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Taking into account how Liverpool are unbeaten across all competitions at this point in the season and having scored more goals in the Premier League than any other side, it’s safe to say the Reds have a number of talented players in their squad.

One player that has been a regular figure for the Merseyside club over the past few years is Roberto Firmino, who has been with the Reds since the 2015 summer transfer window after he signed from German club Hoffenheim for a fee of £21.3m.

Since then, the 30-year-old, who is currently earning £180k-per-week according to Spotrac, has made a total of 298 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions in which he has managed to score 90 goals and provide 69 assists along the way.

Regarding Firmino’s market value, it has taken a bit of a drop recently.

In December 2019, the Brazilian’s value according to Transfermarkt was at its highest point in his career at £81m. Now just under two years later, it currently stands at £36m, marking a very significant drop – 55.5%, to be precise.

In terms of what could have led to Firmino’s market value taking such a big drop, he has only managed to score nine goals and provide seven assists in his last 36 Premier League appearances, whilst the fact that former Liverpool star John Aldridge labelled him as a “problem” may well highlight why his overall market value has decreased.

Despite this, with Klopp previously sharing his praise for Firmino reiterating just how important he is for the team even if he doesn’t score a plethora of goals every season, this shows just how highly thought of he at Anfield.

On a more positive note, the fact that Firmino has managed to score three goals in just six appearances across all competitions so far this season, starting just one of the games, shows that he has been a rather useful impact sub for the team when called upon.

Moving forward, as long as Firmino keeps playing games for Liverpool this season and managed to score goals and provide assists wherever he can, while this may not get his market value back to where it was a couple of years ago, it should certainly stop it from dropping down even further than it already has done.

In other news: Edwards could seal Liverpool masterstroke by signing “magical” £31.5m-rated ace – opinion

Leeds United could sign Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report which has emerged from Italy.

The Lowdown: Leeds constantly linked with Nandez

The Whites were tipped to sign numerous players during the summer, but Nandez was endlessly linked with a move to Elland Road.

In the end, the 44-time capped Uruguay international, who is valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt, stayed put at Cagliari.

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The Latest: Interest could return in January

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], however, Nandez is ‘ready to return to the market’ in January, as he eyes up a fresh challenge.

It is stated that there are ‘eyes from the Premier League’, which suggests Leeds remain keen on acquiring the signature of the 25-year-old.

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The Verdict: Possible Phillips replacement?

Nandez is an experienced international who possesses great quality in midfield – BBC pundit Mina Rzouki hailed him as ‘unstoppable’ and ‘amazing’. It could be that Leeds see him as a future Kalvin Phillips replacement.

While the idea of both playing alongside one another is a mouthwatering prospect, it is going to become increasingly difficult to keep Phillips, with big clubs likely to hover next summer after the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ was crowned England’s player of the year.

Nandez could be the perfect fit instead, adding similar levels of energy and bite in the middle of the park, averaging 1.3 tackles per game in the league so far this season.

In other news, Phil Hay has given an injury update on two Leeds United players. Find out who they are here.

In what has undeniably been an exciting 18 months or so as an Aston Villa fan, one of their big success stories since making their return to the Premier League has been the rise of Ezri Konsa.

Dean Smith’s side signed the defender from Brentford in a £12m deal back in the summer of 2019, and he has since then enjoyed a meteoric rise, even getting touted with a potential England call-up.

At just 23, Konsa still has the peak years of his career ahead of him, but when you look at Villa’s academy, Smith could find another player who is remarkably like the former Brentford ace.

Lamare Bogarde joined from Dutch giants Feyenoord just last year and is seemingly already making a big impression behind the scenes at Villa Park.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans even recently claimed that Villa fought off intense transfer competition from a number of big Premier League rivals, and added: “Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have both taken the hard-working teenager under their wing. They immediately warmed to the bright, polite youngster and recognise his potential. The youngster is calm and composed in possession and likes to play out from the back. “

Speaking after his arrival, academy manager Mark Harrison, raved: “We are delighted to welcome Lamare to the club. He is a player with immense potential and the commitment that will go into fulfilling that starts now.”

Already this season, Bogarde has shown his temperament when it comes to dealing with more senior players, handling himself well in the victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a seven, saying: “The Dutch youngster is highly thought of at Villa and he did well once again here as he got Appiah out of jail on occasion with a string of brave blocks.”

That ability to recover and help out his teammates, but also be cool, calm and collected in possession, is exactly what Konsa brings to the table when playing alongside Tyrone Mings.

The 6 foot ace looks set to have a bright future in the game, and could well develop into Villa’s next Konsa.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have another exciting academy starlet in this teenager…

Manchester City defender Yan Couto has confirmed that he was present at Celtic Park during the Hoops 3-0 Europa League win against FK Jablonec last Thursday, as their loan interest in the Brazilian intensifies [City Xtra].

The Lowdown: Celtic look for right-back reinforcements

Starting off 2021/22 in impressive fashion, Ange Postecoglou will be consulting all avenues as he look to bolster the depth within his squad.

Right-back has been a particularly problematic position for Celtic in recent years. Currently, Anthony Ralston is the only right-sided defender on the books at Parkhead with previous senior experience.

Could the Celts have edged closer to plugging some gaps within their rear-guard after the latest developments?

The Latest: Couto confirms Parkhead attendance

Evaluating his options for the new campaign, Couto accepted an invitation to watch the bumper European clash in Glasgow two days ago [City Xtra].

Celtic have been keen on the 5ft 6in ace for a number of weeks. Despite his preference to stay on at the Etihad for the forthcoming season, Couto understands that he may need to go out on loan to gain regular first-team exposure [City Xtra].

Alongside the Bhoys, former employers Girona are mooted to be eyeing the Brazil Under-20 man, as well as a multitude of sides in Portugal.

The Verdict: Couto would be an astute piece of business by Postecoglou

With the transfer window due to shut in a matter of weeks, bringing in someone like Couto would provide a much-needed boost for the Celtic support.

In 2020/21, he excelled on loan at Girona, registering seven goal contributions in 30 appearances all in [Transfermarkt].

In the Spanish Segunda Division, Couto also showed his desire to lay on chances for attacking team-mates, completing 63 crosses across last year [FB Ref].

Once labelled as the ‘New Dani Alves’ by Spanish news publication Sport, Celtic should look to do everything they can to convince Couto to move north of the border [Daily Mail].

In other news, Celtic have been linked with a Republic of Ireland international.

Many Wolves fans have been left lauding a transfer update involving Sven Botman.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands club now want to sign the central defender before the summer window ends, but Sevilla are also in the hunt for his signature.

They are prepared to open talks with Lille, although Sevilla consider Botman as their top target if Jules Kounde ends up going to Chelsea.

The Dutchman was a key player for Lille on their way to winning the Ligue 1 title in the 2020/21 season, playing in all but one game and helping his team keep a mammoth 20 clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, at just 21 years of age, he has so much potential, and so would be a good investment by the Molineux faithful should they be able to get a deal over the line.

Wolves fans on Botman transfer update

These WWFC supporters lauded the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter:

“GET IT DONE JEFF”

Credit: @wwfcsam1

“Serious serious club”

Credit: @charliewwfc_

“That’s more like it”

Credit: @wwfc_dg

“If this gets done announce the Premier League title”

Credit: @joehands_19

“Inject into my veins”

Credit: @lukewwfc9

“Come on Jeff”

Credit: @oliviaashIey

In other news, find out who Wanderers are pleading to sign here!

Writing on Twitter, journalist Cesar Luis Merlo has said that defender Cristian Romero ‘will play for Tottenham’ as he backs a big N17 development.

The Lowdown: Spurs close in on Romero…

As widely reported, Tottenham are closing in on their third major summer signing after Pierluigi Gollini and Bryan Gil came through the door.

As explained by Alasdair Gold, the Lilywhites have been closing in on a moev to sign Romero from Atalanta for €50m (£42.7m), while Sky Sports claimed that Spurs have indeed agreed a deal.

Dropping a claim on Twitter, Merlo has backed these reports whilst detailing what happens in the next stages.

The Latest: Romero ‘will play for Tottenham’…

The journalist, who works for the likes of TyC Sports and Periodismo Deportivo, explained that Romero ‘will play for Tottenham’ and that Atalanta have indeed accepted Spurs’ offer.

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He added that lawyers will begin work on contracts and the 23-year-old could arrive in north London over the ‘next few days’.

“Romero will play for Tottenham,” Merlo explained on Twitter.

“Atalanta accepts the offer of €50M plus 5 bonus. The lawyers will start working on the contracts.

“The idea is that he arrives in the next few days until June 2026.”

The Verdict: Huge boost for Nuno…

Tottenham have arguably been crying out to sign a star centre-half for quite a while – they conceded 45 top-flight goals last season, just one fewer than 16th-placed Brighton – so this news of Romero being on the verge of joining Spurs will come as a big boost for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Looking ahead to his first full season in charge, Nuno can certainly be encouraged by the Argentine’s acquisition given his exploits in Serie A over 2020/2021.

He won the MVP award for the league’s best defender whilst attracting praise from critics. Italian football expert Conor Clancy, speaking exclusively to Football Transfer Tavern, waxed lyrical over the 23-year-old’s ability and dubbed Romero ‘one of the most exciting centre-backs in the world’.

Bearing this in mind, Spurs may have just captured an absolute gem.

In other news: ‘Excited’, ‘Huge coup’…Sky Sports pundit in awe of announcement out of Tottenham, find out more here.

AEK Athens are expected to step up their attempts to sign Celtic’s Vasilis Barkas with the Hoops willing to let the goalkeeper leave, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Barkas under Postecoglou

Barkas, who cost the Hoops £4.5m last summer, began Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as Celtic boss as first-choice ‘keeper. He was named in the manager’s pre-season starting line ups against Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic, Bristol City, Preston North End and West Ham.

The £20,000-a-week netminder also started against FC Midtjylland in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier, but he made a costly mistake in the second half and hasn’t featured since.

The 27-year-old, who was described as ‘great’ by former Hoops manager Neil Lennon, wasn’t even in the squad for the 6-0 win over Dundee on Sunday, and it seems as if he could return to his native country.

The Latest: Hoops happy to part ways

The Daily Record shared a late-night Celtic story on Monday regarding the Hoops’ interest in striker Thomas Henry.

Within their report, they added that Barkas is edging closer to a Parkhead exit, with AEK Athens set to firm up their interest, while clubs in Italy are also keen.

Celtic are happy for Barkas to leave, even if it is on loan, following his all-too-brief lifeline under Postecoglou.

The Verdict: The right decision

Parting ways with Barkas now makes sense following Joe Hart’s arrival in Glasgow.

The Englishman has instantly become Postecoglou’s number one, starting against Jablonec and Dundee, so having four senior ‘keepers in Hart, Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard seems to be one too many.

It appears as if the Greece international may well be the man to depart Celtic Park, so his situation could be one to keep an eye on over the coming days.

In other news: Loan to buy: Journalist in Turkey claims Celtic could now move for ‘dangerous’ ace

Everton’s recruitment under Rafa Benitez will look no different to the managers who have sat in the Goodison Park dugout before him.

The Toffees have spent big in recent years and the board have already promised their new head coach funds to spend.

Mega-money moves have been lined up but whether any deals can be concluded in an inflated market remains to be seen.

Everton are hoping to pip Arsenal to the signing of Ben White while Wilfried Zaha is on their radar again.

They’ve been chasing the Crystal Palace forward for a number of years now and had a remarkable bid of £70m plus Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy rejected back in 2019.

Benitez could return for the Ivorian this summer and he may cost them just £40m.

Zaha has two years left remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park and at the age of 28, he’s now in his prime.

A dazzling dribbler with the ability to frighten opponents to death, he’d be an exceptional pick up for a team in need of more dynamism in the final third.

Moving to a bigger club has been on the cards for a while now and after rediscovering his best form last term, that switch would be deserved.

Zaha found the net on 11 occasions in 2020/21 but are there better options elsewhere; potentially ones with less ego and baggage?

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Everton were linked with a move for Newcastle speedster Allan Saint-Maximin this week in a deal that could cost them in the region of £60m.

That’s significantly more than Zaha’s current price tag but he has been electrifying for the Magpies since arriving from French football, being described as “scary” by Steve Bruce.

The pair are incredibly similar footballers and although the Palace dynamo was involved in a higher volume of goals last term, it was Saint-Maximin who scared defenders more.

Both are renowned for their ability to beat a marker but it was the Newcastle forward who came out on top in dribbles per game last season. Saint-Maximin recorded a whopping 3.8 – the second-best tally in the division – compared to Zaha who managed 1.8.

Meanwhile, per stats provided by FB Ref, the £60m speed demon is a more creative outlet.

His expected assists over the last year rank him in the 91st percentile for players in the same position throughout the Premier League. Zaha, however, is ranked in the 49th percentile for that statistic.

To supplement that, his number of progressive passes is also more impressive with the Frenchman sitting in the 89th percentile compared to the Palace attacker’s 82nd percentile.

Combine that with the fact that Saint-Maximin still has plenty of room to grow and he suddenly becomes the more sensible signing right now. It would be a masterclass to bring someone with such eye-catching abilities to Goodison Park.

AND in other news, Everton may repeat their Walcott howler by signing £30m gem who Rafa compared to Messi…

According to Eurosport, Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici are now also preparing their opening bid to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings – coming amid the plethora of transfer developments in recent days.

The Lowdown: Spurs in hunt for striker?

Much has been made of Tottenham’s weaknesses in defence and centre-half in particular, with reports from before the transfer window even detailing how the club want, preferably, a real leader to transform that position (football.london).

However, after Spurs opted against signing Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius on a permanent deal following his season-long loan, they have also been tipped to strengthen going forward.

The Telegraph even revealed recently that Ings in particular is now a priority target for Tottenham.

The Latest: Spurs now preparing offer…

As per Eurosport and journalist Dean Jones, the Lilywhites are preparing their opening bid to sign Saints star Ings this summer.

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Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are allegedly bracing themselves for offers with the player himself hoping for an exit, coming after he rejected new contract terms. 

The Saints value Ings at around £20 million, but it is expected that Spurs will lodge a cheaper bid and negotiations will then open up over the forward.

Spurs and Paratici ‘aim to get the ball rolling’ on a potential move for the 28-year-old given Nuno Espirito Santo is likely to play two up front in spells throughout the 2021/2022 season.

The Verdict: Perfect striker signing…

Ings and links to Tottenham have only garnered praise from critics in the past, with podcaster Lee McQueen calling him ‘absolutely phenomenal’ when asked about a possible swoop for him last year (Last Word On Spurs).

The forward is also a proven Premier League striker, having racked up an impressive tally of 55 goals and 13 assists in 140 top flight experiences (Transfermarkt).

His new value of just £20m is arguably an absolute snip if he can stay fit and Paratici would be remiss if he didn’t take full advantage and strike this summer.

In other news: ‘Rather good in training’…Journalist suggests Nuno may play exciting barely-seen Spurs starlet, find out more here.

West Ham United have recently returned to pre-season training ahead of the upcoming 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

The Hammers are set to take on Newcastle United in their season opener on Sunday 15th August, in what could potentially be a tricky test for David Moyes’ side at St James’ Park.

It’s set to be an interesting summer transfer window ahead, as Moyes prepares for the new league campaign, whilst also competing in European competitions this term.

One player whose future at West Ham remains unclear at this moment in time is Felipe Anderson’s, with the Brazilian midfielder spending the 2020/21 season on loan with FC Porto.

Lazio are rumoured to have been keen on signing him permanently this summer, although it remains to be seen as to whether the Hammers are willing to move him on or keep Anderson in their plans this season.

The club have recently shown footage of the first-team squad returning to pre-season training, and Anderson was captured in the video.

Plenty of West Ham fans were quick to respond to this recent footage from the club, with many being eager to see Anderson given a chance in the 2021/22 campaign.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

“Let’s see if Felipe gets his head down and works.”

Credit:@____DeclanRice

“Please can we get behind Felipe if he stays this season? Hoping he gets back to his best.”

Credit: @FornalsFluency

“Give Felipe his chance.”

Credit: @xDellisOfficial

“Can’t be the only one happy to see Anderson in training. A lot more games he can be an asset.”

Credit: @ianmckee58

“Someone put their arm around Anderson show him some love and give him a good breakfast.”

Credit: @ZaynafamilyMary

“Felipeeeee… Your time is now.”

Credit: @23HPork

“Felipe I’ve missed you.”

Credit: @whuabi

“Is that a wild Felipe Anderson I see.”

Credit: @HammersMighty

“Good to see Anderson back.”

Credit: @Enright2214