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Liverpool have announced that they’ve agreed a deal to sign Southampton’s Dutch defender, Virgil van Dijk. The 26-year-old has been a transfer target for Jurgen Klopp for over six months.The deal will be completed on the 1st of January when the transfer window reopens.

What’s the story?

Liverpool have finally agreed a deal to sign Virgil van Dijk for a reported fee of £75m. The club have been pursuing the experienced defender for a considerable period, and they even had to apologise for their pursuit of the former Celtic defender in the summer.

However, at long last, the Reds have secured their target, and Van Dijk will be allocated the number four shirt at Liverpool once his transfer is completed.

Do they need him?

Jurgen Klopp’s need for defensive reinforcement has been no secret. Currently, the Reds flaunt one of the most dynamic and explosive attacks in Europe. Nonetheless, their defence is dreadful in comparison and it was inevitable that there would be adequate signings to address that in the summer.

The Reds have conceded 23 goals in the space of only 20 league games, which is frankly embarrassing for one of the division’s most prominent teams.

Virgil van Dijk is highly regarded for his abilities on and off the ball. In the mould of the modern centre-half, the Dutchman is comfortable with the ball at his feet, yet his most striking qualities are to be found in his defensive work. The 26-year-old can dominate proceedings in the air, and he’s regarded for his fierce tackling. Liverpool fans will hope that he can produce his best in the iconic red shirt.

Is he worth the money?

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With a cost of £75m, there is considerable expectation placed on Van Dijk’s shoulders to perform at a high level on a consistent basis. This is a world-record fee for a defender; he must be prepared to deliver.

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who is rated at €10m (approximately £8.8m according to Transfermarkt), is one of the players being considered by West Ham United manager David Moyes this month as he looks to strengthen his side’s attacking options during the January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports says that Moyes is targeting Elneny, and his Gunners teammate Francis Coquelin, as potential additions to his squad this month, with a new central midfielder his priority.

Elneny has found first-team opportunities hard to come by this season, although it remains to be seen whether Arsene Wenger will be willing to let the Egypt international leave the Emirates before the window slams shut on January 31.

How has Elneny done this season?

The 25-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular spot in the Arsenal side ever since joining them in January 2016, and that situation hasn’t changed this term.

The Egyptian player has made 16 appearances in all competitions – with the majority of those coming in the Europa League and the domestic cups – although he has only played 264 minutes of Premier League football across five outings.

Elneny has struggled to break past the likes of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park, and he is possibly the fifth-choice option in that area with Francis Coquelin and Jack Wilshere also looking to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

It’s difficult to say, as we haven’t really seen him play for the Gunners consistently.

Howevr, the 25-year-old has certainly shown that he is a solid enough defensive midfielder at times, while he also has a good shot on him.

According to WhoScored.com, his passing is certainly was one of his main strengths as he has an average accuracy of 92.9% in 11 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League this term, while he has won 13 of the 18 tackles he has attempted.

Will they get him?

According to Sky Sports, Moyes has six names on his shortlist to bring a new central midfielder to the club, so it remains to be seen whether Elneny will rise to the top at any point this month.

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From an Arsenal point of view, Wenger may well be more willing to move on the 25-year-old than teammate Coquelin, which gives the Irons some hope that they could bring him to the London Stadium.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with midfielder Dele Alli over a new lucrative £100,000-a-week contract.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says that Spurs have started informal discussions with the 21-year-old attacking midfielder over a new deal as they look to end growing speculation over his future, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among his admirers.

The Daily Mail says that the former MK Dons man is currently on a deal worth around £50,000-a-week, but the north London outfit are keen to double that and quickly get the new contract across the line quickly.

The report adds that Tottenham believe there is a desire from both parties to agree to an extension, with the club’s progress in reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League making up for a disappointing Premier League campaign so far compared to the last two seasons.

How has Alli done this season?

He certainly hasn’t made as much of an impact as he did during the previous campaign, but he has still done well.

The England international set such high standards for himself with his tally of 22 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions last term, and he has often come under criticism from some of the club’s supporters when he has struggled to replicate that this season.

The 21-year-old has still netted nine goals and provided a further 10 assists in 27 outings for Spurs this time out though, and he is certainly starting to find his form again in the Premier League with two goals and four assists in his last four top flight matches.

How much of a boost is this for Tottenham?

It will be a huge boost for Mauricio Pochettino and the fans.

Spurs know that they need to keep their best players if they are to progress and continue to challenge for trophies, and there is no doubt that Alli can be a key player in helping them to do that.

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The 21-year-old can score and assist from an attacking midfield role, and the fact that they can tie him down to a new deal that won’t break their strict wage cap will certainly be a relief.

During the transfer window, rumours are rumbling all the time about player movement.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a swoop for Monaco star Thomas Lemar, who has previously been touted as a target for Arsenal.

With just four days left to go before the transfer window slams shut, the time is ticking for the Reds to get any more deals done.

The rumour mill started churning on Twitter this evening when it emerged that Lemar has been left out of Monaco’s squad to face Marseille on Sunday.

The Frenchman, along with a number of his teammates, was rested for the midweek League Cup match against Lyon.

Lemar will also not feature this weekend as he is sidelined with a thigh problem.

Despite the injury update, some Liverpool fans are speculating that the attack-minded player could be on his way to Anfield.

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Philippe Coutinho missed a few games for the Reds with a similar issue prior to his move to Barcelona.

The names ‘Harry Kane’ and ‘Real Madrid’ being uttered in the same sentence is becoming the norm.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker’s scintillating form has sparked rumours about his future.

The 24-year-old is arguably in the form of his life as he currently leads this season’s scoring charts with 22 Premier League goals.

Kane has won the Golden Boot in the past two campaigns, and he scored his 100th in the top flight last Sunday in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

It is an exciting time for Spurs as they prepare to move into their state-of-the-art stadium for the 2018-19 campaign, and Kane is certainly the talisman of the team.

However, despite breaking records at the North London outfit, the striker has not won any silverware with the club that aided his development in the academy.

Wales manager Ryan Giggs has suggested that Kane’s thirst for trophies will lead to him to look at Gareth Bale, who moved to Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 and since then has won 10 trophies, including three Champions League crowns.

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In his Class of ’92 diary for Sky Sports, the Welshman said:

“When a player goes to a team where they are going to be competing for leagues and trophies then you go up another level, but winning things with a club where you’ve come through the ranks is different and more special, so you’d prefer to do that, especially with a brilliant manager and the new stadium coming.

“[Kane] might also be looking abroad, and maybe seeing what Gareth Bale has achieved in winning three Champions League titles with Real Madrid.”

Aston Villa managed to put pressure on second-placed Cardiff City on Saturday, winning 4-2 away to Sheffield Wednesday in the English Championship.

Steve Bruce’s side had to work hard for their victory, scoring twice in the last five minutes to turn a 2-2 draw into three crucial points in their quest to win promotion.

After dropping points in the previous two matches, the win against Wednesday could prove to be a massive turning point in the closing stages of the season.

Fans were delighted with the win and had lots of praise for attacker Lewis Grabban, who was making his first start for the club following his January loan switch.

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The 30-year-old put in a tireless shift across the 90 minutes, scoring his second goal for the club and showing the kind of determination that connects with supporters.

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Is he the kind of shrewd January signing that will help the Villans win automatic promotion to the Premier League?

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino’s side are capable of winning the Champions League this season.

Spurs impressed in the group stages of the tournament in the latter stages of 2017 – finishing above reigning champions Real Madrid to book their spot in the round of 16.

The capital club fell 2-0 behind to Juventus in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night, but fought back to pick up a 2-2 draw at the home of the Italian champions.

Tottenham are seen as rank outsiders to win the Champions League this season, but Redknapp has insisted that his former club have the credentials to lift the crown.

Indeed, the pundit has claimed that the fact Spurs have ‘special players’ will make them a threat to any other team in the competition.

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Redknapp told Sky Sports:

“Can they win the Champions League? Absolutely they can. Liverpool and Tottenham are dangerous teams because they have the special players in there.

“At the start of the season everyone was talking about Spurs’ squad depth, but they have a really strong squad.”

Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are seen as the three favourites to win the competition this season, closely followed by Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that Ramiro Funes Mori is available for selection for the Premier League clash against Brighton and Hove Albion at Goodison Park on Saturday after recovering from a long-term injury, and Toffees fans have urged him to start the centre-back, rated at €12m (£10.7m) by Transfermarkt.

The 27-year-old has been out for almost a year after picking up a serious knee injury while on international duty with Argentina, but he is finally ready to make his first-team return for the Merseyside outfit.

It comes at a good time for Allardyce too with his team struggling from a defensive point of view – only three top flight teams have conceded more than their total of 49 in 29 games – and with Ashley Williams suspended, which is something that the Goodison Park faithful won’t be too upset about given their continued criticism of the 33-year-old.

Everton supporters have been quick to have their say on Funes Mori via social media, and while one said “get him in alongside Holgate”, another said “he needs to start for me”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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It would have been understandable if a large number of Arsenal fans were dreading Thursday’s Europa League tie against AC Milan.

The club have had a difficult couple of weeks with some very unsavoury results.

Arsene Wenger’s men were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, and a few days later lost to Pep Guardiola’s side again by the same scoreline, but this time in the Premier League.

The team were unable to bounce back against Brighton last weekend as they suffered a 2-1 loss at the Amex Stadium.

After four defeats in a row in all competitions, Wenger’s job came under increasing pressure, with plenty of fans calling for the board to sack the Frenchman.

On Thursday, though, the Gunners put in a much-needed positive performance as they earned a 2-0 victory over AC Milan in the first leg of their last 16 Europa League tie.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey got on the scoresheet in the San Siro, while Mesut Ozil nabbed assists for both goals.

David Ospina also made a case for himself for the number one role as he managed to keep a clean sheet.

So far, Petr Cech has been in between the sticks for Premier League games and Ospina has been selected for cup matches.

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Some supporters want the latter to be the permanent number one.

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French football programme Telefoot claimed this weekend that Spurs have joined the race to sign Monaco’s Thomas Lemar.

What’s the story?

According to Telefoot, Spurs are the latest Premier League side to toss their hat in the ring for Lemar, who recently expressed his disappointment that he had not been allowed to leave Monaco in January.

“I am not going to hide it, I was a bit disappointed,” Lemar said. “But there is no point fixating on that.

“I have continued to work so that these clubs might come back for me in the following transfer window.”

Liverpool and Arsenal are also chasing Lemar, but Telefoot claims the 22 year-old is now a top summer target for Spurs.

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Should Spurs do a deal?

There’s no doubt about it, Thomas Lemar is ridiculous talented. The creative winger, valued at £57.1million by Transfermarkt, scored in France’s 3-2 defeat to Colombia on Friday, and it was his sublime pass that set up the other French goal.

The only question is how much he would cost, which is why Spurs should offer Moussa Sissoko as part of a player plus cash deal. Lemar would be an instant upgrade to the Spurs attack, and could certainly hold his own competing with the likes of Dele Alli and Heung-min Son for a starting role.

Not only could he compete with the attacking players for one of the three roles behind Harry Kane, he could even start alongside Mousa Dembele in midfield, especially against teams who defend deep. Despite primarily operating as a winger, the Frenchman can play as a deeper creative influence, similar to the role Philippe Coutinho played before he left Liverpool.

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This is why a swap deal for Sissoko makes sense. Not only could Sissoko excel in France given his somewhat surprising form for Spurs, there simply wouldn’t be room for both of them, and it would knock down the currently ridiculous asking price.

After an incredible season last year, Lemar’s output has slowed this season, but he has still managed two goals and seven assists in 20 league starts for Monaco. He would bring pace, flair and an absolute wand of a left foot to North London. It would also be a great chance for Spurs to prove they are outgrowing Arsenal, as the Gunners are also interested in a deal.

Spurs fans, would you back a summer swoop for Lemar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…