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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp appears to have distinguished Lazio phenom Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as he prepares for a summer of change on the transfer market.

What's the latest on Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Liverpool?

According to transfer insider Rudy Galetti, Milinkovic-Savic is among the contenders for a summer switch to Anfield, with Klopp establishing the 28-year-old as a player who 'fits the club's needs'.

The Serbian powerhouse has long been the centrepiece of Lazio's system, however with just one year left on his contract could be available for transfer as his outfit looks to cash in while they can; a fee of €40m (£35m) has been touted.

Liverpool must act swiftly if they are indeed to ensnare their target, Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United both hold a vested interest in the midfielder, and it is likely intrigue will solidify over the coming months.

Who could Milinkovic-Savic replace at Liverpool?

Optimism has been renewed on Merseyside. Curtis Jones has finally found his feet and has played a central role behind his resurgent club's seven-match winning streak to keep Champions League hopes alive at this late stage, scoring three in his last four.

Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott have also played important parts this term and there is a pleasing core of youthful exuberance forming around Liverpool's nucleus.

James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all departing Anfield this summer, their respective contracts shortly concluded, and while none of these players occupy a starting berth in the squad with regularity, replacing them with first-rate signings is the way to propel the Reds back to the forefront of European football.

Milinkovic-Savic would embody the vision of Klopp and co, with his particular skill set rivalling any midfielder on the globe, hailed as a "different beast" by writer Sacha Pisani for his exploits in Rome.

Having made 338 outings for le Aquile, scoring 67 goals and supplying 59 assists, the 41-cap Serb has certainly cemented himself as one of the game's superlative central stars, having won the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups across his career.

This season, he has plundered nine goals and eight assists as his outfit look to return to the Champions League, perched in fourth place in Serie A with three matches to go, four points ahead of current champions AC Milan.

As per FBref, the £101k-per-week machine ranks among the top 5% of positional peers over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 6% for rate of assists and the top 1% for aerials won, illustrating the potency he would instil at Anfield with his prospective arrival.

The "magic" midfielder – as hailed by his teammate Ciro Immobile – would certainly be an upgrade on the aforementioned Keita, who has flattered to deceive since his £48m move to the club from RB Leipzig in 2018.

While an immensely talented and dynamic ace, the Guinean ace has missed 22 matches due to injury this term to extend a miserable record in the medical room during his time at Liverpool that has seen him miss suffer from 18 separate fitness issues.

Thus, Milinkovic-Savic, undoubtedly, would enrich the ranks with his expansive tool kit and ferocious demeanour on the pitch.

Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s bowling coach, believes that Yasir Shah struggled with the expectation of backing up his matchwinning display at Lord’s on the opening day of the second Test.Yasir’s ten-wicket match haul was key to Pakistan securing their 75-run victory in the opening Test and propelled him to No. 1 in the world, but he finished the first day at Old Trafford with 0 for 111 from 31 overs as centuries from Alastair Cook and Joe Root led England to a commanding 314 for 4.Although he made a couple of deliveries grip on the Old Trafford surface – two, in particular, spun and bounced appreciably at Root and Cook – England were able to milk him far more comfortably than they had done last week.With only four frontline bowlers, Misbah-ul-Haq did not have many places to turn to for the lengthy spells required to allow him to rotate his three quicks. Yasir bowled 18 overs unchanged – split by the lunch interval – and by the time he was given a break, England had taken him for 69 runs and gone some way towards ensuring no immediate hangover from their poor display against at Lord’s.”Sometimes the expectation does put you under pressure and you are trying to deliver the same performance,” Mushtaq said. “You start losing your basics, discipline and what he did in the last Test match. He got 10 wickets last time and maybe that momentum carried on and he forgot the basics.””I think the ball wasn’t coming nicely from his hand,” he added. “We did discuss it, but during a game it’s very hard for a coach to tell a player what to do. But we have good communication so I sent a couple of messages because the ball was coming out flatter with less spin. On a first-day pitch, the margin of error for a legspinner against good players like Root and Cook is very small.”Root and Cook both used the word ‘tempo’ when pinpointing a key difference to their approach than at Lord’s, finding the right balance between not allowing Yasir to settle but avoiding anything as reckless as Root’s top-edged slog-sweep or Moeen Ali’s wild second-innings hack.”It was just nice to see an improvement on the way we played him in the first game,” Root said. “Playing him with a straight bat, not going across the ball as much, on a day-one wicket it definitely made it a lot easier for us to take the risk out of it but still rotate the strike and score at a decent rate. We batted at a far better tempo than at Lord’s.”Root, though, did admit a degree of nervousness when he brought out a strong slog-sweep against Yasir in the 51st over, with the captain at the other end, but this time it skimmed to the boundary rather than into the hands of a catcher. Such are the fine margins for batsmen.However, Mushtaq backed Yasir to respond positively from his tough day and play a role on a surface that Cook expects to break up later on. A worthy example to draw on, although not an occasion anyone associated with England cares to remember, is the Adelaide Test in 2006-07. Over the first two days of that match, England racked up 551 for 6 and Shane Warne took 1 for 167 before producing of his greatest displays on the final day to conjure a famous victory.”I always believe as a good bowler you have to bowl good overs against good players to get them out. He didn’t do that today but he will come out tomorrow, he’s a strong guy, he wasn’t hiding and that’s a positive thing,” Mushtaq said.

Newcastle United target Kieran Tierney is an 'Eddie Howe type player' and would fit in well at St James' Park, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.

What's the latest transfer news involving Kieran Tierney?

As per Football Insider, Newcastle United are said to be 'closely monitoring' Arsenal defender Tierney ahead of the summer transfer window as boss Howe eyes reinforcements in the left-back position.

The report states that the Scotland international could cost in the region of £30 million; however, the same outlet have also claimed that Manchester City are keeping tabs on his situation.

Tierney has fallen behind Oleksandr Zinchenko in the pecking order at the Emirates. The chances of him moving to Tyneside this summer are believed to be 'increasingly likely', as per The Sun.

In 2022/23, the former Celtic man has appeared 31 times for Arsenal in all competitions, accumulating one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Capology understands that Tierney is earning around £110,000 per week in north London on his current deal, which is set to run until 2026.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Downie believes Tierney would fit nicely into Howe's plans in the North East.

Downie told FFC: "Having watched a lot of Kieran Tierney over the years and knowing a lot about his character, where he's from and how he's come through, I don't know if I can think of a more Eddie Howe-type player than Kieran Tierney."

Would Kieran Tierney be a good signing for Newcastle United?

Tierney would be a sensible signing for Newcastle United as they go about strengthening their squad in the summer. The Scot typifies what the Magpies have been all about this season, hard work, determination and quality when it matters.

FBRef shows that the 25-year-old has been strong in the tackle this term, winning 77.3% of his challenges against oncoming dribbles, showing his desire to win the ball back and kickstart attacking passages of play.

Despite Dan Burn putting in some excellent performances at left-back this campaign, there is no doubt that Newcastle could do with adding another body in that position heading into 2023/24, especially when you consider the fact that the Toon Army could also be involved in Champions League football and will need to enhance squad depth.

Of course, Tierney has also fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta, which could make a switch to the North East an easier process to initiate for both parties in the forthcoming off-season.

Tottenham Hotspur are after the new ‘Pochettino’ as BBC journalist Guillem Balague shares why they want Burnley boss Vincent Kompany.

What’s the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

Reliable outlets have suggested that the 37-year-old is high on chairman Daniel Levy’s wishlist as he scours the market for a new permanent manager to succeed Antonio Conte.

It’s been a torrid time in north London of late, with Spurs’ latest 6-1 humbling at the hands of Newcastle United dealing a mighty blow to their hopes of sealing a top four Premier League finish.

Former interim boss Cristian Stellini lost his job as a result of their St. James’ Park thrashing, with Levy placing Ryan Mason in charge until the end of the campaign instead.

In the background, Tottenham are well and truly searching for the tactician who can take them forward and reinstall some much-needed optimism. Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, both out of work after leaving their most recent jobs, have been heavily linked – meanwhile the likes of Arne Slot (Feyenoord) and Kompany continue to be of interest.

However, despite supporters singing his name in the stands on match day, former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino never made it far enough to enter serious contention and is now just steps away from joining Chelsea.

This will be a frustrating development for many Spurs fans, not least because their ex-hero is reportedly about to take the reins at a major rival. Balague, sharing why Tottenham didn’t move more seriously for Pochettino despite reports, has also explained the interest in Kompany.

Taking to Twitter, the BBC regular says Spurs are ‘after’ the new ‘Pochettino’ – hence their fondness for Anderlecht’s former manager.

He explained:

What has Kompany done so far?

Burnley are now champions of the English second tier after a 1-0 win over Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night.

The Clarets stormed to Championship promotion in real style and in Kompany’s debut season – winning the most games, losing the least and conceding the fewest out of any other side in the division thus far (Sky).

Called ‘amazing’ for his work at Turf Moor by members of the media like Chris Kamara, the Belgian has been heralded for his brand of football and overall job at Burnley.

It’s little surprise Spurs are considering him but we believe a lack of experience elsewhere is something Levy should also take into account.

Frank Lampard has been confirmed as Chelsea's new manager on a deal until the end of the season and the Englishman could seal an instant masterclass at Stamford Bridge by dropping Mateo Kovacic.

The 44-year-old, who was sacked by Everton earlier in the season, has returned as the man in the dugout at Stamford Bridge having managed the Blues for 84 matches between 2019 and 2021.

During his time at the club, Lampard would average a solid 1.75 points per game, which is a significant upgrade on the 1.42 points per game averaged by Graham Potter in his spell at the west London club.

Lampard was in attendance for Chelsea's stalemate with Liverpool in midweek and if he was paying attention, he will surely realise that Kovacic needs a spell out of the team, despite his role as captain in the absence of Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Should Chelsea drop Kovacic?

During the game against Liverpool, the Croatia international would spurn two glorious chances to give the hosts the lead, first failing to score after rounding Alisson, before firing over the bar when through on goal, despite having two teammates available in support.

Unfortunately, this was not a one-off for the former Real Madrid man, as he has endured one of his worst seasons in a Chelsea shirt and should surely spend some time on the bench for upcoming fixtures, especially after the return of N'Golo Kante.

In 21 Premier League appearances so far this campaign, the 28-year-old, who earns £100k-per-week, has contributed just one goal and one assist, with WhoScored awarding him a woeful 6.50 rating for his performances.

Considering this ranks him as the 23rd-best performer at Stamford Bridge so far this campaign, it is baffling that he has featured so often, especially when Chelsea have the likes of Conor Gallagher and Denis Zakaria waiting in the wings.

The midfielder's previous seasons at Stamford Bridge have resulted in far-more-impressive average ratings of 7.05, 6.84 and 6.94 in the last three Premier League campaigns, so it seems clear that his standards have dropped so far this term.

Indeed, as far back as 2021, journalist Daniel Childs was labelling the Croat both "pretty awful" and "very lucky."

Now, it makes perfect sense for Lampard to drop the midfielder following Kante's return to action after injury, while the likes of Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka could also be given chances if the 44-year-old continues his philosophy of putting faith in Chelsea's youth.

Whatever the incoming interim manager decides, it seems clear that Kovacic hasn't been good enough this season and as such, it would be a masterclass to instantly remove him from the team.

Tottenham Hotspur could reportedly be eyeing a move for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie having been named among the potential candidates to replace Antonio Conte at the helm.

What's the latest on Postecoglou to Spurs?

The Lilywhites are currently seeking to find a permanent successor to the former Chelsea boss, with Cristian Stellini having taken charge on an interim basis following the departure of his compatriot on Sunday.

According to the Daily Mail, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has identified German coach Julian Nagelsmann as his 'top target' for the position, albeit with the north Londoners set to face a battle to appoint the 35-year-old due to apparent interest from the likes of Real Madrid and those at Stamford Bridge.

The report also reveals that Levy is considering other alternatives for the role, including Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old having previously been mentioned by The Telegraph as a possible option earlier this month.

Should Tottenham appoint Ange Postecoglou?

While the appointment of the Hoops boss would be something of a left-field choice – with the experienced coach currently in just his first managerial post in Europe – the former Yokohama Marinos man has caught the attention due to his impressive work at Parkhead of late.

Having taken on the role initially in the summer of 2021 as something of an unknown quantity, the highly-coveted figure has since been a real "revelation" at Celtic Park, according to former Hoops youth product, Simon Ferry, having brought a "real identity" to the Scottish giants.

The one-time Australia head coach looks set to guide his rampant side to a second successive league title following what has been another standout campaign in the Scottish Premiership, with the Old Firm outfit having already scored 93 goals in just 29 league games so far this term.

Unlike the departing Conte – whose brand of football has been described as "negative" by pundit Chris Sutton – Postecoglou has impressed due to his front-foot and progressive style during his time in Glasgow, having implemented "beautiful, attacking football" over the past 18 months or so, as per BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves.

As Hargreaves also noted, the one-time Melbourne Victory boss simply "goes after everyone" even when coming up against the likes of Real Madrid in Europe, with Ferry also stating that Postecoglou has got his side playing "fearlessly", no matter the opposition.

That 'fearlessness' is undoubtedly a far cry from what has been witnessed by Tottenham supporters of late, with Conte's men notably producing a "pathetic" performance in the Champions League, last-16 exit at the hands of AC Milan, as per journalist Josh Bunting.

While it would be a step up for Postecoglou to take the reigns at such an elite club, the attack-minded coach could well be the man to bring a free-flowing, exciting brand of football back to N17, with recent years likely to have proven to Levy that style is just as important as substance.

Everton manager Sean Dyche may think about replacing Idrissa Gueye ‘in the near future’, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Everton targeting midfielder

Despite bringing the midfielder back to Goodison Park from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Everton are already mulling over new options in the engine room, given the very poor season they have had up to this point.

Benfica defensive midfielder Florentino Luis has recently been touted as a potential ‘marquee signing’ for the Toffees by O’Rourke, and judging by his recent comments, he could be brought in to replace Gueye…

The Latest: Gueye to be replaced?

In an interview with GiveMeSport, O’Rourke indicated that Dyche may choose to overhaul his squad this summer if they manage to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The journalist said: “If Everton do stay up, then Sean Dyche will be looking to rebuild that squad and improve things.

Arsenal are reportedly battling Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to sign Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio on a free transfer this summer.

The Lowdown: Talks scheduled

It was reported earlier this month that Asensio’s agents were flying to London to feel out interest in the Premier League, with Madrid not wanting to talk about a new deal until March or April.

His contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

The Latest: Competition…

As per Football Insider, Tottenham and United are also battling with Arsenal to sign Asensio, providing that he does not sign a contract extension.

They have now been ‘in contact’ over a potential deal which would see him join for free come the summer.

The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a player of Asensio’s quality and experience for free is a no-brainer for the Gunners.

Hailed as ‘spectacular’ by his former agent Horacio Gaggioli, Asensio has had a great career at the age of 27, winning no fewer than three UEFA Champions League titles with Madrid, along with a host of other major accolades.

The winger has also been capped 35 times by Spain, and at 27, is a player only just about to enter his prime.

Nonetheless, Asensio would still have a sizeable sell-on value as well, if for some reason it did not work out at the Emirates Stadium.

Manchester United are seemingly set to be targetting a new centre-forward addition this summer, with Erik ten Hag seeking a long-term fit in that role following Cristiano Ronaldo’s sour exit back in November.

The Red Devils could well have missed the opportunity to sign a potential solution to that problem in the past, with reports back in February 2021 having claimed that the club were keeping tabs on Arsenal starlet, Folarin Balogun, with the youngster having been facing an uncertain future in north London due to his expiring contract.

The Old Trafford outfit seemingly never acted on that interest, however, as the then-teenager opted to commit to a new four-year deal just a matter of months later, ensuring that United had missed the boat with regard to tempting the USA-born starlet into a move to Manchester.

As it has proved, the England U21 international has made “incredible” progress since then, according to Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, having enjoyed a particularly fruitful spell on loan at Ligue 1 side, Stade de Reims, so far this season.

The explosive 21-year-old is currently the leading scorer in the French top flight with 14 goals in just 20 appearances to date, ensuring that he is outperforming the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar in the division.

The one-time Middlesbrough loanee only recently thwarted that stellar Paris Saint-Germain trio, having scored a remarkable stoppage-time equaliser against Christopher Galtier’s side, showing great composure to round the advancing Gianluigi Donnarumma, before lashing home from the angle.

Those late heroics were then followed by another standout showing in Reims’ most recent league outing at home to Lorient, with Balogun – who has a solid average match rating of 7.07 this season, as per Sofascore – having netted a scintillating hat-trick to help clinch a thrilling, 4-2 victory.

Clearly a ruthless presence in front of goal, the 5 foot 10 marksman has also caught the eye as a result of his creativity when leading the line as he has recorded one assist and created five big chances in Ligue 1 this season, while he also ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for progressive passes received.

Back at the Theatre of Dreams, Ten Hag and co have been without a regular presence in attack due to Anthony Martial’s injury woes, while loan arrival Wout Weghorst does appear a mere short-term fix until the end of the season.

As such, United may well be ruing that they didn’t secure Balogun’s signature two years ago, even if he was a mere prospect at the time, with the exciting talent now evidently flourishing in France.

Former Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Michael Hector could potentially seal a return to the club this month, according to reliable journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Hector’s previous with Sheffield Wednesday

The 30-year-old spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Hillsborough, having struggled to break through at Chelsea over a number of years, despite previously being hailed as ‘absolutely top class’ by journalist Dom Howson.

Hector made 39 appearances in total for the Owls, scoring twice along the way and proving to be a ‘fan favourite’ at the heart of their defence.

The former Jamaica international is currently without a club, having left Fulham last year, and it could be that a return to Wednesday materialises this month.

The Latest: Sheffield Wednesday considering Hector move

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Star, Crann claimed that Hector is being considered as an option for Sheffield Wednesday to come in and add defensive depth in January.

The journalist tweeted:

“Darren Moore has previously suggested that #SWFC weren’t really looking at free agents, but – as per @AlexMiller91 – we understand that former Owl, Michael Hector, is now being considered as an option at centre back after all.”

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The Verdict: Good centre-back option

This could be a shrewd piece of business by Wednesday, bringing in Hector on a free transfer and helping to ease their current shortage in centre-back areas following injuries to Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe.

Mark McGuinness’ return to Cardiff City is a big blow, following an impressive stint for the Owls (he is their second-highest rated player this season as per WhoScored), but Hector could help to fill that void, having won 3.4 aerial duels per game in the Championship during his previous spell with the club four years ago.

There would be an element of risk behind the move in terms of his lack of playing time – he has made just 15 appearances in all competitions since August 2020, and only two since the start of 2022 – but the free agent element of the transfer alleviates that issue.

Either way, bringing in another centre-back this month could be a wise move should any approach for Hector not work out.