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Wolverhampton Wanderers were linked with Dominik Livakovic in 2021 and after such an impressive start to the World Cup in Qatar, the Old Gold might regret not bringing him to Molineux.

It was suggested last year that the Croatian shot-stopper could be the man to replace Rui Patricio as he completed a move to Italy to join Jose Mourinho’s Roma but, in the end, Wolves would sign Jose Sa.

While the Portugal international was a big hit at Molineux last season, his performances have dropped significantly so far this campaign, with him currently underperforming on his expected goals against, while Livakovic continues to stand out as one of the top goalkeepers outside of Europe’s top leagues.

The 27-year-old scores above the 90th percentile for his shot-stopping ability, save percentage and goal kicks when compared to other ‘keepers in Europe, which emphasises how good he is with both his hands and his feet.

After helping Croatia through to the knockout stages after clean sheets against Morocco and Belgium, Livakovic proved to be the “hero” in Zlatko Dalic’s side on Monday as they beat Japan on penalties to set up a quarter-final game against Brazil.

During normal and extra time, the Dinamo Zagreb man would contribute three saves, one punch and one high claim, as he regularly thwarted Japan’s dangerous attacks.

However, his status as Croatia’s hero was confirmed during the penalty shootout, as he saved three out of four penalties, denying Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida to send the Vatreni through to the next round.

Sofascore would award Livakovic a hugely impressive 8.1/10 rating for his performance, which ranked him as the best Croatian and second-best overall player on the pitch, which emphasises just how important he was in Dalic’s side progress in Qatar.

The Croatia manager was unsurprisingly full of praise for his goalkeeper following the game, saying:

“We had a fantastic goalkeeper. Today he was great, he saved each of the penalties in a very strong and stable manner.

“We practised penalties in training yesterday and he made several saves. When he had the penalty shootout today I was assured, yesterday he installed this confidence and I was sure he would show that capacity today.”

Livakovic’s value is certain to shoot through the roof after his impressive displays in Qatar and Wolves may rue not bringing the £15k-per-week star to the Premier League if he earns a big move next year and continues to shine.

With the first ever winter World Cup out in Qatar now through the Group Stages, and with good headway being made through the knockout clashes as the tournament slowly edges towards a close, the future of Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the news, and as speculated and fully expected, Saudi Arabian nine time champions, Al-Nassr, have officially now offered him a new deal.

Having had a pretty torrid season at Manchester United and Old Trafford in the 2022/23 campaign before the pause for the World Cup came into play, Ronaldo ultimately got what he wanted which was a departure from the club, as they agreed a mutual termination of his contract following his incredibly explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he blasted everyone from former, and current team mates, down to the clubs’ owners and few sportsbook bonuses saw that power move coming.

Ronaldo is understandably focused on what is likely to be his final World Cup adventure as a professional player, and he has previously stated that no decisions on his future will be made until the competition is over – but with the deal now officially on the table, few would blame him for raising an eyebrow as although a number of clubs have expressed and interest in his future services, Al-Nassr’s offer is said the be the largest yet by far at around 200 million Euros a year and PA sports betting apps would give good odds on this deal going through eventually.

Given the riches available to Al-Nassr they were always a strong favourite to enter the bidding for the now 37 year old free agent and many believe that they were the club that Ronaldo was referring to in his interview, when he claimed that he had turned down a £305 million offer over the summer.

The BBC quote a source close to the Saudi Arabian club who stated clearly that whilst the offer had been sent to Ronaldo’s team, he was sticking true to his word and that they had not yet heard back about whether or not he found it an acceptable offer.

“We are huge admirers and we, as any club, would love to sign him but understand his focus now is only on the World Cup.”

When the speculation first hit the headlines of their interest in him, it was suggested that image right could well be a problem given the make up of the contract they were preparing, but fans will have to see if that is a future problem to be solved or not.

Ronaldo has done himself no harm whatsoever so far out in Qatar when it comes to encouraging clubs to make an offer that he may find irresistible, as earlier in the tournament he became the first ever player to score at five different World Cups as he netted his penalty in their 3-2 win against Ghana, but even though he is a free agent, he cannot physically sign for a new club now until the January transfer window officially opens up on January 1 as his player registration was still held by United when the summer window slammed to a close.

Any new club for Ronaldo also had to deal with the existing two match ban he faces for knocking a mobile phone out of the hands of a fan following the clash with Everton last season.

It should not take too long before he is back in the news for the right reasons though.

Photo by Unsplash

West Ham United could be interested in appointing Mauricio Pochettino at the London Stadium.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, should David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady decide to part company with David Moyes in the coming months – with the 59-year-old coming under increasing pressure in east London – the Hammers board could target a move for the Argentine manager.

Regarding the Hammers’ potential interest in the 50-year-old coach, Jones said: “Pochettino would probably be on their list. Tuchel would probably be on that list as well. They would have to be managers that you at least sound out for that position.”

“Special”

While some at the London Stadium may feel that, after guiding West Ham to consecutive top-seven finishes in the Premier League table in the last two years, not to mention the Europa League semi-final in 2021/22, Moyes deserves to be given more time to turn the ship around, it is nevertheless undeniable that Pochettino would be a special replacement for the Scot.

Indeed, after taking over at a relegation-threatened Southampton back in January of 2013, the Argentine guided the Saints to mid-table comfort in his first half-season in charge at St. Mary’s, before spearheading a charge on the top half of the table – despite minimal spending in the summer – in the following campaign, sealing an eighth-place finish in the league.

These results saw Tottenham Hotspur sit up and take notice of the then-42-year-old coach, with Daniel Levy ultimately going on to appoint Pochettino as the new Spurs manager in the summer of 2013 – taking over a side that had finished the 2013/14 campaign in sixth place under the management of Tim Sherwood.

The former Espanyol midfielder undoubtedly enjoyed the best period of his managerial career to date in north London, leading Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his first season in charge, before securing four consecutive top-four finishes between 2015 and 2018 – including a campaign in which the Lilywhites narrowly missed out on the title to Chelsea, finishing second in 2016/17.

The 50-year-old also took Tottenham to their first-ever Champions League final in 2018/19, losing 2-0 to Liverpool at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, before he was sacked from his position a matter of months after this loss – after which Tottenham have finished outside of the top four in two of the last three campaigns.

Meanwhile, Pochettino would go on to take over at Paris Saint-Germain ahead of 2020/21, with the manager who has been described as “special” leading a star-studded PSG side to the Ligue 1 title in 2021/22, as well as the Champions League semi-final in his first season in charge at Le Parc des Princes.

As such, considering the fact that the Argentine tactician boasts a track record of improving a club’s league standing, developing teams into European title contenders and having won a league title, it is undeniable that, should GSB go on to part with Moyes in the coming months, Pochettino would very much appear to be a perfect fit for the Hammers’ lofty ambitions.

Manchester United’s high-profile pursuit of Frenkie de Jong ended without reward as the summer transfer window draped the closing curtain, but fresh reports claim the club may harken back to their previous interest.

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils’ interest in De Jong last summer was hotter than a raging furnace, with efforts to clinch the FC Barcelona maestro’s signature resulting in tweets from the likes of Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg that a deal was “on the verge” of being completed.

However, as the summer transfer saga laboured on, the Dutchman’s arrival in Manchester slipped away from reality, with the player deciding against a move due to United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

And now the Manchester Evening News report that United boss Erik ten Hag has not lost hope on an agreement, suggesting the club are still open to making a move for him. It’s thought the United boss regards him as a world-class talent.

A Fred upgrade

To surge back into the pool and emerge with De Jong in tow would be a monumental feat for the red side of Manchester, a statement signing that embodies a golden new dawn under ten Hag’s tutelage. 

Since signing for Barcelona from boyhood club AFC Ajax in a £65m deal in 2019, De Jong has maintained his status as one of football’s premier midfielders, making 157 appearances and scoring 15 goals and 19 assists, winning the 2020/21 Copa del Rey.

He has been a beacon of positivity throughout his time with La Blaugrana, recording an average rating of 7.28 in La Liga this season, averaging a pass success rate of 90%, making 1.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per outing. 

The improvement into the Red Devils’ midfield would be seismic, creating a sense of stability and a platform for impactful change.

In retrospect to the 50-cap ace’s fortunes, Old Trafford’s Fred has recorded an average rating of 6.71 in the Premier League this term, only completing 81% of his passes from his industrious role and averaging just 0.8 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per outing. 

Signing from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of £52m plus bonuses, the Brazilian Fred has largely failed to live up to the price tag, and there is an overarching sense that the Theatre of Dreams’ central engine would receive a huge lift with the entry of De Jong, consequently bolstering the collective fortunes of the squad.

Man United agreed to pay Barcelona £74m for the 25-year-old in the summer, to no eventual avail. Now, a deal must be forged once again for this “incredible” midfield maestro – as dubbed by Louis van Gaal – he will strike a blow into the Red Devils’ opposition, leading the illustrious club to glory once again.

Everton were expected to return from the World Cup break refreshed after what had been a taxing first half of the season, however, today’s display suggested anything but.

Frank Lampard’s men fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat despite taking the lead early on, with a gut-wrenching winner courtesy of Rayan Air Nouri at the death.

It was a true smash and grab from the Old Gold, who only had 42% of the ball all game. The Toffees boasted more shots, shots on target and expected goals, yet could not kill the game off.

With Yerry Mina nodding in the opener after seven minutes, Goodison Park returned to its fiery best as it roared their side’s press into action.

However, with a well-worked set piece of their own, Daniel Podence silenced them with a neat finish from close range.

Then, frustrated by the lack of options in midfield and out wide, Goodison Park returned to its toxic worst.

There were many points of contention across the ground, with fans questioning who had let Lampard down the most. Whilst the toothless nature of Vitaliy Mykolenko may have frustrated fans, outlined in his two failed crosses and 6.3 rating, it was surely Anthony Gordon who will have drawn the most anger.

The 21-year-old continued his barren run and was deservedly marked down by Sofascore, as he earned the worst rating of anyone on the pitch (6.1).

Although he did make an impressive seven tackles higher up the pitch, in an attempt to aid the press, he often left his full-back out to dry with a lack of positional intelligence.

Competing in 19 duels, he would win only six, meaning he lost 69% of them all game.

Then, expected to spearhead their attack, he would let the fans and team down twofold.

Attempting five dribbles, he would be successful in none of them. This was mirrored in his one failed cross too.

However, with the scores at 1-1, it was his one big chance missed that truly capped off his terrible display, as his left-footed strike from close range went straight into the outstretched Jose Sa.

It is a wonder where the “fearless” youngster that Alan Shearer lauded has gone, with the winger a shell of the electric creator that initially broke into the first team.

With the pressure having cranked up on Lampard before the break, this loss will surely spark the rumour mill once more.

He may only have a string of games now to save his game if this Gordon disasterclass was not enough to see him sacked already.

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that the recent West Ham United transfer links to Ruslan Malinovskyi are ‘wide of the mark’.

What’s the word?

With January now upon us, it’s that time of the year when rumours begin to swirl and it half feels as though every Premier League side is linked with every footballer on the planet.

For instance, the Hammers have recently been tipped to make a move for Malinovskyi of Atalanta. Indeed, according to Calciomercato, David Moyes and co are keen on a deal.

Despite this latest talk, it sounds as though it might be wise not to pay it too much heed. After all, insider Ex has now claimed that West Ham are not currently likely to make a move for the player.

He wrote on The West Ham Way Patreon page: “Despite reports linking us to the signing of Ruslan Malinovskyi of Atalanta, we can confirm that these are wide of the mark.

“The 29-year-old Ukrainian international is out of contract in the summer so does tick a box (players coming close to end of contract) that we wish to explore, however, no move has been made.

“There are reported to be a number of clubs in the race for the player and it isn’t thought at this point that West Ham will make a move.”

Not interested…

Even if West Ham were keen on Malinovskyi, it doesn’t sound as though it would be an easy deal for them to compete with the likes of Marseille linked and Tottenham Hotspur said to be his preferred destination.

The 29-year-old may well be an attractive proposition for a number of clubs as his contract looks set to expire this summer (via Transfermarkt). However, some reports in Italian media (via Football Italia) claim that he has actually signed a two-year renewal.

Either way, it sounds as though it won’t make a huge amount of difference to the Hammers as this seems to be one deal they won’t be pursuing this winter.

Rangers are reportedly weighing up a potential January transfer move for St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus. 

The Lowdown: Baccus’ season so far

Having joined the Saints during the previous summer transfer window from Western Sydney, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 17 appearances for the club across the SPFL and the Scottish League Cup.

The midfielder also appeared in all four of Australia’s World Cup games during the recent tournament in Qatar.

Now that the January transfer window is set to open on Sunday, Baccus has found himself already being linked with a move away from St Mirren.

The Latest: Rangers eyeing Baccus

According to a recent report from The Scottish Sun, Rangers have been scouting Baccus and see him as a potential target for the January transfer window.

The report also adds that St Mirren are not likely to stand in Baccus’ way to leave the club if a suitable transfer offer comes in for him.

The Verdict: A useful signing for Rangers

With 16 league appearances under his belt this season, the Australian has shown how much of a capable midfield figure he is on and off the ball.

For example, as well as scoring two goals and having the third-highest number of shots at goal (23) at St Mirren, Baccus also has the second-highest number of successful tackles (20) and third-highest number of interceptions (21).

His overall performances have earned the midfielder, who has been described as being “all-action” on the pitch by journalist Joel Sked, a season rating of 6.67/10 from WhoScored, making him the fourth-highest rated player in the Saints squad.

Taking all of this into account, Baccus could certainly be a useful addition to Michael Beale’s squad given the talent he as and the experience he has of playing in the SPFL.

Moving forward, if the Saints are open to selling their summer recruit in January, the Gers should definitely see what it would take financially to secure his signature.

The January transfer window is now open for business and Graham Potter has already bolstered his Chelsea squad by signing Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco.

As it stands, the Blues are 10th in the Premier League table and will be looking to push up to challenge for the European spots in the second half of the campaign.

11 top-flight teams have scored more goals than Potter’s side, who have found the back of the net 20 times in 17 outings, and adding a goalscorer to the squad could be key to Chelsea’s hopes in the coming months.

One player who could solve their issues at the top end of the pitch is Borussia Monchengladbach centre-forward Marcus Thuram, who has been on fire in the Bundesliga this season.

Journalist Simon Phillips has revealed that the striker is one of the club’s top targets for the month and that he is a realistic signing for the Blues.

The reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “He’s made his way up towards the top of the forward shortlist for this window, and he presents an opportunity for Chelsea to land a top forward for a very low fee, with his contract up in the summer. I’ve been told he is attainable this month.”

The attacker is reportedly available for a fee of up to £15m, with his contract at Gladbach being set to expire at the end of the season, and Potter can land a big upgrade on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by securing his signature.

In the Premier League this term, the Gabon international has scored once in nine appearances and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.58 for the Blues.

His lack of production in the final third has hurt Chelsea badly, as shown by their aforementioned goalscoring statistics in comparison to the rest of the league, and Thuram could take his place in the side if he arrives at Stamford Bridge this month.

The Gladbach striker, who has been hailed as “clinical” by journalist Raj Chohan, was once lauded as a “monster” by Herve Renard, has plundered 10 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances, whilst also delivering three assists.

Thuram also produced two assists in five substitute appearances for France at the World Cup and his quality at the top end of the pitch could give Chelsea a huge lift during the second half of the season.

His impressive goalscoring for the German side shows that he has the potential to offer far more than what Aubameyang has delivered for Potter to date, which is why the club must get a deal over the line for the Frenchman.

Italian football expert Nicky Bandini believes that Liverpool moving for Milan Skriniar could gather momentum in the coming days.

The Lowdown: Defensive recruits a possibility

It doesn’t seem too long ago that Liverpool were facing another defensive crisis under Jurgen Klopp when they were having to field Jordan Henderson as a centre-back.

Fast-forward a few years, and things aren’t looking great, with leader Virgil van Dijk now set for a prolonged period on the sidelines after he was hooked off against Brentford with an injury.

Therefore, it would make sense for FSG and Klopp to move for a defender this month as they look to at least secure a spot in the top four, and they may wish to bring in a like-for-like replacement for Van Dijk in terms of his experience – which is where Skriniar would fit the mould.

The Latest: Liverpool could swoop ahead of rivals

Skriniar has been tipped with a move to Paris Saint-Germain in the past, but Bandini has claimed live on Sky Sports that Liverpool could swoop for the defender this month.

She said: “We know that Skriniar has talked to Paris Saint-Germain, we know that that’s a transfer he’s interested in. The bigger question, I think, right now with Skriniar is, might someone make a move in January to preempt Paris Saint-Germain knowing Inter haven’t been able to get him to sign a new deal?

“They have been pushing for this new contract for months, there hasn’t been any movement, I don’t see any reason that’s about to change.

“What I do think might change the dynamic in general, is PSG think they can sit tight and get him in the summer. Clubs like, for instance, in particular, Liverpool, I think, are looking right now because they’ve got injury concerns in the middle of the season, you’ve got Virgil van Dijk not able to play, and you think, well, is there an opportunity to do a deal here at a good price – knowing what I just said.

“Inter need to bring money in and they know they’re about to lose this asset at the end of the season, and funnily enough, actually, Inter who, a couple of seasons ago, had the best defence in Serie A without changing personnel, are conceding heaps of goals anyway, so I actually think from their point of view, what do you lose?

“They’re not doing well defensively, if they got some money they can make off it. It’s very sort of tentative what I’m saying; I’m not telling you this deal is there ready to happen, but I think that’s a deal that might start picking up momentum in the next few days.”

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The Verdict: Skriniar could be a major coup for Klopp

On paper, it would appear Skriniar would be an ideal signing for Liverpool to have, not only while Van Dijk is out injured, but also once he returns, as the stats between the two defenders are very similar when it comes to progressive passes and touches on the ball – while Skriniar is even more accomplished when it comes to tackling (as per FBref).

So if Klopp and Liverpool could strike up a deal for someone that’s very experienced in Serie A and the Champions League for a cut-price fee given his contractual situation, it would appear to be a no-brainer.

However, if PSG start to hear murmurings of Liverpool plotting a move for Skriniar, they could fast-track their reported plans for the summer and swoop in this month for the defender, who has been hailed as ‘monstrous’ by Antonio Conte in the past.

The January transfer window is now in full swing with Aston Villa having already completed their first signing of the month earlier this week by bringing in Alex Moreno from Real Betis.

Unai Emery is in charge of his first window since arriving at Villa Park to take over from Steven Gerrard in the dugout and he made the Spanish left-back his first addition to the squad on a permanent basis from the La Liga outfit.

However, the ex-Villarreal boss may not be done there and further signings could be made before the end of the month as it has been reported that the manager wants to add a wide player to the ranks.

Journalist Ryan Taylor recently told GIVEMESPORT that Villa have an interest in Udinese winger Gerard Deulofeu and the Spaniard could be exactly what Emery is looking for in the market.

The ex-Watford and Everton attacker is a forward with Premier League experience who has proven that he can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Whereas, Villa currently have Leon Bailey as one of their wide options and the Jamaica international has, unfortunately, struggled since moving to England.

The winger has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.69 across 17 appearances in the Premier League this season as he has chipped in with four goals and two assists, whilst creating 0.8 chances per match – as per Sofascore.

This comes after he managed a score of 6.75 and contributed with one goal and two assists in 18 outings in the English top flight during the 2021/22 campaign.

Deulofeu, who was once hailed as “unstoppable” by reporter Anthony Lopopolo, has not had the same struggles in the Serie A with Udinese as he has caught the eye with some impressive returns over the last 18 months.

Since the start of last season, the 28-year-old has racked up 15 goals and 11 assists in 49 league appearances, whilst averaging a Sofascore rating of at least 7.11 and creating at least 2.4 chances per game on average – as per Sofascore.

The £22k-per-week magician ranks in the top percentile in both progressive passes and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes amongst his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days. Whereas, Bailey disappointingly ranks in the worst 6% for progressive passes and the worst 9% for shot-creating actions.

These statistics indicate that Deulofeu, who has already played 127 Premier League matches in his career, could be a huge upgrade on the current Villa winger if Emery is able to get a deal over the line for the flanker.

Their respective form over the last year or so suggests that the Spaniard would offer far more in the final third, in terms of both scoring and assisting goals, and produce higher-quality performances on a regular basis.