Liverpool are now very interested in signing a Bundesliga speedster at a bargain price after missing out on Antoine Semenyo, according to reports.

Semenyo closing in on Man City move

Although Andoni Iraola claimed that he expects Semenyo to play a part for Bournemouth against Arsenal on Saturday, it’s an open secret that the impressive winger is closing in on a move to Manchester City.

The Citizens are set to win what looked to be a hectic transfer race between Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and those at the Etihad in a major boost for Pep Guardiola.

Whilst City rejoice, Liverpool and Arne Slot will rue a missed opportunity, however. The Reds desperately need another attacking addition following Alexander Isak’s injury and amid Mohamed Salah’s AFCON duties. Semenyo will not be that man, though.

Whether that is that for Liverpool in terms of attacking targets is now the big question. Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, as stubborn as ever, are unlikely to move unless it’s perfect for the Reds and Semenyo, seemingly, wasn’t that.

Instead, they could look to prioritise an early move to sign Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace man is set to become a free agent in the summer and it’s then that the sharks will begin to circle. As such, Liverpool are reportedly chasing a January deal in the hope that they can fend off some serious interest from around Europe.

But their attacking problem will still remain and that could force their hand towards Bundesliga star Jean-Matteo Bahoya. According to Anfield Watch, Liverpool are very interested in signing Bahoya and believe they could land a bargain deal in 2026.

Liverpool very interested in signing Bahoya

The Bundesliga speedster is still just 20 years old and very much on the cusp of truly breaking through rather than currently starring at Eintracht Frankfurt, having started just eight of 15 Bundesliga games.

It’s easy to see why Liverpool are interested, though. After becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to record a speed quicker than 37km/h last season, Bahoya has a unique trait that could add another element to the Reds’ frontline.

Dubbed an “excellent signing” by U23 scout Antonio Mango in the summer, the big question Liverpool must ask themselves is whether Bahoya is ready for such a big move.

Related Needed more than Semenyo: Liverpool leading the race to sign £34m talent

Liverpool are ready to react to opportunities in the January transfer window.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

The winger has struggled when it comes to output this season, scoring just three times in all competitions, and there’s little indication that he would receive the game time he needs at Anfield. Simply put, he is one for the future and not someone who should rush into a Premier League switch just yet.

Newcastle United are looking to sign Brazilian-born defender Douglas, according to The Journal.

Douglas is a free agent this summer after his contract with Dutch club FC Twente expired in May and Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who has been monitoring Douglas for a while, looks set to approach the 25-year-old.

But they are set to face stiff competition from Lazio, Anzhi Makhachkala and FK Krasnodar, who are all considering contract offers for the defender.

Douglas has finished his 6th and final season at Twente, and is being lined up as a possible replacement for Fabricio Coloccini, who is expected to return to Argentina this summer.

Newcastle have also been linked with PSG defender Mamadou Sakho, and West Ham’s James Tomkins. But with Douglas being a free transfer, it is expected that Alan Pardew will try and bring him to St James’ Park as well, as he looks to solidify the club’s leaky defence.

The Toon conceded 68 goals last season, as the club finished just above the Premier League relegation zone. Pardew’s men endured a 4-0 defeat against Manchester City, and also lost 6-0 at home to Liverpool.

Newcastle are also monitoring the progress of Liverpool striker Andy Carroll, who is still yet to sign a contract with West Ham.

Is Douglas the right man for Newcastle? Should he move to Anzhi instead in search of Europa League football?

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The Scottish Sun journalist Robert Grieve has now revealed some ‘extraordinary’ Glasgow Rangers news on Aaron Ramsey before they play on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Minor knock

Ransey has unfortunately been suffering from a minor knock now for the past couple of weeks, which has subsequently ruled him out of the Ibrox faithful’s last four games in total over all competitions.

Given his injury history, it is certainly worrying that a small knock has still managed to keep him out of the team for two weeks, and the Teddy Bears fans will no doubt want to see their January arrival on the pitch more with the title race ahead.

The Latest: ‘Extraordinary’ revelation

Writing in his latest piece for The Scottish Sun, Grieve has now detailed the ‘extraordinary’ lengths that Ramsey has gone to in order to get himself fit.

He has ended up spending a mammoth £30,000 of his own money to get himself personal treatment, including flying his trusted physios over to Scotland from all over the world.

The Verdict: Big statement

Ramsey has certainly made a big statement by going through all of this so that he can declare himself fit for the title run-in.

It seems to have worked too, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst has recently revealed that he is ‘back’ for their home game against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon.

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Described as a ‘world-class’ player on his day by Wales international teammate Joe Allen, the Dutch manager will certainly want Ramsey to stay fit from now until the end of the campaign, as he can become key in helping them winning the league once more.

In other news, find out which ‘unbelievable’ Dutchman van Bronckhorst is now eyeing for Gers here!

Leeds United have seen a significant number of players leave the club over the past couple of years on free transfers or loan deals, meaning that the Yorkshire club haven’t managed to raise any funds from player sales.

However, one player that the Whites did sell for a significant fee in recent memory that has turned out to be a great deal for the Elland Road outfit is Jack Clarke.

He was sold to fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £10m back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

As part of his transfer deal to the north London club, the Englishman remained at Leeds on loan, only for him to join Queens Park Rangers on another loan deal in the 2020 January transfer window after making just three appearances.

After that, the 21-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £25k-per-week according to Salary Sport, had a loan period with Stoke City from the 2021 January window to the end of their campaign.

The previous January window saw the Englishman head out on loan yet again, this time with League One club Sunderland where he has failed to score a goal or provide an assist in eight league games.

In addition to his lack of goals or assists for the Black Cats, his overall performances have not been much to shout about either, with WhoScored giving him a disappointing overall rating of 6.48, making him one of the lowest-rated players at the Wearside club to have started more than one league game.

Having picked up a transfer fee of £10m for their academy graduate, who is now valued by Transfermarkt at just £4.5m, which is a decrease of 55% from what Spurs paid for him, it’s safe to say that this deal has definitely worked in Leeds and Victor Orta’s favour.

Overall, the attacker has made just four senior appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions since his arrival, with none of them coming in the Premier League and none of them seeing him score a goal or provide an assist.

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Even though Jesse Marsch’s side have struggled to score goals this season in the Premier League with just 29 netted in 27 games, which is 14 fewer than they managed at the same stage of their previous campaign, it doesn’t seem likely that anyone connected with the Whites will be regretting the decision to sell Clarke to Tottenham.

In other news: Major blow: Phil Hay reveals yet another Leeds injury setback, Marsch surely fuming – opinion

Having joined Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers on loan from Newcastle United for the rest of the season in January, Jeff Hendrick has endured a mixed start to life at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

After securing a £40m deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon, the Magpies sent Hendrick out on loan to west London for the remainder of the campaign, with the Republic of Ireland international deemed surplus to requirements by Eddie Howe.

The 30-year-old had only made three Premier League appearances this term prior to his move to the capital and has already enjoyed significantly more game-time at QPR.

Having made six Championship appearances already for the Hoops, Hendrick will certainly be enjoying playing football more regularly. However, Mark Warburton’s side have seen a slight dip in form since the Irishman joined.

Since the end of the January transfer window, the west London outfit have won just one of their last eight games across both the league and FA Cup, with their sole victory in that period coming at home to Blackpool in late February.

It did take Hendrick time to be integrated into the starting line-up after playing just 136 minutes in his opening four matches as a QPR player, but he has since played every minute of Warburton’s side’s last four matches, although they have lost their last two.

Whether or not the 30-year-old is a contributing factor to the Hoops’ decline in form is up for debate, although they have dropped out of the play-off places since the midfielder’s arrival.

Having joined the Magpies from fellow Premier League outfit Burnley in 2020, the 30-year-old has only made 27 appearances for Newcastle since that move and looks increasingly unlikely to get much of a look-in at St James’ Park.

Indeed, he has failed to convince in a black and white shirt, being branded “stupid” by Alex Scott over a foul on Takumi Minamino last season for which the Irishman was sent off. The £6.3m-rated midfielder has also had to bear the brunt of criticism from numerous Geordies over his performances, the standard of which is reflected in him being the club’s fifth-lowest rated player in 2020/21 as per WhoScored.

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Moreover, QPR may not have seen enough of Hendrick to convince them that it would be shrewd to sign him permanently in the summer, so that the final two months of the Championship season could be vital for the Republic of Ireland international to make an impression ahead of the summer.

If the Hoops are interested in a permanent deal, then Newcastle must take them up on any such offer, as the 30-year-old appears to be holding his parent club back.

In other news: Newcastle must swoop for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” who Howe will love

Alasdair Gold has revealed a teasing update on the current condition of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp.

What’s the latest?

In a recent report for football.london, Gold relayed the comments of Antonio Conte regarding the injury of the central midfielder, in which the Italian appeared to suggest that the 21-year-old could finally be in line for a return to first-team football after the upcoming international break.

Speaking about the England U21 international, the 52-year-old said: “About Skippy, I hope to have him after the international break. His pain is getting better and better.”

An update supporters will love

While it is true that the January signing of Rodrigo Bentancur has somewhat eased the loss of Skipp in the middle of the park, the news that the midfielder could be available for selection for the Newcastle United fixture on April 3 is sure to be an update the Tottenham Hotspur faithful will love.

Indeed, the youngster has proven to be something of a revelation for Spurs over his 18 Premier League outings this season, with the £18m-rated dynamo having become a first-team regular under the management of Conte, something that is not surprising considering the 21-year-old has made an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 42.3 passes and won 3.6 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per appearance.

These metrics have seen the £24k-per-week academy product average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.81, ranking him as Tottenham’s joint 15th-best performer in the top flight of English football in the current campaign.

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As such, while it would appear as if Skipp remains unavailable for the West Ham United clash on Sunday, the news that the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed a “future captain” looks as if he will be back in time for Tottenham’s Premier League run-in is undoubtedly fantastic for Conte and his side – as the return of the tenacious midfielder will almost certainly increase the club’s chances of going on to secure a top-four finish in the league come the end of the season.

AND in other news: Paratici eyeing bid for £84m “thoroughbred bomber”, “he’s the future” of Conte’s Spurs

Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Aurelien Tchouameni is wanted by two unnamed Premier League clubs, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Tchouameni a huge talent

The 22-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the best young midfielders in the world, performing with quality and maturity beyond his years.

Tchouameni has made 25 starts for Monaco in Ligue 1 this season, winning 2.4 aerial duels per game and also being described as ‘extraordinary’ by international colleague Paul Pogba.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Frenchman, and Romano has now shed new light on the player’s transfer status.

The Latest: Romano provides update on Tchouameni

Taking to Twitter over the weekend, Romano confirmed that a couple of Premier League clubs want to sign Tchouameni, along with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. He revealed:

“Aurelien Tchouameni’s agent has denied to Le Parisien any agreement on personal terms with Real Madrid.

“Real are following Tchouameni’s performances with Monaco since long time alongside two Premier League clubs and PSG but there’s nothing agreed with any club.”

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The Verdict: Wonderful potential signing

Tchouameni looks like a spectacular talent, mastering a deeper-lying midfield role and already proving to be such a key player for Monaco, ranking as by far their best performer according to WhoScored metrics.

With some of Liverpool’s midfielders now in their 30s – the likes of Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are close to that milestone, too – the 22-year-old could be an ideal summer addition, capable of playing in a defensive or central midfield role.

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Not only does Tchouameni average an eye-catching 2.6 tackles and interceptions apiece per match this season, he also averaged a 90.9% pass completion rate across five appearances for France in World Cup qualifying, demonstrating that he is a midfielder of many talents.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a move for a former Premier League midfielder. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via the official Tottenham website), Antonio Conte revealed that, despite withdrawing from the Wales squad ahead of their friendly against Czech Republic on Tuesday, Ben Davies will be available for tomorrow’s visit of the Magpies.

Regarding the current condition of the 28-year-old, the Spurs boss said: “Ben is okay. He had a little problem, but he’s available.”

Great news for Tottenham

Considering just how important Davies has been to this Tottenham side since Conte’s arrival in north London last November, the news that the defender has recovered from his knock in time for Sunday is undoubtedly great news for Spurs.

Indeed, following the 52-year-old’s move to the club, the £18m-rated left-back has featured in all but one of the Italian’s 27 games in charge, with 25 of these coming as starts, most often on the left of Tottenham’s three-man defence.

Of Davies’ 23 appearances as one of Spurs’ three central defenders this season, the £60k-per-week Welshman has impressed, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.81 – slightly better than his 6.79 rating over nine outings at left-back.

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As such, the news that the 28-year-old will be fit to face Newcastle this weekend will certainly come as a huge boost to Conte and Tottenham, especially considering the club’s considerable lack of depth at left centre-back, with the position being one of Fabio Paratici’s priority targets in the summer transfer window.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £59m bid for 24 y/o “appreciated by Conte”, he’s “perfect” for Spurs

Journalist Andrew Musgrove claimed that Newcastle United defender Dan Burn ‘had a shocker’ in Sunday’s heavy defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

The lowdown

Spurs hammered Newcastle 5-1 in north  London, with Fabian Schar’s 39th-minute opener a distant memory by the time the final whistle sounded.

It was the first time the Magpies had shipped five goals since Eddie Howe took over in November and the third time they had lost by a four-goal margin (along with their 4-0 defeats against Leicester City and Manchester City).

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In a marker of just how poor their defensive performance was, they gave up 3.61 expected goals against, their second-highest figure of the season.

Burn, a January signing from Brighton, made his eighth start in succession at the heart of the Newcastle back four, but it was not one that he will care to remember.

The latest

Musgrove tweeted in the final knockings of the game that the 6 foot 8 colossus had endured something of a nightmare afternoon at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although the journalist stressed that it was hard to identify anyone for Newcastle who came away smelling of roses.

His tweet read: “Dan Burn has had a shocker today. That said, hard to pick anyone who has had a good day.”

The verdict

The statistics confirm that it was a real struggle for Burn against Tottenham on Sunday.

His SofaScore rating of 5.9/10 was the second-lowest among Newcastle’s outfielders; only midfielder Joelinton (5.8) fared worse. The defender also failed to win any of the three ground duels that he contested and lost possession eight times over the course of the match.

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It’s worth stressing, however, that the 29-year-old has largely been very good since he arrived on Tyneside.

Howe said in March that he could not ‘credit Dan enough’ for the player’s impact at the club, in particular the leadership he has provided, while The Athletic’s Chris Waugh argued that the ‘excellent’ Englishman deserved a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad, so yesterday may simply have been a rare off-day for the ex-Brighton giant.

In other news, Newcastle could sign one of Burn’s former team-mates

West Bromwich Albion didn’t experience any festive cheer on the road at Hull City on Saturday as yet another away defeat in the Championship this season came their way.

Worryingly, Ryan Mason’s Baggies have now lost a bumper nine league games in a row when not playing at the Hawthorns, with an Oli McBurnie penalty for the Tigers ending up being the crucial difference maker.

There would be a lot of grumbles on West Brom’s end when the penalty was given, with several big chances missed by the visitors, before the referee pointed to the spot, courtesy of a handball from a Baggies defender.

To make matters worse, West Brom would also be on the receiving end of a dubious red card decision involving second-half substitute Alfie Gilchrist, as the West Midlands outfit endured a nightmare trip to the East Riding of Yorkshire.

How Alfie Gilchrist got on against Hull

The former Chelsea youngster had only been on the pitch for a matter of eight minutes before he was given his harsh marching orders.

Coming in to the side for only his seventh Championship runout of the campaign, Gilchrist would have been eager to impress.

Instead, a high challenge on Liam Millar would be punished, as his first stint away from Stamford Bridge continues to fail to ignite.

Indeed, with zero clean sheets next to his name from those seven appearances, it looks unlikely that Gilchrist will be able to break into the starting XI down the line, with Mason comfortable with the likes of Nathaniel Phillips in the heart of his defence.

Gilchrist’s performance vs Hull

Stat

Gilchrist

Minutes played

8

Touches

6

Accurate passes

4/5 (80%)

Tackles won

0

Duels won

0/1

Red card

1

Stats by Sofascore

He certainly won’t have boosted his case for more starts with his whirlwind eight-minute cameo against Hull, even if he can be deemed a little unlucky, for a tackle judged to be a “strong yellow” at most by West Brom-focused journalist Lewis Cox.

It would also be extremely harsh to say Gilchrist’s dismissal solely changed the complexion of the match, as one wasteful underperformer looked even worse than the 22-year-old defender, as another Championship contest passed him by.

The West Brom flop who was worse than Gilchrist

As the under-fire Mason summed it up at the full-time whistle, West Brom ultimately lost the contest when squandering a whole host of golden opportunities in the first half.

Karlan Grant, in particular, spurned various chances to put his inconsistent side into the lead, with five shots registered at the Hull goal in quick succession by the left winger. In the number ten spot, too, Isaac Price, also let the away side down, again, with another below-par performance in the attacking areas, as his goalless run in the Championship now stretches to a shambolic 12 matches.

Price’s performance in numbers

Stat

Price

Minutes played

66

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Expected goals (xG)

0.78 xG

Touches

30

Accurate passes

18/22 (82%)

Key passes

2

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

0/1

Stats by Sofascore

On another day, that duck would have been broken against Hull, as seen in his xG reaching a high 0.78. But the Northern Ireland international’s shattered confidence was clear for all to see in the first 45 minutes, when he somehow fired a point-blank chance over the bar.

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On top of that, Price would also fail to complete a single successful dribble or win a single duel, as the ex-Everton youngster eventually retreated into his shell, leading to West Brom ultimately accepting another away-day disappointment.

It has been a dramatic drop-off for Price at the Hawthorns, as the 22-year-old would amass five goals and two assists during the early stages of this second-tier campaign. Moreover, he was also labelled a “breath of fresh air” by Baggies legend Chris Brunt earlier in the season, with how electric and forward-thinking he looked on the ball.

Fast forward to the present, though, and Price looks a shadow of his former self, with the playmaker equally frustrating to watch last time out on the road – before the trip to Hull – away at Southampton, when failing to convert another six shots.

Mason will know, if he doesn’t arrest the slide at West Brom soon, that he could pay the price with his job, with the hot-and-cold attacking midfielder perhaps one face he has to consider dropping moving forward, as his lack of cutting edge proved to be far more costly than Gilchrist’s wild cameo.

Related Corberan 2.0: West Brom could hire "elite" manager who's better than O'Neil

West Bromwich Albion must now consider replacing Ryan Mason with this standout manager target, who could be their next Carlos Corberan.

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