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An update has emerged on Liverpool and how much it will cost them to sign Randal Kolo Muani in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet RMC Sport, the Reds are one of three sides who enquired about a potential deal for the French international prior to the 2022 World Cup.

The report claims that his form for his country in Qatar has convinced Eintracht Frankfurt to raise their valuation of the striker to €60m (£53m), after initially wanting €50m (£44m).

It now remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool will follow up on their interest in the forward by making an official offer or if they will wait until the summer to make their move.

Roberto Firmino’s heir

Jurgen Klopp could find the heir to Roberto Firmino’s place in the squad by securing a deal to sign Kolo Muani from Frankfurt, either this month or in the summer.

The Brazil international is out of contract at the end of the campaign and Liverpool could find themselves in a position where they need to replace him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Firmino has been a terrific performer for the Reds over the years and has proven himself to be a match-winner in the final third with his unique style of forward play.

He is not a prolific, out-and-out, number nine but he can chip in with goals whilst also consistently linking up play and creating chances for his teammates, which is shown by his 107 goals and 78 assists in 348 matches for the club.

Kolo Muani is a similar type of striker in the sense that he is unlikely to arrive at Anfield and fire in 30 goals a season, however, he could provide a great balance between goalscoring and creativity.

The French marksman has only scored five times in 14 Bundesliga appearances this season but he has also produced an impressive nine assists, whilst creating 1.4 chances per match and six ‘big chances’ for his teammates in total.

The forward, who Frankfurt board member Markus Krosche hailed as “robust” and “versatile”, has proven that he can score and create goals in a major European league and he even has room to improve at the age of 24, which means that he would be a long-term signing for the club.

Klopp could work with the gem on the training pitch to help him to fulfil his potential and that is why the Frenchman could be the dream heir to Firmino’s throne, whether he joins now or in the summer.

Wolves are interested in completing the signing of OGC Nice midfielder Mario Lemina in the near future, according to an update from journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Lemina a key man for Nice

The 29-year-old is known by Premier League supporters for his time spent at Southampton and Fulham, where he made a total of 74 appearances in England’s top flight.

Lemina is now plying his trade at Nice in France, starting 11 Ligue 1 matches this season and enjoying an impressive 90% pass completion rate in the midfield.

It could be that a return to England is on the cards, however, following a new update.

The Latest: Wolves interested in signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor claimed that Lemina is very much on Wolves’ radar ahead of a possible move:

“Lemina is definitely a target. He’s a player they’ve looked at in the past before he went to Nice. He also had a loan spell with Fulham and Wolves were also looking at him at that point.”

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The Verdict: Good addition by Lopetegui?

Lemina could be a shrewd signing by Julen Lopetegui in the January transfer window, as he looks to bring in the right players who can suit his system perfectly.

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At 29, the 25-time capped Gabon international isn’t getting any younger but he has proven himself in the Premier League and has averaged 2.5 tackles and 1.4 clearance per game in Ligue 1 in 2022/23.

Lemina is out of contract at Nice next year, which could increase the likelihood of them being willing to sell now, with Wayne Bridge once calling him a ‘great player’.

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention away from Premiership action for this weekend as they face off against Aberdeen at Ibrox in the League Cup.

The Light Blues have the chance to secure their place in the final of the competition by beating the Dons today, after winning 1-0 against Dundee FC in the previous round.

Michael Beale has won five of his six competitive games in charge of the Gers so far, drawing the other match, and he could now book a place in his first final as the club’s head coach.

Rangers come into this game off the back of a 2-0 win away at Dundee United in the Scottish top-flight and the manager may look to make alterations to his side in order to give others a chance to impress.

Whilst Malik Tillman started in the number 10 role and scored in last weekend’s win, Beale must finally unleash academy graduate Alex Lowry from the start today.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has only featured in one match for the former assistant manager and has not played a competitive match for the club since the 28th of December.

Lowry started in a 3-0 win over Motherwell and put in a solid shift in his rare opportunity to catch the eye. As per Sofascore, the gem won five of his nine duels, managed two shots on target, and completed 85% of his attempted passes as he earned a rating of 7.00.

The teenager has been in splendid form for the B team throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his form for the reserve side indicates that he deserves another chance to show what he can do in the first-team.

In one assist for the young Gers.

Lowry was given opportunities to impress under Gio van Bronckhorst last season and contributed with seven first-team outings, which shows that he does have the quality and maturity to make an impact for the senior side.

In an interview with The Athletic, Scottish coach Andy Goldie lauded the midfielder as being “gallus” and a “master” of the ball and these comments indicate that he would be an exciting player for the fans to watch in action as he is a technically gifted, brave, young player. 

The dynamo has shown signs of promise at first-team level and Beale must finally give him a chance to prove his worth by placing the gem in the starting line-up against Aberdeen.

Liverpool are reportedly putting plans in place to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in 2023.

The Lowdown: Midfield reshuffle?

The Reds have bolstered Jurgen Klopp’s attacking ranks this month with a move for Cody Gakpo, with a new midfielder seemingly high on the Anfield agenda. Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham appears to be the club’s top target, with talks already held over a potential move.

The likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner are all out of contract at the end of the season and it seems as if another England international is also of interest to Liverpool chiefs in Mount, who journalist Josh Bunting previously dubbed as ‘sublime’.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Guardian shared a story on Friday regarding Mount, saying that Chelsea are stepping up attempts to agree a new contract with the player due to Liverpool putting plans in place for a summer move.

Those at Stamford Bridge are optimistic the 24-year-old will remain at the club, despite the fact that the Reds are prepared to firm up their interest with Mount into the final 18 months of his contract.

The Verdict: One to watch…

Jurgen Klopp may well get the chance to watch Mount close up later today when the two sides meet at Anfield, and this could be a deal to keep an eye on as the year goes on, should his contract situation remain the same.

He is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also turn out as a central midfielder or on the left-hand side, so would offer plenty of versatility on Merseyside.

The player also appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €75m Transfermarkt valuation and Mount has actually outperformed a number of Liverpool midfielders this season, besides Thiago, as per WhoScored, so a summer swoop may well be a shrewd one.

Martin Keown has urged Jesse Marsch to get his Leeds United players to calm down on the ball while speaking on Match of the Day 2.

The Lowdown: Leeds stuck in a rut

While picking up a point and a rare clean sheet will have been welcomed by the Leeds faithful, it wasn’t a result that’s going to catapult them up the table and kickstart their season, as it only stretched their shocking run.

As of today, Leeds have won just twice in their 14 Premier League games, so it’s no surprise they are very close to the bottom three and could be seen as one of the favourites to head into the Championship.

It’s been almost 12 months since Marsch was appointed as the man to save Leeds from the drop last season, and while he did that, nothing appears to have progressed since then, which will be a concern.

The Latest: Something has to change at Leeds

BBC pundit Keown has urged Marsch to bring about some fresh tactics, as it’s clearly not working given their league position.

He said: “I don’t see any game management, I don’t see any control. I think the manager’s got good characteristics, but when you don’t win games, it’s like codswallop, isn’t it; it’s just blarney. We’re just hearing this propaganda, it’s like he’s clinging on – they need to get results.

“There’s a message, all the interviews from the players was the same – ‘there’s momentum’, ‘we’re building’, ‘we’re moving in the right direction’.

“Two wins in 16 games is not moving in the right direction, so the next two games are massive for them; I think the first one coming up is Forest.

“[They’ve] got to start getting results and playing effective football. It’s so frenetic and frantic. Calm down and play some football.”

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The Verdict: Pressure mounting on Marsch

It has been a bit of a crazy season so far for Leeds having taken points off teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United, but also boasting the sixth-worst expected goals against (xGA) total in the Premier League (as per FBref). It appears that Marsch’s tactics are just to go out, cause chaos and outscore the opponent.

Prior to the World Cup, there was mounting uncertainty over Marsch’s future, but after being backed significantly in the transfer market, we think it would be a shock for Victor Orta to pull the trigger on the American boss now.

What is quite bizarre, however, is that Marsch decided to not throw record signing Georginio Rutter into the game this weekend despite Leeds being desperate for a goal, so all still may not be right at Elland Road.

Everton could make a move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele instead of Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata, according to a claim from journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Everton’s goalscoring issues

The Toffees’ season is an increasingly concerning one, with a string of poor results leaving them in the Premier League relegation zone and in danger of a first relegation since 1951.

There have been problems all over the pitch throughout the campaign, with a lack of goals one of the biggest issues, having only scored 15 in their first 20 league outings.

Everton have been linked with a move for Zapata this week, but one reporter claims that Frank Lampard could look elsewhere for centre-forward reinforcements.

The Latest: Dembele move on the cards?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips name-checked Dembele as someone who Lampard likes and could look to sign in the January transfer window, having already indicated his approval for Everton to move for the player, who has reportedly been offered to the Toffees by Lyon.

The journalist said of Everton’s links with the former Celtic striker:

“I think this would be backed a lot more than Zapata, purely because Moussa Dembele was a Chelsea target when Lampard was there.

“So, Lampard has already said okay to him and given him the all-clear as a player that he’d like in his squad.”

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The Verdict: Prolific addition for Blues

Dembele could be exactly what Everton need, providing the consistent end product that the likes of Anthony Gordon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay have failed to bring this season.

The trio have scored just five league goals between them in 38 combined appearances in 2022/23, highlighting just how impotent Lampard’s side have been in the final third.

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By stark contrast, Dembele has scored 69 goals in 159 appearances for Lyon, with the £66,000-per-week striker also netting 13 times in 25 caps for France at under-21 level.

Back in 2016, he was lauded as an ‘exceptional’ player by Pep Guardiola, further outlining his talent. Also, at 26, he could be about to hit the prime years of his career, so it’s no wonder that Lampard has reportedly given the thumbs-up for Everton to try and get Dembele.

Everton are reportedly ‘interested’ in signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Tete, who is on loan at Lyon.

The Lowdown: Gordon replacement?

It was reported this morning that Anthony Gordon returned to Finch Farm after missing training for the last three days, which comes with the news that Sean Dyche is expected to become the next manager at Goodison Park.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has since given an update on the winger amid strong links to Newcastle United, with him saying that a deal has now been ‘agreed’ worth £45m, and he will have his medical on Tyneside ‘in the next 24 hours’.

Once Gordon leaves, then the Merseyside club will be expected to be looking for a replacement, which would likely become Dyche’s first signing in charge.

The Latest: Tete interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Alex Crook says that the Toffees, as well as Leicester City, are ‘interested’ in signing Tete:

“Understand #LCFC and #EFC are both interested in signing Lyon winger Tete. Not sure that’s the case with #LUFC at this stage.”

The Verdict: Get it done

With Gordon heading to the North East, it is imperative that the Blues get a replacement in, and they should be looking to sign Tete ahead of their Premier League rivals.

However, they may have to be quick, with reports that Leicester are making good progress with a deal.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Tete as a player who has been ‘on fire’ so far this season, evidenced by the fact that he has six goals and five assists in 19 games in total over all competitions from the wing (Transfermarkt).

At just 22, the Brazilian is only one year older than Gordon, and so would be a viable replacement once the Englishman makes his move to the Magpies.

Everton reportedly now ‘want’ to sign AS Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, but there is a ‘meeting in progress’ involving a rival suitor.

The Lowdown: Bournemouth deal collapses

Sky Italy journalist and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reported this afternoon that Zaniolo ‘accepted’ an offer from AFC Bournemouth on Monday night, ‘ready to go’ this morning.

However, the Premier League club then ‘blocked’ a move over concerns about finances, meaning that Zaniolo is now free to move to another team before the transfer window closes.

The Latest: Everton in the race

Taking to Twitter, journalist Alessandro De Felice reports that the Goodison Park outfit now ‘want’ to sign Zaniolo, but there is a ‘meeting in progress’ with rival suitors Sassuolo, which could see their player Davide Frattesi sent to Roma as part of a swap deal:

“Plot #Everton – #Roma – #Sassuolo: The Toffees want Zaniolo, Frattesi can end up in red and yellow. Meeting in progress between the Carnevali and the Neroverde midfielder’s (Frattesi’s) agent.”

The Verdict: Time ticking!

Time is certainly ticking for Sean Dyche’s side to get new faces through the doors before the deadline at 11pm tonight, having not spent any money on any signings yet and only recalling Ellis Simms from his loan spell at Sunderland.

They also lost winger Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United, and so need to bring in at least one new attacker in the next few hours in order to compensate for his loss.

Hailed as a ‘tremendous talent’ with an ‘amazing ability’ to decide games by journalist Alvaro Canibe, Zaniolo has scored 24 goals and made a further 18 assists in 128 games for Roma, and has played in all three major European competitions for them including the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

The Italy international is a player who likes to get on the ball and take responsibility, ranking in the 96th and 81st percentile of all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots and touches respectively, and at 23 years of age has not yet hit his peak.

Nonetheless, Zaniolo could be a tidy signing for the Toffees if they can beat Sassuolo to his signature.

West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca, amid his injury, could be ‘struggling’ to adapt to the physicality of Premier League football.

The Lowdown: Scamacca sidelined…

The Italy international, after signing from Sassuolo in the 2022 summer transfer window, has managed just three league goals under manager David Moyes.

Scamacca’s arrival originally ended the long and drawn out search for a back up to Michail Antonio but the forward has arguably found it difficult to score on a consistent enough basis.

He did score in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Leeds recently but a knee injury sustained in that game has kept him sidelined since.

The Latest: Sky injury man makes Scamacca claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who contributes for The Athletic, says Scamacca could be ‘struggling’ with life in English football.

He said:

“It can be a sign that he is struggling to adapt to the Premier League.

“There is definitely some adaptation he needs to do since arriving in England but let’s not forget that football is a contact sport.

“Everyone picks up knocks and niggles and generally knee injuries are high up on the list in terms of incident rates.”

The Verdict: Great potential…

The 24-year-old has drawn comparisons with AC Milan big name Zlatan Ibrahimovic in recent seasons for his unorthodox playing style and clinical nature in front of goal.

Scamacca netted 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances last season and the towering 6 foot 4 striker certainly has what it takes physically to adapt to English football.

His knee injury is an unfortunate one and it’s quite common for new signings to go through an adjustment period, especially when arriving in a division as tough as the Premier League.

The worry for Moyes will be how long Scamacca takes to come back fit and firing for what will be a crunch final few months of 2022/2023 – if the Scotsman isn’t sacked by then.

Southampton could look to hire Jesse Marsch following the sacking of Nathan Jones, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Managers sacked

The St Mary’s club announced on Sunday morning that Jones had left the club after just 14 games and four months in charge following a 2-1 defeat against relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers left them rock bottom of the Premier League.

Southampton currently sit four points from safety but could move further away if 17th placed Leeds United get a result against Manchester United in their game in hand.

The Whites are another side looking to avoid the drop and reacted in similar vain to the Saints last week after they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, costing Marsch his job.

The Latest: Jones’ comment

Speaking to GiveMeSport before the news of Jones’ sacking, the journalist claimed that Marsch would likely jump at the chance to take charge on the south coast with his reputation in Europe hanging by a thread, saying:

“Otherwise Marsch is probably going to have to turn away from European football for a little bit and try something else.

“But I honestly do think that there are worse ideas than to turn to Jesse Marsch right now.”

The Verdict: Worse ideas?

Marsch could well be about to leap back into another managerial role to turn his European adventure around with the American not fairing well in Yorkshire after previously being sacked by RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga after just 20 games in charge.

Despite being sacked by Leeds with the club set to be involved in another relegation scrap, the 49-year-old stepped in last season to steer the Whites to safety, with a final day win against Brentford securing their top-flight status.

Marsch proved his credentials at bringing a team out of the drop zone to safety but the sour end to his tenure at Leeds, which saw him booed off by Leeds fans against Aston Villa weeks ago, may leave Saints fans hoping for a different replacement.