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Amid a major injury crisis on Merseyside, Liverpool may have been handed a beacon of hope. Bayern Munich’s David Alaba has reportedly refused another new deal with the German side and could be walking away from the club as a free agent next year (via Christian Falk).

The SportBild reporter has revealed that this is now the third round of attempted negotiations that have fallen through between Alaba and the Bavarians.

The plot thickens as Football Insider claims that the Austria international is high up on Liverpool’s transfer list. After signing former teammate Thiago Alcantara this summer, it may not be a million miles away to suggest Alaba could favour a move to the Reds too.

Liverpool centre-back crisis

As it stands, the Reds are in a huge predicament as they currently have just one senior recognised centre-back at full fitness. The initial blow of Virgil van Dijk’s ACL injury rocked the club, but further news of Joel Matip and stand-in defender Fabinho also being out has raised a code red situation at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has been almost second-guessed after Liverpool opted not to replace Dejan Lovren in the summer window. Instead, two attackers and a left-back came through the door, leaving the heart of the defence somewhat exposed. Certainly now, things look bleak for the reigning Premier League champions, who could be forced to rely on 19-year-old Rhys Williams until January.

Why Liverpool should sign David Alaba

The 73-cap Austrian boasts extreme versatility and could plug several leaky holes in Liverpool’s squad. According to Transfermarkt, Alaba can play on either side at centre-back as well as in the left-back position. He is also confident shifting into midfield, which could create great chemistry with Fabinho who is a similar player to the 28-year-old.

Despite being valued at £58.5million, Alaba’s current situation could see Liverpool agree terms with the player in January. Should he sign a pre-contract, the defender will join the Reds as a free agent in the summer. This will be music to FSG’s ears, who have been known to be hesitant when it comes to spending money in the past.

Alaba boasts nine Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, two Super Cups and two Champions League titles (via Transfermarkt). His experience would be a huge benefit to Klopp’s team, adding to the balance of seniority and youth moving forward.

Signing such a proven defender of Alaba’s calibre is a no brainer for Liverpool. Whilst they may have to wait until next season to get their hands on him, the temptation of getting him for free is too high to pass up. This is a deal that Michael Edwards must prioritise in order to prevent another crisis like this one happening again.

Looking for a Liverpool Gift? Take a look at the dedicated Liverpool Fan Gifts site for the latest reviews, shopping advice and links to the best products in the market. With new items added daily this should be your #1 destination. They have everything from the latest and classic Shirt as well as memorabilia, toys and gifts.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp’s ignorance on the transfer market will cost Liverpool dearly…

According to a report by Football Insider, Joe Lewis and the ENIC group have approved a new blockbuster contract for Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min – coming just a week after Paul Robinson claimed such a contract offer would be ‘amazing news for Spurs’. 

Son set for new deal

Son, who has been a shining light alongside fellow star man Harry Kane this season, forming a deadly partnership with the Englishman, still doesn’t earn anywhere near as much as his star teammates.

Compared to the likes of Gareth Bale, Kane and even Tanguy Ndombele – Son earns around £140,000-per-week, with the former trio taking home larger amounts, despite making similar contributions under Jose Mourinho.

Now, as per Football Insider, Lewis and the ENIC group have approved of a new blockbuster deal for Son in reward of his incredible contributions so far this season.

Transfer Tavern take

Indeed, this update claims talks are at an advanced stage with an announcement reportedly imminent – and it’s safe to say to this news could be ‘amazing’ for the Lilywhites as Robinson claims.

At 28-years-old, Son is currently in the prime of his career, and there is currently nothing stopping top clubs from weighing up a move for the ‘very underrated’ ace.

If Tottenham wish to keep hold of the winger who is, arguably, one of Mourinho’s most crucial assets, a bumper new deal to sweeten his stay is definitely needed.

Now that ENIC have been given their thumbs up, it could only be a matter of time before Spurs tie down the South Korean star – gifting Mourinho a huge boost in his hunt for silverware.

In other news: After Son, Tottenham look set to offer this star a new deal as well – find out who here. 

Glasgow Rangers will be well aware they can’t afford to repeat the mistake they made with Billy Gilmour by letting Kai Kennedy leave his boyhood club.

Kennedy’s current contract will run out in 2021 and it’s been suggested that his time at the club could be coming to an end in the not too distant future.

However, reports in recent times have revealed that Rangers seem to have reneged on their stance as they have reopened discussions with the player’s representatives, with further talks to be held in the coming weeks and months.

What’s the story?

According to Glasgow Live, the Rangers academy product could commit his future to the club after his agent held talks with the Gers.

It’s claimed that negotiations are still ongoing after initial talks stalled earlier this year following a public spat with Steven Gerrard over his playing time. However, it remains to be seen if the two sides will be able to reach an agreement.

The 18-year-old has attracted attention from European giants AS Roma, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in recent months after breaking through into the first team as a second half substitute in the 2-0 win over Stranraer in the Scottish Cup last season. So, Gers chief Ross Wilson must act now before it’s too late, as it’s unlikely he will be short of suitors in the months ahead.

Wake up Wilson!

Without trying to rub salt in the wound, it’s safe to say that the Light Blues have been in this position before, as Pedro Caixinha tried in vain to convince Gilmour to stay at the club back in 2017. They aren’t the first club and they certainly won’t be the last to lose one of their top prospects, but losing another would paint an all-too familiar pattern.

Once hailed as a “fabulous little player” by Gerrard after some “outstanding” performances, Kennedy has made five appearances for John Robertson’s side so far this season, registering his first assist against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup, which is surely a sign of things to come. At one stage it looked like the left winger was destined for the exit after an apparent disagreement with the Ibrox boss over his lack of game time.

Contrary to some reports, it seems that their relationship isn’t beyond repair, although the talented teenager is currently plying his trade on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle after being told he could find a new club in the summer. But Gerrard may have to swallow his pride as the club cannot afford to let another talented youngster slip through their grasp.

Now it’s up to Wilson to try and convince Kennedy to sign a new and improved contract, having so far failed to agree a new deal with the winger. Admittedly, Gerrard has a number of wide options to choose from, as Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi, Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and even Joe Aribo have all started in recent weeks before the international break.

However, Jones has hardly done himself any favours whatsoever after falling afoul of the coronavirus protocols. Indeed, the Northern Ireland international has been heavily linked with an exit in the winter transfer window. If he is sold as is expected, this would create space in the squad for another winger, which may allow Kennedy to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up instead.

He just needs to be given the time to shine at a senior level, as he has already show flashes of his overall brilliance with two assists in seven games for the Gers’ reserves. Now Wilson must reward him with a new deal, or the club could live to regret their decision to let him go for little more than a development fee next summer in the years to come.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers could’ve signed Ryan Kent’s perfect replacement in Daniel Johnson…

Glasgow Rangers’ bid to stop Celtic from winning the Scottish Premiership for the tenth time in a row couldn’t have gotten off to a better start as Steven Gerrard’s side are unbeaten in their past 23 games in all competitions, dating back to the 1-0 win over Aberdeen at the start of the season.

Rangers sit at the summit of the Premiership 11 points clear of their arch-rivals and although the Bhoys have two games in hand, it’s fair to say that Gerrard’s side are surely the favourites to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

This should go some way towards taking the pressure off of Gerrard’s shoulders, but the Ibrox boss will know the work is nowhere near done quite just yet, as he has to balance both domestic and European competitions, with his focus now on Sunday’s trip to face Falkirk in the Scottish Cup.

We said just this month that he really needs to start playing wily veteran Jermain Defoe through the middle to share the workload of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.

He is set to rotate his squad for the Betfred Cup clash with the Bairns, which means that the former Tottenham Hotspur striker will be in contention to start at the Falkirk Stadium.

Morelos and Roofe ran themselves ragged as Rangers squandered a two-goal lead against Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday night, so Defoe may be expected to shoulder the burden once again after the horror show at Hampden last year.

The Light Blues battered Celtic for the majority of the cup final last December, only for the Gers to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as they were unable to secure the victory as Morelos missed several chances, before Defoe was thrown in at the deep end as a late replacement in an attempt to put the game to bed.

Whilst the result didn’t go their way, that doesn’t mean that the 38-year-old should be almost entirely written off. If anything, far from it, as he famously won the English League Cup with Tottenham in 2008, whilst he has recently made it clear that he wants to win a trophy at Ibrox. That’s exactly what Gerrard needs, winners.

The former England international has only made five appearances so far this season, but has still scored two goals and supplied two assists in all competitions, which is a pretty impressive return by any player’s standards.

Valued at £1.2m via Transfermarkt, if he is given a decent cup run, Defoe may be able to find the form that saw him score score three goals in his first four games in the same year Spurs won the League Cup, which would surely be enough to convince Ross Wilson to give him a new contract.

There’s life in the old dog yet, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must cash in on Glasgow Rangers outcast Jordan Jones in January…

After bringing him in from French side Angers in the summer, it’s been a rather mixed start for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The full-back has started a couple of games here and there in the Premier League and shown flashes of the immense potential he has – you only have to look at his well-taken goal against Crystal Palace to see that.

And Ligue 1 commentator Eric Krakauer has made it clear just how much of a coup the Molineux side pulled off in the summer.

He said: “Wolves are getting an exceptional player with a very high ceiling. He still has a lot of bulking up to do. When a player has as much skill as he does, you don’t want them to get too big because there’s the fear he might lose some agility, but he does need to get stronger. He will have to fine-tune his defensive efforts.

“There’s a tendency for a lot of Premier League supporters to wonder whether a player can come in and do a job in the league, but he’s got exceptional skill. With a few weeks of practice and an understanding of what’s expected of him by (new manager) Nuno Espirito Santo, this is a guy who can hit the ground running.

At only 19, it’s been no surprise that Nuno has looked to protect Ait-Nouri from over exposure, and Krakauer added that fans will have to be patient with the young full-back as he develops.

“Considering his age, it’s important that if he does make mistakes, supporters don’t think he’s not good enough to play in this league. Confidence will be important, he’s moving to a new culture and team with a very different style of play. There’s going to need to be patience but he’s a guy who can put in a shift right away.”

One thing is clear though. The teenager is a highly-rated young talent, and Nuno could be pleasantly surprised if he gives him a consistent run of games over the next few weeks and months.

Meanwhile, Wolves could land a superb bargain in this global star.

Said Benrahma has left David Moyes powerless to omit the Algerian forward after the Brentford loanee excelled in West Ham United’s victory over Leeds on Friday night.

Moyes opted to hand Benrahma his first start in claret and blue following a late injury to Arthur Masuaku, which forced West Ham to deviate from the five-man defence which has inspired their solid form this season.

Benrahma had featured for just 78 minutes of Premier League football before the Hammers took to the pitch at Elland Road, as Moyes struggled to see a reason to bench his favoured attackers Pablo Fornals or Jarrod Bowen, believing the pair were playing “really well”.

In the end, Masuaku’s injury and a move to a four-man defence allowed Moyes to introduce Benrahma to his starting plans in behind striker Sebastien Haller to provide an added level of creativity beside Fornals and Bowen.

Benrahma upstaged his more established teammate Fornals with a game-changing display as the Hammers clinched a 2-1 win to move up to fifth in the table, with more points beside their name after the opening 12 games than early high-flyers Everton and title-hopefuls Manchester City.

Former Irons defender Anton Ferdinand was among the hordes to applaud the 25-year-old for his performance, seemingly confident that only good things can come from the £5million loan signing who West Ham are obliged to buy for £20m next year.

“Benrahma looks like he could be a maverick for us,” Ferdinand shared in a post on Twitter. “Loves the ball at his feet, very comfy and loves to make things happen!”

VAR stole the show at Elland Road when Mateusz Klich was allowed to retake his penalty after Lukasz Fabianski was deemed to have been off his line whilst making the initial save, but Benrahma’s performance ensured a spotlight focused on him as well.

The six-time Algeria international may not have registered a third assist of the season to pair with his game-winning involvement in goals against Fulham or Aston Villa, and may still be without a maiden goal for West Ham, yet achieved what Moyes tasked him with being. A nuisance for Leeds star Kalvin Phillips.

West Ham often found themselves without possession while Benrahma was on the field, as Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites controlled 65.7% of the ball before Moyes opted to introduce Mark Noble six minutes from time to instil an added defensive presence in the engine room.

Yet Benrahma still recorded the joint-second-most touches by a visiting player with 45, only Aaron Cresswell (52) took more, and played one key ball from 15 accurate passes, per WhoScored.

Benrahma came into his own when with an eye for goal, as he unleashed a game-high six efforts on Illan Meslier’s net, though only forcing the Leeds’ shot-stopper into making a save once.

Only Bowen could match his 100% dribble success rate, too, among any Irons player to feature, with Benrahma able to beat his marker with each of his three attempts as the £23,077-per-week forward won five of nine ground duels, per SofaScore.

Moyes will no doubt like to see Benrahma fine-tune his shooting, but is now powerless to omit the 25-year-old from his starting plans after seeing what he can bring to the side having bided his time for a chance to shine.

AND in other news, a £27m-rated West Ham dud is playing on borrowed time after a shocking showing at Leeds United.

Aston Villa have some promising young stars in their academy but reports are suggesting that the club might struggle to keep hold of one of their emerging talents, Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

The latest on Jaden Philogene-Bidace

According to Football Insider, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig have approached Villa about signing the youngster in January. It might be quite easy to lose him as the 18-year-old has just six months left on his contract at Villa Park. Therefore, he could be set to leave the club for free in the summer of 2021.

Should Villa let him depart?

The left-winger has been in very impressive form for the U23 side this campaign in Premier League 2 (Transfermarkt). He has played eight times, scored four goals and also managed to pick up two assists.

The fact that a Champions League side who battle near the top of the Bundesliga are keen on Philogene-Bidace should give Villa the warning signs that they should not let him go.

It would be best if they looked to tie him down to a new deal, and there is not much risk to doing this. He can continue to produce the quality for the academy until Dean Smith feels he can step up and contribute for the senior squad.

Villa have shown that their academy can produce great talent, with players like Jack Grealish and Jacob Ramsey coming through the youth set-up and Philogene-Bidace could be the new emerging star so they should definitely not look to let him depart.

In other news: Aston Villa are keen to bring a Serie A midfielder to the club. Have a read who it is here!

Many Manchester United fans have been talking about the latest update involving Brandon Williams, which emerged on social media on Tuesday.

Liam Kennedy from the Shields Gazette has reported that Newcastle United are understood to have agreed the framework for a deal to sign the Man Utd defender on loan in the January transfer window. The report claims that Williams has been told that he can leave Old Trafford on a loan deal this month and Steve Bruce’s men are now leading the race to sign the Englishman.

The report also states that Newcastle are just one of the clubs after Williams, as Ralph Hasenhuttl also has a liking for the defender. Williams is thought to be one of the potential loan deals that Bruce could be looking at. Apart from the Man Utd man, the Magpies are also looking to bring Jetro Willems back to the club.

Williams, currently 20, has fallen down the pecking order at left-back behind Luke Shaw and Alex Telles and as a result, he has struggled for minutes. The Englishman has made just one appearance in the Premier League, playing twice in the UEFA Champions League and twice in the League Cup (as per Transfermarkt).

In the 2019/20 season, Williams had played more often for the Red Devils, playing 17 league games and contributing to a couple of goals. He also played eight times in the UEFA Europa League for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men (as per Transfermarkt).

Solskjaer praised Williams last season and said: “He played a square pass into Mount [which led to their second goal] and he probably felt a bit responsible, but for the rest of the half he was absolutely outstanding. The kid has been out for a while and not played, and had the eye injury, but his character and personality out there was great, he kept going and kept going.”

This update about Williams caught the attention of many Man Utd fans, who made their opinion clear about the news.

What did Man Utd fans make of this update about Brandon Williams?

“He needs minutes for his development. I rate this loan move if it’s true. Steve Bruce could take care of him.”

Credit: @agustiraindras

“Shouldn’t be sending him there, toxic football club and he won’t get enough game time.”

Credit: @Jonny45964835

“United should better sign a Rb this month, won’t make sense if they don’t, there is nobody backing up Bissaka.”

Credit: @YoungKingFavou2

“Nooooooo, not that defensive team, go to Southampton or Leverkusen or whoever else was linked.”

Credit: @BradNel225

“This will be a great move for Williams if he can get some playing time!”

Credit: @mufc_shah

“Means we are getting arons”Credit: @mohamma20452765″We should just sell”Credit: @NaslaUtd”Should loan him for 18 months!”Credit: @Zlabhishek31″Max Aarons incoming to #mufc then hopefully”Credit: @UtdDonni”Him going on loan and tofu possibly exiting too could mean there is a possibility for max aarons………….”Credit: @KN_8iiIn other news, Man Utd fans have hailed an update about the club’s links with Max Aarons – read more about it here.

Tottenham Hotspur moved back into the Premier League’s top four places with a resounding 3-1 victory over Sheffield United earlier this afternoon.

Goals from Serge Aurier, Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele secured a comfortable three points up at Bramall Lane to make it five wins and seven games unbeaten in all competitions for Jose Mourinho.

The Frenchman, who completed his first full match in the top-flight this term, was handed the Man of the Match award by the Sky Sports commentary team, though as good as he was, another name was vastly overlooked.

Joe Rodon was an absolute colossus at the back for Spurs in what was only his second-ever Premier League start.

Having joined for £11m from Swansea City in the summer, the 23-year-old centre-back has found game time hard to come by with both Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld often preferred to him.

But with Mourinho’s switch to a three-at-the-back formation, Rodon was called upon over the Belgian and ultimately, that decision paid serious dividends.

The Welsh international recorded more clearances (four) than any other Spurs player, meaning he was quick to avert the danger, more so than Eric Dier who managed only half the number of clearances, via SofaScore.

Rodon also enjoyed a whopping 93 touches of the ball, only bettered by Dier for either side, thus proving to be as heavily involved in the game as anyone else and perhaps even more so than Ndombele, who managed just one fewer touch in a crucial box-to-box role.

He made his presence felt at right centre-back, completely silencing Oliver Burke and substitute Rhian Brewster as neither managed above a 6.6 rating and combined for just one shot on target, also per SofaScore.

Indeed, Rodon won six of seven duels (85%) both on the ground and in their air, the 6 foot 4 machine was clearly rock-solid.

Alasdair Gold at football.london agreed as he graded the central defender a 9/10, which he also handed to Ndombele, he wrote in his post-match ratings:

“Making his second Premier League start, he made a couple of early crunching tackles. Did well to bail Eric Dier out of a tough spot on 28 minutes with a good anticipating run. Very promising performance from the young Welshman. Did very little wrong.”

Whilst Tifo Football’s Seb Stafford-Bloor likened Rodon to a young John Stones, calling his display “magic.”

This performance will give Mourinho plenty to think about going forward as based on this showing alone, Rodon can more than cut it in the big time.

AND in other news, Mourinho will be delighted by latest Fabrizio Romano claim…

Has there been a more disappointing signing in the Premier League than Willian?

The Brazil international crossed the London divide to join Arsenal from Chelsea, and after picking up two assists on his debut against Fulham, has been nothing short of disastrous since.

He hasn’t scored a single goal in 18 total appearances, and on Saturday night against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round, produced yet another shocking display for Mikel Arteta’s side.

As per Sofascore, his 6.5 match rating was the joint-worst of any Arsenal player on the pitch, and when you look at the stats, it’s easy to see why.

He won just two of the eight duels that he was involved in, didn’t hit the target with either of his shots (including one that he blazed over with his left foot from well inside the penalty box), completed no dribbles, and sent just one accurate cross in.

Eventually, Arteta decided to end his misery and took him off mid-way through the second-half, with his replacement, Bukayo Saka, playing a part in the Gunners’ opening goal.

And speaking after the game, Goal journalist Charles Watts slammed the Brazilian as “dreadful” and someone who is “becoming a real, real problem”.

With the north London side’s youngsters doing the job for Arteta, the Arsenal boss must surely axe the £13.5m-rated Willian from his team for the foreseeable future.

Whilst he’s on a three-year contract and on big wages, the Gunners will struggle to get rid of him on a permanent basis anytime soon, but one thing Arteta can do is just keep him away from the starting eleven.