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Liverpool moved back into top spot in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon following their 0-0 draw against Manchester United, but there weren’t too many positives to draw from the game for Jurgen Klopp.

What’s the word?

The Reds once again struggled to discover their electric touch at the weekend. A meek attacking performance from a typically devastating front three ensured a quiet afternoon for David De Gea, but Alisson had to stay fully alert to keep his side level.

United also struggled to create clear cut opportunities throughout the game, but a clever through ball from Romelu Lukaku appeared to have opened the door for Jesse Lingard to break the deadlock in the first-half.

However, just as the England international looked set to round Liverpool’s stopper and tap into an empty net, Alisson stretched out his arm to intercept the ball and save what looked a certain goal.

It was a game-defining moment which enabled the visitors to clinch a point, and BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks was eager to pay tribute to the Brazilian for his save in his team of the week column.

‘The save by Alisson as Jesse Lingard tried to take the ball around the Brazil international was a game-changer at Old Trafford.’

Crooks went on to add: ‘Liverpool went top of the table on Sunday all because of Alisson’s moment of sheer brilliance.’

Alisson could match Premier League’s best

Liverpool’s number one has been in inspired form since he arrived at Anfield from Roma in the summer and his latest showing will only serve to enhance his growing reputation amongst the supporters.

In tightly-contested fixtures it’s imperative that goalkeepers remain alert during spells when their services are effectively redundant, and Alisson proved that he possesses an elite level of concentration by anticipating Lingard’s attempt to dribble past him.

It was a moment of pure genius which is typically reserved for the top players in world football and, if he continues to showcase that level of quality between the sticks, there is no doubt he can establish himself on a level with David De Gea and Ederson in the coming years.

Everton forward Richarlison could move to Arsenal when the transfer window opens, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Everton agreed a deal worth up to £50m to sign the Brazil international from Watford in 2018. He has gone to make 143 appearances for the club, scoring 47 goals and providing 13 assists.

The Brazilian has just over two years to run on the £90,000-per-week contract that he signed upon his arrival at Goodison Park.

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He is something of a fan favourite among Evertonians, having been voted Player of the Season by the club’s supporters in 2020. He also appears to be well regarded within the dressing room – Demarai Gray dubbed him ‘a character’ and ‘a good guy’, adding that he is even a ‘crazy guy’.

Everton are at risk of being relegated from the Premier League, with just three points separating them from 18th-placed Watford. Theoretically, at least some of the players could seek to leave the club if they go down.

The latest

From the information that he’s received, Jones believes that Richarlison moving to Arsenal is a possibility ahead of the summer window.

Speaking to GiveMeSport as he explained that the Gunners are interested in the 24-year-old, the journalist said: “It’s been mooted before and, as I understand it, it’s something that could actually happen in the summer as well.”

The verdict

Richarlison isn’t the only Everton attacker with whom Arsenal have been linked. According to The Athletic, former Blues midfielder and now Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is also interested in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, so what would be an acceptable fee for the duo?

The Brazilian is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, which may seem steep in light of his relatively meagre four-goal haul this season, but reflects the fact that he is still only 24 years old and has racked up 34 caps for Brazil, for whom he has a decent scoring record.

Calvert-Lewin is a year older than Richarlison and is rated slightly lower in the marketplace at £37.8m. That would be the third-highest sum Everton would receive for one of their players (behind Romelu Lukaku and John Stones), and it seems fair given that he bagged 29 Premier League goals in two seasons before he hit injury trouble in the early weeks of the current campaign.

The summer transfer window is another bit away yet, but we will have to wait and see if Arsenal try to test Everton’s resolve for Richarlison.

In other news, Everton could also sell another South American

Leeds United will complete a move for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, but he will arrive this summer instead of in January, according to a recent report.

The Lowdown: Constant Aaronson links

The Whites have been linked with numerous players throughout the January transfer window but none more so than USA international Aaronson.

Leeds are reportedly considering a third bid for the 21-year-old after one was rejected and one was left up in the air.

The attacking midfielder has shone for RB Salzburg, scoring 10 goals and registering 12 assists in 51 appearances for the Austrian side.

A fresh update has now emerged on the matter, with time running out in this window.

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The Latest: Summer move on the cards?

According to TEAMtalk, Victor Orta ‘gets his man’ and Aaronson will end up being a Leeds player, but a move is likely to be completed this summer instead of in January.

Salzburg are reluctant to let the American leave this month, especially with a crucial Champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich on the horizon.

Aaronson is keen on the move to Leeds happening, however, and is willing to wait until the summer.

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The Verdict: January signing still needed

Signing Aaronson would be an undoubted plus for the Whites, given his age and the fact that he has already proved himself in the Champions League, starting all six of Salzburg group stage games this season.

That being said, the need for a central midfielder to come in in January remains great, in order to make up for the current absence of Kalvin Phillips.

While money may be tight at Elland Road currently, failure to sign anyone, even if it’s just for a short-term period, could feel negligent come May – Marcelo Bielsa is currently without a single out-and-out attacking midfielder in his squad.

In other news, an on-air Leeds transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest on injured defender Willy Boly’s status, with the Ivory Coast international having made just one appearance under the Portuguese this season.

What’s the latest?

Boly endured an injury-stricken 2021, playing just 11 games in all competitions across the calendar year and is yet to appear in the Premier League this season, having made just one appearance in the EFL Cup.

The 30-year-old most recently made the squad for Wolves’ 1-0 win at Brighton in mid-December, although another setback has ruled the defender out of action for the Golden Boys as well as for his native Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.

Speaking to the media about Boly’s situation, Lage said: “He has some muscular problems and sometimes doesn’t feel comfortable with it. That’s why sometimes he is ready to play, then he starts training and feels a little pain.

“It’s important when you are in that position you feel ready and confident.

“This situation is not good for Boly, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the club,” the 45-year-old added. “Every time he comes, he goes. He needs time to work, to prepare himself, because he was important in the past and can help the team to be better.

“He has a contract with us, and he’s a top player, and he stayed with us instead of going to the national team – it means something. He preferred to stay with us and recover. This is a good signal.”

Wolves fans will be gutted

The Ivorian is certainly a popular figure amongst the Molineux faithful, having played a major part in getting the West Midlands club back to the Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he made 36 Championship appearances.

Moreover, the 30-year-old was vital in Wolves’ first campaign back in the top-flight as he missed just two of their 38 league matches.

However, it now appears as though there is little room for the centre-back in the starting line up, that is with everyone available.

The regular trio of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Romain Saiss has been a revelation this campaign, with Wolves the Premier League’s second-best defenders behind league leaders Manchester City, having conceded just 15 goals in 20 matches.

Boly will have to find a solution to his reoccurring issues, if not, it may prove to be the end of his tenure in the West Midlands. Considering his popularity among the fanbase, this is an eventuality that would leave the Molineux faithful gutted.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic has been ruled out of tonight’s Glasgow Derby with Rangers, Jo Hendry reports.

The Lowdown: Rogic in race against time

Rogic, who Ange Postecoglou labelled as ‘special’, has made 31 appearances this season, contributing to 12 goals.

The Aussie has been away representing his country and featured against Vietnam last Thursday and Oman on Tuesday in World Cup qualifiers.

Postecoglou recently held out hope of having the playmaker available in green and white this evening, but his participation against Oman yesterday has seemingly ruled him out of featuring tonight.

The Latest: Hendry’s post

Hendry took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon following Postecoglou’s pre-match press conference.

She relayed confirmation from Postecoglou that Rogic is ruled out of the Celtic Park clash and once again stated that Kyogo Furuhashi is weeks away from a return.

The Verdict: Postecoglou now has options

If this game took place when it was initially scheduled for, then Postecoglou could have been in a bit of bother without Rogic.

However, he brought in three midfield additions in the New Year, with Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley catching the eye in their early displays.

Therefore, with Hatate and O’Riley and Callum McGregor also having a chance of featuring, Postecoglou has more than enough in midfield at his disposal to get a first win over Rangers and take the Hoops back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

In other news: ‘I can tell you…’ – BBC Radio 5 Live man shares key on-air info on ‘unbelievable’ Celtic ace. 

Leicester City are struggling this season to get comfortable in the top half of the table, currently holding the fifth most conceded goals (32) in the Premier League this season, with only relegation battling, Newcastle United completing less clean sheets than the Foxes.

The club will now have the opportunity to strengthen their side and address some of the issues they are facing this season in the winter transfer window, with the side being linked with a hot prospect.

What’s the word?

Foot Mercato journalist, Santi Aouna, took to his twitter account to offer an insight into the potential of Leicester City signing, Charles De Ketelaere.

In a tweet translated and quoted by LeicestershireLive, Aouna claimed;

“Leicester is very interested in Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge KV.

“Scouted on numerous occasions, the Foxes should make an offer for the Belgian prodigy for next summer.”

Rodgers surely buzzing

The 20-year-old forward has been linked to Tottenham and Chelsea in recent months, thanks to his continued progression at Belgian Pro League giants, Club Brugge KV, with De Ketelaere scoring 12 goals and bagging eight assists for his current club.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the Midlands outfit are so interested in bringing him to the King Power Stadium.

Foxes manager, Rodgers, will surely be buzzing at the prospect of signing players, in particular De Ketelaere, due to the injury issues the squad is currently facing in key positions.

The manager admitted in his press conference last week that the problems have given the club a “different focus” when it comes to dipping into the transfer market in January.

Foxes star striker, Jamie Vardy, picked up a hamstring injury during Leicester’s 1-0 win over Liverpool last week that will see him out for at least four weeks according to Sky Sports.

This major injury blow to Leicester’s top goal-scorer this season could inspire Rodgers and the Leicester board to elevate their pursuit with more urgency in signing De Ketelaere during this transfer window, instead of the summer expectations initially outlined by Aouna.

Either way, Rodgers will need to do some damage control where he can with their mounting injury problems hindering their chances of gaining momentum in the Premier League this season as they sit 10th in the league table as they head towards a finish in their current position or lower would be the lowest they’ve fallen in the league since 2017.

However, with De Ketelaere in their squad, they could surge up the table thanks to the additional goal threat and creativity he’d bring to the Foxes, an eventuality that would no doubt delight their manager.

In other news: Jon Rudkin has endured a transfer nightmare over Ayoze Perez

ExWHUemplyoyee has dropped an update regarding West Ham United’s interest in bringing Jesse Lingard back to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on The West Ham Way, the club insider revealed that West Ham will start talks with the Manchester United forward regarding a move to East London in the coming weeks.

ExWHUemployee continued to state that the England international would be open to a move away from Old Trafford this winter, however, there is considerably more interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window than there was at the same time last year.

Speaking about the Hammers interest in the 28-year-old, the insider said:

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Lingard was during his loan spell at the club last season, the news that David Moyes and his side look set to open talks with the forward regarding a permanent move to the London Stadium this winter is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League appearances last season, the £19.8m-rated man scored nine goals, registered five assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £75k-per-week attacking midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as Moyes’ best performer in the top flight last time out, helping the Hammers to secure a rather remarkable sixth-place finish in the league.

As such, with West Ham aiming to go one better than qualifying for the Europa League with a top-four finish this time around, the signing of Lingard would very much appear to boost the club’s chances of going on and doing so, meaning the news that the Irons are planning to open negotiations with the 28-year-old in the coming weeks is undoubtedly good for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Forget Bowen: West Ham’s “fantastic” 5-tackle beast seized his “big chance” vs Chelsea

Newcastle United defender Emil Krafth was an unsung hero for manager Eddie Howe in their win over Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Magpies’ fine run of form under the Englishman continued as they took another big leap towards safety with a 2-1 victory over the Foxes, courtesy of a last-gasp winner from winter signing Bruno Guimaraes, who bagged a brace on the day.

He cancelled out Ademola Lookman’s 19th-minute opener on the half-hour mark before heading home a bounced ball from Joe Willock in stoppage time late in the second half at St James’ Park.

The Brazilian powerhouse will take much of the plaudits but it really was a team effort from Howe’s men, with the Swedish defender arguably standing out amongst his peers.

He was an absolute colossus defensively and tried to contribute going forward from the right-back role, too.

Shields Gazette reporter Dominic Scurr waxed lyrical about Krafth’s input in his post-match ratings column, where he graded the 27-year-old an eight out of ten – the same as Guimaraes, and wrote:

‘Had a couple of shaky moments but more than made up for them with some crucial blocks and challenges to keep Leicester at bay. His best performance of the season. Booked.’

Indeed, no Magpies player had more touches than the former Amiens man as he registered 61 touches, some eight more than the next best, Joelinton (53).

Meanwhile, further back, Krafth registered a whopping seven tackles, which was more than anyone else on the pitch in the northeast, and he also recorded three interceptions, one clearance and he won 80% of his battles, as per SofaScore.

The £57k-per-week ace also drew further praise from other journalists following the match – Newcastle World reporter Liam Kennedy dubbed him “immense”, whilst ChronicleLive’s Mark Carruthers claimed he had a “really solid game” up against “two tricky opponents.”

On the above evidence, the Sweden international was certainly one of the unsung heroes for Howe against the Foxes. He, and the Magpies faithful, can be proud of that display, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Bid made: PIF in negotiations for £83m “diamond”, he’d be a huge coup for Newcastle…

Leeds United youngster Mateusz Bogusz has suffered a cruciate ligament injury during his loan spell at Ibiza, as The Athletic’s Phil Hay shared the news on Monday.

The Lowdown: Bogusz impresses on loan

The 20-year-old moved to the Spanish side on a temporary basis last summer and has impressed in the Segunda Division, scoring four times in 20 appearances and adding seven assists.

Bogusz scored a stunning long-range strike that did the rounds on Twitter earlier in the season, outlining the natural ability that the Pole possesses.

His form has been so good in fact that some have even called for Marcelo Bielsa to cut the temporary move short and bring Bogusz home in an effort to solve the injury crisis running rampant at Elland Road.

The Leeds man’s season has now been cut short in heartbreaking fashion, however, in what is a cruel blow.

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The Latest: Youngster suffers ACL injury

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Hay shared that Bogusz has suffered ACL damage and won’t play again in 2021/22, effectively ending his time at Ibiza:

“A damaged ACL has ended Mateusz Bogusz’s season on loan at Ibiza. Set to undergo surgery.”

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The Verdict: Huge blow for midfielder

This is a massive setback for a player really enjoying his football, acting as a blow to Leeds, and more importantly, Bogusz himself.

Spanish media have described Bogusz’s performances as ‘outstanding’ (Sport Witness) and Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich has even claimed the youngster has the ability to become superior to himself in the coming years.

He was picking up valuable playing time and performing well ahead of a likely return to Elland Road in the summer – or perhaps even earlier – and a chance to kick on under Bielsa. Instead, a long spell on the sidelines now awaits.

All Leeds can do is hope he will return the same player once he recovers.

In other news, a journalist has made a big claim regarding Marcelo Bielsa’s future. Read more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head into Wednesday evening’s Premier League fixture in something of a slump of form, having won one of their last five league outings – scoring just one goal in this period.

Indeed, goalscoring has been something of a problem for the 45-year-old’s team so far this season, with only bottom of the league Norwich City having found the back of the net fewer times than Wolves’ 14 goals scored.

As such, with what is sure to be a challenging fixture away to Brighton & Hove Albion up next, it would be wise for Lage to finally unleash one of the club’s most promising up and coming talents at the American Express Community Stadium – in the shape of 19-year-old midfielder Luke Cundle.

Lage must unleash Cundle

Considering the fact that, over Ruben Neves’, Joao Moutinho’s and Leander Dendoncker’s 33 collective Premier League appearances this season, the trio have scored just one goal and registered one assist, it is evident that Wolves are lacking a truly creative outlet in the middle of the park – something which is undoubtedly a huge factor in the club’s woes in front of goal.

And, with Cundle highly impressing for James Collins’ U23 side, the young central midfielder could well be exactly what Bruno Lage’s first team side is missing at present.

Indeed, over his 43 appearances for Wolves’ U23s, the £180k-rated man has scored four goals and registered nine assists, in addition to being made the youth side’s captain.

Furthermore, Collins is clearly of the belief that the teenager has the ability to make a real difference in the middle of the park for Wolves’ first team, stating after the midfielder’s goal in a 2-1 win over Birmingham City U23s last month: “He’s got an outstanding brain and drives the game, he runs the game and dictates it which is a great skill.

“He’s intelligent, makes good decisions, can attack and defend and when you first see him, you wonder whether he could be a Premier League player because he’s slight and small.

“But once you’ve worked with him for a bit you can see how much of a good player he is. I’m delighted for him to get his goal because his performance deserved that. I thought everyone did well, but he was a real stand-out.”

As such, it would indeed appear highly advisable for Lage to unleash the player who he himself dubbed “amazing” – as well as suggesting that “he understands everything” – against Brighton this evening, as the youngster could well prove to be the solution to Wolves’ issues in front of goal.

In other news: Tim Spiers drops 8-word Wolves injury update that will leave Bruno Lage buzzing