Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should keep hold of Marko Grujic this season following reports from Goal that the club recently rejected an offer from Torino.
What’s the word?
Liverpool are no longer permitted to bring in new players, but members of the first team can still be poached.
Grujic has been a fringe player ever since he moved to Anfield from Red Star Belgrade in 2016.
The 22-year-old spent half of last season on loan at Cardiff City, but at the moment, his future – for the 2018-19 campaign at least – is uncertain.
According to Goal, the Reds have turned down a loan bid from Serie A side Torino, who have proposed a permanent deal for next summer with a fee in the region of £9m.
The report claims that Grujic is a favourite of Klopp, who believes that the Serbian could be a star of the future, but all indications are that he will move on in some capacity before the end of August.
Why not keep him?
The Merseyside outfit have many midfield options following the acquisitions of Fabinho and Naby Keita in the summer.
Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana are all available to Klopp, which means that Grujic is low in the pecking order.
However, the midfielder has not had a genuine chance to prove his ability in a Liverpool shirt, so perhaps he could be used in this season’s cup runs.
If the former Red Star player, who has scored 10 professional goals in his career, has waned by Christmas, then the club should consider a short-term loan.
It’s now two years since Manchester United appointed Jose Mourinho with the expectation of quick success following the disappointing reigns of David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal.
The only semblance of success has come in the form of a League Cup, a Europa League trophy and a second place finish, just 19 points behind neighbours Manchester City who in that same period have shattered what we thought was possible in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola has managed to import his breathtaking brand of fast-paced and silky football to England and transformed players like John Stones and Raheem Sterling into top-drawer talents.
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In the same way, Mourinho has transported his turgid and flat style of football to Old Trafford and it’s hard to pinpoint many players that have vastly improved under his leadership.
There’s more than a hint of irony then when Jose Mourinho described himself as more of a head coach than a manager recently, in a dig at the club’s hierarchy over his lack of influence in transfer policy.
Granted, more money has been spent under Guardiola than Mourinho, but that doesn’t lessen the reported £389million outlay United have put behind the Special One.
What must be even more galling for United fans is seeing the transformation that appears to be taking place at Leeds United.
It’s been two months since Leeds appointed Marcelo Bielsa with the expectation of returning to the Premier League after a 14-year absence and although the campaign is in its infancy, all is looking very rosy for the Championship club.
And what is more, ‘El Loco’ is setting an example to Mourinho of what can be achieved with good old-fashioned coaching.
He only has two Championship games under his belt, but the difference between Leeds of this season and last, and indeed between Leeds and every other team in the division at the moment, is stark.
What is even more remarkable is that this change has occurred with only one new signing starting in Bielsa’s first XI – left-back Barry Douglas.
Their electric and imposing style of football has helped them sweep aside pre-season favourites Stoke City and Derby County with ease, and turned players such as Kemar Roofe and Mateusz Klich from underwhelming second division players to the best performers in the league.
The fact that Bielsa has achieved such a drastic transformation with just one new face in his starting lineup shows the power of his coaching which has involved making the players pick up litter and keeping them at the training ground from 9am to 8pm.
Leeds’ turnaround in fortunes is a testament to good old-fashioned coaching that Mourinho seems to have neglected at Manchester United.
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It’s easy to rail against the club for not supporting him in the transfer window in a summer in which they spent £74million, rather than face up to the fact that he hasn’t managed to bring out the best in his current squad, many of whom were Mourinho signings.
If he wants to call himself a head coach then it might be a good idea to take a look at Leeds and see what good coaching can actually achieve.
Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to the latest transfer news, as Eunan O’Kane is reportedly stalling on a move to League One side Charlton.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Charlton are targeting O’Kane, but Lee Bowyer has admitted that there are some problems with the deal.
The Irish midfielder was one of the major scapegoats during Leeds’ poor run last season, and fans are all agreeing that he is simply not good enough to play in the Championship after Bowyer’s comments.
“He’s definitely someone we’re interested in but obviously he’s on a big wage so Leeds are weighing up where he’s going,” the Charlton boss said.
“Because of that, we can’t compete with his wage and the player wants to play in the Championship still but yeah, he’s a target and we’ve asked the question. They’re keeping us in mind the later it goes.”
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Needless to say, Leeds fans aren’t all that impressed with O’Kane’s desire to stay in the Championship, as they’d rather just get him off the books for a small fee.
The 28 year-old was part of Paul Heckingbottom’s sieve-like midfield, and despite playing over 50 Championship games at Elland Road there is no place for him in Marcelo Bielsa’s free-flowing side.
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Lots of fans have been having their say on Twitter, and you can find some of the best reactions down below…
According to The Sun, Leicester City are planning to move for Blackburn Rovers’ Bradley Dack in the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
After having plucked James Maddison from the second tier this summer, the Foxes could be set to return to their Championship hunting ground in order to capture another talented attacking-midfielder in January.
Maddison, who joined from Norwich City for £22.5 million, has made a bright start to life in the Premier League and Dack could now be set to follow suit.
With Claude Puel having recently lost the services of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City, he needs all of the attacking midfield quality he can get. For a club that built an unlikely title triumph on the back of recruiting promising talents from lower leagues, a move for Dack would also suit the philosophy of the club.
Back for Dack
If Leicester were to return to the Championship for the signature of Dack, then they’d be acquiring a tremendously exciting talent.
Having been the star of Rovers’ promotion from League One last time out, the 24-year-old has already struck four goals and provided three assists in four appearances in all competitions this season.
If the Englishman can replicate that kind of form in the Premier League, then between him and Maddison, Puel will have gone a long way towards replacing Mahrez’s influence at the King Power Stadium.
The opportunity to prove himself in the top flight is likely one that Dack will find near impossible to resist, so it shouldn’t take much for the Foxes to tempt the midfielder away from Ewood Park. If the Premier League outfit can negotiate a fair price with the Lancashire club for Dack in January, then he’d be a very promising winter addition.
Following the summer arrival of Stephan Lichtsteiner, Hector Bellerin now faces competition for his place as the first choice right-back for Arsenal.
The Spanish full-back, who earns £100,000-a-week according to The Daily Mail, has certainly made an eye-catching start to the new season, for both good and bad reasons. In an attacking sense, the 23-year-old has been largely excellent and registered his first assist of the new campaign against West Ham United last time out.
In a defensive sense though, Bellerin has left much to be desired with his showings so far. Arguably, this is more a symptom of the Gunners’ defensive frailties as a whole, and the adjustments the team are going through under new manager Unai Emery.
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In any case, Bellerin has been caught out of position too often, and Arsenal have been punished for it by opposition sides on numerous occasions already this season.
However, Emery should stick with the Spaniard in his starting line up, with Lichtsteiner providing an experienced back up option. Bellerin’s raw attributes are all there to make him a top class modern full-back and a star at the Emirates Stadium this year.
According to our poll, the Gunners faithful are a little divided upon whether or not Bellerin should start against Cardiff City, with 42% feeling the time has come for the defender to be dropped to the bench. See the full results below.
Liverpool fans will be disappointed after watching Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson feature in England’s defeat to Spain.
Gomez has made an excellent start to the season after his long battle with injury and was rewarded with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad. The youngster looked comfortable in the back four, and the boss will be pleased he is back. On the other hand, Henderson was left bewildered by the Spanish midfielders and failed to impact proceedings. England face Switzerland in the final fixture of the international break.
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping all of his players return to Melwood free of injury with Liverpool facing a crucial month in both the Premier League and Champions League. The Reds travel to Wembley to face Tottenham next week before kicking off their European campaign against Paris St Germain at Anfield. Liverpool also face back-to-back games against Chelsea before the end of the month.
To continue his excellent business in the transfer market, Klopp should attempt to sign Ajax wonderkid – Frenkie De Jong – in January. Valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, De Jong is widely regarded as one of the most promising youngsters emerging from the Netherlands. The youngster was a key player for his side last year, making 22 appearances in the Eredivisie last season.
With Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struggling for fitness, De Jong would be a perfect alternative. The 21-year-old is a natural centre midfielder who is also capable of occupying the number six role favoured in Klopp’s 4-3-3 system. De Jong averaged 1.5 key passes per game last season but didn’t neglect his defensive duties; averaging 1.7 tackles per game.
Liverpool would reportedly face competition from Barcelona and Tottenham for his signature, but Klopp should do everything in his power to bring De Jong to Anfield.
Leeds United should move for Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu on loan when the January transfer window opens for business.
What’s the story?
Ampadu made his first-team debut for Exeter City at the age of 15, and went on to appear 13 times for the club before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2017.
The 6ft ace made his Premier League debut for Chelsea against Huddersfield Town last December, and appeared in seven first-team matches for the Blues last term.
A number of clubs were believed to be interested in signing the 17-year-old on loan during the summer window, but Chelsea ultimately decided to keep the teenager.
Ampadu is already too good for Under-23 level, however, and needs first-team football to ensure that his development does not stall in the coming months.
Leeds have started the 2018-19 Championship season in impressive fashion, and Elland Road would be the perfect place for Ampadu to grow as a player in the first half of 2019.
Just how good can Ampadu become?
Well, Ampadu was just a little bit impressive in Wales’ 4-1 win over Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday night.
The youngster was handed a starting role in the middle of the park, and left the field to a standing ovation in the 67th minute having put in a wonderful performance.
Ampadu set up Aaron Ramsey for his team’s third of the match, and showed throughout his time on the pitch that he has the potential to be an absolute superstar in the game.
Capable of playing in midfield and at the back, Ampadu really is some talent, and regular Championship football would do him the world of good at this stage of his career.
Leeds will face a battle to convince Chelsea to loan out the Welshman, but the Championship leaders would cement themselves as title favourites by securing his signature.
Rangers embarked on a summer rampage in the transfer market with Steven Gerrard leading the revolution at Ibrox, but controversial striker Alfredo Morelos managed to survive the upheaval and he remains the club’s first-choice striker.
The 22-year-old Colombian is clearly a talented player and has the potential to thrive in the SPFL, but his petulance is beginning to become a problem for the club.
Although his first red card of the season was ultimately overturned, he failed to learn his lesson and was subsequently sent off against FC Ufa in a vital Europa League qualifier.
Possessing ability is one thing in football but without the professional mindset to translate quality into consistent level-headed performances there’s only so much you can achieve.
Morelos should have plenty of opportunity for redemption this season as Umar Sadiq doesn’t appear to be posing a threat to his place in the starting eleven.
However, a recent report from the London Evening Standard suggests his place is not completely secure as Gerrard tried to sign an upgrade on Morelos during the summer window.
According to the report, Rangers were one of a handful of clubs who were interested in signing Dominic Solanke from Liverpool, but each approach was swiftly rejected by the club.
From Gerrard’s perspective, Liverpool’s unwillingness to allow Solanke to move on loan would have been a huge disappointment.
Although Solanke has struggled to break into Liverpool’s first-team amid competition from the sensational Roberto Firmino, his development at youth level and brief cameos for the Reds suggest there is an immense talent simply waiting to be unlocked.
With the physical power and speed to turn SPFL defenders inside out and a clinical finishing instinct to match, Solanke would have been a huge upgrade on Morelos if Rangers had been successful in their pursuit.
Rangers will have to make do with the unpredictable Morelos for now but, if Solanke remains nothing more than a backup player at Liverpool when the January window comes around, Gerrard would be wise to return with a fresh loan offer.
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George Saville opened his Middlesbrough account on his home debut for the club.
Indeed, the 25-year-old was on the scoresheet in Boro’s 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night.
Saville joined Boro on loan from Millwall during the summer, and actually managed 10 Championship goals for the Lions last season.
Boro desperately needed to pick up all three points in order to stay in touch with division leaders Leeds United, and that was indeed the case.
There were a number of impressive performers for Tony Pulis’ side on Wednesday night, and there is no question that Saville falls into that category.
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The midfielder was on the scoresheet, but it was his overall display in a central position that impressed the most.
Whilst Saville is enjoying life at the Riverside, the 5ft 10in ace’s parent club Millwall are really struggling.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Boro fans can be seen below:
Jack Wilshere moved to West Ham United to revive his career after dropping down the pecking order at Arsenal.
However, things have not quite gone to plan as the midfielder is now expected to be on the sidelines for a further five weeks after suffering an ankle injury earlier this month.
The 26-year-old has had terrible luck with injuries for the majority of his senior career.
Before Wilshere was struck down, though, he was not having the most enjoyable time on the pitch.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini started the midfielder in the club’s first four Premier League matches, all of which they lost.
Wilshere was criticised by some fans for his performances alongside Mark Noble, and since Declan Rice has come into the fold during the England international’s absence, results have improved.
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The club are now unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, and on Saturday earned a 3-1 triumph over Manchester United.
Given the upturn in form, we asked you if Wilshere will fight his way back into the team, and the majority of fans believe that he has no chance.