Liverpool have been urged to complete a swoop for Crystal Palace stalwart Wilfried Zaha this summer.

What’s the word?

Speaking to Stadium Astro, Premier League champion Danny Simpson suggested that the Ivorian could be a good signing for the Reds.

He said: “I feel like Wilf plays better when he is the main man. I know he was a lot younger when he went to United, but if he goes to another top four top side he’s not going to be the main man.

The comments follow earlier revelations this season from Italian outlet Calciomercato, which stated that Liverpool are keen on a move and with the 30-year-old currently out of contract at the end of the campaign, a move could indeed arise.

“Game-changer”

Zaha has become something of a household name for fans of the English top-flight, with his delightful dribbling prowess and deft weaving in direct assault at the opposing defence has left little doubt that he is indeed one of the division’s most exciting and seat-raising forwards.

Partner that with the incremental gains made with his output in front of goal of the past several seasons, the refined and formidable star could make a marked improvement on a Liverpool team receiving widespread criticism for the lack of cohesion and offensive vigour.

Once hailed as a “game-changer” by former Palace boss Roy Hodgson, Zaha scored 11 goals in 2020/21 and registered 14 strikes last season. He now currently boasts six goals from 19 appearances this term, illustrating his clinical touch that has blossomed later in his career.

Indeed, having made 450 of his 467 professional appearances at senior level with the Palace, scoring 89 goals and 76 assists for the south London outfit, Zaha has indeed etched legendary status into the club’s folklore in securely sustaining Premier League status over his time at Selhurst Park.

The 30-cap Ivory Coast international has recorded an average career rating of 7.06, as per WhoScored, averaging 1.7 shots and 1.1 key passes per game.

And as per FBref, the £130k-per-week star ranks among the top 15% of wingers across Europe for successful take-ons and the top 25% for rate of non-penalty goals, and with former Liverpool phenom Philippe Coutinho listed as a comparable player to the Eagle, there is certainly a claim that he could emulate his positional peers resounding success under there Anfield lights.

Coutinho also possesses the fleet-footed wonder that only a select few professionals are capable of channelling, and his gliding gait with the ball at his feet from the left-hand side is eerily similar to Zaha, with the pair capable of cutting inside and unleashing havoc on any defence who tries to stop them.

The Brazilian has recorded a career average of 2.6 shots and 1.5 key passes per outing to date, with those numbers similar to the Ivorian who has managed 1.7 and 1.1 key passes.

As such, landing Zaha this summer could certainly prove to be a prudent deal indeed for Klopp’s beleaguered Liverpool; the Kop End yearns for a figure of blinding brilliance to lift the roof once more, and Zaha hold the key to unlock the cacophonous crescendo the club needs to find their feet again.

Chelsea’s transfer saga surrounding Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez dictated much of the early flow of the torrent that has been the January transfer window, with the Blues having spent exorbitant amounts at the season’s midpoint…

What’s the word?

Following Fernandez’s escapades with Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last month, a multitude of top outfits were vying for his signature, but it is the opulence of Chelsea and owner Todd Boehly to have left the west London club frontrunners for a deal this month.

The Blues did lodge an €85m (£77m) bid for the maestro several weeks ago, swiftly rejected by his Portuguese team, and are now poised to return in the dying embers of the transfer window to complete a lucrative spending spree since the summer.

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the club have now reopened talks with the 22-year-old prodigy, who has himself been pushing for a transfer to Stamford Bridge to continue the mesmerising and meteoric rise since arriving in Europe only last year.

Repeat Van Dijk masterclass

Chelsea boss Graham Potter now yields a team studded with an abundance of talent; the club have parted with a reported £431m since Boehly assumed ownership at the end of last season, with Fernandez and Christopher Nkunku – who has had his £52.4m release clause activated – only set to send the spree into uncharted territory.

However, landing Fernandez might just be the crème de la crème to thread it all together, weaving the vast conglomeration of talented Chelsea players together and indeed serving as the nucleus of a new era at the club that hints at nothing short of astounding brilliance.

As per Sofascore, the £48.3m-rated gem has recorded a remarkable average rating of 7.53 this season in the Liga Portugal, while also recording a rating of 7.10 at the World Cup with his triumphant nation, where he also dazzled on an individual basis and picked up the Best Young Player award.

The ten-cap star has completed a remarkable average of 85.9% of his passes since his career debut, also impressing from a defensive standpoint with 2.3 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per outing, as per Whoscored, which illustrates an innate prowess for the all0-encompassing work that is required for first-rate midfielders in the modern game.

With his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could replicate Liverpool’s deal to sign Virgil van Dijk for £75m at the midpoint of the 2017/18 season, which ostensibly served as the catalyst for the ensuing prosperous fortunes under Jurgen Klopp’s tutelage.

With Van Dijk’s defensive calibre and leadership proving to be invaluable for the Reds as they secured their maiden Premier League triumph and won the Champions League, among other major honours, Fernandez must indeed seek to follow the blueprint the Dutch defender has crafted in serving as the perfect January transfer.

And Fernandez, who is already amounting a commendable wealth of experience and pedigree at the highest level, could be the “game changer” – as dubbed by journalist Roy Nemer – for Potter’s Blues, currently languishing in tenth place in the English top-flight, and ignite a fierce fire that will rage on for years in west London.

With the inception of a potential super-team being crafted with inflexible resolve and unwavering might in the transfer market, Fernandez would be the glistening gem to serve as the centrepiece for the new era at Chelsea, and like Van Dijk at Liverpool, his January arrival could just spark the life into the club to transcend aspiring competitors to spine-chilling title contenders.

Insider Graeme Bailey believes that Newcastle United will be looking at the loan market to recruit a new midfielder.

The Lowdown: PIF not looking to spend heavily

Newcastle appear to have found themselves in a rather big hole heading into the final hours of the transfer window by allowing Jonjo Shelvey to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent basis without having a replacement lined up.

Eddie Howe has insisted that there are no guarantees the Magpies will be able to bring in a replacement signing before Tuesday’s deadline, which would certainly leave Newcastle very short in midfield.

As things stand, Newcastle have four central-midfield options, which may sound sufficient, but given the fact Howe deploys three at once, they are one injury away from a crisis in that department.

The Latest: Newcastle to look at the loan market

Howe’s commented on Financial Fair Play restrictions at Newcastle in the past, which is likely why they will look to move in the loan market, as Bailey highlighted on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel.

He said: “We’ve known they are looking for another midfielder. From what I’m told, it’ll likely be a loan. They’ve done the Gordon deal, it seems highly unlikely that they’re going to pay big money [again].

“Not that they can’t, but just with FFP etc, it’s looking very, very difficult to fit that in.”

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The Verdict: Sensible business is being done

It is very admirable and sensible from Newcastle’s mega-wealthy owners to not just hand Howe whatever he wants and risk them being hit by FFP issues further down the line, which could ruin any progress they’ve already made.

Therefore, it looks as though a temporary signing is the only way Shelvey will be replaced, with the likes of Sander Berge, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all being linked with the Magpies recently.

However, any potential move for either of the latter two could well depend on Chelsea’s ability to land Enzo Fernandez, so Newcastle may well have to sit tight until other clubs do business, which may well lead to a busy deadline day.

Newcastle United are expected to launch a summer move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves in the summer.

What’s the latest?

The Toon’s January transfer window was not exactly a hugely exciting one with only two new faces coming through the doors of St. James’ Park.

But significant money was still spent with Anthony Gordon costing the Magpies in the region of £45m with £40m of that sent to Everton in one lump sum.

However, there was speculation surrounding potential interest in Neves as his contract at Molineux continues to wind its way down to its conclusion next summer.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Craig Hope has mooted a potential swoop for the Portuguese midfielder in the summer with Wolves possibly sweating over his contract situation:

(6:00) “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them revisit perhaps maybe from a Premier League perspective a Ruben Neves-type. I know he’s got admirers within the club.

“He’ll have a contract situation with only 12 months to run come the summer. Now again, you know, they’ll probably be a premium price on that. And there’ll be a lot of competition, but I know, he’s certainly got admirers within.”

An opportunity to be had

Aforementioned, Neves is now just 18 months away from his contract at Molineux running its course which means this summer will be the last opportunity for Wolves to really cash in on the midfielder.

And this is a player – hailed “extraordinary” by Cristiano Ronaldo – who has received reported interest from some of the biggest clubs around with the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona said to be interested in signing him.

However, if Newcastle continues on their upwards trajectory they could be in a position to offer the Portuguese midfielder Champions League football for next season.

Neves has ranked highly among other midfielders for his defensive contributions with the 25-year-old in the top 10 percentile for interceptions and top three percentile for clearances (via Fbref).

And in comparison to Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, the Portuguese star has provided more tackles and passes per 90 as well as more goals this season.

Considering Newcastle saw Jonjo Shelvey leave over January without any midfielders coming through the doors, it is a position which will likely need to be addressed in the summer.

And given there is still a reported interest in a potential big-money swoop for the attacking midfielder of James Maddison, a cheap option in Neves could prove a real steal to beef up Howe’s options.

Tottenham Hotspur were willing to allow both Lucas Moura and Davinson Sanchez to leave the club during the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

The Lilywhites had a fairly busy deadline day with a number of outgoings as well as the two arrivals coming into north London across the month.

Spurs saw the likes of Matt Doherty, Djed Spence and Bryan Gil leave the club on Tuesday’s deadline with the Irish wing-back leaving permanently.

However, it seems as if there could have been two further departures with Moura and Sanchez players which the club are believed to have been open to selling.

This is according to Alasdair Gold who has been speaking on his YouTube channel and claimed there was more room for potential exits on deadline day:

“I know that towards the end, Spurs were quite willing to let Lucas Moura out and Davinson Sanchez go. That was mainly contract-related.

“Lucas Moura obviously now in the last six months of a deal and Spurs hadn’t taken up the option. Obviously, he’s had an injury-ravaged season as well.

“And with big Davinson Sanchez, he’s only got 18 months left on his. So I do think there was some element of trying to find them deals.”

Open to sell

Moura has endured a difficult spell in his Spurs career this season with the Brazilian having only played a handful of games so far as a result of an ongoing injury issue which has only just seen him return to training.

And there have been reports suggesting the north London club will not be looking to activate his one-year contract extension clause at the end of the campaign.

Meaning, the 30-year-old will be free to find himself a new club over the summer and, therefore, Spurs have missed their opportunity to cash in on the Brazilian.

As for Sanchez, the Colombian centre-back is also a player who has struggled for regular game time this season under Antonio Conte despite captaining the side in the FA Cup on the weekend.

The 26-year-old has only started six games in the league and will go into the summer with one year remaining on his current deal with the north London club.

With all of this in mind, allowing Moura to leave the club in January would have been a wise decision from Spurs as it would have allowed them to bring in some money ahead of losing him for nothing in the summer.

However, allowing Sanchez to leave the club would have been a big surprise given the Lilywhites’ defensive record this season has been far from inspiring.

Especially when the Colombian has a year left on his deal, potentially leaving Conte short at the back of the remainder of the campaign would have left huge question marks over the decision.

Glasgow Rangers’ move to bring Morgan Whittaker to Ibrox is ‘definitely’ off, according to RFC journalist Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Rangers interested in Whittaker

Rangers seemingly had a decent chance of signing Whittaker, given that he was left out of Swansea’s squad for their match against Queen’s Park Rangers to ensure a move was still possible, with players not allowed to feature for more than two clubs in the same season.

The midfielder was said to be keen on a switch to Ibrox, however the Gers have seen all their advances rebuffed, recently having a £2m bid rejected by the Welsh club, despite agreeing personal terms with the player himself.

The Latest: Deal dead

Campbell provided an update on the situation this morning, and it does not look good for Rangers.

The Athletic’s Gers correspondent said: “Morgan Whittaker to Rangers definitely dead I’m told. Not expecting him to leave Swansea at all this window. Player was very keen on the move to Ibrox over all other options but Swansea are short on numbers and their board want him used.”

The Verdict: Disappointing news

The 22-year-old is a versatile player, capable of playing in attacking midfield and on the right-wing, scoring and assisting from both positions on loan at Plymouth Argyle this season, while he has also featured in an advanced role just behind the striker.

Hailed as ‘superb’ by journalist Chris Errington, the playmaker has a very impressive tally of nine goals and seven assists to his name in League One during this campaign, receiving the man-of-the-match award on four separate occasions.

Given his age, Whittaker would have been a very astute signing for Michael Beale, capable of developing into a top player in the Scottish Premiership if he was given a consistent run in the first team, and it will be frustrating news for the manager, and the player himself, that a deal is now off the table.

A claim has emerged on Sunderland and one of their failed pursuits of a new striker to add to their squad during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Hamburg centre-forward Andras Nemeth has confirmed that he rejected the chance to make the move to the Stadium of Light in favour of plying his trade in the second tier of German football – joining his current club for a fee in the region of €750k (£669k) from Genk.

Speaking to HSV24, the youngster said: “With Sunderland it was very concrete. But I made the decision to come to Hamburg because I think the project here is better for me and my development.”

The Sunderland Echo claimed that the forward was a ‘key target’ for the club as the gem had been identified as a ‘future star’ after extensive scouting in the build-up to the window, but Kristjaan Speakman was unable to convince him to sign for Tony Mowbray’s side after talks.

January howler

Speakman endured a howler with this failed swoop for the Hungary international as the Black Cats chief seemingly did not do enough to tempt the attacker into rejecting Hamburg.

Nemeth’s comments suggest that the German side mapped out a better long-term vision for his development as a player with that an indication Sunderland did not do enough to convince him that moving to Wearside was the best move for his growth.

Therefore, the club’s sporting director could potentially have done a better job of selling the prospect of playing for Mowbray’s side in the years to come.

Their error in doing so has only been exacerbated because of the events that have played out since the turn of the year. Indeed, Joe Gelhardt, who joined on loan from Leeds last month, is the only senior striker option heading into the second half of the season.

Ross Stewart has been ruled out of the remainder of the Championship campaign and Ellis Simms was recalled by parent club Everton, to help with their battle against relegation from the Premier League, at the start of January.

Gelhardt has played less than 100 matches in his senior career and the Mackems are asking a lot of the talented youngster to be Mowbray’s only number nine between now and May.

Bringing in another talented youngster,  particularly one such as Nemeth, could have eased the burden on the Leeds loanee by adding to the club’s options in the final third.

The 20-year-old Hamburg striker, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed as “complete”, has already scored his first goal in the second division in Germany, despite playing 12 minutes of football, after scoring three goals and providing one assist in four starts in the Pro League for Genk since the start of last season.

Nemeth, who has scored once in his solitary appearance for Hungary at senior level, is a promising young marksman who has shown that he has the potential – after also finding the back of the net eight times in 11 matches for his country at U21 level – to be a reliable goalscorer as his development continues.

Therefore, Sunderland may live to regret their failure to sign the talented gem, in the immediate future and the long term, with Speakman now potentially left to ponder what else he could have done to convince the 20-year-old.

Liverpool will head to the south coast this weekend to take on Brighton and Hove Albion in their FA Cup fourth-round clash and Jurgen Klopp has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their visit.

What’s the latest?

The Liverpool boss took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that Fabio Carvalho is the latest to join the long injury list accumulating at Anfield.

Klopp told the media:

“Fabio has a little thing, but he will not be ready,” he said. “Maybe he can train today but will not be 100 per cent for the weekend.”

It’s bad news for Klopp

There is no doubt that the blow to Carvalho will be frustrating for Klopp as the manager likes to rotate in the FA Cup as much as he possibly can to ensure his team remain fresh in the busy schedule of fixtures over the second half of the season.

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League, knocked out of the Carabao Cup and have a huge two-leg Champions League tie heading their way in a few weeks time when they face their European rivals Real Madrid, so the German coach will be doing his best to ensure his team are in good condition to take on the challenges ahead.

Liverpool are currently without Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo and Roberto Firmino alongside Carvalho, so the manager’s options will be considerably weakened when they head to Brighton.

Over 11 Premier League appearances so far this season, the 20-year-old attacker has scored two goals and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging one shot on goal and 1.8 duels won per game, despite only averaging 31 minutes per performance and falling even further out of favour since Cody Gakpo’s arrival.

Brighton have put three goals past Liverpool twice this season already with a 3-3 draw in October and a 3-0 victory over the Merseysiders at home earlier this month, so Klopp will certainly feeling the pressure when returning to the Amex Stadium on Sunday and will be hoping to break the trend to progress to the next round comfortably.

With that being said, Klopp will need to deploy his strongest team possible in order to stump an on-form Brighton side tomorrow as crashing out of the FA Cup would be another knock to the confidence of the squad and will be frustrating for the Anfield faithful.

Andrew Musgrove believes that Jacob Murphy will start for Newcastle United this weekend.

The Lowdown: Guimaraes to be replaced

Eddie Howe is certainly facing a selection headache ahead of Newcastle’s clash against West Ham this weekend with Bruno Guimaraes set to miss the game, which will likely see Joelinton move into midfield.

Therefore, Howe must decide who he deploys on the left-hand side of the front three with the options likely being between Allan Saint-Maximin, Anthony Gordon or Murphy with the latter having featured in every single gamer this season.

Despite only starting five times in the league this season, Murphy has indeed featured more often than Saint-Maximin overall, so it may not be a huge shock if he was handed the starting berth by Howe.

The Latest: Murphy to be handed a start

Musgrove has admitted on the Everything is Black and White podcast he believes Murphy will be given the nod by Howe ahead of Saint-Maximin, despite him being subbed on and then off again on Tuesday night.

He said: (37:00) “I spoke about this off camera with Aaron [Stokes] the other day about Saint-Maximin’s performance on Tuesday and we didn’t really want to bring anyone down because it was such a wonderful moment, Newcastle off to Wembley.

“But I just felt there were moments of his performance, especially when Newcastle went down to 10 men, that he didn’t really cover himself in the best of light, whereas Murphy comes off the bench and he did a bit more running about and a bit more effort in my view.

“So I think, he’s probably played his way into starting against West Ham.”

The Verdict: Howe has a huge decision to make

Given that Joelinton – who’s been performing admirably well on the left – will be dropped back into the midfield three alongside Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, it would offer Howe a very easy way to get Saint-Maximin into the team.

The Frenchman has been a very important player for Newcastle over the last few years ranking near the top for both goal and shot-creating actions but his injury woes have seen him lose his sport in the side this campaign.

Howe has seemingly been unwilling to move Joelinton away from his newfound left-wing role, but with Guimaraes out it would be a huge sign of Saint-Maximin’s bleak future on Tyneside if Murphy – who’s got just 13 goal involvements during his time on Tyneside – was afforded a start ahead of him.

Arsenal are now reportedly planning new deals for key pair Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, following Gabriel Martinell’s recent contract extension.

The Lowdown: Martinelli signs new deal

On Thursday, it was confirmed that Martinelli has extended his stay at the Emirates, signing on the dotted line in a move that will keep him there until at least 2027.

It is an undoubtedly positive piece of news for Arsenal, with the Brazilian a huge player in both the present and the future, having scored seven goals in the Premier League this season.

Now, it looks as though the Gunners’ work behind the scenes isn’t finished yet, following an update regarding two more key youngsters.

The Latest: Saka and Saliba next?

Taking to Twitter following the Martinelli news, journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that attention has now turned to nailing down Saka and Saliba’s futures:

“Arsenal will now push for Saka and Saliba extensions.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Arsenal

Saka and Saliba are unquestionably two of the most important young players at Arsenal and they could be massive influences for the next decade in north London, having played the third and fourth most top flight minutes in the squad this season.

The former is having another outstanding season, bagging seven goals and assists apiece in the league, while the latter has excelled at centre-back, averaging 3.1 clearances per game and also sitting top three in the squad for aerial wins. Both should only getting better, too, which is frightening for rival teams.

There is such a gifted group of talented youngsters at Mikel Arteta’s disposal now, and if he can keep the likes of Saka, Saliba, Martinelli and Martin Odegaard together, the future looks incredibly bright.