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Liverpool will make a ‘concrete offer’ for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus this summer, according to journalist Florian Plettenburg.

The Lowdown: Neuhaus links continue

The Reds could be expected to make more signings in the coming months after their difficult campaign, with centre-back Ibrahima Konate already arriving from RB Leipzig.

One player who has been continually linked with a move to Liverpool is Neuhaus, who is currently on Euro 2020 with Germany.

The 24-year-old featured in 33 of Monchengladbach’s 38 Bundesliga matches last season, proving to be a key man in the middle of the park.

The Latest: Journalist provides update

Plettenburg, journalist and podcaster for SPORT1, has now given a fresh update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Neuhaus, taking to Twitter to say:

“Update #Neuhaus (due to many inquiries): #LFC is definitely a highly interesting option for the player. A concrete offer for him is expected. It’s also up to Klopp. However, a decision on his future will be made after the Euros.”

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The Verdict: Wijnaldum’s replacement?

With Gini Wijnaldum leaving Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain, a huge void is going to left in the Reds’ midfield, given the Dutchman’s influence there.

It could be that the £31.5million-rated Neuhaus is the man to solve that issue, thriving in a similar manner to Wijnaldum, even if they aren’t too similar, in terms of playing style.

The German averaged three tackles per game in the Champions League in 2020/21, showing how effective he can be off the ball, but also chipped in with six goals and five assists in the league – end product was something Wijnaldum largely lacked, managing just two league goals and zero assists last term.

Neuhaus would, therefore, bring both attacking guile and defensive work-rate to Liverpool’s team, making up for the loss of Wijnaldum in the process.

Liverpool could land their ideal heir to Roberto Firmino in highly-rated Red Bull Salzburg striker Patson Daka this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Zambian Football, the 22-year-old is available for around £25m over the upcoming transfer window, with several Premier League clubs fighting for his signature.

The report claims that West Ham United are in pole position for Daka, while Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s charges are also keen on the forward.

Next Firmino

Liverpool’s disappointing 2020/21 campaign owed largely to long-term injuries to their first-choice  centre-backs, but it was also epitomised by the form of their struggling forwards.

Although Mohamed Salah had another sensational season, bagging 31 goals in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino both struggled in front of goal.

The Brazilian’s unique role in Klopp’s system means the South American is deployed in the false nine position and is tasked with providing regular opportunities for teammates alongside his goalscoring duties.

Nevertheless, he is still expected to put the ball in the back of the net with regularity, although that’s an area where the 29-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years. A return of 18 top-flight goals since the start of 2019/20 only marginally betters his total of 15 back in 2017/18 alone, illustrating the decline of the Brazil international.

While the impressive Diogo Jota was able to come into the starting XI for Mane on several occasions, the lack of centre-forward options available on Klopp’s bench meant that the German was forced to persist with an underwhelming Firmino in the recently-concluded campaign.

Divock Origi has scored some hugely important and memorable goals throughout his Liverpool career, but the Belgian has failed to consistently perform at the required standard for the last two years.

Therefore, a new striker to offer an alternative option to Firmino is needed at Anfield, and Daka could be the ideal option for the 19-time English champions.

“He is a modern centre-forward, quick, capable of working hard and making the difference because he is skilful and has good movement,” said former Zambia head coach Herve Renard of the youngster.

“I brought him to Lille on trial when he was 17, he had to wait for his chance, and then, unfortunately, I was sacked in the meantime. He is truly one to make a note of because he is a very, very promising player.”

Daka, who has won 22 caps for Zambia, bagged an incredible 34 goals in 42 games for Salzburg in 2020/21, providing a further 12 assists for his teammates, and the clinical marksman would provide a perfect alternative to Firmino for Liverpool as they aim to wrestle back their Premier League crown. Bringing him to Anfield would be a masterclass from sporting director Michael Edwards.

In other news… Edwards must avoid Liverpool’s next El Hadji Diouf in £25m-valued flop 

Leeds United winger Raphinha will likely spend one more year at Elland Road and leave next summer, according to journalist Tom McDermott.

The Lowdown: Key man for Leeds

The Brazilian was a star performer for the Whites last season, catching the eye as soon as he arrived from Rennes, assisting nine times in the Premier League.

Raphinha was hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Leeds United Fan Hub’s Ben Parker and others clearly agree – his performances have caught the eye of some huge clubs.

Liverpool have been constantly linked with a move for the 24-year-old in recent weeks and another key update has now been provided.

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The Latest: Raphinha tipped for 2022 exit

Writing on Twitter, McDermott claimed that Raphinha ‘would do one more year’ at Leeds, before moving on to pastures new in 2022.

Liverpool are again mentioned as being the ‘most interested’, with the Reds more likely to go for him if either Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane leave.

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The Verdict: Inevitable blow

Raphinha is vital to Leeds’ success moving forward, with the South American one of the most exciting wide players in the league last season.

In truth, there comes a point when it is extremely difficult to keep hold of such special talents, however, and getting one more year out of him could be the best Marcelo Bielsa can hope for.

The only positive is that if he improves even further this season, then Leeds would be able to receive a huge fee for his services, allowing them to strengthen their squad across several areas in the process.

In other news, one player has been tipped to replace Pablo Hernandez at Leeds this summer. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Michael Ball, who made 20 appearances for Rangers, has given huge praise to Nathan Patterson following the full-back grasping any chance he has been given by Steven Gerrard.

Patterson was handed his league debut by Gerrard earlier this season and has ended up making seven league appearances, with one impressive display coming in the latest Old Firm game which Rangers won 4-1.

Gerrard is certainly blessed with talent at the right-back position as club captain James Tavernier has proved himself to be one of the best players in Scotland and now Patterson, at just 19-years old, is proving to be great competition for the former Newcastle United defender.

Speaking on how people have been talking about Patterson for a while now and why he compares him to Alan Hutton, Ball exclusively told FFC:

“There have been a few whispers from my side for quite a while about Nathan, although I hadn’t seen much about him. When he got given his massive opportunity to play against Celtic he put in a performance that showed why people have been talking about him.

“Rangers have done it in the past just look at Alan Hutton when he came through as a youngster and got his big move away to Tottenham. So he’s just got to get that opportunity to grow and develop.”

Gerrard has guided Rangers to an unforgettable season which has seen them win a record 55th SPFL league title and are just one game away from going the full league campaign unbeaten.

Patteson can learn from one of Rangers’ best players in recent years as Tavernier has been a mainstay in their side since he joined from Wigan Athletic in 2015 when they were in the Scottish Championship.

Graham Roberts has claimed that Steven Gerrard would be an excellent appointment for Tottenham Hotspur this summer in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The Liverpool legend has done superb work at the Scottish club this term.

They have won the Scottish Premiership at a canter, finishing the season unbeaten and with 102 points from 38 games.

Rangers ended the campaign 25 points ahead of Old Firm rivals Celtic and Spurs are, of course, on the lookout for a new manager after sacking Jose Mourinho.

Ryan Mason is currently in interim charge of the club but it is expected that he will step aside for the next permanent boss, whomever they may be.

Roberts played for Spurs between 1980 and 1986 before making the move to Rangers, and spending two years with the Scottish giants.

It remains to be seen if Gerrard, who said that he ‘loved’ Kane back in 2017, would be willing to leave the club with whom he has just won his first ever league title, especially for a rival to Liverpool, but Roberts believes he would be an exceptional appointment.

He told FFC: “You’ve got Steven Gerrard at Rangers.

“I think he’ll stay there but he’s done absolutely unbelievable. He would be a great choice.”

Wolves are believed to be interested in a summer move for Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles, with a host of other clubs also monitoring his situation.

The 23-year-old is currently on loan at West Brom, making nine Premier League appearances for the Baggies during their struggle to remain in the top flight.

Given Arsenal’s willingness to loan him out, it could be that the north London club listen to offers for Maitland-Niles at the end of the season.

Wolves eye up move for Maitland-Niles

The Mirror reported that Wolves are among the clubs weighing up the idea of signing the Englishman this summer as Nuno Espirito Santo eyes up reinforcements for his squad.

The report claimed that there is also interest from the likes of Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Monaco in what could be a frenetic battle for his signature.

Maitland-Niles, who has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by three-time Premier League winner Martin Keown in the past, will see his Arsenal contract expire this summer, so the Gunners risk losing him on a free transfer if they don’t offer him a new deal.

Transfer Tavern take

The England international may not have established himself at the Emirates Stadium in the same vein as Bukayo Saka, for example, but he remains a player with plenty of potential.

His ability to thrive in several roles, from right wing-back to central midfield, could be something which appeals to Wolves, and at 23, he would likely be a long-term acquisition rather than a quick fix.

It seems unlikely that he is going to become a regular for a ‘big six’ club like Arsenal, but it is easier to envisage him featuring regularly at Molineux, especially with Joao Moutinho ageing in midfield and Nelson Semedo not consistently impressing at right-back.

The fact that he would cost nothing is also an added bonus for Wolves if they can see off the reported competition for his signature.

In other news, some Wolves fans have slammed one player’s performance against Sheffield United. Read more here.

Charlton Athletic may have extended their unbeaten run to nine matches over the weekend but the truth is, they never looked like scoring against fellow playoff hopefuls Ipswich Town.

Nigel Adkins also kept his record since arriving last month intact but he’ll need to solve the issue if the Addicks are to bolster their promotion ambitions.

Tonight, they head to Plymouth Argyle knowing a victory could see them rise into sixth place above Oxford United, with one game still in hand on them.

The 56-year-old has been without his two top goalscorers Chuks Aneke (12) and Conor Washington (11) in recent outings, and whilst the pair returned to training this week, it’s unlikely we’ll see them in action – or at least starting from the off at Home Park.

With Jayden Stockley misfiring against the Tractor Boys, it could be time to see forgotten January arrival Ronnie Schwartz given a run-out.

He arrived as the Danish Superliga’s top scorer for 2019/20 and signed a two-and-a-half-year deal but has been restricted to only three starts and 390 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking after clinching his man, Lee Bowyer waxed lyrical about his goalscoring ability to the club’s official website:

“His finishing is very good, I witnessed it first hand in training today. To see him finishing the way he does and know that he is going to improve is a big plus,” claimed the former Addicks boss. “Strikers tend to win you games, once we create chances he is a fox in the box. His work rate is good, his movement is good and he’s very clever. He’s got all the experience, so it’s a great signing.”

Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard also lauded the 31-year-old talisman, claiming that “Ronnie is a proven goalscorer, with a great goalscoring record.”

On Saturday afternoon, Adkins’ men fired 14 attempts at the visitor’s goal, with 50% of those being on target. Stockley, who played the full 90, accounted for three of these but just could not make a successful impact.

Perhaps it’s time for a change to spark life back into the Addicks’ attack; you could even pair Schwartz with Stockley, as the latter is winning a whopping 9.9 aerials won per game and a natural goalscorer like the Dane could thrive playing off him.

Having played just 11 minutes since Bowyer’s departure, Adkins must give the rarely-seen Schwartz an opportunity tonight.

AND in other news, 19x possession lost: THIS wasteful Addicks star let Adkins down massively at the weekend…

Manchester City took another huge step towards the title with an impressive 2-0 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, here are our player ratings from the game.

Starting XI

Ederson: 7/10

Saved comfortably from Youri Tielemans early in the second half after being a spectator for the first 45. A late strike from James Maddison was fortunately straight at the Brazilian, who earns a 7/10 simply because his clean sheet earns me fantasy points.

Kyle Walker: 6/10

After a quiet first-half, Walker was key in City’s opening goal as his dangerous cross into the box caused chaos and allowed Mendy to find the net. Looked solid at the back and defended well when Castagne pushed forward for the home side.

Ruben Dias: 7/10

After a very comfortable first half, the centre-back burst into action with a superb block to deny Tielemans what looked to be a certain goal. Had very little else to do but that block proved vital considering it was 0-0 at the time.

Aymeric Laporte: 6/10

Defended a rare Leicester break brilliantly by running across Kelechi Iheanacho and earning a foul after the former City man pulled him back but had very little to do overall.

Benjamin Mendy: 7/10

Guilty of not getting forward enough in the first half but was in the right place at the right time to open the scoring, showing great composure to cut inside Timothy Castange and find the bottom corner with his weaker foot. Had very little to do from a defensive perspective.

Fernandinho: 7/10

Unfortunate to have a great early strike chalked off after an Aguero offside. Played with his usual quality and gave Leicester’s midfielders very little time on the ball. Regularly won back possession to kick start attacks. Picked up a late booking after unnecessarily kicking James Maddison.

Rodri: 6/10

Broke up play well as usual and largely went unnoticed as you would hope from a defensive midfielder but was arguably outperformed by Fernandinho in the middle. Picked up a late booking for a foul on Tielemans that was very much in the mould of Fernandinho.

Kevin De Bruyne: 8/10

The Belgian was inches away from opening the scoring after striking the crossbar from an excellent free-kick. Largely ran the show in the first half and created the second goal with an inch-perfect pass through to Gabriel Jesus. Played in Mahrez perfectly but the Algerian curled it wide when he should have scored. Withdrawn after getting frustrated after some late Leicester tackles but still a superb display from the world-class midfielder.

Riyad Mahrez: 5/10

Hit straight at Kasper Schmeichel in City’s best chance of the first half when he should’ve scored. The £37.8m-rated dynamo later missed another sitter when played through by De Bruyne before being replaced by Torres with around 15 minutes remaining.

Gabriel Jesus: 7/10

Was played in beautifully by Riyad Mahrez but couldn’t cut the ball back to his strike partner Aguero. Later repaid the favour by providing a delightful flick for his Algerian teammate. Hit narrowly over after De Bruyne found him in the box shortly before half time. Got the goal his performance deserved after sliding home from Sterling’s cut back.

Sergio Aguero: 6/10

You can’t blame the Argentinian too much for being offside for Fernandinho’s goal but a volley that was blazed over the bar by the striker highlighted his rustiness and was perhaps one that you would have expected him to take a few seasons ago. Replaced by Raheem Sterling just after the hour mark, hopefully, the run-out will do his fitness some good as he looked far from his best again here.

Subs

Raheem Sterling: 7/10

Perhaps guilty of not pulling the trigger quick enough when found in the box by Jesus but then regained his composure to give the ball back to the Brazilian for a tap in to make it 2-0.

Ferran Torres: 6/10

Barely touched the ball as City saw out the game late on.

Phil Foden: N/A

AND  in other news, Man City: Neto vs Grealish – who would be the better signing?…

David Sullivan must avoid a summer swoop for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard after it emerged that West Ham United are in pole position to get him.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers have stolen a march in the race to sign Edouard after the 23-year-old rejected a new contract at Parkhead.

The London Stadium natives are believed to be assembling the framework of a deal for the French forward, and are hopeful of securing his services.

Arsenal and Leicester City have registered their interest in the Hoops attacker, but progress is being made in east London to get a deal on the table before the summer market begins.

Celtic are growing resigned to losing Edouard at the end of the season after he turned down the offer of a new contract, with his current terms set to expire next year.

Edouard had offers to leave the Premiership giants during the January market but opted to stay put, believing that more suitors would emerge in the summer, much to the annoyance of Celtic who lowered their asking price in hopes of securing a deal.

The Hoops set a whopping £40m asking price last year but dropped their valuation to £25m for the winter market, but may now struggle to even secure that for their 20-goal striker.

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His mixed form during a limp title defence, limited time remaining on his current contract and the pandemic have given Edouard’s camp confidence that he could be sold for as little as £8-10m when the next window opens.

Should West Ham sign Celtic’s Edouard?

If Edouard is available at the end of the season for a fee close to £10m, it may be hard for West Ham to ignore the chance to seal a deal with Celtic for their 23-year-old attacker. But anything more than that must see Sullivan walk away.

While Edouard has found the back of the net 20 times over 35 games across all competitions this term, his form has often been inconsistent and his attitude has frequently come into question.

Franck McAvennie recently suggested that Edouard is one of too many Celtic players who have been playing for themselves rather than the team as a collective this season, and that the “wonderful talent” has not earned a move to a top side with his efforts at Parkhead.

“Does he deserve to go to a big club at the moment? I don’t know,” McAvennie said, via quotes by the Daily Record. “The way he’s played this season, he’s let the supporters down and he’s let himself down because he’s better than that.”

Former Celtic striker Andy Walker has also hit out at Edouard for his attitude and claimed: “I think he owes his teammates and the Celtic fans a big performance,” as his determination to be the game-changer has not always been on show.

West Ham signing a player with a proven attitude issue could come back to haunt them fast, as head coach David Moyes lauded the “fantastic” mindset of his players amid a relegation fight last season and has kept much the same squad for a European push this term.

Only Craig Dawson, Vladimir Coufal and Jesse Lingard are regular members of Moyes’ plans who were not at the London Stadium last season, and each boast brilliant attitudes.

If that is something Edouard lacks, West Ham simply must stay away from another expensive disaster after losing £25m on the club-record fee paid to Eintracht Frankfurt for Sebastien Haller.

AND in other news, West Ham are weighing up a £21.5m swoop for a “great” 10-goal striker…

Reports by Gol Digital earlier in the week claimed that Newcastle United are considering a move to sign Divock Origi, and Mike Ashley should be sanctioning a summer swoop to land the Liverpool striker who broke Rafa Benitez’s spirits in 2019.

Origi is potentially set to hit the transfer market at the end of the season after enduring a challenging campaign at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp frequently opposed to unleashing the Belgium international.

The 25-year-old has only started six of his 17 appearances across all competitions, while left an unused substitute in 18 fixtures and omitted from seven matchday squads to date.

Liverpool are understood to see Klopp’s position on Origi as justification to part ways with the £60,000-per-week forward three years before his deal lapses, as he is unlikely to occupy a key role in the German’s plans going forward.

Interest in Origi is expected to be vast given his age and experiences, including his goals in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final with FC Barcelona that started and completed an unlikely comeback from 3-0 down on aggregate.

La Liga side Real Sociedad are noted to be weighing up a move but face strong competition from the Premier League, with Newcastle plus Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen.

Origi allegedly hopes that any move away from Merseyside in the off-season will see that he is given a chance to be the lead striker of his new side, having never had that opportunity in six seasons at Anfield.

Football Insider claim that bids of just £12m will be considered by Liverpool, having failed to find any suitors willing to pay £20m in January.

Borussia Dortmund have additionally been touted as a potential destination for Origi, with the Bundesliga outfit one of a clutch of sides tracking his situation ahead of the summer market.

The chances of Newcastle meeting Liverpool’s demands for Origi may be in doubt with the St. James’ Park natives expected to operate on a shoestring budget this summer, with loans and free transfers likely to be the flavour of the month.

But Ashley should dig deep into his pocket to acquire the LOSC Lille product, as whoever is in charge of the Toon next term – be it Steve Bruce or someone new – will need a higher calibre forward to rival with 10-goal top-scorer Callum Wilson.

Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle are both out of contract in June and have rarely offered a consistent goal threat in the north east, with the former striking home just once in 41 games since his return in 2019 and the latter only hitting 11 in 66 Premier League outings.

Origi has proven that he can score on the biggest stage, Barcelona have the nightmares to show that, while also striking Belgium’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Russia during the 2014 World Cup.

The Oostende-born forward once had the better of Benitez during the Spaniard’s time in charge at St. James’ Park, too, when Origi broke the Toon’s spirits with a late header to seal a 3-2 win and keep Liverpool in the mix for the 2018/19 Premier League title.

Newcastle had twice come from behind in their final home game of that season in search of what would have been a famous and rare result in modern meetings between the two clubs, with Salomon Rondon constantly proving a handful for the visiting Reds.

But their hopes were destroyed by Origi, and whoever sits in the United hot seat next term would surely like to have a striker capable of such an impact at their disposal.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a global battle to land a £8.5m striker with 18 goals in 26 league games this term…