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Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mason Mount for months and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Mason Mount?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Chelsea midfielder is a main transfer target for Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window.

Romano tweeted: "Mason Mount remains one of the main targets for Liverpool since February, in case he’s gonna be available on the market.

"It depends on Chelsea-Mount talks over new contract — currently on stand by, no agreement at this stage."

Will Liverpool sign Mason Mount?

There is no doubt that a midfield rebuild is desperately needed on the red side of Merseyside with a number of players either out of contract this summer or coming to the latter stages of their careers.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are not expected to extend their stay at Anfield when their contracts expire in the summer, whilst Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s at this point, paving the way for an opportunity to completely refresh the centre of the pitch.

Indeed, the Liverpool hierarchy will be keen for the squad to start competing for trophies and comfortably finish inside the top four as soon as possible, so bringing in ready-made Premier League experienced midfielders like Mount could be the key to a quick return to competing at the highest level.

Despite Chelsea's struggles this season, Mount has been one of the biggest young talents in the country for a long time with a Champions League trophy already under his belt with his boyhood club and a wealth of experience at international level, as he is a key player in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

Over 23 Premier League appearances, the 24-year-old – who was dubbed a "mad player" by Rio Ferdinand – has scored three goals, registered two assists and created three big chances.

Furthermore, he's averaged 1.3 key passes, 1.4 tackles and won 3.6 duels per game, proving that he is a progressive player who works hard, traits Jurgen Klopp will no doubt love.

The pair are seemingly a match made in heaven with the German particularly renowned for turning hardworking players into some of the most recognisable talents in world football. Think Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, now two of the most notable names on the globe.

Thus, if the powerbrokers at Anfield could meet the reported £70m price tag for Mount, there is no reason why he can't reach his full potential too – with CBS Sports reporter Adi Joseph already claiming that the midfielder could become a "superstar" at Liverpool.

That is hard to argue against when you consider that Klopp has already achieved in English football.

With that being said, if the club could strike a deal for Mount this summer, it would provide Klopp with a player who could be an extremely valuable asset in their pursuit of more success.

Tottenham Hotspur are yet to make contact with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, despite him being open to talks over a reunion.

What's the latest news on Pochettino and Spurs?

The 51-year-old has been consistently linked with a return to Spurs since the north Londoners announced Antonio Conte's mutually agreed departure. Pochettino is one of the big-name free-agent managers currently available for hire, alongside the likes of Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and Zinedine Zidane, with all four attracting interest from Tottenham.

Pochettino's possible return to Spurs is seen as a fan-favourite option, not least because the Lilywhites have arguably failed to really kick on since his exit in 2019. That same year, he guided Spurs to a first-ever Champions League final.

The former Southampton boss, though, is just one manager Spurs have been linked with and left-field options like Brendan Rodgers, who is also a free agent after leaving Leicester City, have not been ruled out completely.

As well as the Northern Irishman, chairman Daniel Levy is said to hold an interest in the likes of Oliver Glasner, Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank and Celtic's Ange Postecoglou.

Going back to Pochettino, a report by The Evening Standard has shared the latest on Tottenham and a possible reappointment of the Argentine. Indeed, it is believed that he is 'open to talks' over re-joining Spurs, but there's one problem.

Despite Pochettino's apparent eagerness to speak with his ex-club, Levy is yet to take any action, with the South American still waiting for contact.

Should Pochettino return to Tottenham?

If or when Spurs do make an approach, we believe he is exactly the kind of figure who could reignite a sense of positivity at N17 and steer Tottenham back in the right direction.

Pochettino already possesses proven Premier League experience at the Spurs helm and has worked with many of the club's current crop of players already – potentially ensuring a smooth transition from the Conte era.

Hailed as being a 'ruthless' tactician by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Pochettino would return to Spurs with trophy-winning pedigree – having clinched a Ligue 1 title with PSG last year.

His status as a free agent who is open to making the move is yet another reason Levy should waste no time in opening talks with Pochettino.

As Chelsea threaten to poach Tottenham's other manager targets, their former boss could be the best solution for Spurs.

West Ham United have endured somewhat of a woeful domestic campaign under David Moyes, with European football providing the only solace for the club.

They find themselves languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, just ten months since finishing the season in seventh position and securing continental football for the second year on the bounce.

Moyes’ summer signings haven’t quite lived up to expectations, with Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca severely underperforming and considering they were signed in order to take the Hammers to the next level, it’s been extremely disappointing to see.

The Italian arrived having netted 18 Serie A goals for Sassuolo last season, and he certainly looked like he could improve the clubs' firepower.

The £90k-per-week hitman has struggled however, scoring only eight goals so far and one of his attempts on goal during a defeat to Liverpool earlier in the season was dubbed “woeful” by journalist Toby Cudworth, suggesting how poor he had been during his early stages.

The end of the campaign is fast approaching and Scamacca has been a shadow of the striker he was last season in Italy and things have to change.

Moyes may unleash a youngster who certainly looks like he is about to burst onto the scene – Divin Mubama.

Who is Divin Mubama?

The 18-year-old striker is the future of the club, the question is, when will he finally make his breakthrough into becoming a first-team regular?

The West Ham faithful may argue that the time is now, especially with the poor form of Scamacca and with the youngster scoring against AEK Larnaca last week, he finally has his first goal for the senior side.

The youngster has scored an impressive 49 times from just 76 appearances across the U18 and U21 age groups, and he has even been hailed as a “top talent” by writer Will Lebeau following his recent success.

He is still extremely raw and has plenty to learn, but with senior figures such as Michail Antonio and Declan Rice to provide him with words of encouragement, he may well be ready to make his mark sooner rather than later.

Unless Scamacca can drastically improve between now and the end of the season, Mubama might find himself with the chance burst into the first team scene sooner than even he would have imagined.

After all, it can't get much worse for the Hammers. Trusting in youth could well be the way to go between now and the season's climax.

Leeds United fell to their first Premier League defeat under Javi Gracia over the weekend, as they handed Graham Potter’s struggling Chelsea side just their second win of 2023.

It was admittedly a disappointing effort from the travelling Whites, who surely would have seen this as one of the best opportunities in recent memory to turn over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

But where the Yorkshire outfit normally enjoy plenty of the ball, they were restricted to just 43% of it which was converted into just two shots on target. If they struggle to score when they boast the majority of possession, that task was made even more troublesome by their lack thereof.

It was difficult to retain the ball when the central striker, Georginio Rutter, was enduring such a tough first start in the league.

As such, the Frenchman was raw, lightweight, and ultimately dragged off after 68 minutes. Perhaps his Spanish boss will think twice about reinstating him to the lineup after his performance.

How did Georginio Rutter play vs Chelsea?

Although one of the tougher full Premier League debuts to be handed, it was still expected that the tricky 20-year-old could threaten a threadbare back four. However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion coach instead opted to revert to a back three, which crowded out the diminutive striker amongst a trio of hulking defenders.

As such, Rutter was limited to just 34 touches, of which he only managed to complete four passes all game.

His anonymity throughout the game came as a huge detriment to his side, as he lost possession 21 times in a desperate attempt to create anything. Whilst there were flashes of his quality, and he nearly found the back of the net if not for a fine block.Just one successful dribble all game truly highlights just how little space he was afforded.

Even journalist Beren Cross took to Twitter to claim that he was “virtually a non-entity against three defenders”, suggesting he is far from up to speed when it comes to the physicality of English football.

Although he is now their club-record signing, Gracia must try to alleviate the pressure currently suffocating Rutter if he is to help him shine. There is clearly an abundance of talent waiting to be unleashed, but perhaps dropping him for their next match could be the best move as he slowly integrates him through short cameos rather than tough starts.

Wolves’ attackers have consistently let the side down across the last two seasons but perhaps none more so than Hwang Hee-chan, who last found the net in the Premier League in February 2022.

With Julen Lopetegui likely to make wholesale changes this summer, regardless of the division that the Old Gold find themselves in, the Spaniard must consider getting rid of Hwang for good.

Why should Wolves sell Hwang Hee-chan?

When the South Korea international joined on loan from RB Leipzig last season, he looked to be a shrewd acquisition by Bruno Lage, as he hit four goals in 14 appearances, which encouraged the Midlands club to make his move permanent in January.

He would sign a contract until 2026, joining in a deal worth £14m, but his form since then has been abysmal to say the least, with the Old Gold perhaps regretting that decision given their woes in front of goal in recent times, as well as the influx of new attackers under Lopetegui.

This season has seen the 27-year-old forward make 18 appearances in the Premier League for Wolves, in which he has no goals and just one assist, averaging a woeful 6.22 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Remarkably, this ranks him as the 26th-best performer at Molineux so far this campaign, which emphasises just how poor he has been and why Lopetegui needs to cash in this summer.

His performances this term have been an unfortunate continuation of the form he showed in the back end of last season, as his Arsenal on February 24, before a run of 13 games in which he managed just one assist.

Is Hwang stealing a wage at Molineux?

While Hwang is not one of Wolves’ top earners at Molineux, receiving £30k per week, it seems clear that he doesn’t have a future in Lopetegui’s squad, especially with attacking players such as Pedro Neto and Sasa Kalajdzic also likely to limit his game time further when they return from their respective injuries.

Although he would show glimpses of quality in Wolves’ 3-0 win over Liverpool recently – providing two key passes – he would pick up another injury in that game which is expected to keep him out until mid-March, at a time when the Old Gold need as many attacking players available as possible.

Therefore, it seems clear that the former Red Bull Salzburg man cannot be relied upon as a consistent source of goals and good performances in this Wolves side.

As such, Lopetegui should look to cash in on the South Korean this summer, rather than seeing him continue to waste a wage.

With deadline day having come and gone, Leeds United can likely reflect on what was a hugely impressive window with regards to incomings, with sporting director Victor Orta having sealed the notable arrivals of Max Wober, Weston McKennie and Georginio Rutter, as well as that of teenage starlet, Diogo Monteiro.

Despite that “terrific” January business however, – in the words of journalist Phil Hay – there may well be a sense that the Whites could have potentially strengthened even further, with the defensive unit arguably one area that still needs addressing.

Although the capture of Wober will help to bolster a backline that has shipped 33 Premier League goals already this season – the fifth-worst record in the division – the departure of Diego Llorente to Roma has left little competition for Robin Koch with regards to natural, right-sided centre-backs.

According to Hay – alongside Mark Carey for The Athletic – Orta and co seemingly had the chance to solve that problem after being offered the option to sign Axel Tuanzebe from bitter rivals Manchester United, albeit with the Yorkshire side ultimately opting against a deadline day swoop.

The 25-year-old – who has just six months remaining on his existing deal at Old Trafford – has subsequently secured a temporary move to Championship side Stoke City until the end of the season, with that drop into the second tier having come amid a frustrating last few years due to a lack of regular game time and injury.

While those recent woes – which saw the former England U21 international fail to feature in the first half of the season – may suggest that the Elland Road outfit dodged a bullet by snubbing the chance of a deal, Tuanzebe’s impressive performances in the past have served to showcase that he could well represent an opportunity missed for Jesse Marsch’s side.

The DR Congo-born titan first burst onto the scene at the Theatre of Dreams during the tail end of the 2016/17 campaign under Jose Mourinho, having notably done an “amazing job” – in the words of the serial-winning coach – to thwart Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez on his top-flight debut.

While chances have been few and far between with the Red Devils since then for the versatile defender – who can feature at full-back, in midfield or at centre-back – the 6 foot 1 brute notably showed his class in a Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain back in October 2020.

That clash at the Parcs des Princes saw the towering defender produce a colossal display up against the electric presence of fleet-footed Frenchman, Kylian Mbappe, having “snuffed out danger” against arguably “two of the best strikers in the world”, as per pundit Rio Ferdinand, in the form of Mbappe and teammate Neymar.

Operating on the right of a back three on the night, Tuanzebe showcased his remarkable recovery speed to keep pace with the World Cup-winning superstar, notably recording seven clearances and winning three of his five duels, while also losing possession on just three occasions.

The imposing ace also previously impressed during his three loan spells at Aston Villa, having helped the Midlands side to secure promotion in the 2018/19 campaign under Dean Smith after forming a “dominant” defensive partnership with Tyrone Mings, as per journalist Sam Tighe.

While those high points have been followed by notable lows – as the former Villa man featured just twice during his temporary spell at Napoli in the second half of last season – it would appear that Tuanzebe is a player of real quality, with a settled home possibly set to allow him the chance to truly harness that undoubted potential.

The hope will be that both Marsch and Orta will not live to regret failing to sign a potential hidden gem, with it set to be a real blunder if Tuanzebe does go on to blossom in the years to come.

Phil Hay believes that Leeds United youngster Joe Gelhardt is keen on a loan exit to Wigan Athletic.

The Lowdown: First-team football is required

The Leeds ace broke onto the scene last season when Leeds were struggling for form with Patrick Bamford out injured for the majority of the season, as the youngster managed to net two goals and register four assists.

Gelhardt is still just 20, so he needs to be playing regular football to ensure he continues to develop, which is currently not happening as he finds himself behind players such as Rodrigo, Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto.

Jesse Marsch has appeared unwilling to hand Gelhardt meaningful minutes this season, with just 212 under his belt in the Premier League, so suggestions of him leaving for a Championship club should come as no surprise.

The Latest: Gelhardt set for midseason departure

Gelhardt is said to be closing in on a return to Wigan – who Leeds signed him from – with his desire obvious to play first-team football

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, Hay said: “Wigan are favourites to get him, I think expect to get him now. Gelhardt seems keen to go back there. He obviously came from Wigan to Leeds in the first place, so very familiar with the club, knows a lot of people there; I think [he] would be comfortable in those surroundings.”

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The Verdict: Leeds must put Gelhardt’s future first

You would imagine it would be quite a simple move to get done between Wigan and Leeds to send Gelhardt there for the rest of the season as he will be very comfortable going back there, while he could thrive under the pressure of having to fire them to safety.

Wigan currently find themselves marooned at the foot of the Championship table having scored just 27 league goals all season, so it’s no surprise if Kolo Toure is keen to add firepower to his ranks.

Gelhardt has already proven his ability and skill in flashes during his time at Leeds – especially against Brighton last season. Alan Shearer highlighted how much he ‘struggled’ in that game before being involved in the equalising goal, so while his end product could be sound, he may need to smooth out other parts of his all-round game, and a loan deal could well be just what he needs.

Tottenham Hotspur target Pedro Porro is the “perfect” player for Antonio Conte, claims Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Porro’s future

Porro only joined Sporting CP permanently in the summer after a two-year loan deal finished with the Portuguese side, activating a £7m buy-out clause, according to The Sun.

He’d originally joined Manchester City for £11m before he was sent on loan to the Lisbon outfit.

With two goals and a staggering 10 assists in just 21 games this campaign, it’s no surprise to see him hotly linked with a return to the Premier League, namely Spurs.

The Latest: Spurs’ interest

With Emerson Royal losing his place in the Spurs side of late to Matt Doherty, while Djed Spence continues to be cast aside in North London, there appears to be a real desire from Conte to strengthen his right-hand side.

Romano revealed Spurs’ keen interest on his YouTube channel, but that Sporting aren’t set to be very accommodating in negotiations.

He said: “We know they are looking for a right-back, and I’m told that Pedro Porro, playing for Sporting, a really good player, is their top priority as right-back.

“Tottenham love the player, they consider him perfect for Antonio Conte’s football.

“Pedro Porro has a release clause of €45m. He joined from Manchester City in the summer and Man City have a buy-back clause for €25m, so for Man City, [there] is a very good opportunity, but at the moment, they are not looking at that kind of signing in January.

“Sporting have been very clear: release clause of €45m or nothing.”

The Verdict: Get him in

Spurs’ predicament on the right-hand side is rather embarrassing with Spence almost completely forgotten about since his £20m move in the summer – he is yet to start for his new club.

Porro has been the prime example of a modern-day full-back, with his stats over the past year nothing short of incredible.

As per FBref, the 22-year-old is in the top 1% in his position for shot-creating actions, touches in the attacking penalty area and assists, showing just how dangerous he is when going forward – something that Conte’s wing-back role could  offer him up the chance to excel at.

Sheffield Wednesday defender Dominic Iorfa being ruled out for ‘a few weeks’ through injury is a ‘blow’, according to journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Iorfa’s injury extent

The Owls centre-back was missing from the squad which earned a 2-1 victory over Fleetwood Town in League One on Boxing Day, with Darren Moore having since explained the reason for the player’s absence.

The Hillsborough manager has revealed that the 27-year-old has sustained a small ankle/Achilles strain and will now face a spell on the sidelines, and he isn’t expected to return for ‘at least a couple of weeks’.

The Latest: Crann’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Crann reacted to the gutting news coming out of Wednesday, with Iorfa now joining his team-mates Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe in the treatment room.

The Star journalist tweeted: “Ben Heneghan out for the season, Michael Ihiekwe sidelined for months, now Dominic Iorfa will be missing for ‘a few weeks’. Another centre-back blow for #SWFC.”

The Verdict: Setback for Moore

Iorfa has been an absolute rock at the heart of the Owls’ backline this season, and it’ll be a huge setback for Moore to learn that he will have to make do without the 27-year-old for the upcoming run of fixtures.

The defender was averaging 3.5 successful aerial duels and 2.1 clearances per game prior to his injury, alongside having the versatility to also operate at right-back and in midfield (WhoScored).

Moore won’t be panicking considering that his Wednesday side are just two points off the automatic promotion places, but Iorfa’s return will nonetheless be a significant boost in the club’s hunt for Championship football whenever he is again fit to feature.

Everton are among a host of European clubs chasing Real Valladolid right-back prospect Ivan Fresneda, according to reports. 

The Lowdown: Fresh on the scene

As an 18-year-old in his first season in the senior team, Fresneda is impressively navigating his way through Spain’s top flight. 

Averaging 2.5 tackles per game in La Liga – more than all but three Everton players manage per outing in the Premier League – the youngster is certainly not struggling with the physicality gap from youth football.

Experience is of course needed, but as the Blues continue to search for a true Seamus Coleman successor, Fresneda crops up as a potential long-term option to work alongside Nathan Patterson.

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The Latest: Everton name-checked

According to a report from AS, relayed by Sport Witness, Fresneda is one of the players expected to be in the rumour mill as we venture towards the recommencement of the January market.

He is considered “one of the most promising young talents” in European football and his club expect a “frantic race”, with Newcastle and Everton name-checked as the interested parties in England.

Valladolid managed to hold onto the asset in the summer window and tied him down to fresh terms that included a €10m (£8.5m) release clause, which now risen to €30m (£26m) due to the fact that he has played six first team games for the club. That fee could rise to €45m (£38m) if the starlet is to reach 22 games for the club.

The Verdict: Now or never for unproven star

This decision is one for the scouts. 

Fresneda is relatively unproven as a first team asset, despite making four starts for mid-table Valladolid.

Everton are faced with a conundrum in the high-profile race for young prodigy, with his price to to rise again if he is to reach 22 appearances for the La Liga side.

If they are genuinely convinced with the prospect, then they will happily fork out the £26m fee, but given their position in the table and genuine need for reinforcements who can immediately come in and bolster the squad, it would serve as a risk for what is an unproven young star.

This is a 50/50 call.