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Liverpool are ‘ready to fight’ to sign Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Liverpool linked with Bremer move

Jurgen Klopp has built a truly formidable squad at Anfield, but that’s not to say that new signings aren’t needed at the end of the season as the Reds look to keep improving.

One player with whom they have been linked is Bremer, who is enjoying a standout season for Torino, winning 4.1 aerial duels per game across 29 Serie A appearances. For context, that is better than anyone in Klopp’s current squad has managed in the Premier League, a sign that the Brazilian excels in this particular aspect of his game.

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It could be that the 25-year-old moves on in the summer, and a new update suggests that Liverpool remain interested in snapping him up.

The Latest: Reds ready to ‘fight’ for Bremer’s signature

According to O Tempo [via Sport Witness], Bremer ‘interests’ the Reds, while Tutto Juve stated that they are ‘ready to fight’ for his signature.

Liverpool would reportedly ‘like to present a proposal’ of approximately €30m (£25.1m) as they look to fend off competition from some Italian clubs.

The Verdict: Gomez replacement?

The constant rumours linking the Reds with a move for Bremer would suggest that their interest is genuine, which immediately throws Joe Gomez’s future into doubt.

The Englishman is now firmly behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the centre-back pecking order at Anfield, having only started two Premier League games this season, and has already been the subject of speculation regarding a move away from Merseyside.

While it would be sad to leave Gomez leave considering his ability, it may make the most sense for all parties, allowing him to enjoy regular football ahead of the World Cup and beyond, and giving Liverpool more financial breathing space to bring in Bremer.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has made a key Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

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Hugo Lloris was yet again guilty of a dereliction of duty for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea on Wednesday.

The Spurs captain has so regularly cost his side that it should come as little surprise that he did so again in a massive game.

On the chalkboard

Lloris is an experienced goalkeeper. He has won the World Cup with France and has been in the Premier League for seven years.

And yet he still does not seem to understand the pace of games like Wednesday’s derby.

The BBC statistics relating to the game show that Chelsea had one shot on target. Pedro scored it, after zipping past Toby Alderweireld, and firing through Lloris’ legs.

This has been a common flaw for the Frenchman. He is too regularly beaten at his near post and it was true again at Stamford Bridge.

And then came the meme-worthy own goal from Kieran Trippier. It perhaps wasn’t entirely Lloris’ fault. He was called to come and collect the ball by the right-back, who then passed it, inexplicably, into the net.

But it is yet another example of the 32-year-old’s poor communication. He does not appear to command his box with the same rigour that he used to.

When you are faced with one shot on target in a game, you are expected to save it. He didn’t, he was then involved in a huge mix-up with his right-back, and now Spurs are firmly out of the title race.

Drop him

The story surrounding the build-up to the game was whether Kepa Arrizabalaga would start for Chelsea after he refused to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final.

Willy Caballero came in and did well, though he did not have a save to make, such was the bluntness of Spurs’ attack.

Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino could do with enacting a similar strategy.

Lloris was not openly insubordinate as Kepa was, but his performances have been dodgy for too long.

Paulo Gazzaniga is a fine option on the bench and he should be given a chance.

As it is, Lloris is holding Spurs back, and the fact he is captain should not exempt him from some time out of the starting XI.

In what turned out to be a nightmare Old Firm clash with potential season-defining ramifications, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will no doubt be scratching his head as to where it all went wrong for the Ibrox side.

The Gers looked completely outfoxed in the opening period against Celtic on Wednesday night, with the hosts’ pace and intensity seeming to catch the Gers by surprise: none more so perhaps than Borna Barisic.

The Croatian left-back has been well below his standards this season, with no goals and just three assists to his name in 26 appearances across all competitions – to put that into context, last year he had five goals and a whopping 14 assists.

Against the Hoops yesterday, Barisic just looked all at sea at having to deal with the constant movement of Liel Abada, and if one moment were to sum up his entire display then his reaction to the third goal told the whole story.

After Reo Hatate managed to swing in a cross from the by-line, Abada came storming in past Barisic to steer the ball home, with the Croatian left to slump to his haunches with his head in his hands – it was no surprise that Van Bronckhorst hauled him off at half-time.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Daily Record, Andrew Newport gave him a measly three, saying: “Endured a 45-minute nightmare before van Bronckhorst showed mercy and took him off at the break. Will be seeing Abada running past him in his sleep for weeks.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Kenny Miller for BBC Sport’s live coverage of the game, who slammed: “Let me tell you: Borna Barisic has had such a bad half. On the ball, he’s sloppy. He’s got absolutely no idea where Liel Abada is. He’s got to be aware. That is absolutely schoolboy defending.”

Dubbed as being “punch-drunk” by BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer, Tom English, Barisic endured an absolute disaster at Celtic Park, and it’s left Van Bronckhorst in a very tough situation with the Gers’ momentum very much down the drain.

Given the full-back’s disastrous run of form over the course of this campaign, it’s high time the Gers manager finally makes the decision to drop him from his starting line-up and perhaps move Calvin Bassey into that role for the time being.

Taking him out of the firing line may just be the kind of breather and kick up the back-side that Barisic needs right now.

Meanwhile, this Rangers star let Gio down vs Celtic…

Everton are reportedly now in a fight with as many as 11 other clubs to sign Tete this summer.

The Lowdown: Uncertainty

It has been reported that Brazilian players at Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, including Tete, are now potentially looking to terminate their contracts at the club, after Russia’s invasion of the country.

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However, the Premier League are set to block the use of FIFA and UEFA’s approved window for foreign players in Russia and Ukraine to find new clubs mid-season, meaning that players like Tete would only be able to join a club in the English top flight in the summer.

The Latest: 12-way battle

As per 90min, the Goodison Park faithful are now among 11 other teams who are keen on signing Tete, including Southampton, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Leicester City and West Ham United from the Premier League.

AC Milan, Atalanta, Napoli, Porto, Benfica and Ajax are also interested in his signature, although the news outlet suggests that the Saints are the firm favourites.

The Verdict: Bargain

Given that Tete is currently rated at £18m, to potentially get him for free, should he end up terminating his contract at Shakhtar, would prove to be a real bargain.

The winger has scored ten goals and made a further two assists in total over all competitions so far this campaign, including a goal and an assist to help his side qualify for the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt), and so could be a really good squad option to have for Frank Lampard, should the Merseyside club manage to avoid relegation of course.

Tete is only 22 years of age as well, and so still has a lot of potential left to fulfil, and should things not quite work out with the Toffees, they could even sell him on for a profit.

Farhad Moshiri hasn’t done much right at Everton in recent years, but getting a valuable young talent for no transfer fee would certainly be a step in the right direction.

In other news, find out what ‘huge’ Blues injury boost has now emerged here!

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has lauded Dermot Desmond’s ownership model at Celtic, saying it has helped them avoid ‘catastrophe’.

The Lowdown: Desmond oversees successful period

Desmond is the majority stakeholder in his boyhood club, and while he hasn’t always kept supporters happy, he has overseen a great era at Parkhead.

Celtic racked up Scottish Premiership titles galore under his ownership, and at the same time, the club has been run in a stable fashion financially.

The Hoops have a combined profit of £35.5million in the last decade, highlighting Desmond’s shrewd business acumen, and it has helped them dominate the Scottish game.

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The Latest: Maguire lauds owner

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports’ football finance expert, Maguire, hailed the job the current owner has done, saying it could have been a different scenario under other individuals:

“There are too many clubs that are one ownership decision away from financial catastrophe. But in Celtic’s case, they are sustainable. Their ownership model means the club can stand on its own two feet.

“That means it is in a far better position to deal with shocks, either within the football industry or in terms of the owner’s own personal finances. You can say this is one of the best legacies of the Desmond model.”

The Verdict: Positives outweigh negatives

It is rare that any owner of a football club is universally popular with their fanbase and that is no different with Desmond, with the 71-year-old dividing opinion at times.

That being said, Maguire makes a good point about the shrewd manner in which he has run the Hoops, keeping them financially healthy and not allowing them to get into a mess.

Desmond deserves undoubted credit for that, and the fact that he has supported Celtic since he was a boy arguably helps in his running of the club, with his heart perhaps occasionally overruling his head at times.

In other news, Celtic have suffered a significant injury blow. Read more here.

Leeds United are set to solve a long-standing issue this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones…

What’s the word?

Speaking to This is Futbol this week, the Eurosport journalist revealed that the Yorkshire outfit will finally sign a new striker during the off-season, helping to bolster a key area of manager Jesse Marsch’s playing squad.

In recent times, the Whites have struggled to provide backup to Patrick Bamford with the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin failing to make their mark.

The England international has missed the majority of the season through injury and his presence has been sorely missed, and without a senior backup, both former boss Marcelo Biela and now the American have struggled to fill that void – that is set to change, though.

“Leeds are definitely going to look to sign a new striker. I think [it’s] irrelevant of whether Bamford is fit or not. We’ve seen that you have to have [a] backup for him,” Jones revealed.

Much needed…

After a 17-goal campaign last season, a lot of Leeds’ hopes would have been pinned on the 28-year-old forward to provide more goals this campaign. However, that’s been far from the case.

Out wide, Raphinha has had to bear the brunt of the club’s attacking fortunes, leading the way for both goals (ten) and creativity (58 key passes), with Bamford only managing 559 minutes of action in the Premier League.

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He has played only four times since September, in which none of those appearances lasted longer than 45 minutes, due to a string of injuries. The latest is a tricky foot issue that is set to rule him out for most of the rest of the season.

It leaves Marsch with only two strikers in the form of academy duo Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, though the latter has emerged as a potential future no.10 instead.

If Leeds had a viable backup, then their league safety may have been confirmed by now, so it’s good to see that they know it’s a position they need to strengthen ahead of next season.

That should leave many, including the American head coach and the Elland Road faithful, absolutely delighted.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Kalvin Phillips transfer update…

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Sean Walsh has now shared a major midweek update on Antonio Conte’s future at the Premier League club, and it’s exactly what supporters need to hear.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing PSG?

The Italian, who reportedly has a clause in his current Spurs deal which would allow him to leave at the end of this season, has been at the centre of claims linking him with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.

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Former Lilywhites manager Mauricio Pochettino is allegedly set to depart the French capital despite their Ligue 1 title win, prompting rumours of a possible Conte move to succeed the Argentine.

Le Parisien claimed last week that the 52-year-old is seriously interested in a PSG switch, even apparently telling their club chiefs that he is considering the job.

Amid these worrying developments, Walsh has now taken to social media with a positive update Spurs supporters may need to hear.

The Latest: Walsh makes major midweek Conte claim…

According to the reporter, who covers the north Londoners for 90min, Tottenham are ‘confident’ Conte will stay despite the PSG updates.

He goes on to say that former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is actually their top target, not Spurs’ man.

Walsh explained (via Twitter): “Understand that #THFC are confident that Antonio Conte will stay this summer despite reports linking him to PSG job. PSG’s top managerial target remains Zinedine Zidane.”

The Verdict: Great news for Spurs fans

Zidane, currently out of work and a proven Champions League-winning manager, is arguably a shoe-in for the Parc des Princes given his availability and how the fans there would idolise the France legend.

He would certainly be an easier appointment than Conte and one with just as much pedigree.

Taking this into account, Walsh’s update certainly makes sense and PSG director Leonardo may be best placed leaving Spurs’ manager and prioritising a move for Zidane.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Manchester United are expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford in the summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Ronaldo’s return

The 37-year-old has enjoyed a fine individual first season back in Manchester following his move in the summer.

He has scored 18 goals and provided three assists in 33 appearances, with a hat-trick against Tottenham prior to the international break one of many Old Trafford highlights in recent months.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a season to remember when it comes to major honours, and a worrying update has emerged on the forward ahead of the clash with Leicester City this evening.

The Latest: Source’s reveal

Football Insider shared a story regarding the Portuguese star after being informed by a source close to Old Trafford.

They claimed that the expectation from United chiefs is for Ronaldo to move on over the summer in a potential free transfer, with his second spell at the club ultimately a short one.

The Verdict: Pros and cons?

There has been a huge debate all season on whether or not Ronaldo’s return was a good decision by the club and whether or not he is now actually a big problem at the club, and it seems as if he could be on the move over the coming months.

The pros to an exit, as FI mentioned, would be freeing up the wage book, with Ronaldo thought to be on around £25m-a-year at Old Trafford.

However, the cons are clear to see. The Red Devils would be losing the greatest goal scorer of all time, and with options fairly limited with Edinson Cavani out of contract in the summer and Marcus Rashford possibly wanting out, it could be a major gamble.

In other news: ‘Led to believe…’ – Insider now drops major claim on Bruno and Ten Hag following Man Utd talks. 

Wolves have been handed a boost in their quest to sign Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig this summer, with the La Liga giants willing to let him leave.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Puig move

The 22-year-old has been a peripheral figure for Barca so far this season, struggling to break into Xavi’s plans and making just one La Liga start.

Wolves have been linked with a move for the midfielder as Bruno Lage looks to freshen up his squad at the end of this season, and a new update suggests that Wanderers could have a good chance of snapping up Puig when the summer transfer window opens.

The Latest: Barca willing to sell Puig

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Barca are happy for Puig to move on during the summer because they believe he has failed to reach his potential at Camp Nou.

That means Wolves could again be in the conversation, with their interest seemingly not going away.

The Verdict: Exciting midfield signing

With Joao Moutinho now 35 years of age, it is important that Wolves look at midfield reinforcements, especially with Ruben Neves not guaranteed to stay put this summer.

At 22, Puig could still improve immeasurably in the coming years and reach his potential, having been hailed as an ‘intelligent’ player by his manager Xavi, a World Cup-winning legend of Spanish football.

Puig has enjoyed an incredible 93.9% pass completion rate in La Liga this season across 10 appearances, highlighting how he could thrive for Wolves alongside other ball-playing midfielders if he swaps Barcelona for the Black Country.

In other news, Tim Spiers has made a big Wolves injury claim. Read more here.

Newcastle United are sixth in the Premier League form table since Eddie Howe was appointed, as revealed by Newcastle World. 

The lowdown

Newcastle sacked Steve Bruce in October after a 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur left them 19th in the table on a mere three points from their first eight matches.

However, under his replacement Eddie Howe, the Magpies find themselves up in ninth place, with their 3-0 victory at Norwich City on Saturday extending their winning streak to four matches.

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Howe has taken 38 points from his 23 Premier League matches in charge, with 11 wins, five draws and seven defeats.

That’s more than Manchester United, who have only managed to collect 37 points in the same period, and only one point fewer than current Champions League holders Chelsea.

The latest

Jordan Cronin, the journalist who penned the Newcastle World article, also shared it on Twitter, where he gave his take on the findings of the Howe era form table.

He tweeted: “Crazy that Newcastle would be sitting above Manchester United, no matter how pathetic Ralf Rangnick’s side are currently.”

The verdict

Critics might argue that Newcastle’s success under Howe is largely down to their record-breaking £90m January spend, but that’s not entirely fair.

For instance, £12m addition Kieran Trippier has only been able to play four matches after sustaining a foot injury; while £25m striker Chris Wood, their second-most expensive winter signing behind Bruno Guimaraes, has only scored one non-penalty goal in his 14 appearances.

For the most part, Howe has simply extracted more from the players at his disposal than his predecessor Bruce was able to, and for that the incumbent Newcastle manager deserves great credit.

In other news, Ronan Murphy reacts to Newcastle’s transfer links with this Bundesliga star