Tag Futebol

Liverpool spent big back in 2018 on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, with the pair helping transform the Reds into Premier League winners once again.

More recently, those at Anfield have splashed the cash on Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, with the latter becoming Liverpool’s all-time record signing. However, over the years, the Reds have also missed out on bringing some iconic names to Anfield.

Related Sir Alex Ferguson named Liverpool star as the best player in England and as good as Keane

This could settle the debate once and for all…

Posts 3 ByBen Goodwin 10 superstars Liverpool almost signed 10 Cristiano Ronaldo

Starting off with arguably the biggest missed deal in Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2003. Liverpool thought they had their man for just £4m when the forward was at Sporting CP.

Former Reds assistant Phil Thompson recalled the story of Ronaldo’s failed move to Merseyside, with Manchester United hijacking a deal.

9 Jude Bellingham

Liverpool were close to signing Jude Bellingham when he was at Borussia Dortmund back in 2023, however, the Reds would pull out of a big-money deal.

Former Reds stars Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were even looking to lure Bellingham while they were with England, but instead, the midfielder chose Real Madrid.

8 Dani Alves

One of the best right-backs the game has ever seen, Dani Alves came close to a Liverpool transfer in 2006.

Rafael Benitez and the Reds struck an £8m agreement to sign the Brazilian but instead opted to use the funds on Dirk Kuyt. Alves would go on to sign for Barcelona two years later.

7 Dele Alli

Before signing for Tottenham in 2015 from MK Dons, Dele Alli had interest from Liverpool, and being a Reds supporter growing up, was keen on a move to Anfield.

Brendan Rodgers was in charge at the time and once admitted a deal was close, but Spurs ended up paying £5m for Alli.

Dele Alli’s record vs Liverpool

Games

13

Wins

1

Draws

5

Losses

7

Goals

1

6 Diego Maradona

In 1980, Diego Maradona was an unknown teenager coming impressing at Argentinos Juniors and could have signed for Liverpool.

Bob Paisley was in charge at Liverpool and was offered the chance to sign Maradona, however, he was hesitant about the off-field antics of the Argentine and opted against a transfer.

5 Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale began his career as a left-back at Southampton, and Liverpool were after a new one in 2007.

The Welshman was wanted by Liverpool and Benitez, however, a fee failed to be agreed and Bale would join Tottenham. The Reds ended up with Argentine Emiliano Insua.

4 Nemanja Vidic

One of the best centre-backs the Premier League has seen, Nemanja Vidic was actually wanted by Liverpool before his move to Man Utd in 2006.

Vidic would spend eight years at Old Trafford, winning five top flight titles, but Benitez spoke to the Serbian about a move to Anfield.

3 David Silva

After winning the World Cup with Spain in 2010, David Silva was a man in demand and would leave Valencia for Manchester City.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, Liverpool were also in the race and came close to landing the attacking midfielder. Instead, they would have to face his magic for City over the next 10 years.

2 Michael Laudrup

A teenager in 1983, Michael Laudrup grew up a Liverpool supporter and could have joined the Reds when he was at Brondby.

The length of a contract was the key sticking point regarding Laudrup’s move to Anfield, and he ended up joining Serie A side Lazio.

1 Alexis Sanchez

After Luis Suarez’s move to Barcelona in 2014, Liverpool were on the search for a new marquee attacking signing and attempted to sign Alexis Sanchez.

The Chilean star was at the Nou Camp but would leave that summer, but instead of heading to Merseyside, Sanchez would sign for Arsenal.

Manchester City are getting through plenty of work at an early stage of the transfer window and could now pounce for one of Europe’s brightest attacking talents, according to a report.

Manchester City look to push Rayan Ait-Nouri deal over the line

While Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders look set to join Manchester City from Lyon and AC Milan, respectively, there may be more good news on the way for Citizens’ supporters if David Ornstein’s latest update on business at the Etihad Stadium is anything to go by.

With the Club World Cup approaching and the need for signings to help Pep Guardiola evident, Rayan Ait-Nouri is closing in on a move to the blue half of Manchester from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Although a full agreement has yet to be reached between all parties, there is an expectation that the Algerian left-back will head to Manchester City shortly to compete with Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake on the left-hand side of defence.

Intriguingly, Guardiola has admitted he wants to run with a small squad to ensure he is able to allocate minutes appropriately rather than harbouring fringe stars with no realistic prospect of first-team football.

“I said to the club I don’t want that (a large squad). I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.”

Related Hugo Viana makes £40m+ Man City offer to sign Brazilian ahead of Man Utd

The Citizens are looking to steal a march on their rivals…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford

His comments indicate that a quality over quantity approach may be the method of action taken to streamline his group after a trophyless season. Putting emphasis on the ‘quality’ he craves, Guardiola could now move for one of Europe’s most explosive young talents to provide a fresh injection on the flanks.

Manchester City line up swoop for Bradley Barcola

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have extensively scouted Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola during his excellent campaign for the French giants.

The outlet claim the 22-year-old could be a long-term replacement for Jack Grealish at the Etihad, though the Champions League holders are said to value the winger at around £101 million.

Bradley Barcola’s superb campaign for PSG – Ligue 1 (Fotmob)

Completed dribbles

34

Successful crosses

7

Shots on target

39

Chances created

50

Expected goals

13.58

Touches in opposition box

228

Becoming a force on the flank, Barcola registered 21 goals and 19 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions for PSG, which has also seen Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur coming to the table for his signature.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Nevertheless, Luis Enrique isn’t keen to lose one of his star men and is set to offer the Lyon-born star a contract that would see him remain at the Parc des Princes until 2030.

Manchester City are on the lookout for talent to shape the next few years of silverware they hope to achieve and Barcola would be someone who could thrive under Guardiola’s tutelage if he were to pitch up on English shores.

Burnley kicked off their transfer deadline day with a bang with the loan acquisition of Sporting CP attacker Marcus Edwards, as Scott Parker goes about adding in some exciting additions up top.

The promotion-chasing Clarets have endured barren patches in front of goal this season with the 0-0 draws piling up and up, culminating in the 26-year-old arriving on the scene in Lancashire.

He could soon have a new attacking partner to bounce off of if everything slots into place at Burnley, with the striker in question an in-demand figure this deadline day.

Burnley still in the hunt for coveted attacker

As per an update from football journalist Mike McGrath earlier today, Burnley remain firmly in the race to land Southampton centre-forward Cameron Archer.

Leeds United are still reportedly in the ‘box seat’ to land the Saints star if the relegation-threatened Premier League outfit sanction a last-gasp switch, but fellow Championship sides in the Clarets and Sunderland remain keen in the background in case any last-minute changes occur.

If Parker’s men were to land the 23-year-old ahead of Daniel Farke’s Whites, this would send shockwaves through the second tier, with Archer perhaps striking up a devastating relationship with Edwards in attack to make the goal-shy Clarets more of an enthralling watch.

What Archer would offer Burnley

Whilst Southampton have notably struggled this season in the Premier League, Archer has still managed to show off his goalscoring mojo in flashes for Ivan Juric’s side.

Indeed, the ex-Aston Villa youngster has helped himself to a promising goal haul of five strikes in all competitions despite his current team’s struggles, with his blistering record previously playing in the Championship making him even more of a golden asset for whoever wins his services.

Last time out at the tricky level, Archer managed to bag a ridiculous 11 strikes from just 20 games on loan at Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough, with a hope here that the Walsall-born forward can arrive at Turf Moor and recapture this deadly form for Parker’s automatic promotion candidates.

After all, Burnley’s top goalscorer this season is midfielder Josh Brownhill who finds himself on nine strikes, whilst the other attackers in Lancashire continue to draw regular blanks.

Burnley’s top five goalscorers in the league (24/25)

Player

Position

Goals scored

1. Josh Brownhill

Midfield

9

2. Zian Flemming

Attacker

6

3. Jaidon Anthony

Midfield

3

4. Josh Laurent

Midfield

2

5. Jeremy Sarmiento

Midfield

2

Stats by Sofascore

When glancing at the table above, only Zian Flemming can boast enough league goals to be in the top five scorers this season as an attacker with a measly six strikes coming his way.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Therefore, this is where Archer and Edwards could come to the rescue as a fresh duo in the forward areas, with the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man eager to prove himself in England once more.

Last campaign, the brand new Clarets loanee would pick up four goals in league action playing in Portugal, with his limited minutes this campaign still seeing him pick up a solitary league strike, despite averaging just 20 minutes of game-time across six appearances.

Burnley will need to make sure the amount of draws that keep stacking up doesn’t derail their ongoing automatic promotion chances, meaning bold attacking additions such as the “special” Saints striker – as he has been labelled in the past by Danny Murphy – could be the way forward if a statement deal at the 11th hour can somehow come to fruition.

Related 2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

Posts ByStephan Georgiou

Arsenal have scouts watching a winger who could be the next Gabriel Martinelli, reports suggest, with the Gunners in a fight for his signature as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad.

Gabriel Martinelli rediscovers Arsenal form

Prior to the clash with Manchester City, Gabriel Martinelli had not scored or assisted a goal in the Premier League since March for Arsenal. His last goal involvement had come in a 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United, but the introduction of Riccardo Calafiori appears to have helped him rediscover some form.

Related Romano shares Calafiori injury update direct from Arsenal boss Arteta

Rumours sparked in the immediate aftermath of the win over the Foxes.

Posts ByBen Browning

First, he was given the assist for the five yard pass that allowed Calafiori to equalise against Manchester City, then in far more meaningful fashion he sprung into life against Leicester City.

Moments after missing a glorious chance, the Brazilian forward grabbed the opening goal before teeing up Leandro Trossard on the stroke of half time to put Arsenal two goals to the good, though they needed a stoppage time rescue act to ensure all three points stayed in north London.

Signed for just £6m in 2019 from then-Brazilian third tier side Ituano, he has turned into one of the leading wingers in the Premier League during his time in north London, making over 175 appearances for the Gunners and only turning 23-years-old in June. A clear success story for Arsenal’s scouting department, they may now have found another.

Arsenal chase teenage winger

That comes as reports suggest Arsenal have joined the race to sign Ivory Coast wonderkid Bazoumana Touré, who is currently impressing in the Swedish top flight for Hammarby. Still just 18-years-old, the left-winger has grabbed six goals and three assists so far in 2024,

Bazoumana Touré in the Allvenskan 2024

Appearances

15

Starts

14

Goals

6

Assists

3

Minutes per goal or assist

128.7

Scouting account Rising Talents on X dubbed him “very fast”, as well as being a “very strong winger in 1vs1 situations”, both of which are also part of Martinelli’s skillset in north London.

As per the Mirror, “Arsenal are amongst a long list of clubs keeping tabs” on the teenager, who is valued at around £5m, and the Gunners had scouts at his most recent outing against Hacken, where he grabbed an assist.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Hammarby are resigned to losing him in the near future, with sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg explaining: “There are a lot of clubs coming to the match against Hacken. We need to plan for a future without him. Then if it happens this winter, next summer or even further than that – I don’t think so, we’ll see. But the longer we get to keep him the better.”

Though a more established name than Martinelli was when Arsenal swooped to sign him, Touré could offer the Gunners the chance to pick up another future superstar for peanuts.

Leeds United parted company with Victor Orta in May of last year and are now looking to fight their way back to the Premier League without him, with the play-off final against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday.

The former Whites sporting director ultimately contributed to the club's relegation from the top-flight last season as his appointments, Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia, failed to keep them in the division.

Now working at Sevilla, the Spanish chief did have his fair share of howlers and blinders in the transfer market, and one that looks to be in the former category is the sale of Rafa Mujica as the club had a nightmare with him.

The young striker was sold by Orta in the summer of 2021 and has since gone on to thrive away from Elland Road, with a reported transfer pending that makes him more valuable than Leeds star Pascal Struijk.

Rafa Mujica's form since leaving Leeds

Signed from Barcelona in 2019, Mujica did not make a single first-team appearance for the Yorkshire-based outfit in two year before his move to Las Palmas on a free transfer in 2021.

After one goal in 14 league matches for the Spanish side during the 2021/22 campaign, Portuguese side Arouca swooped in to secure his services and they never looked back.

He produced 14 goals and one assist in 32 matches in all competitions for the club in his first season in Portugal, before kicking on again this term.

23/24 Liga Portugal

Rafa Mujica

Appearances

30

Sofascore rating

7.21

xG

16.27

Goals

20

Minutes per goal

127 minutes

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old marksman, who scored 23 goals in all competitions, was prolific in the Liga Portugal as he outperformed his xG by almost four goals.

Rafa Mujica's big-money transfer this summer

The former Whites youngster is now reportedly on course to make a move away from Arouca this summer to join Qatar-based side Al-Sadd.

Journalist Pedro Sepúlveda reported earlier this month that he is in advanced talks to join them for a fee of €9m with a further €2m in add-ons, taking the total package to €11m (£9.4m).

This means that Mujica is currently valued higher than a number of Whites stars, including Glen Kamara (€6m), Ilia Gruev (€5.4m), and Pascal Struijk (€9.5m) – per FootballTransfers.

Struijk had made 23 appearances in the Championship at centre-back during the first half of the campaign before a groin injury put an end to his season.

This speaks to the Spanish striker's turnaround in fortunes since leaving Yorkshire that he is now worth more than the Dutch defender, who has the eighth-highest Sofascore rating in the Leeds squad this term (7.12) and captained the team on many occasions this season.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It has been reported that, as one of the teams that helped to develop Mujica, Leeds will receive 5% of the initial fee, which would be roughly £380k from £7.6m in this case.

That £380k may not be enough to forget about how much of a nightmare they had by letting him go in 2021 as his 20 league goals this season suggest that he could have turned into a strong player for the club, given that Crysencio Summerville (20) is the only player with more than 14 strikes to his name this term.

Related Leeds have "inquired" about signing £55k-p/w star who'd thrive with Gnonto

The Whites are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the soon-to-be free agent defender.

Posts ByDan Emery

Orta had a howler when he decided to let the centre-forward go as he was not given a single first-team opportunity to prove himself and should have been given a chance, which his form this term suggests Mujica may have taken, to prove himself.

Instead, he has gone on to be a roaring success in Portugal and is now looking set for a big-money move to Qatar, making him more valuable than several of Daniel Farke's stars.

Tottenham have set their sights on signing an alternative to the heavily-linked Conor Gallagher after they seal a deal for Genoa star Radu Dragusin.

Spurs aiming to seal Dragusin deal

Spurs are still hoping to seal a deal for Dragusin in January after reliable media source Fabrizio Romano shared news of them already agreeing personal terms this week.

Related Tottenham now "putting together" offer for "versatile" young attacker

Spurs are apparently readying a proposal.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

The centre-back appears to be chairman Daniel Levy and co's top centre-back target as manager Ange Postecoglou makes strengthening that area of the squad a real priority this month. The Lilywhites have been hamstrung by injuries to both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, two of Postecoglou's first choice centre-backs, with Spurs regularly forced to use Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as makeshift options.

As a result, Tottenham are in advancing talks to sign Dragusin after having a loan bid rejected (Football Insider), but Serie A side Napoli are apparently lingering in the background with their own interest.

Conor Gallagher interest as Spurs eye new midfielder

Amid reports Chelsea could be forced to sell star midfielder Gallagher, Spurs have been credited with an interest in the Englishman who has really impressed under Mauricio Pochettino.

Gallagher, according to WhoScored, stands out as Chelsea's best-performing player by average match rating so far this season – starting 19 league games and registering four assists in that time.

Tottenham reportedly believe Gallagher is "perfect" for Postecoglou's system, but his apparent £50 million price tag could be a real sticking point where Levy is concerned. Therefore, alternatives may well be looked out for, and Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren is apparently one of them.

Tottenham set sights on signing Vermeeren

The midfielder has been in excellent form this season, earning call-ups to Belgium's star-studded national team squad. This has attracted Postecoglou's attention, with a report by Tottenham News claiming Spurs have set their sights on signing Vermeeren.

Sources have told the outlet that scouts believe he has the potential to be another Christian Eriksen with the way he plays, and the 18-year-old is wanted by a host of clubs in England.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou would also likely welcome the signing in January, especially considering their shortage of numbers in midfield, with both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr off to AFCON. There is little else added beyond that, but other reports have claimed Antwerp value him at around £20 million.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Vermeeren is garnering a stellar reputation across Europe following his displays in the Jupiler Pro League this term, with journalist Graeme Bailey telling the Talking Transfers Podcast that Antwerp have a "little superstar" on their hands.

"This guy is special," said Bailey.

"Antwerp have a little superstar on their hands here in Arthur Vermeeren. He really is, from what I’m being told speaking to scouts, they think he’s special. Our understanding is that Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all enquired about him, so have Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Juventus, Barcelona as well who looked in the summer at him."

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino could make a swoop for a new striker in January and has three options in mind at Stamford Bridge, according to latest reports.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Manchester City asked about the possibility of signing out-of-favour Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella in the January transfer window. Giving some insight into the permutations of Manchester City's advances, Romano stated in his column:

"It is true, however, that Manchester City approached Chelsea at the beginning of January with a loan proposal for Marc Cucurella. It also included a buy option clause, not mandatory. Chelsea rejected as they wanted to keep Cucurella at the club, and since that moment, nothing else happened with Cucurella and Man City."

Recently, 90min reported that Cucurella's Chelsea teammate Ian Maatsen is being lined up as a surprise target by Manchester City, in light of uncertainty surrounding his contract at Stamford Bridge.

The Netherlands Under-21 international has less than a year left on his current contract in west London; nevertheless, Chelsea manager Pochettino will endeavour to try and keep hold of the left-back by holding talks over fresh terms.

As per Football Insider, the Blues are lining up a swoop for midfielder Habib Diarra, who is currently plying his trade at Chelsea's satellite club Strasbourg.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were also keen on bringing the French youth international to Molineux in the summer. Despite this, Chelsea intervened in the process and blocked the Old Gold from snapping the 19-year-old up and he could now move to Stamford Bridge "sooner rather than later."

Which strikers are Chelsea now looking at?

According to Give Me Sport, Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins are on Pochettino's radar as he looks to bolster his depth in the striking department in the January transfer window.

The report also mentions that RB Leipzig youngster Benjamin Sesko is someone who has caught the eye of Chelsea and he was also targeted by Manchester United before they eventually brought in Denmark international Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, with Toney the primary target.

Of course, Toney is banned from playing competitively until January due to breaching FA guidelines and has been banned from training with his Brentford teammates; however, the England forward will be permitted to join in training officially again on September 17th, as cited by talkSPORT.

Watkins, on the other hand, has started the new campaign in typical potent fashion and has registered three goals and two assists in his opening six appearances for Aston Villa, as per Transfermarkt.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Arsenal were also quoted with an interest in Watkins earlier this year, though it remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old will leave Villa Park any time soon.

RB Leipzig striker Sesko has looked the part for his new employers, netting two goals in his opening three outings since joining from RB Salzburg officially earlier this year.

Chelsea would like to add to their forward options to help support the likes of Nicolas Jackson and it is clear that they have begun to ramp up their search for a new high-profile striker, making these players to watch heading into 2024.

Celtic have officially confirmed that they have completed a deal to bring Brendan Rodgers back to Parkhead for a second spell in Scotland.

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has been in the market to find a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, and has now settled on the Australian's successor.

Rodgers will be thrust straight into the hustle and bustle of the summer transfer window and could secure the first masterclass of his second stint with the Glasgow giants by striking a deal with his former club Liverpool.

Who is Caoimhin Kelleher?

Celtic have been linked with an interest in Jurgen Klopp's back-up goalkeeper and Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher this summer.

He is a talented young shot-stopper who could be an excellent addition to the squad and the 50-year-old manager must use any remaining contacts on Merseyside to land the 24-year-old, who has valued at £30m by the Premier League outfit, whether that is on loan or on a permanent basis.

The 6 foot 2 titan's international manager, Stephen Kenny, recently backed the talented ace, who he once dubbed "exceptional", to move on from Anfield in search of regular game time:

"I think it will happen this summer. It is not right normally to talk about a player moving, but at Liverpool, he is behind one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It is not going to get any easier and you can't improve when you aren't playing."

Celtic must take advantage of his potential availability as the promising stopper has the potential to be an upgrade on current number one Joe Hart.

The former England international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 across 37 Scottish Premiership outings in 22/23 and made four errors directly leading to shots from the opposition.

Kelleher, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.53 and did not make any direct errors across his three outings in the Premier League and League Cup combined for Liverpool, as he spent the majority of the campaign behind Alisson, one of the top goalkeepers in the world.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Irish colossus also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.72 and made zero blunders over six outings in those two competitions in the previous season, which shows that the Reds academy graduate has been exceptional whenever Klopp has called on him and is not as error-prone as Celtic's first-choice.

These statistics indicate that Kelleher would be a major upgrade on Hart if the 24-year-old can translate his form for Liverpool in recent years to consistent performances over the course of an entire season's worth of matches, due to his superior ratings and absence of mistakes.

Therefore, Rodgers could seal a masterclass by using his relationship with the Premier League side to iron out a move for the talented monster, who could improve the team tenfold next term.

Aston Villa are thought to be plotting a move for Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Dubravka profiled

The 34-year-old has made 128 appearances in the Premier League. The Slovakian was out on loan to Manchester United earlier this season and played in a 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Unai Emery’s Villa side in November.

He has since been recalled by the Magpies and made his first Premier League appearance of the season after Nick Pope was sent off against Liverpool last weekend.

The Latest: Villa linked with Dubravka

Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Dubravka, claiming that Villa and Brentford are laying the groundwork ahead of potential moves for the veteran.

Those two clubs are thought to be plotting a transfer, with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez linked with an exit from the Midlands this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-6/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Squad player?

Dubbed a leader by The Chronicle’s Mick Quinn, Dubravka could prove to be a shrewd second-choice shot-stopper due to his experience, although making him first-choice to replace Martinez would be a gamble by NSWE and Villa.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He has played just over 300 minutes of football during the current campaign and recently turned 34, appearing to enter the stage of becoming second fiddle at St James’ Park.

Villa have Martinez, Robin Olsen and Jed Steer on their books, but if two of those three were to leave this summer, then perhaps Dubravka could arrive alongside a younger ‘keeper, providing plenty of experience and knowledge of the English top flight.

Newcastle United are believed to be in the mix to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko, with the teenager facing an uncertain future with the Bundesliga outfit.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports in Germany, the Magpies are said to be one of a handful of Premier League clubs who are keen on signing the 18-year-old in the near future, with the Germany international having just six months remaining on his existing deal at Westfalenstadion.

Transfer expert Mark Behrenbeck stated: “It is clear that a lot of top clubs are asking about Moukoko and are keen on him as he is available on a free transfer in the summer and is a bargain. We hear that Chelsea are the closest. There have already been negotiations and talks. More clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona and Newcastle are on the list, but Chelsea is the hottest, the others aren’t ready yet”.

This comes amid reports from journalist Florian Plettenberg who suggested that the promising youngster “won’t accept” the current offer of an extension from Dortmund, with an exit either in January or at the end of the season now a very real possibility.

Haaland-esque

The highly-coveted sensation has warranted such interest due to his sparkling form in his homeland in recent times, having scored six goals and laid on four assists in just 14 top-flight games this term, while his total tally this season stands at six goals and six assists in 22 games in the early months of the campaign.

The Cameroon-born gem – who was part of Hansi Flick’s World Cup squad for Qatar – only recently became the youngest player to ever hit ten goals in the Bundesliga, having also broken the record for the youngest player to make his league debut in the German top-flight back in November 2020.

Such a meteoric rise – which followed a string of prolific form at youth team level in which he scored 90 goals in 56 games for the U17s – has seen the exciting asset lauded as a “wonder” by his brother, Borel, while he is also said to be valued at around £22m, as per CIES Football Observatory.

Moukouko’s emergence onto the scene at Dortmund no doubt has similarities to that of former teammate Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian hotshot having also previously made his name for Die Borussen.

The 22-year-old – who previously scored 86 goals in just 89 games in the yellow jersey – has even lauded his former colleague for his sparkling talents, with the Manchester City talisman stating previously:

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Moukoko’s much better than I was at his age. I’ve never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life. The advantage for him is that he’s already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne.”

Should Moukoko be able to follow in his fellow left-footer’s footsteps and make his mark in the Premier League it would certainly prove a real coup for Eddie Howe’s side, with the Etihad machine having already shown his ruthless nature in English football with 18 goals in just 13 league games this season.

The Tynesiders will likely face a real fight to land the £4k-per-week starlet in 2023, although being able to secure a Haaland-esque talent could well be a real masterstroke.