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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may have something of a striker conundrum should Roberto Firmino be ruled out with the issue that saw him substituted off against Manchester United after half-an-hour on Sunday, but there might be one surprise solution.

On the chalkboard

The Reds have crucial fixtures against Watford and Everton this week as they look to keep their Premier League title hopes alive and kicking, but they could easily be without their Brazilian talisman.

Klopp of course could call on Daniel Sturridge – as he did on Sunday – or Divock Origi to fill the centre-forward role, or the German boss could choose to use Mo Salah through the middle – something he has done when he has preferred a 4-2-3-1 system.

However, one left-field option could be to use Sadio Mane there, in the hope of aiding the Senegal international’s personal development.

Make him less selfish

While the 26-year-old is clearly a great attacker who provides a huge threat for his team in the final third, there have been examples on more than one occasion this term where he has been too selfish.

It is a trait that perhaps could have been attributed to Firmino prior to him being used through the middle too, but since he moved to the centre-forward role he has clearly become much more of a team player and taken the responsibility on his shoulders.

The South American star has excelled when it comes to holding the ball and bringing his teammates into play, and basically giving Mane and Salah more time and space to thrive.

It is certainly an unselfish role that the Brazilian is playing, and Mane could learn a thing or two by taking on the same one – with last season’s top goalscorer and Xherdan Shaqiri available they wouldn’t lose quality on the wings either.

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes ‘we could hear some movement’ on AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in January, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Kessie links

Spurs were thought to be in advanced talks with the 24-year-old just last month, with the Ivorian’s contract at the San Siro set to expire in six months’ time.

Labelled as ‘devastating’ by former Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi, the tough-tackling midfield colossus is valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt and has made over 200 appearances for his current employers.

A Tottenham source has recently revealed that groundwork is being laid by Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici for the “biggest January window in the club’s history”.

And it seems as if Kessie could be one winter window arrival in north London.

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Wenham was talking to Football Insider following that source’s claim. The N17 insider believes that there could be movement in regards to Kessie soon, backing Paratici to seal a pre-contract agreement.

“I think we could hear some movement on the Kessie deal.

“I can see us agreeing a pre-contract deal then maybe offering AC Milan a small fee to take him straight away.

“That would probably appeal to them because they would at least get something out of the deal.

“We need players in now so it would surprise me if we only signed Kessie for him to come at the end of the season.

“That’s one I can see happening and I have spoken about it before.

“I am willing to trust Paratici and Conte on these things so if he did come in it would be exciting.”

The Verdict: ‘Exciting’ times

As Wenham mentions, bringing Kessie to the club could prove to be an ‘exciting’ piece of business, especially if it is for free or in a cut-price January move.

He can play in a defensive or central midfield role and has plenty of international and Serie A experience.

Conte currently has five defensive or central midfield options at Spurs, however, he could move on two in January with Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks linked with exits.

Should departures materialise, then reinforcements would be needed, and bringing in a £49.5m-rated player in a cut-price transfer could be an excellent move.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist shares Spurs exit update from ‘very good sources’. 

Taking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have been left excited by an ExWHUemployee transfer update involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

Manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman have set their sights on a forward signing before January 31 with Hlozek one of the many names recently linked.

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Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s recent purchase of a 27% stake in West Ham has only accelerated reports of the 19-year-old potentially moving to east London, with 90min reporter Toby Cudworth saying his influence could ‘sway’ an agreement (Twitter).

GSB, as a result, may have the opportunity to back Moyes with Hlozek’s acquisition and this is reiterated by reliable club insider ExWHUemployee.

He claims that West Ham could sign the prolific teenager and a ‘deal is there to be done’ (via West Ham Views) if Newman and Moyes opt take it further.

West Ham fans excited…

Reacting with their opinions on Twitter, these Irons supporters have been left excited by the fact an agreement to sign Hlozek is indeed possible this month.

He has been making waves for Sparta, notching an impressive 21 goals and 24 assists since the start of 2020/2021 and earning call-ups to the Czech Republic national team so early in his career.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder these Hammers fans believe he could be a ‘quality’ addition – find all of their best reactions down below:

“Get him to the bowl”

Credit: @Adamsoitis

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Hlozek and David up top together would be deadly, add Kamara to that and we’d be set for a decade”

Credit: @arrrrrrrchie

“So doooooo itttttt”

Credit: @NStampar

“PLEASEEE!”

Credit: @WestHamNRU

“Get it done West Ham.”

Credit: @PakistanHammers

“Absolutely get it done. Quality striker.”

Credit: @chris31demons

In other news: ‘I know for a fact’ – talkSPORT reporter makes on air West Ham transfer claim involving £17m ace, find out more here.

West Ham United are unlikely to make a move to bring James Tarkowski to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Jacob Steinberg’s recent report for The Guardian, with the journalist revealing that, despite David Moyes’ side being heavily linked with a move for the Burnley centre-back this month, a deal for the 29-year-old looks more and more unlikely with each passing day.

Steinberg goes on to suggest that this is both a result of the defender being available on a free transfer at the end of the season, as well as the fact that Kurt Zouma is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury the France international picked up against Chelsea towards the start of December.

In his article, the journalist wrote: “West Ham, who have not been as defensively sound without Zouma and [Angelo] Ogbonna, could still look for a defender. It is understood that a move for Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is increasingly unlikely this month.”

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how poor West Ham have been without both Ogbonna and Zouma in the heart of their defence, it is clear for all to see that centre-back is undoubtedly a position which Moyes must strengthen this January if he is to give his side the best possible chance of securing a top-four finish in the league this season.

Indeed, over the five Premier League games in which the Hammers have been without both centre-backs – a run which was hardly the most challenging set of fixtures, with the Irons facing Burnley, Arsenal, Southampton, Watford and Crystal Palace – the East London side conceded eight goals, kept just one clean sheet and picked up seven points from a possible 15.

As such, a move for a player who has made an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 5.1 clearances and won 67% of his duels over 16 Premier League outings this season in the form of Tarkowski would have very much appeared to be a wise one by Moyes this month.

However, following Steinberg’s recent update, it would now appear unlikely that the Hammers will be making a move for the England international this January, something that certainly has the potential to leave the London Stadium faithful fuming.

In other news: GSB can land “next Mbappe” as WHU bid for 19 y/o with “the mentality of Kobe Bryant”

As per a report in The Daily Mirror’s print edition (28.01.21, pg. 58, via The 72), a transfer update has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Johnstone move…

The Baggies ace will be a name familiar to Lilywhites supporters given he has been linked repeatedly before, with talkSPORT most recently claiming Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici remain in contention for his signature.

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Tottenham, joined by the likes of Southampton and West Ham, are consistently mentioned as interested clubs with Johnstone’s contract at the Hawthorns set to expire soon.

If West Brom are to make a profit, they must cash-in over the next two days or risk losing him for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.

Johnstone’s manager, Valerien Ismael, left him out of West Brom’s last squad to face Preston North End – citing it as a behind-the-scenes ‘issue’ and one which will remain ‘internal’ (Birmingham Live).

The Latest: Spurs ‘could make a last minute move’…

After this development, it is claimed by The Mirror (via The 72) that Spurs could now ‘make a last minute move’ to sign the 28-year-old before deadline.

The fellow usual suspects, West Ham and Southampton, are also mentioned as clubs who may make an eleventh hour bid.

The Verdict: Priority?

Signing Johnstone should, at the very most, be a priority for the summer window when he is a free agent – especially since Conte has four other priority positions to strengthen before January 31.

The Italian wants a right-wing-back, midfielder, left-sided central defender and a striker through the door at N17 but time is very much running out (Alasdair Gold).

Johnstone comes with merit, with the Three Lions ace even being called ‘unreal’ by former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny for his form in the Midlands over this last year.

Meanwhile, Spurs favourite Glenn Hoddle raved about the 6 foot 3 powerhouse in a column for The Evening Standard – branding Johnstone ‘outstanding’.

Plaudits like these don’t come from nowhere, but with time ticking down, Conte must surely be looking at other targets first.

In other news: Spurs also preparing last gasp marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward, find out more here.

Ralf Rangnick may only ever have one transfer window as manager of Manchester United so he needs to make the most of it before taking up a role behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

United have never been afraid of spending big but as we’ve seen, money isn’t always the answer to a problem.

The Red Devils look like an outside bet to secure Champions League football next season but a few fresh faces in January could be just the ticket for their interim German manager.

One area that will have to be addressed is in the middle of the park where Paul Pogba’s future is, as always, very much up for debate.

Fred has hardly set the world alight since moving to English shores but under Rangnick, there is a realisation that he could become a key cog in the engine room due to his ability to relentlessly press and hassle opponents.

His aggressive and frantic nature could be the perfect tonic to a certain Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutchman has been continuously linked with a move to Man United in recent weeks and although talks haven’t taken place yet, it would be wise for Rangnick to lure him to the northwest of England this winter.

He is blessed with technical elegance and poise and is capable of thriving in a number of different disciplines, no matter whether it’s in the final third or defensively.

The Netherlands international is exceptional at retaining possession which can be seen by a mightily impressive pass success rate of 91.1% which is higher than any regular starter at United.

What also stands out is his elite ball carrying, something typified by his numbers for Barcelona.

In La Liga, the £81m-rated maestro has amassed 2.2 dribbles a match this term which is more than anybody at Old Trafford, including Pogba.

Not only is he calm and wonderfully gifted but he possesses an abundance of talents that could help him fit in right from the get-go in English football.

After all, this is a player tipped for some incredible things in his career.

Speaking about the Dutchman, Chief football writer at De Telegraaf, Valentijn Driessen said:

“He really does have some touches of Johan Cruyff. That acceleration, that hair, that forward thinking. He is not a second Cruyff, but he really does have the essence of Cruyff. He is our big hope in dark days.”

More eye-catching praise came from ex-Ajax man Arie Haand who added: “Now, you might laugh, but he is a better version of Franz Beckenbauer. People must interpret that properly. What I really mean is that he also has speed and passes easily. That’s an enormous weapon.”

That is an incredibly bold statement to make but it suggests why United must do plenty to seal his signature when the market opens next month.

AND in other news, Rangnick must seal MUFC swoop for “outstanding” £113m gem who drives Roy Keane “crazy”…

Leeds United may not have had the start to their second season back in the Premier League as they would have hoped based on their early results.

Injuries have also dampened their campaign so far with the likes of Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Robin Koch being out of action for significant periods.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is approaching, the Yorkshire club could be forced into bringing some new players in to help strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s squad and get them away from the relegation zone.

One player that Leeds could secure the signing of in January that they were linked with over the summer is Cagliari right-midfielder Nahitan Nandez.

Recent reports from Calcio Mercato (via Leeds Live) have claimed that the Italian club would be prepared to sell Nandez for lower than his €36m (£30.5m) release clause.

If these claims are true, this could provide Victor Orta with a great opportunity to deliver Bielsa his dream transfer that they missed out on in the summer without having to pay as much as they originally thought they had to.

Since joining the Serie A club from Boca Juniors back in the 2019 summer transfer window, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, has made 85 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing nine assists in the process.

As well as showing how much of a versatile player he is by playing in a number of positions across the midfield and attack for Cagliari in Serie A this season, Nandez has also managed to highlight how much of a well-rounded player he is by racking up an average of 1.1 key passes per game as well as 2.1 tackles per game.

This backs up why Serie A expert Conor Clancy previously described Nandez as a “powerful” player that has “really good ball control.”

Taking all of this into account, if Leeds see an opportunity to work out a financially viable deal with the Italian club to bring Nandez to Elland Road in January, then they should be all over it, as the Uruguayan has shown he could be a solid addition to their squad and suited to the physical nature of the Premier League.

In other news: Leeds plot January swoop for “very gifted” £9m-rated “beast”, Bielsa would be buzzing…

Rangers will be looking to re-establish their six-point lead at the top of the Premiership as they return to action in the league tonight.

The Gers travel to face Aberdeen and can move six points clear of their nearest challengers with a win against the Dons.

It is a first outing for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side since Boxing Day due to the rescheduled winter break, having beaten St Mirren 2-0 towards the end of December.

How many changes will the Dutchman make to the team for tonight? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that the 46-year-old will make three alterations to the team from their most recent match, with Juninho Bacuna, James Sands and Fashion Sakala coming in.

One player who could be axed from the XI to make away for Sakala is Scott Wright. Van Bronckhorst has rotated his attacking options throughout his time at the club so far and he could offer the Zambian an opportunity to come in and show what he can do on the wing, with the 24-year-old being the fall guy.

The summer signing has five goals and one assist in 14 Premiership outings this term, whilst only starting six league matches for the Gers. This suggests that he has the quality to come in and make an impact in a front three alongside Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent.

Van Bronckhorst could also hand a debut to midfielder James Sands, who has joined the club from New York City FC on loan this month. Joe Aribo started the win over St Mirren and is now away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, leaving his place in the team open for someone to come in.

Scott Arfield and Steven Davis have both been ruled out through injury, which means that Sands could be primed to start in holding midfield alongside Glen Kamara.

Finally, Juninho Bacuna could come in to replace Ianis Hagi. The £21k-per-week Romania international could be axed after his poor showing against St Mirren prior to the break, recording a lowly SofaScore rating of 6.4 for his performance, the worst of any Gers starter that day.

As per SofaScore, he lost seven of his eight duels in the match and only created one chance from midfield. Therefore, Bacuna could be selected ahead of him in order to give him the chance to show Van Bronckhorst what he can do in the number 10 role.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could find Rangers their next Patterson in machine who’s tipped for a “big career”…

Celtic have the chance to go six points clear at the top of the Premiership on Sunday if they can secure a win in the latest Glasgow derby.

Prior to the recent international break, the Hoops recorded a convincing 4-0 win over Ross County at Parkhead, setting them up nicely to take on their fiercest rivals at Ibrox this weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of how Ange Postecoglou could set up his team tomorrow, one player who didn’t start against County but we feel should be in the starting XI on this occasion is full-back Anthony Ralston.

Despite seeing Josip Juranovic start ahead of him last time out, the 23-year-old replaced him with 62 minutes on the clock and managed to put on a solid show.

With 28 minutes under his belt, the Scotland international made one tackle, won 100% of his aerial duels and completed 40 of the 43 passes he attempted, two of which were key passes. This cameo ultimately earned him an overall match rating of 7/10 from SofaScore, which is higher than what Juranovic got.

Looking at his season as a whole, Ralston has shown what an impressive all-around figure he is by racking up four goals and seven assists, along with averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game in the league.

Praised for his “magnificent” performances in the past and hailed as a “warrior” on the pitch by Postecoglou, Ralston certainly has what it takes to be a real nuisance for his opponents from an attacking and defensive sense.

Taking into account the magnitude of tomorrow’s showdown and what it could mean for the title race on both sides, having a player like the £1.62m-rated defender on the pitch could be vital for Celtic given how deadly he can be in front of goal and how tough he can be at the back.

Moving forward, even though Rangers have scored fewer goals and conceded more than the Hoops this season, their current position in the table means that they will only be looking to win on Sunday. Therefore, if they go all-out attacking from the get-go, having a player like Ralston who can defend and also punish teams at the other end could make him the difference between winning and losing for Celtic. He is a man they will likely need this weekend.

In other news: Celtic will rue call on £25k-p/w gem whose value has rocketed 400% since Parkhead exit

Sky Sports have dropped a live TV update on Manchester United and their pursuit of Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: United closing in?

It seems as if the Red Devils are looking to get a deal for Ralf Rangnick’s long-term replacement in place before the summer.

United officials spoke with both Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino last month, with a move for Ten Hag now gathering pace.

The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday evening that United are close to appointing the Dutch manager at Old Trafford, with negotiations moving very quickly.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports senior reporter Melissa Reddy dropped a live TV update on Thursday regarding United and Ten Hag.

Reddy revealed that United have insisted that no deal has been signed with Ten Hag. However, ‘sources close to Ten Hag and Ajax’ told Sky Sports that compensation and an ‘announcement’ have been discussed regarding the 52-year-old, with formalities expected to be completed soon.

The Verdict: A matter of time?

It looks as if it is now just a matter of time until Ten Hag is announced as Manchester United’s next permanent manager.

The club have done extremely well when it comes to working behind the scenes for Ten Hag, who is leading his side in a title race with PSV.

Finalising a move before May should give the Red Devils the best possible chance of a successful rebuild, instead of the club searching for a new boss during the summer window.

In other news: Fresh Man Utd ‘concern’ after Romano shares ‘bad news’ at Old Trafford.