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Liverpool are eyeing a surprise move for a Serie A midfielder as Jurgen Klopp looks to add some more depth to his midfield…

According to journalist Ahmet Ercanlar (via TEAMtalk), Klopp has held talks with Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas over the phone as he aims to lure the player to Anfield.

It’s clear that the German is requiring midfielders ahead of a busy second half of the season, and Elmas could be a cheaper alternative to Enzo Fernandez and will be able to slot straight into the team.

Elmas can solve Liverpool’s key issue

With James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all out of contract at the end of the season, plus Arthur Melo’s loan spell coming to an end, Klopp’s midfield options could look rather sparse in the summer and next month could be the ideal time to add some reinforcements.

Elmas might be an ideal solution in January, especially with his good form so far this season for the Serie A leaders.

The 23-year-old has played 14 league matches for the club, although he has started just four, chipping in with three goals and an assist, which is a goal every 179 minutes.

Despite spending just 38 minutes on the pitch on average per game, he has made 0.6 key passes, taken 24.2 touches and created one big chance, showing his ability to still contribute, even if he is coming off the bench in the latter stages of a match.

The £32.5k-per-week Macedonian is an excellent passer of the ball, which is supported by the fact he is ranked in the top 4% across Europe’s big five leagues for pass completion success rate (84.8%) when compared with positional peers, and this could see him shine in Klopp’s team.

Elmas’ versatility could also be a big bonus for the German, as he can play in the centre of the midfield, as an attacking midfielder, or even on the left wing, and with Luis Diaz injured at the moment, it could be an opportunity for Klopp to kill two birds with one stone.

The Napoli player’s agent – George Gardi – once dubbed him a “jewel” and despite not getting many starting opportunities at the Italian side, this could certainly change if he moved to Liverpool, especially with the Anfield side sorely lacking in midfielders.

Arsenal have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring Ruben Neves to the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Times, who claim that, despite the central midfielder entering the final 18 months of his contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers in January, Julen Lopetegui is unwilling to part with the 25-year-old this winter, with the Spaniard preferring to wait until the summer before considering cashing in on the Portugal international.

This is sure to have come as a huge blow to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, with the 40-year-old manager reported to be interested in a £40m move for the former FC Porto star in January, while the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United are also thought the be keen on the Wolves talisman.

Dream Rice alternative

Considering just how impressive Neves has been so far this season, coupled with central midfield undoubtedly being the area of Arteta’s squad that is in need of the most work heading into the second half of the current campaign, the argument that Arteta simply must move for the Portuguese sensation – even if it means paying a premium – in January is an easy one to make.

Indeed, despite Wolves’ struggles in the league this season, the £34.5m-rated talent has nevertheless shone over his 14 Premier League appearances, having already hit the back of the net four times – making him his club’s top scorer – as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

The £50k-per-week engine has also impressed in metrics more typically associated with his position, making an average of 2.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 2.4 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per match, as well as playing an average of 7.1 long balls, 5.1 chipped passes and completing 52.1 total passes – at a success rate of 85% – per outing.

These returns have seen the player who David Cartlidge dubbed “unreal” average a quite staggering Sofascore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Wolves’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 13th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole.

Also, considering that Arsenal will likely have to cough up around £70m – £30m more than Neves’ asking price – in order to land another of their reported central midfield targets in Declan Rice this winter, and with Neves currently outperforming the England international in the league, the Wolves star could well be an unreal alternative to the 23-year-old.

As such, even if Arsenal were to pay slightly over the odds for Neves this winter, it would very much appear worth beating the likes of United and Liverpool in the race for the midfielder’s signing, as the 25-year-old would undoubtedly represent an “astonishing” – in the words of Graeme Bailey – addition to the Gunners’ current options in the middle of the park.

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has shared a promising update on Liverpool’s chances of signing Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham.

The Lowdown: Reds eye move…

It is no secret that the Reds are seriously interested in signing the England international who has been shining for the Three Lions in Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup ace has started every tournament game under manager Gareth Southgate and stands out as their second-best performer by average match rating, behind only Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (WhoScored).

Bellingham has completed more dribbles per 90 than any England player, notching a goal and assist over his outings, adding further fuel to the fire that he will be a superstar.

The Latest: Liverpool ‘frontrunners’ for Bellingham…

The 19-year-old has an array of suitors from the Premier League but is in fact the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp who are in pole position for his signing.

As per reporter Jacobs of CBS, Liverpool are the ‘frontrunners’ for his signature after putting in ‘a lot of leg work’.

He explained (via Twitter):

“Liverpool are frontrunners for Jude Bellingham largely because they have put in a lot of legwork. As previously reported, signing a top young talent isn’t just about the fee but the courting process. #LFC have always been excellent at pitching to players.”

The Verdict: Promising…

Called a ‘monster’ by other members of the media, Bellingham’s performances in the Middle East only highlight further why Klopp seems determined to bring him to Anfield.

Liverpool are arguably short of both quality and youth in the middle of the park and England’s newest sensation would certainly bring both in abundance.

There will be competition, but this latest update comes as a promising one.

West Ham United spent big in the summer, with David Moyes backed to be the man to continue the progression he had already made with this Hammers side.

The Scotsman would unload £157m on eight new faces, with the crowning jewel being their acquisition of Lucas Paqueta.

Brought in on a club-record £51m deal, there was a belief that the Brazilian could add that touch of class and creativity just in front of the midfield two to unlock the Irons’ attacking potential.

However, with 14 games under his belt for the east London outfit, the 25-year-old is yet to score and has just three assists.

It seems he is yet to recapture the form that saw him score 11 and assist seven the season prior for Lyon.

Despite this apparent poor form, he still retained his place in the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

Aside from the Cameroon loss, he has actually featured in all of their matches so far, earning his position alongside Casemiro in central midfield.

Perhaps Moyes could look to employ Paqueta in that position alongside Declan Rice when this tournament culminates, especially after if his display against South Korea is anything to go by.

Earning a 7.7 rating, he was actually the second-highest-rated player of anyone on the pitch.

His statistics help paint the picture of why, as he was a creative threat from deep throughout and even scored one himself.

Arriving late into the box, Vinicius Junior chipped the ball to the onrushing maestro who volleyed across goal to cap off a fine win. He would also record three key passes alongside a 90% pass accuracy, and was happy to muck in with two tackles too, via Sofascore.

This match stood as proof that even from further back in the pitch he could be the “warrior and a wizard” he was dubbed by Squawka.

Moyes will surely be watching, and with this string of performances thinking that maybe he has got it wrong with the first half of the season.

Perhaps January could see him dip back into the transfer window for a true no.10, and allow Paqueta to flourish in a role where he has starred in Qatar.

Manchester United are still eyeing exciting striker Jonathan David and he could leave Lille in January, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: David on World Cup duty

The 22-year-old is at the 2022 World Cup with Canada at the moment, as he looks to make his mark on football’s most global stage of all.

David didn’t manage to score in his side’s 1-0 defeat against Belgium on Wednesday night – he may have done if he had taken the penalty that Alphonso Davies missed – but he will be hoping to change that when facing Croatia on Sunday.

Away from the World Cup, David’s Lille future continues to be a talking point, and a move to United certainly doesn’t seem to be out of the question.

The Latest: Striker could make January exit

Writing on Twitter, Sky Sport journalist Plettenberg claimed that the Red Devils have scouted the youngster intensively and that he could be available in January:

“News #David: Another candidate of #MUFC is the 22 y/o Canadian striker. He was scouted several times and he wants to make the next step. We‘ve been told that Lille would release him in winter for around €50m transfer fee.”

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The Verdict: Superb long-term prospect

David is exactly the type of attacking player United are crying out for now that Cristiano Ronaldo has gone, given how much younger he is, and his ‘incredible’ finishing ability.

The Canadian would likely come straight in as a regular starter, having already scored 41 goals in 111 appearances for Lille, as well as netting 22 times in just 36 caps for his country.

Erik ten Hag needs to be building an exciting young side that can grow into a genuine force, much like Arsenal this season sitting top of the Premier League, and David would be a significant piece of the jigsaw if they could sign him.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly willing to allow Djed Spence to leave the north London club on loan during the upcoming January transfer window, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ move for Spence

Back in the previous summer transfer window, Spurs signed Spence on a five-year deal worth £20m from Championship club Middlesbrough following his loan spell at Nottingham Forest last season.

Since then, the 22-year-old has only played 26 minutes of action for Antonio Conte’s side across four appearances.

With the January transfer window approaching, it seems as though some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding Spence’s situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and what the second half of the season could hold for him.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones had this to say about Spence, admitting that Spurs are open to the idea of a loan exit in the New Year.

“They’re open to letting him go, but it needs to be to a club that can quickly get him up to the levels to play in the same sort of system that is going to help him at Spurs, so it’s not as simple as just finding him a loan deal.”

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The Verdict: Makes sense

Given the lack of game time the full-back has had at Spurs so far this season, it would make sense for the Lilywhites to let him join a club in January where he’d not only be able to play regularly but also in a team and system that would help him get accustomed to what Conte wants of him.

Bearing in mind how Spence ended his loan spell with Forest last season with more successful dribbles (74) and crosses into the 18-yard box (16) than any other player at the club, it would seem likely that a number of other sides would be happy to have the Englishman in their squad even on a temporary basis.

Moving forward, if Spurs can find a club in January that would be willing to sign Spence on loan, play him regularly and put him in a better shape to force his way into Conte’s side next season, this would surely be the ideal next step for all parties.

Transfer expert Dean Jones has stated that Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent is attracting interest from Germany as well as England ahead of January.

The Lowdown: New talks planned

It was reported earlier this week that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are ‘making a fresh attempt’ to try and tie down the 26-year-old to a new contract at Ibrox and are planning to use the international break to ‘open new talks’ over his future.

Premier League side Fulham are thought to be ‘monitoring’ his situation, and they will ‘weigh up’ whether or not to make an approach in the January transfer window.

Kent’s current deal expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent then, or for a cut-price fee in January.

The Latest: Plenty of interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has stated that not only clubs in England but Germany too are interested in signing the Rangers forward, adding that his future should be decided by the end of the year.

The journalist said of Kent: “I know he’s got a couple of clubs interested in him in England, there’s been a couple of clubs in Germany tracking him for a little while now as well too.

“So, we should know by the end of the year exactly which way this is going.”

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The Verdict: Keep him!

Kent has perhaps not been at his best this season, with some of his performances criticised as his team have struggled to keep up with Celtic at the top of the Premiership.

However, the winger has still managed five assists in the division, the joint-most out of his team-mates at Ibrox.

Hailed as a ‘wizard’ by his former Gers team-mate Leon Balogun, Kent managed an impressive 19 assists in all competitions last season, including five on the Light Blues’ journey to the Europa League final (Transfermarkt).

He is still only 26 years of age, and he has plenty more to offer for the Teddy Bears should they extend his contract.

Journalist Ashley Preece has lauded the improved form of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, saying that the Jamaican has been a ‘standout’ performer so far this season.

The Lowdown: Bailey impressing for Villa

The Villans head into the World Cup break full of renewed confidence, having battled their way to a 2-1 win at Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.

While some Villa players have struggled to hit top gear this season, hence why they found themselves near the relegation zone and Steven Gerrard was sacked, one player who has found his groove is Bailey.

The winger made a slow start to life in the Midlands but he has three goals and two assists to his name in the league in 2022/23, already an improved output on the whole of last season, scoring in the recent 3-1 victory at home to Manchester United.

The Latest: Preece lauds Bailey

Writing in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail on Monday, Preece hailed Bailey’s form, picking him out as a star player for Villa this season.

The journalist gushed:

“Leon Bailey has really kicked on. Been a standout from the season so far, definitely.”

The Verdict: Much more like it

Bailey arrived as an exciting signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 but there is no denying that he flattered to deceive in his first campaign at Villa Park, only scoring once in 18 league outings.

This is now much more like it from the 25-year-old, though, who is not only providing more end product but also working harder in his all-round game, making him a far more effective option who has been Villa’s best outfield player this term according to WhoScored.

That improvement has manifested itself in recent goalscoring displays against Brentford and Man United, for which the 25-year-old earned by far his highest WhoScored ratings of the season, illustrating how he has ‘kicked on’, as Preece put it.

Hopefully this is only the start of a blistering run of form for Bailey, who could excel under Unai Emery and thrive after the World Cup following a well-earned break.

West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan full-back Robin Gosens. 

The Lowdown: West Ham’s previous transfer window

The summer transfer window saw the Hammers add several new players to their squad, including defensive figures in the shape of Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri.

After 14 games in the Premier League, only four clubs have conceded fewer goals than West Ham (15), but just three teams have scored fewer than David Moyes’ side (12).

With that in mind, it appears that the east Londoners have their eyes on signing a player who could help them out at both ends of the pitch.

The Latest: Interest in Gosens

According to a recent report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, West Ham have eyes on signing Inter full-back Gosens, who will be hopeful of featuring in Germany’s World Cup squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.

The report also stated that fellow Premier League side Leicester City have an interest in the player as well.

The Verdict: Could be useful for West Ham

Bearing in mind how the 28-year-old has only started in four of his 16 appearances for Inter this season across the Champions League and Serie A, it’s safe to say that he isn’t a particularly crucial player for them.

That could give West Ham a good chance of signing the player, who has been praised for his “outstanding” performances for Germany in the past by journalist Stefan Bienkowski, if they would be able to give him regular playing time.

Having played as a left wing-back this season, Gosens has won more tackles (eight) than any other Inter player in the Champions League, while also getting all three of his attempts at goal on target.

This highlights how effective the £77k-per-week wizard can be in a defensive and attacking sense, which would certainly make him a useful addition to West Ham’s squad given their struggles this season.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their crucial Champions League meeting with Olympique de Marseille this evening.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to SPURSPLAY ahead of the match, Antonio Conte’s assistant, Cristian Stellini, confirmed that Cristian Romero – who was left out of Spurs’ squad to face AFC Bournemouth on Saturday as a precaution – will be unavailable for the trip to the Orange Vélodrome on Tuesday evening, as the centre-back is reportedly suffering from muscle fatigue.

Regarding the 24-year-old, Stellini said: “The only news is that Cuti Romero is not available for the match tomorrow. We are sorry, but it is what it is. We have other players available, we have a good squad and we are well prepared to play a tough game, a knockout game like tomorrow.”

Huge blow

Considering just how influential a part of the Spurs side Romero has become since his move to north London last summer, the news that the Argentina international will not be available for such a crucial Champions League fixture will undoubtedly have come as a huge blow to Conte.

Indeed, over his eight Premier League appearances so far this season, the £69m-rated talent has been a rock at the back for Spurs, helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 2.8 clearances and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per game.

These returns have seen the 23-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Conte’s eighth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

Furthermore, the £165k-per-week defender has also caught the eye over his five Champions League fixtures this term, helping the Lilywhites keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 4.8 duels – at a success rate of 63% – per match.

These metrics have seen the 12-cap international average an even more impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.02, again ranking him as Tottenham’s eighth-best player in the European competition.

As such, it is clear to see that Romero’s loss ahead of a game in which Spurs must take at least a point in order to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition is a huge blow for Conte – who will be hoping that Davinson Sanchez can improve on his disappointing performance against Bournemouth on Saturday when filling in for the Argentine this evening.