With another January transfer window on the horizon, it’s that time of year where Manchester City are once again linked with a move for Spanish playmaker Isco, but now it looks like there could be another name about to be consistently tipped for a switch to the Etihad.
Particularly during City’s newly-found defensive crisis, with first-team stars Ederson, Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko out for the foreseeable future, the club have been repeatedly linked with a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) has been the latest source to link the centre-back to a move to Manchester – but these fans clearly don’t fancy Pep Guardiola adding him to the team.
The Senegalese international has been one of Europe’s top centre-backs in recent seasons and a top ball-playing defender, exhibiting a 91.2% pass success rate in the 2017/2018 season for Napoli, highlighting why he may be so sought after at Eastlands.
Regardless of the credibility of some rumours, City supporters seem to prefer a range of alternatives to the Napoli defender, making their views clear online.
Here’s what they had to say on Twitter:
City fans, which defender would you sign for the club? Let us know below!
Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers shuffled his striking pack in the summer transfer window to bolster his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Firstly, the Northern Irish head coach ruthlessly cashed in on South Korea international Hyeon-gyu Oh, who moved to Genk on a permanent deal.
That then opened the door for the Hoops to swoop to bring Republic of Ireland international Adam Idah back to Parkhead for a second spell, after his time on loan during the second half of last season.
The Scottish giants reportedly reached an agreement with Norwich City to sign the 23-year-old marksman for a whopping fee of £8.5m, with a further £1m in potential add-ons that could take the deal to £9.5m.
Idah has scored four goals in nine appearances in all competitions for the Hoops so far this season and Celtic will be hoping that he can continue his development and eventually emerge as a consistent and reliable goalscorer for years to come – given the money they paid for him.
The Bhoys have had plenty of lethal strikers over the years, including the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Gary Hooper, and Odsonne Edouard, but the most memorable of them all is Henrik Larsson.
Henrik Larsson's Celtic career
The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Sweden international from Feyenoord in the summer of 1997 after he had enjoyed a relatively average campaign in the Dutch top-flight.
Larsson had produced seven goals in 31 league appearances during the 1996/97 season and had scored 39 goals in 136 matches for Feyenoord in all competitions.
This shows that the Swedish star was far from prolific during his time in the Netherlands and that Celtic were not bringing in a centre-forward who was guaranteed to be a superstar at Parkhead when they moved to sign him in 1997.
Henrik Larsson
The marksman then had a solid, but unspectacular, first season in Glasgow with a return of 14 goals and six assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.
After another couple of decent seasons at Parkhead, Larsson made his breakthrough as a superstar for the Hoops with a staggering haul of 53 goals and two assists in 50 matches during the 2000/01 campaign.
The Sweden international went on to rack up 220 goals and 63 assists in 287 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants throughout his career in Glasgow.
These statistics show that Larsson was an incredibly prolific and lethal striker for the majority of his time with Celtic, as he almost averaged a goal contribution every match on average.
The Hoops have been searching for their next Larsson ever since his move to Barcelona in the summer of 2004 and may have once thought they found him in Georgios Giakoumakis.
The striker who was a "Henrik Larsson-type"
In the summer of 2021, Celtic were chasing a deal to sign the Greek international from VVV Venlo and former Scotland manager Alex McLeish had big expectations of the forward.
Speaking to Football Insider, the Scottish chief suggested that Giakoumakis could be a “Henrik Larsson-type” character for the Hoops and that he could be a “special” signing for the club, because of his goalscoring record in the Netherlands.
Former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Greek star had plundered a staggering 29 goals in 33 games in all competitions for VVV Venlo in the 2020/21 campaign, including 26 goals in 30 matches in the Eredivisie.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
They were relegated from the Dutch top-flight despite his extraordinary efforts in front of goal and Celtic may have felt as though they had a potential Larsson 2.0 on their hands, as another player coming over from the Netherlands with the potential to be a lethal scorer for the Hoops.
Appearances
21
Starts
11
Goals
13
Minutes per goal
81
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, Giakoumakis had a mixed first season at Parkhead with limited appearances but a lethal goal record in that time.
The striker, who missed nine games through injury, was not trusted to start games regularly by Ange Postecoglou yet still managed to average a goal every 81 minutes in the Scottish Premiership.
Giakoumakis followed that up with a return of six goals and one assist in 19 appearances and four starts in the Australian manager’s second season.
His lack of consistent minutes on the pitch for Celtic led to an exit from Glasgow in February of 2023, before the end of his second campaign at the club.
How much Celtic sold Giakoumakis for
MLS side Atlanta United reportedly swooped in to pay a fee of up to £4.3m, with a guaranteed payment of £3.5m, for the Greek international.
Giakoumakis later revealed that he was denied a pay rise that he felt he deserved, despite his lack of minutes, at Celtic and that played a part in his exit from the club.
Former Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Irrespective of how his transfer to America came about, the former Eredivisie star never lived up to the early hype after his move to Scotland in 2021, as he never even got close to reaching Larsson’s level of lethal goalscoring over the course of an entire season.
The Greek sensation set out to prove Celtic wrong for not giving him more minutes and not giving him the pay rise he wanted with his performances on the pitch for Atlanta last year.
Appearances
30
xG
14.82
Goals
19
Big chances missed
10
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Giakoumakis may feel like he did that by scoring 19 goals from 14.82 xG in just 30 MLS outings for his next club.
He followed that up with five goals from 4.87 xG in eight starts in the MLS in 2024 before completing a move to Mexican side Cruz Azul, where he has scored five goals in nine league games this season.
These statistics show that the attacker has been in lethal form since moving on from Parkhead and Celtic may regret not trying harder to retain his services, as Kyogo Furuhashi has scored 17 goals and missed 33 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership since the start of last season.
Celtic thought they had their new Tierney, now he's already left Parkhead
Celtic wasted millions on the left-back after they look to replace the Scottish defender.
Newcastle United have new expectations, now that PIF have enjoyed several years of ownership. Eddie Howe is in his third full season, having taken the club to the Champions League and the Carabao Cup final.
They narrowly missed out on a successive term on the continent after Manchester United salvaged their season with an unlikely FA Cup victory over Manchester City, but the unrelenting barrage of injuries on Tyneside made it very hard for Howe to get his system flowing at its max.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Perspective is important. Some sections of the Magpies support are (somewhat justly) frustrated by their side’s start to the 2024/25 campaign, but victory over Everton in the Premier League this weekend would put Newcastle in a good position heading into the October international break, for they have claimed 11 points from six games and recently drew to Manchester City.
However, it would be wong to say that United are firing on all cylinders – especially up front – and thus Howe must be pretty annoyed by his team’s failure to effectively strengthen the frontline this summer, with Miguel Almiron still a core part of the team.
Miguel Almiron's future at Newcastle
No disrespect to Almiron, but he doesn’t look likely to reclaim that wonderful burst of form that played a crucial role in qualifying for the Champions League in 2022/23. It was a prolific vein that made rivals – such as Jack Grealish, ha-ha – bow in awe, Toon supporters swoon.
But after that fleeting period of brilliance, Almiron has sunk back into the cold comfort of obscurity, scoring only three Premier League goals last year and featuring on only a handful of occasions over the past two months.
He’s still got his benefits, demonstrating an aptitude in ball retention and carrying an energy through his displays that spreads through to his defensive efforts, ranking among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
24/25
2 (0)
2′
0
0
23/24
33 (23)
1,947′
3
1
22/23
34 (29)
2,508′
11
2
21/22
30 (19)
1,720′
1
0
20/21
34 (28)
2,438′
4
1
19/20
36 (35)
3,034′
4
2
18/19
10 (9)
763′
0
0
It’s perhaps telling that TEAMtalk have recently revealed that Almiron is expected to leave in January, with clubs from the MLS and Saudi Pro League lining up to offer the Paraguayan a bumper package to enter the twilit phase of his career, with Everton also keen on keeping him in the Premier League.
The report claims that Newcastle were willing to let him go during the off-season, but clearly, a lack of success on the market left the club empty-handed, and forced to retain the services of a player who has slipped into a marginal role, almost like a piece of flotsam drifted out to sea, but still stuck in St. James’ Park waters.
Miguel Almiron
There were a host of targets that Howe pursued, but none came closer to signing for the outfit than Anthony Elanga, who was excellent for Nottingham Forest last year.
Howe must rue missing out on Anthony Elanga
Before we talk about Newcastle’s blunder, let’s talk about Manchester United’s. They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, but only if you find yourself looking at the point in question from afar, from the outside.
Manchester United forward Anthony Elanga.
The Red Devils must rue selling Elanga to Forest for a £15m fee in July 2023, bidding farewell to their homegrown winger, principally right-sided, as Erik ten Hag felt he had ample quality in that of Antony and Jadon Sancho. Cue ellipses.
The Sweden international, 22 years old, scored five goals and assisted nine more in the English top flight, as per Sofascore, with his “electric pace” – as per former goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and playmaking combining to make a real impression.
He created 14 big chances in total, putting him among the Premier League’s finest creators of the year, and the highest of any Tricky Trees player bar Morgan Gibbs-White, who created 16 big chances.
Newcastle launched a series of offers Nottingham Forest’s way in August, with their frenetic and, largely, fruitless finish seeing an offer worth £50m for the wide forward, though this was rejected, much to the Magpies’ dismay.
The simple nature of the saga is not a pointer of Paul Mitchell’s failed strategy, but rather an illumination of the lack of time that was afforded to conclude business – Forest’s steadfast resolve could have been tested with an even bigger bid, but this would have been an overpayment for a talented player, yes, but one whose efforts have not yet placed him in such a ballpark.
Elanga hasn’t started the current campaign in the rip-roaring form that perhaps he would have hoped for, yet to score and boasting just one assist, but he’s certainly been an important member of a team that is exceeding expectations under Nuno Espirito Santo’s wing, with just one defeat – and a victory at Anfield – from six Premier League matches.
Just imagine him on the right side of Newcastle’s frontline, combining with the clinical Alexander Isak to fire Newcastle back into the ascendancy; offering interchangeable threats from the flank to bounce off Anthony Gordon on the alternate, keeping defenders guessing; cutting inside or dragging down the side to create space and pull opponents away, allowing Harvey Barnes to glide inward, as is his way, and fire delightfully past the goalkeeper, as is his way.
Newcastle fumbled the bag with this one, and given that Almiron, who has played the bittiest of parts under Howe this term, is set to depart sooner rather than later, it’s clear that attempts were botched.
He's outscoring Salah: Newcastle want to sign £50m Almiron upgrade
This machine “cannot be stopped” in the Premier League…
Chelsea chiefs are reportedly “fascinated” by one player, who could already be “on his way” to west London in the near future.
Players linked with moves to Chelsea in 2025
Todd Boehly and BlueCo’s series of summer investments reached the £200 million mark, with 13 new players making the move to Stamford Bridge before deadline day on August 30.
Chelsea chiefs have told in-form star that he now faces being sold
It would be a surprise.
3 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 24, 2024
Joao Felix, Mike Penders, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Estevao Willian, Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Omari Kellyman, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho all put pen to paper on moves to Chelsea, with a few of them already impressing.
Sancho made quite an impression on his debut under Enzo Maresca against Bournemouth, setting up Christopher Nkunku’s late winner, and he bagged another assist for Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal away to West Ham over the weekend.
Brighton (home)
September 28
Nottingham Forest (home)
October 6
Liverpool (away)
October 20
Newcastle (home)
October 27
Man United (away)
November 3
Meanwhile, Neto got off the mark with his first ever Chelsea goal against Barrow in the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening. There could be plenty more to come from Dewsbury-Hall as well, but it is believed that Boehly and his transfer team are already planning to strengthen further next year.
Concerns surrounding Reece James’ injury record mean Chelsea are scouring the market for new right-backs, and there are some rumours that Victor Osimhen’s representatives have already been contacted ahead of January.
A break clause in the Nigerian’s Galatasaray deal means interested clubs are able to strike a deal and lure him away from the Süper Lig mid-season, and that is something which Chelsea are interested in doing.
Chelsea are said to have held talks with Osimhen’s agents already, to gauge whether a move in January is possible, with Napoli also reducing his release clause to around £63 million in a boost for Boehly.
Appearances
25
Goals
15
Assists
3
Shots Per 90
3.86
Key Passes Per 90
1.05
Successful Take-Ons Per 90
0.73
Meanwhile, the Blues’ search for world football’s brightest young talents remains an ongoing operation, with Clearlake bringing in a host of players under the age of 21 since their takeover of the club in 2022.
River Plate wonderkid Franco Mastantuono is a serious transfer target for Chelsea, according to some reports, but they’ll have to act quickly as Real Madrid have already opened initial talks to acquire his signature next year.
Chelsea "fascinated" by Patrick Dorgu who could be on his way
As per Tuttosport, promising young Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu remains on their radar, and officials at Chelsea hold him in very high regard.
The Italian news outlet shares that Chelsea chiefs are “fascinated” by Dorgu, who may also be “on his way” to the club in the near future. The Denmark international, valued at around £25 million, has become a regular for them in Serie A, and is seen as a “special” player by those who’ve worked with him.
“You can just say that with some players it can go incredibly fast,” said Denmark Under-21s coach Steffen Højer.
“He has already had a lot of playing minutes in Serie A with Lecce, and he has done really, really well. What is special about him is that he is a quiet and calm guy, but things are just incredibly natural for him on a football pitch.
“When he is put on a field, and it doesn’t matter which team, he just fits in, and he just makes incredibly many good choices for such a young player He has clear qualities, and then there is a lot of work that needs to be done in relation to both being part of the U21s, but also eventually making the national team.”
Tottenham Hotspur are now targeting Brentford striker Ivan Toney as a potential replacement for Harry Kane, should the 29-year-old leave the club this summer, according to a report from Football Transfers.
What's the latest on Harry Kane's future?
Kane has been attracting the attention of some European giants this summer, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain both making their interest clear, however he reportedly has no interest in moving to the French club.
It is detailed that the striker would turn down an approach from PSG, but he may be more open to a move to Bayern, who have already had two bids turned down this summer, with Daniel Levy still insisting on a £100m fee.
Manchester United are now seemingly out of the race, which leaves Tottenham in a straight fight with Bayern, which may sound like good news, however it also means his price will not be driven up significantly as a result of a bidding war.
Spurs have been making contingency plans in case Kane does move to the Bundesliga this summer, with it recently being reported they are eyeing a high-profile move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo-Muani has been touted as a potential replacement for the England captain, however the Lilywhites also have their eye on an option from much closer to home.
That is according to a report from Football Transfers, which states that Tottenham have now turned their attention to Toney, in the event that Kane departs this summer.
Spurs are willing to wait until the January transfer window to pursue a move for the Brentford striker, as he is currently serving a football ban which ends on January 16th, due to an eight-month suspension for breaching gambling rules.
The Englishman has previously been recommended to Levy by former Tottenham boss David Pleat, who believed he had the potential to eventually take over the reins from the striker.
There is still a chance Spurs sign the 27-year-old this summer, but that would depend on Kane leaving the club.
How many goals has Ivan Toney scored?
The England international has scored a total of 32 goals in 68 Premier League appearances, and he found the back of the net 21 times in all competitions last season, in what was a fantastic campaign.
Of course, the £21k-per-week Brentford star will be disappointed he will not have the chance to build on such a promising season in the opening stages of the upcoming campaign, as a result of his ban, but it would still be wise for Tottenham to pursue a deal.
Brentford's Ivan Toney
Hailed as "sensational" by BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone, the former Northampton Town man has done things the hard way, starting in League Two and eventually establishing himself as one of the most prolific players in the Premier League.
Toney working his way up from the bottom of the EFL system is a sure-fire sign he has the right attitude to make it to the very top, and while the football ban is a setback, he has all the right traits to be back to his best by January.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? You turn up on a Sunday morning, look down, and see the brightest, newest Nike boots worn by a player in far better shape than you, already delivering instructions. It’s at that moment that you should request a substitution, because shortly afterwards you are left gasping for air, bamboozled by the movement of some feet far too quick to keep up with. Defenders in Europe’s top five leagues don’t quite have it that easy, however. They can’t just feign a tight calf and off they go. They have to face the prospect of the highest quality cameras witnessing their downfall in front of millions.When they are left flying to the ground after a few sharp stepovers, it doesn’t end at that very moment. No, it is clipped up, and instructed to follow them everywhere they go, before one day ending up on lists such as this.With that said, after Twitter users revealed what they believe are the most embarrassing one-on-one moments in football history, we, at Football FanCast, have decided to rank them.
5 Jefferson Montero vs Calum Chambers
There are many moments that sum up the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side, but it’s hard to think of many more pertinent than this one as Jefferson Montero consistently ran riot up against a helpless Calum Chambers as the Gunners lost 2-1 against Swansea City.
The Swansea winger particularly embarrassed the Arsenal defender when his twists and turns resulted in Chambers losing his footing, signalling ruthless jeers from the Welsh club’s on-watching fans.
4 Mohamed Salah vs Lisandro Martinez
For the first time in a while, it was Manchester United who were the confident side ahead of their game against Liverpool at Anfield, with the focus on just how well Lisandro Martinez had settled in.
Seven. Yes, seven, Liverpool goals later, however, and the Red Devils could only hang their heads in shame after Jurgen Klopp’s side, even in the middle of a poor season, dismantled them once again.
The standout moment came when Mohamed Salah left Martinez literally facing the wrong way and then on the deck, before assisting Cody Gakpo’s second goal of the game.
3 Eden Hazard vs Francis Coquelin
Scoring one of the best goals in Premier League history, Eden Hazard delivered one of the best one-on-one moments that we’ve seen, in the process, leaving Francis Coquelin spinning like a “fidget spinner”, as one fan out it, at Stamford Bridge.
Mercilessly shaking the midfielder off, the Chelsea star went past the rest of the Arsenal defence, before finding the back of the net in vintage Hazard fashion. This was the Belgian at his absolute best.
2 Angel di Maria vs Carlos Puyol
Some say that this is the moment that Carlos Puyol decided it was time to hang up his boots. Angel di Maria simply made his body move in a way that an ageing defender simply should not stretch.
Leaving the legendary centre-back bewildered, Di Maria finished the move off by laying the ball off to a waiting Cristiano Ronaldo to slam home, as Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 3-1.
It’s all the more impressive when you remember just how good Puyol was.
1 Lionel Messi vs Jerome Boateng
With apologies to Jerome Boateng, this one was always going to be top. You have to feel for the former Bayern Munich defender, in a way. No matter how iconic his career has been, this is the moment he’ll be remembered for.
Lionel Messi, as he does better than anyone, slipped past Boateng, who lost his footing, before being forced to watch on as the Argentine chipped an on-rushing Manuel Neuer. You’ll simply struggle to find better goals, and a more embarrassing one-on-one.
West Ham United may have plenty of money available this summer thanks to the imminent sale of Declan Rice, but that does not mean the Hammers will not still be looking for some bargain buys.
What is the latest West Ham United transfer news?
Rice's £105m move to Arsenal is reportedly as good as finalised, meaning David Moyes will have to bring in at least one new midfielder this summer while also looking to strengthen in other areas.
Everton's Amadou Onana is thought to be high on Moyes' list of targets to replace Rice, with that deal expected to set the Hammers back around £50m.
According to The Sun, the Hammers are also lining up a move for in-demand teenage winger Dario Osorio from Chilean top-flight side Universidad de Chile for a reasonable fee of £7.5m.
However, a number of other Premier League teams have been credited with an interest in Osorio, namely Wolverhampton Wanderers, while AC Milan are also said to be weighing up an offer.
Who is West Ham United target Dario Osorio?
Osorio may only have made his senior debut for Universidad de Chile in April last year, but it did not take long for him to earn his first two caps for Chile's senior team.
The 19-year-old has made 46 appearances for the South American club, 37 of those coming in the league, during which time he has scored eight goals.
Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig describes Osorio as a "flamboyant winger" in terms of his playing style, one who has good pace and the ability to dribble and create, which has earned the youngster comparisons to Angel Di Maria.
That may be a fair call, but it is another star from Argentina that West Ham fans will be hoping Osorio can replicate. While not strictly the same type of player, Osorio will look to follow in the steps of a certain Carlos Tevez should he make the move to East London.
Tevez was signed by West Ham from Corinthians in 2006 for his first foray into football outside of South America, with Javier Mascherano also joining in a big transfer coup.
West Ham United manager David Moyes.
The fan favourite was 22 when he made his Premier League debut, meaning he is a few years further down the line in terms of his development then compared to Osorio now.
In his solitary season at Upton Park, Tevez scored seven goals in 26 Premier League games, including the only goal in a 1-0 win on the final day of the campaign at Manchester United to secure West Ham's stay in the top flight.
The now-39-year-old was named the club's Player of the Year before departing for Manchester United and then, controversially, Manchester City.
Osorio has a lot to do if he is to have a similar impact at West Ham and indeed in European football in the same way as Tevez, but the Irons certainly have proven success in getting it right when recruiting players from that part of the world.
Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Khephren Thuram this summer and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's progress in getting a deal done.
What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Khephren Thuram?
According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, the Merseyside giants could be handed the opportunity to sign the OGC Nice midfielder, despite the French club being keen to hold onto him.
Jacobs revealed on The Football Terrace YouTube channel: "I still think Khephren Thuram is the one to watch now in terms of Liverpool.
"It seems like there is less now in terms of Kone, who is another player who Liverpool have looked at. There are reports Nice wants to keep the player but the feeling is that Nice are going to have to sell some of their assets, so there is an opportunity there for Liverpool."
Will Liverpool sign another midfielder this summer?
The Reds have already secured the signing of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister this summer in an attempt to add more quality and youth to the centre of the pitch.
A midfield rebuild has been long overdue at Anfield with the former Brighton and Hove Albion star becoming the first permanent midfielder signing since the arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich three years ago.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner have all been moved on upon the expiry of their contracts this summer and Thuram could be the dream replacement for the latter who will be joining Brighton this summer.
Milner has played a huge part in Liverpool's success over the last half a decade with the 37-year-old playing a number of midfield roles, and his versatility is something that the centre of the pitch has sorely missed as he has reached the latter stages of his career and seen less game time.
Now Klopp can replace that unrivalled work ethic and diversity in skill by landing a deal for Thuram who is renowned for his wide range of capabilities and has no trouble gliding from a deeper role in midfield to break the lines of attack.
Over 35 Ligue One appearances last season, the Frenchman offered a potent attacking threat with two goals scored, four assists registered and nine big chances created, as well as averaging 1.1 shots on goal, 1.1 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles per game.
Not only that, Thuram has not sacrificed his consistency in his defensive responsibilities as the Nice star averaged 1.1 interceptions, 3.8 duels won and 1.5 tackles per game, according to SofaScore.
For context, no Liverpool central midfielder provided more goal contributions in the Premier League, whilst only three players in the squad averaged more key passes. Meanwhile, defensively, he managed more tackles per outing than the likes of Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip, via WhoScored.
Milner, meanwhile, could only average 0.8 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game with 0.4 key passes to show for his efforts. Thuram, therefore, would represent a colossal upgrade at Anfield.
Possessing a reported €40m (£34m) price tag – he has been attracting a lot of attention and earning high praise over his short career so far, with U23 scout and football journalist Antonio Mango outlining the Frenchman's super capabilities:
"At a staggering 6'4ft, Khéphren's presence can't go unnoticed as he stands out above most players on the field. Khéphren excels in his defensive duties, ball-carrying & retention. Khéphren is big, strong, physical, athletic and brilliant in possession, a true diamond, right?"
With that being said, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool will add more depth to the centre of the pitch this summer but Thuram is looking like the one to watch and could be a huge presence in midfield if a deal is done ahead of next season.
Newcastle United are in "advanced talks" over a move to sign Southampton youngster Tino Livramento over a move this summer, according to a key transfer update.
How good is Tino Livramento?
The 20-year-old joined the Saints from Chelsea back in 2021, having been a part of the Blues' academy but ending up moving further south, in order to be a regular elsewhere.
Livramento has proven to be one of the few bright sparks for Southampton since his arrival, catching the eye with his performances at right-back and making 34 appearances in total. Sadly, that figure would be a lot higher, had the youngster not suffered a cruciate ligament injury that kept him sidelined for many months last term.
With Saints now relegated from the Premier League, however, they will find it extremely difficult to keep hold of a number of star players, such as James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia.
Newcastle aren't wasting any time this summer when it comes to bolstering Eddie Howe's side, with Sandro Tonali set to make the move to St James' Park in a deal worth €70m, and another move for Livramento is also gathering pace.
According to The Telegraph's John Percy and Luke Edwards, the Magpies are in advanced talks to sign the right-back, with Howe personally keen.
"Newcastle United are in advanced talks with relegated Southampton over a potential £15 million deal for Tino Livramento.
Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, wants to raid the Championship club for the 20-year-old defender and negotiations are ongoing, though they remain apart at this stage on valuation."
Livramento could be such an exciting signing by Newcastle this summer, being viewed as someone who can provide competition for Kieran Trippier, but also eventually usurp him as the first-choice right-back at the club.
Theo Walcott once claimed that he was "fantastic" and had an "aura" about him, even despite his tender years, and assuming he overcomes his serious injury, he could have a massive career ahead of him.
Livramento, who shares the same agency as Howe, already has five caps to his name for England's Under-21s – again, that could be more without the fitness woes – and in an era of so many impressive English right-backs, whether it be Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold or Reece James, the Saints starlet could be the next great one to come along.
Improved squad depth could be key for Newcastle next season as well, with Champions League football making their schedule far more intense, and Livramento is someone who could come in and dovetail with Trippier, arguably playing less but still having an important role to play week in, week out.
Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, leading Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 21-year-old.
Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol
The highly-rated defender is high of the watchlist of a number of big European clubs, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has tipped Manchester City as the most likely to secure the signing.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano hinted that the champions of England and Europe are best placed to sign the central defender who starred at the World Cup for Croatia.
"Leipzig are not even accepting €80 million as a price tag for Gvardiol, so I think it will be around €100 million [£85m] instead and I see Man City being in a better position to sign him, but only if they are willing to spend that money, otherwise the player could stay in Leipzig for one more season," he said.
Josko Gvardiol could be City's next Vincent Kompany
City have a wealth of quality at the back, and signing Gvardiol would improve their elite defence even more.
Pep Guardiola tweaked City’s system this season, opting for an unusual 3-2-4-1 formation instead of their traditional 4-3-3 formation in which full-backs were constantly overlapping.
In the defensive three were three ball-playing centre-backs.
Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were typically the trio, while John Stones was turned into a transitional midfielder in a hybrid holding role.
Although Dias would be considered the premier defender in this side, City have yet to match the quality of club legend and former captain, Vincent Kompany.
Gvardiol could be that very replacement, and at just 21 years-old, he could become a pivotal part of the Manchester City team for years to come.
The Croatian "monster" – as hailed by Romano back in December – is the glue of the RB Leipzig defence.
The Bundesliga outfit have won 32 of the 59 games the centre-back has played.
Similar to the no-nonsense Kompany, Gvardiol loves a tackle, registering 219 of them in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season and winning 60 aerial duels.
Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both put the Leipzig defender in their World Cup 2022 team of the tournament, with Ferdinand proclaiming that the City target was his favourite centre back at the tournament.
“He’s young, he’s 21 years old, so to come and perform the way he did, so mature, so calm.
“He is really good on the ball, in the early stages coming out with the ball a lot. Against Messi and Argentina he got turned quite a few times, but this is Messi, so I would put that to one side. In general, I thought he was [a] stand-out for me. I think he has got a chance to go on and become one of the best defenders in the world, if he can continue improving like this.”
Kompany was of the world’s best defenders in his time at City, and Gvardiol could become the second coming of the Belgian international for the blue half of Manchester.
He, at 22, made a similar switch from the Bundesliga, signing for the Manchester giants from Hamburger SV back in 2008.
Good teams don’t wait until the team becomes stale to begin rebuilding, they continually look to improve whether results are good or bad.
Guardiola, fresh from the treble, could send out a major statement signing one of Europe’s hottest young prospects to add to his already stout defence.