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Liverpool fans are gearing up for another transfer saga, after Lille manager Christophe Galtier dropped a cheeky hint over the future of Nicolas Pepe.

Pepe will be one of the hottest prospects on the market this summer, as the winger has slammed in 16 goals and eight assists in 25 Ligue 1 appearances this season.

The 23 year-old has electric pace and has developed quite the eye for goal, and he has already been linked with several top clubs, most notably Arsenal, while the Reds have also been tenuously linked.

Roberto Firmino has thrown a party themed around the colour of his teeth! Watch the video below to find out what we’re talking about…

Liverpool fans are now hoping they are in the race after Galtier’s comments, as the manager said Pepe will play in red next season.

“He has to go to a club in the Champions League. In my view, he does not need an intermediary step to go to the highest possible level,” Galtier said, as reported by GFFN.

“I could see him playing for a team who plays in red that likes having wide players playing on the wing of their weaker foot.”

Of course, Liverpool play in red and use Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on “the wing of their weaker foot” as Galtier put it, so fans are all over this one.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Newcastle United are facing a major setback before their Premier League clash against Aston Villa this weekend.

What’s the story?

Eddie Howe’s side registered an impressive 3-1 victory at home to Everton in mid-week, with Kieran Trippier scoring a sublime freekick. However, the England international did appear to pick up a little niggle, and was forced off in the final few minutes of the contest.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Magpies boss said: “I think Kieran’s got a slight calf issue. He motioned that he needed to come off, so we’ll have to see how that is.

“It would be devastating to lose him in the form he’s in.”

Big blow for Howe

Aside from the superb free-kick against the Toffees, Trippier has brought a steely resolve and leadership at the back for Newcastle – something they desperately need in the second-half of this Premier League season.

While it is only a small sample size of three Premier League games, as per Whoscored, his average match rating of 7.88 is by far the highest of any Newcastle player this season.

He also ranks top for tackles and interceptions made per game, and is also right at the top for key passes too – the kind of all-action displays from right-back that have had the St James’ Park faithful purring.

And, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke admitted that being without Trippier for a significant amount of time would be a major blow for the Magpies.

He said: “I think it would be a big blow to Eddie Howe. Trippier has come and really slotted straight into the team. He has been a big improvement on what they’ve got.”

With momentum well and truly on their side, Howe will be desperate to keep things going when his side take on Villa, and being without Trippier for that game, and potentially longer, would leave him very worried indeed.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must finally sell this star…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming over some early team news ahead of their game at home to Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup on Friday night.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed (via The Heart & Hand Podcast) that the game will come ‘too soon’ for Ryan Jack, who has suffered from so many injury problems since moving to Ibrox.

It is a real shame for a player who has been a key part of the team over the years, scoring nine goals and making a further nine assists in the Scottish Premiership for the Teddy Bears, while he made 19 appearances in their title-winning campaign.

Nonetheless, the Cup game would have provided the perfect opportunity for Jack to get up to speed and match fitness, but he will miss the clash, leaving a lot of Light Blues supporters angry.

Rangers fans on Jack injury news

These Gers fumed as the team news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it has become ‘ridiculous’:

“Jack is clearly finished”

Credit: @StuartSmck1

“Too soon for Jack or Jack’s had a setback how many times have we heard those words?”

Credit: @PeterBa17493285

“Need to cut ties with Jack always an injury somewhere nowadays”

Credit: @mcrowlands

“Too soon for Jack. Honestly it’s beyond ridiculous now.”

Credit: @GoLfNuT1979

“Jack needs to go. Constantly injured”

Credit: @kilcoyne_brian

“Too soon for Jack is becoming the New Jordan Rossiter is 7-10 days away!”

Credit: @Grantmckay01

In other news, find out what update before the Old Firm has been bemoaned by Gers here!

Everton have now made three signings during the first two weeks of the January transfer window, securing deals for Nathan Patterson, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Anwar El Ghazi, but will the club bring in any further reinforcements in the remainder of the month?

What’s the word?

Journalist Alan Myers has taken to his Twitter replies to reveal his thoughts on the possibility of more signings at Goodison Park during January after an Everton fan asked him whether they will see more players coming into the club after the confirmation of El Ghazi’s loan move on Thursday evening.

Myers simply responded: “Don’t know but would guess one or two”

With a right-back, a left-back and a winger secured, Rafael Benitez still has plenty of time to add more players in key positions where the Toffees have been struggling over the first half of the season.

Fans will be buzzing

Everton fans have had to endure an abysmal first half of the season, with the Merseyside club only taking five wins from 18 games so far, and many fans have made no secret of their disgruntlement at what they have experienced so far under Benitez.

The owner Farhad Moshiri and his reckless spending habits have been causing consternation at the club too, which has left them in an delicate situation regarding Financial Fair Play that’s set to hinder their ability to spend money without selling players first.

With protests having been planned, some supporters booing the manager and players at Goodison Park, as well as some leaving after conceding early in the first half of games, many Toffees fans have made it clear that they’re not happy and want change at the club.

Therefore. adding new players with fresh legs and fresh perspective could help to put the club in good stead to get results, climb the table and win over an unhappy fan base.

Benitez will be hoping that his new signings can showcase some of the improvements they can make in their clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday, with El Ghazi available to start and Patterson and Mykolenko possibly both being settled in, having each had the best part of two weeks as Everton players.

If they can make an early impact, Myers’ suggestion that the inbound January business may not be done yet could have the Goodison Park faithful buzzing with excitement.

In other news: Benitez is eyeing this ex-Premier League beast as a possible signing

Manchester City appear to have won the race for long-term Aston Villa transfer target Julian Alvarez.

That’s according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, and a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

Villa have been linked with the River Plate attacker since the summer, with the player’s agent Fernando Hidalgo reportedly planning to speak to the Midlands club over a potential move. However, it is Pep Guardiola’s side who look set to announce an €18.5m (£15.43m) transfer for the 21-year-old, who scored 24 goals and registered 18 assists in 2021.

Romano revealed on Tuesday evening that an agreement has been reached with the Premier League champions, and Alvarez will pen a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium before returning to River Plate on loan until the summer.

Villa fans react

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply to Romano’s post regarding Alvarez, with many of them not exactly thrilled and some thinking it could be a mistake not landing him over the summer.

“Being violently sick right now.”

Credit: @AVFCFaithful_

“Nothing to be said, we bottled it. Now we must get Aaron Hickey in the summer before City do.”

Credit: @ZM_AVFC

“Made a big mistake signing others over him”

Credit: @Jamie_UTV

“I hope it’s because he was never going to sign for us. Otherwise, yeah. Nauseating.”

Credit: @nallivdam

“He won the Ballon D’or for us in my FIFA 21 Villa career. I thought it was a sign when we were linked to him.. clearly not”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“We had a chance and bottled it.”

Credit: @MogarFinley

In other news: ‘Yessss’ – Many Villa fans buzzing as John Percy shares ‘amazing’ transfer news

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy has made a transfer claim involving PIF and Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Newcastle make approach…

The Magpies and PIF have been linked with a move for the Barcelona forward over these last few weeks as his contract at the Camp Nou continues to wind down.

As things stand, Dembele could leave the Catalan club as a free agent in 2022 and is free to negotiate pre-contract January moves with a view to signing in the summer.

Fabrizio Romano has even backed Newcastle’s interest, saying that an approach has been made, with Kennedy now sharing what he knows in an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

The Latest: Kennedy makes Dembele claim…

Sharing what he’s hard from the Saudi side, the journalist believes that a move could well happen and it’s the type of ‘marquee’ transfer that Newcastle would indeed go for.

However, with the arrival of Xavi, Kennedy admitted that the Spaniard’s presence at Camp Nou could now throw a spanner in the works, as he explained:

“Dembele is a name that has been mentioned to me. It was mentioned to me probably around a week after the takeover was done.

“I think Dembele is coming, from the noises I’m getting, from the Saudi side. I think that may be the marquee type thing that they might go for.

“I think there were a lot of talks before Xavi came in at Barcelona. I think he seems to, from his noises, rate the player more than the previous manager so I’m not sure how alive that one is.”

The Verdict: Right move?

The 24-year-old is still young and has a degree of sell-on value, while he certainly has quality despite his lack of consistent runs in recent seasons, largely due to recurring injury issues.

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre even compared him to Cristiano Ronaldo at one stage, with his ex-Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman more recently calling Dembele a ‘fantastic player’.

However, while Newcastle could snap him up on a free next summer, the Frenchman’s history of hamstring problems could also ring alarm bells for manager Eddie Howe as he seeks to strengthen his squad.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC are now ‘most likely’ to sign here!

Flocking to Twitter, some Liverpool fans were left unimpressed with the performance of Takumi Minamino against FC Porto on Wednesday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s side made it five wins out of five in the Champions League as they continued their dominance over Group B, and some rarely-selected Reds were handed a chance to impress.

Liverpool’s teenage midfielder Tyler Morton, making his European debut against the Portuguese giants, was one of a few players to be gifted a rare nod by Klopp.

Despite their rotated team in parts, the Merseysiders ran out out 2-0 winners on the night courtesy of second half goals from Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah.

One man who also got a chance was Minamino, who has started just three games in all competitions since coming back from a loan spell at Southampton last season.

Liverpool fans unimpressed…

Upon the Japan forward’s return to the starting XI, it’s safe to say that many Liverpool fans don’t think he grasped his opportunity, criticising his performance on social media.

According to SofaScore, the largely anonymous 26-year-old took just 33 touches all game, considerably fewer than goalkeeper Alisson managed (51) over the 90 minutes. Also, out of every Liverpool starter on the night, Minamino ranked as SofaScore’s lowest-rated Red with a 6.7/10 score, highlighting his relatively ineffective display.

Having zero shots on goal and winning none of his aerial duels, it’s understandable why numerous Liverpool supporters believe he didn’t have the best of nights, with one Kopite describing him as “average”.

Check out some of their Twitter verdicts below:

“Chamberlain, Origi, Minamino add nothing to that Liverpool team, need to sell quick, Thiago goal something else though”

Credit: @barry_mckeever

“Tsimikas should be the starting LB, Matip is comfortably our 2nd best CB, Morton held his own in a big game, Salah can still score even whilst playing bad, Thiago is world class, Minamino is average”

Credit: @lfcd25

“The last 10 mins with Minamino and Origi is telling me that January is going to be very long without Salah and Mane”

Credit: @adzz_s

“Disasterclass”

Credit: @LFCDan92

“Only real negative was Minamino, thought the lad was horrific and we are in trouble if we have to rely on him when Salah and Mane are away at AFCON”

Credit: @Corballyred

“Minamino needs to be given away on a free, not half the player that made VVD sit”

Credit: @Ernray

In other news: ‘If he leaves, I riot’ – Fabrizio Romano’s tweet about one ‘magnificent’ LFC star gets a lot of fans talking

Former Aston Villa man Alan Hutton has been reacting to an update regarding Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Villa interest

Steven Gerrard is preparing for a first full season in charge at Villa Park and seemingly has his eye on a move for Phillips.

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Reports towards the end of March suggested that Villa are leading Newcastle and West Ham in the race to sign the England international and are willing to pay Leeds £60m for his services.

Villa are also prepared to pay the 26-year-old a whopping £10m a year in wages, with Phillips now in the process of changing agents.

The Latest: Hutton reacts to update

The Telegraph revealed last week that contract talks between Leeds and Phillips have stalled. Hutton, who contributes for Sky Sports News, had this to say to FI on that news and Villa’s interest, believing Leeds fans ‘won’t be happy’.

“I can’t see it, if I’m totally honest. Leeds fans won’t be happy with that.

“But in this situation at the moment, they’re eight points outside the relegation zone. There are still teams below them with games in hand.

“I think they’ve done enough and I think they will stay up. But for Kalvin Phillips, as a footballer moving forward, he’s very capable of taking a step up.

“He’s a fully-fledged international player. If he wants to keep that spot, he needs to be playing at a high level.

“Are Aston Villa at that level at this moment in time? No, they aren’t, but that’s where they’re trying to get to.

“To get to that next stage, they have to be looking at players like Kalvin Phillips to make them better. I totally understand why they’re going for him. It’ll be interesting to see if they could get over the line.”

The Verdict: Coup

Bringing Phillips to Villa Park over the coming months could be a major coup by NSWE. He was named England’s Player of the Year for 2020/21 and has starred in the Premier League for the Whites.

Leeds have struggled without their star midfielder in recent months, who had to watch on from the sideline as Villa strolled to a 3-0 win at Elland Road last month.

He may have been impressed with Villa that night, and with just two defensive midfielders on the books at Bodymoor Heath, bringing in the Leeds man could be a wise move as NSWE prepare to back Gerrard this summer.

In other news: Gerrard tells another Aston Villa star he can leave in shock Bodymoor Heath development. 

Taking to Twitter, reliable ESPN reporter Moises Llorens has shared a big update on Barcelona attacker and Tottenham Hotspur target Ousmane Dembele amid his contract stand-off.

The Lowdown: Spurs table offer…

As reported in recent months, the France international is a target for Spurs and manager Antonio Conte as Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici takes to the 2022 free agent market.

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According to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham’s managing director is eyeing ‘quality players at zero cost’ for his countryman at N17 – including Dembele, whose deal runs out at the end of this season.

Spurs have also allegedly made an offer to sign the 24-year-old on a pre-contract, promising ‘a lot of money’ and the guarantee of being a key player (Mundo Deportivo).

After recent claims Tottenham will ‘push hard’ for his signing this month, ESPN journalist Llorens has shared a significant update.

The Latest: Spurs gifted possible boost,,,

According to his information, sharing news late Tuesday night, Dembele is set for a crunch ‘meeting’ today amid his contract stand-off at the Camp Nou.

However, it is now apparently very unlikely that the player signs an extension, with the difference in negotiations ‘practically insurmountable’.

Indeed, the La Liga giants would apparently see Dembele penning fresh terms as a ‘miracle’ in what could be a boost for Paratici and Spurs.

The Verdict: Time to strike?

The forward looks almost certain to leave as things stand, but does that mean Spurs should continue their alleged pursuit and sink the final blow?

Lauded as ‘exciting’ and ‘almost unplayable’ at times by Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand, Dembele’s ability is clearly rated and there is a reason Barca paid an initial £97 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017.

However, the winger also has a troubling history of hamstring problems and could command a hefty salary – with his current wages believed to be around £210,000-per-week.

An offer around this amount or over would make him the highest paid star at Hotspur Way, even above the likes of Harry Kane, and it would arguably be a gamble to invest that much in a player prone to absences.

Coming with plus and negative points, a move for Dembele before January 31 could prove potentially fruitful but with a big element of risk.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for £220,000-per-week ‘jewel’ as he lays out transfer demand for Spurs chiefs, find out more here.

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to Celtic’s interest in Tottenham winger Dilan Markanday, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Markanday links

Celtic already have Spurs defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on the books at Parkhead and have an option to make his loan move permanent.

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However, the Hoops have now been linked with a move for another Tottenham talent in Markanday. The Standard shared a story at the beginning of December claiming Celtic and Glasgow rivals Rangers are battling it out for the 20-year-old.

Markanday recently made his senior Tottenham debut and is also wanted by multiple Championship clubs, with his deal in north London set to expire in the summer.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Markanday’s future and seemed to back a move to Celtic over rivals Rangers.

“The fact they’re in Europe, it will boil down how much playing time is he going to get.

“If he’s going to come up to Rangers, maybe sit on the bench and be a bit-part player, that’s not ideal. If he’s going to go to Celtic and play more minutes, it’s all about the player’s development.

“His plan is to come up, do well, play games to go back and be a Tottenham Hotspur player. It’s whatever’s going to suit him the best game-wise. That will be the team that he fits.

“If it’s a Championship team that is close to London, where he’s going to play week in, week out, that is better for his development.

“Better than maybe playing the odd European game for Rangers and Celtic and sitting on the bench. It’s all really going to depend on game time.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Markanday is clearly highly-rated across the country with a number of sides interested and Tottenham keen for him to sign a new deal, so a Celtic swoop could turn out to be a shrewd one in the long run.

Ange Postecoglou does have six wingers on the books at Parkhead at this moment in time, but should Karamoko Dembele move on when his contract expires in the summer, he could come in to replace the 18-year-old.

Markanday would provide Postecoglou with an option on the left, right or in an attacking midfield role, and his versatility may appeal to the Hoops, who could launch a pre-contract agreement swoop in the New Year, should his situation remain the same.

In other news: Print newspaper claims European giants are willing to sell ‘explosive’ star to Celtic in January.