It’s all well and good that Liverpool are dominating the Premier League’s possession charts this season, but a distinct absence of creativity and fluency has soured the mood on Merseyside.

Liverpool are nine games unbeaten in all competitions, and only left Craven Cottage without the spoils after substitute Harrison Reed’s frankly ridiculous last-gasp Howitzer.

But this is almost immaterial for the legions of Liverpool supporters, who cannot discern an identity about Arne Slot’s squad, so slow and laboured and uninteresting.

Premier League 25/26 – Possession Leaders

Team

Position

Av. Possession (%)

Liverpool

4th

61.2

Man City

2nd

58.6

Arsenal

1st

58.3

Chelsea

5th

58.0

Man United

6th

53.3

Data via FBref

Changes are needed, and as FSG are sure to persist with their struggling manager, it may be worth making an improvement in the transfer market, with the midfield in desperate need of fresh inspiration.

Liverpool targeting Premier League midfielder

Liverpool are struggling. To have gone nine games unbeaten and failed to shake the malaise and instead aggravated it says something of Slot’s tactical problems.

It’s not fair to say the Reds aren’t creating big chances – with 41, they are third in that Premier League micro table – but stats can be misleading, and clear-cut, sharp opportunities are not being fashioned with regularity or expected endeavour.

Alexis Mac Allister has fallen by the wayside, and Ryan Gravenberch does not boast the level of incisive surgical passing to create channels for the forwards. It’s all a bit tricky.

But FSG are aware of this, and they are firmly in the race for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, though Spanish sources have revealed that Real Madrid have joined the race.

Palace are determined not to sell this winter, but Wharton’s long-term future surely sits with a European superpower, though the Eagles are determined to cash in for a base fee of €70m (converting to about £61m), with Wharton awarded a significant salary to boot.

What Wharton would bring to Anfield

There is a reason Real Madrid want to bring Wharton to the Santiago Bernabeu. He has flair and resourcefulness. Should he fulfil his potential, he would not look out of place in one of the Spanish superpowers of old.

Hailed as a “cheat code” by analyst Ben Mattinson for his range of passing, Wharton could even emerge as Liverpool’s new version of Xabi Alonso, who starred in Istanbul way back when and enjoyed a glittering career for a number of Europe’s top clubs – leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2009.

Could lightning strike twice? Were Liverpool to prevail in their bid for Palace’s central star, he would go from strength to strength, and Los Blancos’ interest would not disappear.

This is a top talent. As per data-driven platform FBref, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 7% of Premier League midfielders this season for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for through balls completed per 90, underscoring his Alonso-esque skill on the ball that is now being propped up by improvements in the defensive department.

Wharton is showing sharp progress. Last season, though Oliver Glasner’s side were on the up, the young England international left something to be desired. He’s made headway this year, looking more like the all-encompassing midfield star that Alonso was at the height of his playing days.

Adam Wharton’s Premier League Form

Match Stats (* per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

20 (16)

18 (18)

Goals + Assists

0 + 2

0 + 2

Touches*

45.7

52.8

Accurate passes*

26.7 (79%)

30.2 (79%)

Big chances created

5

7

Key passes*

1.3

1.3

Ball recoveries*

5.1

5.2

Succ. dribbles*

0.1

0.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.7

3.2

Duels (won)*

3.2 (46%)

4.6 (55%)

Data via Sofascore

Creativity and on the ball, Wharton is enjoying a continuation of his most notable quality, but his combative approach to defending, and his mobility and skill in carrying the ball forward, have both intensified.

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Described as “the best U21 player in the Prem” by one analyst, Wharton is still younger than Alonso was when he moved from Real Sociedad to Liverpool in 2004, going on to become one of the maestros of his generation.

He has the sparkle about his skillset to make a real difference at Liverpool, charging Slot’s depleted midfield batteries and adding a central talisman of a likeness to Alonso, once one of the best midfielders in the world.

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For the second successive home game, MICT were asked to complete the highest successful chase in the SA20 and for the second time, they were unable to do so. The defending champions remain winless from three matches and at the bottom of the table, swapping places with Pretoria Capitals. The Highveld team registered their first win of the competition, in their third match, thanks largely to an explosive batting performance.They were in early trouble on 38 for 3 in the fifth over before an 88-run fourth-wicket partnership between Shai Hope and Wihan Lubbe took them to 126 for 4 in the 15th. Both Hope and Lubbe dismissed before the death overs, but that only allowed Capitals’ finishers to shine. Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford shared a stunning stand of 84 off just 27 balls, which included 72 runs in the last three overs, to push Capitals to 220.As they did in the tournament opener, when they were chasing 233, MICT made a fist of it but only for the first half. They were ahead of the asking rate on 100 for 2 in the ninth over but lost 7 for 35 to deny their home crowd early celebrations on the last day of 2025. They didn’t even have the joy of avoiding conceding a bonus point, with Capitals scooping all five points on offer. Rutherford followed his death-hitting with 4 for 24.

Rabada roars back but then gets taken apart

It’s a day short of ten weeks since Kagiso Rabada last played a match, in the Rawalpindi Test, and concerns over his readiness for a T20 World Cup that is just five weeks away were growing. They shouldn’t have been. Rabada came back with a trademark back-of-a-length ball that beat Bryce Parsons as he tried to glance it fine and then followed up with a fuller ball that shaped away from Parsons’ attempted drive and nicked him off. The rest of Rabada’s over was near-perfect as he varied his lengths, surprised Will Smeed with a bouncer, and ended up conceding only two runs. In his second over, Hope hit a slower ball for a huge six but Rabada pulled it back well as his first two overs cost 12.He was brought back in the 16th over, once the Hope-Lubbe stand was broken and with Lubbe keen to up the ante. He top-edged Rabada over slip but then tried to swipe across the line and top-edged over mid-on. Rabada charged back to try and take the catch but stood down when seeing Reeza Hendricks, who charged in from long-on, was in better position. He could have a had a fourth and a fifth but Corbin Bosch put Brevis down – a difficult, swirling chance – and Nicholas Pooran dropped Rutherford in the final over. Rabada finished with figures of 2 for 48,

Brevis and Rutherford unload six-shooters

After returns of 6 and 12 in his first two matches, Brevis had done very little to justify the R16.5 million (approx US$980,000) Pretoria Capitals paid for him but he started to earn some of his money here. His first boundary was the signature no-look six, this time off a Trent Boult slower ball, and his next two were also sixes. He sent a Bosch full toss over long-off and then sliced a short ball over third to rack up 24 runs off the first nine balls he faced.But it was not all Brevis. At the start of the next over, the penultimate one, Sherfane Rutherford made sure his power-hitting stole the spotlight. He sent a wide Dwaine Pretorius offcutter over long-off, a slower-ball bouncer over square leg, a full toss over deep cover and then got inside the line of a length ball to hit it over long-off. Pretorius pulled out of his run-up for the fifth ball and broke Rutherford’s momentum with a yorker but the damage had been done.

Rickelton rides his luck until he doesn’t

After being dropped twice on his way to 113 in the opening game, Ryan Rickelton was put down twice more as the rub of the green continued for him at Newlands. He was on 13 when he skied Lizaad Williams toward mid-on. Rurtherford had an age to get under it and did but the ball slipped out of his hands to give Rickelton a life. In the next over, he was on 23 when he miscued a Lungi Ngidi slower ball to third. Williams was running in and seemed to have it covered only for Brevis to come into view, charging towards the ball from deep backward point. In the end, the ball fell between them as they tumbled to the ground, almost colliding.Rickelton kept hitting but his fortune ran out when he pulled Williams to deep backward square where Parsons took the catch, diving forward. The opening stand was broken on 60, and Brevis redeemed himself when he took the catch that removed Rassie van der Dussen, two overs later.

Maharaj makes NYE his own

Things started out tough for Keshav Maharaj at his new franchise but he took control with a statement performance on the last day of 2025. Maharaj brought himself on after the powerplay, with MICT on 63 for 1, and quietened things down in an opening over that cost just five. His second over started with a wide, and then he was hit for back-to-back sixes by Pooran but Maharaj had the last laugh. Pooran slog swept but didn’t get enough on it and was caught at deep backward square. Maharaj’s third over was the charm as he got turn and bounce and beat Jason Smith’s outside edge to bowl him. MICT were 113 for 5 at that stage and in the middle of a huge collapse that saw them fall 85 runs short. The chase was over in the 15th over with 34 balls to spare.

There were plenty of significant outgoings at Manchester United in the summer, but one of the most notable departures was Marcus Rashford.

He moved to Barcelona on loan with an option to buy him at the end of the summer, essentially calling time on his wonderful Old Trafford career.

The Wythenshawe-born superstar made 426 appearances for his boyhood club since breaking through as a teenager, scoring 138 goals and assisting 79 times.

He was sensational for a decade or so, helping to guide United to two Carabao Cup wins, the Europa League and two FA Cup titles.

Now, with Rashford having essentially left the club, United are looking to bring in a new left-winger.

Man Utd targeting new teenage winger

Rashford was not the only left-winger to leave Old Trafford in the summer. His fellow academy graduate, Alejandro Garnacho, also left for Chelsea, leaving the Red Devils depleted in that area of the pitch.

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Thus, it might not be a surprise to learn that United are in the market for a new left-sided attacker.

The Daily Mail are reporting that Ruben Amorim’s side ‘are now asking about’ terms to sign RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande in the coming weeks.

However, this is not going to be an easy deal to do. The Ivorian international is a player in demand, with Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur having also enquired about the deal.

In terms of the fee, United’s owners INEOS, and indeed other interested parties, could be looking at upwards of £61m to sign the winger.

What Diomande can bring to United

Signing Diomande would certainly be a huge statement for the Red Devils. He is arguably one of the most highly rated young attackers on the planet and has already become a key player for Leipzig in his first season at the club.

So far, the 19-year-old, who is a full international with Cote d’Ivoire, has made 16 appearances for the Bundesliga side this term.

In that time, he’s scored seven times and assisted four, averaging a goal involvement every 94 minutes, which is certainly an impressive return.

One of the most striking things when you watch Diomande is how deadly a dribbler he is.

Described as an “explosive” winger by football scout Antonio Mango, he thrives in one-vs-one situations, isolating a defender before looking to drive at them with his power and quick feet.

It is interesting to consider the similarities between Diomande now and Rashford as a teenager. Funnily enough, 1999 treble winner and fellow academy graduate Nicky Butt said the now-Barca winger was an “explosive” player in his younger days, too.

Like the Ivorian, he played with fearlessness, really looking to get at defenders on the front foot.

Indeed, the former United number ten played a lot more first-team football as a teenager than Diomande has. Rashford hasd notched up 87 appearances by his 20th birthday, scoring 26 times.

Strikes like this against West Ham United highlight that explosive nature Butt mentioned.

It is easy to see the similarities between a teenage Rashford and Leipzig’s own young talent, and the stats further highlight this.

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For example, in 2016/17, a campaign the Englishman began as a teenager, he averaged 4.08 progressive carries and created 1.09 chances per 90 minutes. In comparison, Diomande averages 6.26 progressive carries and 1.41 key passes each game.

Diomande vs Rashford

Stat (per 90)

Diomande (25/26)

Rashford (16/17)

Goals & assists

0.81

0.6

Goals per shot on target

0.46

0.35

Key passes

1.41

1.09

Passes into penalty area

1.41

1.19

Progressive passes

6.26

4.08

Stats from FBref

When he first broke through at Old Trafford, Rashford was a dynamic attacking option who continued to thrive for years in his 20s.

Now he’s departed, there isn’t really anyone of that profile at the club, be it an established player or someone breaking through.

Well, signing Diomande could solve that. He has certainly got similar attributes to Rashford, with that previously acknowledged explosive nature and a threat in the final third.

£61m is a fair value for such a talent in the current market, and he could add a new dimension to Amorim’s side.

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Everton have dropped some further positive early team news before they play host to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Lowdown: Doucoure back for Man City clash

As seen in images posted on the club’s official Twitter channel, the Toffees have revealed that Abdoulaye Doucoure is now back in training and will hope that he can play a part against Pep Guardiola’s men.

After Burnley’s 1-0 win at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, the Merseyside club may be worried about potential relegation just a little bit more, so they will need as many of their key players back as possible when the Premier League champions visit Goodison Park.

The Latest: Godfrey progress

Just after Everton revealed the news about Doucoure, they also tweeted an update on Ben Godfrey as he also aims to return to full fitness.

Posting an image of the 24-year-old in training, the club added the succinct caption of “Making progress”, along with an hourglass emoji.

The Verdict: Positive news for Everton

It certainly is promising to hear that Godfrey is also making progress, on top of the revelation that Doucoure is back in training.

The defender has not played for Everton since the 4-1 win at home to Brentford in the FA Cup earlier this month, and he had rarely missed a game this season before then (Transfermarkt).

Godfrey has ranked highly among his team-mates in terms of tackles, clearances and blocks per game in the Premier League this term (WhoScored), so he is clearly a key player in Frank Lampard’s team.

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While he may not make it for the match against the Sky Blues this weekend, he may be fit enough for the rest of the campaign, which will no doubt be a big boost for the Toffees.

In other news, Everton are ‘hedging their bets’ over this deal

Everton secured their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last night after beating Boreham Wood 2-0 at Goodison Park thanks to a brace of goals from Salomon Rondon.

Despite the goalscoring efforts of the 32-year-old, one other Toffees figure put in an impressive display which would surely have delighted Frank Lampard.

Starting on the right-hand side of a back three next to Michael Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite, Jonjoe Kenny played through the entire 90 minutes and was able to show his manager just how capable he is on and off the ball.

With a total of 110 touches, the 24-year-old completed 83 of the 93 passes he attempted, with one of them being the assist for Everton’s opening goal of the night. He also played five accurate long balls, two crosses and five key passes, highlighting his wide range of passing ability. [SofaScore]

Despite the away side having just one shot at goal throughout the match, Kenny still showed what a capable defender he is by making three tackles, one interception and one clearance, along with winning seven of his nine duels (78%).

This display ultimately earned the former Celtic loanee – who was described as a “passionate” player by Neil Lennon during his time in Glasgow – a strong overall match rating of 8.4/10, making him the highest-rated player on the night according to SofaScore.

The Liverpool Echo also picked up on his industrious performance by saying that he “showed his aptitude for versatility by playing in three different positions”.

Even though their midweek opponents are currently in the fifth tier of English football, Lampard will still be happy to see Kenny being able to step up to the plate on important occasions and show what he can do up and down the pitch.

If the full-back can replicate this standard of performance moving forward in the Premier League, he could end up being a vital player for the Merseyside club and their hopes for avoiding relegation, along with potentially getting their hands on the FA Cup.

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Rondon may have got his name on the scoresheet, but Kenny’s relatively unsung performance was just as heroic from an Everton perspective.

In other news: Everton missed their chance on £33m star dubbed “one of the best in the world”…

When Ryan Christie joined Celtic from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in what was a £500k deal back in 2015, few would have expected the versatile forward to go on and enjoy the career he did at Parkhead.

Indeed, over his 151 appearances for the Bhoys, the 27-year-old scored a highly impressive 41 goals and registered a whopping 44 assists, as well as winning three Premiership titles, one Scottish Cup and two Scottish League Cups.

However, despite these quite remarkable returns for the Hoops, towards the end of his stay in Glasgow, the Scotland international began to frustrate the Parkhead faithful after picking up a habit of shooting from distance – something which Frank McAvennie commented on in the summer of 2021.

After being linked with a move to Southampton, the former Celtic centre-forward was asked whether he felt Christie could make it in the Premier League, to which the 62-year-old replied:

“I don’t think so. He’s a wonderful talent but I think he’s too light for the Premier League. If you touch him, he goes down. He’s a big lad, he needs to stay on his feet. It looks like he just wants to win free-kicks.

“There’s no doubting his ability or his talent. But he’s stopped doing the little things. He’s stopped chasing the ball, he looked so eager at the start of his career. Now he doesn’t look bothered.

“He’s lost his hunger, his appetite. He became a bit of a laughing stock, he was just picking the ball up and shooting but he deserved some slack. It will take a big job for the boy to make it in the Premier League.”

And, while Christie ultimately did not secure a switch to Saints, he did move to the South Coast, with Championship side Bournemouth paying Celtic an extremely reasonable £2.5m for the 27-year-old’s services – despite the fact Tranfermarkt valued the Scotland international at £6.3m at the time of his transfer.

Now, after making 26 appearances in the Championship for the Cherries, this fee appears to have been an absolute steal, as the £23k-per-week forward has been one of Scott Parker’s players of the season, bagging three goals, registering six assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen Christie average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Bournemouth’s third-best player in the second tier of English football.

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And, with the Cherries currently occupying third place in the Championship standings – boasting four games in hand on second-placed Huddersfield Town – there is every chance that the 27-year-old will finally get his chance to disprove McAvennie’s claim he is not good enough for the Premier League next season.

Either way, considering Christie is now valued by Transfermarkt at £8.1m, Celtic’s decision to part with the player – whose move to England was dubbed “staggering” by Davie Provan – for just £2.5m last August is something that will have undoubtedly left the club red-faced.

In other news: Sold at £3m, now valued at £50m: Celtic had a shocker on “outstanding” £70k-p/w “star”

Leicester City have made contact for former Celtic midfielder Scott Brown, The Daily Record’s Scott Burns reports.

The Lowdown: Celtic eyeing move

Brown officially parted ways with Aberdeen earlier in the week and was swiftly linked with a return to Celtic Park in a coaching capacity.

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Reports suggested that the Hoops would be willing to create a coaching pathway for their former captain, possibly in the senior academy and B-team or coaching Celtic’s Under-18 side.

Ange Postecoglou appeared to be open to the former captain returning to Glasgow, however, ex-Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers has already made the first move.

The Latest: Leicester contact

As reported by Burns on Wednesday afternoon, Leicester have made contact with Brown.

Rodgers has reportedly offered the Scot the chance to head down to the Midlands to spend time with him and his coaching staff ahead of a possible move.

The Verdict: A blow?

It seems as if the Foxes are one step ahead of the Hoops when it comes to offering Brown a new home, which could be a blow for Celtic chiefs.

Postecoglou spoke highly of Brown on Thursday, and a return to Lennoxtown could be a shrewd move as he looks to continue his coaching development.

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However, it seems as if he may well be heading down south with Rodgers over the coming weeks, so Celtic may have to play the waiting game when it comes to their club legend’s next move.

In other news: ‘Seems that’ – Journo now drops more Parkhead exit news on ‘horrendous’ Celtic ‘waste of money’. 

Newcastle United are set to head into their first summer transfer window with PIF in charge at the end of the current season. 

The Saudi Arabian consortium completed their takeover after the start of the campaign and had no say on the business done in pre-season, as Joe Willock was the sole summer 2021 signing under Mike Ashley.

PIF flexed their muscles in January as they brought in Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett, Dan Burn, Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier, and it will be intriguing to see what they do in July and August this year.

Brutally axe Clark

Along with incomings, Newcastle will also need to let players go, and one who must be brutally axed is defender Ciaran Clark. The Irishman already has one foot out the door after he was omitted from the club’s Premier League squad for the second half of the season.

Leaving him off the list is the first step but they must now take the next, and final, one by selling him permanently ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. His current contract expires in 2023, so the Magpies would need to put up with his wages for another season if they are unable (or refuse) to cash in on him before then.

Clark has become a liability for Newcastle on the pitch in recent years as he has allowed his performance levels to plummet.

In the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Premier League campaigns, he averaged WhoScored ratings of 7.06 and 6.89 respectively. This shows that he was putting in solid displays on a consistent basis and Transfermarkt valued him at £5.4m – the highest point of his career – in December 2019.

Since then, it has been all downhill for the centre-back. He averaged an underwhelming WhoScored rating of 6.64 in the 2020/21 campaign and then endured a disastrous first half of this season before being left out of Howe’s squad, averaging a dreadful rating of 6.24.

Along with this, journalist Josh Bunting claimed that Clark “embarrassed himself” after he was sent off in a friendly match in Saudi Arabia at the end of January.

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This shows that his performance levels have been plummeting and that is reflected in his market value. He is currently valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt – set in December 2021 – which means that his stock has dropped 58.3% in just two years.

Newcastle must now cut their ties with Clark and sell him in the summer whilst they still can. His statistics do not suggest that he is set for a revival and Howe’s decision to leave him out of his squad indicates that the manager has no plans to reintegrate him into the first-team, which is why PIF must sell him as quickly as possible.

AND in other news, Forget Burn: Newcastle now plotting bid to sign “unbelievable” £30m tank, he’d be “sensational”…

Celtic have finalised a move for promising striker Jack Thomson, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Doak departure

The Hoops look set to lose talented winger Ben Doak to Liverpool over the coming months.

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Doak is yet to pen professional terms at Parkhead, meaning Celtic could receive just £150,000 for the 16-year-old’s services in compensation.

It now appears to be a case of one in and one out at the club’s academy, with an update emerging on Thomson.

The Latest: Thomson’s arrival

The Daily Record shared a story on Thursday morning, revealing some smart business by Michael Nicholson – Thomson has now signed a professional youth deal at Parkhead from Mossend FC.

The youngster was labelled as one of their most promising starlets and now joins a growing list of Lanarkshire players currently at Parkhead, including David Turnbull and Stephen Welsh.

The Verdict: Welcome news

Celtic needed some positive news during the international break following injuries to Tom Rogic, Johnny Kenny and concerns over Daizen Maeda’s fitness.

Thomson could well turn out to be a star of the future, with Mossend admitting the youngster will be a ‘huge loss’ to the club.

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He now looks set to take his place in Celtic’s academy system, and hopefully, we will see Thomson in a senior Celtic squad in years to come.

In other news: ‘Worrying…’ – Sky Sports man claims ‘brilliant’ Celtic ace may now have suffered ‘bone damage’. 

Tottenham Hostpur have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of a deal to bring Ruben Neves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent David Ornstein article for The Athletic, in which the transfer insider claimed that, after five years of service for the club, Wolverhampton Wanderers could be open to parting with the central midfielder at the end of the current campaign – should an acceptable offer be lodged.

Ornstein went on to state that, despite Barcelona currently looking to be the most likely destination for the 25-year-old, a number of Premier League teams are also in discussions with the Portugal international’s intermediaries regarding a potential summer swoop – one of whom could well be Tottenham.

Indeed, just last August, Fabio Paratici was reported to be negotiating a long-term contract with Neves prior to a £40m (£34m) move to north London, however, in the end, no agreement between the player and Spurs was reached.

In his article, Ornstein wrote: “There is an acceptance that after five years of fine service, Neves may be sold if a suitable offer arrives and gives him a chance to play Champions League football.

“Discussions are taking place between intermediaries and, at present, the most likely destination is said to be Barcelona, though Premier League teams are known to be keen and Wolves would gladly sign him to a new contract.”

Neves can replace Lo Celso

Considering just how impressive Neves has been since his £15.8m move to Wolves back in 2017, in addition to the fact that both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele – currently on loan at Villarreal and Lyon respectively – appear as if they could be on their way out of north London this summer, it would be surprising if Paratici does not reignite his interest in the 25-year-old in the coming months.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances this season, the £36m-rated midfielder has been in electric form for Bruno Lage’s side, scoring four goals, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

The £58k-per-week maestro has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 50 passes and winning four duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who David Edwards claimed was Wolves’ “biggest signing of the window” after keeping him at Molineux last summer average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.20, not only ranking him as Lage’s best performing outfielder but also as the joint 25th-best player in the division as a whole.

In comparison, over Lo Celso’s nine Premier League outings in the current campaign, the £25m-rated midfielder was in rather less spectacular form, scoring no goals, providing no assists and creating two big chances, in addition to making an average of 0.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 13.9 passes and winning 2.6 duels per game.

These returns saw the £100k-per-week Argentina international who John Wenham dubbed “unacceptable” earlier this season average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.72, ranking him as Antonio Conte’s sixth-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

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As such, it is clear for all to see that Neves would be a significant upgrade on Lo Celso, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all to move the 25-year-old on this summer, before reinvesting the fee received for the Argentine – as well as his hefty weekly wage – into a move for the Wolves destroyer.

Consequently, a swoop could just turn out to be the deal of the window, something Edwards alluded to last summer.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £59m bid for 24 y/o “appreciated by Conte”, he’s “perfect” for Spurs