All posts by h79snht.top

Everton were handed an unforgiving task this evening as they travelled to Tottenham Hotspur hoping to be the first visiting team to pick up any points at the venue this season.

Having seen their six-game Premier League unbeaten run crumble last weekend against Manchester United, Frank Lampard was hoping to see his side bounce back following a poor performance six days aho.

Instead, yet another defensive display which was marked by individual errors saw a potential point on the road melt away.

Two second-half goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg secured a 2-0 result in a game in which Spurs dominated the ball. They boasted 62% possession and had 21 shots compared to the Toffees’ four, although it was Jordan Pickford’s fumbled shot and subsequent penalty conceded which led to the deadlock being broken just before the hour mark.

Their lack of threat up front was largely an issue stemming from Neal Maupay, who was an invisible entity at centre-forward. Dominic Calvert-Lewin remained unable to start, with Lampard preferring the Frenchman as he manages the 25-year-old’s injury comeback.

The lack of physical presence to disrupt a rock-solid Tottenham back three meant that there was nobody to hit if things got tough for Everton, and if they did give it to him it would seldom stick.

This was shown through the fact that Maupay managed just 15 touches all evening, while he lost possession five times. This meant that the 26-year-old lost the ball once for every three touches that he had – even Pickford managed to touch the ball with far greater regularity (41).

The French forward could not manage a single shot all evening and only completed nine passes. He also competed in three duels, of which he only managed to win one.

Maupay’s 66-minute culminated in an underwhelming 6.6 SofaScore rating, a fair assessment of his destructive performance. He was understandably hauled off by Lampard in an attempt to salvage something from the game.

This performance from the former Brighton marksman will certainly leave the Everton boss yearning for the full return of Calvert-Lewin. 

When a team operates in a low block as the Toffees did tonight, they rely heavily on the work rate of their forwards. With Maupay, they were sorely let down.

He cost his team, as it left the Everton midfield with no options and created a huge disconnect between the whole team. It also severely worsened the performances of Dwight McNeil and Demarai Gray, and once Calvert-Lewin is good to start, you sense that Maupay could drop out as a consequence.

Aston Villa could continue their efforts to bring Brentford manager Thomas Frank in as their new boss, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Frank linked with Villa job

The Villans are still working hard on acquiring the services of a new manager after Steven Gerrard’s sacking, with a host of names seemingly in the mix.

One of those is Frank, who has emerged as a front-runner for the role after impressing hugely at Brentford, taking them into the Premier League for the first time.

It appears as though Villa are still eyeing him up as a standout candidate, following a fresh update.

The Latest: Villa expected to test Frank’s loyalty

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Villa ideally want a manager who knows the Premier League well, with interest in Frank still strong.

The journalist said:

“One of the key things I’m told they are looking for is someone with Premier League experience. Gerrard was an experiment that backfired but I think they are still willing to give someone else a platform if Pochettino does not arrive.

“I can see them testing Thomas Frank’s loyalty, for example.”

The Verdict: Would he quit Brentford?

Frank has done more than enough at Brentford to suggest that he would be a great appointment by Villa – Graham Potter has called him ‘fantastic’ – although the key could be whether or not he is happy to leave his current club.

Things are going smoothly for the Dane in west London, with his side earning a 0-0 draw against Chelsea in midweek, and he may see exiting the Bees as a risk.

That being said, Villa remain a prestigious club who could offer more money and ambition than someone of Brentford’s size, so the lure of the Midlands vacancy could hopefully be too great to turn down.

Glasgow Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is facing a difficult situation next summer as a number of players are out of contract at Ibrox.

Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Allan McGregor, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis are among the first-team members who are set to leave on free transfers at the end of the season.

The manager, alongside Ross Wilson, will need to decide who he wants to keep around and then attempt to negotiate fresh deals for those players, whilst allowing the others to depart for nothing.

If the likes of Morelos and Kent depart Ibrox on free transfers then Rangers will need to find replacements for them to bolster their attack, whether that comes from within the club or by dipping into the transfer market.

One player van Bronckhorst could strike gold with by unearthing him from the academy is young centre-forward Juan Alegria, who is currently out on loan.

The Colombian marksman was sent out on loan to League One side Falkirk in the summer and has enjoyed an impressive season so far. He has found the back of the net five times and assisted one goal in 11 league outings for the club, which shows that he has the quality to score goals at senior level.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn hailed the signing at the time, saying:

“We are delighted to welcome Juan to the football club. He’s a player we have been after for some time. We witnessed him playing for Partick Thistle last season and he’s a young, hungry, and hardworking striker who I am sure will kick on.”

“He fits the profile of what we are looking for look and we look forward to working with him this season as he looks to develop himself further.”

Alegria struggled during his first loan spell away from Ibrox as he failed to score in 12 matches at Partick Thistle but it was his first taste of regular first-team football in Scotland and the experience has seemingly helped him to thrive at Falkirk.

Ex-Rangers defender Alan Hutton previously claimed that the club must see him as a “big talent” and he has shown glimpses of his quality in a Gers shirt, scoring three goals in two Trust Trophy matches for the club last season.

It remains to be seen how he would adapt to playing at Premiership level but he is showing plenty of promise out on loan this season and has plenty of room left to improve at the age of just 20.

This means that van Bronckhorst could strike gold with the talented and young goalscorer by bringing him into the first-team set up next season and offering him a platform to show what he can do for the Light Blues, particularly if Morelos moves on to pastures new.

If the manager can unlock Alegria’s potential then he could strike gold by unearthing a new asset to potentially be sold on in the future if he can develop into a first-team star.

Crystal Palace’s signing of Luke Plange from Derby County is looking more and more like a shrewd investment by the Eagles as the teenager continues to impress on loan.

The Eagles confirmed that they had signed the striker from the Rams in a deal worth £1m in last season’s winter transfer window, before sending him back on loan to the Midlands club in the Championship.

In total, Plange would make 27 appearances for the Rams in the second tier, contributing four goals and two assists, which is an impressive return given they were relegated to League One.

He certainly caught the eye of former manager Wayne Rooney with his performances on loan at Pride Park and his quotes will definitely excite Palace fans for the future.

Rooney said: “Luke Plange has a bit of everything in his game.

“He can run in behind teams, he’s quick and he is also strong enough to hold the ball up. As well as that, he’s a clever player and also a finisher.”

The England U20 international made just one appearance for Palace’s U21s, in which he contributed two assists before he was sent on loan for the season to RWD Molenbeek.

Plange is certainly proving his worth once again as the Belgian side currently sits third in the second division, with Plange hitting two goals and two assists in his first seven appearances for the club.

Although the 19-year-old is yet to be tested at the top level, he clearly has an eye for goal, further evidenced by his hat-trick in pre-season, and he will be looking to force his way into Patrick Vieira’s plans for next season by impressing out on loan.

Considering Palace’s current top goalscorer, Wilfried Zaha, is looking likely to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires, Vieira may well need a clinical forward such as Plange in his side as he looks to replace the Ivorian’s goals at Selhurst Park.

Therefore, it can only be good for the Eagles that Plange continues to catch the eye, as he could end up saving them millions on a goalscorer in the future.

Wanindu Hasaranga, Shardul Thakur, Nicholas Pooran, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Shikhar Dhawan, Shahrukh Khan, Nitish Rana, Jason Holder among the other millionaires

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-20220:13

Ishan Kishan: Really excited to be back again with Mumbai Indians

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were expected to be among the big draws at the IPL 2022 mega auction, and they were.Iyer became the first to cross the INR 10 crore barrier, a fervent bidding war between a number of teams ending with the middle-order batter and captaincy candidate going to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 12.25 crore (USD 1.6 million). Later in the day, Mumbai Indians broke the bank for Kishan, making him the fourth-highest earner at any IPL auction at INR 15.25 crore (USD 2.03 million) after beating off competition from Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was Mumbai’s first buy of the auction, and came well into the day’s proceedings.Related

Ashish Nehra: 'From year one, you should be looking to win the tournament'

Nicholas Pooran: 'Just because I had one bad season, it's not going to change the player I am'

Shreyas Iyer named Kolkata Knight Riders' new captain

'Just get into a suit and come' – two unusual days in the life of Charu Sharma

Roles plugged, holes to fill: How the 10 IPL franchises stack up

A few more Indian cricketers got in among the big leaguers when Deepak Chahar, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings’ campaigns over the past few years, was bought by the same franchise after a scrap with many other teams, and Delhi Capitals fought off a determined Punjab Kings to get their hands on Shardul Thakur. Super Kings, in fact, entered the fray late for Chahar, after Capitals and Sunrisers had taken the price to INR 11 crore. Rajasthan Royals, too, got in the fight late, but eventually left the race, leaving Super Kings to take back their man for INR 14 crore (USD 1.86 million). That made Chahar the highest-paid Indian bowler at an IPL auction. Thakur went to Capitals for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million). Avesh Khan also found a lot of takers, but eventually went to a visibly thrilled Lucknow Super Giants for INR 1 crore (USD 1.3 million).Earlier, in an unfortunate development, after 20 players had found their teams for the upcoming seasons to add to the players retained by the eight existing teams and acquired by the two new teams, the auction had to be paused when Hugh Edmeades, the auctioneer, collapsed on stage during a frenetic battle to buy Wanindu Hasaranga.A tweet from the IPL said Edmeades’ fall was caused by postural hypotension (a fall in blood pressure). He was quickly attended to by the medical team on site at the Bengaluru hotel where the auction is being held, and was understood to be fine. The auction resumed after a break of over an hour, at 3.45pm IST, with broadcaster Charu Sharma taking over proceedings for the remainder of the first day.When the auction action resumed, Hasaranga went to Royal Challengers Bangalore, his previous team, for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million), the price at which the bidding had stopped.3:43

KKR CEO: Shreyas Iyer is a ‘long-term’ buy

Before the pause, some of the other pre-auction tips attracted big bids too. Among them were Jason Holder and Harshal Patel. Holder, starting at INR 1.5 crore, first attracted the attention of Mumbai and then Super Kings. Mumbai opted out first, and Royals joined in along with Super Giants, who finally got the allrounder at INR 8.75 crore (USD 1.16 million). That was the highest ever bid for a West Indian at IPL auctions. But the record didn’t last too long, with Sunrisers shelling out INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million) for Nicholas Pooran.Harshal, one of the stars of the last IPL, went back to the team he was part of, Royal Challengers, who fought off interest from Super Kings and Sunrisers to get the medium-pacer at INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million).Punjab, who started the auction with the biggest purse of the ten teams, splurged straightaway as the marquee players went under the hammer. They bought Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada for INR 8.25 crore (USD 1.1 million) and INR 9.25 crore (USD 1.23 million) respectively. Capitals were excited bidders early on, but dropped out of the race for Dhawan and Rabada, as well as Iyer and R Ashwin, all of whom had been part of their roster last season.In other early updates, Knight Riders kept the paddle up for Pat Cummins, buying back their pace spearhead for INR 7.25 crore (USD 966,000), while Ashwin was sold to Royals for INR 5 crore (USD 666,000), the team also holding firm to get hold of Trent Boult for INR 8 crore (USD 1 million).0:15

Washington Sundar: ‘I am ready to rise’ with Sunrisers Hyderabad

Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders CEO, said the franchise had expected to “go higher” to get hold of Cummins, and while he called Iyer a part of the team’s “very long term in terms of our thinking”, the captaincy question was understandably left alone. “That’s a decision the coach and the think tank will take,” he said on the official broadcast during a break in proceedings. “I think we need to just digest the activity of today and tomorrow and take stock. Between Cummins and Shreyas, we have got solid options. But the think tank will take the decision.”Teams looking to bring back players they have had to let go was a theme early on. Mumbai went after Boult. Super Kings did the same with Faf du Plessis. Neither got their man. The former South Africa captain eventually went to Royal Challengers, their first acquisition of the day, for INR 7 crore (USD 933,000). Could he be their new captain, a position lying vacant after Virat Kohli stepped down in 2021?Kings bucked the trend and stayed away from the race for Mohammed Shami, who became Gujarat Titans’ first buy at an IPL auction, for INR 6.25 crore (USD 833,000). Mumbai entered the fray late for Quinton de Kock, but he was the first buy of the auction for Super Giants, who secured the South African keeper-batter for INR 6.75 crore (USD 900,000). Capitals did eventually open their account, right at the end of the round of marquee players, getting hold of former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner, who was a part of Delhi Daredevils once upon a time, for INR 6.25 crore (USD 833,000).Sunrisers, in fact, didn’t even enter the contest for Warner, who led the team to the title in 2016 but fell out of favour with the franchise more recently, first sacked as captain and then dropped altogether in 2021.From Kings’ point of view, they might have settled on their opening combination now, Dhawan joining Mayank Agarwal, who had been retained by the franchise. Similarly, de Kock going to Super Giants, who already had KL Rahul, should settle their top two. Capitals are also in the same boat with Warner added to a roster that already contained Prithvi Shaw.Devdutt Padikkal was another of the early millionaires, going to Royals for INR 7.75 crore (USD 1.03 million), but the list of unsold players got going in the second round of bidding, with veteran middle-order batters David Miller and Suresh Raina, Steven Smith and the allrounder Mohammad Nabi all failing to attract bidders. They, and other unsold players, can, of course, return to the auction if any of the teams express an interest in them.The acquisition of Padikkal gave Royals a strong top order, with the team also making Shimron Hetmyer a millionaire, spending INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.13 million) to add the West Indian to a retained set featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson.Jake Lush McCrum, the Royals CEO, said the franchise had “secured the targets we were looking for”. “To have a world-class spinner [Ashwin] was very important and to back it with a bowler who picks wickets up front [Boult] and a gun batter [Hetmyer], we are really happy with what we have done in the first few rounds.”3:58

Shahrukh Khan – ‘If you put the team first, the pressure reduces’

Sunrisers, who, along with Mumbai, hadn’t spent anything until the post-lunch session of the auction, finally got going when Washington Sundar’s name came up, and they left Titans, Capitals and Super Giants behind to snap the offspinning allrounder up for INR 8.75 crore (USD 1.16 million). And Krunal Pandya was the next big buy, missing out on joining his brother Hardik at Titans as Super Giants spent INR 8.25 crore (USD 1.1 million) on him.Though Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu, among others, went for relatively modest amounts, a couple of other players did rake in the moolah: Prasidh Krishna went to Royals for INR 10 crore (USD 1.3 million), Nitish Rana was bought back by Knight Riders for INR 8 crore (USD 1.06 million), and Josh Hazlewood was bought by Royal Challengers for INR 7.75 crore (USD 1.03 million).Abhinav Manohar, the hard-hitting 27-year-old batter from Karnataka invited a bit of a bidding war once the auction moved to uncapped batters, with Knight Riders and Capitals entering the fray to get hold of him before Titans bought him for INR 2.6 crore (USD 345,063). But the hot pick in that category was, as expected, South African batter Dewald Brevis, who enjoyed an impressive Under-19 World Cup recently. He was sold to Mumbai for INR 3 crore (USD 400,000).Meanwhile, Rahul Tripathi, a Knight Riders player until last season, became the fourth-highest uncapped earner ever in the IPL when Sunrisers bought him for INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.13 million), which placed him only behind K Gowtham (INR 9.25 crore to Super Kings in 2021), Krunal Pandya (INR 8.8 crore to Mumbai in 2018) and Pawan Negi (INR 8.5 crore to Capitals – then Daredevils – in 2016).Shahrukh Khan pushed Tripathi down to fifth place soon enough, though, as a hectic bidding battle, between Super Kings and Kings for the most part, ended with him going to Kings at INR 9 crore (USD 1.2 million). Rahul Tewatia didn’t do badly either, as Titans spent INR 9 crore (USD 1.2 million) for him.

Aston Villa face a tough test this afternoon as they travel to take on Newcastle United in the Premier League.

With Unai Emery confirmed as manager, a role he will officially assume on 1 November, he will wait until next week to oversee his first match, leaving Aaron Danks in charge for one final game.

The 39-year-old will be hoping to build upon last weekend’s emphatic 4-0 win over Brentford, but Villa face a Magpies side who are unbeaten in their last seven.

With injuries and tactical decisions to contend with for this clash, there could be a few changes in personnel to hopefully ensure that another result can be eked out.

Emiliano Martinez will remain in goal as always, with the Argentine having kept just his third clean sheet of the season against the Bees. He will sit behind a slightly-changed back four to cope with the tactical tweaks expected by Danks.

Travelling to St James’ Park is tough for any side, and with Villa not in the best of form, Jan Bednarek could come in to partner Tyrone Mings at the heart of defence.

This will lend itself to a deeper defensive line, with these two centre-backs happy to sit back and clear away danger for the likes of Emiliano Buendia and Danny Ings to battle for loose balls further upfield.

It’s a change which could see Ezri Konsa drop to the bench. The 25-year-old has been a fine defender for the Midlands outfit, recently being dubbed “outstanding” by Steven Gerrard.

This change would be down to a tactical reshuffle or a rare breather for the former Brentford man, who has started Villa’s last ten league games.

Ashley Young could continue to deputise at left-back despite Lucas Digne’s return to fitness, while Matty Cash will occupy the right flank.

The centre of midfield will likely be unchanged, as Leander Dendoncker continues to be favoured over John McGinn to start alongside Douglas Luiz, whilst Buendia will likely thrive once more in the number ten role. Both of these changes were integral in their recent victory over Brentford, with the recalled duo winning seven tackles and 13 duels combined last Sunday.

Only one change is expected to the attacking three behind the main striker, with Philippe Coutinho to return following his stint on the bench.

It might be the impetus to inspure sensational performances out of the £125k-per-week Brazilian once again, with last week’s goalscoring heroes Leon Bailey and Ings occupying the other attacking places.

Predicted Aston Villa XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez – Cash, Bednarek, Mings, Young – Dendoncker, Luiz – Coutinho, Buendia, Bailey – Ings.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has showcased his knack for finding potential hidden gems in his tenure at Parkhead thus far, with arguably the 57-year-old’s biggest success story having been that of Portuguese starlet, Jota.

The 23-year-old was something of an unknown following his arrival in Glasgow on a season-long loan deal last summer, although quickly emerged as a leading figure in the club’s title charge, scoring 13 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions in what was a stunning debut campaign.

That explosive form has continued this time around with the fleet-footed gem having scored seven goals and provided six assists in just 15 games across all fronts, notably netting a delightful free-kick away to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in midweek, in what was a rare bright note on an otherwise grim night.

The £6.5m-rated gem – who signed on a permanent deal in the recent window – has unsurprisingly stolen the headlines on numerous occasions throughout his time with the Old Firm outfit to date, having become something of a talismanic figure for Postecoglou in recent times.

There have, however, been perhaps less obvious stars in the Hoops’ ranks during the former Yokohama boss’ time in charge, with academy graduate Anthony Ralston once such talent who has emerged seemingly out of nowhere over the past year or so.

The £8.5k-per-week full-back had previously appeared surplus to requirements during Neil Lennon’s time at the helm, notably making just a solitary appearance for the club in all competitions during the 2020/21 season, having endured prior spells out on loan at Queen’s Park, Dundee United and St Johnstone.

With the Scotsman’s future at the club looking uncertain amid Postecoglou’s arrival last year, the 23-year-old has since gone on to shine since then, having undoubtedly been something of an “unsung hero” of late, in the words of journalist Anthony Haggerty.

The six-cap “ballet dancer” – as dubbed by Dominik Diamond – scored four goals and provided nine assists in the Scottish Premiership alone during the 2021/22 campaign, with his average match rating of 7.41, as per SofaScore, having been the fourth-highest among the Celtic squad last term.

The 6-foot machine has had to bide his time for game time this time around – having notably failed to feature in any of his side’s six Champions League outings – although has begun to solidify his place at right-back domestically, notably playing a key role in the win over Dundee United at the weekend.

That dramatic 4-2 triumph saw Ralston register his first league goal involvement of the season – having earlier provided two assists in the League Cup – as the attacking defender teed up Kyogo Furuhashi with a headed flick-on to help steer the home side ahead late on.

It was the Bellshill-born starlet’s all-round performance that particularly caught the eye on the day, however, having been hugely influential to proceedings after making 116 touches in total, while also recording a remarkable haul of five key passes.

Such a strong showing should well see the improving ace retain his place in the side for Wednesday’s trip to Fir Park to face Motherwell, with Ralston hoping to showcase once again just what an asset he is to both his manager and his teammates.

Liverpool face Southampton this afternoon in what is both side’s final match before the World Cup halts the domestic season until after Christmas.

For Jurgen Klopp’s men, the break has arrived at the perfect time especially considering just how badly they have struggled in the Premier League this season.

After 13 matches, the Anfield side have won just five league games all season and are currently sitting a lowly eighth in the table.

Improvement is needed and following a penalty shootout victory over Derby County in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, which saw a raft of youngsters unleashed, Klopp will make sweeping changes.

We at Football FanCast predict the Liverpool starting XI that will take to the field at Anfield today…

Predicted Liverpool XI

Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson will come back into the starting XI in place of Caoimhin Kelleher – dubbed “top-class” by John Pearman following his cup heroics – and the 30-year-old will be hoping to keep just his fifth league clean sheet today.

The back four will comprise Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson at right and left back respectively, while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate – who Phil Thompson described as an “absolute dream” last season – will form a formidable duo at the heart of the defence.

Klopp is likely to go with three in the midfield as he did against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, meaning Thiago and Fabinho will reprise the same roles in the 2-1 victory, with Jordan Henderson coming into the starting XI in place of Harvey Elliott.

Darwin Nunez will start on the left of a three-pronged attack, with the Uruguayan providing an assist against Spurs and Mohamed Salah will once again be deployed on the right.

Roberto Firmino will be aiming to make up for his World Cup heartbreak and prove to Brazil manager Tite why he should have been on the plane to Qatar by adding to his six league goals already this season by leading the line against the Saints.

With his side back to near full strength, all Klopp will be looking for is three points and a solid performance in front of the Anfield faithful.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, Konate, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold; Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson; Nunez, Firmino, Salah.

Liverpool head into the World Cup break in sixth place, and with their hopes of securing Champions League football fading, the transfer window in six weeks’ time will be rather timely.

What’s the word?

The Reds have been after an elite midfielder for a great deal of time now with Jurgen Klopp’s men missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer, as he joined Real Madrid.

Jude Bellingham has also been a long-term target for the Anfield outfit but with a seemingly astronomical price tag, they didn’t make their move in the previous window.

The Borussia Dortmund sensation has previously been touted at a whopping £103m in some circles, but according to CIES Football Observatory, his true value in 2022 sits at £218m.

That would be a world-record fee and something FSG simply won’t be able to afford, so their negotiating hats will have to go on over the winter.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the club are locked in talks with the player’s entourage with the hope of finally concluding a deal. The Italian journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “Liverpool will be in the race, 100 per cent.

“They’re already in contact with people close to Jude Bellingham, so Liverpool will be there.”

The best of our generation

Bellingham is one of the finest young players on the planet right now with his rise to stardom in Germany quite the story.

Poached from Birmingham City when he was just 17 years of age, the Midlands side decided to retire his shirt number due to his remarkable talent.

That seemed a bizarre thing to do at the time but as the weeks and months tick by, that is a decision justified.

His numbers since moving to the Bundesliga have been truly outstanding, with the central midfielder scoring 19 goals and registering 21 assists in 112 outings while still a teenager.

The majority of those goals have come this season as Bellingham has found the net on nine occasions, with four strikes coming in the Champions League.

A rangy figure in the middle of the park, the 19-year-old is a phenomenon, putting in a level of performance on Europe’s elite stage that very few others have at this stage of their career.

Indeed, speaking of those displays, Rio Ferdinand once said: “What he’s doing in his position at his age, we haven’t seen. The best of our generation, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, them guys – Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren’t doing this.”

It’s hard to argue with that point either. At Bellingham’s age, Scholes had only just turned professional, Vieira was playing for Ligue 1 mid-table side Cannes, Lampard was beginning to become a first-team regular at West Ham and Keane was a year into his spell with Nottingham Forest.

Evidently, it is Dortmund’s current sensation who has enjoyed the most meteoric of rises out of those midfielders, with his impact far greater at his youthful age compared to some of the best we’ve seen in English football over the last two decades.

On that evidence, he would be a mighty fine signing for Liverpool, especially when you consider their problems in that area of the pitch.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are no spring chickens while Fabinho’s form this term has been questionable at times. Thus, not only would Bellingham offer them reliability in that role for the best part of the next ten years, but he’d also bring extreme quality.

The youngster ranks in the best 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top leagues for touches in the attacking penalty area and dribbles completed while he sits in the top 10% for passes into the penalty area.

This is a player who always thinks positively, with his best qualities undoubtedly being an eye for a pass, the ability to burst forward with the ball at his feet and his finishing ability.

There isn’t a more perfect player in his position for his age and whoever ends up signing him will be incredibly lucky. He is a generational talent.

Rumoured Wolves transfer target Goncalo Ramos is someone the club should ‘test the waters’ with in January, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Ramos linked with move

Ramos is currently part of Portugal’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as he hopes to make his mark on the biggest stage in football.

The 21-year-old was been linked with a move to Wolves in the summer, and new manager Julen Lopetegui could see him as a strong option to come in.

Ramos has already scored nine goals in just 11 Primeira Liga starts for Benfica this season and it could be that a move is on the cards during the January transfer window.

The Latest: Jones makes new claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said Wolves should table a bid in the next window:

“I think Benfica would put a high price tag on him, that’s for sure. But in the January window, he seems like somebody that might be worth testing the water on.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Much-needed firepower

With Wolves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, there is no doubt that additional firepower is required during the second half of the season.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

Ramos is someone who could provide just that, already scoring for Portugal in his only senior international cap to date, as well as bagging 28 times in total for Benfica.

BBC broadcaster Andy Sixsmith has previously highlighted Ramos’ qualities other than just his goals, describing him as a player who is “brilliant in the air, a real clever finisher & a proper grafter up front.”

Only 21, the attacker would be a long-term solution for Lopetegui rather than a quick fix, so he could be somebody to build Wolves’ attack around for years.