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Liverpool are reportedly considering a move for RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate ahead of the January transfer window and the 21-year-old could be a superb addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

According to Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk, the French U21 international is on Liverpool’s shortlist ahead of next month, along with teammate Dayot Upamecano.

Konate has established himself as a regular in Leipzig’s first-team since joining from FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 2017 –  making 83 appearances for Die Roten Bullen’s first-team, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist (per Transfermarkt).

The young defender is currently valued at £36.45 million by Transfermarkt and also reportedly has a £45 million release clause written into his contract with the Bundesliga side.

Therefore, whilst he would be a fairly expensive deal, Michael Edwards wouldn’t have to break the bank to sign him in next month’s transfer window, and at 21, he could go on to have a very long career with the Reds, meaning it could be a very sound investment.

Konate stands at an impressive 6 foot 4, so could be an ideal stand-in for Virgil van Dijk, as you imagine that he would be able to dominate the majority of Premier League attackers in the air, whilst also being a threat from corners.

The French defender could also be compared to Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, who Jurgen Klopp worked with during his time with Die Schwarzgelben.

Hummels has made 242 appearances under Klopp in his career so far, and similarly to Konate, aerial duels are one of his main strengths as a defender, which is unsurprising when you consider he is 6 foot 3.

Former Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick was full of praise for the defender in 2017, saying:

“Ibrahima’s developed brilliantly here. He already has a lot of experience in the Bundesliga and on the European stage. We’re convinced of his huge potential.”

The RB Leipzig man also likes to play short passes, suggesting that he could fit in with Liverpool’s style of play, and therefore, considering the Reds’ current injury crisis, Edwards should do everything he can to bring in the 21-year-old next month.

And, in other news… Carlton Palmer reveals “massive blow” for Liverpool ahead of Wolves clash

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to another update from the club and Castore in regards to their pro shirt that is now available.

The Gers’ partnership with Castore has not been without its problems since the deal was signed earlier this year. Although the pre-sale for the home shirt was sold out within 36 hours, fans complained of their purchases arriving late, while others were far from happy when they were damaged when they eventually did make it to their destination.

Castore have continued to release a number of new products, though, one of which is the availability of the Pro shirt. Not only can it exclusively be bought in the club shop, which plenty of people cannot visit because of the global pandemic we are living through, it will also retail at £90.

The Gers fans, it is fair to say, are far from happy with this update, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

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

In other news, Rangers could make a move for this free agent compared to Neymar.

With Christmas on the horizon, Celtic got themselves a bit of early festive cheer as they eased past Ross County in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

Neil Lennon’s side ran out comfortable 2-0 winners at home, and could have, and probably should have, won by a bigger margin had it not been for some wasteful finishing.

But whilst Leigh Griffiths may take plenty of the plaudits after scoring his 20th headed goal for the club – only Henrik Larsson has scored more – it was David Turnbull who no doubt stole the show.

The man who signed from Motherwell back in the summer transfer window was the heartbeat of everything good about Celtic on the night, buzzing about and looking to make things happen at every opportunity.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession 20 times over the course of the game – the most of any player on the pitch. But that number was only down to the fact Turnbull didn’t shy away from taking the riskier choice and trying to feed the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Griffiths up front.

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He provided a total of three key passes, sent in a whopping eight crosses, and boasted an impressive 84% pass accuracy. If Lennon wanted his summer signing to take the game by the scruff of the neck, then that’s exactly what he did.

His performance led to Scottish journalist and presenter Dominik Diamond to rave about him on Twitter, even tipping him to become a “future Celtic great”.

Trying not to get ahead of myself but I think we could be seeing the rise of a future Celtic great in David Turnbull. He just seems to have as good a game with his brain as he does his feet. Attitude seems good as well.

It may be early days in his Hoops career, but if Turnbull can get a consistent run of games under his belt, then he might prove to be one of the most inspired domestic signings in recent history.

Writing on Twitter, Sky Sports transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has shared an exciting update involving Christian Eriksen – with Giuseppe Marotta confirming that the Dane has been transfer listed after Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a potential return. 

Eriksen, who left Spurs for the San Siro back in January to the tune of £16.9 million, could now be on the way out in January as the Serie A giants appeal to potential suitors.

Eriksen stance confirmed

Indeed, speaking candidly over his future, Nerrazzuri CEO Marotta has confirmed that the club are actively pursuing a sale mid-season – coming after Tottenham reportedly eye a return to bring their former hero back to north London.

Romano recently tipped that Spurs are ‘still thinking to’ Eriksen, with Football Insider also reporting that Tottenham have the chance to re-sign him in the winter window.

Charlie Eccleshare, writing for The Athletic, also revealed that the 28-year-old is a creative ‘option’ as January looms – and this update from Marotta, as relayed by Romano, could be a boost if Spurs do in fact wish to re-sign him.

“Yes, I can confirm that Christian Eriksen is on the transfer list,” explained the CEO to Sky via Romano.

“He’s gonna leave in January. He’s not functional to our plans and he had difficulty here at Inter. I think it’s right that Christian goes away to find more space”.

Transfer Tavern take

Much has been made of Spurs’ past difficulty to replace the international’s creative influence, but Jose Mourinho has arguably done a fine job of it this season.

Both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have thrived in the number 10 role this season, with it potentially being a gamble to throw in an unstable chemical like Eriksen who could disrupt the harmony of this squad.

Time will tell whether Spurs do lodge a pursuit, but it’s unclear whether this could be a good idea after all.

In other news: Tottenham have been dealt a potential Son Heung-min setback, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard currently has a wealth of wide options at his disposal.

Ianis Hagi has cemented his place on the right wing opposite the ever-reliable Ryan Kent, and that’s without even mentioning the likes of Glenn Middleton, Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones, whose places in the squad are by no means secure.

And emerging reports this week have seemed to suggest that the trio face an uncertain future at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Record, Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has resigned himself to losing Alfie Doughty, who has entered the final six months of his contract.

Bowyer said: “There is interest but there was interest in the summer.

“If Alfie does leave then it will have to be the right thing for the football club.

“No one player is bigger than the football club – and Alfie is no different.

“Alfie’s agent has told us he won’t sign a new deal and I’m disappointed with that.”

Doughty has been heavily linked with a switch to Ibrox but Celtic are also believed to keen on landing the left-sided midfielder who is available to sign on a pre-contract agreement.

More recently it’s claimed English Championship club Stoke City have made a bid for the 21-year-old, which is precisely why Ross Wilson must act swiftly in the January transfer window.

Davie Cooper 2.0?

With Barker bound for the Ibrox exit, Rangers could be on the verge of finally landing a significant upgrade in the form of the wantaway midfielder, who is also capable of playing as a left-back.

Doughty has made 41 appearances for the Addicks, having scored one goal and supplied two assists in League One this season so far, via Transfermarkt.

Standing at 1.83m tall he is similar in stature to legendary Rangers left-winger Davie Cooper, who was once named in Ruud Gullit’s Greatest XI, and the comparisons don’t stop there, either.

Like Cooper, the fleet-footed winger is similarly light on his feet, often leaving helpless defences trailing in his way, with The Athletic’s Nick Miller identifying his ‘relentless pace’ as one of his main strengths.

Doughty has been described as a decent dribbler and is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming prospects of his generation.

The Charlton boss was effusive in his praise for his “outstanding” young charge after he was one of the few bright sparks during the 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in 2019.

Cooper wrote his name into the history books after he scored against Celtic in the 1979 Dryburgh Cup Final, which is widely regarded by some Rangers fans as one of the greatest goals of all time.

Doughty could have a similar impact at Ibrox and he may be the perfect replacement to provide cover and competition for Ryan Kent on the left-wing if Wilson can steal a march on their closest rivals.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get Kai Kennedy to sign new deal after Gerrard transfer U-turn…

Celtic are struggling through an erratic 2020/21 season,  a campaign which is almost summed up by the fact that they have 14 senior players and their manager in quarantine. Their last two fixtures have seen stand-in boss Gavin Strachan have to field a makeshift starting XI whilst multiple key players see out their self-isolation periods.

This problem, however, is just the tip of a very troublesome iceberg for the Hoops, who are trailing to runaway leaders Rangers by a mammoth 21 points.

The makeup of Neil Lennon’s squad will need reviewing once the season ends and Peter Lawwell must be prepared to splash the cash on new personnel. One major problem area for the Bhoys is their goalkeeper.

Celtic have been linked to Dundee’s Benjamin Siegrist amid their worrying form. That’s according to the Daily Record, who claim that the shot-stopper’s agent believes that the Hoops are considering a January swoop.

Should Celtic sign Siegrist from Dundee?

The reigning Premiership champions undoubtedly need a clear out in their ranks. Players like loan signing Shane Duffy have not cut the mustard since arriving at Parkhead and Celtic must recruit fresh meat if they are to compete with Rangers next season.

The main issue to fix had been their inability to keep clean sheets. By signing a new goalkeeper, Lawwell will be making a statement of intent. With neither Vasilis Barkas or Scott Bain impressing at all this season, the responsibility has fallen to Conor Hazard, who has recently been plunged into the deep end by Lennon.

The 22-year-old has done a solid job so far, keeping four clean sheets in his five league appearances and conceding just the one goal, via Transfermarkt. Adding Siegrist to this union would be a very smart move for a side at risk of being ousted by their arch rivals as, at the moment, neither Barkas or Bain look like they can keep clean sheets and if Hazard was forced out of the line-up, the Hoops could be in trouble. The Dundee ace was recently lauded by manager Micky Mellon as a “top drawer” performer for the Tangerines.

However, any move for Siegrist would surely spell the end of £7,600 per week goalkeeper Bain. The 29-year-old has had a wretched time between the sticks recently, conceding 17 goals in just seven appearances. He is still yet to keep a clean sheet this season too, as per Transfermarkt.

Lawwell will probably not want to move Barkas on so soon after signing him last summer for £4.5million, but with Bain disappointing and Hazard stepping up to the plate, the addition of another goalkeeper will likely only be bad news for the Scotland international who would almost certainly have to move on for the good of his career, and for the good of Celtic too.

In other news, Signing Omar Colley would fix Lennon’s huge defensive worry…

Writing on Twitter, club insider and reliable source ExWHUemployee dropped a fitness update surrounding exciting young forward Mipo Odubeko – going on to claim he is unlikely to feature against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup. 

Odubeko was thought to have tested positive for COVID-19, but ExWHUemployee has now revealed that the results were incorrect and he has been falsely isolating – with manager David Moyes saying in his press conference yesterday that they were waiting on the doctor to see which test is ‘correct’ (football.london).

Dropping his update on the situation, ExWHUemployee states the test was in fact negative and the youngster has been isolating under false information – with the 18-year-old now unlikely to play today due to lack of match fitness.

Flocking to this news, many Irons had plenty to say – find all of their verdicts from social media down below.

West Ham fans flock to ExWHUemployee update

“That’s so West Ham”

Credit: @williebeau18

“I refuse to believe a week off training enables them to not be match for. Is he hold up in a Flat with no garden? Tennis players are in two weeks isolation in hotels rooms and with a week to prepare for tournament after.”

Credit: @billy_wesson

“This club never fails to do a West Ham, even when we’re high flying.”

Credit: @WestHam_Central

“West Ham being West Ham”

Credit: @jxck_whufc

“He is 18, surely he is fit enough to play some part!!!”

Credit: @Dengiehammer

“Surely he wouldn’t get that unfit in less than 2 weeks !?!”

Credit: @lee_sifford

“18 year old professional footballer can’t play because he had 5 days off. Wow!”

Credit: @The_BoleynBoys

“I’m sure hes been exercising at home. Perfect opportunity to see what his like!”

Credit: @BradCranefield

In other news: West Ham are preparing a new bid for this Antonio-esque attacker, find out more here.

Phil Hay has provided an update on Leeds United’s stance heading into the final hours of the January transfer window. The Athletic reporter was asked whether any incomings were on the cards for the Whites, to which he simply replied ‘no’.

This naturally could change with the ebbs and flows of deadline day. However, should Hay’s response be true, Leeds could be looking at some seriously choppy waters ahead for the remainder of the season.

Leeds must be cautious of injury problems

Despite spending a handsome amount in the summer window, the Championship winners are still being hammered by injuries. As it stands, Marcelo Bielsa is without summer recruits Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, who both operate at centre-back. Their most recent fixture against Leicester City also saw them pick up three more injury problems.

According to Premier Injuries, Patrick Bamford is out with a dead leg, which isn’t too serious. But playmakers Raphinha and Rodrigo are currently being assessed for reported muscular and groin injuries respectively.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

This could see the duo out for an extensive period of time, which leaves Leeds short in the engine room. Bamford is already heavily carrying his side in terms of attack this season, they cannot afford to lose even more fire power.

With Raphinha out, Bielsa will likely have to field string players Ian Poveda or Helder Costa on the right-wing. The loss of the the Brazilian will be hefty one for the newly promoted outfit – he has already contributed to seven of Leeds’ Premier League goals this season, as per Transfermarkt.

Injuries have already cost the Whites dearly in defence, dropping points to the likes of Brighton and even Crawley Town in the FA Cup. Now, they could be limited in both their backline and attacking force, which is a recipe for disaster.

Victor Orta should be utilising this transfer window to strengthen an injury-stricken squad, but Hay’s update could mean trouble is on the horizon for a club desperate not to slip back down into the Championship. It will be very risky business if they choose not to bring in any new personnel today.

In other news, Leeds must revisit transfer swoop for Divock Origi…

Southampton fell to a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday evening, although VAR was a serious cause of controversy.

Ross Barkley’s goal earned the visitors all three points but Ralph Hasenhuttl will feel aggrieved that his side were denied a penalty after Matty Cash’s handball, and they had a last-gasp equaliser chalked off when Danny Ings was ruled offside by the tightest of margins.

In a time where the Saints are suffering an injury crisis, which only got worse as Ibrahima Diallo, Oriol Romeu and Theo Walcott were all substituted due to injury concerns on Saturday, the Austrian is reliant on experienced players such as Walcott to help his side out.

However, the former Arsenal man’s performance against Villa was far from good enough, as he struggled throughout the game before he hobbled off.

As per SofaScore, the 31-year-old earned a 5.5 match rating for his performance, which was comfortably the worst of any player on the pitch.

Although the £9 million-rated forward was substituted just after the hour mark, he failed to have any real impression on the game during his time on the pitch, contributing no shots and no key passes.

Former Southampton left-back Matt Targett had the better of him throughout the game, as Walcott failed to win any of his nine duels, and he was unsuccessful in all five of his dribble attempts.

Targett, meanwhile, would win nine ground duels and made nine tackles – the most of any player on the pitch, which led to him earning an impressive 7.8 match rating.

Walcott was also wasteful on the few occasions he received the ball, as he had just 31 touches during his time on the pitch but would still manage to lose possession on 12 occasions, making just 15 passes during the game.

It was frankly an anonymous display from the 31-year-old former England international and although his injury comes as a blow, based on his performance against Villa, it is hard to argue that he will be a big miss in Hasenhuttl’s side, as it arguably showed that he is way past his best.

And, in other news… Southampton dealt transfer blow with 23 y/o; Ralph faces a race against time

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former England international and football pundit Steve Howey has explained how Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane could leave north London at the end of this season. 

Kane has arguably been one of Spurs’ shining lights this season, alongside the likes of Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele, with the Englishman proving pivotal over these last few campaigns for Tottenham.

Howey claims Kane could be ‘prised away’ from Spurs

The 27-year-old has also been tipped to potentially break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record (The Athletic), and Howey believes that he could be ‘prised away’ from Spurs at the end of this season if Jose Mourinho’s side continues on this run of form.

“I wouldn’t be massively surprised if he was prised away at the end of the season if Tottenham struggle,” explained the former Newcastle United and Manchester City defender.

“It must be frustrating for him. He knows he’s at the top of his game and it just depends on what he wants out of his playing career.

“He’ll want to score goals and he’ll want to break Alan Shearer’s record but he would surely want to win things as well.

“Unless Tottenham change and Mourinho is allowed to bring in more top-quality players, I think it’s going to be another season

where they look good, but don’t actually do anything.”

Transfer Tavern take

Whether or not Kane does opt to depart remains to be seen, but he has been touted with a move away to the likes of Man City very recently (talkSPORT).

He could want to have an end to his career laden with silverware and Tottenham may well face losing him if they cannot provide that competitiveness to compete for major honours.

In other news: Spurs star return is ‘not even close’ according to Mourinho, find out more here.