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Following the injury to Diogo Jota recently, Liverpool should consider a transfer U-turn on 17-year-old Harvey Elliott after his superb start to life in the Championship.

The Portuguese winger, who has impressed since joining the Merseyside club from Wolves in the summer, has reportedly been ruled out until February with a knee injury picked up in a recent draw with FC Midtjylland.

Therefore, it seems as if Klopp is low on winger options in his first-team squad, with the likes of Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi having both disappointed on their rare appearances for the Reds.

Suddenly, it seems as if Liverpool may have made an error in loaning out Elliott to Blackburn Rovers during the summer transfer window, as his excellent form with the Lancashire side certainly suggests that he would’ve been a valuable player for Klopp to have available right now, especially as we enter the busy Christmas period.

In 14 appearances for Tony Mowbray’s side, the 17-year-old has managed an impressive four goals and four assists, demonstrating that he has quickly found his feet in the Championship and is clearly not overawed playing at that level.

His performances have also seen him average a superb 7.10 rating for Blackburn this season, which rates him as Rovers’ joint-third best performer so far this season, reflecting again just how impressive he has been since joining.

If you compare this to the 6.17 rating averaged by Minamino in the Premier League this season, it could definitely be argued that the club put their faith in the wrong player.

Whilst Elliott is set to spend the whole season on loan with Blackburn, the Reds do hold an option to recall him. However, it has been suggested recently that the Reds don’t have any plans to recall the young winger in January, despite his impressive form since departing.

However, the injury to Jota definitely leaves Klopp short on options in attack, especially if any of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane were to suffer an injury, so recalling Elliott may be the best option for the Reds in January.

During his time with Fulham, the winger earned the praise of Tom Cairney, who said:

“He’s been a sensation since he joined in training a few months ago. We see him maybe twice a week. He doesn’t look out of place and does some bits of magic that everyone says ‘wow.’ His attitude and his belief in himself at such a young age is frightening.

“He’s a tricky winger who plays in the hole. He’s got a great football brain, an eye for goal and is a very entertaining player. Hopefully, he will have a long and successful career.”

Considering Elliott is performing so well in the Championship and has already appeared nine times for Liverpool’s first-team, it does seem as if he is destined for a big future with the club, which could be accelerated if the Reds opt to recall him in January as a replacement for the injured Jota.

And, in other news… Forget Firmino: LFC beast who won 100% of his duels was Klopp’s hero vs Spurs…

Fulham are one of the sides being linked with a move for Charlton Athletic winger Alfie Doughty ahead of the January transfer window and Tony Khan must ensure that his side are the ones to sign him.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Celtic, Rangers and Fulham are all interested in signing the 21-year-old after his excellent performances with the Addicks in recent seasons.

Following a loan spell with Bromley, the youngster returned to Charlton and was a regular in Lee Bowyer’s side for the second half of the season in the Championship; making 29 appearances, in which he contributed two goals and three assists.

Unfortunately, he was unable to save the club from relegation back to League One, but he has impressed in his performances in League One side, contributing one goal and two assists in seven appearances, before he picked up an injury back in October.

The next Gareth Bale?

The youngster has drawn comparisons to Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale because of the way he started his Charlton career as a left-back, before featuring further forward to great effect.

He is also remarkably quick, with the article from The Athletic praising his “relentless pace” and suggesting that his technical ability is improving all the time.

Whilst Doughty might struggle to adapt to the demands of the Premier League right away, he could certainly be an excellent addition to Scott Parker’s squad at Fulham in the long-term and will seemingly be available for a cut-price, with his contract with the League One side set to expire at the end of this season.

Therefore, Khan must steal the march on Celtic and Rangers by sealing a transfer swoop for Doughty next month, as he looks to be a hugely exciting prospect and his devastating pace could prove to be a great weapon in Fulham’s side in the future.

And, in other news… £60k per week Fulham ace badly let Parker down with his performance vs Southampton

According to Fabrizio Romano, free agent Mario Mandzukic turned down a move to Aston Villa recently.

What’s the story?

Having seen his time at Qatari side Al-Duhail come to an end, the Croatian striker has been on the look-out for a new club, and it’s now been suggested that Villa had actually offered him a route back into football.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano said: “Mandzukic, in my opinion, is an amazing player and look at players like Mandzukic, like (Alexandre) Pato, like (Mario) Balotelli – they are free agents – it was crazy some years ago to see these kinds of players as free agents. He was so close to joining Manchester United one year ago, Mario Mandzukic.

“He had a bid from (the) Premier League, it was like three or four weeks ago, it was from Aston Villa. They were trying to sign him as a free agent and Mario Mandzukic said no. He also turned down an opportunity to join Bologna here in Italy, so it’s up to him. He wants an important project. He will have a lot of bids, but at the moment, with Aston Villa, he said no.”

Huge Champions League experience

At 34, Mandzukic may be in the twilight years of his career, but there’s no doubting that he would’ve brought a kind of experience and winning mentality that the current Villa squad just don’t have.

The Croatian has featured in World Cup and Champions League finals, and won trophies wherever he’s been at club level, and certainly has the kind of play that would have offered Dean Smith’s side a completely different option.

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse is a battering ram in the air, but also equally adept with his feet. It was no wonder that his former manager at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, said: “Mario is a key player. His combination of technical and physical attributes make him an extraordinary player.”

Villa of course saw arguably the best version of Christian Benteke in his time at Villa Park; a big man with an incredible leap but capable of some silky touches and flicks too.

Mandzukic is in a similar mould, but would have added a touch of proven quality and match-winning experience. They won’t shed tears of seeing him turn them down, but boy would it have been a great signing on a free transfer.

Leeds United appear to be closing in on their fourth senior signing of the summer transfer window, according to emerging reports.

The Daily Mail claim that the Yorkshire giants have opened talks with Eredivisie side Utrecht over a deal to sign winger Gyrano Kerk before the deadline on October 5th.

It’s claimed that Leeds have been working on several deals in recent days, including a move for former target Dan James, who could leave Manchester United should they find cover in his position.

The Whites are leading the race to sign the 24-year-old as their £8m offer is better than what Utrecht have received from Cagliari and Verona.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side defeated Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon with summer arrivals Robin Koch and Rodrigo both featuring whilst latest signing Diego Llorente.

Kerk has been a rather prolific sensation for the Dutch side, last season he banged in ten goals and also provided seven assists, averaging three dribbles, 2.1 shots and 1.4 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

And since the 2016/17 season, he’s contributed to at least eight goals each campaign, seemingly increasing as each year goes on.

SciSports claim that the 5 foot 9 wide man is an inside-forward who “possesses the technical and dribbling skills and good acceleration to beat a defender in one-on-one duels.”

Whilst Voetbal International describe him as a “speed demon” who many defenders struggle to keep up without on the flanks.

“Kerk is not the most polished attacker in the Eredivisie. No, Kerk is a speed demon who always creates danger in the final third. When Kerk is on the moped, there is hardly any defender that can keep up with him. The big difference with last season is that he has become a bit sharper, more focused, so don’t be surprised if Utrecht actually hit the jackpot for Kerk ahead of next season.”

Perhaps it can be argued that further depth is needed in this position as Bielsa only has Jack Harrison, Helder Costa and Ian Poveda as viable options.

If they can’t secure James from the Red Devils, then taking a punt on the Dutchman could be wise, especially at just £8m. Andrea Radrizzani shouldn’t hesitate as it’s potentially low-risk, high-reward.

AND in other news, Leeds United have had an interest in striker likened to Robert Lewandowski…

With the transfer window remaining open for another month, one saga is set to rumble on at Rangers Football Club, although the solution is firmly in Steven Gerrard’s hands already…

What’s the word?

Gers forward Alfredo Morelos has been linked with an exit for several months now; interest ranging from Lille to Bayer Leverkusen in Europe whilst West Brom have reportedly entered the race this week.

It’s claimed that the Scottish giants have paved the way for his exit by signing two strikers themselves this window but it remains to be seen if the Baggies will offer the mooted £17m that the Ligue 1 outfit were supposedly willing to pay.

With the Colombian seemingly set on leaving Ibrox, perhaps it’s time for Steven Gerrard to sell up.

Time to cash-in?

The Rangers boss appears to have also been preparing for life without Morelos with the 24-year-old being dropped in the last two SPFL outings – he hasn’t even featured for a single minute either.

That’s quite the bold call considering the prolific talisman bagged 29 goals and provided ten assists in 47 appearances last season, per Transfermarkt.

But some smart pieces of business this summer could allow the club to cash-in and move on from this troublesome saga at long last.

Ex-Leeds forward Kemar Roofe joined in a €5m (£4.5m) deal from Anderlecht earlier this summer and after he gets fully up to speed with match fitness, he seems the ideal candidate to fill the void left behind.

The 27-year-old scored in his first start for the club against Kilmarnock and in his 231 minutes of action, he’s averaged 1.8 shots per game via WhoScored, so he could have had a couple more to his name on a different day.

His former teammate Barry Douglas thinks he’ll be a hit at Ibrox, claiming that “he knows where the back of the net is” which is backed up by Chris Maguire who believes Roofe has “real potential” to score hatfuls for Gerrard’s side.

This could all prove to be a masterstroke from Ross Wilson. It’s time to end the Morelos saga and put full faith into Roofe as well as fellow arrival Cedric Itten.

AND in other news, Gers could land their own Gerrard with £7.2m-rated “real menace”…

Chelsea could be inching closer to cashing in on midfielder Jorginho after progress in talks with Juventus. 

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Maurizio Sarri is keen to be reunited with the Italian and wants to bring him back to his native country. Even the player himself has reportedly admitted he is ‘looking forward to returning to Italy’ this summer.

The 28-year-old had an inconsistent 2019/20 season, being benched or left out of the squad completely on several occasions. Frank Lampard called upon his services for the final fixtures of the campaign, but ultimately looked to be getting phased out of the team.

Instead, the manager is looking to develop Billy Gilmour and has made Mason Mount an almost untouchable asset to his starting lineup.

Talks have been swirling over Jorginho’s future at Stamford Bridge and it seems now that he is destined to be reunited with former boss Sarri.

Chelsea are reportedly looking for €40million (£36.1m) for the midfielder but the Italian report claims it’s likely the Blues will accept less, due to the fact he is not ‘fundamental’ to the club’s project.

Despite the fact Chelsea initially signed Jorginho for £50m and they will undoubtedly make a loss, any funds received will go towards Lampard’s revamp of his squad.

The Blues have already welcomed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner through the door. The next big target on the list is Kai Havertz, who looks to be all but a Chelsea player after agreeing terms with Marina Granovskaia.

Lampard is also hoping to secure the signing of Ben Chilwell, who is said to command a hefty price tag rocketing beyond £80m. Leicester are reportedly unwilling to let him leave for cheap, and value him higher than record outgoing Harry Maguire (via Daily Mail).

The sale of Jorginho will help fund a move for the much-desired left-back who could replace Marcos Alonso ahead of next season.

Would you like to see Chelsea keep or sell Jorginho? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

West Ham appear to be the latest club to enter the race for a recently relegated talent and east London could well be the ideal spot for him to land this summer.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, Hammers boss David Moyes is keen on AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks but he faces stiff competition from a host of Premier League rivals, including title winners Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

They also claim that the Reds could be reluctant to splash out on the Welshman, meaning the door could be opened for those other sides.

Meanwhile, Alan Nixon at The Sun believes the Cherries think they can snag £40m for Brooks’ signature this summer following the departure of Nathan Ake to Man City at a similar price.

Wide improvements

Those at the London Stadium should know the tricky 5 foot 8 winger all too well after he tore the Irons apart across two fixtures last season.

Back in January 2019, the 23-year-old provided the assist for Joshua King’s winner alongside an industrious display which included four tackles, two shots and five duels won.

That day, left-back Aaron Cresswell was tormented into losing possession 18 times, committing one foul as well as being dribbled past once too, via SofaScore.

Earlier in the campaign, Brooks recorded two key passes, five shots and one successful dribble, so he’s certainly been a thorn when playing the Hammers.

Cherries teammate Chris Mepham believes the winger has “tonnes of talent” whilst the recently departed Eddie Howe once lauded his intelligence and also praised his “creative flair” and “non-stop energy”.

Some reports have suggested that the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko are on the chopping block this summer, so a swoop for the Welsh wizard would be an absolutely ideal way to fill that wing void ahead of the new campaign.

AND in other news, West Ham fans react as ex-prospect finds new club…

Lots of Everton fans have been destroying the latest link to former Chelsea man Branislav Ivanovic as Republika have reported comments made by him on his future.

As per the outlet, he said that he will probably continue his career at the Merseyside club and claimed that he has received a good offer from them.

The Zenit St. Petersburg defender also added that he has not receive an offer from Red Star Belgrade, which may potentially put the Toffees in the front seat.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that Ivanovic has been linked given that Carlo Ancelotti has worked with him before at Stamford Bridge, playing in 89 games in all competitions across two consecutive seasons, scoring a rather impressive seven goals and making a further 13 assists, according to Transfermarkt.

He seems to have emerged as a transfer target for the Blues given that he has previously been linked to EFC before in this summer window, which did not go down well with supporters.

Nevertheless, being 36 years of age now, perhaps one can question whether he has the legs to cope with the sheer pace of the Premier League.

These members of the Goodison Park faithful destroyed the link to the Serbian international on Twitter:

Evertonians, would Ivanovic be a bad signing? Comment below!

Swiss football coach Arno Rossini has come out with aÂsavage statement about Xherdan Shaqiri.

Speaking to Tio (via Goal), the 63-year-old has slammed Liverpool’s wide-man and doesn’t think people will remember him as part of this Premier League winning side.

“Xherdan is not a champion,” Rossini commented. “We certainly cannot say that he left his mark with the teams with which he won. Not with the big guys at least.

“Let’s say that over the years he has often followed the games of his teams as a spectator, sitting in the best places. And millions have been paid for him.”

Liverpool signed Shaqiri from Stoke City back in 2018 after triggering his £13 million release clause (via BBC Sport). Since his arrival, he has contributed seven goals and five assists in 30 appearances (via Transfermarkt). The 28-year-old also grabbed himself an assist against Barcelona at Anfield last season, which ultimately contributed to Liverpool’s sixth European title.

“This, taking everything into account, makes me think that the Swiss is not one who always gives his best. Of course, Xherdan is filling the bulletin board and seeing his bank account grow dramatically; I don’t know how many, in 10 years, will remember him thinking about the great teams in which he has played.”

A lot of Liverpool fans have slammed Rossini after @AnfieldEdition relayed his comments. One supporter has branded them ‘nasty and unnecessary’ as they see Shaqiri as a vital part to the club’s success, particularly last season, whilst another called him a ‘fantastic player.’

Read some replies from fans backing the Swiss man’s corner:

How do you feel about Rossini’s comments towards Shaqiri? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Phil Jones has struggled ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United. 

Jones has been a regular sight on the sidelines during his time at Old Trafford as he has succumbed to multiple injuries.

According to The Athletic, Man United are hopeful he can turn his career around and become the next Nemanja Matic. However, Laurie Whitwell reported that Jones has attracted attention from Serie A, although there are only a few clubs who can afford his wages.

The Mirror reported earlier this year that the Red Devils are ready to let him go for £12m in the summer. His old boss David Moyes is also interested in signing him when the transfer market opens, depending on whether or not West Ham stay in the Premier League.

Jones is apparently open to a move as he wants to be playing regularly, which is something Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot guarantee. He has dropped below the likes of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly in the pecking order and could be on his way out sooner rather than later. Either way, fans will have to wait and see what happens before the start of next season.

Unsurprisingly, loads of United fans blasted the transfer update on social media, with one supporter calling it an “absolute joke” while another urged the board to “get rid ASAP.” One fan branded Jones as “deadwood” in reference to the fact he has only played two games in the Premier League this season.

Scroll down through some of the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sell Phil Jones? Let us know down below!