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Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho could still join Liverpool in the summer transfer window, with the midfielder desperate to work alongside Jurgen Klopp.

The Lowdown: Liverpool miss out on January move for Carvalho

The 19-year-old looked set to move to the Reds in the dying hours of deadline day but the transfer failed to be completed in time. That was due to the Football League not having deal sheets for a loan-back agreement to be sorted, causing frustration at the 11th hour.

However, it appears as though all hope is not lost regarding the possibility of Carvalho heading to Anfield.

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The Latest: Pearce makes positive Carvalho claim

According to journalist James Pearce on Twitter, a summer move is still on the cards, with the player himself very eager to work with Klopp.

The journalist tweeted: “Not the end of the world. Wouldn’t have arrived at #LFC until the summer anyway. Still a good chance he moves to #LFC in July. Player very keen on the chance to work with Klopp.”

Pearce subsequently added: “The two clubs could agree that the fee they belatedly agreed today will now be the compensation this summer when Carvalho is out of contract. That would mean a tribunal isn’t required. Either way the player wants to join LFC.”

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Reds

While it may initially have seemed a killer blow when the deal collapsed on Monday night, there does seem to be a genuine chance that Carvalho still becomes a Liverpool player, which is a huge positive.

The teenager looks like a player of immense potential, not only scoring seven goals in 15 Championship starts for Fulham this season but also registering three assists.

Carvalho has been compared to both Philippe Coutinho and Jude Bellingham in terms of his playing style, which speaks volumes about the impact he could make at Liverpool if the Reds can grant him his wish of working under Klopp.

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

Many Nottingham Forest fans have been left blasting the performance of Brennan Johnson in their 0-0 draw at home to Luton Town on Tuesday night.

It was a frustrating game for the home side summed up by the second yellow card given to Jack Colback just after the hour mark, as Forest had to settle for a point at the City Ground in the end.

None of the forward players particularly impressed for the hosts, but Johnson was one that struggled to make any kind of impact, being the only player on his team to have played the full 90 minutes and still record fewer touches than goalkeeper Brice Samba (SofaScore).

The Wales international also lost out on four of his duels, and failed to record a shot on goal, successful dribble or accurate cross from out wide, losing the ball 12 times in total (SofaScore).

Nottingham Forest fans on Johnson performance

These NFFC supporters blasted his display on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he was ‘invisible’:

“Johnson was invisible tonight, especially when we have 10 men and need an outlet. Samba outstanding. Ojeda is Majewski reincarnated.”

Credit: @jtweets92

“Good effort with 10. Yet frustrating too. Samba imperious. Worrall, Garner, McK & Ojeda were brill. Johnson bullied by Mpanzu and went in his shell. Taylor the epitome of a donkey. Good to see them all fight though once the red. Need to stop the petulance though.”

Credit: @RedDogCam

“2nd game Johnson been missing”

Credit: @1BarryBazza

“Lolley fantastic! Taylor wild! Johnson….is he playing!? There for the taking this Reds Step it up and try and get them broken down!”

Credit: @FreebsTheTree

“Is Johnson playing? Not heard his name once.”

Credit: @Neurotica0

“How many times has Johnson failed to hold his run and been offside now? Wonder if we will get a tweet from his old man tonight…”

Credit: @red_till_death

In other news, find out whose display against Luton was also slammed here!

Rangers may be under new management now but the Ibrox side have shown no let-up in their bid to take home another league title with Giovanni van Bronckhorst at the Gers helm in Glasgow.

It will be interesting to see how he negotiates the upcoming transfer window, however, as he aims to make his new surroundings feel more like his team, rather than Steven Gerrard’s.

What’s the word?

It could be an incredibly testing winter market for van Bronckhorst who is staring down the barrel of a mass exodus if the club’s former manager has any say.

It’s already thought that Aston Villa, Gerrard’s new employers, want to sign the likes of Ryan Kent and Borna Barisic.

However, there is another budding player in the form of Leon King who could move south of the border.

According to the Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece, a switch to Villa Park is very much on the cards. He reported: “Aston Villa are considering a move for Rangers youngster Leon King – who they could get for just over £200k. The Ibrox side are in talks with their talented 17-year-old over a new contract.”

Howler on the cards?

King may only be a teenager but the fact of the matter is that losing him this winter would be a pretty hefty blow to their ambitions in the future.

After all, the last thing van Bronckhorst wants in the early days of his stewardship is to see young and hungry players walk out the exit door for a bargain price.

The young centre-back has already earned his debut for the Gers first-team, is capped at international youth level by Scotland, making a huge impression at Ibrox.

Commenting earlier this year, Gerrard said of the defender: “Leon has been superb in training. The biggest compliment I can pay him for his age and where he is at is he hasn’t looked out of place in training, so that wasn’t a sentimental substitution tonight – he has earned it by training really well among his peers at first-team level.”

With that in mind, it’s evident that King is blessed with plenty of potential and watching him depart would reek of the scenario that played out with Billy Gilmour.

Once of the Ibrox academy, Rangers lost the talented central midfielder to England as he eventually joined Chelsea.

Gilmour has since thrived, staking his claim for a Scotland place and now earning minutes under Dean Smith in the Premier League on loan at Norwich.

It’s not just that situation that can draw parallels between the two, however, as King is equally as comfortable on the ball as the ex-Rangers starlet.

Although he plays deeper on the field, the ability to drive forward while in possession is something that makes Gilmour’s style of play so striking and popular amongst supporters.

So, although the teenager could be taking his leave in the not too distant future, supporters should still get excited about him if they can pen him down to new terms. Whether King departs or stays, he could be van Bronckhorst’s very own Gilmour.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe: £5.4m-rated Rangers gem with 70% duels won ran the show vs Hibernian…

Celtic rounded off 2021 on a winning note with a 3-1 victory over St Johnstone on Sunday lunchtime in their final match before the rescheduled Premiership winning break.

The Hoops were two goals to the good by the midway point of the first half thanks to a brace from Liel Abada, and although Chris Kane halved the deficit on 69 minutes, a late strike from Nir Bitton made sure of the points for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Unsurprisingly given the final score, there were plenty of strong performers for the Hoops this afternoon. We’ve pored through the figures from statistical experts SofaScore to pick out the three men who were the most impressive in a green and white shirt.

Liel Abada (8.7)

No surprise that Abada leads the way after netting twice in the opening 22 minutes at McDiarmid Park, although there was more to his performance than just those two telling contributions.

The 20-year-old completed 16 of his 20 passes against the Saints and had 10 shots in total today, six of which were on target, while he also recorded two key passes. The Israeli youngster won three duels as well, rounding off a tremendous Boxing Day for him.

Nir Bitton (8.4)

Abada’s compatriot could also bask in an overall strong performance supplemented by finding the net.

The 30-year-old led the way for Celtic in terms of duels won, coming out on top in nine of the 13 that he contested. He also made two successful tackles and one clearance in an industrious display against St Johnstone.

The Israel international was effective on the ball, too. In addition his goal, he had five other shots and played three key passes, making plenty of impact in the final third, while recording no fewer than 61 successful passes overall.

Josip Juranovic (8.1)

He may have been playing in an unfamiliar midfield role, but the Croatian had little trouble in adapting to the position judging by the performance he gave today.

His tally of four successful tackles was the joint-highest in Postecoglou’s side, while he also won five of his seven duels and made one clearance.

The 26-year-old had some joy in possession, too, posting five key passes and delivering six crosses to a team-mate, illustrating that he may be well-suited to a midfield position.

In other news: Celtic set sights on move for ‘quality’ Scot who has the same agent as David Turnbull

Southampton’s decision to sign Jan Bednarek for just £5 million from Lech Poznan in 2017 is looking to be more and more like a masterstroke by the Saints, with former sporting director Ross Wilson deserving a lot of credit for his role in the negotiations.

Southampton brought in the centre-back for the minimal fee in the summer of 2017, as he became Mauricio Pellegrino’s first signing at the South Coast club.

He would end up outlasting the Argentine manager and he has become a key part of Southampton’s first-team under Ralph Hasenhuttl in recent seasons.

The Polish international has now made 108 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed three goals and four assists.

Bednarek was a big part of Southampton’s impressive form earlier in the season, forming a solid partnership with Jannik Vestergaard in central defence and he has been one of the first names on the team sheet under the Austrian’s management.

Having established himself as a quality defender at both domestic and international level, it is no surprise that Bednarek’s market value has significantly increased during his time at Southampton.

At the time of his signing, the centre-back was valued at just £4.5 million, whereas the 24-year-old is now valued at £22.5 million, which shows why his acquisition was excellent business by the South Coast club.

Bednarek is still relatively young for a centre-back, so it would not be a surprise to see his value continue to rise over the next few seasons and whilst it might be tricky for the Saints to keep hold of him if he attracts interest from a top club, it looks like they’re almost guaranteed to make a serious profit on him should he leave.

Therefore, you could definitely say that it was something of a masterclass by Wilson to bring in Bednarek for just £5 million back in 2017, considering his excellent performances in his first four years with the Saints.

To sign a player, see him have great success then either sell him for a big profit or keep him for years to come is exaclty what clubs like Saints want to do in the market. There’s no doubting that getting Bednarek was a masterstroke.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign their next Mane with £8.5m swoop for 18-goal beast

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee who made 280 Premier League appearances, has praised Joelinton for being one of Newcastle’s best players between either box, but can’t understand his decision making when he gets to the final third.

Joelinton was signed in 2018 and became Newcastle United’s record signing with the club paying Hoffenehim £40 million after a season in the Bundesliga which saw him score and assist seven times.

The Brazillian was also handed the number nine shirt which has been worn by the likes of Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole and Malcolm Macdonald, which naturally heightened expectations immediately.

Speaking on how good Joelinton can be between boxes and how he always does the wrong thing when he enters the opposition’s box, Lee told FFC:

“If he came for £5-10 million you’d probably think ‘yeah that’s not bad’, but when you arrive for £40 million and you wear the number nine shirt then the pressure is massively on you and I don’t understand why they paid that amount of money for him.

“He was immense against Aston Villa, probably our best player until he got to the box, and then when he’s in the box, he always makes the wrong decision.

“When you want him to shoot he passes and when you want him to pass, he shoots, it’s just a conundrum of how you play him. 

“I’d say to him unless it’s completely obvious, then when you get in the box and you’ve bullied someone you shoot and just try to hit the target.”

Joelinton has scored just seven goals in 72 games for Newcastle which has left the Newcastle hierarchy and scouting department with egg on their face.

It’s still unclear what the preferred position is for the £86,000 per week striker, with Bruce admitting he isn’t like other strikers.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has provided an update regarding the future of Tottenham Hotspur full-back Sergio Reguilon. 

The lowdown: Spanish links

Recently reputable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed Barcelona were among a host of European clubs interested in the 25-year-old, whilst Real Madrid could also trigger a clause involved in the deal that saw the left wing-back move to N17 for £32million in 2020 (Sky Sports).

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Meanwhile, Spurs have recently been linked with a number of alternative left-back options including Genoa ace Andrea Cambiaso as Antonio Conte attempts to put his own stamp on the squad in north London.

Now O’Rourke has shed some light on the situation from a Spurs perspective…

The latest: Changes afoot…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist has stated that Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici will be in the market for reinforcements in the position.

He explained: “There’s a real possibility that Reguilon could return to Spain this summer. Real Madrid have a buy-back clause and there’s interest from Barcelona, so I think Conte will be in the market for a left wing-back to try and improve the squad.”

The verdict: Improvement needed

So far this season Reguilon has provided five direct goal contributions from 31 outings across all competitions from a combination of a favoured wing-back role and as a conventional left-back.

Hailed as ‘absolutely pivotal’ to Conte’s plans by pundit Noel Whelan and ‘quality’ following a Man of the Match display against Leeds United earlier this season, the Spanish full-back missed out as 21-year-old Ryan Sessegnon started the goalless draw with Brentford on Saturday.

As the Italian head coach attempts to build a squad capable of successfully operating in a preferred 3-5-2 formation, the end could well be nigh for the six-cap ace at Tottenham.

Despite links to Cambiaso and Besiktas starlet Ridvan Yilmaz, when using the Fbref comparison tool the closes match to the marauding wideman return as Chelsea ace Ben Chilwell, Borussia Monchengladbach defender Stefan Lainer and Villarreal’s Alfonso Pedraza – all of whom would represent a worthwhile replacement for Reguilon.

In other news: Tottenham officials dispatched to club as they allegedly eye ‘unbelievable’ £33m man for Conte! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has been linked with a move for one of his former stars this week…

What’s the word?

According to L’Equipe, Spurs have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain attacker Angel Di Maria over a potential switch to north London as he’s out of contract at the end of the season.

It’s claimed that the Ligue 1 champions, now managed by ex-Tottenham favourite Mauricio Pochettino, remain hopeful of securing him to an extension, but Mourinho would like to reunite with his former Real Madrid star if possible.

Di Maria is thought to have rejected PSG’s latest contract offer at the end of 2020 as it reduced his current £220k-per-week terms.

Forget Bale

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will have a major call to make in the summer as there’s a possibility that he could keep hold of Gareth Bale for the foreseeable future as there’s seemingly no way back for him in Spain.

His agent, Jonathan Barrett, didn’t rule out staying beyond the season-long loan, he told talkSPORT (via Sky Sports):

“Yeah, there are lots of opportunities; it’s up to him. The most important thing is for him to enjoy his football and that he’s playing well. As long as that’s happening, it’ll all be fine.”

Whilst football.london claim there is an option to keep him longer.

Well, things have hardly gone to plan so far this campaign as the Welshman has featured for 713 minutes, which includes only one start in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt.

Considering Spurs are paying 40% of his £600k-per-week wages (around £240k-per-week), and would have to either do the same again next season or at least force his contract to end a year early, it could be a financial nightmare.

If Di Maria is available for free in the summer, and on similar, if not reduced wages – as mentioned above – then it’s a no-brainer to bring the Argentinian in instead.

He’s a player that Mourinho knows greatly having managed him for two seasons at the Bernabeu.

Indeed the 32-year-old winger has lauded the Portguese’s impact in the past, he told Dario Ole (via Goal): “Mourinho made me a better player. He showed me many things and made me grow as a footballer.”

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Whilst he has also spoken to Marca (via Goal), where the 104-cap international dubbed Mourinho “very special,” adding: “With him, I have improved each year.”

Unlike Bale, the PSG star has featured regularly despite his advancing years.

This term, he’s bagged four goals and provided eight assists having featured for a total of 1551 minutes, via WhoScored – over double the time we’ve seen the 31-year-old Bale in a Spurs shirt.

Even over the past two campaigns, Di Maria has shown he can still cut it at an elite level, averaging at least 2.7 key passes per game in back-to-back league campaigns as well as at least 2.4 shots and 1.6 dribbles per game, vis WhoScored.

This merely emphasises his creative nature and the ability to still get past the opposition’s defence to either create chances or provide for himself.

Marco Verratti also believes he’s an “extraordinary player” who’s similar to Arjen Robben. “They’re very important players in modern football because one-on-one they’re incredible, very generous on the pitch, who provide you with 15 or 20 assists every year, very altruistic and give everything for the team,” added the Italian.

Whilst Di Maria was helping PSG qualify for the Champions League final, Bale was largely sat on the bench at Madrid and as he’s yet to prove his worth back in a Spurs shirt, Levy absolutely must consider a move for Di Maria instead if he has a choice between the two.

Landing the £25.2m-rated veteran on a free transfer could be an absolute bargain move.

AND in other news, “talismanic” £20m monster can be Spurs’ dream Harry Kane heir…

According to a report by Eurosport, West Ham United and GSB are now likely to sound out Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud with an offer as his contract nears expiry.

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker hunt

After West Ham manager David Moyes failed to get his hands on a striker in January, much has been made of the Irons finally strengthening that position in the summer window.

Indeed, club insider Claret & Hugh believes that both a new forward and permanent deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard are at the very top of Moyes’ priority list.

The Latest: Giroud enters the fray…

The striker saga now appears well underway as Eurosport bring news of West Ham’s interest in Chelsea forward Giroud.

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Giroud is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer, meaning the Hammers could feasibly sign him on a free deal amid difficult financial circumstances caused by coronavirus.

As such, journalist Dean Jones, writing for the outlet, believes West Ham are now ‘likely’ to sound out the 107-cap international with an offer to swap Stamford Bridge for the London Stadium.

However, the club face stiff competition for Giroud in the form of Italian giants AC Milan – who are believed to already be looking into a possible agreement.

The Verdict: Ideal signing?

The 34-year-old’s haul both domestically and at international level is something to be praised.

Indeed, Giroud has netted 44 goals over his plethora of caps for France and holds a fairly solid goalscoring record in the Premier League with 90 goals in 255 appearances overall.

The towering 6 foot 3 forward has also attracted pretty lofty praise from Gary Lineker, with the pundit lavishing Giroud as ‘the most underrated striker in the game.’ (via Twitter).

However, if Moyes wants a long term solution, Giroud may not be the most credible option given his age – with reported striking targets such as Ivan Toney and Tammy Abraham arguably worth an investment which could pay off long into the future.

In other news: West Ham fans rave over this official club announcement, find out more here.

According to reports, Tottenham are interested in signing AS Roma defender Roger Ibanez.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had revealed that Jose Mourinho’s side had been keeping tabs over the Brazilian, and now it appears that they remain keen on bringing him to the Premier League.

According to Voce Giallarossa (via Sport Witness), both Spurs and fellow Premier League side Leicester have been tracking Ibanez for some months, and that the “insinuation is that their interest will continue regardless of the contract renewal” – he only signed a new deal at Roma last week.

Perfect for Mourinho

Despite having numerous options at centre-back, including the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier, one thing Mourinho desperately lacks, is someone with a bit of pace in the middle. But in Ibanez, Daniel Levy could find exactly that.

Speaking to Roma TV, Ibanez himself said: “I’m fast and I have good technique. But I can show my ability only on the pitch. Before playing as a centre-back I had also played as a midfielder and I can still play that role as well”.

AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has waxed lyrical about his centre-back’s abilities, saying: “It’s not easy to find fast, aggressive central defenders. But Roger has another side to his game. He has a lot of quality and courage on the ball.”

The Athletic revealed that “Fonseca loves moving him around the back three and will almost always match him up against the quickest player in the opposing attack.”

That extra pace and mobility is something Mourinho will surely absolutely love, and could give Spurs the chance to play a higher line and press further up the pitch. And, when you look at his stats this season compared to Dier’s, you can see why the north London side could land a decent upgrade on the England international.

As per Sofascore, Ibanez almost doubles the number of interceptions per game (1.7), wins more duels (4.3), commits half the amount of fouls (0.6), and loses possession far less too than Dier.

Levy must do everything to sign the £18m-rated Ibanez to give Mourinho an improved backline next season.

Meanwhile, Mourinho needs to deliver a trophy for Spurs or risk losing this star…