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European champions Real Madrid have another Tottenham star in their thinking alongside Cristian Romero, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu.

Carlo Ancelotti eyeing elite Premier League centre-backs

The La Liga heavyweights, according to various reports, have been monitoring some of the Premier League’s biggest-name central defensive stars of late – as manager Carlo Ancelotti looks to shore up his backline.

Jamie Redknapp hails "lovely" player with Tottenham prepared to bid £33m

He’s a “joy to watch” right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 1, 2024

Real currently have four senior options at their disposal in that area – Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Jesus Vallejo – but Alaba’s ACL tear and the fact Rudiger is approaching his twilight years highlights Ancelotti’s need for another world-class centre-back.

A number of elite names are on club president Florentino Perez’s radar heading into 2025, with Arsenal defender William Saliba attracting serious interest from Real. The Frenchman is a pivotal asset for Mikel Arteta, though, and Arsenal have adopted a firm ‘not-for-sale’ stance around Saliba.

Brighton vs Tottenham

October 6

Tottenham vs West Ham

October 19

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

October 27

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Leny Yoro was also on Ancelotti’s target list before he made the move to Old Trafford with Man United, while Tottenham defender Romero is believed to have admirers at Real.

The Argentine, who’s started every single Premier League game this season, has really come on leaps and bounds under manager Ange Postecoglou – even managing to double down on his disciplinary record.

Romero is wanted by Real, as per various media sources, but it is also believed that the Lilywhites wish to tie their star centre-back down with a new £200,000-per-week contract – which would make him the club’s highest earner above Son Heung-min (GiveMeSport).

Real Madrid now considering talks to sign Micky van de Ven from Spurs

Now, according to Spanish news outlet Defensa Central, chairman Daniel Levy may also have to worry about the La Liga heavyweights tempting Micky van de Ven.

The Dutchman’s exceptional mazy run at Man United last weekend – which ended in his assist for Brennan Johnson to open the scoring – brought more attention to his sheer pace, power and comfort driving forward in possession, qualities which sum up his all-round game as an elite-level defender and bargain buy from Wolfsburg last summer.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed in Spain, as it is believed Real are considering talks to sign van de Ven from Spurs amid their links to his centre-back partner Romero. Defensa writes that the 23-year-old has a market value of £43 million, but Levy is likely to demand much more than this for such a quality asset.

“Romero and Micky van de Ven are arguably the best pairing at the moment in central defence in the Premier League on form. They’ve been immense,” said pundit Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel last season.

“This Micky van de Ven, bro, he is the real deal. He’s the real deal. I saw his debut the other day for Holland. I’ve seen him right up close twice this season. And he looks supremely comfortable for a young centre-back that’s come into a new league. So watch this space for this kid.”

Leeds United senior reporter Graham Smyth has shared a transfer twist regarding Barcelona’s payment for £55m winger Raphinha.

Latest Leeds news in international break

The Whites headed into the current international break following a 2-2 Championship draw with Sunderland, a game in which there was an injury-time blunder from goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The Frenchman’s bizarre mishap cost Daniel Farke’s side two points to go joint top of the table, however, Farke has reportedly already decided that Meslier will start for Leeds against Sheffield United when club football returns.

Leeds had interest in £25m PL star in the making but kept Bamford instead

The Whites were reportedly interested in signing the centre-forward in 2021.

ByDan Emery Oct 10, 2024

Elsewhere, Leeds have been dealing with an injury crisis in recent weeks, with the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev joining the Thorp Arch treatment list.

Farke has revealed that he hopes to have Daniel James back available for the game against Sheffield United and an injury update on Manor Solomon has claimed the Israel international has stayed with the Whites despite seemingly being called up for his country.

On the transfer front, Eintracht Frankfurt look likely to exercise their option to sign Rasmus Kristensen from Leeds for up to £10m, and there has been another transfer claim involving Raphinha.

Leeds transfer latest on Barcelona payment for Raphinha

Reports from Spain in recent days have suggested that Barcelona still owe Leeds United for the signing of Raphinha. It was claimed that £469,000 was due in the short term and a long-term total of £35.2m, however, Smyth has been told differently by a Leeds source. Writing for The YEP on Wednesday, Smyth said that Leeds are not due a windfall from Barcelona for Raphinha who they sold for up to £55m with add-ons.

“Leeds are not due a windfall from the 27-year-old. Club sources have told the YEP that Barcelona do not owe them an outstanding debt for Raphinha. It is possible however that the current LaLiga leaders may well owe a creditor for money secured in order to purchase him and that is why their June 2024 financial report listed a debt with regards to Raphinha. They may also owe smaller amounts to Sporting de Portugal, Stade de Rennais and Vitoria.”

Raphinha has also been in the news this week to talk about his relationship with legendary Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, who Luis Suarez has recently criticised for his man-management style.

“In my opinion, I think everyone has a difficult side to deal with, they have a very complicated side to dealing with people or situations”, said Raphinha on Bielsa.

“I guess, in my opinion, everyone is different. Everyone has difficulty managing something at a certain point. I don’t know what happens in the Uruguay team, what I know is what happened to me in Leeds.

“I had good times and bad times with him, naturally, like a big family, for example. I was with a lot of people inside the house, naturally conflicts will happen, good times and bad times will happen. I believe that within football, in a club, in a national team, it ends up being the same. There are moments that are good, there are moments that are not so good.

“Personally, I had my good moments and my bad moments with him, but I can only be grateful for everything I am today, for almost everything I am today. Where I am today was thanks to him.

“I just have to thank him for everything I experienced with him in these two years. It was a year and a half that I lived with him. We had our frictions; we had our fights. Some uglier than others, but we had a lot of good moments too. As I told you, I think that inside your house not everything is roses.”

As they look to land an act of transfer genius once again, Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly closely following a former Premier League winner who has stolen plenty of headlines since leaving England.

Brighton transfer news

The Seagulls are continuing to defy the odds. Even when some thought Roberto De Zerbi’s exit could at least stall their incredible rise, Fabian Hurzeler emerged from Germany’s second tier to take charge.

On paper, the arrival of a 31-year-old looked a step too far for Brighton; a risk too great to work out. But eight games into the season, the Premier League’s youngest manager has enjoyed victories over Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United as well as a draw against title contenders Arsenal. Brighton have once again plucked a gem from nowhere like they have so often in the player market too.

Those in Sussex may yet steal further headlines in 2025 too, especially if they welcome a Premier League winner back to the Premier League amid his recent rise away from English football.

According to reports in Spain, Brighton are closely following Takumi Minamino, who Hurzeler believes is the perfect fit for his side at the Amex. The winger swapped Liverpool for AS Monaco in 2022 and has been back to his best ever since after being limited to a squad role at Anfield.

Leaving the Reds as somewhat of a cult hero having played a large part in their domestic cup success as well as a hand in Premier League victory, Minamino may now get the chance to complete unfinished business courtesy of Brighton.

Brighton monitoring La Liga "Rolls Royce" who recently pocketed Lewandowski

He came through Blackburn Rovers’ academy…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 10, 2024

Now 29 years old and someone who has won every trophy there is to win in English football, the Japan star can join international teammate Kaoru Mitoma and former Liverpool teammate James Milner to offer key experience within a relatively young squad.

"Composed" Minamino is ready for Premier League return

Although his time at Liverpool didn’t go exactly to plan despite coming away with a number of winners’ medals, Minamino has battled back well at Monaco and is now ready to take the Premier League by storm.

Helping the French side to an excellent start in Ligue 1, where they sit top and unbeaten, the winger has scored three goals and assisted a further two in all competitions to follow up on last season’s nine goals and six assists. It’s a rise that some may have seen coming in and around Liverpool even as he struggled for game time, with The Tactical Times dubbing the forward “unnaturally composed” in 2021.

As Brighton continue to make progress under Hurzeler, Minamino represents an ideal option to turn to when 2025 arrives.

It has been an awful season so far for Wolverhampton Wanderers. They are without a win in the Premier League, sitting rock bottom of the table with just three points to their name. The Old Gold are also the worst defensive side in the competition, conceding 27 goals, more than any other team.

The Midlands club are led by Gary O’Neil, who did an excellent job last season keeping them up, after tough circumstances landed him the job in the first place.

Although his job is under pressure this term, he might well have enough credit in the bank following his performances in 2023/24, a campaign that Julen Lopetegui was meant to be in charge of the club.

Lopetegui’s Wolves career

West Ham United manager Lopetegui has had an interesting 18 months or so. At the start of last season, he left his post at Molineux, just three days before their season opener against Manchester United.

The official statement from Wolves explained that both the club and manager “accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution”. This largely surrounded the fact that he was not given any money to spend in the summer of 2023.

For what it is worth, the Spaniard did a good job in the hot seat at Molineux. He was originally appointed in November 2022, around the time domestic football temporarily stopped for the 2022 World Cup. He replaced Bruno Lage, who was sacked the previous month.

The former Real Madrid boss was only in charge for 27 games but brought them from the bottom of the Premier League when he took over, to a 13th place finish.

He changed the club’s fortunes around and left with a good record, winning ten games in all competitions and ensuring survival for another season in the Premier League.

Stat

Number

Games

27

Wins

10

Draws

5

Losses

12

Goals for

31

Goals against

42

Premier League points

31

However, things did not go according to plan that summer when it became clear the higher-ups at Molineux would not spend money to help strengthen the squad. Thus, he left his post and was replaced by O’Neil.

Interestingly, neither Lopetegui nor his successor O’Neil could have ended up at Molineux. Following Lage’s sacking there was another manager who the Old Gold targeted, although they ultimately missed out on him.

The manager Wolves missed

The man in question here is Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim. The former Sporting boss has recently landed himself one of football’s top jobs, that of Manchester United, and he replaces Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Incredibly, back in October 2022, the Sun reported that the new Red Devils boss was one of four managers in a shortlist to replace Lage at Molineux, claiming that he was ‘at the top’ of the list to take over.

It would certainly have made sense to bring the former Sporting boss to Molineux given they had a strong Portuguese contingent at the club back in 2022/23. Ten players within the first-team squad that season were from Portugal, including Joao Moutinho who was a former teammate of Amorim at international level.

Looking back on it, the Old Gold may well regret missing out on the 39-year-old, who was named “Europe’s most wanted” manager by journalist Lewis Steele. He has a superb record in Lisbon, winning five trophies as Sporting boss including two league titles. In all, he has 164 wins in 230 games in charge of Leoes, who have scored a whopping 511 goals in that time.

His side recently dispatched Manchester City in the Champions League 4-1. It was his final home game before he makes the move to the Red half of Manchester, and was the perfect send-off after a stellar time in Portugal.

Wolves fans will surely look back on their chase of Amroim with great regret. They came close to securing his services a couple of years ago, and now it seems like their chance to get him has well and truly gone.

This season could have been a far different story for the Old Gold if they had managed to bring in one of the best young managers in Europe.

Wolves could hire their own Postecoglou who's a "breath of fresh air"

Wolves could sack Gary O’Neil and appoint a wildcard replacement

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 6, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with some extraordinarily talented stars over the years, the sort of players who can change games all on their own.

Unfortunately, these players haven’t necessarily translated into trophies for the North Londoners, but have often resulted in significant transfer fees.

For example, the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modrić put in countless sensational performances for the Lilywhites before moving to Real Madrid for huge sums of money in the 2010s, while Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick moved to Manchester United in the 2000s.

However, the most recent seismic sale Spurs have made was, of course, Harry Kane.

Kane's Spurs career

Spurs picked up a young Kane all the way back in 2004, just three years after he was released by fierce rivals Arsenal, and over the next seven years, the youngster would work his way through the club’s junior sides before going out on his first loan to Leyton Orient in January 2011.

The next couple of years would see the Englishman go out on several more loans, and, following a few first-team appearances in the 13/14 season, he was finally given a proper run of games to prove himself the following year, and prove himself he did.

In his 51 appearances across all competitions, the Walthamstow-born phenom racked up an incredible haul of 31 goals and five assists, securing his place leading the line from that point onwards.

In all, the world-class centre-forward made 435 first-team appearances for the Lilywhites, in which he scored a ridiculous 280 goals and provided 61 assists for good measure, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.27 games.

This unreal level of output understandably made Kane one of the most-sought-after strikers on the planet, and after years of will he won’t he, the Spurs icon finally left the club, moving to Bayern Munich in a transfer that net Daniel Levy and Co a fee in the region of €100m, which was £86.4m at the time.

The mammoth fee was the one thing that made the blow of losing such an incredible player that bit more bearable. While it’s unlikely that Postecoglou has anyone as talented as the Englishman in his squad today, one of his players could eventually fetch a fee similar to his.

Spurs' next big sale

So, the player in question is Spurs’ inform sensation, Brennan Johnson. The Welsh international joined the club last summer from Nottingham Forest for around £47.5m, and while he had a slow start to life in the capital, he ended the campaign with a reasonably impressive haul of five goals and ten assists in 34 games.

He’s been even more impactful so far this season, and in just 15 games, has already scored seven goals, which is only made more impressive considering how he once again started the year in middling fashion.

This red-hot form has seen him compared to several talented wingers in England and beyond, including Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, and while that might not be a comparison the Spurs faithful love, it makes sense.

For example, both players are particularly fond of running at opposition defenders with the ball at their feet and looking for ways to get a shot off or to get into the box.

However, it’s the winger from N17 who seems to be better at that this year, considering the Gunners ace has just two goals and three assists in as many games.

With that said, the comparison itself stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues before creating a ten-man list of the most comparable players, and in this case, it considers the Brazilian to be the second most similar winger to the Welshman.

You can get a better idea of how they come to this conclusion by looking at the underlying statistics where they most closely align, which in this case includes metrics such as shots on target, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot on target, passes into the penalty area, passing accuracy, live passes, successful take-on percentage, aerial duels won, carries and carries into the penalty area, all per 90.

Shots on Target

1.03

0.74

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.61

0.48

Goals per Shot on Target

0.44

0.40

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.95

1.47

Passing Accuracy

70.9%

71.9%

Live Passes

25.1

27.9

Successful Take-Ons %

35.3%

38.2%

Carries into the Penalty Area

2.64

2.35

Carries

21.6

24.4

Aerial Duels Won

0.80

0.88

The Spurs faithful might not be overjoyed by this comparison, but they could be in the future, as according to the CIES Football Observatory, Martinelli is worth a staggering €127m, which converts to about £107m, and if the pair are that similar on the pitch, there is no reason to think Johnson couldn’t also be worth as much in the future, especially as he’s outperforming the Brazilian this season.

Therefore, it’s the former Forest ace who could one day be the Lilywhites’ next Kane-esque sale.

Spurs wasted £35.8m on Mourinho dud who earned even more than Solanke

The experienced international wasn’t really good enough for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 5, 2024

Ruben Amorim now wants Manchester United to sign a new striker, and has earmarked a “world-class” alternative to Viktor Gyokeres as the potential man to fit the bill at Old Trafford, according to a shock report.

Manchester United need a striker

Despite having bought a striker in each of the last two summer transfer windows, Manchester United are in desperate need of a new no.9. So far, they have managed just 12 goals in 11 Premier League games, the joint fourth worst in the division alongside newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Of those goals, Rasmus Hojlund has managed just one, while summer addition Joshua Zirkzee also has just one to his name, coming on his debut against Fulham on the opening night of the season.

The lack of chances created for strikers is certainly a problem that Amorim will have to tackle upon his arrival at Old Trafford, but United continue to lack a good striker capable of taking them back towards the European spots, with both Hojlund and Zirkzee long-term projects who the club cannot afford to waste too much time on.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund: not up to the job

Stats (PL 24/25)

Rasmus Hojlund

Joshua Zirkzee

Appearances

7

11

Goals

1

1

Shots on target per 90

0.65

1.24

Expected goals

1.1

2.6

Shot creating actions per 90

2.38

3.11

Aerial duel % won

20.8%

36.7%

Clearly then, a new striker at Old Trafford is a must, with a reliable goalscorer key to their chances of moving up the division and neither Hojlund nor Zirkzee having proved themselves that during their limited time in Manchester. Now, one report has put forward an audacious option for the Red Devils.

Manchester United linked with shock move for big name striker

With Amorim having joined the club from Sporting CP, and in-form striker Viktor Gyokeres free to leave in the summer after his price dropped to just £63m, all logic points towards the Red Devils moving to sign the Swedish forward at the end of the campaign.

However, one report in Spain claims that Amorim has instead identified England captain and last season’s Bundesliga top goalscorer Harry Kane as the man he wants to bring to Old Trafford, with Manchester United having “made the English international one of their priorities to strengthen their attack”.

Of course, the Red Devils had long been linked with Kane during his time at Tottenham, but he ultimately opted to move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, and has thrived in Bavaria.

As it stands, the England record goalscorer has grabbed 61 goals in 61 games for Vincent Kompany’s side, as well as managing 21 assists. Now 31-years-old, he is in the twilight of his career and unlikely to be a long-term solution to Manchester United’s problems given the price tag it would require to prize him out of Bayern Munich, providing Kane even wanted to return to England.

Add to that Kane’s £400,000 a week salary at Bayern, and a move looks even more unlikely, with the whole endeavour likely to cost hundreds of millions to even try and complete.

Amorim ready to sell £10.5m-a-year Man Utd ace Ten Hag called "magnificent"

It would be a brutal way to start his Manchester United career.

ByBen Browning Nov 15, 2024

Of course, Kane remains a top striker, as some at Manchester United know all too well; England teammate and Red Devils defender Harry Maguire labelled him “world class” just last year.

“He’s a magnificent, world-class player. He proves it year after year”, Maguire explained back in September.

However, a deal looks almost certain not to happen, and with other cheaper strikers on the market, that may well be to United’s benefit.

As Manchester United shift their focus towards their new manager’s first batch of reinforcements, Ruben Amorim has reportedly approved the potential return of a £25m player in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

There’s work to be done at Old Trafford, as Amorim may see for himself against Ipswich Town this weekend. The Red Devils are struggling in the Premier League’s bottom half and looked devoid of confidence under Erik ten Hag before Ruud van Nistelrooy at least restored some confidence in a short interim spell. Now, as the new manager looks to make his mark, the Ipswich game has become all the more interesting.

Whether it’s the beginning of another false dawn or finally the appointment that breaks the trend and replaces Sir Alex Ferguson at least remains to be seen, but INEOS certainly seem ready to back Amorim.

Recent rumours have already linked the Manchester club to the likes of Lautaro Martinez as of late and now reports suggest that they could chase the signature of an impressive midfielder.

According to The Sun, Amorim has given the green light for Manchester United to sign Angel Gomes from Lille. The former Sporting Club boss is reportedly a long-term admirer of the £25m-rated ace and now wants to bring the midfielder back to Old Trafford four years on from his initial departure.

Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox believe Gomes can be a crucial part of new boss Amorim’s masterplan and he is actually set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Ten Hag's Man Utd flop is now outscoring Zirkzee & Hojlund after leaving

The former Manchester United player has recaptured his form away from Old Trafford.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 22, 2024

The 24-year-old has stolen the headlines in recent months, having been handed his England debut by Lee Carsley and impressed whilst doing so. Now, as Manchester United look to replace Casemiro and hand both Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo their missing link in midfield, Gomes could be an ideal arrival.

"Intelligent" Gomes can earn Man Utd redemption

Whilst things didn’t work out in a more advanced role at Manchester United, Gomes has since discovered his best form in an unexpected deeper role, so much so that he may just get a second chance at Old Trafford. It must be said that Carrington would deserve a fair bit of praise if Amorim was able to form a midfield which includes not one but two academy graduates in Mainoo and Gomes, who could form quite the partnership.

Progressive Carries

13

5

Progressive Passes

35

24

Tackles Won

4

13

Ball Recoveries

15

33

Where Gomes’ best work has come on the ball throughout the current campaign, Mainoo’s has come away from possession in what would undoubtedly help to compliment his fellow academy graduate.

It’s no surprise that the Manchester United target has earned plenty of praise in France, including from former Lille manager Paulo Fonseca who told BBC Sport via Get Football News France: “Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique.”

They say a week is a long time in football, and in Tottenham Hotspur’s case, a fortnight is a lifetime.

It was almost two weeks ago that Ange Postecoglou’s side were wiping the floor with Premier League Champions Manchester City at the Etihad, and at full-time, there was an expectation that the North Londoners would then go on a run.

However, in the three games since, the Lilywhites have drawn at home with AS Roma and Fulham and lost away to Bournemouth, which makes the prospect of facing Chelsea and the sensational Cole Palmer tomorrow afternoon all the more terrifying.

What makes it worse is that a player Postecoglou sold in the summer is now playing out of his skin and could well have been Spurs’ own Palmer.

Spurs' summer sales

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at how some of Spurs’ other departures are getting on this season, starting with someone who’s not having a great time: Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian full-back joined Serie A giants AC Milan for around £13m, which Italian football writer Kaustubh Pandey described as “a deal for the ages,” although not for the right reasons.

In all, the 25-year-old has made 16 appearances for the Rossoneri so far, in which he’s failed to score or assist a goal and been so poor that Italian football expert James Horncastle described the fee paid as a charitable ‘donation’ ‘to make his wish to become a footballer come true’ – ouch.

Someone faring a little better away from North London is centre-back Joe Rodon, who joined Leeds United for around £10m at the same time as Archie Gray went the other way.

So far, the 47-capped Welshman has made 19 appearances for the Peacocks, who currently sit third in the Championship, just a point off of second place and three off of first.

However, while the 27-year-old defender is doing well in West Yorkshire, another former Lilywhites ace is doing even better and is showing that he could have been Postecoglou’s own Palmer.

The former Spurs ace playing like Palmer

So, to get straight to the point, the former Spurs ace in question is midfield marvel Giovani Lo Celso.

Yes, the Argentine international, who finally departed N17 for good this summer to join La Liga side Real Betis for £8.4m, has been in utterly sensational form and is beginning to play like Palmer.

Now, we say this for a couple of reasons. The first is that, like the Chelsea star, the “unbelievable” 28-year-old, as dubbed by journalist Alex Mitton, has become an increasingly important goal threat for his team this season and has already racked up six in just 11 appearances while also providing an assist for good measure.

However, the other reason is that, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the Englishman is statistically the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Argentine this season.

We can better understand how they reached this conclusion by examining the underlying numbers in which they rank closely, metrics including but not limited to expected assists, non-penalty goals, shots on target, key passing and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Expected Assists

0.34

0.39

Non-Penalty Goals

0.58

0.60

Shots on Target

1.31

1.42

Goals per Shot on Target

0.44

0.42

Key Passes

2.75

2.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.58

0.60

Ultimately, while the club couldn’t have foreseen such an uptick in form, it certainly feels like they could do with someone like Lo Celso in the squad right about now, and the fact he is performing similarly to Palmer at the moment is just further evidence of his incredible talent.

Lost the ball 17x: Ange must now drop 4/10 Spurs star after B'mouth shocker

One experienced leader needs to miss Spurs’ next game.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2024

Liverpool and FSG are now unwilling to offer new terms to one of their star men as a result of financial fair play concerns, a fresh report has claimed, with the Reds risking losing him instead.

Liverpool locked in contract talks

Contracts have dominated the early part of Arne Slot’s time at Anfield, even as he guides the Reds to the top of the Premier League. Liverpool have a two point advantage over Chelsea in second place, while also having a game in hand on all the sides around them, while they also sit top of the Champions League with six wins from six.

Liverpool could axe one of Trent's "closest friends" by signing £40m star

Liverpool need to make one or two signings in 2025 to consolidate their position of power.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 18, 2024

Though things are going almost perfectly on the pitch, there are still concerns off it, with much of the focus on contracts.

All of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and though all have been offered fresh terms, none have yet committed their futures to the club.

Another player that Liverpool are keen to reward is defender Ibrahima Konate, whose current deal at Anfield expires in 2026 and who is expected to agree a new deal which will see his new status in the squad rewarded.

However, elsewhere things are less clear; Trent Alexander-Arnold remains in the sights of Real Madrid, who are reportedly planning a meeting in early January to try and convince him to join close friend Jude Bellingham at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Now a shock report suggests that another Liverpool player could follow him to Spain, with the Reds not ready to offer new terms in line with his demands.

Liverpool not willing to offer star new deal

That is according to reports coming out of Spain, which point to Luis Diaz as the man in question and suggests that he could look to leave Liverpool in the near future as a result. The Colombian forward, who has started 10 of Liverpool’s 15 Premier League games this season, was linked with a move away from the club over the summer but has emerged as a key man for Arne Slot.

His current deal runs until 2027, which sees him take home £2.8m a year (£55,000 a week), a wage that puts him among Liverpool’s lowest earners.

Player

Weekly wage

Conor Bradley

£10,000

Curtis Jones

£15,000

Jarell Quansah

£30,000

Harvey Elliott

£40,000

Wataru Endo

£50,000

Luis Diaz

£55,000

That salary, which the report claims “no longer corresponds to his importance in the team”, is seemingly unlikely to change any time soon though. They add the Reds are “not willing to make a financial effort to renew him” due to the “delicate situation with financial fair play” they find themselves in.

It is claimed that this has seen Barcelona rekindle their interest in the forward, though they will be unlikely to move for the Colombian any time soon given that they currently cannot even register summer signing Dani Olmo for the second half of the season due to financial issues of their own.

Nonetheless, it is added that a move for the winger “could become a priority if his contractual situation does not improve at Anfield”, and they may not be the only interested party able to offer a significant wage bump to the south American if Liverpool continue to overlook his importance.

West Ham United have now been backed to secure a “top” signing in January as they look to add more firepower to Julen Lopetegui’s ranks in the winter window.

West Ham low on striker options

A life-threatening car crash has left West Ham without the services of Michail Antonio for what is likely to be the remainder of the Premier League campaign. The Jamaica international crashed his car last week, and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery on his leg. He is expected to remain in hospital for weeks, and Lopetegui admitted that he felt it was a “miracle” that the forward had survived the crash.

“The best news about Michail Antonio was that he was able to talk with us before the [Wolves] match – [because] looking at the car crash, it was one miracle [he was OK]. Now he is strong, he is recovering himself in the next months to be a man first and then a player.”

In practical terms, it leaves West Ham low on resources at the top of the pitch, with their all-time record goalscorer in the Premier League having started 11 of the 14 games before his injury.

Summer signing Niclas Füllkrug remains sidelined with an injury of his own, while 32-year-old Danny Ings has started just a single Premier League game this season, with Lopetegui preferring to play Jarrod Bowen as a striker against Wolverhampton Wanderers rather than trust the former Liverpool striker to lead the line.

Game played

Goals/Assists

Niclas Füllkrug

4

1

Danny Ings

9

2

Jarrod Bowen

15

8

Now, they are ready to make a move in January to address their forward issue, whether or not Lopetegui remains at the helm.

West Ham tipped to sign Premier League striker

That comes as former Premier League scout turned insider Mick Brown has tipped the east London side to complete a loan move to sign Evan Ferguson in January.

The Republic of Ireland striker burst onto the scene with Brighton and received plenty of plaudits for his early performances, with football analyst EBL dubbing him “utterly insane” just 18 months ago, adding that his style is like “Wayne Rooney and Erling Haaland rolled into one”.

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Meanwhile, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “top talent”, but since the arrival of Fabian Hurzeler at the AMEX Stadium, Ferguson has not had the chance to show his worth. The 20-year-old has managed just two starts in the Premier League, returning just a single goal, and is expected to leave the club on loan in January in search of first team football. And Brown has backed West Ham to complete a deal to sign him.

“He’s got a very good reputation as a young player, but he’s at a stage where he needs to prove himself”, he told Football Insider.

“If he’s not going to play regularly in the Brighton team, he’s got to go somewhere where he can play first-team football and show what he can do. From what I understand, West Ham would be prepared to offer him that opportunity.

“Ferguson is spoken about very highly and there is a lot of interest in him. But he fits the bill for West Ham with his style of play, and he’s a big lad as well, not afraid to get stuck in. That’s what they want in Antonio’s absence.”

He added that “I’m expecting him to leave Brighton and I’m expecting West Ham to make a move”. Could Ferguson and West Ham be a perfect match for the second half of the season?