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Liverpool are continuing to be linked with a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches ahead of the summer, and the Portuguese could be the ideal long-term heir for Jordan Henderson.

According to reports from Italy, the 23-year-old ‘seems destined’ to join Jurgen Klopp’s side this summer, as he continues to impress with his performances in Ligue 1.

Whilst the young midfielder is perhaps best known by a lot of Premier League fans for his torrid time on loan with Swansea City, Sanches has proved himself an extremely capable player in his time with both Bayern Munich and Lille, whilst also being one of Portugal’s stars of Euro 2016.

This season has seen Sanches has made 10 starts in Ligue 1 and in the games he has started, he has averaged a solid 6.97 rating for his performances, whilst also contributing one goal.

The midfielder has averaged a solid 89.1% pass accuracy in Ligue 1, whilst Henderson has managed an 87.3% pass accuracy in the Premier League.

Both Henderson’s and Sanches’ main strength is their passing, whilst the Portuguese international is also strong when it comes to dribbling, crossing and defensive contribution.

WhoScored (see links above) suggest that both players like to play long balls and play the ball off the ground often, which suggests that Sanches would fit into Liverpool’s style of play well.

Considering Henderson will turn 31 in June, the Reds arguably need to cast their eye towards the future and look at bringing in a long-term replacement for the influential captain, although his impressive fitness levels suggest that he has a few more years at the top at least.

Sanches also scores superbly on the scouting website FBRef, with his chance creation and progressive passing stats particularly impressive.

He was also well thought of during his time at Bayern Munich, with former manager Niko Kovac full of praise for the midfielder in 2018, saying:

“Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body.

“It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus.”

Therefore, the 23-year-old could certainly prove to be the long-term replacement for Henderson in this Liverpool side, as all the stats suggest that he would fit well into Klopp’s style of play.

AND, in other news… Edwards can rectify January transfer window blunder with summer swoop for 21 y/o centre-back beast

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has given his thoughts on how his old side can improve.

Under manager Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites have impressed this season in the Premier League following their promotion from the Championship.

Leeds look all but safe, sitting on 35 points with 12 games to play, while they also boast a strong record in front of goal. In the 26 matches they have played so far, Bielsa’s men have managed to find the back of the net on 43 occasions.

To go that one step further, though, Palmer believes work needs to be done in the next transfer window. He exclusively told FFC:

“The players at Leeds United have done extremely well. But, you know, say if you want to be in the top six next season, it’s a big jump in spend to get to that next level of quality, paying salaries and transfer fees. So that’s the difference.”

If Leeds are to be ambitious next season and try to aim for a European place, then moving for some quality players in the summer is something the club will likely need to consider.

Competition for European qualification has been fierce this campaign, with the likes of West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa all entering the conversation. Should attempting to do battle with these clubs and the rest of the division’s more stronger outfits be something Bielsa has in mind for next term, then dipping into the transfer market will probably be necessary.

Many Sunderland fans are over the moon after seeing tweets from the club announcing that they have managed to sign attacking player Ross Stewart.

Stewart has penned an initial two-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light, with the club having an option for a further year, as he arrives from Scottish Premiership side Ross County. One fan said they were ‘delighted’ after seeing the announcement.

The 24-year-old featured 19 times in the SPFL, picking up two goals and one assist (WhoScored). Albeit this is not the best tally for an attacker, his in-game stats show he can be a huge threat for the League One side. Stewart has managed on average 2.1 shots and 1.2 key passes per game this season.

An attacking signing is always a good thing, especially with Sunderland right in the thick of the play-off race. Manager Lee Johnson bringing in another forward to bolster the squad as they push for promotion has rightfully excited a lot of the Black Cats fan base.

Here is what these Sunderland fans had to say following the signing:

“Delighted with this signing, welcome to Sunderland mate”

Credit: @mackem4900

“And suddenly a shocking transfer window has turned into a credible one. Depth at left-back? Pace out wide? Progressive passer in midfield? Added goals upfront? Hopefully Stewart can help Wyke with the goals and fire us to the Championship. #SAFC”

Credit: @MattyCritchon

“Love that lads, now announce takeover”

Credit: @dannysafc73

“Let’s go baby”

Credit: @SamLucas__

“Welcome aboard the crazy train that is SAFC! Good luck fella”

Credit: @notch_32

“As long as this lad puts the effort in and plays for the shirt, I will be happy with the signing.”

Credit: @deangt

“Some solid signings, got a whole new left side. Let’s go on a run and we can make top 2!”

Credit: @flowerpotman98

In other news, Sunderland fans react to this Lee Johnson injury update.

Celtic will be thrilled to have finally bagged themselves a win after they beat Lille 3-2 in last night’s Europa League match. Unfortunately for the Hoops, they were already set to crash out of the competition, but the win will boost morale and put them in good stead to face Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Players like David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro were given their chance to shine and they did not disappoint. But for one man, his time at Celtic looks bleak after he didn’t even make it off the bench against the French outfit.

A cruel fate for Griffiths

Leigh Griffiths was named amongst the match day personnel, but was an unused substitute as Neil Lennon breathed a sigh of relief at full-time. With the Bhoys already out of the tournament, the manager could have deployed a weaker squad to rest key players ahead of Sunday. Indeed, this was the perfect chance for Griffiths to get some minutes in the tank after being left to gather dust in recent weeks.

But the Scotland international was overlooked once again and if Lennon stays in Glasgow, this could be the end of the devoted striker.

It will be a tough pill to swallow if this is where his path leads, especially since he recently specified his desire to make it into the top 20 highest scorers at the club. Griffiths joined the Hoops six years ago from Wolves and has scored 118 goals in 242 appearances, chalking himself down as a Celtic icon.

Should Lennon turn this season around and keep his job, it’s likely that the club will start looking to cash in on Griffiths, who is only expected to fall further and further down the pecking order.

In other news, Hammond must bring Gyrano Kerk to Parkhead to fill the puzzle…

Roberto Firmino was able to produce a man-of-the-match display in Brazil’s 1-o win against Venezuela on Saturday, with the Liverpool man scoring the only goal of the game to earn Seleção the victory.

The 29-year-old featured on the left of a front three and picked up a 7.6 rating for his display, after scoring the only goal of the encounter in the 67th minute (per SofaScore).

The former Hoffenheim man has come under some criticism in recent weeks for his lack of goals for the Reds, with the pressure on Jurgen Klopp to drop him significantly increased after Diogo Jota’s superb start to life at Anfield.

However, the German manager hit back at the Brazilian’s critics ahead of Liverpool’s game against Manchester City before the international break, suggesting that:

“Who is with us, I don’t have to say one word about Bobby Firmino and how important he was for us, I don’t waste time with that,” he said.

“Who is not with us, I don’t care if they know about it, to be honest.

“He was in so many games the difference-maker without scoring maybe, I’m not sure, but with scoring as well in other games, so I would feel really embarrassed if I had to mention now the qualities of Bobby Firmino.

“I can’t help these people, sorry. If they don’t see it, I cannot help them. That’s how it is.” (per Evening Express)

Despite his other qualities, the 29-year-old has just one goal in eight Premier League appearances for the Reds this season, although he has still averaged a fairly sold 6.88 rating (per WhoScored).

Therefore, one can perhaps understand some criticism of the striker, especially when Jota has already grabbed seven goals in all competitions for Klopp’s side this season.

However, Firmino has been a big part of Liverpool’s success in recent years, having contributed 79 goals and 62 assists in 256 games for the club, so his importance cannot be underestimated.

Hopefully, the £64.8 million-rated man’s goal for Brazil will give his confidence a boost so that he can get back to scoring ways when he returns to Anfield after the international break.

Manchester United “missed the boat” by not signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, according to Carlton Palmer.

The former England international, speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, has praised the 20-year-old’s performances for club and country since he first arrived at Borussia Dortmund.

As revealed by The Athletic back in October, the Red Devils were embroiled in a hopeless pursuit of Sancho over the summer, as Dortmund refused to budge on their £108m valuation.

The London-born right winger has become an integral part of the Bundesliga giants since his move to Germany, whilst he was also selected as part of the front three for England to face the Republic of Ireland during an international friendly last month.

Palmer was effusive in his praise for Sancho and suggested United could have done with signing a speed demon like him in the summer. However, he also added a note of caution, as he questioned whether he would have been given enough game time to merit such a move.

He told FFC:

“They’ve missed the boat with Sancho, he’s a top player.

“But I mean, where were they going to play him? They’ve signed Donny van de Beek and he’s only played a handful of games since they signed him for big money – what was it, £40m, £50m?

“You don’t want to just sign players for the sake of signing players. You’ve got to sign the right players.”

As Palmer rightly pointed out, it’s worth remembering that although summer signing Donny van de Beek has played eight games in the Premier League so far this season; the majority of these appearances have come as a substitute from the bench.

Whether or not Sancho would have suffered the same fate is certainly up for debate, as Mason Greenwood sent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a timely reminder of his obvious talents with a fine finish during the 3-1 win over West Ham at the London Stadium last night.

Sancho has bagged 30 goals and 41 assists in 86 Bundesliga games with Dortmund, whilst he has netted three times in 18 caps for his country, which is an impressive return.

Valued at €150m (£135m) via the CIES Football Observatory, in four appearances in the Champions League this season, the versatile midfielder has scored twice and supplied an assist, whilst he is averaging 1.5 shots, 2.8 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Whilst some may point towards the emergence of Greenwood on the right wing over the past year or so as he found himself on the scoresheet against West Ham, there’s no doubt that Sancho would have been welcomed with open arms by Solskjaer at Old Trafford, who made him his top priority in the summer, but to no avail.

AND in other news, Forget Rashford: Paul Pogba steals the show as Manchester United fight back to beat West Ham…

Southampton will be hoping to cause Chelsea an upset at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to guide his side to their third win of the season. The Blues are just one point ahead of the travelling side and will not want to be humiliated on home soil.

But for the Saints, they will be looking to utilise some of their new signings after enjoying a fruitful transfer window. Football FanCast has predicted how they might set up to take on Chelsea…

With no real need to change up his defence, Hasenhuttl will more than likely leave things as they were against West Brom. Southampton were able to secure a 2-0 win after an all-round solid performance. Particularly with the boss’ recent comments on Jannik Vestergaard’s role at the club, there’s not much chance of him dropping the Danish centre-back.

In midfield however, Hasenhuttl’s hand has been forced due to injuries. Nathan Redmond could slot into the far left role due to the absence of Moussa Djenepo, who will be a big loss after scoring against the Baggies last time out. The former’s previous Premier League start was against Crystal Palace last month in a rather quiet display, which he will be hoping to improve on. Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Redmond only managed 73% accurate passes and failed to make a single successful cross (via Sofascore).

Loan signing Theo Walcott could start on the opposite flank to support regular strike partners Danny Ings and Che Adams. The 31-year-old is yet to feature for his new side and could make a full debut this afternoon against Chelsea, a side he will know well from his regular playing time with Arsenal. Similarly, Ibrahima Diallo may replace Oriol Romeu alongside James Ward-Prowse in order to freshen up the Saints midfield and potentially catch Chelsea off-guard.

A win at Stamford Bridge will put Southampton two points ahead of the Blues, who haven’t started the season in the spectacular fashion many expected. Hasenhuttl will hope this rare tactic of throwing new signings straight into the action – something he hasn’t done with the likes of Mohamed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo previously – will pay off.

In other news, Jannik Vestergaard prioritised Southampton amid West Ham interest…

Liverpool are set to take on Lincoln City in their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture this evening. 

The Reds will be looking to continue their winning form against the League Two side, who will also be hoping for a positive result.

After Pep Lijnders took the role of press conference duty instead of Jurgen Klopp, the English champions could field a team of mainly fringe players.

One man who could therefore make his debut for Liverpool is Kostas Tsimikas. The left-back joined the Merseyside outfit back in August, becoming their first senior signing of the transfer window.

Klopp will undoubtedly hope that his side can hold onto their Premier League crown. They have won both fixtures so far and he could opt to rest some of his key players ahead of Monday’s match against Arsenal. Andy Robertson may be one of the players to take a backseat.

If the Scotsman is absent, it will open the door for Tsimikas to show his worth for the Reds. Whilst he may not be in contention for first choice, he can still impress as Robertson’s deputy.

The Greece international’s last match was for former club Olympiakos against Wolves. Despite the Premier League side coming away with a win in their Europa League clash, Tsimikas put in a solid performance.

The 24-year-old completed a very impressive six total tackles and also made two interceptions and one clearance (via Sofascore).

Whilst Liverpool may have the better team on paper, they mustn’t underestimate Lincoln who will want to utilise their run in the Carabao Cup. Tsimikas will need to be alert for any dangerous runs from the Imps’ winger Harry Anderson.

How do you think the Liverpool v Lincoln match will play out? Have your say in the comments below!

Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega believes that the club could be tempted to sell Harry Kane if an eye-watering transfer offer for him is submitted.

The former Switzerland international, who now works in asset management, feels that the England captain may be looking towards an exit from north London if Spurs fail to challenge for major silverware or return to the Champions League in the near future.

Speaking to Stats Perform News [via The World Game] about Kane’s future at Tottenham, Vega said: “Temptation is always there. When a guy is in demand and someone is prepared to pay that top dollar, then to be frank, it’s business.

“Then with that kind of money you might have three or four players you can buy. I think Harry Kane would command top dollars and with that money you can bring in maybe a few top players. It’s also a question of does Harry Kane want to go or not? From my point of view, he’s a Spurs boy, he came through the ranks.

“But at the same time he wants to win some trophies, you don’t want to go for 20 years playing for Spurs and not winning anything. You come to a stage where you think ‘I need to go and win some trophies and I can always come back afterwards’.

“A lack of Champions League football will also undoubtedly be a factor for Kane. I think this will be one of the crucial parts of next season; if he sees the club are not challenging for the title or even top four, he might think he’ll have to leave, possibly halfway through the season if he thinks they are not going anywhere.”

Kane, who is valued at £108m by TransferMarkt, has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, having again proven his importance to Tottenham as their top scorer last season with 24 goals in all competitions, taking him to 188 in total for the club.

Son Heung-min was the only other Spurs player to hit double figures in 2019/20, with no other out-and-out centre-forward managing to get on the scoresheet (as per TransferMarkt), so the 27-year-old’s departure would leave an enormous goal-scoring burden to fill for any prospective successors, even if the windfall from his sale should enable Jose Mourinho to sign at least one high-level replacement.

Vega’s point about Kane’s lack of tangible success is a pertinent one, though. While his scoring return is indisputably excellent, the England captain is now 27 and has yet to win a trophy of any kind in his career. He will also be without Champions League football for the first time since 2015 after Tottenham could only finish sixth in last season’s Premier League, a whopping 40 points behind champions Liverpool.

The Kane situation is a delicate one for Spurs. He would surely earn the club a huge transfer windfall which could be reinvested in one or more quality centre-forwards, while the temptation to cash in may increase if the striker pines for a move elsewhere.

However, with Mourinho so heavily reliant on him for goals, selling him at any price would be a risk, even if an immediate successor was primed to come in.

Tottenham fans, do you agree with Vega’s assessment of Kane’s situation? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United target Jadon Sancho will still be a Borussia Dortmund player next season, according to the club’s sporting director Michael Zorc.

The 11-cap England international right winger has rejoined his Bundesliga teammates for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland, reports say.

Dortmund had issued an ultimatum insisting a deal should be sorted out by August 10 to avoid any interruption to their camp and to give them time to find a replacement.

As it stands, the German club’s deadline has now passed, and Zorc seemed to suggest that Sancho will be staying at the Signal Iduna Park for the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, telling reporters on Monday “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.”

He went on to add “last summer, we adjusted Jadon’s salary to match the development of his performances. So in context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then.”

However, Fabrizio Romano revealed that, while there is “no agreement reached” between the two clubs, talks are ongoing, and personal terms are not expected to be a problem.

The Italian transfer guru added this is a “normal” situation while both clubs remain embroiled in a “poker game” that has shown no signs of ending anytime soon.

It is worth remembering Dortmund have been here before. Zorc came unstuck after saying the same thing about Ousmane Dembele, as the French international ended up leaving the club after just one season for Barcelona.

There was always bound to be plenty of plotting, scheming and double-bluffing on both sides because there’s an awful lot of money involved.

Lucien Favre’s side are looking for at least £108m for the club’s top scorer last season, but the United board believe this is unrealistic, given the current circumstances.

Transfers of this size and scale are no easy task and it can take a great deal of time to reach an amenable resolution as a result.

Dortmund have drawn a line in the sand which means it is up to Ed Woodward to sort out a deal that is satisfactory by all accounts.

While some will be concerned it seems as though the ongoing transfer saga has taken a turn for the worse, it appears they are still locked in negotiations. Man United must meet their demands if they want to prise Sancho away from the Westfalenstadion this summer.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!