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Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge. 

The Lowdown: Liverpool’s previous interest in Berge

The Merseyside club have been linked with a move for the Blades midfielder in the past, most recently during the previous summer transfer window.

This season has seen the Norwegian, who had a £25m price tag reportedly put on him last summer, score three goals and deliver three assists in 12 Championship appearances.

Now that the January transfer window is around the corner, the Reds have reportedly reignited their interest in the player.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing Sander Berge

According to a recent report from Jeunes Footeux, Liverpool, and fellow Premier League side Chelsea, have been keeping their eye on Berge for several months.

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The report also adds that the two sides could make moves to sign the 6 foot 5 midfielder during the January transfer window and exactly why – as Liverpool ‘anticipate the departures’ of both Naby Keita (end of contract) and Arthur Melo (end of loan).

The Verdict: A useful signing for Liverpool

In addition to his goals and assists this season, Berge has also racked up the highest passing accuracy percentage (81.7%) out of any Blades player that has attempted more than two passes in the league.

The 24-year-old, who has been praised for his “outstanding” attitude in the past by Chris Wilder, has also racked up the fourth-highest number of shot-creating actions (41) and goal-creating actions (5) at the Yorkshire club, as well as the second-highest total of successful dribbles (20).

This showcases how much of an attack-minded midfielder he is and what he’d be able to offer Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Having already experienced life in the Premier League and English football, this could make it easier for the Norwegian to settle into Liverpool if he does end up at Anfield in January.

Bearing in mind how Liverpool have a significant number of central-midfielders in their squad in and around the age of 30, bringing in Berge could be a smart long-term investment for the Merseyside club to make based on his age.

Leeds United are confident in talks to sign Atletico Madrid attacker Matheus Cunha, according to a fresh transfer report from South America.

The Lowdown: Cunha links emerge

The Whites have been linked with the signing of the Brazilian a number of times in recent weeks, as Jesse Marsch eyes up January reinforcements.

Cunha has found himself on the periphery of Diego Simeone’s plans at Atletico, rarely getting into the starting XI and failing to score so far this season.

It looks likely that he will leave the La Liga giants and rumours of a move to Leeds are refusing to go away.

The Latest: Leeds confident

According to Goal Brasil’s Ruben Uria, Victor Orta, Andrea Radrizzani and co. are ‘holding talks to discuss his signing’ and they are confident the project at Elland Road is a convincing one.

Arsenal, Wolves and Aston Villa are also mentioned as potential suitors, however, as Uria revealed in a post on Twitter that there are ‘negotiations’ with multiple clubs.

“Matheus Cunha: four Premier clubs and one starting price. Open talks, negotiations still ongoing. Nothing closed. Atleti, waiting for the final offer to sell the Brazilian.”

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The Verdict: Get it done Orta!

It certainly feels as though Leeds see Cunha as a genuine target to come in and make their attack more fearsome, given the intensifying links to the versatile forward in recent days.

The Whites could do with more depth in attack between now and the end of the season, especially considering Patrick Bamford is finding it increasingly difficult to stay fit.

And even if they have to outbid some of their rivals to win the race, Leeds would be wise to do that, with the 23-year-old a massive talent who could thrive off a fresh challenge, having scored 15 goals in 16 caps for Brazil’s Under-23s in the past and even earning eight caps for the senior side.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that signing Atletico Madrid and Portugal star Joao Felix would ‘be a massive coup’ for Aston Villa.

The Lowdown: Interest there

Villa’s interest in Felix has been widely reported, as he could leave Atletico in the January transfer window.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano, who dubbed him a ‘special talent’, has shared that there are ‘tensions’ between Felix and his manager Diego Simeone, meaning that the former is ‘open’ to leaving in 2023.

The Latest: Be a ‘massive coup’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that it would be a ‘massive coup’ for Villa to sign Felix:

“It’d be a massive coup to get someone like Joao Felix to make the move to Villa Park right now. Obviously, you’ve got Unai Emery there who will know all about Felix from his time in Spain as well.

“But Villa have shown in the past that they can attract players, they signed Philippe Coutinho last January from Barcelona, so they do have the finances and the lure to sign these top players.

“So, it just shows the ambition that Villa’s owners have got that they’re actually in the mix for Felix.”

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The Verdict: Unlikely…

As much of a big signing as Felix would be for the Villans, it just seems highly unlikely that they would be able to attract him in January.

90min have listed European heavyweights Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG also among his potential suitors, and Felix may want to play for a team that can offer him European football.

Hailed as ‘electric’ for Portugal during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar by journalist Nico Cantor, the 23-year-old scored one goal and made two assists in four starts (Transfermarkt) before his country were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals, showing the kind of promise that persuaded Atletico to pay a whopping £113m to sign him from Benfica back in 2019.

Nonetheless, Felix looked like a player that regained his confidence, but it would likely take a lot of persuading to get him to move to Villa Park.

Liverpool are reportedly looking to secure a move to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez during the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Liverpool linked with Fernandez

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Merseyside club had made contact with the Lisbon giants over a potential deal for the midfielder.

The 21-year-old joined Benfica from River Plate only last summer and has since gone on to make 24 appearances for the club.

With the January transfer window set to open next week, and the Reds already reaching an agreement to secure the services of Cody Gakpo, some details have emerged regarding their pursuit of Fernandez.

The Latest: Liverpool intensifying Fernandez chase

According to a recent report from O Jogo, Liverpool and their Premier League rivals Manchester United are intensifying their efforts to sign Fernandez.

The report from the Portuguese outlet adds that the possibility of the Argentine World Cup winner leaving Benfica next month is increasing.

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The Verdict: He’d be a marquee signing

In addition to scoring three goals and providing five assists for Benfica this season, the youngster also scored one goal and provided one assist for Argentina during their World Cup triumph, which ended with him also taking home the Young Player of the Tournament award.

In fact, his overall performances in Qatar earned him a rating of 7.06/10 from WhoScored, making him the fourth-highest rated player in Argentina’s squad.

Hailed as a “phenomenal” player by journalist Zach Lowy on Twitter, Fernandez would surely be a marquee signing for the Reds given his emergence as one of the top talents in European club football. It could also see them once again beat their Manchester rivals to one of their targets, as the Red Devils were also linked with Gakpo before the player agreed his move to Anfield.

With the Dutchman reportedly set to be added to Jurgen Klopp’s squad in the coming days, if the Reds were to also sign Fernandez before the end of next month, this would certainly be an impressive period of winter transfer business.

Manchester United are reportedly closing in on a January transfer for Stade Rennais’ Martin Terrier, who is considered to be one of Ligue 1’s most prolific forwards. 

United are making progress under Erik ten Hag, albeit not the finished article, and there is an overarching feeling within the club that a continuation of newfound cohesion and a further calculated signing could lift the club to the upper echelon of European outfits.

There is still work to be done, and the rancorous exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, terminating his contract after an impassioned interview with Piers Morgan, has left a hole in the offensive third.

And now, according to Media Foot, Ten Hag has been in contact with the player’s representatives, with the club delving into the possibility of striking a reported £34m deal.

He’s “a-la Thierry Henry”

The Red Devils, after finishing sixth in the Premier League last term, have made a promising start to life under their Dutch manager and sit in fifth place after 15 matches, just one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and with a game in hand.

A talisman would certainly go a long way, and while the Theatre of Dreams is host to offensive prowess aplenty, there is something missing, something that could boost the ascension back to a place at the very front of the pack.

Terrier has been in fine form this season, scoring 11 goals and serving four assists from just 20 appearances, including three in six in the Europa League.

And last year in Ligue 1, the 25-year-old’s 21 strikes were bettered only by Wissam Ben Yedder and the imperious Kylian Mbappe. 

There is a clear indication that the gem would arrive at Old Trafford with an abundance of goals in tow, slotting into the fold without seam. 

With his dynamism allowing him to flourish both as a central striker and as an inside forward, cutting in from the left flank, Terrier bears eye-catching semblance to one Thierry Henry, whose 228 goals and 103 in 376 appearances for Arsenal sit in tandem with two Premier League trophies and three FA Cup’s – left his iconic status etched perpetually into English footballing lore.

Illustrating the similarity between the two players, European football writer Tim Williams once said this:  

“He’s a very quick, left-sided right-footed attacking player whose trademark is coming in off the left flank and whipping shots in, a-la Thierry Henry.

“Looking at his age and the phenomenal season he had last season, he will probably think that if he is ever going to make a big move to the Premier League, it’s probably going to be now or never.”

United’s prolonged intrigue in the player also bodes well for the prospect of an eventual bid, with 90min reporting in early November that the outfit had sent scouts to observe his match performance.

Time will tell whether a move comes to fruition, but with such sustained stellar showings, Terrier would certainly be a boost to an ambitious United side’s exploits.

Therefore, Old Trafford chief John Murtough must look to sign the Frenchman when the transfer window reopens for business on January 1st.

West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Huddersfield Town midfielder Jon Russell this month and he could form a fantastic partnership with Okay Yokuslu.

According to reports from Alan Nixon in December, Carlos Corberan is keen to reunite with the 22-year-old at the Hawthorns, having given the young midfielder his first taste of senior football at Huddersfield during his spell with the Terriers.

The Jamaican midfielder would score twice in 22 appearances under the Spanish manager at the John Smith’s Stadium, playing a significant role in their run to the Championship playoff final last season.

However, he has lost his regular place in the starting side so far this campaign, with his last appearance coming in early October, so it is no surprise that rumours of a potential exit are rife.

If Corberan could help Russell rediscover his best form, which saw him average an impressive 6.87 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Championship last term, he could be an excellent addition to the Baggies’ midfield.

The young midfielder’s contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign, which means that any January deal could prove to be a bargain for Corberan as he looks to continue West Brom’s resurgence in the Championship, with promotion certainly on the cards if they can maintain their current form.

Former Huddersfield assistant manager Danny Schofield was full of praise for Russell after he starred in an FA Cup win against Barnsley last season.

He said: “From day one when Jon stepped in the building we knew we had somebody who has got a special talent.

“He’s got real ability with the ball, very composed in central areas and I thought he had a really good game.”

Russell is not only an excellent midfielder in possession, as he also offers a big physical threat in the middle of the park, standing at an impressive 6 foot 4.

The prospect of having the 22-year-old alongside the similarly imposing Yokuslu, who stands at 6 foot 3 will equally delight Corberan and terrify opposition managers, as the Baggies continue to dominate and fly up the table.

The Turkish midfielder is West Brom’s top-ranked player this season according to WhoScored and leads the way for tackles per game, while Russell was ranked top for interceptions per game in Huddersfield’s squad last season, which suggests that they could form an incredible ball-winning partnership at the Hawthorns.

Therefore, Corberan should definitely try and bring Russell to West Brom this month.

Journalist Craig Hope has revealed that there has been ‘no fallout’ between Newcastle United and Allan Saint-Maximin but sensed an uneasy feeling after the player missed the club’s most recent game.

What’s the word?

In the FA Cup this weekend, the Magpies suffered a shock 2-1 loss away to Sheffield Wednesday as they were dumped unceremoniously out of the competition.

Beyond the result, there was more surprise before kick-off when Saint-Maximin was left out of the squad completely. This sparked fears amongst certain sections of the fanbase that perhaps all is not well between Eddie Howe and the player and that perhaps a January transfer could be on the cards.

However, it was later claimed by the club that the winger had to miss the game due to an illness picked up in the build-up to the match.

Even so, while speaking about it all on his YouTube channel, Hope didn’t sound particularly convinced. He said (3:40): “I know there’s a lot of rumours and different things which are going around.”

He continued: “Now, I’m told there has been no fallout. I’m sure there’s been no one incident where there’s been a fallout.

“But some of the feeling you did get around it, it didn’t feel necessarily easy, in terms of in terms of the reasons given for his absence.”

Exit on the cards?

Clearly, Hope remains unconvinced that the relationship between player and club is all fine right now. However, Howe did state that it was a ‘huge disappointment’ Saint-Maximin couldn’t play and said he hoped the ‘match-winner’ would be back soon.

So, on the surface of it, things don’t seem to be too bad. Even so, the French winger clearly isn’t a fully trusted player for the Magpies.

Indeed, this is shown by the fact that he has started just four Premier League games all season. Unsurprisingly, Saint-Maximin has struggled for form since and has scored just one league goal this term, coming way back in August.

Taking it all into account, it does feel as though there could be more to this story. And with the January transfer market currently open, you never know just where things might end up going.

Journalist Beren Cross has slammed Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk after his disappointing display in the club’s most recent game.

What’s the word?

On Sunday afternoon, Jesse Marsch and co took on Championship club Cardiff City away from home in the third round of this year’s FA Cup.

The game, however, did not get off to a good start for the Whites. Indeed, by the 31st minute, they were trailing by two goals. And even though they eventually managed to level the game (meaning a replay will now have to be played) thanks to goals from Rodrigo and Sonny Perkins, it really was a calamitous first half.

At the heart of that, in the eyes of Cross at least, was Struijk who failed to impress. While speaking on a LeedsLive video, the journalist tore into the ‘lax’ defender.

He said: “He was the epitome of a Premier League footballer playing against an underdog in a cup game.

“I know that’s not Struijk’s intention and we know Struijk is a very very good character, very competitive, very professional. But unfortunately for him, the resulting play from him, he did seem half asleep.

“He was slow to everything, he was lax. I think he underestimated everything, he underestimated the speed of passes into him, he underestimated danger that was in and around him. He was sloppy with the ball, sloppy with his decisions, and when he did make decisions, he was slow with them.”

Bad day at the office?

So far this season, Struijk has been asked to play all of his Premier League games as a left-back. However, this FA Cup match afforded him the rare chance to play in the middle of the defence.

Not only that, but he was also handed the captain’s armband for the match. Unfortunately, though, the 23-year-old has a day to forget.

As per SofaScore, his stats were underwhelming at best as he lost the ball 14 times, made one foul, and even managed to miss one big chance at the other end of the pitch.

Manager Marsch also singled out Struijk for an error he made, calling it a ‘big turning point’ in the game.

He told the press: “I think a big turning point in the match is when Pascal plays unnecessarily back to Joel [Robles] that goes out for a corner kick and now they have a chance to feel like they can come into the match.

“And the crowd can get into the match. And then once they feel like they can they have a chance, the game starts to change.”

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale snapped up 18-year-old talent Alex Kpapke on a short-term deal and he is the first new arrival at the club since the Englishman took over in November.

It was revealed by The Athletic last month that the youngster had played a bounce game for the Ibrox side following his release from Chelsea and that the club had an interest in the player.

Although starting out as a defensive midfielder, he now mainly operates as a left-back and can also feature as a centre-back if required and this versatile nature could be an added bonus for Beale.

His main strength lies in his “power in transition” according to Jordan Campbell and his attributes could lead to the Light Blues saving millions in the future.

Calvin Bassey 2.0

Kpakpe could be another Bassey for Rangers, with the 18-year-old extremely similar in terms of playing style to the now Ajax star.

Bassey also signed for the club having developed at a Premier League side following his move from Leicester City, and although he was slightly ahead in the pecking order than Kpakpe is right now, the 23-year-old remained patient and got his chance under Steven Gerrard as Borna Barisic’s deputy.

He featured 15 times in his first season, claiming a Premiership winners medal before making a major breakthrough in his second campaign, forming a solid centre-back partnership with Connor Goldson as the club won the Scottish Cup while making it to the Europa League final.

This in turn led to him being sold to Ajax for a club record £23m fee and there is a void to be filled since his departure.

Kpakpe will join up with the B team and could play a part in the 13 matches that the club has left in the Lowland league this season before Beale makes a judgement on whether he will be offered a long-term contract in the summer.

He had injury issues at Chelsea which limited him to just nine appearances in the U18 Premier League since 2020 and hopefully, he can remain injury free during his spell in Glasgow.

If so, and he manages to make an impression, he could force his way into Beale’s first team plans and end up developing into a player similar to Bassey.

Aston Villa are reportedly set to complete their first, and potentially only, big sale of the January transfer window as Danny Ings closes in on an exit from the club.

The former Southampton centre-forward is said to be on the verge of securing a transfer to fellow Premier League side West Ham for a fee of £15m.

It remains to be seen whether or not Unai Emery will be eyeing up a deal to sign a direct replacement for the English number nine but there is one position in which the Spaniard does want to make an addition.

The Times’ Charlotte Duncker has revealed that the Villans are in the market to improve their options out wide after bringing in Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire.

She Tweeted: “A right winger, which Emery has identified as a position they need to strengthen, still needed with Duran a centre-forward. Ings’ goal contributions will be a miss but #avfc had the chance to get around £15m for a player who isn’t in Emery’s long-term plans.”

Villa must now swoop to sign Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma to fill that gap in the squad as the Netherlands international has the potential to be an excellent addition to the team.

The Spanish outfit have given the forward permission to speak with interested clubs as they are willing to sanction a loan move for the second half of the campaign.

When asked about a possible move to Villa Park for the attacker, journalist Ryan Taylor told GIVEMESPORT:

“I don’t think there has been interest from Villa, whenever I’ve asked a question, it’s been shot down, but obviously, we know how good Danjuma was under Emery last year at Villarreal. So, hypothetically, that’s an avenue that could be explored.”

Emery must now explore a deal to sign the Dutchman as the pair worked well together in Spain and the forward could thrive under his management in the Premier League.

During their time at Villarreal, Danjuma, who journalist Casey Evans claimed is capable of conjuring “pure magic”, plundered 19 goals and four assists in 43 appearances in all competitions and this means that the winger averaged a goal contribution every 1.87 matches.

The former Bournemouth dynamo scored 16 times and assisted four in 27 starts in La Liga and the Champions League last season, averaging a goal involvement every 1.35 starts, and has, therefore, proven that he can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch whilst playing in Emery’s system.

Meanwhile, no Villa midfielder or winger managed more than six goals, or six assists, in the Premier League in 2021/22, something that indicates that Danjuma could be a big upgrade on the manager’s current options in those positions, which is why they must explore a deal to sign him.