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Liverpool will host Napoli at Anfield today in their final Champions League group-stage clash and Jurgen Klopp will surely be hoping that his team can get it together after taking another disastrous defeat in the Premier League last weekend.

The Reds suffered their second consecutive league loss to Leeds United on Saturday night after losing to Nottingham Forest the week before, but the manager will take solace in his team’s form in the Champions League this season so far with the club already qualified ahead of their meeting with the Italians tonight.

Indeed, Liverpool are currently second in their group and it will take a 4-0 defeat on Merseyside to steal the top spot from a Napoli side that are not just undefeated in the competition but in all competitions so far this term.

In terms of injuries, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo are all ruled out of the clash with ongoing issues and luckily for Klopp there do not appear to be any new injury problems to report.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Liverpool to line up this evening…

We expect to see three changes made to the team that lost to Leeds on Saturday night, with the Liverpool manager resorting back to his usual 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is Ibrahima Konate reprising his role in an otherwise unchanged backline of Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, replacing Joe Gomez who made a catastrophic error in the league game just a few days ago.

The defensive liability who was dubbed “terrible” by journalist Thomas Hammond, delivered an overhit back pass meant for Alisson Becker but instead teed up Rodrigo for Leeds’ first goal of the game, so it may be the perfect time for Konate to return.

The second change we expect is the Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson returning to the midfield three alongside Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho to provide some much-needed experience ahead of Harvey Elliott in the centre of the pitch against a formidable Napoli side.

The third and final change we predict is Fabio Carvalho completing the front three with Mohammed Salah and Darwin Nunez, with the youngster replacing Roberto Firmino in the starting line up to accommodate the change of formation in the wide left position.

Klopp will be hoping that a slight change of system and some fresh faces in the side can inspire a positive performance for the Reds and inject some confidence back into the team before they return to action in the Premier League again this weekend.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ season shows no signs of improving under interim manager Steve Davis as the Old Gold find themselves in 19th place in the Premier League standings but Fosun could find a solution in Vitor Pereira.

Despite the club confirming that Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup, links have continued to emerge for the Midlands club, with Portuguese boss Pereira the latest to be linked with a move to Molineux.

Band TV host Neto (via Sport Witness) has claimed that the 54-year-old, who is currently in charge of Corinthians, could leave Brazil when the season ends in November and that he could end up at either Wolves or Aston Villa.

Considering that Villa have now appointed Unai Emery, that opens the door for a move to Wolves, and he is a name that the Old Gold should seriously consider if they want to steer clear of relegation this season, as, unfortunately for Davis, his side only looks like heading in one direction.

Although the former Crewe Alexandra boss oversaw an important 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, he has also seen his side comprehensively beaten by both Chelsea and Leicester City, with another defeat against Crystal Palace thrown into the mix.

Wolves’ goalscoring woes have barely improved under the Englishman and if the Old Gold want to remain in the Premier League, that is a key issue they must fix.

Indeed, it is clear that the Portuguese coach knows how to get his teams firing in attack, with Porto scoring 139 goals over the 52-year-old’s two league campaigns in charge at the Estadio do Dragao, as well as his Fenerbahce side sitting hitting the back of the net on 60 occasions in the 2015/16 Super Lig campaign and his Shanghai SIPG outfit bagging 77 league goals in 2018.

Furthermore, considering Pereira has won four titles in his managerial career – two with Porto and one each with Olympiacos and Shanghai SIPG – he could bring a winning mentality with him to Molineux and restore some confidence in the squad.

Pereira has averaged above 1.5 points per game in all of his jobs aside from his time at 1860 Munich, which shows that he knows how to get the best out of squads, whereas Davis and Lage have both averaged just 0.75 points per game in the Premier League with Wolves this season.

Therefore, it is clear that the Portuguese boss would be a big upgrade on Davis and should Fosun wish to give their side the best chance of retaining their top-flight status come the end of the season, they should look to bring the 54-year-old manager to Molineux as soon as possible.

West Ham United captain Declan Rice does not intend to sign a contract extension with the club, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Rice’s contract

The 23-year-old is currently under contract with the Hammers until the summer of 2024, but the club have the option of extending this by a further 12 months.

Having been at the centre of heavy transfer speculation throughout the summer, it seemed clear that the midfielder was leaning towards a move away from Rush Green in favour of Champions League football.

Amid the Irons’ reluctance to let their star player leave, they have offered him numerous contract extensions in a bid to keep him at the club. According to reports, the latest offer came to a ‘jawdropping’ £200,000 per week, which he swiftly rejected.

The Latest: No intention

According to a report by Football Insider, Rice has no intention of signing an extension with West Ham.

With the England international’s contract slowly ticking towards its expiry, it seems likely that the Hammers will reluctantly enter negotiations with Champions League clubs at the end of the season.

Whilst David Moyes previously claimed that it would take a minimum of £150m to lure Rice from east London, this figure could be unattainable with the midfielder entering the final 18 months of his deal at the London Stadium.

Consequently, the Irons are said to be drawing up a shortlist of potential replacements for next summer.

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The Verdict: Huge potential loss

At just 23 years of age, Rice has already amassed an impressive 209 appearances in a claret and blue shirt. Having become a staple of Moyes’ midfield, his importance to the club is unparalleled, and when looking at his underlying figures, it is easy to see why.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the Irons skipper ranks in the 95th percentile for interceptions, the 93rd percentile for pass completion and the 88th percentile for progressive carries.

Having also been hailed by England manager Gareth Southgate for his ‘outstanding’ ability to recover the ball in the middle of the park, Rice has the complete package as a midfielder.

Therefore, his eventual departure from West Ham will be a day that Hammers fans must be dreading.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will likely be kicking themselves with regards to their handling of former loanee Vitinha, with the Portugal international having since gone on to impress for Ligue 1 powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain.

The diminutive midfielder had arrived at Molineux on a season-long loan deal back in the summer of 2020, with the Faro-born starlet having made just 12 appearances for parent club Porto prior to that move to England.

A relatively inexperienced talent at the time, the 5 foot 8 menace found it difficult to force his way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead of compatriots Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, eventually making just 22 appearances in all competitions, including only eight starts.

That limited involvement – which saw the youngster score £17m as part of his temporary move.

While it had appeared astute business at the time, that decision not to plump up the cash has spectacularly backfired for the Old Gold, with the four-cap ace currently thriving for both club and country.

A return to the Estadio do Dragao for the 2021/22 season showcased just what a talent the playmaker is as he went on to score four goals and register five assists in 47 games in all competitions for the Primeira Liga side.

That haul of nine goal contributions was only bettered by Raul Jimenez (11) – and matched by Daniel Podence – in Bruno Lage’s side last term, while he also achieved an impressive average match rating of 7.47, as per SofaScore, with that also far higher than any member of the Wolves squad.

That form unsurprisingly sparked interest from afar as he was subsequently snapped up by PSG in the recent window, with the Parisien outfit forking out a reported £34m to secure his signature – double what those at Molineux could have signed him for just a year earlier.

That move has already paid off as the 22-year-old has quickly become a key figure in Christopher Galtier’s star-studded side, lining up in a midfield berth behind a mouthwatering attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Vitinha has been a shining light in his ten appearances for the French outfit so far, showcasing his quality in possession as he notably ranks in the top 5% for dribbles completed and the top 7% for progressive carries among his peers in Europe’s big five leagues, while his ball-winning talent has also seen him rank in the top 2% for interceptions made.

Now “emerging into an elite midfielder”, in the words of writer Zach Lowy, the highly-rated prospect is now said to be valued at around £54m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with that a reflection of not just the great strides he has made since leaving England, but also the size of the mistake Wolves made on him.

While Lage has pulled off a coup landing Matheus Nunes, he is still left to rely on a quality, yet ageing Moutinho – as well as a potentially departing Neves – with the former Benfica boss likely to have been aided by having a talent such as Vitinha in his ranks.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a move for Goncalo Ramos this summer, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Benfica forward Ramos could be the player Bruno Lage turns to next in Wolves’ attempt to strengthen their team ahead of the transfer window closing.

Talbot told GIVEMESPORT:

“They’re looking to get into Europe again next year. To get back in the Europa League, they’re going to start pulling a lot of big names out.

“I think Ramos is next up on the list as well.”

Imagine him & Podence

Bruno Lage’s side are yet to pick up a win in the Premier League after three games with just one goal scored so far, so bringing in a player like Ramos who can inspire more creativity and goal-scoring opportunities in the side could be a major coup for the club.

Ramos has already scored one goal and assisted twice for Benfica this season over two league appearances, and has scored four goals in their Champions League qualification games too, playing in the centre-forward role and finally climbing out of new Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez’s shadow.

Showing glimpses of his potential over 29 league appearances last season, the 21-year-old scored seven times, delivered one assist and created three big chances, while taking 1.9 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

That all came after the forward racked up some “outrageous numbers” in the words of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the youngster totalling 11 goals and three assists in nine matches at one stage over the 2020/21 campaign for Benfica B.

Lage could even form a fantastic attacking partnership between Ramos and Wolves’ winger Daniel Podence if the club can seal a deal for the player this summer.

The Portuguese pair certainly offer a number of different attributes in the way they affect the game for their respective teams, but combining their talents could be lethal for opponents coming up against them over the season ahead.

In terms of finding the back of the net and creating goalscoring opportunities, Ramos offers much more consistency in those attributes with a better shot on target rate (44.4% v 42.9%) and more goal contributions per 90 minutes (0.45 v 0.39). However, Podence’s creativity could be they key to getting the very best out of the £30m-valued talent at Wolves.

The 25-year-old created seven big chances and delivered three assists last season, with 1.4 key passes per game. He also ranked in the top 25% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for progressive carries over the last 12 months.

As a result, the signing of Ramos could be a golden opportunity for Lage to give Podence the perfect partner to work with in order to fashion more chances for Wolves as their expectations for European football could be farfetched if they don’t improve upon their performances already behind them.

Newcastle United may struggle to meet Leicester City’s demands for Harvey Barnes, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh says. 

The lowdown

Newcastle are currently pursuing Barnes’ Leicester team-mate, James Maddison, but it’s proving to be tricky.

The Magpies submitted a second bid worth £40million plus add-ons for the attacking midfielder, but Leicester are said to want closer to £60million.

Barnes, 24, is under contract at The King Power Stadium until June 2025, having signed a new deal at the start of last season.

The latest

Waugh writes that Barnes ‘has admirers’ within the Newcastle United recruitment operation.

However, as in the case of Maddison, ‘it is difficult to envisage how Newcastle can present a financial package that would tempt Leicester to sell’.

The verdict

Newcastle clearly still want a wide player in the transfer window, hence their reported bid for Jack Harrison.

And it’s easy to see why they’re interested in Barnes, who scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions last season.

He’s also earned the endorsement of a Premier League-winning manager in Jurgen Klopp, who called him ‘an unbelievable player’.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, meanwhile, feels it would be a ‘tremendous’ coup for Newcastle.

But if Leicester want £60million for Maddison, they’re surely likely to slap a similar price tag on Barnes.

Indeed, the CIES Football Observatory reckon that the winger is worth somewhere between €50million (£41.9million) and €70million (£58.7million).

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Manchester United to sign two midfield top targets this summer. 

The lowdown: Slow revolution so far

Upon confirming the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the new Red Devils manager, many might have expected root-and-branch upheaval from the outset at Old Trafford as the Dutchman underwent a full-scale review of the entire playing ranks.

Instead, the development of the squad has so far been rather slow-paced, with only Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen through the door in Manchester, whilst Andreas Pereira, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani have all left the club.

Perhaps the most significant pursuit of the new era has been the protracted attempt to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, a player who Ten Hag knows well from their time together at Ajax, but United haven’t been able to get this deal over the line despite having an agreement in place for some time.

Linked once again with Leicester City star Youri Tielemans as well, one pundit has now suggested that the Red Devils should break the bank and sign both of their targets…

The latest: ‘Sign both of them’

Speaking to Football Insider, former England goalkeeper Robinson has claimed that United should not be choosing just one of the above transfer targets to sign, given the need for a major overhaul at Old Trafford.

The Sky Sports contributor said: “If I was United I would want to see both De Jong and Tielemans come through the door.

“They need players in all areas, in all honesty. They need to revamp the squad. It would not be one or the other for me. I would go out there and sign both of them.

“The De Jong deal is taking a long, long time for whatever reason. If they can get Tielemans that would be a big help because he is a phenomenal player. He brings different things to De Jong. United should be doing both.”

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The verdict: He’s right

In previous guises, there would’ve been little debate as to whether the Red Devils should be making a choice over which of their targets to pursue, a level of dominance and former glory that Ten Hag has been tasked with bringing back to Carrington over time.

While there are sure signs of a healthy squad rebuild already taking place, plus the recapturing of form for previous fringe players such as Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho, further signings are still required before the September 1 deadline if United are likely to compete amongst the upper echelons in 2022/23.

The midfield currently boasts Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Eriksen and returning youngster James Garner, leaving room for at least one addition to what is likely to be a trio in Ten Hag’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Boasting a wealth of Premier League and international experience, Tielemans – who was hailed as a ‘top class player’ by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola – would be a safe bet in the market. As such, John Murtough and the Old Trafford hierarchy should be making their intentions clearly known.

Furthermore, available for a cut-price £35m due to a dwindling contract and currently earning a reported £33k-a-week (Spotrac), the 52-cap Belgian represents a wholly affordable option for United.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could be the subject of an offer from Newcastle United, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

There has already been one high-profile exit from Elland Road this summer, and another looks set to follow.

Kalvin Phillips has sealed a £45m move to reigning champions Manchester City, the biggest sale in Leeds’ history. However, that record probably won’t last for long, with Barcelona closing in on a deal for Raphinha which is expected to be worth close to £60m (via The Athletic).

The Whites have been able to recruit one new winger, with £22.5m man Luis Sinisterra arriving from Feyenoord, but it now seems that they might lose a second.

The latest

The Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones wrote that Newcastle are ‘weighing up a bid’ for Harrison, with their manager Eddie Howe said to admire the player’s attitude and work ethic.

Leeds have apparently been ‘braced for offers’ this summer after they were approached by Tottenham Hotspur in January.

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The verdict

Harrison is a very important player for Leeds. Since they were promoted in 2020, only two players – Patrick Bamford (32) and Raphinha (31) – have recorded more goal involvements for the Yorkshire outfit than his 27.

Overall, he has been involved in 26% of the goals that Leeds have scored in that period.

Journalist Joe Donnohue has described the £60,000-per-week man as an ‘unsung hero’, while Jesse Marsch has raved about the 25-year-old’s ‘quality’.

Maybe Sinisterra was brought in as a pre-emptive replacement for the Englishman, with another winger to be targeted after Raphinha moves on.

Newcastle United reportedly now ‘like’ the look of Gianluca Scamacca as a potential alternative to Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The Italian has come off the back of a standout season at Sassuolo, where he scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A games (Transfermarkt).

Magpies supporters may have become familiar with him, having watched him play against England for Italy in their 0-0 draw in the UEFA Nations League recently, as the Three Lions defence found it difficult to play against him at times.

The striker won all three of his aerial duels against Gareth Southgate’s men at Molineux, a testament to his imposing 6 foot 5 stature.

The Latest: Ekitike alternative

Taking to Twitter, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that Newcastle now ‘like’ Scamacca as a potential alternative to Ekitike, with the latter’s agent holding out amid interest from Borussia Dortmund.

However, there is a ‘feeling’ that Scamacca would prefer to stay in Italy, as Chelsea forward Armando Broja is also a player in whom the Magpies hold an ‘interest’.

The Verdict: Wait for Ekitike…

Ekitike still remains the Tynesiders’ number one centre-forward target, so they should wait to see if a deal can be pushed through for him first before they look at signing Scamacca or Broja.

Dubbed the ‘next Mbappe’ by some in France, the teenager certainly has a big future ahead of him, having broken onto the scene with 11 goals and four assists in French football last term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Scamacca is not much older at 23 and was called ‘deadly’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so he too has an eye for goal which could take Newcastle to the next level.

In other news, find out which deal NUFC have now tried to ‘hijack’

Armando Broja has been heavily linked with a move to Everton this summer, but the Toffees will face competition after a new update has emerged on the player’s potential options ahead of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Daily Mail, West Ham United have now joined the race to sign the Southampton loanee and Chelsea forward this summer.

As per the report, Broja has interest from Newcastle, Everton, Napoli and Inter Milan with the Hammers joining them recently in hope that they can snap up the youngster ahead of next season.

Calvert-Lewin 2.0

Following reports of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s potential departure from Goodison Park this summer, it could be the perfect opportunity to sign a new striker that has the potential to succeed the Toffees forward if they can get a deal done for Broja during the transfer window.

Newcastle United are speculated to be preparing a bid for the Everton goal machine, and Farhad Moshiri must do everything he can to ensure the club isn’t caught short next season, something he could plan for by signing the Chelsea youngster.

Everton should be in a good position to sign the striker as Frank Lampard previously worked with Broja and even gave him his Premier League debut when he was managing Chelsea, so the Toffees boss has clear knowledge of the player’s talents, strengths and capabilities making it easier for him to deploy him effectively in the team.

You can draw some comparisons from 6 foot 1 Calvert-Lewin in the 6 foot 2 youngster, as they both use their height to successfully win aerial battles and dictate play with their stature in the final third, something that Broja in particular has excelled in during his loan spell at Southampton.

The £25m monster who was hailed “powerful” by journalist Josh Bunting ranked third for aerial challenges won in the Premier League this season, and ranks fourth for aerial challenges committed, unsuccessful in just 53 out of 302 which is extremely impressive and proves he is completely fearless in winning the ball at any cost.

With that being said, Broja would be a like for like replacement with the potential to emulate Calvert-Lewin’s success at Everton should he leave this summer and Frank Lampard must use his influence and relationship with the player to get him signed up at Goodison Park ahead of next season.

AND in other news: Lampard could unearth Everton’s very own Modric by signing “special” £17m dynamo