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Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek could still be on the move in the next couple of weeks, despite not leaving prior to yesterday's transfer deadline.

Is Donny van de Beek leaving Man United?

Van de Beek has not been selected in a single matchday squad so far this season, but he was reluctant to head out on loan to Ligue 1 side FC Lorient, instead preferring to wait for alternative options to present themselves ahead of deadline day.

The Red Devils had accepted a proposal from Lorient, as the midfielder is deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, with Erik ten Hag attempting to raise funds before the transfer window slammed shut last night.

The Dutchman had been expected to leave prior to Sofyan Amrabat's arrival, with the Morocco international joining on loan for a fee of £8.5m, including an option to buy for £21.4m.

However, having been hesitant about a move to Lorient, the 26-year-old has stayed put at Old Trafford, and Amrabat's arrival means he is even less likely to be involved in the squad going forward – but a move away could still be on the cards.

Galatasaray have also been credited with an interest in the Man United ace, having held talks over a loan move earlier this week, with their negotiations said to have been at a "more advanced" stage than Lorient's.

That indicates the central midfielder would be more open to a move to Galatasaray, and crucially, the Turkish Super Lig club still have plenty of time to orchestrate a move, as highlighted by journalist Tyrone Marshall on X, formerly Twitter.

Speaking prior to the transfer window closing, Marshall said: "Donny van de Beek looking increasingly likely to remain at #mufc tonight. Transfer window in Turkey open for another two weeks, so that would remain an option beyond tonight's 11pm deadline."

How much does Donny van de Beek earn?

The former Ajax man is tied down to a £120k-per-week contract, meaning he is not among Man United's top earners, but it is clear to see why Ten Hag is eager to get him off the wage bill, particularly considering how disappointing he's been for the club.

Speaking during the Red Devils' 4-2 victory against Aston Villa in November 2022, GiveMeSport's Terry Flewers was critical of the entire team, but singled the Nijkerkerveen-born out for his performance, saying: "That’s a poor performance from Man Utd, the midfield is poor and Donny van de Beek is invisible! Shocking application and attitude tonight!"

It is clear to see why Ten Hag has not given Van De Beek a chance this season, and the manager will be hoping that a move to Galatasaray transpires over the next couple of weeks, as he has no use for him in the squad at this point.

Following Amrabat's arrival, Man United are well-stocked in the middle of the park, with Mason Mount, who joined from Chelsea for an initial fee of £55m earlier this summer, set to return for selection after the upcoming international break, having picked up an issue against Tottenham Hotspur.

Sunderland stayed strong throughout the summer transfer window as they managed to avoid cashing in on star forward Jack Clarke despite interest from the Premier League.

What's the latest on Jack Clarke's future?

Journalist Pete O'Rourke claimed at the end of last month that the English attacker is unhappy with the way that the club handled his situation throughout the off-season.

The reporter stated that the former Leeds United prospect was told that he would be allowed to move on if an offer of £10m was put on the table for his services.

However, the Black Cats rejected a bid of more than £10m from Burnley, who were promoted to the top-flight last term, and this has led to frustration from Clarke and his agent.

O'Rourke also added that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur speedster is one of a number of players who are not happy with the direction Sunderland are going after they decided to sell Ross Stewart to Championship rivals Southampton.

Who could replace Jack Clarke at Sunderland?

Tony Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman may not want an unsettled player in the squad for too long and this could force them to consider Clarke's future over the next two transfer windows.

This would leave Sunderland in need of a replacement and the Black Cats head coach could possibly find an heir to the 22-year-old maestro by unearthing academy starlet Tom Watson.

Like Clarke, the 17-year-old magician, who recently signed a new three-year contract at the Stadium of Light, is a left winger who is capable of providing goals and assists from out wide at an impressive rate.

Watson showed signs of promise during the 2021/22 campaign as he racked up eight goals and one assist in 19 U18 Premier League matches.

However, the teenage talent, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as an "inventive" ace who carries a "real threat", really hit his stride at the top end of the pitch last season.

The creative wizard produced five goals and six assists in 13 U18 appearances and earned himself a move to the U21 squad, where he went on to score two goals and provide three assists in seven games.

Watson, who made his first-team debut against Huddersfield in the Championship earlier this year, managed seven goals and nine assists in 20 academy matches throughout the 2022/23 season, which works out as a goal contribution every 1.25 clashes on average.

Clarke, meanwhile, amassed nine goals and 12 assists in 47 league games for Sunderland last term, which works out as a direct involvement every 2.24 outings on average.

Statistics via FBref

The Burnley target proved himself to be capable of delivering a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator from a left wing position for the Black Cats, which is why his exit would leave a big hole to be filled.

However, Watson's form for the club at U18 and U21 level suggests that the potential is there for him to fill that possible gap within the squad if he can translate his performances over to a first-team setting.

Mowbray should look to offer the young dynamo more senior opportunities over the coming months to slowly bed him into the group before potentially unearthing him as Clarke's heir after the January or summer transfer windows next year.

Unai Emery has strengthened his Aston Villa side substantially during the summer, especially as they will play Europa Conference League football this term.

Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans have all arrived in the Midlands for what could be a season to remember for the supporters if they can carry on the momentum from 2022/23.

With under two weeks left of the transfer window, could Emery secure another one or two deals in order to further bolster his squad?

Could Aston Villa sign Dani Ceballos?

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Emery is ‘preparing’ an offer to reunite with the Spaniard as he looks to bring him to Villa before their European adventure begins.

A fee of around €15m (£13m) will be offered to Real Madrid and given that the La Liga giants have signed Jude Bellingham this summer, they could be tempted to move Ceballos on.

Read the latest Aston Villa news HERE…

This is despite the fact the midfielder only recently signed a new contract until 2027 and given that he featured under Emery during his spell at Arsenal, it could be a smart move.

Could Dani Ceballos improve Aston Villa?

The 27-year-old has won two Champions League crowns, a La Liga title and an FA Cup during his career, along with a plethora of other trophies and there is no doubt he could add a winning mentality to the Villa squad should he make the move to the Premier League.

Having played a total of 120 matches for Madrid, he is no stranger to performing at the highest level, while his stint at Arsenal has given him plenty of experience of the English top flight, which would stand him in good stead.

Ceballos has been lauded as “superb” by journalist Lucas Navarrete, and he is also statistically similar to Chelsea starlet Enzo Fernandez, suggesting he could be a wonderful signing for Villa.

According to FBref, the Argentinian World Cup winner is the second-most similar player to Ceballos and given his recent meteoric rise and big money transfer to the Blues following his heroics in Qatar last year, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, the duo have registered similar statistics with regard to shots per 90 (1.04 to 1.51), pass completion percentage (90.6% to 87%) and successful take-on percentage (60.6% to 54%).

WhoScored suggests that both Ceballos and Fernandez excel at passing and have extremely high levels of concentration meaning they can circulate the ball well during matches and won’t let standards slip.

They both also like to shoot from distance and judging by their statistics, they always look to get their names on the scoresheet.

Emery could do worse than making a move for his former player in the dying embers of the transfer window, especially with Ceballos’ experience in the Champions League.

The Spanish dynamo could be a wonderful signing, and it reflects just how much of an extraordinary job the former Villarreal manager has done since taken charge in October 2022.

With three impressive signings so far, the 27-year-old could make it four should he swap sunny Madrid for the drab Midlands.

Arsenal and sporting director Edu by extension have made an approach for Montpellier star Elye Wahi after Gabriel Jesus' injury, according to reports.

Who will Arsenal sign?

A busy summer of transfer business has seen the Gunners seal three major signings so far, which takes their total outlay to north of £200 million.

Winger Kai Havertz, who signed from Chelsea for £65m, was the first with versatile defender Jurrien Timber joining soon after to the tune of £38m.

Their biggest move by some distance, though, was the signing of England international star Declan Rice from West Ham – who put pen to paper on a club-record £105 million.

Given their significant spending spree, you'd think Mikel Arteta's side could be close to being done, but reports suggest they're chasing Brentford keeper David Raya as an alternative to current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

A knee injury to forward Jesus in pre-season, which required surgery, has also come as a "big blow" – with Arteta hinting at further signings after the development.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

"Unfortunately, he had a little procedure this morning," Arteta said a few days ago.

"He's had some discomfort in his knee that caused him some issues so they had to go in. It's not something major but he's going to be out for a few weeks.

"It's a big blow because we had him back to his best, especially with the way he played against Barcelona."

On potential new signings, the Arsenal head coach also dropped a hint to the media.

"We’re in the process," explained Arteta.

"We’re working on a few things. We have to make a few decisions. We’re very happy with the squad we have, that’s for sure. We want a healthy competition in the squad, and we’re working on that."

After Jesus' injury, there have been reports of Arsenal targeting a new striker, and TEAMtalk has some interesting news in this regard.

According to their information, Edu and co have entered the race for Wahi, who's just come off the back of a fine scoring season for Montpellier in Ligue 1.

Arsenal are listed as one of the sides to have enquired over signing the 20-year-old, with West Ham and Fulham also making approaches.

Their interest does come following Jesus' surgery, but they'll have to spend, as Montpellier value their star at around £34.5 million.

How good is Elye Wahi?

The promising young attacker bagged a brilliant 19 goals and five assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last term, earning praise from members of the media as a result.

Journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos has called Wahi a "real beast" of a forward, whilst also backing the forward to "definitely explode" in future.

Ramos wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season. A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

Meanwhile, former Suresnes club president Pierre Ville told GOAL that he saw Wahi's potential from a very early age.

"He was two or three years ahead of his peers in terms of what he could do," explains Pierre Ville,

"He quickly outclassed them. During a tournament that we hosted, I saw him score a volley with the ball falling vertically out of the sky, like watching [Zinedine] Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but the boy was just 11 years old!"

The opener will move to the middle order in India, and he will likely take on wicketkeeping duties as well

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2017

Who will keep for New Zealand on the limited-overs tour of India, following Luke Ronchi’s retirement? Early indications are it will be Tom Latham, who has kept wicket in his ODI career of 58 matches eight times. That’s not all: more change is in store for the left-hand batsman, as he will swap his opener’s slot – where he has batted in 37 ODIs, New Zealand’s regular opener with Martin Guptill since mid-2015 – for a spot in the middle order. This, according to coach Mike Hesson, would partly be because of his ability to bat against spin, which New Zealand expect plenty of in India, especially in the middle overs.Signs of change for Latham began early this year, when he was asked to keep at home against Australia and South Africa for the first time in international cricket since 2013. However, in those five ODIs, he made 7, 0, 0, 2, 0 as opener, and was subsequently dropped for the remainder of the South Africa series. He returned when New Zealand toured Ireland in May, and freed up of his keeping duties, plundered 54, 104 and 84. However, he did not get a game in the Champions Trophy that followed, with Ronchi being made to open with Guptill. With Ronchi now out of the picture though, Latham is back in it.Hesson, in his press conference before departing for India, where his team will play three ODIs and three T20s, said: “Tom Latham is very much a possibility. We’ve got three others on the New Zealand A tour [of India] currently – we have people over there having a real close eye on that.”Among the three keepers on trial with the A team are Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert. While Phillips has not kept in any of the three one-dayers played against India A so far, his unbeaten 140 in the second game would give him a clear edge over the other two.Hesson hinted that Phillips was definitely on the radar, but Latham still held the edge: “Glenn’s certainly a wicketkeeper, he has kept for New Zealand Under-19s, he has kept for Auckland in all formats, he played for us in the T20 against South Africa [in February. A very good batsman in his own right and also a developing keeper.”Tom’s still the most experienced of those keepers, the other three are still developing. But we’ve got some good intel on the ground coming in, and we’ll make a decision on that in the next few days.”Another reason why New Zealand are looking at a middle-order slot for Latham, Hesson said, was the need to get off to brisk starts in India before the spinners came on – Latham’s strike rate in ODI cricket is 80.31. Colin Munro, Hesson said, would be a good option at the top. “We need to generate a strike rate at the top. Martin and Tom, although they’ve had some really good performances at the top individually, they haven’t generated the strike rate as a pair we would like, so we’re certainly looking at other options there.”We’re looking at the two guys who are doing it at the moment [with the A team], Colin Munro and George Worker – guys who have the ability to create a strike rate at the top of the order. The beauty of Colin is he is a boundary hitter. He doesn’t so much adapt to conditions, he plays one way – batting in the middle order can make that difficult, and he has had success since we moved him up in T20s…”Meanwhile, Latham’s skills against the slow bowlers could come into play in the middle, Hesson said. “I think starting against spinners is going to be difficult. So that middle order, when the ball is a bit older, it starts to grip, it starts to bounce, it brings in a few more variables, that certainly is the hardest part.”Tom is pushing his case as someone who can keep and bat in the middle. Certainly his ability against spin will be critical for that. Tom was probably our best performing batsman 12 months ago in India, in those spin-friendly conditions.”Latham said he was ready for the move, and did not see a need to do anything different in the way he batted to deal with it – the difference, he said, would have to be in his mind. “It is a bit more tactics involved in terms of pacing an innings and trying to see it through to the end. Every situation you come in is slightly different. It’s more a mental shift as opposed to a technical one, and it’s more tactical. It’s about being adaptable. I don’t mind playing spin too much either. I’m looking forward to it.”

Newcastle United are closing in on a deal for Harvey Barnes after reaching an agreement for Allan Saint-Maximin to leave, and now a new update has emerged on the club's next potential transfer target.

Are Newcastle signing Jesper Lindstrom?

According to German news outlet Frankfurter Rundschau (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are one of the clubs interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt's Jesper Lindstrom this summer.

As per the report, the Magpies are claimed to be particularly keen on the player, but are competing with Juventus and Arsenal to secure the services of Lindstrom.

It is noted that the Bundesliga club will command a fee of up to €35m (£30m) to part ways with their versatile winger and Newcastle are expected to step up their interest after the sale of Saint-Maximin is completed.

Who is Jesper Lindstrom?

The 23-year-old has been plying his trade with Eintracht Frankfurt and has already been a huge success on the European stage following a Europa League win in 2022, as well as tallying up nine caps and one goal for the Denmark national team.

Lindstrom offers wide versatility in his positioning but is predominantly deployed as an attacking midfielder, where he has had a huge impact at Frankfurt, however, has also made appearances on the left wing, central midfield and in a second striker role too.

Over 77 appearances for his German club, the Danish dynamo – once hailed as "outstanding" by teammate Kevin Trapp – has scored 14 goals and registered 13 assists, with a goal contribution every 185 minutes so far.

As a result, the signing of Lindstrom could be a great opportunity for Eddie Howe to add a player with a wealth of experience and success in European tournaments, as well as bolster the attacking options available next season.

Beyond his goal-scoring abilities, Lindstrom is a huge creative presence; ranking in the top 20% of his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season for progressive carries, tackles won in the defensive third and successful take-ons that have led to goals, displaying strong ball-winning attributes.

Should Newcastle make a concrete move for Lindstrom this summer he could be the perfect partner for Barnes, who is thought to be the direct successor for Saint-Maximin. Indeed, his ball-carrying capabilities and chance creation in the final third could be extremely useful to the Leicester City winger.

Whilst Barnes is a prolific finisher in front of goal, scoring 13 times last campaign, his weakness lies in his ball retention and ball-winning efforts, with the Foxes goal-scorer ranking in the bottom 25% of his positional peers for pass completion, successful take-ons, tackles and interceptions, as per FBref.

Utilising Lindstrom's clear strengths in all that Barnes lacks in his game would provide the Magpies with a full-proof attacking threat and will allow their new potential new signing to focus on what he does best – scoring goals.

With that being said, it would be interesting to see if Newcastle do make a concrete move for Lindstrom this summer, as he would definitely bring something different to the current attacking personnel that Howe has at St James' Park.

England and Pakistan were the biggest gainers in the ICC’s annual T20I rankings update, climbing to second and third place respectively. New Zealand held on to the top spot despite losing two points, while India and South Africa slipped down the table.

ICC T20I rankings update

1.New Zealand (125 points)
2. England (121)
3. Pakistan (121)
4. India (118)
5. South Africa (111)
6. Australia (110)
7. West Indies (109)
8. Sri Lanka (95)
9. Afghanistan (90)
10. Bangladesh (78)
11. Scotland (67)
12. Zimbabwe (65)
13. UAE (52)
14. Netherlands (49)
15 Hong Kong (46)
16. PNG (39)
17. Oman (38)
18. Ireland (36)

England gained seven points and climbed three places on the table to second, while Pakistan, who were ranked seventh last year, climbed to third place after gaining five points. Both teams had 121 points but Pakistan were ranked behind England by a fraction. India and South Africa both lost six points and dropped to fourth and fifth on the table.Older results – between May 2013 and April 2014 – were disregarded for the points calculation while matches played from May 2014 to April 2016 were weighted at 50%, and matches played from May 1, 2016 weighted at 100%.Both India [14 wins in 20 matches] and South Africa [10 wins in 15 matches] had good results between May 2015 and April 2016, which were weighted at 100% in the previous cycle; these results are now weighted at 50%. Over the last 12 months, however, both teams have played fewer matches and have not had as much success: India played eight games with four wins, while South Africa won two of their four T20Is.Pakistan, on the other hand, had consistent results over the last year. They beat West Indies by margins of 3-0 and 3-1 in the UAE and the Caribbean respectively, while also winning a one-off T20I against England.Australia moved up one place from last year to sixth on the table, while West Indies dropped to seventh. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan remained at eighth and ninth respectively – Afghanistan gained six points over this cycle to take a 12-point lead over tenth-placed Bangladesh.The rankings are important for qualification for the 2020 World T20. Australia, hosts for the tournament, and nine other top-ranked teams as on December 31, 2018 will gain automatic entry. The bottom eight sides will join regional qualifiers in the 2019 World T20 Qualifier. Six sides from the qualifier will then join the 16-team World T20 pool.

Shadab Khan has taken to international cricket in style. The 18-year old legspinner’s statistics after only two matches for Pakistan read seven wickets at an average of 3, a strike-rate of 6.8 and an economy rate of 2.6. And the opposition he dismantled is not at all happy. West Indies coach Stuart Law thought his batsmen “gifted” some wickets away to Shadab and the best way to combat him was to be “more ruthless.”

Pakistan waiting on Shehzad’s injury

There were three collisions during the second T20I between Pakistan and West Indies at Queens Park Oval and perhaps the worst of them involved Ahmed Shehzad. Fielding at point, he ran in to get the ball, but lost balance and crashed into Chadwick Walton. Shehzad appeared to have hurt himself in the back of the neck and had to be stretchered off the field for treatment. He did, however, come back on a few overs later.
“Ahmed returned from hospital after imaging found nothing wrong with his spine,” Shane Hayes, the physiotherapist, said. “On concussion examination before return to play he was found normal on symptoms, neck examination, cognitive ability, and balance assessments. We will continue to monitor him further.”

“We have plans for everyone. He’s not the only one we’re talking about, we’re talking about everyone else. So we just need to come up with better execution when we’re out in the middle and that’s what it boils down to,” Law said, “He’s bowled very well, but I think we’ve gifted him a few wickets as well. I think we just need to be a little bit more ruthless against him and see what transpires after that.”The Pakistan camp, meanwhile, is reveling in their new young talent. Shadab has played such a starring role in their victories in the Caribbean so far that on each night he was named Man of the Match.Among his 4 for 14 on Thursday were the wickets of Marlon Samuels, who top-scored with 44, and the finisher Kieron Pollard. If removing such key batsmen wasn’t enough, Shadab got rid of them within 13 overs leaving the lower order vulnerable in a chase that should have been straightforward.”I must appreciate and praise Shadab for the way he has been conducting himself, and taking wickets,” team-mate Shoaib Malik said. “Obviously we all know, if you’re playing against West Indies, you have to keep taking wickets. They are big guys, they hit boundaries and I think this is what we have been doing.”As a result, West Indies are stuck with a lot of questions and no ready answers. They have gone 0-2 down in a four-match T20I series and have to win Saturday’s match to stay alive. Since they were crowned World T20 champions in March 2016 – and then beat India in a high-scoring match in Florida – the team has lost five matches in a row. All to Pakistan. Coach Law, while admitting the need to “start playing better cricket,” cautioned against taking reactionary decisions.”It’s pretty new at this stage,” he said. “We just want to take the emotion out of it tonight. Get up with a clear head tomorrow morning and start thinking about it.”I think we are clicking. We’re getting better. We’ve gelled really well as a team over the last couple of days. I don’t think that’s the case. I think we’ve just got to start playing better cricket. There’s glimpses of our talent, we just need to have that glimpse for a lot longer.”Our bowling has been excellent over the last couple of games, our catching’s been outstanding, few mistakes in the ground fielding but our batting is where we need to really have a look. Apart from Marlon, no one’s really gone in and got the scores. We’ve had a couple of starts, but I just think we need someone to go on and I think it’s getting better. Fingers crossed on Saturday we turn up and play a proper game of cricket.”Pakistan have their mind firmly on winning their second straight T20I series against West Indies. In a SWOT analysis of the team’s performance so far, Malik picked out their fielding as an improvement and their batting in the Powerplay as needing work.”Positives, if you look at our fielding, that’s where we’ve always lacked. But the way the guys are putting in an effort here, I think that’s a great sign for Pakistan cricket. And our physical fitness. You could see even in the field, the guys roaming around, moving fast. And negatives. We really need to improve our first six overs in the batting. I think we’re going to sit and talk about it and we will come up with something.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s Heung-min Son will “want to help Tottenham bounce back” in the Premier League next season, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

The winger has recently been linked with a move to the free-spending Saudi Pro League, but Jones gets the impression that he will want to remain in North London and help the club rediscover its form next year.

What is going on with Heung-min Son at Tottenham?

Reports from journalist Ben Jacobs revealed last week that the South Korean international is a transfer target for the Middle Eastern league and “legwork” is “already underway” on a potential deal.

The “world-class” winger, as described by former manager Antonio Conte, has struggled to find form this season, scoring just 10 goals in the league.

However, with just two years left on his current deal, any move away from N17 won’t be cheap, with Transfermarkt valuing the 6 foot forward at €60m (£51m).

Despite the clear connection between the Chuncheon-born player and Spurs faithful, a bumper pay packet could tempt him away from European football, especially since he will be turning 31 this year, and retirement could be on his mind.

With his current wages estimated to be £192k-per-week, the example of Karim Benzema earning a massive £200m a season might be just too alluring.

What did transfer insider Dean Jones say about the stories linking Heung-min Son with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur?

Jones gets the impression that despite the links away from the club, especially the ones to recent headline makers, the Saudi Pro League, Son will want to remain with the Lilywhites for at least another year.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: “I’d be surprised if he went there. He’s not the sort of player that’s just looking for a payday he’s been very committed to Tottenham.

“I think he’s going to continue to be important to them next season. I think he’ll want to help Tottenham bounce back from that disappointing season.”

Has Heung-min Son’s season really been as bad as everyone seems to think?

There is no denying that the South Korean’s season in the Premier League has been somewhat underwhelming compared to previous years.

However, you’d think from the way people talk about the player that he has been cataclysmically bad, which isn’t the case.

According to WhoScored, the former Leverkusen man has averaged a fairly respectable rating of 6.95 across his 33 games in the league.

His performances in Europe have also been fairly consistent, seeing him earn an average rating of 6.8 across eight games in the Champions League.

His underlying numbers were also better than expected.

According to FBref, who compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, Son was still within the top 16% for non-penalty expected goals per 90, despite his slender return in the league.

With all that considered, it might be fairer to view this season as simply a dip in form, one he should recover from.

There is much work to do at Liverpool.

The club will have to postpone its love affair with the Champions League, having missed out on qualification for the competition for the first time since 2016.

On top of this disappointment, the Reds have had to deal with multiple departures in the midfield – James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita have all left Anfield upon the expiry of their contracts.

Alexis Mac Allister has already been purchased to soften this blow and Nicola Barella is someone who has been linked to follow his footsteps to Merseyside.

What’s the latest on Nicolo Barella to Liverpool?

According to Sport Mediaset (via FC Inter News), Liverpool, both Manchester clubs and Newcastle are all keenly tracking the 26-year-old.

Last month, Football Insider revealed that Jurgen Klopp’s outfit were the frontrunners for the Inter midfielder, who is open to leaving Northern Italy and could be lured away for a fee of £61m.

Who could Nicolo Barella replace at Liverpool?

Since making his debut for the Neazzurri in 2019, the Italian has been an imperious asset that has made vital contributions to his side’s recent success.

In the title-winning 2020/21 season, Barella recorded 12 goal involvements and then crafted the joint-second highest number of assists (12) in Serie A in the following campaign, as his side also won the Italian Super Cup and the Coppa Italia.

His importance hasn't deterred, as he’s started 11 Champions League games during Inter’s unlikely journey to the final.

He has developed a reputation as a competent all-rounder, with a punishing ability to break up play and dance past opponents.

The box-to-box titan ranks within the top 11% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries, non-penalty goals, and shot-creating actions per 90.

Barella’s arrival could spell danger for Harvey Elliot, who fell down in his manager’s pecking during the latter stages of the campaign – the Reds went 11 league games unbeaten, winning eight in a row at one stage, but the former Fulham ace started just once in this period.

This term, the Euro 2020 winner has averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.6 key passes, and 1.1 dribbles per game, whereas Elliot only manages 0.8, 0.8, and 0.6 for the same metrics.

As Klopp seeks to pinpoint his main creative influence from midfield, it seems that Barella is the stronger, more well-rounded candidate.

Described as a “top-class” player by Klopp, the signing of Barella would be a massive statement of intent and a sizeable indication of the direction Liverpool are intending to head.