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Liverpool have sent scouts to watch RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol ahead of a potential summer move, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Anfield move wanted

Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith name-checked the Reds as one of three Premier League clubs interested in a deal for the 21-year-old, who has a £98m buyout clause included in his contract.

The Croatian has previously admitted that it would be a dream for him to complete a switch to Anfield having watched his admirers ever since he was a child.

Journalist Ben Jacobs also revealed that the centre-back is looking to transition to the top flight, handing Jurgen Klopp yet another boost.

The Latest: Liverpool scout Gvardiol

According to 90min, Liverpool, alongside Manchester City, have both ‘sent scouts’ to watch Gvardiol so that they can keep ‘regular updates’ on their target’s situation.

The Merseyside outfit want to make sure that they ‘remain in the loop’, with a move ahead of next season looking ‘increasingly likely’.

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The Verdict: Massive coup

Gvardiol has been dubbed the ‘Haaland of defenders’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig so it would be a massive coup should Liverpool be able to get a deal for him over the line.

The 6 foot 1 star currently averages 2.5 clearances and 1.4 aerial wins per game in the Bundesliga, highlighting the rock he can be at the heart of a backline (WhoScored).

Leipzig’s standout performer also ranks in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons, showing that he’s more than comfortable stepping out and pushing his team up the pitch.

Gvardiol being a threat at both ends of the field will be an attractive attribute to Klopp, and having made his love for the club publicly known, this could be one to watch in the months ahead.

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield is likely to sign a new contract at Ibrox, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Arfield wants to stay

The Scottish Premiership star arrived north of the border back in 2018 but his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and having received limited game time, his future is up in the air.

Prior to the Kilmarnock game, the 34-year-old was omitted entirely from Michael Beale’s matchday squad on three consecutive occasions, but he doesn’t want his time to yet come to an end.

The Light Blues ace admitted in December that he would love nothing more than to extend his stay which is exactly what could be about to happen.

 The Latest: New deal on the horizon?

According to Football Insider, Arfield is ‘expected’ to put pen to paper on fresh terms at Rangers having ‘held talks’ with the hierarchy about committing his future.

The Canadian international’s leadership and experience are attributes that Beale ‘values’, with the boss ‘keen to keep hold’ of him beyond the summer.

The Verdict: Fully deserved

Despite being slightly out of favour, Arfield is still a fantastic option to have in the building so Rangers offering him a new contract would be nothing less than he deserves.

The Livingston-born talent has posted eight goal contributions across all competitions this season and currently ranks in the 99th percentile for non-penalty expected goals.

The Teddy Bears gem also offers plenty of versatility having operated in both central and attacking midfield alongside out wide on the right wing this term.

Beale will hold a strong relationship with Arfield having coached him during his spell as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard and his time at the club now looks very much set to continue.

Niels Nkounkou could be given a chance to resurrect his career at Everton once his loan spell at Saint-Etienne ends.

The Lowdown: Loaned out

Nkounkou is currently on loan at Saint-Etienne in France, and has impressed in recent games.

In his last five matches in Ligue 2, he has scored one goal and made four assists from left-back, and also featured 18 times for Cardiff City in the Championship earlier in the season, producing one assist (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Caught the eye

As per Football Insider, Nkounkou is set to be given the chance to resurrect his career at Goodison Park this summer.

He has ‘caught the eye’ with recent performances, with Saint-Etienne tempted to trigger the buy option in his contract.

However, that fee is thought to be ‘relatively high’, and Sean Dyche could recall him back into the squad, with Ruben Vinagre set to leave after his loan spell.

The Verdict: Why not?

With Vinagre set to leave, a spot at left-back will open up in the squad for a player to compete with Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Hailed as a ‘magnificent find’ by pundit and former left-back Stephen Warnock, Nkounkou has not always been given the chance to impress at the Toffees, with just seven first-team appearances made.

Still only 22 years of age, the Frenchman still has a lot of potential, and could flourish on Merseyside under a new manager in Dyche.

Tottenham Hotspur have identified Fulham manager Marco Silva as their top target to replace Antonio Conte, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Manager search underway

Tottenham’s manager search is now said to be well underway, in light of the recent news that the club are poised to mutually part ways with Conte at the end of the season, and there have been some big names linked with the job.

Late last week, it emerged that former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique was the ‘lead contender’ for sporting director Fabio Paratici, with the former Champions League winner available after leaving the Spain job in the wake of their World Cup exit.

Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim is also being targeted by Spurs, while the links to Mauricio Pochettino are sure to get fans excited, and his arrival is deemed to be ‘quite likely’, as long as chairman Daniel Levy gives the green light.

The Latest: Silva the main candidate

According to a report from The Sun, Silva has now emerged as Tottenham’s top target to replace Conte in the summer, with Conte’s departure deemed to be inevitable, given that no talks have taken place about extending his stay.

The 45-year-old is viewed by the club as an extremely talented young boss, having rebuilt his reputation at Fulham after getting sacked by Everton in his previous Premier League job.

Levy is also said to be impressed by the Portuguese tactician’s ability to build a competitive squad without breaking the bank.

The Verdict: Right man for the job?

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, the Fulham boss did a fine job leading his side to promotion from the second tier last season, and he has started very well in the Premier League, with the Cottagers currently sitting in eighth.

The former Watford boss, who mainly utilises a 4-2-3-1 formation, has won four trophies in his managerial career, although none of these have been in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, which casts doubt on whether he would be able to make the step up to Spurs.

Given that Champions League-winning managers are on Paratici’s radar to replace Conte, including the likes of Enrique and Thomas Tuchel, it is fair to say that Silva would be an underwhelming appointment.

As such, the Tottenham hierarchy should assess their options at the end of the season, as they are likely to be able to attract a more proven manager if they can achieve a top-four finish.

Everton are ready to make a €15m (£13m) offer for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata this summer, according to a report from Il Giorno.

The Lowdown: Everton eyeing forward

The Toffees were keen on new attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window, coming close to signing Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma, before he instead went on to join Tottenham Hotspur.

It was not just Danjuma that Everton missed out on, with Andre Ayew deciding to move to Nottingham Forest, having attracted the interest of the Merseyside club on deadline day, while Kamaldeen Sulemana preferred a move to Southampton.

Zapata was an option in the earlier stages of the January transfer window, with former manager Frank Lampard personally requesting the striker, however the two clubs were unable to strike an agreement.

The Latest: Interest reignited

According to a report from Il Giorno (via Sport Witness), Everton are looking for a striker with physical power who is available for a fee that won’t break the bank , and they feel the Atalanta forward meets these requirements, so they are readying an approach.

The Toffees would be willing to offer €15m (£13m) to secure the services of the 31-year-old, who has seen his price tag collapse dramatically due to injuries and the emergence of young striker Rasmus Hojlund this season.

With the Colombian’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, the next transfer window is said to be the ideal time for Atalanta to recoup some money for him while they still can, potentially opening the door for a move to Merseyside.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti has waxed lyrical about the veteran forward in the past, describing him as: ‘A freight train of a striker. One of the most prolific goal scorers in Europe who finally exploded in his late 20s. Excellent in the air, physically imposing and a much improved finisher. “

It has not been the easiest of seasons for the 34-time Colombia international, for the most part being limited to appearances from the bench due to a variety of different injury issues, and the goal-scoring exploits of Hojlund.

By the time Zapata is able to complete a move to Goodison Park he will be 32-years-old, and so his age, coupled with his injury record, means that it would be a risk to bring him in on anything longer than a two-year deal.

Provided the Serie A marksman is able to put his injury problems behind him, he could be a decent addition Sean Dyche’s squad, weighing in with a very respectable 82 goals and 42 assists in 181 appearances during his time with Atalanta.

Chelsea look to have uncovered another wonderkid from their academy, as Lewis Hall's market value continues to soar at Stamford Bridge.

Hall would make his debut under Thomas Tuchel last season and has made another seven senior appearances for the Blues so far this campaign, with the 18-year-old no doubt viewed as a long-term option in Graham Potter's squad.

The versatile left-back, who can also play in midfield, has also shone in the Premier League 2 so far this campaign and looks more than ready for the step-up to men's football, as he boasts three goals and four assists in just 15 appearances so far this term.

Hall was tipped for big things as soon as he made his Chelsea debut in the 5-1 win over Chesterfield in January last year, with teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi dubbing him "amazing" following the game.

The Englishman's emergence as a first-team prospect at Stamford Bridge was recognised by Goal in their yearly NXGN top 50, which emphasises his growing reputation in European football, and certainly suggests that he is a talent that Chelsea need to nurture, rather than letting him join the long list of failed wonderkids.

Goal suggested in that report that the 18-year-old is most comfortable in midfield, which suggests that his long-term future at Chelsea could lie there, but it is his positional versatility – as he can play wing-back too – which could see him established as a top talent at Stamford Bridge.

How much is Lewis Hall worth?

Unsurprisingly, Hall's fairly regular appearances under Potter this season have seen his transfer value shoot up, as FootballTransfers suggested that he was valued at just €1m (£880k) back in April 2022, but they now value him at €8.2m (£7.2m), which represents an incredible 718% increase in less than a year.

After making just his second appearance as a Chelsea player in their 2-0 defeat against Manchester City earlier in the season, the teenager earned a lot of praise from Potter for his performance.

He said:

“I really enjoyed his performance. He took responsibility, took the ball in tight areas, attacked the box, and could’ve scored a couple of goals on another day.

“So it was a really nice performance, a mature performance, I thought. He is a quiet lad but goes about his work. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Although Chelsea have spent big money on both left-backs and central midfielders in recent years, with Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez two recent examples, Hall is a homegrown talent that looks to have both the ability and attitude required to make it at the top.

If he can continue to impress Potter at Stamford Bridge, his market value and reputation will only continue to grow further.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has shared a definitive update on the future of Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe amid his current loan spell at Nice.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

There are currently a few players who could depart north London this summer as Mikel Arteta's current crop chase a long-awaited Premier League title.

The Gunners are sitting eight points clear of league champions Man City, and as things stand, they're on course to win a first domestic crown in nearly 20 years. It appears Arteta has now found that perfect balance in his squad after years of building. Some names, however, find themselves on the periphery of the Spaniard's plans.

Nuno Tavares, after his 21/22 debut season at Arsenal, could leave this summer and is currently out on loan at Ligue 1 side Marseille. Meanwhile, the likes of Kieran Tierney, Mohamed Elneny and Rob Holding have also been mentioned as potential candidates to depart the Emirates Stadium.

Alongside the aforementioned players, Arsenal winger Pepe, who is currently on a temporary deal at Nice, is firmly up for the chopping block as Sheth drops an update on the 27-year-old.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the Sky journalist claims Arteta has 'made it clear' that Pepe is no longer in his plans moving forward. Sheth explained:

"I don't even think the form of those players [Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli] is going to have an impact at all because I think Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he's not in his plans."

"He wasn't a Mikel Arteta signing, remember. This was a signing made by Unai Emery and Emery has since said he actually wanted to sign Wilfried Zaha, but the club decided that they were going to go for Nicolas Pépé — maybe because of his attributes and maybe because of his age as well."

Should Pepe leave Arsenal?

Since signing for the club from Lille in a club-record £72 million move back in 2019, Pepe has struggled for consistency despite being called 'fantastic' at points by Arsenal legends like Robin van Persie.

Over his appearances last season, the £140,000-per-week ace managed just a goal and two assists over 20 league cameos as Pepe couldn't exactly kickstart a purple patch of form. Arsenal ultimately missed out on a top four finish that year with Arteta arguably needing more from such an expensive club acquisition. Across his whole career, spanning 112 games, he has mustered just 27 goals and 21 assists.

This season, however, the Ivorian has dazzled on loan at Nice as he looks to reinvigorate his career – averaging more attempts and successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in Didier Digard's squad, all while scoring six goals (WhoScored).

It may well be best for all parties to go their separate ways with Pepe clearly shining back in France, and Edu will be hoping that will drive up his market value ahead of a potential permanent sale this summer.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech to the London Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest on Ziyech's future?

The Premier League playmaker’s contract at Stamford Bridge isn’t set to expire until 2025, but having made just six top-flight starts this season, not to mention that he only featured in 16 of Graham Potter’s 31 games in charge, has fallen out of favour in SW6.

In January, the Moroccan international was close to joining Paris Saint-Germain on loan and had even already passed his medical, but the deal fell through on deadline day due to the Blues reportedly experiencing an unforeseen technical issue which meant that he had to remain in the capital for the rest of the season.

Football.London report that Todd Boehly could be set to sanction a mass exodus this summer with the 30-year-old just one of several players whose future is uncertain, and it would appear that David Moyes has therefore set his sights on the winger.

According to Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), West Ham are “interested” in a move for Ziyech who has “several contacts” in the Premier League. The Irons target is “determined” to leave Chelsea with his significant lack of game time being the “straw that broke the camel’s back”. The Blues could be open to a permanent sale for a fee approximately in between €15-20m (£13-17m), but an initial loan with the option to buy is also a possibility.

Would Ziyech be a good signing for West Ham?

Ziyech isn't the youngest of attacking options on the market but having been dubbed a “genius” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, he would certainly be an excellent acquisition for West Ham.

The Nike-sponsored star has posted 260 goal contributions in 447 appearances throughout his career which highlights how prolific he can be in the final third, further proven by him ranking in the 97th percentile for most shots per game.

Chelsea’s left-footed ace would also add plenty of versatility to Moyes’ squad with his ability to operate in seven different positions, including in attacking midfield and anywhere across the frontline, making him a useful option for the boss to have at his disposal.

Ziyech additionally knows what it takes to be successful having secured eight senior trophies at both club and international level since breaking onto the scene so could pass his winning mentality onto the rest of the current squad at the London Stadium.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن حقيقة ضم ريال مدريد الإسباني لمدافع لتدعيم فريق كرة القدم الأول، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية يناير المقبل 2024.

ريال مدريد يعاني على مستوى الدفاع بسبب الإصابات التي ضربت لاعبيه، وأبرزهم الثنائي إيدير ميليتاو ودافيد ألابا بالرباط الصليبي.

وارتبط ريال مدريد بالتعاقد مع لاعبه السابق رافائيل فاران من مانشستر يونايتد خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية لتدعيم الدفاع، بالإضافة للاعبين آخرين على طاولة مفاوضات النادي الملكي.

فابريزيو رومانو الصحفي الإيطالي الموثوق بسوق الانتقالات وعقود اللاعبين، أكد في فيديو عبر موقعه الرسمي، أن ريال مدريد يدرس بقوة ضم مدافع خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

وأشار رومانو إلى أن التقارير التي انتشرت خلال الفترة الماضية حول عدم نية ريال مدريد دخول ميركاتو الشتاء ليست صحيحة، وهناك تفكير قوي مع طرح العديد من الخيارات.

ريال مدريد يحتل صدارة الدوري الإسباني متفوقًا على جيرونا برصيد 45 نقطة، وبفارق الأهداف عن النادي الكتالوني.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره لايبزيج في دور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا في فبراير المقبل.

وتنتظر ريال مدريد مواجهة أمام ريال مايوركا يوم 3 يناير المقبل بعد إجازة أعياد الميلاد، في أولى مباريات النادي الملكي بعام 2024.

Tottenham Hotspur's players have been dug out by Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane for their lack of responsibility following the exit of Antonio Conte.

What did Roy Keane say?

It has been a turbulent few months in north London for the Lilywhites who have dropped out of the top four as a result of their poor league form.

Dropped points against relegation battlers Southampton and Everton felt like a huge step backwards in the north London club's pursuit of the top four.

Matters off the pitch have not been much kinder to the club either with their director of football, Fabio Paratici, banned from all football matters.

Adding to that, Conte unleashed a scathing rant following their capitulation against the Saints prior to the international break which ultimately never saw him return to north London.

Speaking on The Overlap, Keane has now laid into the Spurs squad for their involvement in the recent downfall in north London:

(8:40) "But if you look at Spurs' last couple of games, you talk about managers and chairman, the players have got to take responsibility to get the goal in front and they just back off almost no bottle some of these Spurs players. Absolutely none whatsoever. Just get the job done."

"But at this top-level sport, it's about winning games, it's about getting over the line. So whatever about the managers of Spurs, Spurs are going to have the same problems. It's in their DNA, the players, a lot of their players just can't do it."

Are Spurs serial bottles?

A lot of people use the term 'Spursy' when it comes to the Lilywhites for their inability to perform in the big moments when it matters most.

And there are certainly some examples of that over the last few years with a number of appearances in cup finals only offering up runners-up medals.

However, finals are not supposed to be easy – that's the nature of the game – and there can be some solace taken in losing a final to some of the sides Spurs have faced over the years.

However, there are also plenty of examples where Spurs have shot themselves in the foot with their dismal displays which have caused them to let down their fans.

The recent FA Cup game against Sheffield United is a great example of this, there may be some question marks about not starting Harry Kane and Cristian Romero.

But the players who were selected were all experienced members of the squad who should have had enough about them to see the tie over the line.

Instead, Spurs were only able to produce one big chance on the night at Bramall Lane and their opposition have since booked their spot in the semi-finals at Wembley (via SofaScore).

Again, the recent Premier League draws against Southampton and Everton should have saw Spurs take six points back to north London.

Instead, they were left with just two points after they capitulated late on in both games.

So there is certainly some merit in what Keane is saying and this set of players now have eight games remaining to salvage something from their season with a spot in the top four still to play for.

But it is not an easy road ahead of them with Newcastle United, Liverpool and Manchester United all to play before the end of the month.