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Liverpool have struggled without their leader at the back Virgil van Dijk this season, and Paul Stewart, who was signed by Liverpool for £2.3 million in 1992, spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern about how much of a difference the Dutchman will make next season.

After appearing to be complete outsiders to qualify for the Champions League Liverpool are now favourites to finish in the top four as they just have to win their final two league games against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

In recent weeks  Van Dijk has confirmed that he will not be going to the European Championships with the Netherlands this summer as he looks to continue his recovery from an ACL injury which saw him ruled out for the season back in October.

When the Dutch international returns next season he could be just like a new signing and an expensive one, that is according to Stewart who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I’m assuming Van Dijk will be fit for the start of next season, which will be like buying a new £100 million centre back for them.

“He has been missing for so long though and Liverpool have sorely missed him this season.”

Liverpool kept their Champions League hopes alive last weekend when Alisson scored a 94th-minute header to send fans, players and Jurgen Klopp into delirium over what they had just witnessed.

When Van Dijk plays for Liverpool the whole side becomes better as he can bring the ball out of defence into midfield and his ability to cover any of the other three defenders is something that allows Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to stay further forward.

Everton have received a big selection boost ahead of their Premier League encounter against Brentford on Sunday after manager Rafa Benitez confirmed that Salomon Rondon will be fit enough to start.

What’s the story?

Although the 32-year-old is yet to find the back of the net for his new side, injuries to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray mean he will have an important part to play over the weekend.

Adding to the significance of Rondon’s availability from the off is the fact that Richarlison picked up his fifth booking of the season against Manchester City last time out, meaning he will be suspended for the trip to west London.

Following the defeat to City, Benitez was asked whether the Venezuela international would be able to start against the Bees after coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute at the Etihad Stadium.

“Yeah, 100%, because he has been training well the last two weeks. I am quite confident he can do well,” the Spaniard revealed.

“When we talk about injuries, and you lose players through suspension and yellow cards, it is even worse, but okay, we have to manage with the players available and hopefully, we can do well.

“You don’t want to lose any player for any reason, but we are where we are. We have to manage with that.”

Rafa Benitez will be delighted

Having Rondon available for selection will leave Benitez feeling delighted, given his lack of alternative options in the final third of the pitch.

The summer signing has made a slow start to life on Merseyside, failing to produce a single goal or assist in his 532 minutes of first-team action since arriving from Chinese outfit Dalian Professional.

However, the South American has proven himself in the Premier League before.

In a previous spell under Benitez’s tutelage, Rondon provided 18 goal contributions in 32 top-flight outings during 2018/19, and everyone associated with Everton will be hoping that the stocky striker can rediscover that sort of form over the coming weeks.

With the Toffees stuck in a horrible rut of form, the Venezuelan finding his shooting boots will be key to improving their fortunes.

And, in other news…Brands could find Benitez’s next Sergio Ramos with Everton swoop for 21 y/o “leader” 

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side continued their impressive league form under the 52-year-old manager on Sunday afternoon, sealing a 3-0 win against Norwich City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a result which sees Spurs climb to fifth-place in the Premier League standings.

And, while the club’s overall performance was perhaps flattered by the final scoreline, there were nevertheless a number of extremely encouraging individual displays turned in by some of Tottenham’s starting XI, none more so than by 21-year-old central midfielder Oliver Skipp.

Skipp lived up to Conte’s prediction

Speaking after the England U21 international’s impressive performance against Brentford on Thursday, Conte heaped a considerable amount of praise on the shoulders of the young midfielder, stating:

“He could become a top midfielder, but he has to continue to work. He has this will, this desire to become an important player for Tottenham for the present and for the future. He played with great intensity, great passion; with heart, with soul.”

And, just one game later, Skipp could well have already lived up to his manager’s prediction, as the academy graduate turned in a dominant display against the team with whom he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch on Sunday, the £17m-rated man made two interceptions, two clearances and blocked one shot, as well as completing 100% of the dribbles he performed.

The youngster also enjoyed 62 touches of the ball, completed 94% of his attempted passes and had two shots at the Norwich goal, with these returns seeing him earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.1.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick was also clearly impressed with the £25k-per-week midfielder, stating of Skipp in his player ratings: “Improving with every game under Conte, particularly in possession. A lung-busting run from his own half to the edge of Norwich’s box was particularly impressive, although some of his tackling was equally eye-catching. Helped make Son’s goal.”

As such, while the youngster still undoubtedly has much developing left to do at the highest level of the game, on the back of his performance against Norwich, Skipp may well have already lived up to Conte’s claim that he can be a top midfielder.

In other news: 67% duels lost: “Special” £17m-rated Spurs dud may have blown his chance with Conte

It’s safe to say that Leeds United are in a bit of a crisis period at the moment with the number of injured players they have and the fact that the team have lost their three previous league games, conceding 14 goals in the process.

With the January transfer window opening in a matter of days, this could give Leeds a good opportunity to do some business and add some players to their squad that could either fill in for some of their injured players or strengthen the team in general.

In terms of which players Leeds could target to sign next month, the Yorkshire club could look to reignite their interest in one figure that they were chasing during the previous summer transfer window – Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

Taking into account how Leeds have Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton out injured, this has left them somewhat light in midfield and could therefore push the club to do what they couldn’t in the summer and bring O’Brien to Elland Road.

After reportedly making two bids for the 23-year-old in the summer which were ultimately rejected by Huddersfield, O’Brien put pen to paper on a new deal, keeping him at the club until 2025, which could make it harder for Leeds to sign him in January or at least mean they would have to offer a lot more money than they offered in the summer.

Labelled as a “powerful” player with a “great engine” in him by former Huddersfield defender Calum Woods, who played with O’Brien at Bradford City, he could be a magnificent capture.

He has played the full 90 minutes in 20 of the 21 Championship games he’s played in and donned the captain’s armband on four occasions, showing just how much of an engine he has that Woods spoke about and how important he is to the team.

In those league appearances, O’Brien has managed to rack up an average of 2.9 tackles per game in the league, higher than any other Huddersfield player, which is also higher than any Leeds player has managed to get this season, including Phillips, demonstrating how useful he could be for Bielsa’s side to help them stop conceding so many goals.

Looking ahead to January, Leeds should definitely explore the possibility of signing O’Brien again to see if Huddersfield would budge on potentially letting him go to see if he can fix their current issues and help them get out of a potential relegation battle.

In other news: Leeds United rocked by yet another injury issue that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

According to a report by journalist Mike McGrath, writing for the Telegraph, Ligue 1 side Nice are ‘ready to offer’ Tottenham Hotspur mainstay Hugo Lloris a way out of north London this summer – with the World Cup winner having just one full season left on his current deal.

Nice want Hugo Lloris signing

After giving a forthright and honest interview in wake of the Dinamo Zagreb humiliation, revealing he was part of a broken dressing room, Nice’s hopes of bringing their former shot stopper back to France have been raised.

Indeed, McGrath reports that Lloris’ admission after Spurs’ Europa League defeat has encouraged Nice that they could tempt the 34-year-old into a summer move – and they see him as a potential marquee signing from Tottenham.

As a result, they are reportedly ready to offer the international a way out of north London this summer as he is yet to pen an extension on his current Lilywhites deal – which expires in 2022.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho could potentially lose Lloris as Nice attempt to lure him back to France, and it’s safe to stay he won’t want that to happen despite his recently poor run.

Indeed, speaking candidly to the media, Mourinho backed the under-fire goalkeeper just last month amid his bad spell – calling him an ‘amazing, amazing’ number one (Evening Standard).

In other news: Robinson was thrilled by this ‘great news for Spurs’, find out more here.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has been lavishly praised for his work with the East Midlands club – and justifiably so.

The former Liverpool and Celtic manager has dragged the Foxes from the doldrums of mid-table mediocrity to consistent challengers for the UEFA Champions League positions and an FA Cup semi-final in just a couple of seasons.

The Northern Irishman has now received the ultimate compliment, with World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari saying that Rodgers in on track to be “one of the greatest managers in the world”.

Judging from his managerial CV so far and his immense experience within the game despite his tender years, it is hard to argue with that assessment.

But for a few tricky appointments in his formative years, Rodgers has established himself as an elite coach at every level.

He created a fantastic team at Swansea City, earning the Welsh outfit promotion to the Premier League for the first time with an attractive style of play which earned him the Liverpool job.

At Anfield, the 48-year-old developed the careers of Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling among many others, whilst also going so close to guiding the Reds to their first Premier League crown, only to miss out to Manchester City.

After his tenure on Merseyside ended, his long wait for silverware came to an end with Celtic. He masterminded two Scottish Premiership title wins, one of those being a stunning unbeaten campaign, whilst also scooping five cup wins.

Having celebrated his 100th match in charge of Leicester City, Rodgers’ influence at the King Power Stadium cannot be understated.

Whilst he may have to go some way to prove that he is one of the elite coaches in the world, a task which will certainly be helped with the addition of more silverware, Scolari’s assessment that the 48-year-old is firmly on the correct route to achieving that status is not far wrong, and it’s praise which is certainly justified.

AND in more news, read why Jamie Vardy’s England decision was absolutely correct…

Nathaniel Clyne is interested in signing a new deal and extending his stay at Crystal Palace this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Clyne out of contract

The 31-year-old is currently in his second spell at his boyhood club, proving to be a solid squad player under Patrick Vieira this season.

Clyne has made nine Premier League starts in 2021/22 to date, acting as a solid understudy to Joel Ward and putting his experience to good use, arguably becoming first-choice in recent weeks.

The defender’s current deal expires at the end of the season, though, at which point he would be able to leave on a free transfer.

The Latest: Clyne keen on new Palace deal

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay claimed that Clyne wants to extend his stay at Selhurst Park. The journalist said of the Palace defender:

“He suggested he definitely would like a new contract. And there’s a bit of talk about it at the moment; we’ll see what will happen.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Palace

It makes complete sense for Palace to give Clyne a new contract, with the Englishman proving what a reliable figure he can be throughout this season.

Granted, his very best days may be behind him, but he remains a reliable defender who has averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.5 clearances per match in the current Premier League campaign.

Jurgen Klopp once hailed Clyne as ‘amazing’, which speaks volumes given the calibre of player with whom the Liverpool manager has worked, and at 31, there is no reason why the defender can’t stay at the top level for a few more years yet.

In other news, one player is reportedly considering moving to Palace. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of the sides taking an interest in RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate ahead of the summer when the 21-year-old’s release clause will become active, and he could be the man to finally replace Jan Vertonghen at the North London club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Christian Falk on Twitter, Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool are all interested in the young defender, who will be available for €40 million (£36 million) in the summer.

Spurs’ Vertonghen replacement?

Spurs are arguably yet to replace Vertonghen in their side since the Belgian’s departure in the summer, and Konate could be the man to step up in Jose Mourinho’s side as his long-term replacement.

During his time with Spurs, the former Ajax man would make 315 appearances for the club, contributing 14 goals and seven assists but he lost his place in Mourinho’s side last season and departed on a free transfer after his contract expired, eventually joining Benfica.

Spurs did add Joe Rodon from Swansea City to their side during the summer transfer window but the Welsh international has only recently broken into the first-team and showed his inexperience in the midweek defeat against Liverpool for Sadio Mane’s goal – even if it was a rare blip in an impressive showing.

Konate has struggled with injury issues in the past two seasons but was excellent during the 2018/19 season for Julian Nagelsmann’s side in the Bundesliga, averaging a superb 7.19 rating.

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Even though he has only managed six appearances in the German top-flight this season, his average rating of 6.81 would rate him above all of Spurs’ centre-back options, other than Toby Alderweireld – who has averaged a solid 6.97 rating.

Even though he is only 21, Konate has plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, which is something that the likes of Rodon and Japhet Tanganga cannot offer in this Spurs side.

Former Leipzig coach Ralf Ragnick suggested that Konate was just as good as Dayot Upamecano in 2020, saying when comparing the two:

“There are a few others in Leipzig: I see Ibrahim Konaté on the same level.”

Therefore, the 21-year-old would arrive with a big reputation despite being so young, and if he achieves his obvious potential with Spurs should Daniel Levy deliver him during next summer’s transfer window, then he could be the man to finally replace Vertonghen at the North London club.

And, in other news… “Could be a replacement for Alli” – Exclusive: Pundit tips 23 y/o beast who “scores goals” to join Spurs

West Ham United fans are delighted after it was revealed Jesse Lingard has told his Hammers teammates he wishes to stay at the club beyond his current loan spell.

£13.5m-valued Lingard (Transfermarkt) has had a fantastic time during the few months he has spent with the Irons after joining on loan from Manchester United. In 16 games, he has managed nine goals and five assists (Transfermarkt), and he added fresh impetus as the Hammers qualified for the Europa League.

He has been called up to Gareth Southgate’s provisional England squad for this summer’s European Championships (Sky News), and he is set to return to Manchester United once his loan spell in London has come to an end. However, according to reliable Hammers insider ExWHUemployee, he still wants to remain at the London Stadium.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Lingard news below

“Never in doubt”

Credit: @whuabz

“So let it be done”

Credit: @LeefromAHN

“Lets go”

Credit: @Zakwatkins2

“GET THIS DONE!!!”

Credit: @Charlie12918777

“Wonderful”

Credit: @WestHamFan1895

“More importantly that means Dec is staying”

Credit: @j_allardice

In other news, West Ham fans are livid at this man’s snub.

Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, has told Football FanCast that he has been impressed with on-loan Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Nigerian striker joined the Reds six years ago but is yet to make his first-team debut for Liverpool and has spent the previous seven seasons out on loan.

The most recent of those loan spells was in Germany with Union Berlin, where he scored five goals and laid on three assists in just 21 Bundesliga appearances.

A muscle problem saw Awoniyi restricted to just two substitute outings in the final three months of Union Berlin’s season, but the 23-year-old has emerged as a target for West Brom, who’ve recently got rid of both Charlie Austin and Hal Robson-Kanu and are looking to bolster their strike department.

Awoniyi has gained valuable experienece in Belgium and Holland over recent seasons but is yet to make a competitive appearance in English football, but is expected to be allowed to leave Liverpool, even with more than two years running on his Anfield contract.

Pinder told Football FanCast:

“He was on loan at Mainz last season, went back to Liverpool and how he is Union Berlin. He’s a player that has really impressed me.

“Five goals and three assists, and that run of five goals came across seven games, but then he picked up an injury and hasn’t been the same since.

“But he’s a player that puts himself around the box – he’s tall, strong, wins those aerial battles and holds onto the ball well and brings in his teammates.”