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Jurgen Klopp is looking to add to the Liverpool squad with a bid for Portuguese forward Rafael Leao this summer.

What’s the word?

FSG are plotting a bid for the 22-year-old AC Milan maestro and, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica (via Milan News), Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing him.

Although Newcastle are believed the frontrunners due to their recent takeover and the ability to splash the cash, the Reds could offer much more in terms of potential success.

The £60m-rated gem wont come cheap, and Liverpool will have to spend big in order to secure his signature.

Liverpool’s Thierry Henry

The “extraordinary” player, as described by San Siro legend Zvonimir Boban, has been in wonderful form for AC Milan this season as they are aiming to end an 11-year wait to win the Serie A title.

The left winger has played 39 times so far this term and scored 13 goals whilst supplying seven assists in all competitions, a solid return from the youngster.

Former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi believes that Leao is in a similar mould to ex-Arsenal icon Thierry Henry, and those comparisons are accurate, with the 22-year-old sharing the Frenchman’s explosive pace and ability to score and set up goals in almost equal measure.

Henry gradually shifted from the left wing into a more central role, especially when he joined the Gunners, and Klopp may have similar thoughts for Leao, especially when January signing Luis Diaz is performing exceptionally well out wide for the Reds.

The prospective signing of the Portuguese gem could be a masterstroke for Klopp and Liverpool. Also, with Roberto Firmino slowly getting on a bit and his goal return dropping this season, a change could be mooted in the centre of the attacking three.

FSG could be on to something special once more if they seriously pursue a mooted bid for the precocious Leao, who can take great heart from being compared to a Premier League legend in Henry.

AND in other news, Liverpool potting bid to sign “dangerous” £19.8m-rated weapon, he’s Klopp’s new Firmino

Eddie Nketiah’s future at Arsenal is uncertain, amidst his desire to play regular first team football.

What’s the word?

The 22-year-old has started the last three games against Southampton, Chelsea and Manchester United, with his two goals in that time coming against Tuchel’s side.

Though, his contract expires at the end of the season, with the young forward having rejected an offer from Arsenal amidst concerns over his game time.

If he is to become a free agent in the summer, it will not be for long, with the former England under-21 international attracting reported interest from the likes of Crystal Palace and Borussia Monchengladbach.

A boost for Vieira

Amidst Arsenal’s latest links with Gabriel Jesus and Tammy Abraham, the future of Nketiah, despite his run of starts, does not look promising.

Nketiah – who has been dubbed “sensational” by James Benge on Twitter – is said to be considering offers from both Palace and Monchengladbach.

The latest reports surrounding Nketiah appear to be positive for Palace, who would majorly benefit in this deal.

Until recent, the striker has not been afforded consistent minutes at Arsenal but has seized his opportunities with two goals in three starts.

Crystal Palace have not struggled as such in their quest to find the back of the net, ranking in ninth place for goals scored in the Premier League this season with 43 goals.

Though, they could have scored more – with both Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard missing a combined 14 big chances. Not to mention the fact that their best performing striker in terms of goals is Edouard in the league this season with just six – Palace’s top scorer meanwhile is a winger, while their second highest scorer is a central midfielder.

They still have room for improvement in the centre-forward position, and a hungry Nketiah with something to prove could well be a viable option for Vieira’s side.

The Palace boss would be thrilled with such a move.

In other news: Palace now plotting bid to sign “immovable” £27m-rated gem, supporters will love it – opinion

Leeds United will make Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson a ‘prominent target’, should Jesse Marsch keep the Whites in the Premier League, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Johnson starring at Forest

Johnson, who can play anywhere across the front three, has scored 15 times in 43 Championship games this season.

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The 20-year-old has now netted 29 senior goals during his career and has played a key role in Forest’s push for promotion to the Premier League.

As is stands, the Wales international will be entering the final 12 months of his City Ground deal in the summer, and it looks as if Leeds are still keen after Victor Orta revealed he tried to sign the winger when he was just 16.

The Latest: Leeds links

The Daily Mail shared an update regarding Leeds and Johnson on Tuesday afternoon.

They claimed that the Whites will join Brentford and Newcastle in the race to sign the forward, valued at £20m, in the summer.

However, the report adds that Marsch will need to keep Leeds in the top flight and Forest will have to remain in the Championship for a transfer to have any chance of materialising.

The Verdict: Next few weeks key

It looks as if Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers group are willing to reward Marsch, should he guide the Whites to safety, by splashing the cash ahead of his first full season in charge.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done, and you could argue there is a growing possibility Leeds and Forest will be swapping divisions over the coming weeks.

Hopefully, that isn’t the case, and if the Whites want to sign Johnson, they’ll be keeping a close eye on Forest’s automatic and playoff promotion bids in the second tier.

In other news: ‘Big blow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to ‘dramatic’ confirmed Leeds news for run-in. 

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares…

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Magpies are one of the clubs plotting a deal to snap up the Portuguese defender this summer.

The report claims that Porto are also in the running to land his signature and have submitted a bid of €5m (£4.2m) as they look to tempt the Gunners into cashing in on the 30-year-old.

A move to St James’ Park has not been completely ruled out but the player is said to prefer a stay at the Emirates Stadium over a transfer away from the north London club.

He’d be brilliant for Eddie Howe

The Telegraph’s Sam Dean dubbed Cedric’s crossing “brilliant” earlier this season, and that perfectly describes what he would be for the Magpies next season as he is an experienced and versatile gem of a player. 

Cedric has been playing in England since 2015, for Southampton and Arsenal, and he knows what it takes to perform at this level. He has racked up 151 Premier League appearances to date, scoring twice and setting up 12 top-flight goals from full-back.

In that time, he has played in a number of positions – left-back, right-back, right midfield and left midfield. This shows that he is capable of adapting to a multitude of roles for Howe in the Newcastle team, which would make him a valuable asset to have when dealing with injuries and suspensions throughout a campaign.

The 30-year-old has been a solid option for Mikel Arteta to call upon this term. Last month, Alan Hutton heaped praise on the defender’s role with the Gunners as he said: “[Cedric Soares] has done really well, but he’s gone under the radar because of Tomiyasu.

“When you are going for the European spots and trying to challenge, you need competition for places. He knows the style of play, he knows what Arteta wants. He’s a good deputy for Tomiyasu.”

In the Premier League this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.79 across 16 appearances. This shows that he has been dependable for Arsenal, as he has put in respectable displays when he has been needed at either left-back or right-back, and this is why he would be brilliant for Howe.

Matt Targett is out? Cedric comes in. Kieran Trippier is out? Cedric comes in. It would be a superb deal for Newcastle if they can get a player of his quality, versatility and experience for a meagre fee of £4.2m, so PIF must ensure that they can convince the Gunners to part ways with the defender.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Insider reveals deal NUFC are set to complete, supporters will be buzzing…

There are likely to be a number of clubs who eye up a move for Wolves centre-back Max Kilman this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Kilman a key figure at Wolves

The 24-year-old is enjoying an exceptional season for Wanderers, standing out as one of the first names on Bruno Lage’s team sheet at Molineux.

Kilman has shone on the right-hand side of a back-three, making 27 Premier League appearances , playing 90 minutes in all but one game and finding himself tipped to be named in Gareth Southgate’s next England squad.

The defender’s form could alert some of the country’s leading sides, however, so perhaps after all the attention on Ruben Neves’ future – reports believe talks are underway with Barcelona and the midfielder is ‘likely’ to depart – the Portuguese superstar may not be the only high-profile exit from Molineux this summer.

The Latest: Journalist talks up exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Kilman won’t be without suitors, as Wolves desperately look to stave off any interest in their emerging star:

“Everything’s going well for Max Kilman at the minute, but Wolves will be desperate to keep hold of him.

“But I’m sure there will be a few clubs looking in the summer, ready to test their resolve.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Got to stay

While Kilman is sure to be in the headlines this summer, as the rumour mills back him to move away, it would be a surprise if he left at this point in his career.

His current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026 and he is still very much maturing as a player, with 24 no age for a top centre-back in the slightest.

Granted, it may be that Kilman feels he needs to take a step up in his career in the future, but for now, Wolves is the best place for him to continue developing and playing week in, week out, having averaged two aerial duel wins and 3.4 clearances per game in the league this season.

In other news, the exit of another Wolves player has also been talked up. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam hailed left-back Tyrick Mitchell during the 4-1 win over Watford on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Eagles’ first league win of 2022

The Eagles were winless in six Premier League fixtures in 2022 prior to the trip to Vicarage Road.

Patrick Vieira’s side finally claimed three points in the top flight against their former boss Roy Hodgson, with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Conor Gallagher and two from Wilfried Zaha.

The victory takes Palace into 11th place after 26 games, and Woosnam was full of praise for Mitchell.

The Latest: Woosnam praise for Mitchell

The 22-year-old provided an assist for Gallagher to put Palace back into the lead shortly before the interval, and Woosnam took to Twitter to shower the full-back with praise following the goal, labelling Mitchell’s crossing as ‘so good’.

He gushed: “Mitchell’s crossing has been so good this evening. He’s having a good game going forward and when he gets the overlap to put it in Palace look dangerous.”

The Verdict: Impressive

Behind Zaha, Mitchell was staistically Palace’s second-best performer against the Hornets, ending with a 7.6/10 match rating. [SofaScore]

The 22-year-old made four tackles, won 80% of his ground duels, provided an assist and wasn’t dribbled past all night.

It was an impressive display from the youngster, and hopefully Palace can now kick on after securing a long-awaited Premier League victory.

In other news: Journalist reveals Palace stance as rivals eye huge deal for ‘magic’ star

Newcastle enjoyed a busy January transfer window as Eddie Howe made a host of fresh additions to his Magpies squad.

Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood all came through the door as they bolstered their team during PIF’s first chance to show off their spending power.

Attention may now turn to the summer as the club will potentially spend again to compete higher up in the Premier League table if they are able to avoid relegation this term.

La Repubblica (via MilanNews) recently reported that the Toon are one of a number of clubs circling around Franck Kessie heading into the summer, as he is set to become a free agent upon the expiry of his contract with the Serie A side.

Imagine him and Bruno

Newcastle could find their dream upgrade on Jonjo Shelvey and an excellent partner for Bruno Guimaraes by landing Kessie on a free transfer.

In the Serie A last term, he scored 13 goals and provided four assists. He also averaged 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game, proving that he is a player who can have an impact at both ends of the pitch with his ability to change games in the final third and his robustness defensively.

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli previously lauded the midfielder, saying: “There was some problem at the beginning, then we understood each other and now he is indispensable for my Milan. Even in difficult moments of the game he is always positive and his teammates recognize this.”

Shelvey, meanwhile, managed one goal and three assists, whilst making 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game. This suggests that Kessie could be a major improvement on him as he is far superior in the attacking third of the pitch and on a similar level heading towards his own goal.

The Ivorian international is also four years younger than the former Liverpool man. This means that the machine could have plenty more years ahead of him to develop as a player and exceed what Shelvey has been able to produce in a Magpies shirt, with Eddie Howe potentially being able to improve him on the training pitch.

Along with being an upgrade on Shelvey, he could also slot in nicely alongside Guimaraes. The Brazilian averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions along with 1.8 key passes per game in Ligue 1 this season for Lyon, which suggests that he is a tough-tackling creative midfielder – compared to Kessie’s tough-tackling, goalscoring, style of play.

They could, therefore, complement each other well as they both look to get stuck in defensively and could work well as a pair off the ball to cut out opposition attacks. On the ball, however, Guimaraes could be tasked with the creative side of the game and leave his teammate to make late runs into the box in an attempt to score, which could make them an exciting pair.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Howe suffers major Newcastle setback that’ll leave fans very worried…

A number of Liverpool supporters are happy after journalist Neil Jones claimed James Milner would leave the Reds in the summer.

The 36-year-old has proved to be a fantastic servant for Liverpool since arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City back in the summer of 2015.

Milner has made a total of 272 appearances for the Reds, using his experience to great use and winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The midfielder’s current deal expires this summer, however, and it may be that his time at Anfield comes to an end at that point.

That certainly seems to be the opinion of Goal‘s Jones [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], who claims that Milner is ‘expected to leave’ once the season reaches its conclusion.

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Liverpool fans react to Milner claim

It’s fair to say the versatile veteran hasn’t been at his best this season, and these Liverpool fans reacted to the news positively on Twitter, claiming it is the right time for him to move on.

“Great news”

Credit: @2kelo_tuks

“Thank you Lord”

Credit: @charmokwana

“This is the best news of the year so far. Strip #7 off of him and give it to Harvey or Diaz”

Credit: @Sabista_

“Good”

Credit: @Smartooski

“Milner off to Leeds where he’ll be a player-coach”

Credit: @yemoisakop

“Give Diaz no.7 then I beg”

Credit: @BSSLFC

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly made an ‘official proposal’ for one player. Find out who it is here.

Sharing yet more exit news out of Tottenham Hotspur, reliable reporter Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard has made a big claim on Twitter involving Dilan Markanday.

The Lowdown: Markanday on the move…

Tottenham’s promising young forward seemingly has one foot out the N17 exit door, with Championship side Blackburn Rovers now close to sealing an agreement (Sky Sports).

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Markanday’s contract expires in the summer, meaning he can leave for free at the end of this season, potentially prompting transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte to cash in now.

The 20-year-old isn’t the only Lilywhites player to be linked with a move away from the club, with reports claiming that Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Steven Bergwijn could all be on the way out (Sky Sports).

As more exit news emerges out of north London, Kilpatrick has made a major Markanday claim on social media.

The Latest: Deal ‘could be announced next week’…

According to his information, Blackburn and Spurs could announce the agreement ‘next week’ in a deal which could rise to more than £1m including add-ons.

He tweeted: “Per @SkySportsLyall, Blackburn & Spurs close to agreeing permanent deal for Dilan Markanday. Fee around £500k up front but could rise to over £1m with add-ons & includes significant sell-on clause. Deal could be announced next week. @standardsport”

The Verdict: Right call?

Conte’s three-at-the-back system arguably limits Markanday’s chances of first team football given that the homegrown ace is an out-and-out winger.

Therefore, we believe this move is best for all parties, as the Spurs starlet seeks to gain first team experience and kickstart what should be a promising career.

He has come on leaps and bounds for Tottenham this season, making his senior debut in the Europa Conference League whilst racking up a brilliant 12 goals and five assists in just 14 Premier League 2 appearances.

Lilywhites supporters may be wondering what could have been with Markanday, and it will be interesting to see how he develops under Tony Mowbray in England’s second tier.

In other news: ‘This will get Tottenham fans excited’…Sky Sports drop major N17 transfer update on live TV, find out more here.

According to Football Insider sources, there is movement already in the transfer window for Tottenham, as Wolves have submitted a bid for defender Matt Doherty.

The Lowdown: Lacking game time

Doherty has struggled for first-team minutes since joining Spurs in 2020, and this has particularly been an issue this season, as the right-back is yet to start a Premier League match.

Summer signing Emerson Royal has emerged as Antonio Conte’s first choice at right-wing-back, having replaced the unreliable Serge Aurier, who was released by the Lilywhites at the end of last season.

Whilst at Wolves, Doherty tied with Raul Jimenez for the club’s top goal-scorer in their impressive 2018/19 FA Cup run, proving his capabilities as an attacking outlet over a long period of time with 28 goals and 41 assists in an Old Gold shirt overall.

However, since arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the full-back is yet to register a goal in 39 appearances in a Spurs shirt.

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The Latest: Wolves keen on re-signing Doherty

According to Football Insider, citing information from a ‘recruitment source’, the West Midlands outfit are keen on re-signing the defender in the January transfer window and have already submitted a bid.

The two clubs are now set to hold talks over a permanent deal, or a loan with an obligation to buy.

It is believed that Spurs are willing to listen to offers for the out-of-favour Doherty, as he has failed to secure his spot in the starting 11.

Wolves are seeking competition for Nelson Semedo, who they had signed as a direct replacement for the Republic of Ireland international.

The Verdict: A good move for Doherty

A return to the Molineux Stadium may revive Doherty’s career in the top-flight, as it was at Wolves where the Irishman played his finest football.

Making over 300 appearances for the club, Doherty put in some fantastic performances, with Match of the Day pundit and former Spurs man Jermaine Jenas labelling him ‘sensational’ back in 2018.

The right-back has more recently been lauded as ‘Ireland’s best player in most games’, so while he certainly hasn’t found form in north London, he hasn’t lost any of the ability that earned him his big move in the first place.

A permanent deal seems like a win for all parties, granting the player a chance to revitalise his career, Wolves added depth in an important position for Bruno Lage and Tottenham a fee which can be reinvested into Conte’s squad.