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INEOS are plotting a move to sign an “electric” £82,000-a-week left-back, as Ruben Amorim has made it a priority at Manchester United, according to a Sky Sports reporter.

The Red Devils played their first game under the Portuguese boss on Sunday, and while they were held to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, there were some early positives for the head coach to take, as he continues to get to know his new crop of players.

Man Utd make approach to "machine" after internal talks, could cost £40m+

The Red Devils have now made contact.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 26, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

The club’s hierarchy appear to be keen to back Amorim in the upcoming transfer windows, as long as the finances are right, but there is also a willingness for them not to rip up the entire squad. However, as every new manager or head coach wants, Amorim will have his eyes on potential players he would like to bring to Old Trafford.

One player who has emerged on their radar in recent weeks is Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, and United have made him a top target ahead of the January transfer window. The forward is not getting regular minutes at Stamford Bridge, and United are ready to go all out and bring him to Old Trafford in a deal that could cost them £50 million.

As well as Nkunku, Man United have now made an approach to Ederson from Atalanta. The Red Devils held internal talks over a possible deal and have now approached his agents to get an understanding of a potential transfer. Atalanta don’t want to sell but could be willing to listen to offers should they receive around £40 million. But it seems that there is a position that has become more of a priority for Amorim, as the club has identified a new target.

Man Utd eyeing move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United are now closely monitoring Theo Hernandez of AC Milan, as they continue their search for a new left-wing back.

The Red Devils do have Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia as their regular left-backs, but both have been injured for a while now, and even though they both appeared in the matchday squad against Ipswich, with Shaw coming off the bench, signing a player for that position is still key for the club.

Hernandez, who has been dubbed “electric” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, has been at Milan since July 2019, when he joined from Real Madrid, and he has been a key player for the Italian side in his six seasons there, playing 30 or more games in all five campaigns before this 2024/25 season.

The 27-year-old has started eight of the 10 league games he has played so far, during which he has captained Milan on multiple occasions. Now, according to Plettenberg, he is someone United are keeping a close eye on, as Amorim has made signing a new left-back a priority.

Apps

10

Goals

2

Assists

2

Big chances created

2

Key passes

1.4

Passing accuracy per game

36.1 (91%)

Clean sheets

3

Interceptions per 90

1.2

Tackles per 90

1.1

Balls recovered per 90

3.9

Dribbled past per 90

0.3

Hernandez is under contract at Milan until the summer of 2026, so he could potentially be a cheap option, as the Italian giants may have to sell him if he is unwilling to sign a contract extension. While he may not cost as much as other players in a transfer fee, he comes with hefty wages, as he earns €98,654 a week, which is roughly £82,366 a week.

Rangers and their recruitment team are really interested in signing a young central midfielder, according to a new report. The January transfer window will open in around three weeks, and it could be a busy month for the Gers, as Philippe Clement eyes fresh additions to help get the season back on track.

Rangers recruitment team love January target and he's keen to come to Ibrox

He could be a brilliant addition for Philippe Clement.

1 ByHenry Jackson Dec 9, 2024 Rangers transfer news

Rangers are 11 points adrift of Celtic and two behind second place Aberdeen, so January is a big month for the Scottish side to try and strengthen their side for the second half of the campaign.

The recruitment team at Ibrox are already putting plans in place, as they have been linked with potential new arrivals already. One player who has emerged on their radar is Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, as he’s being linked with a move to Glasgow in January. He is struggling for regular minutes at Stamford Bridge, and Rangers are willing to offer him that, with both loan and permanent deals being considered.

Carney Chukwuemeka

The Gers are also interested in signing Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United, and the forward is reportedly keen on joining them. Rangers are impressed that he can not only play as a striker, but he can also operate out wide and as a number ten. A loan switch appears to be the most likely option, but Leeds chiefs are considering holding out for a permanent bid, which would be problematic for the Gers.

Rangers want to sign £2.4m midfielder Marko Soldo

According to Rangers News, Rangers are seriously interested in signing Marko Soldo from Croatian side NK Osijek. The 21-year-old only joined the Croatian outfit during the summer transfer window, after spending four years at Dinamo Zagreb.

The Croatian under-21 international has impressed a lot at his new club, getting among the goals and assists in various competitions. Soldo was mainly used as a winger last season, but in this 2024/25 campaign, he has gone back to his more familiar central role, where he is more comfortable playing as a defensive midfielder.

This report states that the director of football recruitment, Nils Koppen, and the rest of the recruitment team are really interested in signing Soldo. The Gers are continuing to keep a close eye on the player as the January transfer window approaches.

Apps

16

Minutes per game

62

Goals

4

Shots per game

1.0

Goal conversion rate

25%

Assists

4

Touches

35.6

Big chances created

6

Key passes

1.3

Soldo is said to be one of several options the club are looking at, and he could be available for around €2-3 million, which is roughly £1.6-2.4 million. NK Osijek are a team that Rangers know well, as they signed former left-back Borna Barisic from them in 2018, and he became integral during his time at Ibrox. Soldo’s arrival would boost Rangers’ options in the midfield department, and the fact he is more defensive-minded could mean players such as Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin are pushed further up the pitch.

It’s been an eventful campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season, although given how last year went, that’s hardly a surprise.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have once again been enthralling to watch, although a significant reason is that you never know which team will show up.

Sometimes, the North Londoners are able to blitz Manchester City off the park, while other times, they’ll lose at home to winless Ipswich Town.

This tendency to bounce between spectacular and disastrous is perhaps best exemplified by the midfield, although there is one starter who’s been impressive for most of the season, someone who’s been compared to Martin Odegaard and Phil Foden.

Tottenham's midfield options

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Spurs’ other midfield stars and how they’ve performed this season, starting with co-vice-captain James Maddison, who has, unsurprisingly, impressed and disappointed this season.

For example, the former Leicester City star has racked up a great haul of five goals and five assists in 20 appearances but then looked miles off the pace and unable to influence proceedings in matches against Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Fulham, while not even being trusted to start against Chelsea, Ipswich or Aston Villa.

Likewise, Yves Bissouma has put in some of his best performances in a Lilywhite shirt this season.

Against City, in the League Cup, he made a goal-line clearance to deny Nico O’Reilly a guaranteed equaliser, and then against Everton, he made amends for his pre-season controversy by scoring an absolute screamer.

However, for every impressive display, the Mali international seems to put in a worrying one, with his “braindead” tackle on Moises Caicedo, as Jamie Carragher described it, just the latest example.

That said, while there are some serious issues with Spurs’ current midfield options, they have at least one superstar among their ranks, someone who’s made that area his own and has won comparisons to Odegaard and Foden.

The Spurs player like Odegaard & Foden

So, to get straight to the point, the Spurs ace compared to Odegaard and Foden is the incredible Dejan Kulusevski, but where have these comparisons come from?

Well, they primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the seventh most similar midfielder to the Swede over the last 365 days, while the Norwegian is the eighth most similar.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio ranks closely, including, but not limited to, expected and actual assists, expected non-penalty goals, key passes and shot-creating actions, all per 90.

Expected Assists

0.29

0.20

0.32

Assists

0.24

0.27

0.14

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.13

0.13

0.20

Expected Goals

1.7

1.8

1.4

Key Passes

2.68

2.97

2.43

Shot-Creating Actions

5.37

5.29

5.86

However, on top of the statistical similarities between the trio, there is also the fact that both the City ace and the former Juventus star will occasionally play out on the wing.

Likewise, the Arsenal captain spends a lot of time in games interchanging with Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, even if he officially starts in midfield.

With that said, it’s not just the similarities to great players that make the Stockholm-born dynamo “world-class”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, it’s also his output and tangible impact on games.

For example, in just 22 appearances so far this season, totalling 1469 minutes, the 24-year-old maestro has scored three goals and provided seven assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.2 games, or every 146.9 minutes.

Ultimately, while Spurs have more than a few midfielders who seem incapable of maintaining a run of form at the moment, they also have a sensationally gifted talent in Kulusevski.

Postecoglou may have found Tottenham's new Serge Aurier in error-prone dud

The young international has made too many mistakes for Spurs this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2024

There’s no escaping it now: this season has been dreadful for Tottenham Hotspur.

In fact, the one thing preventing it from being a full-blown disaster is the fact that the club have a League Cup semi-final to look forward to.

However, when it comes to their Premier League form, Ange Posetcoglou’s side have been dire, and while some blame must fall at the feet of the manager, he has been dealt a lousy hand in the form of an injury crisis at the back.

So, recent reports linking the club with someone who could solve the manager’s biggest problem and serve as an upgrade on Radu Dragusin should excite fans.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are one of around 11 sides interested in Paris Saint-Germain defender Milan Skriniar.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that Napoli, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, and Atlético Madrid are all keen on the experienced defender.

However, while this level of outside interest is far from ideal for the North Londoners, the good news is that he may not cost an arm and a leg to sign, as the story has revealed that PSG will make him available for around €35m – £29m – next month, and could be willing to go as low as €25m – £21m – in negotiations.

In all, it could be an incredibly complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Skriniar’s ability and experience, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he’d be an upgrade on Dragusin and help solve Ange’s biggest problem.

How Skriniar compares to Dragusin

So, of all the issues Postecoglou has faced at Spurs this season, the defensive injury crisis has been the most significant.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies have all missed a sizable portion of the season thus far, which has meant that 18-year-old Archie Gray and the error-prone Dragusin have had to form a makeshift and rather flimsy centre-back partnership, and now it looks like the latter will be out for a little while as well.

So, in signing a new defender, the club will be addressing, and hopefully solving, the Australian’s most significant pressing this season.

Moreover, if the centre-back they sign ends up being Skriniar, then that would also see Dragusin fall further down the pecking order, as while he’s had some decent performances, he’s also had too many dire ones.

For example, he picked up a red card on his European debut for the side, gifted Victor Osimhen a goal against Galatasaray and looked utterly clueless against Rangers.

However, the “incredible” PSG gem, as dubbed by journalist Jerry Mancini, would be a brilliant addition to the squad in his own right and not just as an upgrade on the Romanian.

For example, he has bags and bags of experience, making 246 appearances for Inter Milan and winning the league in Italy and France while also making 77 appearances for Slovakia.

Inter Milan

246

MSK Zilina

93

Sampdoria

38

PSG

37

FC ViOn

7

Moreover, on top of being a 6 foot 2 titan who certainly wouldn’t be bullied in the Premier League, he’s no slouch with the ball at his feet, as FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, places him in the top 1% of centre-backs for passes attempted and passes completed, per 90.

Ultimately, Spurs are in desperate need of new defenders, as not only are their starting centre-backs seemingly injury-prone, but their replacements aren’t good enough.

Therefore, the North Londoners should do all they can to sign Skriniar next month, as he’d be the perfect solution to this problem.

Spurs plot significant move for "special" £32m ace who could usurp Maddison

The experienced £32m star would bolster Spurs’ attacking options.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 24, 2024

Celtic are believed to “have accepted” an offer for a “superb” player to leave in the January transfer window, according to an update from Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

Celtic transfer news

Amid plenty of transfer rumours regarding the Hoops, a return to the club for Kieran Tierney is arguably making the most headlines currently. The 27-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements at Arsenal, having already been loaned out to Real Sociedad last season, and a loan move back to Parkhead looks likely before a permanent deal in the summer.

Another reported target for Celtic is Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill, with the Englishman wanted by a host of clubs in 2025. He is out of contract at Turf Moor at the end of this season, at which point he will be able to join on a free transfer.

Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee is an exciting young player with a bright future in the game, and he has also been linked with joining Celtic. The 22-year-old has found regular football hard to come by under Pep Guardiola, and the Scottish Premiership giants are believed to be eyeing him up.

Similarly, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has struggled to make any kind of impact at Chelsea this season, with the Hoops backed to snap him up and make him a key man, bringing an end to his Stamford Bridge nightmare in the process.

Celtic accept offer for "superb" Hoops player

According to Joseph on X, Celtic have accepted a loan offer from KV Mechelen for defender Stephen Welsh, with a move set to happen this month:

Allowing Welsh to move on makes total sense, considering he has largely been a spectator during matches this season, only making one appearance in the league.

At 24, he needs to be a key man somewhere instead of warming the substitutes’ bench, and he could be an excellent addition for someone, with Greg Taylor heaping praise on him in the past, saying:

“His all-round performance was superb, just the same as last Wednesday at Kilmarnock. He’s done superbly, really good. It was a terrific goal that he scored with a great delivery from David Turnbull and Welshy did really well. Welshy is not a quiet lad. Even at the start of the season. He leads and he talks. That is definitely beneficial for him and that is the reason he is doing so well at the moment.”

As good as Kuhn: 131-touch Celtic titan proved Rodgers all wrong

The Celtic star proved that Brendan Rodgers was wrong for not selecting him against Rangers.

ByDan Emery Jan 5, 2025

Welsh should feel proud of making the jump from the youth team to the senior setup at Celtic, making 68 appearances and scoring once, but now appears to be the natural time for him to enjoy the next step in his career.

Sunderland have now reached an agreement to sign a new midfielder for Regis Le Bris as they look to bolster their hopes of promotion back to the Premier League in the second half of the campaign.

Sunderland flying high in the Championship

With 18 games left of the Championship campaign, Sunderland sit just three points off the summit of England’s second tier despite currently being fourth.

The Black Cats have scored the third most goals in the competition to date, but face a tough second half of the campaign as they head away to fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley and Leeds United.

Burnley (Away)

Derby County (Away)

Plymouth Argyle (Home)

Middlesbrough (Away)

Watford (Home)

The likes of Chris Rigg, Anthony Patterson and Jude Bellingham have all grabbed attention so far for their prodigious talent amid links with clubs across Europe, but the club are keen to add more strength to their ranks as they underline their ambition to secure a return to the Premier League for the first time since the 206/2017 season.

To that end, they are expected to be busy in the January window despite Regis Le Bris outlining how difficult it was to recruit in the winter transfer window.

“It’s not easy to find the right pieces of the jigsaw,” he told the media. “It’s very important to find the right players rather than just focus on recruiting now. We have to be very accurate”

Now, it seems that Sunderland have managed to do just that, in a move that has developed incredibly quickly.

Sunderland reach agreement over astonishing loan move

That comes as multiple outlets now report that Sunderland have reached an agreement to reunite Roma midfielder Enzo Le Fee with Le Bris for the remainder of the campaign.

The Frenchman starred in Ligue 1 before earning a £20m move to Roma over the most recent summer transfer window. However, things have not worked out for him in the Eternal City and he has seen just 319 minutes of Serie A action, starting just twice under a succession of managers at the Stadio Olimpico.

He had been strongly linked with a move away, and Sunderland appear to have won that race after intense speculation, with the player on his way to Wearside for a Thursday medical.

Now, he is set to rejoin Le Bris in a shock move, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Black Cats have agreed an initial loan move for the midfielder, who still has almost five years left to run on his £69,000 a week deal in Rome.

Better yet for the Black Cats, it is added that his wages will be fully covered by Roma, who are clearly just keen to see the back of him already, saving around £1.7m for the Wearside outfit over the next six months.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

There is an option to buy the 24-year-old set at between €23m and €24m (£20m), and should he help Sunderland get promoted back to the top flight come the end of the campaign that option will become an obligation to buy the France U23 international.

For their part, Sunderland are believed to have pulled off a coup here with his arrival, with Football Expert Zach Lowry claiming that Le Bris has secured an “absolute gem” for the northeast outfit, especially if they are able to return him to his pre-Roma form. Can he be the man to help secure promotion for the Black Cats?

Preparing to get their January business underway, Aston Villa are now reportedly prepared to pay the £17m release clause to sign one of their biggest transfer targets this month.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have struggled to balance European and domestic responsibilities so far this season, falling outside of the Premier League’s top four as a result as they enter the second half of the campaign.

So it comes as little surprise that they’ve already threatened to steal the headlines more than once during the January transfer window, as Unai Emery looks to reinforce his squad to mount a comeback into the Champions League places.

What should undoubtedly aid their search for fresh faces is the pending sale of Jaden Philogene. Since returning to Villa Park in the summer, the winger has struggled to break into Emery’s strongest side and is now closing in on a mid-season switch to Ipswich Town, who are reportedly splashing out over £20m to secure his signature.

It looks as though those in the Midlands are already preparing to spend that money, too. According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa are now prepared to pay the €20m (£17m) release clause to sign Oscar Mingueza this month, with the deal already reportedly underway.

PSG considering move to sign "fantastic" Aston Villa star alongside Duran

Concerning news for the Villans…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 10, 2025

The right-back currently looks destined for Villa Park and to hand Matty Cash alarming competition for his starting spot for the remainder of the season and beyond. Still just 25 years old, that £17m fee could quickly become one of the bargains of the window if Mingueza continues his Celta Vigo form in the Midlands.

"Revelation" Mingueza can replace Cash

Dubbed a “revelation” at Celta Vigo by journalist Zach Lowy, Mingueza’s potential arrival could signal the end of Cash’s starting role under Emery. The right-back’s attacking work is particularly something to look out for and a trait that should only add further excitement at Villa Park should he complete a mid-season move from Spain.

A player who began as a right-back more comparable to Cesar Azpilicueta at Barcelona, Mingueza is now a modern-day full-back who would undoubtedly aid Villa’s push to record back-to-back top-four finishes.

Starts

17

12

Assists

5

0

Tackles won

11

17

Ball recoveries

71

37

While his creativity is impressive, Mingueza’s ability to recover possession is also a trait which should benefit Aston Villa if they manage to get their deal over the line.

Emery has already seen just how much competition for places can push his players to greater heights, with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran’s goalscoring battle a key part of the current campaign, and he could now see Cash and Mingueza endure a similar fight to start down the right-hand side for the remainder of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be targeting the loan signing of a forward from Barcelona, with under-pressure Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou still on the hunt for his first outfield transfer as we approach the business end of January.

Spurs eye new attacker after failed Randal Kolo Muani deal

The Lilywhites were involved in a high-profile race with Juventus for Randal Kolo Muani’s signature recently, but they eventually lost out to the Old Lady.

Tottenham now in pole position to sign "super" £30m Premier League forward

Spurs are the “biggest competitor”.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 22, 2025

Tottenham held discussions with PSG over Kolo Muani, after the France international was deemed surplus to requirements by Luis Enrique and allowed to depart the Parc des Princes before February 3rd.

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22

Man City (home)

February 26

The 26-year-old, who bagged a sensational 15 goals and 14 assists in all competitions during his best season at Eintracht Frankfurt, was deemed one of the best versatile forwards available on the market (David Ornstein), so Spurs officials will have been very disappointed to miss out on his services.

Now, Postecoglou’s side have re-entered the market for another wide player, as they look to back their manager who’s been forced to cope with a serious injury crisis at N17 throughout the campaign.

Tottenham are believed to be the main contenders to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, but his English colleague Lyall Thomas has since reported that the 18-year-old will command a hefty £55 million transfer fee.

The price quoted for Dibling could be too much for Tottenham mid-season, but there is another potential loan option in the form of Barcelona forward Ansu Fati.

The Spain international spent 2023/2024 on loan at Brighton, where he scored four goals and bagged one assist in 30 total appearances, since returning to the Camp Nou and enduring a very mixed season.

Fati has suffered from a few injury problems this term, which have largely kept him out of Hansi Flick’s first-team, and he’s failed to make any real impact when available.

Tottenham make proposal to sign Ansu Fati on loan

As per one Spanish media source, Tottenham could offer the £227,000-per-week attacker a route back to the Premier League.

Indeed, it is believed that Spurs have made a proposal to sign Fati on loan from Barcelona, which would include an option to buy. The Catalans could be tempted by this offer, as they actively seek to find the 22-year-old a new club.

However, Tottenham would need to take on a hefty portion of his wages, and Fati is apparently more in favour of remaining at his current club despite his squad status.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou’s men have apparently “set their sights” on signing Fati before the deadline.

Tottenham Hotspur have been quiet during the January transfer window this month, only making one senior addition in the form of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who joined from Slavia Prague a couple of weeks ago.

However, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy appear to have ramped up their efforts to land reinforcements before the window closes on Monday night, with Mathys Tel having looked the most likely to move to North London in the coming days.

Spurs already agreed a fee with Bayern Munich for the 19-year-old, but the teenager has reportedly rejected the proposal, handing the Lilywhites a real blow late in the window.

Owner Levy travelled to Munich on Friday afternoon to try and progress the deal, although those efforts appear to have been in vain, with the club now looking to other targets instead.

With that in mind, efforts could be ramping up to land another attacking talent before the window closes until the summer.

Spurs plotting move to land £55m PL star

According to The Express, Spurs are plotting a move for Southampton attacker Tyler Dibling to further improve their forward line in the coming days.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a superb breakout campaign despite the Saints’ struggles in 2024/25, scoring twice in 20 appearances, but catching the eye with his direct and fearless nature.

The report claims that the winger has emerged as a serious target, with the north Londoners ideally wanting to secure a move this month rather than the summer, with his current side desperate to keep hold of him until the end of the season at least.

It also states that Spurs youngster Tyrese Hall has been discussed internally at St Mary’s to be included in any potential deal which would see Dibling move to North London – with Postecoglou wanting to loan out the youngster this window.

However, it’s previously been reported that the Saints are holding out for a fee in the region of £55m for the teenager, as they look to fend off any interest from the likes of the Lilywhites.

Any move could see the Englishman follow in the footsteps of one player who’s thrived at the club in recent times after his own winter transfer to North London.

Why Dibling could be another Kulusevski for Spurs

Swedish international Dejan Kulusevski has been a shining light through what has proved to be a disappointing campaign for the club to date, often being the man to make things happen in attacking areas.

The 24-year-old has registered 18 combined goals and assists throughout 2024/25 to date, a tally that is his highest since completing his move to the club back in January 2022.

This campaign has even seen Kulusevski shift into a more central role on occasions to help boss Postecoglou cope with the injury crisis – but he’s taken to the role like a duck to water.

Undoubtedly, he’s now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Spurs on a regular basis, with it being hard to imagine where the side might be if it hadn’t been for his contributions.

However, any move for Dibling could see the club land another version of the former Juventus talent, with the Southampton star very similar to Kulusevski in terms of their favoured foot, ability to feature centrally or out wide and their creative nature.

When comparing their respective stats from 2024/25, the teenager has matched or bettered the Swede in various key areas, highlighting how much of an impressive addition he would be to the side.

Dibling, who’s previously been dubbed an “unreal talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered slightly fewer combined goals and assists but has bettered the current first-team star for take-ons completed, subsequently achieving a better success rate – offering Ange the direct threat that he’s been missing as of late.

Games played

20

23

Goals & assists

2

10

Shots on target

0.7

0.7

Shots taken

1.7

1.6

Pass accuracy

78%

73%

Take-ons attempted

5.6

4.5

Take-ons completed

2.1

1.5

Take-on success

37%

33%

He’s also registered slightly more shots per 90, whilst matching Kulusevski for shots on target per 90, demonstrating he has that end product to match his mazy runs and powerful sprints with the ball at his feet.

£55m may seem like a huge investment for such a young talent who’s only just broken through into the first team and started to make his mark in the Premier League.

However, if he’s producing such impressive figures at such a tender age, it’s a scary thought of how good he could become should he follow in the Swede’s footsteps at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Their own Watkins: Spurs make contact for one of "the best CFs in the PL"

The clinical forward would be a brilliant signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 31, 2025

Liverpool are going to have to make do without an “outstanding” player for the foreseeable future alongside Joe Gomez, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

Latest Liverpool news

The Reds are still reeling from their 2-2 draw away to Everton on Wednesday evening, having come within seconds of securing their most precious Premier League victory so far.

That said, a point was still no disaster at Goodison Park, leaving Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the table, and it is now vital that Arne Slot’s side respond on Sunday afternoon, as they welcome Wolves to Anfield.

In terms of Reds-related transfer news, RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba has been linked with a move to the club this summer, as Slot looks to bolster his defensive options. At 22, he is still a maturing footballer, but one who has already made 59 appearances for the Bundesliga side.

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future still hasn’t been sorted, meaning potential replacements for him need to be lined up, one of whom is reportedly Karim Adeyemi. The German has four goals in as many appearances to his name in the Champions League in 2024/25 to date.

Liverpool dealt injury blow to "outstanding" ace

According to The Athletic’s Pearce on X, Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton will be “out for around three months” after a successful surgery on a shoulder injury.

That comes in the same update as Gomez, who is “undergoing further tests on his hamstring amid fears he’s facing another lengthy lay-off”, having limped out of last weekend’s 1-0 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round.

Morton may not be a key player for Liverpool this season, with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott all ahead of him in the pecking order, but this still acts as a setback ahead of the business end of the campaign.

The 22-year-old has still managed five appearances so far this season, bringing poise in the middle of the park, and he was lauded by Liam Rosenior during their time together at Hull City earlier in the Reds youngster’s career.

“Some of his play, honestly. He can do everything as a midfield player. When we were recruiting in the summer, he fits completely into the way we want to play. The beauty with Tyler is he can play deep, and he can be just as effective there, but what we’ve seen in training is he can create and score goals. It was about fitting the functionality of the team around him. He was outstanding.”

It may even be that Morton has now played his final game for Liverpool, however, should he not play for the remainder of the campaign.

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The Englishman must surely feel that a permanent move away from Anfield this summer is best for his development, rather than being loaned out, and the Reds could be happy to cash in on him. It would be best for everyone concerned.