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[ad_pod ]Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich visited for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash, with many players guilty of poor decision making and missing clear cut chances in front of goal.However, there was a different kind of wastefulness on the minds of Reds fans who were perplexed as to why Jurgen Klopp made the substitutions he did when the game was surely theirs for the taking.It seemed the game was crying out for something different, a new source of impetus, and Klopp had exactly that sat on the bench in Xherdan Shaqiri.Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…Instead, though, the former Borussia Dortmund boss opted to bring on James Milner and Divock Origi – substitutions which surely were intended to calm down the game a little rather than take it to the opposition in the final ten minutes.Here’s what the Reds faithful had to say on Twitter…

Kalvin Phillips won’t be joining one of Leeds United’s biggest rivals this summer – for now…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who delivered a 12-word update on his future at Elland Road amid reports linking him with a move away in the off-season.

The England international has been linked to several Premier League teams in recent weeks and months, ranging from Liverpool and Manchester United, to Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claimed earlier this week that the Red Devils were working on a deal to sign the xx-year-old as a new defensive midfielder would be a priority under likely incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

However, Nixon has thrown cold water on those reports, suggesting that isn’t the case, at the moment.

“Manchester United DON’T have Kalvin Phillips on their wish list for now,” he told followers of his Patreon site.

Good news

Ultimately, this is a huge source of encouragement for anyone associated with Leeds, and not just because it’s the Old Trafford outfit being ruled out of a move.

Phillips is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most integral players, even post-Marcelo Bielsa, and whilst he is yet to start for manager Jesse Marsch since returning from injury, he will surely play a key role going forward.

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“I said it after the match that both [Phillips and Liam Cooper] will have a big effect on our group both on the pitch and off,” the American told reporters (via the Yorkshire Evening Post) after his comeback cameo against Southampton. He then added:

“And then to have Kalvin on the pitch, I think everybody saw that it brought poise to our group, that he helped settle the game down. I heard him say after the game that he didn’t do much but, just by being on the pitch for us, I think that that presence meant a lot.”

Also dubbed a “wonderful talent” by ex-Leeds man Michael Brown, there isn’t a player in the current squad that possesses the same skillset as Phillips – defensively a rock, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and he often starts many an attack, averaging 3.1 long balls and an 82.6% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Losing a player of that calibre, not just to any top-flight team, but an arch-rival rival like the Red Devils would be a bitter blow, following in the footsteps of Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand, whose reputation in west Yorkshire plummeted.

Nixon’s update will delight many around Elland Road, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Signed for £5m, now worth 740% more: Leeds struck gold with £42m-rated “rare talent”…

Everton’s financial issues could act them to move smart in the summer transfer window, and it’s quite likely that unless a number of key players are sold to raise funds, free agents and loan moves will be targeted.

While Rafa Benitez will certainly not go down in Everton history as anything more than a disastrous appointment, his successor Frank Lampard may need to follow in his footsteps from the Spaniard’s dealings in last summer’s transfer window, and control the club’s finances well.

Signings like Andros Townsend and Demerai Gray may not have been the kind of marquee, electrifying signings that fans would have been hoping for before the start of this season, but they have both got excellent re-sell values that will bring in good profit for the club, should they depart.

One free agent that the club almost secured a number of years ago was Lukas Nmecha, who at the time was contemplating whether or not to renew his contract at Manchester City.

This was back in 2017, former Everton director of football Steve Walsh planning to complete the deal according to reports, via Sports Illustrated – and should he have succeeded in persuading the German striker to make the move across the North West to Goodison Park, the Toffees would have reaped the rewards – evident by his recent form with current club Wolfsburg.

After signing a new deal in 2018 with City, the striker joined the Bundesliga outfit at the start of this season for £7.2m, and his performances have led to his valuation increasing to £16.2m according to Transfermarkt.

Described as a “baller” by German journalist Jasmina Schweimler, the 23-year-old has featured in 18 German top-flight games this season, starting 11 of them, and has netted six goals so far while operating more as a wide-man, earning his first four caps with his country.

He has also netted two Champions League goals with Wolfsburg – proving that he can perform on the big stage, having already proved his ability at international level, having scored 12 goals for Germany’s U21s, also winning the U21 Top Scorer award at last summer’s UEFA European U21 Championship – helping his country to win the trophy.

Among attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, Nmecha ranks in the top 5% for goals per 90 (0.51), top 4% for aerials won per 90 (2.21) and top 18% for pressures in the attacking third per 90 (7.01) – proving that he is becoming a more “complete” forward as he has been previously described by former teammate and City captain Vincent Kompany.

In other news: “They’re looking at..” – Transfer insider drops big Everton claim, Lamps surely gutted

Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold has provided an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

The Lowdown: January exit

The Netherlands international was at the centre of heavy transfer speculation during the January window.

Ajax were extremely keen on bringing the 24-year-old back to the Eredivisie and even had a £15m bid rejected for the player, with Spurs demanding closer to the £27m they paid for Dutchman in 2020.

However, this deal seemed to fall through and Bergwijn has warmed the bench ever since, barring one miraculous cameo in the win against Leicester City.

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The Latest: Gold’s update…

In football.london’s latest QnA, Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold received questions over the future of Bergwijn.

In response, Gold claimed:

“I think it’s going to depend on Steven Bergwijn himself and perhaps how hard Ajax push for him this summer. Conte likes him a lot and if it was down to him, he would keep him. The Dutchman is full of confidence right now after his three international goals in two games and the strike against Newcastle but he’s just unfortunate that Spurs’ front three are flying at the moment.

“Opportunities will arise next season and there should be plenty of matches to be played, but for Bergwijn he will obviously want to be a regular starter rather than a bit part player.

“It would be Spurs’ loss if he were to go and Conte will no doubt attempt to convince him to stay, but much depends on where the player’s head is at and just how much Ajax can throw at a transfer they desperately want to make.”

The Verdict: Would be a big loss

Whilst the winger has now dropped to the bench since the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski in N17, Bergwijn would be a big loss to Antonio Conte, given his ability to come on and make an instant impact on a game.

This was illustrated in Spurs’ away clash at the King Power Stadium, when the attacker came off the bench in the dying minutes and scored two emphatic injury time goals to secure the Lilywhites a 3-2 win.

Furthermore, given Conte’s own assessment of Bergwijn being a “quality” player, a move away from Hotspur Way would comes as a big blow to Tottenham’s squad.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Alasdair Gold drops verdict on the futures of Lo Celso and Ndombele

As per journalist Sebastian Staszewski of Interia Sport, taking to Twitter, some very interesting Manchester City transfer news has emerged involving Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski.

The Lowdown: Man City make Haaland offer…

According to reliable reports in recent days, the Sky Blues have tabled an offer for long-time target and Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Braut Haaland.

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Following on from rumours that City have a deal in place already, Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio doesn’t quite go that far but has insisted that Pep Guardiola’s side have offered Haaland a €30m (£25m) per year salary package.

As City and sporting director Txiki Begiristain reportedly make a major move already, Haaland isn’t the only striker to have received an offer from the Premier League champions, at least according to Staszewski.

The Latest: Man City also table Lewandowski offer…

According to the Polish reporter, Lewandowski has had an offer from City, with both Liverpool and Paris-Saint Germain also tabling proposals for the Bayern superstar.

However, Staszewski goes on to say that the 33-year-old has chosen Barcelona, outlining: “Robert Lewandowski has an agreement with Barcelona. The deal is to cover a 3-year contract. There were also offers from PSG, City and LFC. Does this mean summer transfer? Not necessarily. But the info sent to Bayern is clear: the Pole wants to change the club.”

The Verdict: Interesting news…

As widely reported, Haaland is City’s main centre-forward target, but that doesn’t mean that Begiristain and co should take their eyes off other targets.

The Premier League champions have also been linked with Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) and Darwin Nunez (Benfica) in recent weeks as Guardiola seemingly weighs up alternatives.

There is much competition for Haaland’s services, leaving little surprise that there have been proposals from City for forwards elsewhere, especially for a player like Lewandowski.

Valued at around ‘€140-150m’ (£117m-£125m) last year according to Di Marzio, the prolific forward has been described as ‘unplayable’ by Sky analyst Statman Dave for his performances this year.

Given he has just one year left on his Bayern contract, the Bundesliga giants could even be forced to sell for less than what they were demanding in 2021.

However, with Lewandowski allegedly choosing Barcelona, it appears that City will have to consider alternatives elsewhere if they cannot seal a move for Haaland.

In other news: Man City discussions held as ‘unbelievable’ £33m star decides he wants to join Pep! Find out more here

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be excited by Fabrizio Romano’s latest claim as we head into the final few days of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are yet to conduct any form of business this month but plenty of incomings and outgoings have been mooted in the press.

It’s the first window of opportunity for manager Antonio Conte to bolster the playing squad since he was appointed as Nuno Santo’s successor back in November.

And despite a lack of confirmed movement, the Italian transfer expert is expecting it to be a busy end to the window for the Lilywhites.

“I expect Tottenham Hotspur to make two or three signings before the end of the window,” he told blogger Matt Hayes on YouTube. He also claimed that Adama Traore remained a key target but the club are not prepared to pay Wolves’ €25m (£20.8m) asking price.

Encouraging news

Time is certainly running out if Spurs are going to bring in anyone, let alone two or three new players, though it’s believed Conte has asked to strengthen three priority positions.

As per football.london, that’s a new wing-back, a new left-sided centre-back and a backup striker but with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli all linked with departures, per Sky Sports,  a central midfielder could quickly become a key area to target.

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Aside from Traore, the north Londoners have also been mooted with an exciting move for FC Porto sensation Luis Diaz, who is an out-and-out left winger by trade, and Fiorentina outcast Sofyan Amrabat, who is excelling at the Africa Cup of Nations in midfield for Morocco.

So if there is going to be three additions by Monday night, you’d imagine that the trio of players mentioned above are the most likely candidates to meet Romano’s claim.

Spurs had been unbeaten in the Premier League under Conte until last weekend’s defeat to his former club Chelsea, who have now beaten the Lilywhites three times this month and whilst the side are firmly in the race for the top-four, those losses highlighted a huge gulf in quality on the pitch.

The Italian head coach must be backed financially if he’s to stand a chance at reviving this sinking ship in N17 and three new additions would be a great start ahead of the summer.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Spurs hierarchy can pull anything out of the bag over the coming days but if you’re a Lilywhites supporter, then Romano’s update should leave you very excited.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt late January transfer blow over “devastating” target, Conte will be livid…

Wolverhampton Wanderers were dealt another major blow in their hunt for European qualification as Bruno Lage’s men lost 1-0 at Turf Moor to relegation-battling Burnley in the Premier League.

Matej Vydra’s second-half strike proved the difference between the two sides, with the visitors keeping 64% of the ball, but managing just four shots on target.

Having lost 1-0 to Newcastle last time out, it’s another sucker punch for the West Midlands outfit, who remain eighth. Although, they are three points behind seventh-placed West Ham with a game in hand.

No Wolves player particularly covered themselves in glory, however, it was another tough afternoon for young striker Fabio Silva.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been short of opportunities this term, particularly recently with Raul Jimenez’s suspension, making 20 Premier League appearances thus far.

However, the trip to Turf Moor was another game that added to the Portuguese’s run without a goal this season.

During his 67-minute spell in Lancashire, the striker managed to only make a measly 21 touches, with goalkeeper Jose Sa touching the ball over twice as much with 44 touches.

The 19-year-old’s only efforts on goal ended up being two blocked shots, with none hitting the target.

As well as little threat in the final third, the Portuguese once again struggled to link up with his teammates, producing just seven successful passes with an accuracy of 54%.

There was very little defensive contribution too, with the striker losing 71% of his duels as well as offering zero blocks, clearances, interceptions or tackles.

With Silva previously labelled as a “hindrance” by Wolves journalist Liam Keen, unlocking the youngster’s potential is still a puzzle that Lage is trying to solve, with the forward’s struggles not necessarily a surprise with Wolves the Premier League’s fifth-lowest goalscorers with just 33 goals in 33 matches.

However, what will be a concern for both the Wolves manager and the fanbase is the lack of efforts on goal that the striker produces just 0.8 shots per game, compared to the 1.8 of first choice forward Jimenez, who has six goals this season.

Having paid a whopping £35.6m for Silva’s services, Fosun will be desperate to see the colossal fee justified by seeing Lage unleash the best of his young fellow countryman.

Although, the 19-year-old’s predicament is also down to him to solve, having struggled last year too with just four goals, and can no longer afford to let Lage down.

AND in other news: Wolves now plot bid to sign “unique” £31.5m-rated livewire, just imagine him & Jimenez

Aston Villa have not been shy when it comes to adding new players to Steven Gerrard’s squad during the January transfer window, highlighting just how capable and willing the club’s owners are to make the team stronger wherever possible.

However, with the transfer deadline on the horizon, it seems as though the Villa fans and Gerrard can rest easy regarding the immediate future of one of the club’s key players.

What’s the news?

According to a recent tweet from Fabrizio Romano, after being linked with a move in recent days, Tottenham will not make a bid to sign Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this evening. The journalist then added that the Brazilian will be staying at Villa Park for the time being.

He simply commented: “Douglas Luiz will stay at Aston Villa.”

Villa signed the 23-year-old from fellow Premier League club Manchester City in 2019 in a deal worth a reported fee of £15m. Since then, the midfielder has gone on to cement himself as a central figure for Villa by racking up 94 appearances across all competitions, with three goals and eight assists under his belt.

Gerrard will be delighted

This season has seen the former City ace start 16 of the 17 league games in which he has appeared, with three assists added to his overall record, including one against his former club in December.

With that in mind, and Gerrard saying that Luiz is a player he rates “extremely high,” the Villa manager will surely be delighted to have the midfield maestro at the club until the end of the season.

Having missed out on the chance to sign Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus before he ultimately made the move to Tottenham on deadline day along with Dejan Kulusevski, it will be an additional bonus for Villa to have kept hold of one of their current midfield options.

Moving forward, with the £31.5m-rated midfielder’s contract at Villa set to expire in the summer of 2023, it would be worth the club making an approach to the player and his representatives at the end of this season to see if he would be willing to sign a new deal at Villa Park and continue his career there.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big AVFC deadline day update which will surely have fans thrilled

A nightmarish Newcastle United injury claim has been made regarding centre-forward Callum Wilson…

What’s the latest?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has hinted that the attacker could be out injured beyond the initial March timeframe given by his manager Eddie Howe.

Hope tweeted: “Interesting quotes from Callum Wilson on his BBC podcast, saying NUFC needed another striker in January & revealing there’s no timeframe on his return from injury. Eddie Howe said early March last month, but word elsewhere was it would be longer.”

Fume

Howe will surely be fuming with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it suggests that he will be without Wilson’s talents for several Premier League matches throughout February and March, with Hope’s update not giving an exact date on when the 29-year-old could return. This could be a nightmare scenario for the Magpies, as he is a proven scorer in the top flight and crucial to the team’s chances of avoiding relegation.

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, Wilson has scored 18 league goals and provided five assists in 37 starts for Newcastle. Allan Saint-Maximin and Joe Willock (eight) are the team’s second-top scorers in that time, which highlights the drop-off in attacking quality between him and the rest of the squad.

Howe will also be fuming with this update, as it highlights the severity of PIF’s failures on deadline day. Newcastle had a £33m offer accepted for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike but were unable to persuade him to make the switch to England, ultimately failing to bring in a forward on the final day of the transfer window.

This has left Chris Wood as the Tynesiders’ main option at the top of the pitch. The former Burnley marksman has scored just three goals in 22 matches for Burnley and Newcastle in all competitions this season, which suggests that he may not be the goalscoring outlet that they need in Wilson’s prolonged absence.

Therefore, Howe will be livid with both the lack of success in the transfer market in January and Wilson potentially being out for longer than expected. It could have a huge impact on his side, who could suffer from a lack of goals unless other players such as Wood step up and fire in the goals to win crucial points for the Magpies.

They need to start winning games quickly to move out of the bottom three and avoid the drop, and replacing Wilson’s goals could be crucial to that.

AND in other news, “From what I’ve heard”: Waugh drops behind-scenes PIF claim that’ll intrigue NUFC fans…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he knows as West Ham United eye a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

As first reported by Sky Sports, West Ham have been in talks to sign the Brazil international and even tabled a loan bid with the option to make his move permanent for €30m (£25m).

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Barbosa is believed to be keen on a move to England and the Premier League amid David Moyes’ search for a centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio.

New recruitment chief Rob Newman and the east London club are still yet to bring in a signing for that position as the January transfer window enters its final week, with Brown now sharing an update on their bid to sign Barbosa.

The Latest: West Ham move ‘on the table’…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, citing ‘lots of little leaks’, he claims that a move for the 25-year-old is still ‘on the table’, believing it is due to the fact we don’t actually know what Barbosa wants himself.

“The only reason that one is still on the table is we don’t really know what the player himself wants,” Brown stated.

“There’s been lots of little leaks here and there that he really wants to come to the Premier League and that he really wants to come now and he likes West Ham and the way they play, and thinks he could be a really good fit there. But we haven’t really heard any of that from him.”

The Verdict: Time to step up bid?

Amid this uncertainty surrounding Barbosa’s future in South America and the reports indicating he wants a move to Europe, we believe West Ham need to either step up their pursuit or swiftly move on to other targets.

The January window has just over a week remaining and Moyes needs to address the centre-forward position as soon as possible, especially given Antonio’s history of injury problems and their real lack of natural alternatives.

Having scored 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, Barbosa is proven in front of goal and still at a fairly young age as he comes with the potential for sell-on value. Given his torrid spell at Inter Milan, though, you can understand why the Irons haven’t yet lodged an outright permanent bid and are more interested in a loan with the option to buy.

However, now is the time to make a final decision on whether to continue pushing for his arrival as we enter a crucial period of the transfer window.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Sky journalist makes live TV transfer claim involving West Ham and 28 y/o ‘beast’, find out more here.