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Liverpool have had one of their worst starts to a Premier League season in over a decade and now Jurgen Klopp could be about to turn to the January transfer window to refresh his squad, with news of a potential transfer target emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones, Liverpool are monitoring PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo “very closely” ahead of the transfer window re-opening in the new year.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“They have watched him and they have monitored him very closely, as closely as most other teams have so far. They just haven’t been linked with him as frequently.”

“Now, I think it depends really on how their squad shapes up for the return to action as to whether they will be likely to go for him.”

Imagine him & Nunez

It is no secret that Liverpool have lost a certain amount of their spark this season as they sit sixth in the Premier League table after their first 14 outings but you can never write the Reds off in the second half of the season, especially if they can acquire the services of an “electric” – as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – star in Gakpo.

The talented 23-year-old matches Erling Haaland for the most goal contributions (21) in the entirety of Europe this season with nine goals and 12 assists over 14 appearances so far, and will be one of the headliners at the World Cup when he represents the Netherlands over the next month.

Gakpo – who was also hailed “creative” by Bunting – has risen through the ranks at PSV scoring 55 goals and registering 50 assists over his career at the club so far. Over he entire career, he’s weighed in with a goal contribution every 105 minutes proving that he is a consistent and reliable threat in the final third.

If FSG sanction a move for Gakpo in January or the summer he could become the perfect partner to Darwin Nunez.

The Dutchman is predominantly a left winger but is also comfortable occupying a role as a centre forward or right winger too and possesses attributes through his experience in a wider role that could benefit a striker like Liverpool’s newly-signed Uruguayan.

Gakpo ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for dribbles completed, shot-creating actions and touches, proving that not only is he a prolific goal-scorer himself but a selfless presence and a valuable team player on the pitch.

Indeed, his dazzling skillset of dribbling and chance creation would be perfect for Nunez, as the 23-year-old would no doubt benefit from his constant stream of service.

With that being said, if Liverpool could snap up Gakpo in the upcoming transfer window he would be a great asset to Klopp in the manager’s efforts to get his team back where they belong in the second half of the season.

Liverpool have had their worst start to a Premier League season in a decade and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping the second half of the season will bring more consistency from his side when they return to action after the World Cup.

The Reds are currently sixth in the league table picking up just 22 points from a possible 42 so far which has left them 15 points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the tree.

As a result, there is no doubt that the Liverpool boss will be looking for solutions during the Premier League pause to get his team in the best position to not only compete for a Champions League spot but to inspire success in their domestic cup and challenges in Europe ahead.

One way that Klopp could improve the team over the remainder of the campaign is by taking advantage of the opportunity to add high-quality players to his team in the January transfer window.

Indeed, Liverpool are constantly linked to some of the biggest talents in the world and more recently it was speculated that the club could make a move for £63m-valued Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The midfield at Anfield has been a cause for concern over the last 12 months with some coming close to the end of their contracts, whilst others are reaching the latter stages of their career.

Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara are all well into their 30s, whilst Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be free to leave the club in June 2023 – meaning a youthful revolution and rebuild in the centre of the pitch are long overdue.

Klopp could land Thiago 2.0 if the club can secure a deal for De Jong with the pair sharing many similarities to their game over last season.

The 25-year-old and the Liverpool star came close in many attributes including assists delivered (3 v 4), pass completion rate (89.5% v 88.9%) and shot-creating actions per 90 (3.09 v 3.87).

De Jong – who was called an “extraordinary footballer” by Xavi – ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for pass completion and shot-creating actions, two areas Thiago is renowned for thriving with.

Pivotally, he also ranks in the top 15% for dribbles completed, touches and progressive passes received with the Dutchman very much something of a metronome in the middle of the park.

With that being said, the signing of De Jong would be a major coup for Liverpool, adding depth and quality to their midfield and giving them a boost in their challenges ahead this term.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte will continue to look to sign some of his former players during the upcoming January transfer window, according to Tam McManus. 

The Lowdown: Conte’s track record

Since becoming Spurs’ manager last November, the Italian has signed players from his former clubs such as Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus and Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan.

The north London outfit have previously been linked with other players from those two clubs such as Juventus’ Weston McKennie and Inter’s defensive trio of Stefan de Vrij, Milan Skriniar and Alessandro Bastoni.

Looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window, it seems as though Conte has been backed to continue his track record of bringing in players who he has experience of managing.

The Latest: Conte’s transfer plan

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus was discussing potential incomings at Spurs in January.

He said: “Conte hasn’t been at Spurs that long, really. It’s not his squad yet. It’s a bit unfamiliar. Maybe some players he has worked with before coming in could help him and the club.

“We have seen it with Perisic, he has come in and been a revelation. He’s got seven assists already I think. He’s doing some of the heavy lifting going forward and at the back.

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“He is a slightly older player who a lot of Premier League teams would have looked at and maybe thought he was past it. Clearly, Conte knows better than that. He knows these guys.

“So if either of the guys from Inter come in then you would have to back them to improve the side. And let’s face it, that defence needs improving.”

The Verdict: Faith in Conte

Given how prominent the likes of Bentancur (14) and Perisic (15) have been in Conte’s side this season in terms of the number of Premier League appearances they’ve made, it’s clear that when the Italian signs one of his former players, he knows that they are good enough to improve his current team.

Bearing in mind how Spurs (21) have conceded more goals this season than 10 other teams in the top flight, it’s easy to see why they’ve been linked with almost every defender that Inter have in their squad, and why McManus thinks this should be an area that they look to strengthen in January.

With January in mind, we think the Spurs board should put faith in Conte’s knowledge when it comes to his former players and do all that they can to bring in any new figure that he wants in the squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were linked with Mauro Icardi during the summer and the Old Gold will surely be regretting not signing him after his impressive start to life at Galatasaray.

The Argentina international was touted as a potential option for Bruno Lage during the summer as Wolves looked to sign a striker to ease their attacking woes but in the end, he would make the loan switch to Turkey from PSG.

While Wolves continue to falter in the final third, with just eight league goals to their name so far this campaign, Icardi has been emphasising his class with the Turkish giants.

In just six appearances in the Super Lig, the 29-year-old striker has managed four goals and three assists, averaging a superb 7.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Considering Wolves’ top scorer this season is Ruben Neves with just four – two of which have come from the penalty spot – it seems clear that the Old Gold are missing a clinical striker such as Icardi up front.

His current average of 1.13 goal contributions per game would surely have aided Lage and subsequently Julen Lopetegui in their aim of keeping the Midlands club in the Premier League, as none of Wolves’ current options look likely to average anything near that given their woeful form in front of goal so far this campaign.

With Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto and new signing Sasa Kalajdzic all sidelined through injury, while Fabio Silva was sent out on loan, Lage opted to bring in veteran forward Diego Costa on a free transfer.

However, the former Chelsea man has looked like a shadow of his former self in his appearances thus far, averaging a shocking 6.11 rating from WhoScored across his six Premier League outings thus far.

Compared to Icardi, who has played the same number of games, he has averaged far fewer key passes (0.3 vs 1.5) and dribbles (0.3 vs 0.7) per game, while he has shot more but failed to score, which emphasises his wastefulness in front of goal.

Wolves clearly would have benefited from having a “lethal” striker such as Icardi at Molineux this season, and given their precarious position at the bottom of the Premier League, they will certainly be regretting not acting on the links to Icardi during the summer.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale faces an important January transfer window, with the 42-year-old keen to move players on who haven’t performed well this season.

One player who could be leaving the Ibrox side is Glen Kamara, with French club Nantes leading the race to sign the midfielder next month.

The reported £6m bid is lower than £10m which was demanded by the Light Blues in the summer when Salernitana were keen on the player, however judging by his performances since August, where he has failed to register a single goal, a fee around the £6m mark would represent excellent business.

This money could be reinvested wisely, and with Beale reportedly targeting a move for Fulham midfielder Josh Onomah, whose contract expires at the end of the season, he could land the club a bargain while disposing of a player unfancied in Glasgow in the process.

Journalist Dean Jones even hyped up the 25-year-old when talking to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “I think there are a few clubs that are looking at Josh Onomah, just wondering if he fits in at Fulham.

“So, I can understand why Rangers might have an eye on him, I think he would do pretty well.”

Onomah hasn’t exactly had the best of periods this season, featuring just twice for Fulham in the Premier League which suggests a move away from the London club is on the cards next month.

Last season, the Englishman was far more impressive, as he aimed to live up to Mauricio Pochettino’s billing that his “quality is amazing” and that he is “special.”

Indeed, he registered four goal contributions in 20 Championship matches as Fulham won promotion to the top flight, while also making 0.6 key passes and 1.3 tackles per match as well as succeeding with 67% of his dribble attempts, clearly proving that he is just as effective defensively as he is going forwards.

With the likes of Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack out of contract at the end of the campaign, plus the likelihood of Kamara leaving sooner rather than later, signing some reinforcements for the midfield area will be high on the priority list for Beale.

Onomah is still yet to hit his peak and luring him to Glasgow mid-season could be the perfect chance for him to bed into the squad and bring him up to speed ahead of next season.

Over to you Ross Wilson.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in the availability of Memphis Depay…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Dutchman’s future will be known next week as Spurs await the verdict.

Offers remain on the table for Depay, with Manchester United, Juventus and AS Roma all noted alongside Antonio Conte’s side in the report.

He is entering the final six months of his £159k-per-week contract, which could represent a huge bargain for whoever secures his signature.

Spurs’ own Jesus

By signing this tricky frontman who loves to link the play, Tottenham could actually secure their very own version of Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus.

It is no secret that the Brazilian has had a transformative effect on Mikel Arteta’s side, with the intelligent pressing of the 25-year-old integral to the playing style which currently has them top of the league.

He ranks in the top 3% for interceptions and the top 8% for tackles among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022, whilst sitting in the top 4% for shot-creating actions, acting as a facilitator for the rest of the team.

Although he enjoyed a blistering start to life at the Emirates Stadium, recording nine goal contributions in his first nine games in the Premier League, he had not scored in his last six games before the World Cup.

With Jesus now ruled out for the foreseeable future following his knee surgery, Depay could come in to Tottenham and show the Gunners what they are missing by outperforming the former Manchester City man.

Having suffered from injury, the 28-year-old has only featured three times this season for the Catalan giants, so he has hardly been given the opportunity to build upon his 13-goal campaign from 2021/22. Despite this, however, team-mate Riqui Puig still thinks the Dutchman is “one of the best players” in Europe.

Enduring a tough spell at Old Trafford earlier in his career, the 28-year-old has since become one of the creative powerhouses in European football, boasting 147 senior career goals alongside 92 assists.

He recorded 34 goal contributions his final season at Lyon in 2020/21, and for his country he is only seven goals away from being their all-time record scorer, so it is no surprise that he was dubbed “Electric in Oranje” by WhoScored on Twitter.

What suggests that he could emulate the success of Jesus elsewhere in north London is that he ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes received, suggesting that he can be the bridge between midfield and attack for the Lilywhites.

To sign him for a cut-price fee could be a stroke of genius by Conte, who is crying out for added offensive reinforcements to supplement Harry Kane.

Aston Villa struggled majorly under Steven Gerrard during the early part of this season, with the club recording just two Premier League wins before he was sacked in October.

Unai Emery has since been appointed as the club’s new manager and has immediately improved their fortunes, securing the same amount of league victories as Gerrard this season, albeit in eight fewer matches.

The 51-year-old still has a lot of work to do, however, and with the club scoring 16 league goals so far while conceding 22, there are areas Emery will need to strengthen.

The Spaniard can also get rid of players who have underperformed too, with Ollie Watkins one of the main protagonists in this regard, scoring a paltry three goals all term. The £75k-per-week striker could find things difficult now there is a new manager, especially since the club have been linked with an international forward…

Villa can ditch Watkins for Marcus Thuram

Journalist Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Villa could be in a good place with regards to a potential move for the Frenchman, saying: “We’ll just have to see who has a nibble on that and decides to actually make an approach.

“Certainly, Villa should be well positioned just in case it gets down to them and they actually do have a run at getting him.”

This will be a big boost for Emery and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, Thuram could be available for as little as £6m in the January transfer window, which would represent a massive bargain.

In the Bundesliga alone this season, the Frenchman has scored ten goals in just 15 matches for Borussia Monchengladbach, chipping in with three assists and he has also made 0.9 key passes on average, proving he can create opportunities for others.

Indeed, his manager Daniel Farke dubbed him “world-class” due to his form, and having been selected for France’s World Cup squad, he could yet end up following in his father’s footsteps of becoming a world champion with Lilian Thuram having won the 1998 edition.

Villa urgently requires someone who can add some dynamism to their attack, especially with Watkins and fellow striker Danny Ings failing to set the world on fire this season. Thuram could be the perfect replacement for Emery.

For a fee of £6m, a potential move could also prove to be a shrewd investment, especially if he carries his Bundesliga form into the Premier League.

Aston Villa may have been dealt a boost in their pursuit of Spanish attacking midfielder Isco, with the 38-cap star being surprisingly released by La Liga outfit Sevilla this week.

Unai Emery’s side have been linked with a move for the former Real Madrid player and could now go in for the 30-year-old on a free transfer, which would represent excellent business for the Premier League club.

He made just 19 appearances for Sevilla across all competitions this season, scoring only one goal, and he hasn’t exactly had the best of times recently.

Villa are struggling for any sort of creative output in their team, with Philippe Coutinho contributing zero goals or assists in the current campaign, and Isco may well be a no-cost upgrade on the Brazilian for the second half of the season.

Isco is statistically similar to Real Madrid sensation Federico Valverde, who has become one of his club’s most impressive players. Indeed, WhoScored rank the 24-year-old as Los Blancos’ fourth-best performer this season, with the Uruguayan scoring six goals and registering two assists.

Valverde is the second-most comparable player to Isco via FBref’s similar player model and it shows that even though the Spaniard has had a season to forget, being compared to one of the most exciting talents in La Liga is no mean feat.

The two players have registered quite similar metrics in 2022/23 when it comes to assists (both two), pass success rate (83% to 88%, Isco first), shot-creating actions per match (3.49 to 3.17) and tackles won (nine to eight).

The players also have similar numbers when it comes to key passes per match (1.7 to 1.4, Valverde first) and successful dribbles (64% to 55%). Meanwhile, Isco ranks in the top 5% of all players across Europe’s big leagues for pass completion rate and interceptions made, clearly proving that he can contribute heavily at both ends of the pitch.

Legendary Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta even dubbed his former international team-mate as an “incredible footballer” back in 2017, and although the 30-year-old has slightly lost his way recently, signing him on a free transfer would represent a huge coup for Emery and Villa heading into 2023.

West Ham United have reportedly identified Torino’s industrious midfielder Sasa Lukic as a viable January target to lure to the London Stadium this winter.

As per Tuttosport, Hammers boss David Moyes is singling the 26-year-old out as a top winter target, and with the Torino ace reportedly available for £13m, it is a deal that certainly could cross the finish line – although with increasing interest this figure may start to creep upwards.

With Lukic’s contract with his Italian club is set to expire in the summer of 2024, meaning that unless a renewal can be agreed there will be a desire to cash in on a player that has been an ever-present in the starting line-up since arriving from Partizan Belgrade as a 19-year-old in 2016.

But the hierarchy at the east London outfit will indeed need to act swiftly if they are to take the lead in the race for the Serbian sensation, with Calciomercato claiming that Leicester City, AS Roma and Napoli are all eyeing a move. 

Imagine him and Lucas Paqueta 

Torino currently sit in ninth place in the Italian top-flight, and Lukic has been integral to the team’s success, recording an average rating of 6.95 and flourishing with his crisp passing and assured presence, serving as a pivot and offering both defensive fortification and attacking flair when an apt opportunity arises. 

He is tremendous across a variety of roles, possessing the whole gamut of requisite attributes to prosper in the Premier League.

His particular skill set could merge nicely with that of Lucas Paqueta, who has failed to live up to the £51m price tag thus far, following his move from Olympique Lyonnais in the summer.

Paqueta, a robust and industrious maestro with a keen eye for a forward pass, has recorded an average Premier League rating of 6.93, which is by no means disappointing, but there is a feeling that there is a lot more to offer, and Lukic could aid the rise to the brim of his potential at the London Stadium.

The Brazilian maestro has failed to score for the Hammers, and having clinched 11 goals and seven assists last season in France, here is evidently far more attacking prowess yet to truly be unleashed on English soil.

Lukic could attack as an anchor, an effective counterpoint at the beating heart of the West Ham squad, to entwine with Paqueta’s toolkit and form a deadly partnership, with the respective 89% and 81% passing accuracies creating an elite level of control; additionally, journalist Josh Bunting lauded the 35-cap gem as “outstanding” for his work in protecting the defensive players of his side.

With both players sturdy conductors with eyes for goals, indeed Lukic has netted 11 goals for Torino since the start of the 20/21 campaign, the dynamism from the centre could reap rewards for Moyes’ dwindling Hammers side, lifting the club away from their lowly 16th place in the Premier League and towards brighter endeavours once again.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Danny Ings to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that David Moyes is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Aston Villa centre-forward ahead of launching a potential move for the 30-year-old this month.

However, the report goes on to state that West Ham are not the only side keen on the former England international, with Everton, AFC Bournemouth and the striker’s former club, Southampton, also thought to be interested in a move.

Insane signing for Moyes

While it is true that Ings has somewhat fallen down the Aston Villa pecking order this season, the 30-year-old has nevertheless proven that he still has what it takes to hit the back of the net on a regular basis so far in 2022/23.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances in the current campaign – only eight of which have come as starts – the £10m-rated talent has scored six goals – outperforming his xG of 4.95 – and created one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots – 0.8 of which have been on target – making 0.5 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the Winchester-born hitman average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.90, currently ranking him as Unai Emery’s fourth-best performer in the league.

However, it was over his 38 top-flight outings during his penultimate season at Southampton that Ings truly proved his ability at the very top level of the English game, scoring 22 goals, registering two assists and creating two big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots – one of which it the target – making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per match.

These metrics saw the £120k-per-week striker who journalist Karl Matchett dubbed a “goal machine” average a spectacular Sofascore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Saints’ second-best performer in the Premier League back in 2019/20.

As such, with West Ham having struggled to hit the back of the net so far this season – with the club’s 15 goals for seeing them rank as the league’s fourth-lowest scorers – it is clear for all to see that Moyes is in rather desperate need of greater firepower in his attacking arsenal at the London Stadium.

And, should the 59-year-old believe he can be the manager to get Ings back to his free-scoring best, the signing of the former England international would indeed appear an “insane” deal – as the player was dubbed in recent seasons – for the Scot to get over the line this winter.