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According to Correio de Manha via The Mirror, Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes is on Liverpool’s radar as Jurgen Klopp looks to add to his attacking contingent having missed out on signing Lyon’s Nabil Fekir. Could he be the missing piece in the jigsaw?

What’s the word?

Well, The Mirror reports (via Correio de Manha) that the Portuguese is a target for both AC Milan and the Reds as the club look to negotiate his exit amid crushing debt that amounts to around €281m.

The midfielder’s release clause of €100million (£87m) is unlikely to be met by either of the aforementioned suitors and Sporting will surely have to negotiate a lower price in order to get the player off their books.

Having already seen the likes of William Carvalho and Rui Patricio leave over the summer in controversial fashion, the Lisbon-based outfit could be set to lose yet another star at the end of the season. What would be their undoubted loss, though, would be of enormous benefit to Jurgen Klopp and his side.

Finally… a playmaker

Klopp’s tactical flexibility has seen the Reds flirt with a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2, while also frequenting the 4-3-3 that has helped them become masters of Gegenpressing.

The former has required centre-forward Roberto Firmino to be deployed in the number 10 role while Mohamed Salah has been moved up front. Although the famous front three’s linkup is as glorious as ever, there still remains the lack of an out-and-out playmaker.

Bayern Munich were resolute in their defending at Anfield on Tuesday night and it was clear the home side were crying out for a player who could create something out of nothing and unpick the Bavarians’ defence with a special pass, as pinpointed by frustrated Reds fans below…

This has been a weakness of Liverpool’s since the departure of Philippe Coutinho and Klopp surely feels this needs addressing. Fekir was intended to plug this gap but a switch to Merseyside never materialised and so the title challengers remain an incomplete puzzle.

Are fan nerves to blame for Liverpool’s recent form? Pl>ymaker FC’s Tom Skinner discusses in the video below…

If Manchester City prove too good once again this term, the signing of 24-year-old Fernandes, who has chalked up an impressive 21 goals and 11 assists in 2018/19, could be the addition that takes the Reds beyond their title rivals next season.

Everton will host Manchester United in an important clash at Goodison Park this afternoon, and Frank Lampard must do everything he can to keep his team’s relegation fate in their hands by taking all three points from today.

Conceding their third consecutive defeat this afternoon could send the Toffees into the bottom three by the conclusion of the weekend if Burnley defeat Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday.

Despite the pressure mounting, Everton have received a triple boost as both Allan and Michael Keane return from suspension for the match today and Seamus Coleman is also available following a bout of illness which has ruled him out of the last two games.

Having these three experienced players available for selection again will definitely be a relief to Lampard as they take on a difficult challenge against Ralf Rangnick’s side in the early kick-off.

The injury table is unchanged for the fixture, with Yerry Mina, Nathan Patterson and Andros Townsend still unavailable, whilst Man United loanee Donny Van de Beek is ineligible for the fixture against his parent club.

With that in mind, this is how Football FanCast expect Everton to line up against their opponents at Goodison Park today…

Predicted XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Kenny; Doucoure, Allan, Iwobi; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin, Gordon

We predict that the Everton boss will make three changes to the team which lost to Burnley on Wednesday night, playing a 4-3-3 formation against the Red Devils.

We expect to see two changes in the back four to accommodate the return of Keane and Coleman, with Kenny moving into the left-back role to replace Vitaliy Mykolenko. That sees the captain resume duties at right-back, while Keane will be restored to the centre-back partnership alongside Ben Godfrey, taking the place of Jarrad Branthwaite.

One player we predict to be axed from the team today is Mason Holgate, who was labelled “poor” by Paul Robinson and endured a shocking performance against Burnley this week. The 25-year-old makes way for Allan to return following his three-game suspension.

The £120k-p/w Brazilian, who was hailed as “vital” by BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher, has been a crucial component in Everton’s midfield this season, starting in the defensive role in all of their victories this season, so it is a no-brainer that he makes an instant return to the team this afternoon.

Lampard must capitalise on the advantage of playing at home for this fixture, especially given the Toffees’ dreadful away record, and will be hoping that the team can salvage one of their few remaining chances to secure safety in the Premier League for next season.

In other news: Lampard drops injury update ahead of today, it’s great news for Everton

Alessandro Bastoni could be a realistic signing for Tottenham Hotspur this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke, who delivered a fresh verdict surrounding Spurs’ interest in the Inter Milan centre-back to GIVEMESPORT this week.

“Bastoni could be a more realistic option for Tottenham right now,” he said.

“[Antonio] Conte and Fabio Paratici will know all about him from their time in Italy and he might be a more achievable target.

“That could be the one Spurs push for as they look to bring in a new centre-back in the summer.”

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Perfect Conte reunion

It is no secret that the north Londoners are targeting a major central defensive addition this off-season.

The Athletic recently claimed that a left-sided option will be a priority, naming the likes of Bastoni, Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol, Lille’s Sven Botman and Nico Schlotterbeck of Freiburg as potential signings.

Given Conte’s history and experience with the Italian, he could well be the best candidate and just as O’Rourke suggests, he is surely a viable and practical signing that Spurs could make.

Prior to the 52-year-old’s arrival at the San Siro, Bastoni was a young and unknown talent that had not featured for the first team. He is now a Serie A winner and valued in the region of £60m.

He started 33 of their 38 games on their way to Inter’s first Scudetto in 11 years and he continues to be an integral part under Conte’s successor, Simone Inzaghi.

Compared to Leonardo Bonucci and Alessandro Nesta, Bastoni offers sublime ball-playing abilities, ranking in the top five in the whole Italian top-flight by attempting 70.9 passes per 90. His ball retention is just as effective, grading at the 86th percentile out of 99 – perfect for Conte.

And whilst he’s not too effective in the air, he is very active and aggressive defensively, ranking in the 94th percentile for intensity.

It’s no wonder the 23-year-old gem has been lauded as a “Rolls-Royce” of a centre-back, as well as being “complete” and “dominant” – this is exactly the sort of profile that Conte adores, so you can only imagine him in a back-three involving Cristian Romero.

The fact that Bastoni is viewed as a realistic signing, despite his £60m valuation, is certainly fantastic news for the Italian head coach heading into the summer.

AND in other news, 75% duels won: £36m-rated Spurs “animal” was Conte’s only shining light at Brentford…

A big Leeds United transfer update has emerged regarding the club’s plans for the upcoming summer window…

What’s the talk?

Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross has revealed that Jesse Marsch has held a meeting with Victor Orta to discuss their approach ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

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The American was brought to Yorkshire in February after Marcelo Bielsa was relieved of his duties and has not had the chance to bring his own players into Elland Road as of yet, as he joined after the January window.

Cross tweeted: “Marsch and Orta met last week to discuss recruitment. Head coach keen to tell the scouts about his tactical vision, the player profiles he likes and how the current crop are adapting to his system.”

Supporters will be excited

This claim will surely leave Leedss supporters excited for multiple reasons ahead of the summer transfer window.

Firstly, it shows that Marsch is eager to get work done as quickly as possible, despite the current season still being in progress. Leeds have six matches left to play in the 2021/22 Premier League and are nine points clear of the relegation zone as it stands, which means that there is still plenty on the line over the coming weeks.

They are not completely out of trouble yet and you could excuse the American for not wanting to look too far into the future, but he is seemingly keen to be prepared for the summer. Supporters will therefore be buzzing with this proactive approach from the head coach, as it will give Orta more time to work on the deals that he wants to complete.

Fans will also be excited by this claim, as it confirms that Marsch is being given full creative control in the transfer department. He is being allowed to shape the way in which Leeds scout players in order to build the squad in his image, and this an exciting prospect for supporters heading into next season as they now know that signings will be coming in with a bigger image in mind.

They can look forward to seeing how Marsch wants his team to play once he has the players that he needs. It is now down to the scouts to find the right hidden gems, and to Orta to ensure that he can strike the deals to bring them to Elland Road.

AND in other news, Marsch must ruthlessly axe “awful” Leeds star adored by Bielsa, he’s not good enough…

Leeds United continue to be linked with a summer swoop for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is becoming extremely likely to move on from Rubin Kazan.

The 21-year-old winger is currently playing in his home country for Dinamo Batumi, thanks to FIFA’s ruling to allow players to leave Russia or Ukraine outside of a transfer window if they wished.

He has since seen his contract terminated by the Red-Greens.

According to Italian outlet Il Mattino, the Yorkshire outfit are among the leading candidates to secure him during the off-season, where he will be looking for a new club.

Serie A outfit Napoli and Premier League rivals West Ham United are also mooted with interest by the report.

Whilst Raphinha may be on his way out at Elland Road, the potential arrival of Kvaratskhelia could spell trouble for Dan James as his struggles following a club-record £30m move from Manchester United continue.

If the Brazil international does depart, the Welshman is in line for more game time in his natural right-wing position but given his form and the interest in the Georgia international, he could well be axed by manager Jesse Marsch going forward.

Once described as being “headless” with his decision-making in the final third by Darren Bent, the £16.2m-rated dynamo has only delivered four goals and four assists across 30 appearances but only one of those goal contributions have come in their last seven outings, via Transfermarkt.

Kvaratskhelia is an exciting young talent and one that had been one of the most dangerous attackers in the Russian Premier League this campaign – on top of two goals and five assists from only 17 starts, the Georgian leads the division for successful dribbles per 90 (3.14).

That ability has seen him earn quite the praise indeed, with former Russia U18 coach Denis Bushuev likening him to two greats in his position.

“Naturally. He is from the same galaxy of players as Ribery or Robben. He could play in the top five clubs in the Bundesliga – he has crazy technique.”

By comparison, James only manages 0.9 successful dribbles per 90 in the Premier League and whilst the quality of the two leagues is like chalk and cheese, he ranks as low as 13th in the current Leeds squad, even behind the likes of Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and all three of his positional peers.

As such, Marsch and co should look to sign the £14.4m-rated Kvaratskhelia for an absolute bargain price this summer. There’s little point in persisting with James just because he’s a club-record signing when a player like this is available.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Marsch heading for Leeds nightmare over “explosive” £13.5m-rated gem…

Taking to Twitter, journalist Rudy Galetti of Sportitalia TV has made an interesting claim involving AC Milan star Franck Kessie, Tottenham Hotspur and the Rossoneri’s owner.

The Lowdown: Spurs target Kessie…

As widely reported, Milan’s star midfield man has been a transfer target for the Lilywhites and some sources even claimed that they were weighing an offer to sign him as early as last month.

This was despite Kessie’s soon-to-be free agent status as his deal at the San Siro looks set to expire later this year, but that isn’t due to Milan’s lack of trying to agree an extension.

They’ve apparently offered fresh terms but the Ivory Coast international hasn’t put pen to paper, leaving his long term future with the Serie A giants in major doubt.

Now, Galetti has said that the Milan management are fuming with Kessie as he makes a claim involving Tottenham.

The Latest: Galetti makes Kessie claim…

Taking to Twitter, the Italian reporter says that Milan’s owner, president of Elliot Management and American business tycoon Paul Singer, is angry with Kessie after he ‘refused’ an offer to join Tottenham last month.

Indeed, it is believed that he ‘did not like’ the star’s decision considering his exit to north London would’ve resulted in profit for Milan off his sale.

Following this development it is claimed by Galetti that ‘no further renewal proposals’ are on the table.

The Verdict: Interesting…

While this may seem like Spurs missed out on yet another top target after seeing moves for both Luis Diaz and Adama Traore hijacked, this could eventually come as a boost for the Lilywhites.

As Milan allegedly make the call not to offer any more extensions, he now looks set to leave at the end of this campaign on a free and Spurs would be remiss not to take full advantage.

Bypassing the £43.2 million-valued star’s estimated would-be transfer cost and snapping him up for nothing is a no-brainer, especially considering his brilliant 19-goal haul from midfield since the start of 2019/2020.

In other news: ‘Big’…Sky Sports journalist thrilled as ‘good news’ comes out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are said to be eyeing a move for Benfica winger Rafa Silva this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to A Bola (via Sport Witness), who believe Wolves are the “most concrete” club in pursuit of the 28-year-old.

The 25-cap Portugal winger’s contract expires in 2024, though a figure of €50 million (£42m) quoted by Jeunesfooteux could be enough to convince the Lisbon-based side to cut ties with Silva.

A source of goals

Silva is a versatile forward and has proven himself as a goalscorer throughout his six-year stint at Benfica, with 94 strikes in total throughout his professional club career.

He is the antithesis of Barcelona loanee Francisco Trincao, who has failed to set the world alight at Molineux.

In fact, their stats this season are almost incomparable, with Silva enjoying a much more fruitful spell in the opponent’s final third, on a much more consistent basis.

28-year-old Silva, who has been described as “exceptional” by host Jack Collins via Twitter, has 16 assists.

In contrast, Trincao has just eight during his final season at Braga in the 2019/20 campaign.

Silva’s calibre as a forward offers Wolves an option to completely level up their attack and serves as a more direct variant, operating in a similar fashion to a striker.

His passing stats paint a picture of his straight to the point style, as he tends to progress the ball through dribbling, rather than passing, with his average of 19 passes completed per 90 on the lower end of the percentile in comparison to positionally similar players across the top 5 leagues.

His performance in the first leg of the Champions League against Liverpool will have made Lage sit up and take notice, as the Portugal-man bagged an assist in his side’s 3-1 defeat.

This is not a surprise, as his 15 assists in Liga Portugal is a league-leading total. Based on the above, he’d certainly be an exciting signing in the Midlands.

In other news: £36m-rated “serious talent” who Wolves need drops a major hint on his future, supporters will be buzzing…

Mark Douglas has revealed that Newcastle United will now ‘target three positions’ this summer.

The Lowdown: Busy January

As was expected, the St. James’ Park faithful had a busy January transfer window, in which they brought in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood.

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They had other ambitious targets as well who they missed out on, including the likes of Darwin Nunez, Sven Botman and Jesse Lingard.

Nonetheless, assuming that they stay in the Premier League, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium will no doubt be ready to splash the cash once more.

The Latest: Three positions targeted

Writing in his latest piece for inews, Northern Football correspondent Douglas has revealed that the Tyneside outfit will now ‘target three positions’ in the summer, which would be a striker, a midfielder and a central defender.

They have been ‘heavily monitoring’ Nunez, and ‘may revisit’ a deal for Botman, while they have also ‘remained in contact’ with Lingard’s camp.

The Verdict: Exciting

The kind of names that the Magpies have been linked with are very exciting, especially the likes of Nunez and Botman, who have played in the UEFA Champions League with Benfica and Lille respectively this season.

As for Lingard, the Toon Army will remember his immaculate loan spell at West Ham United last term, where he managed nine goals and five assists in just 16 games (Transfermarkt).

Described as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham during his spell there, the Englishman will have a point to prove, and NUFC could well take advantage of that.

In other news, find out what more Newcastle injury news has now been dropped here!

Ange Postecoglou has dropped a huge hint on the future of Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by Football Scotland, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss has included the 27-year-old shot-stopper in his 25-man Europa Conference League squad for the Hoops’ upcoming fixture against FK Bodo/Glimt later this month.

This would appear to all but end the speculation surrounding the Greece international’s potential exit from the club in the coming weeks, with reports suggesting that IFK Goteborg – who have been heavily linked with a move for the ‘keeper – have now turned their attention elsewhere.

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how poor Barkas has been since his €5m (£4.5m) move to Parkhead back in the summer of 2020, the news that the £20k-per-week goalkeeper looks set to remain on Celtic’s books until at least the end of the season is sure to have left the Bhoys fanbase fuming.

Indeed, in a poll ran by Football FanCast, the vast majority of Celtic supporters made it extremely clear that they would not be sad to see the £1.35m-rated stopper leave their club, while a further poll revealed that Hoops fans would even be happy for the 27-year-old to leave on a free transfer.

It is not difficult to understand why the Celtic support feel this way, as Barkas has offered his side very little since joining a little over a year and a half ago.

Indeed, over his 15 Premiership appearances last season, the Greek ‘keeper made it extremely hard to believe that the Bhoys scouting department had identified Barkas as their new first choice in the position, with the shot-stopper making an average of just one save and conceding an average of 0.7 goals per game.

These returns saw the former AEK Athens man earn an incredibly disappointing seasonal SofaScore rating of just 6.79, ranking him as the Hoops’ joint ninth-worst player in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, when adding in the fact that the player who Tam McManus dubbed “horrendous” has so far featured just twice under the management of Postecoglou, the news that the goalkeeper looks set to carry on picking up his £20k weekly paycheque at Parkhead is something that will infuriate Celtic fans.

In other news: Postecoglou drops teasing 6-word update on major Celtic move, Nicholson must now act

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw will miss Monday’s meeting with Crystal Palace and the five games that will follow due to a fresh knee problem.

The Lowdown: Forshaw’s season

Forshaw, who missed a whopping 71 games with a hip problem, made a long-awaited return to action last August against Crewe Alexandra.

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The Englishman has gone on to make 26 appearances in all competitions, 22 of which have come in the Premier League.

He missed his first game under new manager Jesse Marsch against Watford earlier this month, and he won’t be featuring again as the Whites look to avoid relegation.

The Latest: Six-week absence

Football Insider were the first to break the news regarding Forshaw after being informed by a source on Friday morning.

They described it as a ‘devastating blow’, with the 30-year-old in a leg brace after suffering a knock in training.

Jesse Marsch confirmed the injury at his pre-match press conference, revealing the midfielder has a fractured knee cap and will be sidelined for six weeks.

The Verdict: Never ending…

Marsch has already suffered three big injury blows since taking over from Marcelo Bielsa in Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and Patrick Bamford, so this update on Forshaw is another problem he’ll have to deal with.

The good news is that Kalvin Phillips will make his first start since December, while Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch look set to battle it out for a place next to the England international at Selhurst Park.

Another midfield setback would leave Marsch extremely short of options, but fingers crossed that won’t happen with the battle to avoid the drop getting tense.

In other news: Leeds on alert as Tottenham now willing to sell ‘flawless’ gem who Orta wants at Elland Road.