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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is targeting West Ham star Declan Rice who has been labelled as “one of the best in Europe” by his manager David Moyes.

What’s the talk?

According to a Football Insider source, Klopp now personally wants to sign a ‘top-class’ central midfielder this summer and Rice is one of a number of targets on his list.

The 23-year old is highly rated and has been key to West Ham’s recent successes, he captains the side most weeks with club skipper Mark Noble not usually featuring.

If Liverpool are to sign him they will need deep pockets as Moyes has put a price tag of £150m on the Englishman.

He’s better than Thiago

Liverpool have one of the best teams in the Premier League and it’s why they are currently battling it out at the top with reigning champions Manchester City.

If they were to sign Rice, one of the players he would be competing with for a place in the starting XI is Thiago.

The Spain international moved to Merseyside in 2020 for £20m from Bayern and he’s a serial winner. However, he is almost 31-years old and if the Reds want to keep competing they need younger players.

At 23 Rice can be that, and he also has some of the best stats in the league. His shooting is almost identical to Thiago’s but some of his passing numbers are better.

The England international has a pass completion percentage of 90.1% compared to Thiago’s 88.4%. He also beats him in possession with 214 progressive carries compared to 111.

He has made more appearances than the Spaniard this season, but he still ranks in the top 1% of all Premier League midfielders when it comes to interceptions and total carrying distance.

With that in mind, it’s clear to see why Moyes claims he offers an “explosion” to the side.

Rice is vital for West Ham when it comes to winning back possession quickly, which is a must for any potential Klopp player.

If Liverpool were to make a move for him it would improve their squad greatly, and with captain Jordan Henderson also the wrong side of 30, we think he could make a great future captain at Anfield.

They may have to smash their transfer record for him, but it would be worth it.

IN other news: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Mo Salah update, it’s great news for Liverpool – opinion

Frank Lampard will ‘get at least the start of next season’ to impress if he manages to keep Everton in the Premier League, journalist Pete O’Rourke told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

Lampard took charge of Everton on the last day of January with The Toffees 16th in the table and four points above the drop zone.

Fast forward just over two months, and their situation hasn’t improved. In fact, they’re now one place and one point closer to the bottom three.

Lampard has overseen two victories and six defeats in his first eight matches in charge.

And according to insider Dean Jones, Everton possess a unilateral option to terminate the contract and part ways with Lampard at the end of the campaign.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke said he expects Lampard to remain in the Goodison Park dugout into 2022/23 if they avoid relegation.

“I think if he manages to keep them up, I’m sure he’ll get at least the start of next season to see what impact it can have at Goodison Park,” he said.

The verdict

If Everton do go down, both parties will surely decide it’s best to move on. Indeed, Lampard was managing Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League as recently as the winter of 2020 and may not be particularly interested in taking on the Championship, while the club will feel let down by his lack of impact.

If they survive, though, he may feel that he can take Everton up the table with better luck on the injury front.

Yes, the performances have been poor, but the squad are dealing with a whopping ten absentees at this crucial stage of the campaign, though two of those are self-inflicted (suspensions for Allan and Michael Keane).

And Lampard might also be of the opinion that this simply isn’t his squad, and only when he gets a full transfer window can he truly implement his vision.

The early signs on that front aren’t particularly promising, however. Lampard reportedly sanctioned the January signing of Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s yet to start a single game.

In other news, two of Everton’s January signings could leave in the summer.

With Tottenham not able to play any games in their long-awaited new stadium until at least April, surely it’d now be preferable to leave the opening until next season.

It’s been causing fixture rearrangement headaches since August and it’s the butt of everyone’s jokes since then too. The whole situation has been shambolic, but somehow Spurs have still managed to get used to their new surroundings at Wembley, a place where they’re not that used to playing nowadays.

They’re still very much involved in a title race and will be just two points behind current leaders Manchester City if they win their game in hand at Burnley on Saturday. It doesn’t seem like the move from White Hart Lane in 2017 affected them and fair play for that, but imagine what another move could do their rhythm.

After one and three quarter seasons at Wembley, they’re now used to the dressing room, pre-match routine and of course the pitch, so it would seem strange if the club were to interrupt this two months before the end of the campaign and even perhaps reopen it for a Champions League quarter-final 1stleg on April 9 or 10. Footballers are creatures of habit and it’d be interesting to hear what the players would make of the move at this late stage.

Yes, it would save more months of embarrassment, but the stadium looks amazing and when it’s finally open it’ll be the envy of every team in England, so Spurs fans will have their chance to gloat then. An opening at the start of next season would give the crowd fresh optimism too because mentally it’ll feel like a new chapter, whereas if it was to open this season and Liverpool and City are further ahead in the title race than they are now, it’ll seem like ‘same old Spurs’.

They may be pressured into opening the stadium anyway given the events coming up at Wembley, not least the FA Cup semi-final and final, but if the club were to have the option, it seems it would be more sensible to save it until the excitement of a season opener. They should prefer to let the team continue with how they’re playing this season rather than shake up the pack.

Do you think opening Tottenham’s new stadium will have a positive or negative impact on performance?

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Juventus star Paulo Dybala upon the expiry of his contract in the summer, but the north London club are waiting on Fabio Paratici to green-light the transfer.

The Lowdown: Dybala’s situation at Juventus

With just a few months remaining on his Juventus contract, the 28-year-old has been at the centre of various transfer rumours amid his negotiations over a new deal with the Turin club.

However, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine failed to agree terms with the Serie A outfit, so the forward is set to leave in the summer.

This has since sparked huge interest in the player, with many clubs across Europe on full alert for the potential signing of the £36m-rated hitman.

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The Latest: Paratici waiting

According to journalist Niccolo Ceccarini (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are ‘at the window’ for Dybala this summer, as he prepares for a move away from Juventus. However, Ceccarini further reported that there will be a ‘phase of waiting’ before the striker makes a decision over his future.

Spurs have been named as one of the most likely suitors, given that Lilywhites chief Paratici was the man to sign Dybala for Juventus.

Alongside Atletico Madrid, Tottenham remain ‘at the window’, which suggests that Paratici is eyeing up a deal from the outside before committing to making a move for the player.

The Verdict: Quality player

Having totalled a sensational 113 goals and 48 assists in 283 appearances for Juventus, Dybala is certainly not short of talent. Hailed by a group of legends – including the likes of Michael Laudrup and Alessandro Del Piero – as a “special” talent, the Argentine’s contract situation will have alerted some of the biggest clubs across Europe to his availability.

With the fact that he will be available on a free transfer, several clubs appear to be lining up to secure the player’s signature. However, the likes of Tottenham may be wary of his salary demands, as he currently earns a staggering £220,000 per week. By comparison, Spurs’ highest earner Harry Kane takes home £200,000 every week.

Either way, the race to sign Dybala will be a hard-fought battle. For Tottenham, it could all come down to whether or not Paratici gives it the go-ahead.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Conte now wants to keep Lucas Moura

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee has dropped a triple transfer claim ahead of a suspectedly busy summer window for the Irons.

The Lowdown: Lack of January business

Whilst the east London club were linked with a myriad of transfers during the winter, the Hammers failed to sign a single player in January.

As a result, fatigue and injuries have been a prominent issue for David Moyes’s men this season, especially given the lack of options throughout the squad.

Therefore, West Ham will need to be active in the summer transfer window if they are to compete for the European places in the Premier League table next season.

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The Latest: Ex’s West Ham transfer claim…

Taking to an interview for his site The West Ham Way, inside source ExWHUemployee has shared the knowledge that the Irons are keen on dipping into the ‘free’ market this summer.

During the interview, he said:

“We will definitely be looking at that [free] market, no doubt about it. A lot of players who we have been interested in before and have even bid large sums for will be available on a free, so I can see us making moves. The obvious candidates will be Jesse Lingard, who loved his time at the club, James Tarkowski is of course someone we have been linked with many times. Also Diaz of Blackburn could be one we go back in for.

“Diaz although not technically out of contract as Blackburn has a year’s extension option on him, will still represent good value for money.

“Knowing how the club likes to operate and be cautious with not overspending, then it really is a given that if players we are keen on are out of contract then we will be looking to bring them in I am sure.

“Although it’s still early days as we don’t even know if we’ll be in Europe next season yet so that will of course play a part in who would want to join us.”

The Verdict: Need to spend money

Whilst a number of free transfers could prove to be lucrative bits of business – including the likes of Jesse Lingard, James Tarkowski and Ben Brereton-Diaz, who will all be out of contract over the summer as it stands – West Ham will surely need to put their hand in their pocket if they are to truly compete for a place in the top six of the Premier League next season.

The east London club were rumoured to have made a number of big-money moves in January, so if they could pull off a couple of these in the summer, West Ham may be a force to be reckoned with next season.

In other news: Finance guru drops major West Ham claim

Aston Villa could still lose midfielder Douglas Luiz this transfer window ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly planning a bid for the Brazilian.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Villa’s Premier League rivals Tottenham are preparing a £32m bid for the 23-year-old with the north London club reportedly panicking ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Antonio Conte’s side are still yet to make a signing having missed out on Wolves’ Adama Traore and Porto’s Luis Diaz, but are also looking to add Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski to their ranks as well as Luiz.

With 18 months left on his contract, the Aston Villa midfielder will have to make a decision as to whether or not his long-term future still lies in the West Midlands soon, however, Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to ensure that he will have the services of one of his star players until the end of the season at least.

Villa must keep Luiz

Since the arrival of Gerrard, the Villans’ season has significantly turned around for the better. The Birmingham outfit are 11th in the Premier League and have at least one game in hand on numerous teams near them.

Qualifying for European football this term looks to be a tall task, however, it’s certainly not impossible. If the Englishman and co. are serious about a push to finish the season amongst the top-flight’s elite, then keeping Luiz will certainly be vital.

The Brazilian has made 17 league appearances this term and is an essential cog for Gerrard’s setup. The 41-year-old has often deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Luiz in the heart of midfield alongside John McGinn and the likes of Marvelous Nakamba or Jacob Ramsey.

Nakamba is set to stay on the sidelines until April and therefore the Villa boss cannot afford to lose a midfielder this transfer window, particularly to a Premier League rival. It’s safe to say that doing so would be something of a disaster, especially with the club yet to bid for Rodrigo Bentancur.

They’d ultimately have very few options in midfield, something that could have dire ramifications for their campaign.

Averaging 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 tackles as well as an 84% passing accuracy per game in the top-flight, Luiz’s physicality in midfield is a significant asset, with the 23-year-old often entrusted to be Villa’s engine.

With just over a day left of the window, it would certainly deal Aston Villa a hefty blow if the 23-year-old departed for north London, particularly mid-season with there still so much to play for at Villa Park.

Journalist Julian Laurens has been reacting to an Aston Villa transfer ‘reveal’ involving Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Gerrard, Lange and Purslow in attendance

Steven Gerrard appears to be making a head start when it comes to summer signings, with midfield seemingly a key area he wants to bolster.

Geoffrey Kondogbia and Ibrahim Sangare have both been recently scouted, while Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips is also on their radar.

Kamara is the latest player Villa have now watched, with Gerrard, Johan Lange and Christian Purslow in attendance to look at the Marseille star in action against Nantes on Wednesday.

The Latest: Laurens reacts

Laurens took to Twitter to react to the update involving Villa and Kamara. He labelled the 22-year-old as a ‘fantastic player’ and appeared to be excited for Villa, should they land his services on a free transfer.

“RMC reveal that Steven Gerrard was at Marseille – Nantes at the Stade Velodrome tonight to watch Boubacar Kamara. He is out of contract in the summer. What a signing he would be for Aston Villa. Fantastic player.”

The Verdict: Would’ve left impressed…

Kamara is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt and can also turn out as a centre-back, so a free transfer could be an extremely shrewd move by Villa.

Kamara’s display would have left Gerrard, Lange and Purslow impressed in the 3-2 win for Marseille. As per SofaScore, Kamara was the third-best player on the pitch with a match rating of 7.8/10. Turning out in a three-man midfield, the Frenchman completed a whopping 105 of his 112 attempted passes, won six of his nine duels and even won a penalty.

Villa may now look to step up their interest following his display, with the club able to make contact over a pre-contract agreement right now due to his contract situation in France.

In other news: Source: Villa and Lange now working on another new deal for star Gerrard says has ‘got the lot’. 

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, a transfer update has emerged concerning Liverpool and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.

The Lowdown: Reds eye Catalans raid?

Over this past week, Liverpool haven’t just been linked with a move for Araujo as other Barca stars reportedly attract the interest of Fenway Sports Group and manager Jurgen Klopp.

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It is believed that the La Liga giants’ latest breakthrough rising star Gavi, who recently become the youngest ever debutant for Spain, is also on the Reds’ wish list.

Sources state they are even willing to trigger his €50 million (£42m) release clause as Klopp seemingly eyes a Catalan raid.

Bringing the latest, Sport (via SW) has some news concerning another target from Barcelona in Araujo.

The Latest: Liverpool make Araujo contact…

According to the newspaper, Araujo has ‘has been approached’ by Liverpool as Klopp eyes his potential signing in the summer amid his contract dispute.

The defender’s current deal expires in 18 months, giving Barca and president Joan Laporta just two transfer windows to either sell for a fee or agree a renewal.

An extension offer has been put forward to Araujo by the club, but it is apparently below expectation as the Reds lurk.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Depending on whether the Uruguay international puts pen to paper on a new deal, Araujo could come as an astute centre-back option for Klopp at Anfield.

Still only 22-years-old, Araujo is versatile enough to play as a right-back as well as in the centre of defence – potentially gifting the Reds some strength in depth behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Described as a defender who ‘has everything’ by illustrious Barca legend Gerard Pique, the European giants apparently value Araujo at around €45m (£38m).

As the clock ticks down on the South American’s current deal, you could even assume his club may be forced to accept less depending on contract developments.

La Liga expert and former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell believes he is certainly worth the Liverpool plunge, recently explaining to Football Insider how Araujo would be a ‘great signing’.

Indeed, there are plenty of incentives to move as Klopp and FSG watch his Camp Nou situation curiously ahead of a summer swoop.

In other news: Sky Sports: Liverpool join race to sign £63m star who Hamann called ‘phenomenal’, find out more here.

Following on from Lee Johnson’s sacking as Sunderland’s head coach, the Black Cats are now on the hunt to appoint a new manager as their aim to once again escape from League One and back to the Championship.

Sunderland are currently sitting in third place in the League One table with 54 points on the board from 29 games played, five points off the top spot.

Moving forward, it seems as though the Wearside club have been in talks with one potential candidate to take the reins at Sunderland that will be very familiar to a number of fans.

What’s the news?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Luke Edwards, “SAFC have offered Roy Keane a chance to return to management after productive talks took place” on Monday.

Edwards also added that the 50-year-old “is currently thinking about the offer and will make a decision soon.”

Fans will be amazed

Keane’s first managerial role came with Sunderland back in 2006 where he took charge of 100 games with the club, winning 43, drawing 16 and losing 41 along the way.

A few months after leaving Wearside in December 2008, the former Manchester United midfielder took the manager’s job at Ipswich Town before leaving with 81 games in charge.

Since then, the Irishman has had assistant manager roles with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and the Ireland national team but has been out of management since 2019.

While Keane has previous experience of managing Sunderland, it’s safe to say that it’s a very different situation at the club now than when he was there before.

That said, with the Sky Sports pundit managing to win promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League with the Black Cats at the end of the 2006/07 season, the club’s current hierarchy may well see him as a viable option to get the team back in the Championship this time around, which would surely amaze fans at the Stadium of Light.

The general appointment would also be somewhat of a shock, especially when you consider how long he’s been out of the game from a management point of view.

Looking ahead, with the experience that Keane does have in management and the respect he would surely garner from the players in the dressing room as being one of the Premier League’s legendary players and highly-respected captain’s as well, this could be exactly what Sunderland need to push themselves over the line and get back to the second tier.

In other news: Journo claims exciting SAFC manager news could emerge by “Saturday”, fans will love it…

Liverpool remain interested in sealing a summer move for PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo, according to a fresh transfer rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Gakpo linked with Reds move

The 22-year-old is enjoying a superb season for the Eredivisie giants, registering 13 assists and scoring nine goals in just 18 league starts in 2021/22 to date.

Gakpo has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent months, with Jurgen Klopp potentially seeing him as part of his front-three of the future, perhaps alongside Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

While Gakpo only extended his current PSV deal back in January, signing on until 2026, it looks as though a summer move to the Premier League could still be in the offing.

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The Latest: Contact made

According to Voetbal International [via Sport Witness], Gakpo’s entourage ‘have already spoken’ with Liverpool regarding a summer transfer coming to fruition.

It is stated that the player himself feels he is ‘ready for a step towards a European top competition’ but PSV believe another year at the club could benefit him moving forward.

The Verdict: Is he needed?

Gakpo looks like a supremely gifted talent who is already making waves in his homeland – former FC Twente midfielder Theo Janssen claims he ‘has everything’ as a player – so the idea of seeing him in a Reds shirt one day is exciting.

That being said, Klopp already has five magnificent attacking options to choose from, and unless Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino leave this summer, that will continue to be the case next season.

For that reason, it is hard to see Gakpo enjoying too much playing time if he moved to Anfield now, so remaining at PSV for another 12 months makes more sense, potentially then joining Liverpool in 2023 when one of that trio may move on.

In other news, another Premier League club could snap up a Liverpool transfer target. Read more here.