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Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Sofyan Amrabat and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Paisley Gates), Liverpool are preparing an official bid for the Fiorentina midfielder.

As per the report, Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of Amrabat and is pushing to tempt the player with a move to Merseyside, with the club preparing to table a bid of €40m (£35.5m).

Klopp needs him badly

It is no secret that Liverpool are keen to rebuild their midfield personnel in 2023 with a number of high-quality players already touted with a move to the club.

Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have all been linked with the Merseyside club over the past few weeks but it appears that the powers at Anfield are yet to make their move.

The Reds have already acquired the services of Cody Gakpo to strengthen the forward line in the absence of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, however, improving the centre of the pitch should be the top priority.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will all be out of contract at the end of this season but with Liverpool in an unsettled position in the Premier League, they may need to advance on their midfield revamp this month.

As a result, the signing of Amrabat would be a big addition for Klopp as the German coach badly needs midfield additions if they are to compete for a top-four spot over the second half of the season.

The Morocco international caught the attention of the Reds during his World Cup performances in Qatar last month, helping his side become multiple record-breakers at the prestigious international tournament.

Over seven World Cup appearances, the 26-year-old – who was dubbed “outstanding” by Joe Cole – tallied up a 92% pass completion rate in his own half, as well as averaging 56.6 touches, 2.3 tackles, 1.4 clearances and 3.4 duels won per game.

With that being said, if Liverpool could secure the signing of Amrabat this month it would be a great opportunity for Klopp to bring in a fresh perspective in the heart of the team to potentially give his side the much-needed boost they require over the remainder of the term.

Sunderland have benefitted hugely from the loan market in recent seasons and they could repeat a masterclass by bringing Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer to the Stadium of Light in January.

It has been reported that the Black Cats are among a number of Championship sides keen on signing the 21-year-old forward next month as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the rest of the season.

With the playoffs still in sight for Tony Mowbray’s side, the former Blackburn Rovers boss will be keen to ensure that his side is strengthened rather than weakened in the winter transfer window.

As Ross Stewart is potentially on his way out of the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats could turn to the loan market once again for a replacement, and Archer’s goalscoring form with Preston North End and England U21s last season suggests that he could be the ideal man.

The youngster, having already went on to score on seven occasions for the Lilywhites in the Championship, before hitting four in four for Lee Carsley’s England side in the summer.

Lowe was certainly a big fan of Archer during his spell at Deepdale and would wax lyrical about the striker’s ability and potential last season.

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He said: “Cameron has got an abundance of talent.

“It is getting him in the right places, I don’t want him coming short all the time, I want him to be on the shoulder, sniffing around, being proactive, not reactive.

“His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”

Should he arrive in January, he will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow loan star Simms, who has been hugely impressive since joining on a temporary basis from another Premier League side in Everton during the summer.

The 21-year-old has five goals and two assists in just 14 Championship appearances this season and is ranked as the fourth-best performer in Mowbray’s squad according to WhoScored, which emphasises just how important he has become at the Stadium of Light.

Signing a player such as Archer, who has obvious ability and a huge amount of potential, on a low-risk loan deal, would represent fantastic business for Sunderland and there seems no reason why he can’t have a similar impact to fellow loanee Simms.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is well underway and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte may be analysing the ongoing games with one eye on the upcoming January transfer window.

He has the opportunity to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the season and the international competition being in the winter provides an unprecedented chance for players to catch the eye on the world stage ahead of January.

One gem who could play his way into a switch to England is Denmark international Andreas Skov Olsen, who currently plays for Club Brugge in Belgium.

According to a recent report from Nieuwsblad, Spurs have sent scouts to watch the attacker in action during the tournament, although it remains to be seen whether or not they will make a concrete move for him at the start of 2023.

The 22-year-old played 65 minutes against Tunisia in his side’s opening World Cup match but did not feature at all in Denmark’s 2-1 defeat to France in their second game.

Olsen may now be hoping that he can play a big part in Denmark’s final group stage match against Australia, which they will need to win to give themselves a chance of progressing through to the last 16.

If he can catch the eye in that game, and potentially beyond, then he could convince Spurs to swoop for him in January and manager Conte could find Dejan Kulusevski 2.0 if the club bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League.

Like the Juventus loanee, Olsen is a left-footed right winger who is adept at scoring and creating goals from out wide, despite not possessing blistering pace.

The winger, who has racked up 96 goals and assists in his club career to date, came into the tournament in fine form after a strong start to the season with Brugge.

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.41 in the Belgian top-flight this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 12 starts – creating 2.1 chances per match.

Olsen joined Brugge in January of this year and produced six goals and eight assists in 12 starts during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, Kulusevski has created five goals and provided 1.9 key passes per outing across nine matches in the Premier League this season for Spurs, which highlights the creativity he is able to provide from a wide position.

Therefore, the Danish international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as “perfect”, could be the next version of the Swedish attacker for Spurs by coming in and being a left-footed magician who can consistently create chances on the right wing for Conte.

He could provide competition for Kulusevski and has played through the middle and out on the left during his career so far, which means that they could also both line up in the same XI if selected and it does not have to be one or the other.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Newcastle United ‘absolutely love’ Bayer Leverkusen winger and reported target Moussa Diaby.

The Lowdown: Still interested

It was reported earlier this month that the St James’ Park outfit ‘retain an interest’ in Diaby ahead of the January transfer window, after reportedly holding an interest in the summer.

This is the same case for Leicester City attacking midfielder James Maddison, so it will no doubt be interesting to see whether the Magpies go for one or both players again in January.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘love’ Diaby

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that there is not a ‘priority’ in terms of signing Diaby over Maddison and vice versa, but shared that the former is a player who Newcastle ‘absolutely love’.

The journalist said: “I don’t know if there’s necessarily a priority between these two.

“They both kind of have a similar role in mind despite the fact that they’re pretty different players. That right-side of the attack is something that they’re looking at, it’s always been the intention to bring more creativity to the frontline.

“Obviously, Alexander Isak came in, and we haven’t really been able to see enough of him, but Diaby is somebody they absolutely love in what he can bring on both flanks, to be honest, and the pace, and the way [he] runs at people.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Given the injury problems suffered by Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin this season, the Tynesiders could do with bolstering their front line in order to give them more options.

Hailed as a player with ‘electrifying pace, good with both feet and fearless on the ball’ by The Chronicle journalist Aaron Stokes, Diaby is exactly who they should be targeting, given that he can play anywhere across the top of the pitch.

He has managed four goals and four assists in all competitions so far this season, including two goals in the Champions League, and his tally of 25 goal contributions in the Bundesliga last term is very impressive indeed (Transfermarkt).

Also, the France international is only 23 years of age and still has such a high ceiling that the Magpies could seize upon if they managed to bring him to St James’ Park.

Leeds United have been dealt a considerable injury blow in the run-up to their clash with Liverpool, as Jesse Marsch revealed that Tyler Adams is a doubt for the Whites’ trip to Anfield this evening.

This is undoubtedly a big setback, as the central midfielder has impressed since moving to Elland Road, however, perhaps he and Marc Roca stole the shine from another of their midfield summer signings who might now have to step up.

Signed for £5m from Manchester City this summer, the acquisition of Darko Gyabi was one which quietly drew praise given his standing in the youth game.

Having featured 11 times in the Premier League 2 last season, he displays incredible quality and maturity far beyond his youth. He also managed to score once and assist three more during this time from central midfield.

The 18-year-old has recently been earning plaudits for his subsequent performances for the Whites, where he once again already has one goal and one assist in eight league appearances for the under-21s.

Displays such as this have understandably led to his head coach Michael Skubala leading the charge.

He said: “I think we have a really good, young, competitive midfield group at the moment within the 21s and you’ve seen Darko get good minutes in there. I think his performances are getting better and better and I thought against Forest he was really strong.”

If he was to be selected, Gyabi would have big shoes to fill. Adams has boasted an average SofaScore rating of 6.98 this campaign despite the Whites’ poor form.

The 23-year-old has been key both going forward and breaking up attacks, with 1.3 key passes per game alongside an astounding 4.1 tackles.

It might be tough, and to make a full debut at Anfield might be a frightening prospect, but for a youngster inundated with such talent, he might possess a fearlessness that could see him terrorise the Reds’ threadbare midfield.

He will likely be paired up against one of Harvey Elliot or Fabio Carvalho, who are both young and were playing Championship football not too long ago.

Marsch might be forced into taking a chance on Gyabi, but should he perform to the best of his abilities, there’s no reason why he can’t repay the faith with a fine midfield showing.

He has already proven throughout the various youth teams how he mixes creativity with a strength and toughness that lets him adapt to each new challenge. Senior football is the next natural step up, and one which he will likely excel in.

The Northern Echo journalist Matty Jones has shared some Sunderland injury news on Dennis Cirkin before Saturday’s game at home to Preston North End.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

Cirkin picked up a hamstring injury during the Stadium of Light outfit’s 1-0 loss away at Middlesbrough in the Championship earlier this month.

He has since missed their last two games in the division, but will be looking to get back to full fitness now that the international break has finished.

The Latest: Back in training

Taking to Twitter, Jones shared ‘some positive news for Sunderland’ on Cirkin in that he is now back in training ahead of the Wearside club’s match against Preston on Saturday afternoon:

“Some positive news for Sunderland with Dennis Cirkin making a return to training ahead of this weekend’s game against Preston.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Having Cirkin return to training is a big boost for Tony Mowbray and his side, and he will be hoping that the defender can now be fit enough to play a part against Preston at the weekend.

Before his injury against Middlesbrough, he had played in every minute of the Championship campaign, establishing himself as a key player in the team.

In the division, Cirkin ranks highly among his teammates in terms of aerial duels won and average tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game (WhoScored), further highlighting his worth.

The Black Cats will now be aiming to try and keep him fit until the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and Cirkin himself will be looking to get back to full match sharpness.

Aston Villa could be asked to rest Argentine duo Emi Martinez and Emi Buendia prior to the World Cup, according to Doble Amarilla (via Daily Express).

The lowdown

Martinez was Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper in World Cup qualifying, starting eight of their 11 matches. Meanwhile, Buendia made his international debut at the start of this year, and while he hasn’t featured since, he may retain hope of forcing a way into the squad for the finals in Qatar.

The Premier League is set to temporarily halt for the World Cup after the weekend of 12/13 November, resuming on Boxing Day.

The latest

As per Daily Express, the Argentine FA are reportedly set to cause ‘uproar’ by requesting that their squad members be rested for the final round of pre-World Cup fixtures so that they can enter the tournament with a fully-fit squad.

The decision will lie with the clubs, but there’s an expectation that they’ll hold talks with the players concerned.

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The verdict

You can understand why Argentina would go to such lengths. They’ll view this as an opportunity win the World Cup for the first time since 1986, having beaten Brazil 1-0 in last year’s Copa America final to establish themselves as the best team on the continent.

Of course Villa would be well within their rights to flatly turn them down and protect their own interests. Indeed, Martinez and Buendia are two big players, bought for a combined £53m in the last two years (£20m and £33m respectively) and making 71 Premier League appearances between them last season.

It’s worth noting that Brighton, their opponents on 13 November and the final fixture prior to the World Cup, could also receive a phone call about Alexis Mac Allister, so potential Argentine interference may aid Villa to an extent along with discommoding them.

Southampton are set to complete the signing of Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles within the next 24 hours, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Southampton win the race

The 25-year-old spent the second half of last season out on loan at AS Roma, but since returning to the Emirates has failed to make an impact under Mikel Arteta and is now likely to be heading for the exit door.

Premier League sides Newcastle United and Bournemouth, alongside the Saints, have all been credited with an interest in the maestro over the past few weeks, but following a breaking update, the Gunners star looks like he’ll be on his way to St. Mary’s.

The Latest: Saints set to sign Maitland-Niles

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Southampton are in the final stages of negotiating a deal to sign Maitland-Niles, with a medical scheduled imminently. He wrote:

“Excl: Southampton are closing in on Ainsley Maitland-Niles deal. It’s set to be completed on loan with buy option as Arsenal contract will be extended.

“Talks ongoing on player side, then medical soon to get the deal done.”

The Verdict: Alongside Gakpo?

Southampton remain in the market for PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, despite having an initial bid rejected, and snapping up a double deal for the Dutchman and Maitland-Niles would be the perfect way to end the transfer window.

The Gunners talent, dubbed a brilliantly ‘disciplined’ young player by sports journalist Josh Bunting, would offer plenty of versatility having previously operated as a full-back and wing-back as well as in his natural midfield role.

This will be attractive to Ralph Hasenhuttl, who’s been looking to bring in cover for Tino Livramento on the flank, so Maitland-Niles would be a welcome addition on the south coast.

West Ham United have submitted a bid for Polish centre-back Jakub Kiwior, who currently plays for Italian side Spezia.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Sky Sports international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, who tweeted: “€12m bid from West Ham for AC Spezia talent Kiwior.”

It’s no secret that David Moyes urgently needs defensive reinforcements due to injuries, but a move for Kiwior has somewhat come out of the blue.

There is interest from AC Milan too, however, it appears that the Rossoneri are only looking at a potential deal for January or next summer.

A fee of £10m for a player who has already made 22 Serie A appearances could turn into a bargain.

Moyes needs another defender

West Ham signed Nayef Aguerd in the summer for a fee of £30m and he was expected to ease the problems in the heart of the defence for Moyes.

A serious ankle injury in a pre-season clash against Rangers firmly put those plans on the back burner and has spurned the manager back into the transfer market for another defender.

With a move for Thilo Kehrer reportedly heating up, the Polish defender could be next on the list.

A move for Kiwior could be a shrewd one, especially with the aforementioned fee quoted. The 22-year-old made his Poland debut in the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the Nations League in June and a move to the Premier League could give him a chance at a World Cup spot.

Compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, Kiwior ranks in the top 4% for blocks (2.38 per 90), 6% for clearances (2.57) and top 11% for pressures (23.92) over the last 365 days, proving that he should be able to ease into life in England without any problems.

Although Kiwior won’t be signed to immediately displace Zouma, the Polish international stats in comparison to the Frenchman’s are like night and day, with the 27-year-old ranking in the fourth percentile for pressures (4.83 per 90) and 54th percentile for blocks (1.74).

While Moyes needs reinforcements to adjust straight away, Kiwior has the attributes and talent that could make him a mainstay at the heart of the West Ham defence for the next few seasons.

The defender has been dubbed “strong” by Ryan Hubbard and the next logical step for him to make is a move to the Premier League.

Manchester United have recently been linked with a move for Sasa Kalajdzic…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, United are weighing up moves for one of two striking options, with RB Salzburg’s Benjamin Sesko also linked.

Erik ten Hag is reportedly hoping to bolster his attacking options, despite Anthony Martial seemingly receiving another chance to prove himself at Old Trafford.

VfB Stuttgart are willing to sell the Austria international for a reported £17m.

Forget Sesko

Standing at an astounding 6 foot 6, Kalajdzic has impressed for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Last season he featured 15 times but managed a respectable eight goal contributions.

His entire career has seen him as a consistent performer, as he has contributed to 30 goals in 48 appearances.

If Ronaldo is to stay, despite what has been a tumultuous summer for his relationship with the club, perhaps he could strike up an unlikely partnership with this consistent Austrian marksman.

Last season the Portuguese icon bagged 18 times, and to convince him to stick around at Old Trafford for one more season would mean goals galore for the United faithful.

His average SofaScore rating of 7.07 also sees him outlined as an outstanding performer for a Stuttgart side that narrowly avoided the drop.

Also, FBref notes that Kalajdzic ranks in the top 6% for aerials won, and this could be instrumental in disrupting opposition defences and creating space for the likes of Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes.

German pundit Marcel Reif seems to think he could fulfil this role for Borussia Dortmund, as he stated the following on BILD TV: “He can do crazy things in the air.

“But he can also handle the ball. This is a very interesting player that would give something for Dortmund if they play this type of football with good, fast wide play.”

As a result, Manchester United could forget all about the promising Sesko this summer and form an unlikely star strike partnership with this signing. Even if Ronaldo is still to leave, Kalajdzic would be able to certainly compensate for the absence of the greatest goal scorer in the history of the game.

AND, in other news: Man United have “genuine” interest in signing £25m “phenomenon”, forget about de Jong.