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Liverpool’s revival continued with a hard-fought win at Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, but it would be remiss to avoid the glaring issues that remain within Arne Slot’s squad.

The Premier League champions will not defend their title this season. Too much is wrong, with tactical imbalances persisting and key personnel beginning to succumb to injuries.

Alexander Isak, 26, is unlikely to play a significant part again this season – if any – after breaking his leg against Spurs while in the process of scoring. Micky van de Ven clattered into him. Liverpool chiefs are bleak in their outlook, and expect a lengthy layoff.

Now, if it wasn’t clear before, do Liverpool need to push and sign a new forward during the January transfer window.

Who Liverpool are looking to sign in January

At the top of Liverpool’s Christmas wish list is Bournemouth superstar Antoine Semenyo, whose eight-goal and three-assist return in the Premier League has sparked something of a frenzy for his signature, which is available for £65m for the first ten days of the winter transfer window.

Unsurprisingly, competition for the Ghana international is thick, and though reports are conflicting, transfer insider Ben Jacobs believes “Manchester United and Manchester City are the leading contenders.”

Sporting director Richard Hughes understands the severity of Liverpool’s attacking crisis, with Isak ruled out indefinitely and Mohamed Salah away at AFCON.

Therefore, a move could be made for West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen, with TEAMtalk revealing that Liverpool would be ready to act on their long-standing interest in the right-sided forward by making a bid, but only if the player becomes available.

Indeed, Irons owner David Sullivan would only allow him to leave if an offer exceeded £100m, and even then, it might not be enough. The Hammers are five points adrift from safety in the Premier League, and losing Bowen at the campaign’s midpoint would all but condemn them.

Why Liverpool should sign Jarrod Bowen

Cast your mind back to August 2023. Salah is being courted by suitors in the Saudi Pro League, and Liverpool are to reject an offer worth £150m for their Egyptian superstar.

Salah was and is irreplaceable, but Bowen had been earmarked as a potential successor at the time, having been said by talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino to have entered “the Salah club” due to his prolific, intelligent style off the attacking right flank.

The 29-year-old Bowen’s vast Premier League experience suggests he could have a lot to give Slot’s Liverpool over the next few years, should a move indeed be in the pipeline.

He might have only scored five goals – supplying one assist too – across 17 league outings this term, but the £150k-per-week talent’s consistency and talismanic reputation at the London Stadium suggest he could add more stability and dynamism to Liverpool’s right side, much needed if Salah is to leave, as has been mooted after his outburst at Elland Road earlier in December.

Bowen is a star and he’s a leader. This is exactly the kind of player Liverpool need to maintain the Salah-esque presence that may or may not be wrenched from Slot’s squad for good in the coming weeks.

Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer insights & analysis Curious how Bowen, Semenyo or other options reshape Liverpool’s attack? Subscribe to the newsletter for data-driven analysis, tactical context and clear breakdowns of transfer targets – plus broader club coverage to keep you informed. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer insights & analysis Curious how Bowen, Semenyo or other options reshape Liverpool’s attack? Subscribe to the newsletter for data-driven analysis, tactical context and clear breakdowns of transfer targets – plus broader club coverage to keep you informed.

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And it’s not as if Bowen lacks athleticism and pace. In fact, Sofascore record that he averages 4.6 duels and 1.5 dribbles per match in the Premier League this season. Semenyo averages 6.1 duels (though a lot of this is due to his aerial prowess), and he has completed 1.6 dribbles per game.

Given that FBref data shows that Semenyo is one of Bowen’s most statistically comparable rivals in the Premier League this season, it’s clear that Liverpool could hit the jackpot with this one, signing a player whose loyalty and talent over in east London could be attributes to endear him to the Reds fanbase swiftly.

West Ham – Record Premier League Scorers

Player

Apps

Goals

Michail Antonio

268

68

Jarrod Bowen

210

60

Paulo Di Canio

118

47

Mark Noble

414

47

Carlton Cole

216

41

Data via West Ham

After all, Semenyo is earning quite considerable praise for his clinical edge, but Bowen still ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90 – and in a rather uninspiring West Ham team at that.

Liverpool certainly wouldn’t be happy to pay a £100m sum for Bowen’s services, but a deal could be struck for a more agreeable fee, especially if the Three Lions star agitates for a long-fated move to Merseyside, playing a role that Semenyo may well not be able to match, should he join Liverpool instead.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe likes Kepa Arrizabalaga ‘a lot’ and could sanction a move when the transfer window opens, according to Spanish sources (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Arrizabalaga became the most expensive goalkeeper in history of football when he moved from Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in a £71million deal four years ago (via BBC Sport).

After playing 36 Premier League games in his first season at the club and 33 in his second, he lost the no. 1 spot to Edouard Mendy in 2020 (via Transfermarkt). He’s made 15 appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side this season, 11 of which have come in cup competitions.

The Spaniard was the penalty shoot-out hero in August’s UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal but missed the decisive spot-kick in February’s League Cup final against Liverpool.

Arrizabalaga’s Transfermarkt value has fallen from a high of £54million in the summer of 2019 to just £9million, an 83% decrease. His £155,000-per-week contract does, however, have another three years to run.

The latest

The report (via SW) states that Howe is personally a big fan of Arrizabalaga and has gained fresh confidence about a potential move since Chelsea were put up for sale.

Newcastle very much ‘have their eye’ on the 27-year-old ahead of the summer.

The verdict

Howe seems determined to strengthen the goalkeeper position this summer.

In addition to Arrizabalaga, Newcastle have been linked with two other Premier League ‘keepers in the form of Arsenal’s Bernd Leno and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez.

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Newcastle fans may have fond memories of Kepa too – the Chelsea man once made a key mistake at St James’ Park, failing to keep out Isaac Hayden’s 94th-minute header in a 1-0 win in January 2020. BBC Sport’s Alistair Magowan wrote at the time that the ‘keeper ‘could have done more to prevent the winner going in’.

But Howe clearly prefers to focus on how good he can be at his best, and he may even share the view of Chelsea coach Arno Michels that Arrizabalaga is ‘very reliable’ and is able to ‘read the mind’ of a striker.

In other news, read about another goalkeeper link. 

Wenger’s pressing matter this summer is not to obtain players in the final third, instead the Frenchman’s main objective should be to strengthen and bolster up his back-line for next season’s campaign.

A number of Arsenal fans will want to see their manager concentrate more on acquiring defenders rather than attacking players this summer. The Arsenal boss is possibly facing the prospect of losing up to four players in this department when the window re-opens in July.

The club already obtain a number of options in their midfield and attack, yet Wenger seems to be deluded in what is transpiring in his team’s back-line. The North London club look set to lose William Gallas, Philippe Senderos, Mikael Silvestre and perhaps even Sol Campbell in the transfer market this summer, unquestionably this should be Wenger’s main focus in many fans eyes.

Wenger will not meet Gallas’ extravagant wage demands, whilst Senderos looks set to depart after falling out of favour with the boss in recent years. Silvestre looks to be on his last legs and faces the possibility of being released, and Campbell has not yet signed the deal that has been put on the table by Wenger. If all these players leave the Emirates this summer, then Arsenal will be left one recognizable defender, Thomas Vermaelen.

Wenger has been searching for a defender, and the club are heavily linked with Lorient’s Laurent Koscielny. However, is the 24-year-old French centre-back the right man to shore up the Arsenal defence? Or should Wenger look to acquire a more dominant and established defender during the summer window?

Granted, Arsenal needed to buy a striker (due to a number of injuries sustained this season) and Wenger did this by signing Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux a few weeks ago. Wenger has also been strongly linked with Chelsea’s want-away midfielder Joe Cole. It would be a great attainment if the club can pull it off and the player (Joe Cole) will certainly be welcomed with open arms by a majority (if not all) the Arsenal fans.

However, looking through the team’s statistic this season, Arsenal have had no problem finding the net. In fact, the core problem has been keeping goals out this year. The Gunners managed to score 83 times, both home and away this season, yet they conceded 41 goals in 38 games. It may not look that bad to some of the fans, however, take into consideration that Wenger’s defence conceded more than Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and were even level with fierce rivals Tottenham…a cause for concern?

The manner of which the defence performed in certain matches cried out to many fans that their club need to bulk up this area this summer, whether Wenger does this is up to him. With out a doubt, it’s great to see Wenger obtain creative attacking players, as he is renowned for specialising in this and loves to see the game played in a beautiful manner, but there comes a time that the manager must focus solely on his defence and appears the time has now come Mr Wenger.

Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TMer4kl1

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So far this summer there has mainly been news of who is coming out of Chelsea as Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti going out the door, with Deco, Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho possibly following them. But who should Chelsea bring in and where do they need to improve?

Fans should be impressed with manager Carlo Ancelotti, who won a Premier League and FA Cup double in his debut season in English football. Chelsea was deemed by their critics as being too old, not hungry enough and a team who had regressed since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

Now that Roman Abramovich appears to have found a manager he likes the former AC Milan boss has earned the right to be backed in the market, but who should he be looking at to bolster the ranks at Stamford Bridge?

It may sound ridiculous as the team scored 141 goals in all competitions last term but the Blues could really do with a playmaker to boost their creative flair, with David Silva being mooted as the most likely player to fill the role. The Spaniard would prove to be a wise signing as he can play on the left, right, or as the traditional number 10.

However, if you believe what you read in the papers this morning then Silva is Manchester City bound despite his media quotes:

“There is no doubt in my mind that Chelsea would be a great club to play for – and a club where I could fulfil my ambition of league titles and the European Cup.

“The Premier League is still the place to be, no other league in the world has six or seven Champions League quality teams.”

Should Silva end up at Eastlands there is another playmaker catching the eye who judging by articles and comments on BBC 606 the Chelsea fans would love to have at Stamford Bridge, Mesut Özil. The 21-year-old German international has been in great form during this summer’s World Cup and has been the creative force in making a usually efficient Germany side into one that plays with flair and panache. The £20m rated Werder Bremen ace is currently in the last year of his contract and it is likely his club would prefer to cash in on him after the World Cup.

Chelsea may also seek to replace their outgoing veteran Ballack and versatile midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger could be perfect for the role. The 25-year-old started off as a winger (so could fill in on the right, which isn’t as strong as Chelsea’s left flank) but he has since reinvented himself as a central midfielder who can attack or sit deep for both club and country.

Many believe it is the Champions League that Abramovich wants above all else, so the Blues have been linked with the likes of Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fernando Torres and Kaka to take them onto the next step and win the prize they have come so close to on so many occasions.

Out of the four of them the addition of Torres would do the most to boost the club’s chances against Europe’s elite. However, the player comes with a huge price tag and Liverpool are confident of holding onto the former Atletico Madrid man.

In light of this, if the club are to reward Ancelotti for his efforts and let him make an extravagant transfer then he should be allowed to go for Kaka, a man he knows well (providing it doesn’t mean losing either Frank Lampard or Ashley Cole). The Brazilian has had sorry time at Real Madrid with injuries and lack of form, but under his former boss he could have a revival as you don’t suddenly turn into a bad player overnight, surely?

Who would the Chelsea fans like to see making their way to Stamford Bridge this summer?

Follow me on Twitter: ajwilliams1987

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Click image below to see a gallery of the Italian babes at the World Cup:

As with previous tournaments it was left to a Spurs player to bail the country out with a decisive strike; Jermain Defoe dispelled this Heskey and England striking myth, whilst almost certainly guaranteeing a starting place against the Germans. On the home front there hasn’t been much to report, although Harry has once again declared his hopes of snapping up Joe Cole.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of Tottenham blogs which has included…Why Michael Dawson is the better option for England; Spurs have ensured the PL worm has turned and why Harry should not contemplate deal for the ‘Beast’.

Plus we have taken a look at the best Tottenham stories on the Web this week.

Defoe debunks this England myth

World class striker will go a long way in seeing Tottenham succeed

Michael Dawson is surely the better option…isn’t he?

Have Spurs ensured the PL worm has started to turn?

Liverpool fans should look to Spurs as appearences can be deceiving

Should Harry be contemplating a Brazilian?

Is Tasci deal a luxury Tottenham could do without?

The Top TEN Premier League ‘dirtiest’ players

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Best of Web

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An explosion of glory – Dear Mr Levy

Flashback: Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

Champions League Qualifying Round – How It All Works for Spurs – Triffic Tottenham

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Who Needs Cole When We Can Upgrade to a Honda? – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

Champions League Fixture Build-Up – Dear Mr Levy

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Click image below to see a gallery of the SPANISH babes at the World Cup:

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has confirmed his interest in signing Sol Campbell on a free transfer.

Campbell, who is out of contract after the conclusion of the short-term deal which took him back to Arsenal in January, has held talks with both the Black Cats and Celtic over his next career move.

Sunderland are on the lookout for experience down the spine of their team after agreeing to sell club captain Lorik Cana to Galatasaray on Thursday.

"I have known Sol Campbell for a lot of years and it was nice to see him," Bruce told the Sunderland Echo.

"We had a catch-up to see what his ideas are and what he is up to.

"It was pretty positive stuff and we will see what happens."

Meanwhile, Bruce has also revealed that a potential move for Schalke and Germany defender Heiko Westermann has not been totally abandoned.

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"I've a number of irons in the fire," Bruce continued."The situation with Westermann was complicated because the boy got injured at the end of last season.

"But there is still interest there. We have made a bid but that hasn't come to anything at the moment."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has dropped a huge hint that he is considering leaving the club before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

The 26-year-old Togo international only joined the Citizens a year ago from Arsenal, but says that he fears becoming a back-up player at Eastlands, despite scoring 14 goals in 31 appearances last term.

Adebayor is quoted as telling Tuttosport:"Juventus are a great club at which I would like to play.

"Until some time ago I would not have accepted a transfer to other clubs.

"I wanted to wear the City shirt and have a better season compared to last year, but I know there will not be many chances for me and so I am considering the many offers I have received.

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"I am sorry to leave the Premier League, but in Europe there are other top leagues."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

He’s just 21 years old and has over 100 league appearances under his belt; Jack Cork has been very busy over the last few years improving his game. Having been loaned to Burnley again this season, Cork’s future at Chelsea FC is in the balance.

Cork joined Chelsea at the tender age of nine and since then he has worked his way up through the ranks. He has also played a key role in the England youth set up. Cork captained the Under 19 squad through to the 2008 European Championships and has since been called up several times for the Under 21’s.

To have over 100 league appearances at the age of 21 shows that Cork is serious about his football. He hasn’t minded going out on loan to numerous clubs, he’s gained experienced and it’s helped his game. He’s played for Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Watford, Coventry and Burnley, where he’s currently on loan. Burnley manager Brian Laws was delighted to have him back at Turf Moor. “We know he’s a good quality player,” Laws told the Burnley website, “he’s hungry and had a great experience with us last season.”

Cork has reached the age in which he will soon need to make a difficult choice. At the end of last season Jack’s dad was quoted saying that Jack wanted to leave Chelsea and was willing to move down the leagues. Rumours then spread that Chelsea were looking at offers of around £2 million pounds for the young talent. After all this gossip many people were surprised when Cork re-joined Burnley on a season long loan.

Cork will eventually need to make a decision if it’s not made for him. Having played at Chelsea since the age of nine Cork will have a lot of loyalty to a club which he’s been brought up at. In saying this Cork needs to be realistic, the Premier League is home to talented players and he needs to decide if he can play football in the top flight. Cork clearly has enough talent to play in the Championship but it’s questionable whether he can maintain a first team place in a Premier League team. Chelsea may choose to cash in on the player sooner rather than later, it depends how much they value his talent and whether they see a future for him with Chelsea.

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The best example of a player who made it at Chelsea after the youth set up is John Terry. He worked hard as Cork has and is now captaining Chelsea to success. The only problem is that for every John Terry there are numerous young players that work hard and get released or transferred for little money. Whether in the Premier League or the Championship Cork has a future in football and not many 21 year olds can say that.

Sol has in fact been joined by a veritable host of celebrities – Camilla Dallerup, Watchdog presenter Julia Bradbury, Live From Studio Five host Kate Walsh, Christopher Biggins, former Atomic Kitten star Liz McLarnon, Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun host Jasmine Harman, former EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin, cricketer Jimmy Anderson in some revealing black and white shots being released in a bid to get members of the public to clear their wardrobes to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

The Give Up Clothes for Good campaign is a nationwide clothing and homeware collection scheme, with proceeds going to the fight against childhood cancers. The campaign has been held every other year since 2004 and is supported by discount retailers TK Maxx and HomeSense.

Nicolas Anelka believes Chelsea's impressive start to the new season can be traced back to continuity.

The Blues are the only Premier League team to boast a 100 per cent record following the first four games of the season.

On Wednesday night they thrashed MSK Zilina 4-1 in the Champions League to begin their European campaign on a strong footing.

During the summer transfer window, manager Carlo Ancelotti was quiet in the transfer market after adding just Ramires and Yossi Benayoun to his squad to replace released quartet Deco, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti.

And it is that sense of continuity which Anelka believes is responsible for their early-season form.

He explained: "We didn't change the team very much. That means everybody knows each other, which makes it easier for everybody. So maybe that's why we seem to be doing so well."

Speaking about the strength of the Stamford Bridge squad, the French striker added:"A lot of players will sometimes be on the bench to rest this season and everybody knows that.

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"It's because we have so many games and we know it's going to be a tough season. Everybody accepts it, because we want to win. Chelsea have a lot of big players who can all score, which is good for the club.

"We try to do it on the pitch and show it to everyone who is watching. It's good for the confidence of the team. The side against whom we're going to play knows everybody can score, so maybe they will be scared."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email