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According to a recent report from 90min.com Juventus star Paulo Dybala has been offered to the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ ahead of the January transfer window and Liverpool should be the ones to take advantage.

The Argentinian has found himself on the fringes of the Juventus squad this season, with new manager Andrea Pirlo preferring Alvaro Morata up front, as Dybala has made just six starts in all competitions so far this season.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a superb campaign last time out under Maurizio Sarri, contributing 11 goals and six assists in 33 Serie A appearances, which saw him average an incredible 7.44 rating (per WhoScored).

This came after a failed transfer to Tottenham Hotspur the summer before, with the former Palermo man opting to stay with the Italian giants after an issue with his image rights saw the deal fall through, and it seemed as if he was destined for another strong campaign with the Old Lady this time out.

However, it seems as if Pirlo no longer wants to work with Dybala, as he has reportedly been offered to several teams in the Premier League ahead of next month’s transfer window.

The Argentinian international is capable of playing as a centre-forward, a winger, and a second-striker, suggesting that he would fit well into Liverpool’s fluid attack.

He could also be compared to Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus, who also played in a number of positions across the attack during Klopp’s time in charge of the Bundesliga side.

Under the German manager, Reus would make 121 appearances, contributing an impressive 53 goals and 45 assists (per Transfermarkt).

If Dybala could produce anywhere near those numbers should he join Liverpool, he would surely prove to be an excellent signing indeed.

Earlier this year, Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero spoke highly of the Argentinian, saying:

“Considering what I know of him, his performances on the field and off, I think that Paulo has matured in recent months. The best show of that was how he dealt with what happened over the summer, his reaction emblematic of how much he has grown.

“We knew he was someone who loves to work and today I feel he has become a complete player.”

Therefore, Dybala is clearly held in high regard and considering he looks to be something of an outcast at Juventus now, it could be the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to sign the £72 million rated forward in a cut-price deal.

And, in other news… Stealing a wage: Klopp must axe £75k-p/w “machine” who’s bleeding Edwards dry

Leeds United are heading into the hectic festive calendar in difficult circumstances after Marcelo Bielsa was hit with yet another injury blow during their 6-2 beating this weekend.

The Whites have now lost their skipper, Liam Cooper, to injury as he hobbled off at Manchester United on Sunday, which means the Argentine is now without any of his senior central defenders going into this weekend’s encounter with Burnley.

Diego Llorente and Robin Koch are already on the treatment table, and now their industrious talisman is too.

Indeed, there is a major defensive crisis emerging at Elland Road right now.

Bielsa has turned to the versatile Luke Ayling in his time of need, but now he’s certainly going to have to drop into the youth team to find him a partner unless he wants the 29-year-old back in his natural right-back position, then he’ll need to find two options.

He went with 5 foot 8 left-back by trade Leif Davis for the final 18 minutes of the match, and he helped stop a rampant United scoring anymore past Illan Meslier.

Having two diminutive full-backs in central defence against Chris Wood, who Leeds know all too well, ultimately, already spells disaster for Bielsa.

Instead, the 65-year-old mastermind ought to turn to teen sensation Charlie Cresswell after an impressive display for the U23 squad this week.

The youngster’s performance caught the attention of many supporters, and as a result, they have launched desperate calls for Bielsa to start him against the Clarets this Sunday.

LeedsLive claimed the 18-year-old ‘starred’ for the youth team as they stuck seven goals past a helpless Fulham academy outfit. They wrote in their post-match ratings:

“Charlie Cresswell – 9/10 – If Leeds had secured a clean sheet, this would have comfortably been a 10 out of 10 performance from the youngster. Cresswell set the tone for the game by going close to connecting with the ball at an early corner, but made no mistake at his second attempt, crashing one into the back of the net.

“His security on the ball was convincing, even indulging in a Cruyff turn inside his own defensive third to evade danger in the second half. Perhaps the best action of his during the game was the frequent interceptions he made. Cresswell read the play excellently, seizing on forward passes as Fulham looked to break, turning the visitors’ attacks into countering opportunities for the Whites.”

At 6-foot, he’s a far more imposing option to have in the backline than either Ayling or Davis, and that’ll be what’s needed to thwart all 6 foot 3 of Wood at Elland Road.

Cresswell made his debut in the Carabao Cup earlier this season as Leeds went out on penalties to Hull and soon signed a new contract extension to keep him at the club through 2023.

It would be a fine reward for his recent form if he were to come straight into the senior starting XI in the Premier League.

Former Whites talisman Noel Whelan is a big fan of the defensive starlet too, he told Football Insider last month:

“Fantastic. It’s a contract that I’m very happy to see signed. He is the future. At that centre-half position, he’s got great attributes. He’s very calm on the ball, a great size to him, he’s quick, he can head, he can pass. He’s the modern-day, young-centre half.”

There isn’t a better time to see Cresswell in action than now.

Bielsa is desperate, and by pulling off this calculated risk, he could unleash a secret weapon that’ll only bolster their chances from now on.

Forget Davis. The 18-year-old must start vs Burnley.

AND in other news, “Be a great signing” – Exclusive: Leeds tipped to land £27m-rated defender who “catches pigeons”…

In his exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has criticised Manchester United defender Luke Shaw for his decision-making during the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side laboured to a 1-0 victory over Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday night, although there were a few positives as Alex Telles shone in Shaw’s absence.

Shaw is something of a divisive figure amongst United supporters, as he was slammed by some fans for his poor performance against Pep Guardiola’s side.

He was subject to constant stinging criticism from Jose Mourinho during his ill-fated time at Old Trafford.

And Palmer was left unimpressed with Shaw’s display as he looked out of sorts on the left-hand side of the defence in the middle of last week.

He told FFC:

“I’ve constantly had a beef with Luke Shaw because he never looks fit to me and he always looks like he’s carrying weight.

“If you look at him as a defender, some of the decisions he makes – he’ll cut across somebody and block somebody, rather than challenge them.

“I can point out numerous times he’s done that in games. He’s a talented boy but I can see why managers like Mourinho would criticise him.”

Telles has shaken off a slow start for Solskjaer’s side with two goal contributions in seven appearances across all competitions.

Shaw’s time at Old Trafford has been a little more questionable, although he has shown signs of improvement this season. He was caught napping by Raheem Sterling and John Stones and failed to register a single tackle in the entire game.

With Brandon Williams itching to leave on loan, it remains to be seen who will stake their claim in the coming weeks and months.

AND in other news, Manchester United’s Alex Telles stole the show in FA Cup victory over Watford…

Not that you’d know it, but Glasgow Rangers may have a few problems at the club right now.

Firstly, Alfredo Morelos’ form is patchy at best and they’re badly missing Kemar Roofe, who hasn’t featured for Steven Gerrard’s side since he suffered an injury in the Old Firm clash with Celtic at the start of the month.

Second of all, they missed a genuine opportunity to extend their 21-point lead over Celtic after they were forced to settle for a draw against Motherwell on Sunday afternoon.

Alfredo Morelos arguably produced one of his worst performances at Fir Park after the Colombia centre-forward looked increasingly out of sorts as he struggled to cope with the intensity and pace of the game, having completed just 18 passes, which was the third-lowest out of every Rangers player who started the game.

Given the fact he has failed to score since the 2-1 win at Aberdeen, you could certainly make the case for him to be dropped from the starting line-up. With that in mind, we reckon Cedric Itten could be the man to come in and make an impact in the middle of the park against Ross County.

Apart from Borna Barisic, Itten ultimately proved to be the only real saving grace for Gerrard. The Switzerland international came off the bench to rescue a point for the Scottish Premiership leaders and spare Gerrard’s blushes in the process.

He just loves a goal against Graham Alexander’s side, doesn’t he? Itten met a cross from Barisic with a well-timed header to score against Well for the fourth time this season.

It’s the kind of performance Rangers fans have come to expect from the 24-year-old, however, as his powerful header prevented his side from suffering their first defeat in the Premiership this season, with the visitors maintaining their standing at the top of the table.

Unlike Morelos, it’s fair to say that Itten is a player who has already started to exercise a tremendous amount of patience and control during his short stint with the 54-time Scottish champions.

Standing at 6 ft 2 in tall, he may not look like the typical ‘super-sub’ – if there is such a thing – but his record speaks for itself. 4 goals and an assist in 17 substitute appearances is a pretty decent return, considering he has only played 728′ minutes of football this season, via Transfermarkt.

However, since he signed on the dotted line last year, he has started just twice in the SPFL, which is rather surprising for a player of his obvious potential.

Gerrard has been using him off the bench effectively since the start of the season but perhaps he should take the opportunity to rest key players like Morelos, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier at home to the tenth-placed Staggies.

Last season, Itten scored 20 clubs goals in 36 appearances for St Gallen in Switzerland, which should give you an idea of the cutting edge he could give the Gers if he starts the game against the Staggies.

At the moment, you could argue that he is being wasted, especially when you consider the fact that Gerrard clearly rates him so highly. After the 3-1 comeback victory over Well last year, Gerrard said: “I thought Ceddy was outstanding, Ianis [Hagi] and Joe Aribo [too]. I’m really pleased with the character we’ve shown over the course of the 90 minutes.

“Ceddy does what he does. He’s a bit of a pest, he’s a bit of a nuisance, he chases lost causes.

“It was a fantastic header at the back post to put us in front and a lot of people would give up then and think the game is won but Ceddy keeps going and I’m sure the fans will really appreciate the effort he gave today.”

He needs to given a lot more game time by the manager and should be unleashed against Ross County at Ibrox on Saturday.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must swoop for Siriki Dembele after his latest masterclass…

As far as January transfer windows go, this is a largely uneventful one for Leeds United.

It doesn’t look as though they’ll welcome any fresh faces through the door which given their recent struggles is arguably quite surprising.

The Whites haven’t won or scored a single goal in what has been an arduous 2021 for them so far.

Marcelo Bielsa will need to dig deep and consult his studious brain for an answer to his problems. He hasn’t had many since penning terms at Elland Road in 2018 but he is going through a tough time at the moment.

Could the answer be in a new striker? Quite possibly, although Patrick Bamford is quite clearly the undisputed number one. He has been ever-present in the Premier League, scoring ten goals in the process.

Though, according to Kevin Phillips, Leeds should be interested in Bournemouth forward Josh King. He told Football Insider: “100% Leeds would be interested. If he is made available a lot of teams will be looking at him. Josh King would be a massive addition for Leeds. He is playing regularly now, he is scoring and he is a handful.

“Marcelo Bielsa likes versatile players and King can play across the front line. He is suited best down the middle though with players playing off him. If he became available, I am sure Leeds would be one of the clubs interested in him.”

On the chalkboard

Indeed, it’s hard to argue why this wouldn’t be a good signing for the Yorkshire outfit. He has Premier League experience and crucially, knows how to score top-flight goals.

During his career, the Norwegian has netted 48 in 161 Premier League outings. Though, that isn’t the sole reason why Leeds should sign him this month.

Reportedly available for around the £10m mark, he would offer Leeds something that Bamford doesn’t.

He has become more prolific this season and runs his socks off, relentlessly pressing the defenders. However, when it comes to ball carrying and tricking opponents, Bamford leaves plenty to be desired.

In 2019/20, the forward has registered just 0.5 dribbles per game. For context, that’s the 11th best tally in United’s squad. Bamford’s record in the Championship, meanwhile, was just 0.4 a match. King, on the hand, is streets ahead.

Described as a “complete package” by Eddie Howe, the Cherries striker managed two dribbles per outing in the top-flight last season, amassing a career average of 1.8. That would put him above every player in the Leeds squad in 2020/21.

For further evidence, you only need to compare the number of progressive carries they’ve made towards an opponent’s goal. King made as many as 3.8 per game last term according to FB Ref. Bamford, by comparison, has managed only 1.3 in the Premier League.

Although King provides a wealth of experience and would add undoubted depth to Leeds’ squad, it’s his ability to carry the ball forward and take it past players that stands to attention.

Above all, that is the main reason they must look at signing him this month. Victor Orta would do a grand job by sealing a transfer.

AND in other news, Leeds could find their new Jansson if Orta brings £5.4m-rated colossus to Elland Road…

The brunt of the blame might be falling on Neil Lennon’s shoulders right now, but his Celtic players are hardly doing him any favours.

The club are 23 points adrift of Rangers and it looks like their chances of winning ten in a row are completely dusted.

On the chalkboard

If Celtic supporters were able to attend Parkhead right now, you can imagine the atmosphere would be incredibly hostile. The hierarchy would have nowhere to hide and neither would the players. They’d be berated on a regular basis, especially the defence.

Odsonne Edouard has still been in the goals this term – racking up 12 strikes – but he’s not received much aid from the Hoops’ backline.

They conceded 19 goals in just six Europa League outings, being dumped out of Europe in desperate fashion. On top of that, the Bhoys have shipped 11 more league goals than Rangers in three fewer outings.

It’s a dismal record, one they simply have to improve in the back half of the campaign.

The solution

Celtic may have kept a clean sheet against Hamilton in midweek but when they face St Mirren on Saturday afternoon, they simply have to take Shane Duffy out of the starting XI.

When the centre-back signed on loan from Brighton at the start of the term it looked like a wise addition. After all, this was a fully-fledged international with English Premier League experience.

Though, for all of the expertise he possesses, he has been nothing short of a shambolic acquisition. Time and time again Duffy pops up with a mistake and certainly, in recent weeks, he has looked like a walking disaster.

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The centre-back should have been sent off for a reckless challenge in his mini-cameo during the Old Firm derby, a moment that had supporters fuming with his display.

He was nervy during the Scottish Cup final as well, miscommunicating with Christopher Jullien which allowed Hearts to go clean through on goal.

Duffy was haphazard against AC Milan too, failing to get close enough to his markers and allowing easy goal-scoring opportunities.

He’s not only displeased supporters but he’s received plenty of criticism from pundits. Andy Halliday said last week: “He looks as if he’s got no confidence whatsoever, none. Obviously I wasn’t on for the last Old Firm game but he was on for about two minutes and the ball dropped to him and he tried to flick it away with the side of his foot. It’s like he has no confidence at all.”

That was evident during the clash with Hamilton on Wednesday. The £25k-per-week earner surrendered possession of the ball 12 times and as he did v Milan, gave his opponents far too much room.

There was an instance in the first-half where he fortunately got away with one. Duffy presented David Moyo with far too much time and space but he failed to find the net.

As a result, it’s time for the defender to be withdrawn from the XI. He is an accident waiting to happen and with a player as talented as Stephen Welsh on the bench, Lennon should look towards him on Saturday instead.

Duffy just isn’t good enough.

AND in other news, Celtic could become a force again if Desmond hires “special” 42 y/o manager…

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, former Rangers youngster and reported target Billy Gilmour is staying at Stamford Bridge rather than leaving the club on loan before tonight’s deadline.

Gilmour has long had to grapple with the pressure and hype that comes with being dubbed the “Scottish Iniesta.” However, he has passed each test with flying colours.

Despite his age, the 19-year-old midfielder, who joined Chelsea from Rangers after rejecting an offer to stay at Ibrox, has already made eight top-flight appearances in the Premier League and played two games in the Champions League during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Yet if you cast your mind back to the start of the January transfer window, you will remember he was considering leaving on loan in a bid to get more game time amid interest from Steven Gerrard’s Gers.

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The Ibrox boss is a longstanding admirer of the club’s former starlet, who earns around £43,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge, although he publicly insisted that no talks had taken place at the time over a possible move.

Gerrard said: “I think he’s pretty settled at Chelsea. Fabulous little player but there’s been no contact”.

However, The Sun had previously reported that Rangers had indeed made an approach for the teenager midfield dynamo in December last year.

And The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed it is unlikely he will leave on loan before the transfer window closes tonight despite struggling for game time under Thomas Tuchel with Southampton believed to be among the interested parties. Ornstein has subsequently confirmed that he will stay at Chelsea until the end of the season.

There’s no doubting the fact that this could turn out to be one of Ross Wilson’s biggest regrets in the winter transfer market. Gers boss Gerrard wanted to sign a midfielder during the extended summer transfer window and ultimately got what he wanted in the form of Bafana-Bafana midfielder Bongani Zungu on an initial loan deal with the option to buy.

Unfortunately, the move hasn’t quite worked out as he planned, as the South Africa international has struggled to break into Gerrard’s side after a string of poor performances. He has made just one start in 14 appearances across all competitions this season thus far.

Gilmour himself is currently averaging more tackles and more interceptions per match than the South African, as per WhoScored, which suggests that his defensive contributions are greater. In two appearances in the Champions League, he has averaged one shot, one dribble and 1.5 key passes per game, via WhoScored, implying that he could’ve offered an alternative threat in attack as well.

It’s fair to say that the Scotland U21 international could’ve been a game-changer for the Gers as he has shown he can tackle, unlock the sternest of defences with the deftest of touches and bring the ball forward to set his side on the front foot. He could’ve been one of the best loan signings that money can buy in the market this season, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, George Edmundson must use temporary loan move to resurrect Rangers career…

Manchester City will be hoping to make it 16 wins in a row when they face Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Pep Guardiola’s side are comfortable at the top of the Premier League after a superb run of recent form, but have struggled against Spurs in recent seasons, and suffered a defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this campaign.

The Spanish manager made plenty of changes for the game against Swansea in midweek and it seems likely that he will go back to full strength as he prepares to face his old rival Jose Mourinho.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects City to line up against Spurs on Saturday, with seven changes from the team that started against Swansea…

Ederson returns in goal, and the Brazilian could even end up on penalty duties for City should they be awarded a spot-kick against Spurs after Ilkay Gundogan’s miss against Liverpool recently.

There are four changes to the defence as Ruben Dias and John Stones resume their partnership at centre-back, replacing Eric Garcia and Aymeric Laporte.

Joao Cancelo comes in for Kyle Walker after being rested at Swansea, whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko replaces Benjamin Mendy at left-back.

Phil Foden returns in midfield in place of Ferran Torres, although he will likely interchange with Bernardo Silva on the wing throughout the match, who keeps his place in the side.

Finally, Riyad Mahrez replaces Gabriel Jesus, with Raheem Sterling moving up front, with Guardiola having enjoyed a lot of success with a strikerless system in recent weeks.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Fernandinho: Txiki should swoop for £36m-rated beast this summer

Nottingham Forest lost only their second league match in their last nine games on Tuesday evening, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Luton Town.

The loss came courtesy of a 64th minute goal from Hatters’ midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe but the outcome could have been a lot different had Glenn Murray not turned in a shocking performance at the City Ground.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion striker played the full 90 minutes for Forest, earning the lowest WhoScored rating of the entire home side’s starting XI; just 6.06.

Throughout the game, Chris Hughton’s men managed to create a number of chances, taking 19 shots in all, with Murray providing six of those. However, he only managed to hit the target once with those attempts.

Despite winning five aerial duels, Murray’s all-round play flattered to deceive and was a huge factor behind the hosts losing the game.

Only substitutes Sammy Ameobi, Lyle Taylor and Alex Mighten had fewer touches than the striker’s 32.

Even when he did receive the ball, the 37-year-old was simply not able to do anything with it.

He could only produce a poor pass accuracy of 46.7%, which is worse than Luton goalkeeper Simo Sluga’s rate of 48.2%. It all meant that he could only complete a shocking 15 passes throughout the 90 minutes.

His poor showing did not end there though, with Murray racking up six unsuccessful touches in the game – more than any other player on the pitch.

With Forest reportedly paying the hitman as much as £30,000 per week in wages, it would be fair to assume that they were expecting a lot more from the former Premier League striker.

He will certainly have to improve upon his dire performance against Luton if he is to remain in the Forest starting XI under Chris Hughton.

AND in other news, take a look at how we evaluated Anthony Knockaert’s performance against Derby County last week…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs keen on signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney, according to TEAMtalk.

Toney joined the Bees from Peterborough over the summer and has excelled in west London. He is the top scorer in the Championship with 25 goals, five clear of Norwich City’s Teemu Pukki (BBC Sport).

Indeed, over his last 65 club games, he has netted a whopping 49 goals (Transfermarkt), a remarkable run of goalscoring consistency.

It could take £30m to sign Ivan Toney

Brentford are fourth in the table, so could conceivably offer Toney a route to the Premier League themselves.

TEAMtalk reported that it will take an offer in the region of £30m to tempt them to part with the 24-year-old, who has attracted plenty of suitors, with Leicester City, Leeds United and Arsenal all competing for his signature.

Ollie Watkins’ success at Aston Villa following his £28m move from the London club last year is a source of encouragement. He has 10 league goals to his name this season and has been among the Villans’ top performers.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Toney’s volume of goals is mighty, and he is immensely clinical, too. His 25 goals this season have come from an xG total of a little over 18 (via infogol) – hugely encouraging for interested parties.

But is Wolves the right destination for him?

Raul Jimenez is getting closer to a return to action for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side after fracturing his skull in November (via The Athletic). Also, the club shelled out £35m to bring in Fabio Silva last summer as the Mexican’s long-term successor.

Ultimately, a move to Leicester City may seem more likely given that Jamie Vardy has just turned 34. However, if Wolves can bring him to Molineux, they would be getting a proven scorer over a lengthy period.

In other news, Jamie Redknapp stunned by this statistic relating to divisive Wolves ace.