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Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Serge Gnabry to Anfield in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal, who claim that, with there being no sign of the 26-year-old and Bayern Munich reaching an agreement regarding the extension of the winger’s current contract at the Allianz Arena – with is due to expire in the summer of 2023 – the Germany international is now considering a move away from the Bundesliga side.

The report goes on to state that this has alerted both Liverpool and Real Madrid to the forward’s potential availability this summer, with Jurgen Klopp’s side said to have identified the former Arsenal attacker as a candidate to replace Mohamed Salah – who is himself being linked with a move away from Anfield due to similar contractual issues.

Bye-bye Salah

While it would be an extremely difficult task to find a supporter of Liverpool who would be happy to wave goodbye to Salah at the end of the season, should the £225k-per-week forward go on to secure a move away from the club this summer, Gnabry would very much appear to be a near-perfect replacement for the Egyptian sensation.

Indeed, since making an €8m (£6.5m) move to Bayern back in July of 2017, Gnabry has gone on to establish a reputation as being one of the most deadly wingers currently playing the game – having scored a quite astonishing 61 goals and registered 40 assists over just 163 appearances for Die Roten – averaging 0.62 direct goal contributions per game.

And, while the €70m (£58m) valued German’s record is poorer than Salah’s at Liverpool – with the £90m-rated forward having scored 153 goals and provided 57 assists over his 240 outings for the Reds, averaging 0.89 direct goal contributions per game – it should be pointed out Gnabry’s record is still incredibly impressive, it is just that Salah has been on a different level from almost everyone in world football over the past four years.

Indeed, with the £115k-rated talent who Michael O’Neill dubbed “unplayable” being three years Salah’s junior, it is arguable whether or not the 26-year-old has even entered the prime of his professional career as yet – while the 29-year-old is certainly well into his.

Either way, should the Egypt international move onto pastures new this summer, Klopp could do a great deal worse than signing the Bayern star as his replacement, as Gnabry very much appears to be one of a very select group of players who would be able to soften the blow of losing the Liverpool talisman.

AND in other news: Source: Klopp now wants Liverpool to sign £150m “explosion”, he’s better than Thiago

Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba could return to the first-team squad for the first time in nearly four months today as the Villans host Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the story

According to Villa manager Steven Gerrard, the Zimbabwe international is nearing a return to action.

Ahead of the meeting with Spurs, the 41-year-old said of Nakamba: “He has played for the under-23s. So you couldn’t rule out the possibility of him making the matchday squad soon. If not for the Tottenham game, then he’s certainly going to be available for that Leicester fixture.

“But he has an outside chance of being involved in the matchday squad this weekend, although it wouldn’t be a start.

“It might be a bit too soon for him now because he hasn’t had any serious game time. Hopefully, he comes through that, recovers well and then he can be back with the group. He’s been back training fully for ten, 12 days, and he’s smiling, getting closer and closer.”

The Zambian has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury away to Liverpool in December but he featured for Villa’s under-23s last Friday, the 28-year-old’s first match since that pre-Christmas setback.

Gerrard will be buzzing

Although inconsistent form has ultimately denied the West Midlands side any late shot at qualifying for Europe, a top-half finish is still very achievable for the Villans.

With eight matches to go, it is vital that Gerrard’s men finish the season as strongly as possible, with the manager certain to be making judgements over the coming weeks as to which players will have a future at Villa Park .

Therefore, Nakamba’s imminent return comes as excellent timing, both for him and for the team as a whole.

The regular midfield trio of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have impressed during the 28-year-old’s absence, although having another option in the middle of the park will undoubtedly improve the Villa squad and give the manager some pleasant food for thought.

Indeed, Gerrard will be buzzing to have Nakamba back available, as the player had proven his worth for Villa earlier in the campaign. His match average of two tackles is the fourth-highest in the squad, while his 86.6% passing accuracy makes him the joint-leader in this regard of any current Villa player to have started a Premier League match this term, as per WhoScored.

Having as many players available as possible will be a high priority for Gerrard as his side look to finish the season strongly ahead of what could be a busy summer in the West Midlands.

In other news: Sources claim Aston Villa’s “crazy” £22.5m-rated talent could now leave, fans will surely be fuming

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Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their hunt to sign James Rodriguez, after the on-loan Bayern Munich star hinted at a return to the Spanish capital when his deal with the German side ends as reported by The Mirror.

What’s the word, then?

The Independent had previously reported that the Gunners were hoping to sign the Colombian international on a loan deal in the January window, although a move failed to materialise.

Real Madrid were said to be hoping to offload the former Monaco man upon his return, potentially using him as a sweetener in a deal for Christian Eriksen, but Arsenal’s chances of landing him in the summer look to have been dented after Rodriguez’s latest comments.

The 27-year-old said: “In Madrid, I have everything such as my house and people who love me. We will have to see what happens, but at the moment I have a contract with Bayern Munich.

“I just want to finish the season and we’ll see what happens. I keep in touch with some Real Madrid players.”

Sounds like he’s pretty keen on returning, and staying, in Madrid.

Where would he fit in if he did arrive at the Emirates?

This season, Bayern’s number 11 has featured in five different positions across midfield, highlighting his versatility and effectiveness in each area.

Rodriguez has made 18 appearances across all competitions for Niko Kovac’s side, scoring three goals and recording two assists from positions such as the centre attacking midfield area, left attacking midfield, central midfield, right midfield and left midfield.

To compare with a player whose future in north London looks uncertain in Mesut Ozil, the German almost exclusively plays in the centre attacking midfield position, as well as occasional ventures out onto the right.

If Rodriguez did arrive at the Emirates, Arsenal would instantly be handed a boost in terms of their squad depth, as they would be getting a player with excellent versatility and one who can cover more positions than Ozil – Rodriguez also works a lot harder.

Of course, it must be said that the Colombian playmaker hasn’t shown the form that made Los Blancos shell out £63m for his signature after the 2014 World Cup, but there is definitely a player of real pedigree in there somewhere.

Liverpool forward Divock Origi is on the verge of joining AC Milan this summer, with a move now reportedly ‘very close’ to being completed.

The Lowdown: Origi’s departure expected

The Belgian has had to accept being nothing more than a bit-part player for the Reds this season, not starting a single Premier League game to date in 2021/22.

The arrival of Luis Diaz in January has only pushed Origi further down the attacking pecking order at Anfield, leading to strong speculation over his future. Milan looks set to be his next destination, with constant reports suggesting as much.

The Latest: Milan move ‘very close’

According to journalist Nicolo Ceccarini [via Sport Witness], Origi is now ‘very close’ to joining the Rossoneri, with ‘great confidence’ that the move will go through.

The 26-year-old’s current Liverpool deal expires at the end of this season, allowing him to move to Milan on a free transfer.

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The Verdict: Goodbye to a Liverpool hero

Milan would be a perfect move for Origi, affording him more regular playing time at a top club, with the slight drop-off in standard from the Premier League also working in his favour.

The Belgium international will leave Liverpool as an undisputed cult hero, considering the magnitude of the goals he scored against the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham and Everton, to name just a few.

Despite his iconic status, though, it makes sense for both Liverpool and Origi for him to leave in the summer, bringing an end to one of the more eventful Reds careers, with Jermaine Jenas hailing the 26-year-old as ‘very unique’ after a trademark late winner against Wolves earlier in the season.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly keen on a move for a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Noel Whelan has been left shocked by what he has now heard coming from Newcastle United regarding Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Lowdown: £50m price tag

As per The Daily Mail, the St James’ Park club are now willing to entertain offers of around £50m for the 25-year-old once the season ends.

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It has also been reported that the Magpies could look at Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for the Frenchman, along with Leandro Trossard and Brennan Johnson.

The Latest: Whelan shocked by Saint-Maximin latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan – who regularly used to feature as a pundit for the BBC – has been left shocked by the news that the Newcastle board could sell Saint-Maximin for £50m, claiming that it would be a ‘ridiculous’ piece of business.

He said: “Look, I mean you can accept it. But if you’re going to go out there and get somebody with the same quality and love from the fans, firstly, they’ve got to earn that love, which Saint-Maximin has done.

“Secondly, he has put in the performances and been a talisman for a number of years now. £50million is not going to buy you a player of that quality, I don’t believe.

“Then you’d have the backlash from the fans. I’m very sure that they won’t see this as a positive. This is not what they expect after the consortium’s takeover of Newcastle.

“They thought they’d be spending £50million, not bringing in £50million by selling one of their best players.

“Saint-Maximin, for me, is one of these players that’s just unsellable right now to Newcastle, on many fronts. Shirt sales, fanbase and what he brings out there on the field.

“I’m sorry, but I just feel that’d be ridiculous business by Newcastle’s board.”

The Verdict: Hard to replace

As Whelan says, the Newcastle board could scoop a healthy £50m for Saint-Maximin in the summer, but the Frenchman would be very hard to replace.

He has been a mainstay in the team all season, with five goals and three assists in the Premier League so far (Transfermarkt).

Moreover, he currently ranks as the Magpies’ second-best performer in the top flight, and no team-mate comes close to his six man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also averages more shots and dribbles per game than any of his team-mates, so £50m may not even be enough to replace the quality that he possesses and his overall importance to Eddie Howe’s team.

In other news, find out which three stars PIF are now targeting this summer

Wolves midfielder Bruno Jordao is expected to seal a loan move to Grasshopper Club Zurich on deadline day, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Jordao struggling at Wolves

The 23-year-old joined Wanderers from Braga B back in 2019 but he is yet to make any kind of impression at the club.

Jordao has only made five appearances for Wolves to date, having been loaned out to Famalicao in 2020/21, and he played his first Wanderers game of this season in the FA Cup third round clash with Sheffield United earlier this month.

It now looks as though another loan move is on the cards for Jordao, with the deadline day clock ticking down.

The Latest: Loan move expected

According to The Daily Mail, the 5 foot 11 midfielder will join Grasshoppers on a temporary basis prior to the deadline on Monday.

Jordao’s current Wolves deal expires in the summer of 2024, but with each passing month, the more you wonder if he will see out his time at the club.

The Verdict: Possible summer exit?

The signing of Jordao has unquestionably been a failure, with the Portuguese ace never managing to settle and being badly hampered by injury problems, in fairness.

At 23, he can no longer be seen as a young prospect though and he needs to be playing regular football at a key point in his career, making his Grasshoppers move feel logical.

It could be that Lage has seen enough regarding Jordao, potentially selling him for good in the summer transfer window and hoping this temporary stint will do enough to put him in the shop window.

In other news, another late Wolves transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville lavished praise on West Ham United centre-back Craig Dawson during the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

The lowdown: Last man standing

With central defensive options Issa Diop, Kurt Zouma and long-term absentee Angelo Ogbonna all sidelined, Dawson was the only recognised choice in David Moyes’ much-changed side to face their London rivals.

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Making up a new-look back three alongside Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson, following a drab first half without action in what has previously been a pulsating London derby, the second 45 kicked into gear early on and the Hammers were called into defensive action.

However, the 31-year-old had proved to be more than a match for the attack on more than one occasion prior to being dismissed for hauling down Romelu Lukaku inside the area with just minutes remaining on the clock.

The Evening Standard rated his performance as ‘superb’ being undermined by the red card, with big name Sky pundit Neville joining in on the praise during West Ham’s encounter.

The latest: Neville impressed

Speaking as a co-commentator during Sky Sports’ live coverage, Neville was left in awe of the experienced Englishman’s actions at the 50-minute mark.

“Brilliant from Dawson. All the talk before the game was about Dawson being the only centre-back. He’s the only one they needed in the last minute or two. Two really good blocks.”

Ultimately it wasn’t Dawson’s error that cost the visitors a valuable point as Jorginho missed the resulting spot-kick before moments later Christian Pulisic netted beyond Lukasz Fabianski with West Ham without a recognised centre-back.

Overall the ex-Watford man completed seven clearances, seven blocked shots and won 1/1 (100%) of his aerial duels in a 7.30 rated display despite the red card (Sofascore).

The verdict: Outstanding before dismissal

Dawson has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving at the London Stadium and this was another flawless display from the experienced former England Under 21 international before being given his marching orders late on.

So far this season the Rochdale-born ace has made 44 appearances for Moyes’ side, scoring four times for the Irons as he proves to be equally adept in either penalty area and will be a huge miss whilst suspended.

Albeit the Hammers would’ve welcomed back any of Diop, Zouma and Ogbonna with open arms prior to this clash, Dawson has once again proven that he can be relied upon to marshall a backline successfully – even taking into account the dismissal.

In other news: Agreement reached: ExWHUemployee also has some promising player news for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

Sunderland Echo reporter Phil Smith was left baffled by Mike Dodds making no substitutions at half-time as Sunderland trailed 2-0 at home to Doncaster Rovers in League One.

The Lowdown: Worse than Bolton?

Last time out, the Black Cats were thumped 6-0 away at Bolton Wanderers, which of course cost Lee Johnson his job after a string of worrying performances.

They were 2-0 down at half-time in that fixture too, with the other four goals coming after the interval, and The Chronicle journalist James Hunter has suggested that their performance in the first half against Doncaster was even worse.

With that in mind, it beggars belief that interim boss Dodds opted not to make a single change after the first 45 this weekend.

The Latest: No subs

Taking to Twitter, Sunderland Echo journalist Smith has given his reaction to the decision by Dodds not to make any changes at half-time, calling it a ‘big call’:

“No changes at HT….. That’s a big call.”

Perhaps no surprise then that it didn’t pay off, with Corry Evans’ second-half goal not enough to rescue any points.

The Verdict: Baffling

Given that SAFC were 2-0 down at half-time once again, it was truly baffling that Dodds chose not to change things up for the second half, especially considering the quality of options available after some clever January business.

With the likes of Jermain Defoe and Patrick Roberts on the bench, he had plenty of attacking talent and experience at his disposal, but decided to stay put despite things clearly not working.

Doncaster are currently bottom of the League One table, and so this is a game that the Wearside club, especially at home in front of their own fans, really should be expecting to win comfortably.

In other news, find out what big double boost Sunderland received before the match here!

Newcastle United enjoyed a fine first transfer window under PIF as they completed a number of key deals throughout January.

Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Dan Burn, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes all came through the door as the Magpies flexed their financial strength in the market.

Eddie Howe now has more options to work with in the coming months to help the club avoid relegation down to the Championship at the end of the season, but how quickly will he integrate them?

Imagine him & Shelvey

One January addition who needs to be immediately unleashed is central midfielder Guimaraes as he could form an exciting partnership with Jonjo Shelvey in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian midfielder, who has been compared to “Kevin de Bruyne” by Brazil manager Tite, averaged a fantastic SofaScore rating of 7.30 in Ligue 1 for Lyon this season. He made 3.6 tackles and interceptions along with 1.8 key passes per game for the French outfit, highlighting his ability to make a difference in both boxes.

Shelvey, meanwhile, has scored two goals in 11 games for the Magpies in the Premier League this season, whilst making 0.8 key passes per game. This suggests that he has the quality to provide end product in the final third and Guimaraes’ progressive play should enhance the Englishman’s game, which is why they could make an exciting pairing.

Speaking to The Chronicle, Brazilian sports journalist Marcus Alves hailed the beast’s leadership skills, saying:

“He’s not the Roy Keane kind of leader – you probably won’t see him yelling at a team-mate, fighting the referee or something like that. But he is a positive leader, the kind of player who will not hide from the game and take responsibility to drive the dream forward.

“So, in that sense, yeah, you may see he’s a natural leader. He speaks very well and managed to learn French within just few months in Lyon, so it’s safe to say that communicating in English won’t be a problem, too.”

This suggests that he could be a key player for the club both in terms of his quality on the pitch and his ability to inspire and lead those around him. In difficult situations in matches, he could drag his teammates up and fight to get them out of trouble, which could be a major boost to a team fighting a relegation battle.

Therefore, Howe must unleash him from the start against Everton next week and place him alongside Shelvey in midfield.

AND in other news, Forget Ekitike: Howe dropped D-Day Newcastle clanger on “underrated” £50k-p/w flyer…

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now shared a Southampton transfer update involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Southampton eye summer moves…

The Saints and their transfer chief Martin Semmens reportedly have their eyes on the summer transfer window as they seemingly start to outline targets for 2022/23.

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Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been linked lately, with Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl allegedly eyeing a new striker addition. Meanwhile, lesser-known names like South Korea international Son Jun-ho are also on their radar alongside the potential addition of a new goalkeeper.

Taking to social media, Sky Sports reporter Thomas has now updated Saints supporters with some transfer news involving Johnstone.

The Latest: Thomas makes Johnstone claim…

According to the journalist’s sources, Southampton are among the clubs eyeing a move for West Brom’s soon to be out-of-contract ace. However, they will face stern competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.

Thomas explained on Twitter: “Tottenham continuing to assess Sam Johnstone as an option to strengthen GK dept this summer, via my colleague @RobDorsettSky, Man Utd and Southampton among other clubs interested.”

The Verdict: Make a move…

Winning the race for Johnstone, a three-cap England international, would be a stellar move by the Saints and Semmens, especially on a free transfer.

Former Baggies boss Sam Allardyce was effusive in his praise for the 29-year-old for his Premier League form last year, while the likes of Wolves legend Steve Bull have heralded Johnstone as a ‘world class’ shot stopper.

For zero cost, he could be the ideal man to strengthen Hasenhuttl’s options between the sticks, but the only caveat is arguably all the competition Southampton face for his services.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye ‘star’ international for Ralph, find out more here.