, with Morgan Gibbs-White being sent out on loan at the start of the season and Bruno Jordao still being sidelined due to injury, the 45-year-old manager currently has just three options to choose from in the middle of the park – Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho.

And, with December soon upon us – famously the most hectic period of the Premier League calendar – should either of this trio pick up an injury or suspension, Lage’s lack of choice in central midfield could well derail Wolves’ push to secure European football come next May rather quickly.

However, the Portuguese manager may well possess a ready-made solution to this potential middle of the park Christmas crisis – in the shape of 19-year-old Luke Cundle.

Cundle could save Shi millions

It is easy to see why expectations of those at Wolves are so high for Cundle, as the teenager has continually impressed during his progression through the club’s youth ranks.

Indeed, over his 41 appearances for the U18 side, the central midfielder scored four goals and registered four assists, while, over his 43 fixtures after being promoted to James Collins’ U23 side, the youngster has bagged four goals and nine assists, as well as being made the captain of the team.

The latest of these goals for the U23s came on Friday evening, with the teenager scoring a stunning 73rd-minute winner for his side – playing a one-two with a teammate on the edge of the opposition penalty area, before jinking through a number of defenders and driving powerfully home – in a 2-1 Premier League 2 victory over Birmingham City.

Following this result, Collins was full of praise for his captain, stating: “He’s ready for that step up. Whether that’s with our first team or whether that’s a loan, because watching him out there, I thought he was magnificent.

“He’s got an outstanding brain and drives the game, he runs the game and dictates it which is a great skill. He’s intelligent, makes good decisions, can attack and defend and when you first see him, you wonder whether he could be a Premier League player because he’s slight and small.

“But once you’ve worked with him for a bit you can see how much of a good player he is. I’m delighted for him to get his goal because his performance deserved that. I thought everyone did well, but he was a real stand-out.”

Collins’ belief in Cundle’s readiness for first-team football is an opinion that the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield shares, with the journalist stating of the 19-year-old in an interview with GIVEMESPORT:

“They’re probably looking at who could potentially make an impact at first-team level and I think Luke Cundle is maybe one. He is probably one they are looking at and maybe he could break through if they need cover. If push comes to shove and they need an extra body in their midfield, Luke Cundle is one they may be eyeing up.”

As such, considering the midfielder’s abundance of potential, coupled with Lage’s rather desperate need for reinforcements in the middle of the park, it would seem highly advisable for the 45-year-old to finally unleash the youngster in his first-team, as, with a couple of impressive performances in the top flight, Cundle could well go on to save Jeff Shi and Wolves millions of pounds in January transfer fees.

In other news: “I spoke with my agent”: £51k-p/w Wolves target drops big transfer hint, Shi must act

Manchester United are reportedly eyeing up a move for Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Red Devils are interested in securing the highly-rated 21-year-old’s signature over the coming months after growing tired of Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s inefficiencies.

The original report states that: “It’s no mystery that Manchester United no longer want Aaron Wan-Bissaka on their team, at least as a starter.”

It goes on to claim that United could provide new manager Ralf Rangnick with a ‘magnificent player’ by sanctioning a deal for Lamptey in the winter window, labelling the youngster a ‘special talent’.

Bye-Bye Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Since arriving at the Amex Stadium from boyhood club Chelsea back in January 2020, Lamptey has established himself as one of the most promising and exciting full-backs in the Premier League.

In 26 appearances for Brighton, the England U21 international has scored one goal and provided four assists for his teammates, attracting praise from several impressed onlookers.

His current manager Graham Potter has previously lauded both Lamptey’s attacking ability and defensive qualities following his fast start to life on the south coast.

“He’s got such electric pace, but lots of players have that,” said Potter. “It’s having the ability to run in behind. The ability to run into space is often what separates players.

“Tariq does that, but he’s got courage, he does his defensive work. The boys love him, and he’s in a good place.”

And the Seagulls boss is not Lamptey’s only admirer. Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer also praised the right-back after picking him in his Team of the Week for matchday 2 last term, giving a brief comment on the youngster’s performances to justify his inclusion.

“The teenager only played for an hour but that hour was outstanding. He was a constant threat with his pace and nearly scored a deserved goal. A brilliant future lies ahead,” he wrote.

And when looking at Lamptey’s underlying numbers compared to Wan-Bissaka’s, it’s easy to understand why Rangnick may be tempted to sanction a move for the £16.2m-rated Brighton ace.

As per FBref.com, Lamptey has recorded two key passes per 90 this season, 5.09 shot-creating actions and 12 pressures, bettering the United flops tallies of 0.62, 1.62 and 10.8, respectively.

Wan-Bissaka also falls behind his compatriot in terms of attempted dribbles and carries into the opposition box too, with totals of 2.92 and 0.31 per 90 being dwarfed by his competitor’s tallies of 6.87 and 2.57.

Therefore, Rangnick must carefully consider a swoop for Lamptey in the upcoming transfer window, potentially adding a significant attacking force to his struggling charges.

And, in other news…Rangnick could finally end Man Utd’s striker hunt by signing £36m-rated “world-beater” 

According to 90min, Paris Saint-Germain midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to being part of a loan swap deal which would involve Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli heading in the opposite direction.

The Lowdown: Ndombele and Alli exiled at Spurs

According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spurs and PSG are still in talks over a loan move for club-record signing Ndombele, and the Lilywhites are considering various options as a direct replacement for the midfielder.

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Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte has exiled the 25-year-old at N17, leaving the Frenchman out of the matchday squads for their previous two Premier League games, and he has even forced him into training alone at Hotspur Way.

Dele Alli has also faced a similar situation under the 52-year-old, having been excluded from Spurs’ matchday squad for the London derby against Chelsea and making the starting XI just four times in all competitions during the Italian’s reign at the club.

The Latest: Wijnaldum and Draxler open to Spurs loans

90min editor Sean Walsh reported of Wijnaldum and Draxler’s interest in a possible loan switch to Tottenham, sharing a link to his article via Twitter.

In the tweet, he summarised: “Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to joining #THFC on loan, potentially as part of deal to send Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli to PSG.”

This news arises as the Ligue 1 club have been deciding on which players they could include as part of a swap deal to lure Ndombele or Dele away from Spurs.

Wijnaldum would be open to a return to the Premier League and his representatives have informed Tottenham of his willingness to move back to England. Draxler is said to also be an option for Spurs, as the German has been on the fringe of the PSG squad for several years, so it seems likely that the club would be willing to let him leave on loan.

The Verdict: Good deal for all parties

With the details of the deal yet to be determined, it is hard to determine the plausibility of a complex swap deal. However, looking at the players involved on paper, Spurs are seemingly getting a good deal, especially when you consider that the two potentially outgoing midfielders have both been effectively exiled by Conte.

Having made 217 Premier League appearances and won some of football’s biggest competitions, Wijnaldum is a proven player who could make an instant impact in Spurs’ midfield.

Draxler could also prove to be a shrewd signing who could provide Conte with depth in the attacking positions. He has excelled in the Bundesliga in previous years, and squad rotation may be crucial if Tottenham are to achieve Champions League qualification, so they could do a lot worse than bringing in the Germany international too.

In other news – “Still in talks”: Fabrizio Romano provides the latest on exit-linked Spurs colossus

So far this season, under the guidance of Dean Smith and then Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa have won seven, drawn one and lost 10 of their 18 Premier League games, scoring 24 goals and conceding 28 in the process.

Their previous league outing saw them concede three times in their loss against Chelsea at Villa Park thanks to two Jorginho penalties and one headed goal from Romelu Lukaku.

One player who was involved in the defeat to Thomas Tuchel’s side that Gerrard should now consider dropping from the team is Tyrone Mings.

The ccntre-back failed to have any sort of defensive impact in the Boxing Day encounter, not registering even one tackle or interception or blocking any shots, as well as losing three of his four duels. This display earned him a disappointing overall match rating of 6.1/10, making the £28.8m-rated man the lowest-rated outfield Villa player on the day according to SofaScore.

Birmingham Mail also picked up on the England international’s shaky performance by saying that he “should take the blame for what proved to be Lukaku’s winner after he opted to block his run as opposed to going to meet and challenge it,” suggesting that Mings could be seen as a liability for Villa at the back.

Even though he will miss Villa’s next Premier League match against Brentford on Sunday after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Chelsea, Gerrard should definitely consider keeping the 28-year-old out of the team beyond the next game, especially if whoever comes in to replace him at the weekend can impress.

Having been labelled a “cocky” player in terms of his style of play by pundit and former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie, Mings has been under the spotlight for his poor performances and errors on the pitch in the past.

Looking ahead to the Brentford game, with an overall season rating of 6.8/10 from WhoScored, Kortney Hause could be the one to come in for the 28-year-old at the weekend.

If this is the case and Hause can put in a solid performance and potentially keep a clean sheet, he could be the one to keep Mings out of the team for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops injury update at Aston Villa which will leave fans delighted

West Ham United appear set to end their striker search this January, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

GIVEMESPORT and The Football Terrace show host Terry Flewers has revealed that the Irons have submitted an offer to sign Sparta Prague forward Adam Hlozek ahead of the January transfer window.

“West Ham United have made an approach to sign 19-year-old Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek,” he tweeted earlier this week.

Similar reports from Football Insider suggest the Czech Republic international is a top priority for manager David Moyes this winter as he looks to bolster his frontline.

They also claim that a bid in the region of £16m to £20m would be enough to secure Hlozek halfway through the season.

Sign him up!

It’s no secret that the Irons are desperate for alternatives in attack as the Scot has only been able to rely upon Michail Antonio in the past 17 months. following the departure of Sebastien Haller to Ajax.

That’s a major cause for concern as the versatile 31-year-old has suffered from persistent injury problems throughout his Hammers career and right now, he’s horribly out of form, having scored just once in his last ten appearances in all competitions.

The prolific dynamo had started the season with four goals in just three games.

Hlozek, despite his young age, has already racked up 111 senior appearances for the Czech giants, in which he has delivered an impressive 33 goals and 33 assists, as well as picking up 12 senior caps alongside current West Ham stars Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.

Last season, he broke through and caught the eye of many across Europe. The promising teenager managed a goal or assist every 75 minutes despite injury curtailing his campaign.

Valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, Hlozek has been dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his agent Pavel Paska, who also facilitated Soucek’s move to the London Stadium, whilst further praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig has seen him earn the tag of being the country’s best prospect since ex-Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky.

On the above evidence, new head of recruitment Rob Newman could seal quite the young prospect with a swoop for Hlozek; not only that but Moyes would finally be able to end his striker nightmare and as a result, he would surely be absolutely delighted.

The Irons must seal a move for the Sparta sensation this January.

AND in other news, Forget Rice: “Impressive” West Ham beast who made 94% passes was Moyes’ silver lining vs Burnley…

Rangers could find Steven Gerrard’s perfect heir at Ibrox after being mooted with a move for someone who’s already spent some time with the Gers in Glasgow.

What’s the story?

Gerrard was formally announced as Aston Villa’s new boss after a successful two-and-a-half-year stint in Scottish football, leading to intense speculation over who will take over the reins.

The Sun journalist Bruce Archer took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon as doubts over Gerrard’s future grew, saying: “Think I’d go for Gio or Paulo Fonseca #RangersFC,” when addressing who he would appoint as his successor. 

A report from the same outlet, meanwhile, claims the former defender is even keen on coming to Scotland.

While Fonseca would be an extremely intriguing option, Van Bronckhorst’s past experience with the Glasow giants could make him the ideal replacement.

Steven Gerrard’s perfect heir?

The 46-year-old enjoyed a hugely successful playing career at both club and international level, making 106 appearances for the Netherlands and turning out for Feyenoord, Rangers, Arsenal and Barcelona at left-back.

Van Bronckhorst won two league titles, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup during his three-year stay with the Gers between 1998 and 2001, before going on to claim further silverware in north London.

After joining the Gunners in a big-money move, he secured one Premier League title and two FA Cups with the capital club, and then also enjoyed two league title victories and one Champions League success at Barca and two Dutch Cups with Feyenoord.

He retired in 2010 having helped the Netherlands reach the World Cup final and was appointed as Ronald Koeman’s assistant manager at De Kuip a year later, eventually replacing his compatriot at the helm in 2015.

In just his first year in charge, Van Bronckhorst guided Feyenoord to the KNVB Cup and followed that triumph up by winning the Eredivisie in 2016/17.

It was the Rotterdam outfit’s first top-flight title in 18 years and they continued their quest for silverware by claiming the Dutch Cup once again in the subsequent campaign, illustrating his true credentials as a top-class manager.

The Dutchman’s fairytale time at his boyhood club came to an end in 2019, and when discussing Van Bronckhorst’s decision to leave Feyenoord, the club’s former technical director Martin van Geel lauded his work.

“Gio has done more than fantastic here and he continues to do well. So we would have liked to sit down with him next month, as planned, to start talking about any contract extension,” Van Gaal said.

“Gio is really someone who follows his heart and if he feels he wants to do something else after this season, we can only respect that. We are incredibly grateful to him, already, for the great contribution he has made to the club’s recent unprecedented successful period.”

A spell at Chinese outfit Guangzhou followed in 2020, but Van Bronckhorst has been out of work since, but judging by his previous accomplishments, he may well be the perfect heir to carry on Gerrard’s excellent work at Rangers.

Both as a manager and a player, he has a history of winning titles on a consistent basis. With that in mind, it feels like a match made in heaven for the trophy-hungry Gers.

And, in other news…Bye-bye Stevie: Rangers could land dream Gerrard successor in “excellent” 50 y/o boss

A number of Liverpool supporters are in positive spirits after the Reds were linked with an exciting move for Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka.

Jurgen Klopp has had a quiet time of things in the transfer market of late, with Ibrahima Konate the only signing made by the club last summer.

That doesn’t mean a number of players haven’t been linked with moves to Liverpool, however, as the Reds look to remain a huge force with Klopp at the helm.

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According to The Transfer Window Podcast [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are open to the idea of bringing Arsenal forward Saka to the club, and the Gunners talent was pictured sharing a chat with Klopp on Thursday evening.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Britain, scoring 18 goals and registering 25 assists for the north London outfit already.

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Liverpool fans keen on Saka signing

These Liverpool fans have reacted positively to the claim on Twitter.

“This would be the best thing that could happen for him going from a pretender club to a real club with ambition”

Credit: @Tronicssystem

“Cool!”

Credit: @RedMan4Lyfe

“Absolutely, yes”

Credit: @lucyinussr

“I would take him. Realistically I doubt we would sign him”

Credit: @agentdixon

“Get him and he’ll thrive under Klopp and co”

Credit: @AdeAllmark

“I think Jurgen would get the best out of him and he would be playing in a more attack-minded team”

Credit: @LeeDavi1010

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to a Reds transfer update. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s central defensive search could take them back to Pau Torres this month…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on the ‘Last Word on Spurs’ podcast, the north London outfit are still interested in the Villarreal star and he is one to “keep an eye on” before the January 31st deadline.

Spurs were first linked with a move for the 24-year-old in the summer, with The Times claiming that they were ready to submit an offer for him. He is thought to have a €65m (£55m) release clause in his contract.

It remains to be seen how much Torres would command in the winter transfer window, though Transfermarkt value him at a slightly lower £45m.

Imagine him and Romero

Given Antonio Conte’s arrival and subsequent change in system, it is no wonder the Lilywhites are targeting the addition of a new centre-back and ultimately, they should look no further than the Spaniard.

As a left-footer, he is exactly what the Italian is looking for as he lacks that option in the current squad. Every single one of his other central defenders are right-footed, meaning he has often deployed left-back Ben Davies in the back three.

The long-serving Welshman has done a fine job but if Conte is to elevate Spurs to their former level – regularly challenging the top four – then an upgrade must still be made.

Spurs signed Cristian Romero in the summer and he looks every bit like a typical Conte defender, so pairing him alongside Torres could hand the north Londoners with a very impressive backline, with either of Eric Dier or Davinson Sanchez to make up the trio.

The 24-year-old colossus, who stands at 6 foot 3, played an integral role in the Yellow Submarines’ Europa League triumph last season.

As per WhoScored, he rated as Unai Emery’s fourth-best player (6.76) in La Liga last season. Across 33 starts, he proved to be an excellent ball-playing option by averaging an 87.8% passing accuracy and 0.8 dribbles per game.

The 16-time Spain international’s former youth coach, ex-Villarreal midfielder Javi Calleja described him as having “an extraordinary talent” to The Athletic.

Torres and Romero could be Spurs’ defence of the future and the two complement each other perfectly, as such, sporting director Fabio Paratici must do all in his power to secure the defender this month.

AND in other news, Spurs plotting move for “phenomenal” £16.2m-rated speed demon, he’s perfect for Conte…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided a Manchester United managerial update, name-checking Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Four candidates?

The Red Devils appear to be making a head start on what could be a major summer shake-up, with Old Trafford chiefs talking with Ten Hag earlier this month.

Discussions with the Dutchman were thought to be ‘positive’, however, the 52-year-old isn’t the only boss on United’s radar.

Mauricio Pochettino, Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique are also thought to be considered as options to replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer, with the interim boss set to move into a consultancy role.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, Jones believes Ten Hag is the ‘most likely’ appointment over the coming months and revealed that the end of the current international break is crucial in regards to which direction United would head in.

“I still think that it’s most likely to be ten Hag, but there’s no decision announced yet. The aim was that by the end of this international break, at least the people within the club knew where they were heading, and then they would announce it publicly at a later stage.”

The Verdict: More talks soon?

Ten Hag is the only manager we know at this moment in time that United have spoken to, so you’d expect that Red Devils chiefs could be extremely busy over the next few weeks.

They may decide to talk with the likes of Pochettino, Lopetegui and Enrique or even speak further with Ten Hag, especially as he was recently approached by two more clubs.

Having a new manager in place ahead of the summer would be extremely handy, as it would give him the time to analyse the squad and talk with Rangnick over possible targets. Hopefully, the club can get a deal in place before the end of May, and avoid the chaos of entering the transfer market without a proper structure in place beforehand.

In other news: ‘Absolutely shocking’ – Source reveals Man Utd star now wants to quit even if Ten Hag arrives