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Liverpool’s most salient area for reinforcing on the transfer front is unequivocally the centre of the park, but that does not mean the club won’t target the offensive front if the right, enticing opportunity comes along.

And according to reports stemming from Italy (via the Liverpool Echo), MLS outfit Chicago Fire’s prodigious forward talent Jhon Duran has caught the attention of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who is making a ‘concrete’ move for the player with the January market recently swinging its doors open.

The teenager has scarcely tasted senior action, but has already impressed in his first year with a clinical edge and fearsome physicality that could pave the foundation for an exemplary career as a striking phenomenon.

A fee of roughly $21m (£17.5m), could be enough to prise him away from Fire’s clutches, as per Calciomercato, and although the asking price might appear steep for an unknown commodity on European soil, his dynamic skill set would be a welcome tool for any top outfit chasing success…

Calciomercato reporter Raffaele Amato tweeted this about the situation: “Liverpool are also making concrete moves for Duran, but the current offer is lower than Benfica’s. The biggest pitfall for the Portuguese is represented by Aston Villa. Chicago are aiming to collect 20 million euros.”

Next Suarez

At only 19-years-old, Duran has bagged eight goals and five assists from only 14 starts across the 2022 MLS campaign in a breakthrough year where the Colombian phenom has emerged onto the American scene in resounding fashion.

The three-cap gem was at the centre of heaped praise from talent scout Jacek Kulig when he was still only 18-years-old, regarded as a “complete” centre-forward, “fast, powerful & confident with the ball at his feet”, and “aggressive & determined in the penalty area.”

His all-encompassing aura on the pitch, despite his tender age, could pay dividends for Klopp as he looks to turn the page on a new chapter at Anfield, and bring the club a talisman for the coming years that could emulate the success of coveted centre-forward Luis Suarez, someone who like Duran, was very much an aggressive and complete attacker.

Suarez signed for the Reds from AFC Ajax in 2012 for a fee of £22.7m, and he went on to forge one of the most devastating careers in Premier League history, captivating fans and pundits alike with his blistering arsenal and innate knack to find the back of the net from every distance and angle, scoring 69 goals and 39 assists over just 110 Premier League outings.

The “wonderkid” – as heralded by Tom Bogert – is still very much untested on the biggest stage, but he certainly holds the ingredients to serve up a concoction of striking excellence, and with a cutting edge already apparent from his little time spent in the MLS, he could nurture his precocious abilities at one of the world’s most prominent outfits.

His impressive Sofascore rating of 6.91 is a testament to his tenacity and all-encompassing approach to his game, and with 2.2 shots per match, his peppering output is certainly reminiscent to a former phenom in Liverpool red who took the nation by storm.

Chelsea are eyeing up a swoop for a Bundesliga defender in the January transfer window as Graham Potter looks to assert his authority on the squad.

What’s the news?

According to Sky Sports, the Blues are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie during the upcoming transfer window in order to improve their defensive options.

The Mirror claimed last month that Stamford Bridge scouts had been watching the player during Ecuador’s World Cup campaign, featuring in all three matches in Qatar as the South American side were eliminated at the group stage.

His performances have obviously attracted attention, though, and with his contract not expiring until 2026, Chelsea might be required to splash the cash in order to lure him to London.

The CIES Football Observatory have valued the youngster at €60m (£52.2m), and Chelsea might need to spend even more to sign him.

Potter can unearth his next Koulibaly

The Blues signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in the summer and he has impressed in his nine Premier League matches so far, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10 while making two tackles, 3.1 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per game, which shows that he has adapted quite well to English football.

Potter is looking to sign a defensive partner for the Senegal international, and Hincapie certainly fits the bill, especially when he is rated the third-most comparable player to the Chelsea star according to FBref’s similar player model.

Indeed, this season has seen the two players register similar statistics when it comes to tackles won (12 to 13, Koulibaly first), interceptions (12 to 11), aerial duels won (60.7% to 51.2%), and pass success rate (84.9% to 82.6%).

Hincapie appears to have all the required attributes to become one of the finest defenders in the world over the next few years, and he would surely learn a lot under Koulibaly’s tutelage.

The Ecuadorian was described as “colossal” by Víctor Hernández Molina, while he was also lauded for his “huge personality” by South American analytical site SudanAnalytics, and this high praise should further cement Potter’s need to sign the defender next month.

Chelsea have conceded 17 goals in 14 league matches this season, and if the 47-year-old is serious about claiming a top-four spot and Champions League football next term, then bringing a talent like Hincapie to London could be his ideal first signing.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could dip into the market and snare a former academy prospect, bringing him back to the Emirates Stadium with a lucrative bid.

What’s the word?

90min are reporting that Valencia have initiated contract talks with their rising star Yunus Musah, who signed for the Spanish outfit in 2019, after departing from the Gunners academy. 

With Liverpool and Chelsea also emerging as potential suitors for the dynamic midfielder, Arteta will need to move swiftly if he is indeed to make his move for a player they have been tracking since 2019.

The report states that while Valencia would be open to sale, should they fail in their contractual offer, Musah’s release clause of €100m (£86m) could be a wall too insurmountable to overcome. 

Ramsey heir

Arsenal have gone from strength to strength across the past few seasons, and now top the Premier League table after 14 matches played, ahead of the formidable Manchester City by five points.

There is a desire to improve several departments of the team, however, with The Sun reporting earlier this season that Gunners owner Stan Kroenke will present the Spaniard Arteta with funds to target impactful additions, with the centre of the park and the wide flanks desired.

Musah played an integral role in the USA’s commendable World Cup campaign, where the side finished second in the group phase and lost in a thrilling round-of-16 encounter against the Netherlands.

As per Sofascore, the industrious midfielder recorded an 87% pass success rate in Qatar, making 2.0 tackles per match and aiding his team as the central focal point, linking the offensive and defensive departments with a refined presence that belies his tender age.

His tenacity in the centre offers shades of Aaron Ramsey, who starred for the Gunners, making 371 appearances for the London giants, scoring 65 goals and assists apiece and playing a vital role in securing three FA Cup trophies during his lengthy stay. 

Musah, who ranks within the top 7% for dribbles completed when compared to midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues this term, as per FBref, displays a clear aptitude for seeking out forward transitions and instigating positive plays. 

Much like Ramsey, there is a knack for implementing a forward-thinking mindset into the game, and Arsenal would certainly welcome this approach back to the Emirates, with the “connector” – as Gregg Berhalter calls him – raising the performance of all his teammates when he’s fit and firing. 

Having already plied his trade at Arsenal at youth level, the door remains open for a return, and despite the deal likely being rather expensive, Arsenal would boast a newfound presence of dogged ubiquity in the middle, who could help them continue to rise.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is well underway and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte may be analysing the ongoing games with one eye on the upcoming January transfer window.

He has the opportunity to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the season and the international competition being in the winter provides an unprecedented chance for players to catch the eye on the world stage ahead of January.

One gem who could play his way into a switch to England is Denmark international Andreas Skov Olsen, who currently plays for Club Brugge in Belgium.

According to a recent report from Nieuwsblad, Spurs have sent scouts to watch the attacker in action during the tournament, although it remains to be seen whether or not they will make a concrete move for him at the start of 2023.

The 22-year-old played 65 minutes against Tunisia in his side’s opening World Cup match but did not feature at all in Denmark’s 2-1 defeat to France in their second game.

Olsen may now be hoping that he can play a big part in Denmark’s final group stage match against Australia, which they will need to win to give themselves a chance of progressing through to the last 16.

If he can catch the eye in that game, and potentially beyond, then he could convince Spurs to swoop for him in January and manager Conte could find Dejan Kulusevski 2.0 if the club bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League.

Like the Juventus loanee, Olsen is a left-footed right winger who is adept at scoring and creating goals from out wide, despite not possessing blistering pace.

The winger, who has racked up 96 goals and assists in his club career to date, came into the tournament in fine form after a strong start to the season with Brugge.

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.41 in the Belgian top-flight this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 12 starts – creating 2.1 chances per match.

Olsen joined Brugge in January of this year and produced six goals and eight assists in 12 starts during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, Kulusevski has created five goals and provided 1.9 key passes per outing across nine matches in the Premier League this season for Spurs, which highlights the creativity he is able to provide from a wide position.

Therefore, the Danish international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as “perfect”, could be the next version of the Swedish attacker for Spurs by coming in and being a left-footed magician who can consistently create chances on the right wing for Conte.

He could provide competition for Kulusevski and has played through the middle and out on the left during his career so far, which means that they could also both line up in the same XI if selected and it does not have to be one or the other.

After their relegation from the Premier League in 2021, West Bromwich Albion valued Sam Johnstone at £20m, but the Baggies could only watch on as he left on a free transfer the following summer.

The shot-stopper made the move to the Hawthorns in 2018, joining from Manchester United in a deal worth £6.5m after impressing in the Championship with Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

Johnstone would go on to make 167 appearances for the club, in which he conceded 216 goals and kept 45 clean sheets, with his performances certainly catching the eye in the 2020/21 campaign despite relegation from the top flight, with Gary Lineker labelling him “unbelievable” after some impressive saves.

The Preston-born goalkeeper earned a call-up to the England squad and West Brom were determined to make a big profit on him, despite his contract being set to expire in 2022.

Amid interest from West Ham United and old side Manchester United, with Johnstone no doubt to remain in the top flight after making a name for himself in the top division, West Brom demanded £20m for his services.

Unfortunately, that price proved to be too high for any interested parties, as the Hammers saw a £10m bid rejected, and he would remain in the Championship with the Baggies, making 36 appearances in the 2021/22 campaign as they endured a disappointing 10th place finish.

Johnstone was never going to extend his contract at the Hawthorns after such an underwhelming campaign and was free to move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his contract.

He would join Crystal Palace and while he is yet to usurp Vicente Guaita as the no.1 choice at Selhurst Park, making just one appearance so far, it seems likely that he will step up as the main man in between the sticks in Patrick Vieira’s side once the 35-year-old Spaniard moves on.

Had West Brom not been so greedy and demanded such a high fee for Johnstone, then they could have sold him to the Premier League and used the money to improve the squad, rather than losing such a talented player for nothing.

Newcastle United are currently sitting in the top four in the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the 2022/23 campaign under Eddie Howe.

The Magpies have accrued 21 points from 12 games and are above Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea as it stands, although they have played one game more than all three of those.

Howe’s men have won four of their last five matches in the top flight and are on a terrific run of form which currently has them in contention to finish in a European place.

However, the club’s superb results in the league this season may not stop Dan Ashworth from dipping into the transfer market to improve the squad further in January.

It was recently reported that the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign Christian Pulisic from Chelsea for €45m (£39m), as the 24-year-old is unhappy with his lack of game-time at Stamford Bridge under Graham Potter.

Signing the USA international from the Blues could allow Ashworth to finally ditch one of Newcastle’s biggest underperformers in recent years, namely Jacob Murphy.

The £35k-per-week dud has produced one goal and zero assists in 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, after managing one goal and two assists in 33 outings last term playing as a winger and a full-back at times.

Pulisic has only started twice in the top flight in 2022/23 but he caught the eye last season with six goals and two assists in 13 starts for Chelsea.

Previously speaking about the competition for his place in the Chelsea team, Hakim Ziyech hailed the former Borussia Dortmund man by saying: “Kai (Havertz) and Timo (Werner) are two big talents, they have proved it at their clubs before. Christian is one of the biggest talents. They have a lot of quality.

“Christian has been here a season longer, and you can see what he is capable of doing on the pitch. He is a crazy winger. It is really exciting to work with them and I can’t wait to be on the pitch, fully fit and doing our thing.”

The American forward’s best season for Chelsea came in the 2019/20 campaign as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 25 Premier League games.

At the age of 24, he is also three years younger than Murphy and could have more years in him as a player, whilst holding greater potential to develop and improve.

Coupled with the pair’s respective statistics in the top flight, this suggests that Pulisic could be an upgrade on the Englishman, which would allow Ashworth to finally ditch the former Norwich man after joining the Tyneside club in 2017.

Mikel Arteta has brought the good times back to Arsenal, with the club currently sitting top of the Premier League after eight wins in nine matches, including an excellent 3-2 victory over Liverpool last weekend.

The Spaniard has struck gold over new signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, with both already playing an important part in the club’s renaissance.

The two summer arrivals are just 25 years old, with fellow new signings Fabio Vieira and Marquinhos just 22 and 19 years of age respectively, it appears Arteta is building for the future.

He might already have one of the future stars in his squad, and he has a key part to play in the next few years at the club…

Arsenal have hit the jackpot over Bukayo Saka

The midfielder has progressed through the age groups at the club to be a prominent fixture in the first-team squad.

Saka made his debut for Arsenal in the Europa League in 2018 under Unai Emery, while it was the next season, 2019/2020, that he had his breakthrough.

The youngster played 38 matches for the first team, scoring four goals and registering ten assists as he offered a glimpse of his potential.

Arteta has since developed him accordingly and he has since gone from strength to strength. Since the beginning of the 2020/2021 season, Saka has netted 23 goals and chipped in with a further 21 assists.

The Englishman made his national team debut in October 2020 during a 3-0 win against Wales and has earned 20 caps since, scoring four times. Saka was the one that missed the decisive penalty against Italy in the 2020 European Championship final to lose in the most agonising way.

This setback has arguably made him stronger, with Arteta claiming “experiences like that mark your career” and he certainly looks like he has put it to the back of his mind.

CIES Football Observatory values the midfielder at €100m (£87m) and Arsenal have hit the jackpot over the player. They could easily make a fortune from Saka, and there appears to be no ceiling on his potential.

Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour dubbed the youngster a “revelation” and if he continues on his current upwards trajectory, there will be plenty of potential suitors sniffing about the 21-year-old.

The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has shared the latest injury blow for Newcastle United regarding striker Chris Wood.

The Lowdown: Attacking injuries

Magpies number nine Callum Wilson has been absent for the team’s last five Premier League games after suffering from a hamstring injury. This left new signing Alexander Isak to step up to the plate in his absence, with the £63m arrival scoring twice in the subsequent three games.

However, whilst on international duty with Sweden, the 22-year-old was withdrawn due to an unspecific issue for which he was deemed medically unfit to play against Serbia and Slovenia.

The Latest: Wood’s injury

With Newcastle’s first two strikers out of action, this leaves just Wood as a centre-forward at Eddie Howe’s disposal. However, Scott Wilson has now revealed another major injury blow for Newcastle.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed: “#NUFC’s attacking injury problems continue to mount – with Chris Wood having been forced off in first half of New Zealand’s defeat to Australia because of a rib problem. Alexander Isak left Sweden squad last week after injury setback….”

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The Verdict: Hopefully Wilson can return…

Having arrived at St James’ Park in January, Wood was one of the reasons that the Magpies ensured their Premier League safety after a prior relegation scare.

The New Zealand international made 17 appearances for the Tynesiders in the second half of last season, weakening relegation rivals Burnley with his move to the northeast.

Whilst his position in the team was never going to be permanent, the 30-year-old has still played seven times in the league this season, coming off the bench on six occasions.

However, following Wood’s injury, Howe will be hoping that Wilson can make it back to full fitness in time for Saturday’s clash against Fulham. If not, it could be a case of Joelinton needing to revert to a number nine role from his now-favoured central midfield position.

Aston Villa look set to win the race for Southampton centre-back Jan Bednarek imminently after a proposed move to West Ham collapsed.

The Lowdown: Bednarek saga

While Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange had been keen to sign the 26-year-old before deadline day, with reports last week even suggesting a loan-to-buy was agreed, it was starting to look like their efforts may be thwarted by West Ham.

The Hammers leapt ahead of Villa in the queue this week with the reliable David Ornstein revealing they were close to winning the race on Wednesday evening.

Now, a big twist suggests that that won’t be the case, as things swing back in the favour of Lange and Gerrard.

The Latest: Villa nearly there

According to Sky Sports News, West Ham’s move for Bednarek is now completely off, with Villa the other Premier League side mentioned as favourites to snap him up.

Gerrard is after a centre-back following a serious achilles injury to new signing Diego Carlos, and it looks like a deal for Bednarek should now go through before 11pm on Thursday.

The Verdict: Big boost for Gerrard

This is a massive boost for Villa at a time where they look weak in the centre of defence – nine goals conceded in five league games is proof of that – despite a spirited effort in their 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have their detractors and aren’t necessarily consistent performers and that’s where Bednarek could make a big difference.

The Pole has stood out as an impressive player for Southampton over a sustained period, making 133 appearances in the Premier League and being hailed as ‘immense’ by his own fans in the past.

Alex Crook has dropped an update on the remaining summer transfer business of Leeds United.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, the talkSPORT journalist revealed that, despite Victor Orta’s signing of Luis Sinisterra earlier this summer, the Spanish director of football remains on the lookout for another wide attacking addition to Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad prior to the closure of the summer transfer window.

Crook suggested that Marsch and Orta could once again look to target the Bundesliga for this new signing, due to the 48-year-old manager’s knowledge of the division, before the journalist went on to state his belief that the Whites could even go on to seal a further two additions over the remaining weeks of the market.

Regarding the Premier League side’s remaining transfer business, Crook said: “They’ve always been on the lookout for another winger, I don’t necessarily have an extensive list of names. My guess would be that it would probably be somebody from the Bundesliga, that Jesse Marsch knows from that division, so I think there’s still a possibility of a couple of arrivals.”

Ending the window with a bang

Considering just how impressive Orta’s business in the summer transfer window has been thus far, Crook’s claim that the Spaniard may not be finished in terms of incomings just yet is certainly an exciting one for all involved with the Whites.

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Indeed, the director of football has already brought in the likes of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Darko Gyabi in central midfield to help ease the loss of Kalvin Phillips, while the signings of both Brenden Aaronson and Sinisterra will undoubtedly help to counteract the creativity and goals lost from Raphinha’s £55m sale to Barcelona.

Furthermore, the addition of full-back Rasmus Kristensen also strengthens Marsch’s options on the right of his back four, with the defender enjoying a very ‘steady’ Premier League debut in the absence of Luke Ayling in the Whites’ 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

However, with Junior Firpo – the club’s only recognised out-and-out left-back – remaining sidelined due to injury, as well as Patrick Bamford and 20-year-old Joe Gelhardt being the club’s only viable options at centre-forward, it is evident that Orta does still have work to do in order to make Marsch’s squad as deep as possible prior to September’s transfer deadline.

As such, should Leeds go on to land two more additions over the remaining weeks of the summer market, the Spaniard would certainly be ending the Whites’ window with a bang – especially if these two signings are at left-back and up top.