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Liverpool were on cloud nine yesterday after demolishing their bitter rivals Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford and sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League that they mean serious business this season.

Even though the prolific Mohamed Salah scored three of Liverpool’s goals on the day, taking his impressive record to ten goals scored in nine Premier League games, we feel that fellow Reds winger Diogo Jota stood out in the win against the Red Devils.

After coming on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Jota found himself back in the starting XI ahead of Sadio Mane.

This move from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seemed to work wonders for the Reds as the Portuguese was very much a thorn in United’s side on Sunday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Red Devils, Jota managed to score Liverpool’s second goal with a neat finish from close range.

He assisted their fourth strike and would go on to complete 32 of the 38 passes he attempted. He also won seven out of the 14 duels he was involved in, made two key passes, one tackle and one clearance which ultimately earned himself a strong overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him Liverpool’s joint second-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how useful he was.

Liverpool signed Jota in September 2020 from fellow Premier League side Wolves for a reported fee of £41m.

In his first season in Klopp’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, bagged 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the winger, who has previously been described as “intense” by Klopp shortly after he moved to Anfield, has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in eight Premier League appearances, once again proving himself as an important figure for the Reds.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Championship club Preston North End on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, we feel that Jota will be involved in both games in some way given how much of a goalscoring threat he is and he should help the Reds keep their unbeaten streak going.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

A big Newcastle United transfer claim has been made, regarding the club’s attempts to land Diego Carlos last month.

What’s the talk?

Sevilla sporting director Monchi has revealed that the Toon made a great effort to sign the Brazilian during the January transfer window.

Speaking to La Colina de Nervion, via Sport Witness, he said the Magpies “really went for it” and then went on to say: “But the club had an idea, a scenario, and they didn’t budge from that.

“Their offer was important, respectful, and even Diego has had his mental comings and goings, but he has ended up satisfied.”

Delight

Eddie Howe will surely be left delighted by this claim as it shows that PIF certainly mean business. The owners clearly put a lot of effort into trying to seal a deal for the defender, with Monchi’s comments highlighting how strong their offer for the central defender was.

It was not a case of Newcastle failing to put a good enough bid in or waiting too long to strike an agreement with the Spanish club, which will please the manager as it offers a glimpse of what could be to come in the summer providing they stay in the division.

PIF have now completed one transfer window at the club and could be better prepared for the next one at the end of the season. Crucially, they will also have more than one month to work with to bolster the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and the ex-Cherries head coach will surely be excited about what they could do with more time to do business.

Howe will also be buzzing with the calibre of players targeted last month. Carlos is excelling in La Liga for a club competing in Europe, whilst the Magpies are 18th in the Premier League and facing a tough battle against relegation down to the Championship at the end of the season, showing the gap in standard between where they are and where they are aiming to be.

The Brazilian defender has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.13 in Spain for Sevilla, whilst also averaging a scoring of 7.03 in the Champions League. This shows that he is able to perform consistently at the highest level, putting in quality displays week-in-week-out for the Spanish side, which is why he was an ambitious target for PIF to work hard to bring in.

AND in other news, Wood axed, Howe unleashes “exciting talent”: NUFC’s sparkling new XI after Jan window…

JustJoe Football ShowJustJoe Football Show presenter Joe Wainman reckons Leeds United could make a late move to sign Daryl Dike.

The United States international, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Championship outfit Barnsley, was linked with the Whites – along with Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton – prior to the transfer window even opening.

Dike is also thought to be on West Bromwich Albion’s radar having worked with new Baggies boss Valerien Ismael during his time at Barnsley.

The 21-year-old scored nine goals in 22 Barnsley appearances and Leeds are reportedly exploring the possibility of completing a loan deal before next week’s transfer deadline.

Having seen his temporary spell with Barnsley come to an end, Dike has returned to Major League Soccer outfit Orlando City and scored two goals in four appearances.

Former All Leeds TV anchorman Wainman believes Marcelo Bielsa may look to welcome Dike to Elland Road before the window slams shut.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “I think a loan with a view to a permanent deal has been mooted.

“I know he is wanted by the West Brom manager who had him at Barnsley. He did really well while at Barnsley.

“Leeds clearly aren’t spending in this window, which is a bit disappointing, but there may be the chance of a loan. I know we were linked with him previously, while he was still at Barnsley, so it may be an option.”

Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi has been spotted on the training ground ahead of the Hoops’ League Cup quarter-final with Raith Rovers.  

The Lowdown: Furuhashi’s injury

Furuhashi returned to Parkhead from the recent international break with a knee injury he sustained playing for Japan.

The 26-year-old made a brilliant start to life in Glasgow prior to his injury, scoring seven times in nine appearances.

Reports earlier this month suggested he was set to miss seven games following his international knock and has already missed the games against Ross County, Real Betis and Livingston.

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The Latest: Celtic’s post

Celtic took to Twitter on Wednesday ahead of their clash with Raith Rovers to share images of the first-team squad in training at Lennoxtown.

In the first image, the majority of Celtic’s squad are being put through their paces, and in the background, Furuhashi appears to be running on his own.

Fans may not have noticed the forward at first glance, with the image available to view here.

The Verdict: Back soon?

Going off the seven-game timeframe, Furuhashi shouldn’t be fit until Celtic’s trip to Motherwell on October 16.

That’s over three weeks away, but with Furuhashi already out on the training ground, albeit by himself, he could provide Ange Postecoglou with a selection boost before then.

Fingers crossed that is the case, however, he shouldn’t be risked until the Hoops staff know he is fully fit.

In other news: Celtic icon smiles and reveals whether he would replace McKay at Parkhead.

Graeme Jones is set for his first match in charge of Newcastle as interim manager against Crystal Palace in the Premier League today.

Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties earlier this week and Jones now faces the unenviable task of trying to pick up the Magpies’ first win of the league campaign at Selhurst Park.

Bruce’s denouement came in the form of a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham last week, with Newcastle 3-1 down at half-time before Jonjo Shelvey was sent off in the second half.

How many changes will Jones make to the side? Here is our predicted XI for today…

We are predicting that he will make four changes to the side from last week, with Miguel Almiron, Fabian Schar, Jeff Hendrick and Jamal Lewis all coming in.

In defence, Schar and Lewis could come into the XI for Ciaran Clark and Matt Ritchie. We published an article explaining why the Northern Ireland left-back should start, with the ex-Norwich man deserving of a chance to show that he can be an upgrade on Ritchie in the Premier League following the £39k-per-week dud’s disappointing showing against Spurs.

Clark has started six Premier League games and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.62. He has won 64% of his duels and made four clearances per match. Meanwhile, Schar has achieved a score of 6.75 in two league starts, winning an exceptional 83% of his duels and making 4.5 clearances per game. This suggests that the Swiss defender could come in and be an upgrade alongside Jamaal Lascelles, which is why Jones could select him for this match.

In midfield, Hendrick could start ahead of Sean Longstaff. The Newcastle academy product had a nightmare against Spurs as he was hauled off after 60 minutes and was given a SofaScore rating of 6.4 as he lost half of his duels. The Irishman scored in his last appearance against Wolves, which suggests that he could come in and add a goal threat to the team.

Almiron watched on from the stands as Newcastle lost to Tottenham due to his late return from international duty, which means he could now be fresh and raring to go for this clash with Palace. The wide midfielder could come in for Joelinton, who we have urged Jones to axe, and play out on the right, with Allan Saint-Maximin switching out to the left-hand side.

We are predicting that the rest of the XI will stay the same, with Callum Wilson, Saint-Maximin, Lascelles, Javier Manquillo, Karl Darlow, Isaac Hayden and Joe Willock all retaining their places.

AND in other news,  Jones must ruthlessly axe £80k-p/w NUFC flop who’s “offering nothing”, he’s dreadful…

An update has emerged regarding how much Everton are prepared to pay for Lazio forward Joaquin Correa.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, via Sportslens, Everton are preparing to make an official offer to Lazio for the 27-year-old.

The reporter claims that the Toffees have a €30m (£25.7m) package ready for the Argentine international, with €25m (£21.4m) upfront and €5m (£4.3m) in further add-ons. They remain in talks with the Italian club and are now poised to submit their bid.

Fans will love it

Farhad Moshiri clearly means business and is willing to splash the cash on Correa to bring him to Goodison Park, if this report is to be believed. A £25.7m deal would be the seventh-most expensive signing in Everton’s history, via Transfermarkt, which shows that it would be a significant investment by the Toffees.

Everton fans will surely love that the club is showing ambition in the market and attempting to strengthen the team by snapping up a top talent. Supporters will surely want to see Moshiri and co do all they can to give Rafa Benitez the best chance of challenging for European football, and the potential signing of Correa could help.

In Serie A last season, the 27-year-old produced eight goals and four assists in 28 games for Lazio. The wing wizard also managed three goals and two assists in eight Champions League appearances for the Biancocelesti, showing that he is able to perform at the pinnacle of European football.

Correa scored twice in a game against AC Milan earlier this year and was hailed as ‘formidable’ by his then- manager Simeone Inzaghi, who has since left the club.

The 45-year-old was quoted by Lazio’s official website as saying: “Correa is a formidable player, he is very intelligent tactically, he sacrifices a lot for the team. I am happy with his double, when he has no problems and can train continuously he always proves to be able to play at the highest levels.”

Along with his statistics, this illustrates that he is capable of playing at the top level. He has been able to provide end product in both Serie A and the Champions League, which suggests that he has the quality to make an impact in the Premier League.

Of course, it is impossible to tell how a player will adapt to the style of football in England or how they will get on with their team-mates, but on the evidence above, Correa would seem a shrewd signing for the Blues. This is why fans will surely be delighted to hear that Moshiri is getting the chequebook out to try and bring him in.

AND in other news, Bye-bye James: Rafa could unearth Everton’s new Tim Cahill in “special” £20m machine…

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed there has been ‘no negotiation’ for Porto attacker Luis Diaz.

The Reds are preparing for life without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in January, with the pair on Africa Cup of Nations duty, along with Naby Keita.

It leaves Jurgen Klopp short of attacking options this month and there is of course the potential to sign someone to help fill the void.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Diaz, who has impressed for Porto this season, scoring 12 goals in 15 Primeira Liga appearances.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, however, Romano claimed that Liverpool have not started negotiations regarding a move for the Colombian, perhaps further suggesting no signings will be made in January.

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Liverpool fans unhappy at Diaz latest

It is an update that hasn’t gone down well with these Reds fans on Twitter, who bemoaned the club’s lack of spending.

“Stand still FC”

Credit: @garylouth

“Confirmed we are not signing anyone this window”

Credit: @taylorblueslim

“Foolish club”

Credit: @Jezscy

“Gerrard time soon”

Credit: @footnut

“We are actually finished. We go again, another 30 years trophyless”

Credit: @notyrgoku

“Every transfer rumour about Liverpool is NO”

Credit: @dondarius471

In other news, some Liverpool fans love David Ornstein’s transfer claim. Read more here.

The departure of Celtic midfielder Ben Doak has all but been confirmed after the 16-year-old agreed a deal in principle with Liverpool.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to the Reds have revealed that the teenager has now come to an agreement with the Premier League side ahead of his well-reported switch from Parkhead to Anfield.

The report goes on to state that Jurgen Klopp’s side will pay Celtic around £600k in compensation for the attack-minded midfielder, who made his first-team debut for the Bhoys against Dundee United earlier this year.

Bad news for Celtic

Considering how high the hopes for Doak were in Glasgow, the news that the Scotland U17 international looks as if his departure will be confirmed in the near future is undoubtedly bad news for Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic side.

Speaking about the youngster’s move south of the border, finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley recently explained to Football Insider that, due to FIFA regulations, the Bhoys are always at risk of losing their most promising talents to English sides.

Plumley said: “It’s largely because of FIFA regulations. England and Scotland are classed as different countries and they can settle on a compensation fee that is far lower than a transfer fee.

“Celtic do this in reverse as well, so you have to be mindful of it in this model. The player has a choice to stay at Celtic and develop into a £20m-plus player or move on and do the same at another club.

“Celtic have to be aware that big clubs will be looking at their players and are well placed to capitalise. For every [Kieran] Tierney you manage to keep and sell for a big fee, you might have a few of these along the way.”

Indeed, Doak very much looked to be heading down the same path Tierney was on back in 2015 – when the left-back made his Celtic debut as a 17-year-old against Dundee FC, with the defender bursting onto the scene before eventually sealing a £25m move to Arsenal four years later.

However, while Doak – who Bhoys Analytics dubbed a “generational talent” – did make his Celtic bow earlier this year, it now looks as if the midfielder will make his switch to the Premier League a great deal sooner than his predecessor as the Hoops’ next big thing.

As such, it is clear for all to see why the 16-year-old’s departure is bad news for the Premiership leaders, as not only will Celtic miss out on a potentially huge transfer fee further down the line, but also the services of an exceptionally talented young playmaker during his development.

AND in other news: Sold at £1.8m, now worth £25m: Celtic had a nightmare on “imposing” £48k-p/w machine

Sheffield Wednesday are back in action with a clash against League Two side Hartlepool United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Wednesday evening after drawing against Wycombe Wanderers in their previous League One clash at the weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Owls manager Darren Moore could select to be in his starting XI to take on Hartlepool, one figure that played a big part in the draw against Wycombe that should be in the team in midweek is Callum Paterson.

As a result of the current injury issues Wednesday have at the moment, especially in the defensive areas, Moore deployed Paterson in the back three alongside Chey Dunkley and Ciaran Brennan at the weekend.

In the game against Wycombe, despite conceding two goals on the day, Paterson managed to put in a good display and show to Moore that he is a capable defensive player even though he’s predominantly played in attacking positions for Wednesday this season.

Even though he gave away a free-kick that led to Wycombe’s equalising goal, Paterson still managed to make eight clearances, three interceptions and one tackle as well as winning six of the nine duels he was involved in.

This performance earned Paterson an overall match rating of 7.2/10 from SofaScore, higher than Dunkley and Brennan, showing that he is more than capable of playing in a defensive position when called upon by Moore.

With Paterson previously being described as “irreplaceable” by Neil Warnock when they were both at Cardiff City, it seems as though that’s what he could be for Wednesday now as well considering their defensive injury issues and his mostly solid performance against the Chairboys.

Even though their next opponents are currently in League Two and haven’t won any of their five previous league games, it gives Moore the opportunity to play the £1.6m-rated Paterson in defence again to see if he can show off his versatility potentially even improve on the performance from last time out.

If he can, this could make him a real key figure for Moore until he gets some of his injured defensive players back up to speed again.

In other news: SWFC dealt potential double fitness blow ahead of Hartlepool, fans will be worried – opinion

Osaze Urhoghide could now be heading for a return to Parkhead at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Belgian media outlet HLN, KV Oostende’s sporting director, Gauthier Ganaye, revealed that, despite the Jupiler Pro League side possessing an option to buy the loanee defender, he may not be able to afford the cost of the 21-year-old – something which could well see Urhoghide return to Celtic Park this summer.

Speaking about the possibility of signing the versatile centre-back, Ganaye said: “We also want to finalise the rented Urhoghide, although [his] price tag is higher. But we want to find a solution. He is a kind of theatre: explosive, aggressive and forward-thinking.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Urhoghide quite clearly possesses, the news that Oostende could struggle to complete the signing of the youngster this summer is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the decision to include a purchase option in the defender’s loan deal appeared a strange one in the first place, with Celtic supporters making it abundantly clear in a poll ran on Football FanCast that they felt it was a mistake for the club to do so.

It is not difficult to understand why they hold this belief, as the £450k-rated starlet has already proven over his seven Jupiler Pro League outings that he is an exceptionally talented player, so far helping his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.9 interceptions – the most of any player in the league – 2.1 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

Furthermore, Ange Postecoglou was also clearly very excited at the prospect of working with the former Sheffield Wednesday talent upon his arrival at Celtic last summer, stating of the 21-year-old:

“He’s just beginning his football career but he shows all the attributes on and off the field to want to become a top player, so it’s great to get him here. He can play a couple of positions at the back and, most importantly, he’s really keen to learn and develop and I think this will be a great environment for him.

“He’s a modern defender. He’s good athletically, he’s mobile, he’s quick and he wants to get on the ball. He can play a couple of different positions, and from our perspective, and the way we want to play our football, there are certain things I look for in players irrespective of age, and he’s got some really good attributes to be a top defender.”

As such, the news that the £7k-per-week Urhoghide could be set for a return to Glasgow this summer is undoubtedly good news for everyone involved with the Hoops – as it is clear to see that the youngster who Ben Gotting dubbed a “monster” could well go on to have an extremely successful career at Parkhead.

AND in other news: “There’s no problem”: Huge behind-scenes rumour now quashed, it’s good news for Celtic