All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the appointment of Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s immediate successor, just five days after the club announced chairman Daniel Levy’s decision to part company with the Australian.

Tottenham set to hire Thomas Frank as new manager after talks

The 51-year-old appears set to end his impressive tenure at Brentford in imminent fashion, after Levy earmarked Frank as the top candidate to replace Postecoglou.

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The former Arsenal star said he’s impossible to take the ball from…

ByBen Goodwin Jun 8, 2025

Unlike their infamously drawn-out hunt for a new manager in 2021, their search has ended pretty quickly, and Frank is now on the cusp of a switch to N17. Tottenham were in talks with Frank and Brentford over the last few days, with negotiations coming to a conclusion in a very swift fashion.

According to trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, Frank will become Tottenham’s new manager, with the Lilywhites paying his £10 million release clause and already finding an agreement on contract terms/backroom staff.

The tactician is perhaps a perfect fit, considering he’s proven to be efficient at operating on a limited budget, not to mention working with a data-driven recruitment model at Brentford, which is quite similar to Tottenham.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

However, there are some reservations over Frank’s lack of experience when it comes to managing high-profile clubs, competing in the Champions League or winning silverware – with some comparisons already made to Spurs’ failed appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo.

Time will tell whether the Dane’s appointment will prove the correct one, but attention is now turning to how Tottenham will tackle the transfer market under his watch.

Thomas Frank urging Daniel Levy to consider Eberechi Eze deal at Tottenham

According to GiveMeSport, he’s already starting to have his say on Spurs’ summer recruitment drive, with Frank said to be a fan of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

It is believed Frank has already urged Levy to consider a Tottenham deal for Eze, if they cannot hijack Man United’s deal for Bryan Mbeumo, with the new head coach giving his green-light for them to move for the £100,000-per-week England international.

The former QPR star fired Palace to their first ever major trophy, scoring the winner against Man City in their 1-0 FA Cup final win at Wembley, adding to his 2024/2025 tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze’s contract is rumoured to contain a £68 million release clause, so Spurs know the price it would take to back Frank with the attacker’s signing, which would undoubtedly be a statement signing.

“This guy is an immense talent, there’s no doubt about that,” said ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown about Eze.

“He was released by Arsenal as a kid. I wonder if that will come back to haunt Arsenal here today? He said he cried for a week. He realised when it hits you really hard as a young man, you think, ‘Ok, I’m coming back from this.’ It proves that he’s made of really strong stuff.”

Leeds United are preparing for their return to top-flight football under Daniel Farke and may now look to muscle aside competitors to sign a clinical striker on a free transfer, according to a report.

Leeds look to add attacking prowess across front four positions

Scoring goals wasn’t a problem for Leeds on their way to securing promotion. However, there is a wider acknowledgement that creative intuition will be needed to break down some of the world’s most renowned defences next season.

Looking to add Premier League experience to the ranks, Daniel Farke has launched a move to bring Emiliano Buendia to Elland Road from Aston Villa following their successful relationship in tandem at Norwich City.

The Argentina international is open to making a switch to Leeds after a frustrating second half of the campaign on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, and murmurs are starting to accelerate that a £16.8 million offer could be forthcoming.

Joel Piroe did a fine job during the Whites’ promotion push. Nevertheless, attracting pedigree in all areas is a strategy Farke appears to be abiding by in a bid to beat the drop with plenty left to spare.

Evan Ferguson, Jamie Vardy and Callum Wilson are all Leeds targets, per various outlets, though it is unlikely they will be the only frontmen on the radar in Yorkshire.

Leeds United’s top scorers in 2024/25 – all competitions

Joel Piroe

19

Daniel James

12

Manor Solomon

10

Wilfried Gnonto

9

Largie Ramazani

7

Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt have faded towards the fringes, and it is reasonable to expect that more options will be needed to ensure Piroe can share the goalscoring burden in the Premier League.

Following through on that mission, Farke’s men are now battling two top-flight competitors for a clinical striker who wouldn’t cost a penny.

Leeds United enter race to sign Davie Selke

According to The Daily Express, Leeds United are in the mix to sign experienced striker Davie Selke as his contract at Hamburg is set to expire at the end of this month.

West Ham United, Fulham and RB Leipzig are keen on the 30-year-old. At the same time, Watford linger in the distance despite being unlikely to secure his signature when Premier League and Bundesliga destinations are on offer.

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Enjoying a superb campaign where he helped Hamburg to secure promotion back to the German top-flight, the former Hertha Berlin man registered 23 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Leeds have made contact to ascertain what Selke’s wage demands would look like, but they may need to rely on RB Leipzig pulling out of the race due to Red Bull owning a stake in both clubs.

Nevertheless, the former Germany Under-21 international would be an inexpensive way to strengthen their forward line during the off-season as Farke could some of his transfer budget towards addressing other areas.

As Real Madrid president Florentino Perez looks to make room for even more stars this summer, Manchester City could reportedly take full advantage by welcoming an attacking talent of their own.

Man City "a thousand million points behind Liverpool" – Guardiola

It was around this time last year that Manchester City were on their way to securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title before squaring off against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. On a Wembley outing which ultimately ended in defeat, Pep Guardiola’s side could have been forgiven for their title hangover which allowed United to take full advantage.

A year on, however, they will not be handed that same forgiveness if they fall to defeat against Crystal Palace this weekend. The Citizens are no longer champions. It’s Liverpool’s crown to lose these days. Instead, Guardiola has endured his most difficult season in the Manchester City dugout and is yet to secure Champions League qualification with just two games remaining.

Guardiola even went as far as to admit that victory in the FA Cup final would not suddenly turn City’s season into a success, telling reporters: “The damage would be minimum. It’s not going to confuse [that] the season has been good. The club has to take the decision, the right ones, so next season will be better.

“We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool. I said many times the season hasn’t been good because we define if the season is good or not with the Premier League. This season it could not happen, at the same time we tried to avoid the damage. We have to be calm now and recover.”

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However, what such a difficult campaign has seemingly done is spark Manchester City into life in the transfer market. Already, names such as Florian Wirtz are threatening to steal the headlines and he could yet be joined by a Real Madrid star at The Etihad.

Man City in direct contact with Rodrygo

According to Sport in Spain, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now in direct contact with Rodrygo over a summer move. The Real Madrid winger is someone that Perez is reportedly willing to sell for the right price, whilst the Brazilian himself has grown discontent with his role towards the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure.

It’s not often that Madrid lose a Galactico, but as Rodrygo looks to become the main man, the Spaniards could do just that if Manchester City make their move in the coming months.

With 13 goals and 10 assists to his name this season, the Brazilian winger has impressed once again under Ancelotti, who has been a fan of his for some time despite the winger’s reported discontent.

The Real Madrid boss told reporters in 2022: “Both Valverde and Rodrygo are special players. And that’s what modern-day footballers have to be. They can play in different positions and they possess both technical and physical attributes.”

Liverpool are already set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, and they may have to brace for the departure of another key player, with the Spanish side lining up another move.

Trent set to join Real Madrid

The Reds will be delighted to have managed to tie down Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts, but Trent has now confirmed his decision to leave on a free transfer this summer, with the right-back expected to join Real Madrid.

There have been widespread reports suggesting the Spanish side could even look to get a deal done early by paying around £850k, as they are eager to have the right-back available in time for this summer’s Club World Cup, which is set to start on June 14th.

With the 26-year-old set to move on this summer, Arne Slot’s side have now stepped up their pursuit of a replacement, and they are set to make an offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who could be available for the relatively low fee of just £30m – £34m.

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ByEthan Lamb May 7, 2025

However, Alexander-Arnold is not the only Liverpool defender Madrid are keen on, with a report from Spain suggesting the La Liga side are now looking at snapping up Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

Madrid are not planning to make a move anytime soon, but they will look to make an approach closer to Konate’s contract expiry date, with the Reds at risk of losing yet another defender on a free transfer to the Spanish heavyweights.

Arsenal’s William Saliba and AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen are also named as targets for Madrid, however, so Slot will be hoping they choose to pursue a different centre-back this summer, rather than waiting for the 25-year-old to become available.

"Incredible" Konate would be huge loss for Slot

Slot has done a fantastic job to secure the Premier League title in his first season, and the French defender has been one of the players integral to Liverpool’s success, making 39 appearances in all competitions, having continued his fantastic partnership with Van Dijk.

The Frenchman has been a consistent performer for the Reds, even managing to average more tackles and blocks per game than Van Dijk in the Premier League, so it will be a worry that Madrid have now expressed an interest.

However, the Spanish side have a number of options on the shortlist, and Liverpool still have time to tie the £70k-a-week defender down to a new contract, with Madrid not planning to make an approach in the near future.

Manchester United are in contact to complete the signing of an “absolutely outstanding” Premier League player alongside their interest in Matheus Cunha.

Man Utd eyeing exciting attacking signings

Big changes are needed in the Red Devils’ attack at the end of the season, with too many players flattering to deceive throughout the 2024/25 campaign, including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.

Manchester City youngster James McAtee has been linked with a move to United in the coming months, in a transfer that would no doubt cause some controversy, given the rivalry between the two clubs. A shock move doesn’t appear to be out of the question, though.

Meanwhile, River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono has reportedly been lined up as a long-term option for the Red Devils, with the 17-year-old potentially costing £38m, which is the amount of his release clause in his current contract.

United’s first signing of the summer could possibly be Wolves star Matheus Cunha, with some reports claiming that a deal is close to being agreed around his £62.5m release clause. That would be an exciting piece of business, and now a new update has emerged regarding another Premier League player who would make up a £100m+ strike force.

Man Utd in contact with "outstanding" Mateta to join with Cunha

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have already made contact with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, as they look to get a deal over the line this summer. The Red Devils are looking to bring him in with Cunha – not instead of – and the £40m-rated Eagles attacker is described as a “top target” in the report.

Mateta showed exactly what he is capable of earlier this week, scoring a genuine goal of the season contender in Palace’s 2-2 draw away to Arsenal in the league. The 27-year-old produced a delightful lobbed effort over the head of the backtracking David Raya, with Jamie Carragher describing it as an “absolutely outstanding” piece of brilliance.

Mateta could be an excellent signing for United, coming in as an upgrade on Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, with Thierry Henry praising him last year.

“He’s an old-fashioned striker, you can play a little more direct. He can keep the ball. He’s a boring striker to play against, he doesn’t lose the ball much, and he goes at the last defender. He uses his physicality, he’s good with his head, and he scores. It’s important that a striker like that gives you another dimension. He was also voted Player of the Year at Crystal Palace. It seems to me that he’s not too bad.”

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This season, Mateta has 14 goals to his name in the Premier League, which is more than Garnacho, Hojlund and Zirkzee combined (11), and at 27, he would be joining United at the peak of his powers, hopefully remaining that way for the next four or five years.

Everton are embarking on a new era under David Moyes and could now land themselves a summer transfer bargain once the window opens for business.

Everton look to make summer window mark

Survival has been achieved with flying colours by Everton and there is only one match now left at Goodison Park before supporters say goodbye to their home ahead of moving to Bramley Moore Dock.

Emotions are running high and there will be plenty of time for sentimental thoughts over the next few weeks, but fans will feel emboldened that the club are headed in the right direction under David Moyes.

Exciting times are on the horizon under The Friedkin Group and plenty of transfer movement is expected on Merseyside, with Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck cited as an ambitious potential arrival.

Gustavo Hamer could also join the Toffees from Sheffield United if Moyes has his way, as the former Netherlands Under-20 international is viewed as an ideal creative midfield option by the man in charge.

Abdoulaye Doucoure heads up a lengthy list of players that could be set to leave Everton upon the expiry of their contract or loan deals, which could be the signal for a sea change to take place in the dressing room.

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are among other potential departures on free transfers, leaving Moyes with some tough choices to make when considering the future look of his group.

While money is set to be available this summer, PSR regulations will keep clubs in check, meaning Everton could be forced to look for inexpensive pick-ups in certain positions to boost squad depth.

Spying an opportunity to land a bargain, the Toffees are now said to be in pole position to land one of England’s most trustworthy strikers.

Everton looking to seal move for Jamie Vardy

According to reports, Everton are looking to sign Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and are believed to be at the front of the race. Evaluating his profile, Moyes and TFG are said to value the former Three Lions international’s work ethic and capacity to deliver in pressure moments, citing him as someone who could be a leader in the short-term.

Jamie Vardy’s Premier League statistics – 2024/25

Shots

52

Shots on target

23

Chances created

19

Touches in opposition box

106

Goals

7

Assists

3

Becoming a shining light in a grim season for Leicester, the 38-year-old has been labelled “brilliant” by Gary Lineker and still retains a desire to offer something at the highest level.

Financially, Everton would be able to land the veteran on a free transfer, allowing room for manouvre to spend on other areas in need of surgery. Nevertheless, plenty of other clubs will also be in the hunt for £140,000 per week earner Vardy’s signature due to his potent nature, creating an intriguing few months ahead to see who will eventually land his services once the window opens.

Crystal Palace have now made contact over a move for a versatile defender, who is set to be available on a free transfer in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Palace may need summer rebuild

Palace’s winless run in the Premier League was extended to four games on Wednesday evening, although a draw against Arsenal is likely to be viewed as a positive point, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stunning late equaliser ensuring the spoils were shared at the Emirates Stadium.

By and large, it has been another successful campaign for the Eagles, and there is still an opportunity to make it a particularly memorable one, should they progress to the FA Cup final with a victory over Aston Villa at Wembley this weekend.

However, Oliver Glanser may be tasked with rebuilding his squad somewhat this summer, given that there is interest in Adam Wharton and Mateta, while it will also be the last opportunity to cash-in on Marc Guehi, whose contract expires in 2026.

As such, bringing in a new defender could be of particular importance to Glasner this summer, and a report from Germany has now revealed that Crystal Palace have opened talks over a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Tamiou Kpebane (via The Boot Room).

Palace have made contact over a deal for Kpebane, who is set to be available on a free transfer this summer, with his contract set to expire, and he is deemed unlikely to commit to fresh terms with the Bundesliga club.

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ByDominic Lund Apr 20, 2025

Interestingly, the 18-year-old is able to play in five positions, having been utilised as a left-back, right-back, centre-back, attacking midfielder and right-sided forward at youth level for Frankfurt this season.

As such, the 6 foot 4 colossus could be a versatile option for Glasner, although it is unclear how long it would take for him to push for a first-team spot at Selhurst Park, given that he is yet to make a senior appearance for Frankfurt.

Crystal Palace’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (FA Cup semi-final)

April 26th

Nottingham Forest (h)

May 5th

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

May 11th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

May 18th

Liverpool (a)

May 25th

Kpebane impressing at youth level

The teenager has most commonly been deployed as a full-back this season, but he has been extremely impressive on the front foot for Frankfurt, picking up seven goals and five assists in 21 matches in all competitions.

Those numbers suggest the German youngster could be capable of playing further forward later in his career, particularly considering he picked up two goals and two assists at right-wing in a remarkable performance against FC Nuremberg U19s last month.

Kpebane is showing very promising signs at youth level, so it is definitely worth Palace making a move this summer, with the move very low-risk due to his availability on a free transfer.

Before Thursday’s first-leg Europa League clash with Lyon, many of a Manchester United persuasion would have been more than happy to have secured a draw ahead of next week’s return fixture at Old Trafford, with such a result on the road ensuring that Ruben Amorim’s men remain in control of proceedings.

Having ultimately played out a 2-2 stalemate with the Ligue 1 side, however, the overriding feeling is one of deflation, with the hosts snatching a draw right at the death following last-gasp heroics from Rayan Cherki.

The majestic playmaker pounced on Andre Onana’s mistake – not the Cameroonian’s first of the night – to level things up in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with it having initially looked like Joshua Zirkzee’s late header would be enough to seal the win for the Red Devils.

Frustratingly, there is still work to do next week when the two sides meet again, with Amorim left to ponder his selection decisions for that second-leg, as well as for Sunday’s trip to St James’ Park.

A raft of changes could well be on the cards, and not just due to rotation.

Man Utd's worst performers against Lyon

The obvious place to start is, of course, with that man Onana, with the 28-year-old ending proceedings as he began the night – dominating the headlines.

After his war of words with former United star, Nemanja Matic, the ex-Inter stopper needed to put in a serene display up against the French outfit to back up his pre-match verbals. Sadly for Amorim and for Onana, he did anything but.

At fault for both of the hosts’ goals on the night, the one-time Ajax hero has now made more errors than any another Premier League goalkeeper in all competitions, since the start of last season, having endured a wretched two-year spell at the Theatre of Dreams.

Arijanet Muric

5

Robert Sanchez

5

Bart Verbruggen

4

Andre Onana

3

Alphonse Areola

2

Alex McCarthy

2

Nick Pope

2

Ederson

2

Not that Onana was alone in having another off night on Thursday evening, with Rasmus Hojlund fluffing an effort wide and registering just 11 touches in total, before being hooked on the hour mark.

In between the two, Manuel Ugarte once again failed to last the full 90 minutes following a largely frustrating performance, with the Uruguayan – who can at least claim the assist for Leny Yoro’s equaliser – winning just two of his six duels, while being the recipient of a needless yellow card.

There will likely be calls for that trio to be replaced with the likes of Altay Bayindir, Mason Mount and the aforementioned Zirkzee moving forward, while young Alejandro Garnacho is another who could be in the firing line.

The Man Utd man who was outclassed by Cherki

Despite slipping to a draw at the death, United may feel as if they are still well-placed to progress – that is unless Cherki has something to say about it.

Indeed, the 21-year-old Frenchman was a real shining light on the night for the home side, having deservedly stolen the acclaim with his late dink over Onana, after smartly pouncing on the goalkeeper’s errant parry.

Widely touted as the heir to Karim Benzema for both club and country, the fleet-footed forward almost strolled through the game with consummate ease, having notably racked up four key passes in total – more than any other player on the pitch.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The local hero also successfully completed four of his attempted dribbles amid his desire to provide that attacking spark for his side, with such a performance looking completely at odds with United’s own rising star, Garnacho.

While the Argentine did end the night with a 100% pass accuracy, his showing was summed up by his poor decision-making on the counter late on, having failed to pick out the advancing Zirkzee, before firing in a wayward pass to the stretching Bruno Fernandes.

Minutes played

90

83

Touches

72

32

Pass accuracy

88%

100%

Key passes

4

1

Big chances created

0

0

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Successful dribbles

4/7

0/0

Total duels won

6/12

3/8

Possession lost

17x

8x

Operating on the right of the front three, the 20-year-old – who actually had fewer touches than Onana recorded in the sticks (35) – had little joy in an attacking sense, albeit while picking out Fernandes in the first half with a clever pull-back.

The Spain-born speedster did also have the chance to net himself at the backpost in the second half, following a fine cross from Patrick Dorgu, yet – as has been the norm of late – he simply couldn’t convert the chance.

Still with just two goals to his name under Amorim, Garnacho’s suitability to this 3-4-3 system remains up for debate, with MEN journalist Samuel Luckhurst handing him just a 5/10 match rating, while writing that his ‘end product was often lacking’.

Despite just a slight age difference between the pair, there appeared to be a real gulf in quality and class between Garnacho and Cherki, with the latter man looking like the type of figure who would relish the role in one of the two number ten berths.

It is for no reason that teammate and ex-Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has lauded Cherki as the “best natural talent [he’s] ever seen”, with Garnacho, by contrast, looking as if he’s not even fit to lace the Lyon man’s boots.

Can that all change at Old Trafford next week?

Man Utd chase £50m Rashford & Elanga hybrid who's 'one of the best in PL'

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ByRobbie Walls Apr 10, 2025

Manchester United are now seriously considering a move for an “incredible” former player, as they are starting to realise it was a mistake to let him leave, according to a report.

Summer of change needed at Old Trafford

A slight improvement in form, coupled with the announcement of the new stadium plans, gave Man United fans cause for some excitement prior to the international break, but they were immediately brought back down to earth after the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.

The loss against the Tricky Trees once again underlined the need for Ruben Amorim to strengthen his squad during his first summer transfer window as United boss, and the manager has set out to replace a number of underperforming players.

With Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggling, the Red Devils are looking to bring in a new striker, with the likes of Sporting CP’s VIktor Gyokeres and FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa among the potential targets, alongside Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

Man Utd battling to sign "magnificent" 19y/o after scouts sent rave reviews

He’s a future star.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 2, 2025

There have also been suggestions Andre Onana could be replaced in the summer, and talks over a deal for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan are believed to be progressing, with the Frenchman said to be Amorim’s top target.

However, a new report from Spain has thrown another interesting name into the mix, stating Man United are seriously considering a move for former goalkeeper David De Gea, given the Spaniard’s return to form since signing for Fiorentina.

The United hierarchy are said to have acknowledged they made a mistake by letting De Gea leave at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, and they are now aiming to bring him back to Old Trafford, which could lead to negotiations over a deal.

With Onana costing Amorim’s side valuable points this season, it is looking increasingly likely a replacement will be brought in this summer.

"Incredible" De Gea reigniting career at Fiorentina

The Spanish goalkeeper spent 12 seasons at Old Trafford, winning the Premier League Golden Glove award two times, including during his final season with United, but he was ultimately replaced with Onana, given the Cameroonian’s ability with his feet.

However, the 29-year-old has struggled this season, making three errors leading to goals in the Premier League, while De Gea has started to reignite his career in Italy, putting in a number of impressive performances for Fiorentina.

Journalist Josh Bunting lauded the £36k-per-week former United man for his “incredible goalkeeping” earlier this season, and he has outperformed Onana on a number of key goalkeeping metrics over the past year.

Average per 90

David De Gea

Andre Onana

Goals against

1.0

1.47

Save percentage

75.2%

71.2%

Clean sheet percentage

37%

21.3%

That said, given that De Gea is now 34-years-old, and Man United have already cut ties with him on one occasion, it is probably wise to move for a younger goalkeeper to replace Onana, and Maignan could be available at a 50% discount this summer.

Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been at his best for Liverpool this season, but he’s still Virgil van Dijk.

This is one of the best defenders of his generation, and though he turned 34 in June, the Netherlands and Anfield skipper renewed his £350k-per-week contract at Liverpool until 2027, and more stable defensive foundations would bring the Dutchman back to his usual imperious level.

A mini-revival in recent weeks has eased the pressure on Arne Slot’s shoulders, but there’s no question that the Reds need to sign a centre-back.

Liverpool's plans to sign a centre-back

FSG thought they had completed the perfect summer transfer window, but FSG thought wrong. So many things haven’t gone to plan for Liverpool this season, and the failure to sign an elite centre-half is chief among them.

Sporting director Richard Hughes did, in fairness, fork out £27m to bring Giovanni Leoni to Anfield. But the talented Italian, only 18, ruptured his ACL against Southampton on his debut, and we will not see him back on the grass for some time yet.

With Van Dijk getting on a bit and Ibrahima Konate having plummeted to the nadir of his career form, so many error-strewn and unconvincing performances, the Merseysiders surely need to sign a defender, with depth proving a massive issue for Slot.

According to TEAMtalk, that man might yet be Marc Guehi, who came within a whisker of joining Liverpool last summer, a deal falling through at the eleventh hour on deadline day.

Despite that, the central defender is still ‘hopeful’ of living out his childhood dream of playing for Liverpool, according to the report. He is said to be ‘very keen’ on a move to Anfield.

The England international has been immense this season, as he was last year, and while he is set to leave Selhurst Park on a free transfer at the end of the season, chairman Steve Parish would allow him to leave for a not-so-small fee of £35m in January.

Why Guehi could usurp Van Dijk as Liverpool captain

In short, stability and dynamism in defence, two areas in which the Reds have been decidedly lacking this season. Guehi is not only a “monster in defence”, as he has been described by Crystal Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi, but an intelligent, calculated player, instrumental in the build-up.

In the Premier League this season, there have been few better. Guehi has played 14 of the Eagles’ 15 fixtures, missing out once due to injury, and he has captained Oliver Glasner’s squad on each of those occasions.

Could we be looking at the man who will take the armband from Liverpool’s titanic captain? For sure, Guehi has what it takes to steal Konate’s starting berth from him, so far removed from the Frenchman’s abject performances.

Matches (starts)

14 (14)

15 (15)

Goals + assists

2 + 2

0 + 0

Clean sheets

6

2

Touches*

65.4

74.3

Accurate passes*

44.9 (86%)

54.7 (90%)

Chances created*

0.6

0.3

Recoveries*

4.0

2.7

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

2.1

Clearances*

5.1

6.1

Duels (won)*

5.9 (67%)

6.3 (66%)

Errors

1

4

Guehi rarely makes a mistake. He is calm and composed, and composure and calmness have been in short supply across Liverpool’s backline this season.

Moreover, he would help fix Liverpool’s struggles in the build-up. Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid was always going to force a rewiring of passing patterns, and Konate has been left exposed.

Guehi, however, ranks among the top 8% of Premier League defenders this season for progressive passes, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for tackles won per 90, as well as the top 8% for aerial duel success rate.

This is a complete defender at the top of their game, and with his prime years still in front of him, such an inspiring leader must be brought over to Anfield. Second time lucky? Liverpool could certainly do with a centre-back who has what it takes to grab the baton from Van Dijk.

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