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كشف جيمي كاراجر أسطورة ليفربول، عن بدلاء محمد صلاح في ليفربول عندما يرحل النجم المصري إلى أمم إفريقيا، للمشاركة مع الفراعنة في البطولة.

محمد صلاح ودع ليفربول بعدما سجل أمس وصنع في فوز الريدز على نيوكاسل، ضمن الجولة 20 من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب أنفيلد.

طالع أيضًا.. جاري نيفيل: ليفربول مدين لـ محمد صلاح هذا الموسم

وعزز ليفربول صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بالفوز على نيوكاسل، برصيد 45 نقطة، بفارق 3 نقاط عن أقرب منافسيه أستون فيلا.

وقال كاراجر في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي” البريطانية: “ليفربول يمتلك ديوجو جوتا وهو هداف عظيم، لكنك رأيت لويس دياز لعب أفضل مباراة له منذ وقت طويل، وكذلك داروين نونيز، حتى لو لم يكونوا بنفس حالة محمد صلاح أمام المرمى”.

وأضاف: “الأمر لن يكون سهلًا على كلوب، وسيكون من المثير للاهتمام حقًا معرفة من سيضعه في هذا المركز. الكثير من مهاجمي ليفربول يلعبون بالقدم اليمنى، على عكس محمد صلاح، ولا يوجد لاعب لديه التوازن الصحيح مثل مو”.

وأكمل: “هارفي إليوت يلعب بقدمه اليسرى، ويمكنه تعويض محمد صلاح لكنه أقرب للاعب خط الوسط، ولا أعتقد أن يورجن كلوب سيستغنى عنه في وسط الملعب”.

واختتم: “كل هذه الأمور ستكون أمام يورجن كلوب لاختيار الأفضل لتعويض محمد صلاح، لكن لا يمكنك استبدال أهداف محمد صلاح، هذا الأمر مهم للغاية”.

Manchester United are enjoying one of their finest seasons in a long time under Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman still has a legitimate chance of winning four trophies in his debut campaign and although that is unlikely, the fact that United are merely competing on all fronts is a testament to how much he has turned the club around.

His summer signings have been mostly excellent, taking the Red Devils to the next level, while some players who were already at the club have improved vastly under the former Ajax manager, Marcus Rashford being the key protagonist.

The Englishman has been in wonderful form this term, maturing into one of United’s finest players and indeed, one of the most clinical players in the Premier League.

He has scored 27 goals in all competitions so far, mainly operating on the left wing although occasionally being deployed in a more central role and the 25-year-old is in the form of his life.

Having vaulted into prominence back in 2016 from the academy, Rashford has netted 120 goals for the club and with his exploits over the previous few years, Ten Hag must be scouring the youth system for another like him and Shola Shoretire could well be the next attacking star to come through the system at Carrington.

Who is Shola Shoretire?

The 19-year-old gem already has five first team appearances under his belt, however, Ten Hag has yet to give him a chance this term.

He was given his debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2021, and he then made history by becoming the club's youngest-ever player to feature in European competition when has featured against Real Sociedad.

Across 85 appearances at U18s and U21s level, along with featuring for the U19s side in the UEFA Youth League, Shoretire has scored 26 goals and registered 19 assists and this ability to score often from the flank certainly puts him in a similar mould to Rashford.

Indeed, the teenage gem mainly operates on the right wing, but can also be effective on the left or even as an attacking midfielder and this versality could be a huge plus for Ten Hag and having seen Rashford’s impact on the left wing, especially this season, Shoretire could offer something similar on the opposite side of the pitch.

The “wonderful talent” – as dubbed by journalist Daniel Brown – was given the chance to gain some important senior experience during the second half of the season as he was loaned to Bolton Wanderers.

12 appearances in League One have seen the forward create three big chances, make one key pass per game, succeed with 57% of his dribbles and chip in with one tackle, demonstrating his attacking ability to solid effect and even though he has yet to score, if he continues to probe, the goals will come.

Ten Hag will be keeping an eye on his teen dynamo throughout the rest of the season and having seen Rashford take his game to new heights, Shoretire will be hoping to impress during pre-season as he aims to emulate his success in 2023/24.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be set to raid former club Ajax once again this summer, with the 53-year-old reportedly keen to rekindle his interest in promising defender, Jurrien Timber.

What’s the latest on Timber to Man United?

That’s according to journalist Scott Saunders who revealed on Twitter that United are “still in the mix” to sign the exciting Dutchman ahead of next season, with the 21-year-old set to “decide on his future” at the end of the current campaign.

In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that the 5 foot 10 titan has asked his representatives to begin exploring the possibility of a potential exit from Amsterdam this summer, with Ten Hag seemingly ready to take his former asset ‘tomorrow’, such is his admiration for the versatile youngster.

The report also goes on to add that while the Red Devils are likely to prioritise a new central midfielder and a centre-forward in the upcoming window, the addition of a new right-back and centre-back could also potentially be on the cards, with Timber offering the benefit of being able to feature in both of those roles.

This follows reports last summer that suggested the Old Trafford outfit were in talks to sign the 14-cap gem – who was valued at £43m at the time – albeit with the Utrecht native ultimately opting to sign a contract extension with the Eredivisie giants.

What does the future hold for Harry Maguire?

Although Ten Hag and co subsequently bolstered their backline by snapping up Lisandro Martinez from the Johan Cruyff Arena instead, there may well be the need to acquire another new centre-back acquisition amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of club captain, Harry Maguire.

As per Manchester Evening News, the 30-year-old is among a handful of first-team players who could be allowed to depart the club this summer, with the £80m signing having started just five Premier League games so far this season.

The peripheral figure – who has been branded a “liability” in the recent past by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan – may not have been involved in the recent drubbing at the hands of rivals Liverpool, although he does appear at odds with the manager’s approach, with The Guardian reporting back in November that Ten Hag ‘views Maguire’s sluggish pace as a problem’.

As such, turning to the aforementioned £39m-rated Timber could well help to hasten the Englishman’s exit, with the Netherlands international seemingly possessing far greater recovery speed than that of the United skipper, with talent scout Jacek Kulig having previously said of his talents:

“Not the tallest defender but his understanding of the game, anticipation, pace and ball skills are exceptional.”

While Maguire has fallen by the wayside of late – averaging just 0.5 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game from his ten league appearances – Timber has been a key figure for his current side so far this season, notably averaging 1.2 tackles and one interception per 90 from his 24 league starts, while also creating two big chances as a marker of his creative prowess.

Not only does the latter man offer the benefit of having worked under Ten Hag previously, but he also appears far more comfortable in possession as he averages 8.74 progressive passes per game and 2.49 progressive carries, as per FBref, while the former Leicester City man averages just 3.33 and 0.78 for those same two metrics, respectively.

That should indicate that bringing Timber into the fold could well prove to be the Maguire upgrade that the Carabao Cup winners are craving.

Tottenham Hotspur are targeting a replacement for club legend Hugo Lloris this summer transfer window, with Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana a potential candidate…

What’s the latest on Andre Onana to Spurs?

That is according to TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Graeme Bailey, who provided a fresh update on the situation this week.

“Onana joined Inter from Ajax last summer, but he could now be allowed to leave after just 12 months in Milan,” he said. “Tottenham are very much one to keep an eye on. They liked him a lot before he moved to Milan.”

The Serie A giants are treading a fine line financially and the owners may have to sell some of their key players to generate more income, which is why the 26-year-old could already be moved on.

It remains to be seen exactly how much the Cameroon star would command, with FootballTransfers currently estimating his value to be in the region of €14.5m (£12.8m).

What is happening with Hugo Lloris at Spurs?

Lloris’ time in north London could soon come to an end – it was always going to happen with him turning 36 in December but his recent form, combined with a fresh injury, could see it happen a lot faster.

It’s no secret that the Lilywhites are in the market for a true heir to the gloves, with shot-stoppers such as Jan Oblak, Jordan Pickford and Robert Sanchez all mooted in recent months.

Since joining from Lyon in 2012, the veteran has typically been a reliable and long-serving colossus for the club but this season, he leads the Premier League for errors leading to a goal, having made more than double any other player in the division.

There have been some pretty costly blunders in 2023 alone, making mistakes in defeats to Aston Villa, arch-rivals Arsenal and defending champions Manchester City, leading to Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness stating that Lloris is “past his sell-by date.”

Others, including former BBC presenter Matthew Stadlen and the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, have lambasted him as a “liability” and that’s not really a great case for your skipper and a move for the Inter glovesman could allow manager Antonio Conte to make a change, with current backup Fraser Forster not likely to pull up any trees in the long run.

Onana, meanwhile, has kept six clean sheets in his 14 top-flight appearances this term, in which Inter have conceded less than a goal a game. The Cameroon titan hasn’t recorded a single error leading to a goal – or a shot – either, which makes him appear to be a far greater source of consistency, and thus more confidence, at the back.

As Inter’s sixth best-rated performer in the Serie A, it’s evident that the “excellent” Onana – as lauded by Serbia no.1 Vanja Milinkovic-Savic – would be an outstanding upgrade on the dwindling £100k-per-week Lloris, who was still blighted by his World Cup heartbreak after returning from Qatar.

Perhaps it could be another ‘Italian job’ for sporting director Fabio Paratici as he looks to find a viable and long-term suitor for the first-choice goalkeeping role at Hotspur Way.

AND in other news, As well as Lloris: Conte must bin £85k-p/w Spurs ace “nowhere near the required level”…

Goal journalist Charles Watts has given an update on Fulham’s potential loan move for Cedric Soares.

The Lowdown: Potential hijack

Marco Silva’s side appeared to have Cedric signed a few days ago, as ESPN reported that the Cottagers were ‘expected’ to complete the loan for the right-back.

However, the Premier League club could face the deal being hijacked. The club are looking to sign Shane Duffy on a permanent deal to open up a loan space, but they now face competition from teams in England’s top flight and La Liga according to The Evening Standard’s Simon Collings.

The Lastest: Fulham still the ‘priority’

Watts took to his YouTube channel on Tuesday afternoon to speak on the transfer situation surrounding Cedric, claiming Silva is working hard to get the deal done and that Arsenal still want to do business with him.

He stated: “He’s [Cedric] had a loan deal with Fulham agreed for days now, but the big issue is that Fulham have already the amount of loan players that they’re allowed to have.

“They can’t have another one, so they’re trying to sort that out, they’re trying to turn one of their loan players – think it’s Shane Duffy, they’re trying to turn that move into a permanent one and that’ll free up space to bring in Cedric on loan. That hasn’t happened yet.

“There’s a couple of other clubs sniffing around Cedric Soares before [the] 11pm deadline. I’m told the priority is still getting that deal with Fulham and Marco Silva is still really pushing to get that deal done.”

The Verdict: Benefits both parties

We believe that this is a deal that suits both clubs. Fulham would add to their options in the right-back position and Arsenal would let go a player they no longer need for the time being, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of him in the current pecking order.

It’s likely that Cedric will challenge Kenny Tete for a starting role. The Dutchman has been the go-to man in that area so far this season. Summer signing Kevin Mbabu is also at their disposal, but Silva has rarely opted to feature the 27-year-old.

Adding Cedric to Fulham’s ranks gives them someone who’s very familiar with Premier League football. Aside from a loan spell with Inter, the 31-year-old has been in playing in England’s top flight for close to eight years.

When he first joined the Gunners on loan, ex-Arsenal man Martin Keown labelled the Portuguese ace as ‘a good player’ and a ‘good addition’ to their squad when speaking to TalkSport (via The Daily Express).

Fulham have had a fantastic season so far in the 2022/23 campaign and adding an experienced pro like Cedric will be an easy transition, in our view.

He knows what it takes to perform at the level required and his stint in the Premier League so far shows he’s had some longevity – it is just up to the clubs involved to thrash out a deal.

Chelsea are working hard to secure the signing of Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window shuts in just a few hours and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s football correspondent David Ornstein has revealed that there is “heightened optimism” for Chelsea to strike a deal for the Benfica midfielder before the deadline.

Ornstein tweeted this evening: “Sources in Portugal tell @TheAthleticFC there’s now heightened optimism agreement can be struck for Enzo Fernandez to join Chelsea. Benfica have granted permission to do medical in Portugal in case deal struck.”

Ending the window with a bang

There is no doubt that the signing of Fernandez would see Chelsea end the window with a bang, especially after the London club let their Italian midfielder Jorginho sign for Arsenal this afternoon.

The deal for the 22-year-old talent has been stuck in a back and forth, with the powerbrokers at Stamford Bridge desperately trying to reach an agreement with Benfica president Rui Costa on the structure of the payment of the £106m release clause.

Chelsea are speculated to have their hands tied in only being able to offer a payment plan with a substantial amount upfront to ensure they stay within the Financial Fair Play regulations after spending over £600m since Todd Boehly became the owner last summer, should Fernandez sign today.

The Argentine powerhouse would be a simply supreme acquisition, with his array of talent having the potential to be game-changing for Chelsa’s midfield.

Indeed, he ranks in the top 7% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over a number of metrics, including shots on goal, assists, shot-creating actions, passes attempted and progressive passes.

It proves that he is one of the hottest young prospects in Europe right now and would be a huge asset to Graham Potter in his pursuit to improve Chelsea’s season.

The Blues are currently tenth in the Premier League after 20 outings and are now ten points adrift from a Champions League qualification spot inside the top four, with a number of injuries to key players plaguing their ability to control games.

N’Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling, Denis Zakaria, Ben Chilwell and Reece James are just some of the important presences on the pitch that Potter is unable to call upon at present, so the signing of Fernandez is quite evidently an important deal, one that could see the Blues well and truly end their window with a bang.

With that being said, it now seems like it will just be a matter of time before Fernandez is pictured in the famous Blue shirt and Potter will surely be hoping that January’s addition will give the squad enough to climb the table into a much more comfortable position sooner rather than later.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Torino right-back Ola Aina this month, and the Nigeria international could be a big upgrade on Nathaniel Clyne in Patrick Vieira’s side.

Reports from Nigeria in recent weeks suggest that West Ham, Leeds United and Palace have all been keen on the former Chelsea man, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

While that means that the Eagles would be free to approach him now with the view to signing him on a free transfer in the summer, Vieira’s obvious need for a right-back suggests that the 26-year-old could arrive at Selhurst Park this month, with a fee of €10m (£9m) likely to be enough to bring him back to England.

The Palace manager has alternated between Joel Ward and Clyne in that position so far this term, with the two experienced defenders ranked as the ninth and 15th best performers respectively in Vieira’s squad according to WhoScored, which suggests that an upgrade is needed in the second half of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Aina is ranked as the best player in Torino’s squad by the same site after averaging a strong 6.74 rating across his 10 Serie A appearances so far this season, which emphasises the quality that he could add at Selhurst Park.

He has also averaged more shots (0.6 vs none), key passes (0.7 vs 0.4) and dribbles (1.1 vs 0.2) than Clyne in the current campaign, which suggests that he would be a significant upgrade from an attacking perspective, something which is further emphasised by one “unreal” assist for Nigeria – in the words of compatriot journalist Michael Oti Adjei – back in 2019.

Former Torino team-mate Christian Ansaldi was full of praise for the former Fulham loanee in 2021, saying: “I see him (Aina) very often. He has an intelligence that allows him to play in many positions, then physically he is an animal.”

The versatile defender featured 31 times for Fulham in the 2020/21 Premier League season and averaged a decent 6.63 rating from WhoScored, so he could definitely be trusted to do a job at Selhurst Park.

Therefore, given the comparatively poor performances of the 31-year-old Clyne so far this season – his WhoScored rating is a lowly 6.27 – Vieira should definitely look to bring in a younger, more adept replacement such as Aina this month.

Pundit Tam McManus has claimed that reported transfer target Youri Tielemans would be a ‘sensational’ and ‘tremendous’ signing for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interested in Tielemans

As per The Telegraph, the 25-year-old is “of interest” to the St James’ Park outfit, following a long-term injury to Jonjo Shelvey.

The latter is also out of contract in the summer, meaning that the Magpies have a decision to make as to whether they retain him or let him leave as a free agent.

If they decide to let him go, then they will need to bring in a replacement, either in this month’s transfer window or in the summer.

The Latest: Tielemans move backed

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus has backed a potential move to Newcastle for Tielemans, even going as far as to claim that the Belgian would be a ‘sensational’ and ‘tremendous’ signing for Eddie Howe’s side.

The 41-year-old said: “I think that’s a move he wants. I don’t see him signing a new contract at Leicester, that is clear now. He is only 25 years old, he is in or approaching the best years of his career.

“He has been at Leicester for a few years and done well, he’s become a Belgian international. He would be a great signing for Newcastle but I think there will be a lot of clubs looking at him.

“Tielemans would be a sensational signing for any of the top four clubs and Newcastle, right now, are up there.

“It’s going to boil down to finances, he will be looking for a big payday as a soon-to-be free agent. So if Newcastle can stick up the money then I think he would be a tremendous signing. It gives Newcastle another quality option when going forward.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a player of Tielemans’ quality and experience for a cut-price fee given his contract situation is surely a no-brainer for Newcastle in January.

Lauded by his manager Brendan Rodgers as an ‘outstanding player’ and ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’, the Leicester City star ranks in the 86th percentile for average blocks, 85th percentile for tackles and shot-creating actions, and 83rd percentile for passes attempted per game among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year (FBRef).

Boasting plenty of Premier League experience already, the Belgian would be an ideal replacement for Shelvey, who is also five years Tielemans’ senior.

Manchester United are ‘looking at’ the possibility of signing PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo in 2023, confirms Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Second time lucky?

The Dutchman still has four years remaining on his contract in the Eredivisie, but after being the standout performer over the last 12 months, has been attracting attention from across Europe.

The Premier League giants expressed a strong interest in the 23-year-old over the summer, and despite failing to land him, the Red Devils appear to be considering taking a second bite of the cherry.

The Latest: United monitoring Gakpo

Taking to Twitter, Sheth confirmed that United are monitoring Gakpo ahead of a potential move, whilst also delivering an update on the club’s pursuit of targets in another area of the pitch.

“Manchester United looking at forwards – including Cody Gakpo – and right-backs, but ‘significant chance’ no incomings in January.

“Right-back incoming likely to depend on Wan-Bissaka future. United conscious of complying with FFP. Loan market being explored too.”

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Gakpo has been dubbed ‘De Herdgang’s Finest’ by Jacek Kulig and “sensational” by sports writer Thierry Nyann , and should the opportunity to sign him arise, this is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

The winger has already clocked up a remarkable 30 goal contributions in just 24 appearances across all competitions this season and is averaging 3.6 shots per league game.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure has left a huge void in the final third that needs filling, and Gakpo would be the perfect man to come in and do just that.

Leeds United forward Crysencio Summerville has suffered an injury scare in the club’s mid-season friendly with Elche.

The Lowdown: Fine form

Summerville enjoyed a fine spell of form for the Whites prior to the break for the World Cup as the Whites picked up some valuable points, thanks in no small part to his emergence as a real source of end product.

The 21-year-old made a first Premier League start against Leicester City and then went on to score in the next four top-flight fixtures, scoring winners against Liverpool and Bournemouth.

The Latest: Spain scare

Jesse Marsch’s side took on La Liga outfit Elche on Thursday as they look to regain form and fitness ahead of the Premier League returning towards the end of the year.

Summerville started in a 2-1 win but was withdrawn early on for Sam Greenwood after being on the end of a tackle from Elche’s John Nwanko. Phil Hay relayed the news on Twitter, saying:

‘Man. That’s Summerville limping off. Seven minutes in.’

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Marsch was optimistic after the game that the Dutch attacker’s injury won’t prove to be long-term, but it is a worry for the player ahead of a busy second half of the season, with no word yet on an official diagnosis.

You’d expect that he’ll be one of the first names on the team sheet for the match with Manchester City later this month, so fingers crossed that Summerville can play some part in Elland Road friendlies with Real Sociedad and AS Monaco in the next 12 days.