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Liverpool are interested in a number of midfielders after a stark decline in form and fluidity under Jurgen Klopp, and could now move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool are indeed looking to return for Nunes after agreeing a £44m fee in the summer, but the expectation is a deal will be revised in the summer, when the Old Gold would be willing to grant a departure, having signed the player in a record £42.2m deal mere months ago.

The indication is that Klopp and co are set on striking a deal for the right player, despite the glaring dents in the club’s weathered armour, and will bide their time if it means acquiring the signature of their most desired target.

Forget Musah

The Premier League giants are seeking clarity on the efficacy of their formerly imperious system, with the intrinsic tenacity and guile evaporating from Anfield like sodden clothes in the sun, and Nunes has been distinguished to become the new central focal point, re-establishing cohesion, with recent reports linking Liverpool with a move in 2023.

While Liverpool have held an interest in the 24-year-old Nunes for a considerable amount of time, the interest in a new addition to bolster the central ranks stretches across a multitude of avenues, with Valencia’s precocious engine Yunus Musah also attracting attention from Julian Ward and co.

The 20-year-old has made 86 appearances for his Spanish outfit since arriving from Arsenal’s youth academy in 2019, and while he is blossoming into a figure that could indeed earn a move to one of Europe’s most prominent outfits, Liverpool’s current woes might be better remedied with the signing of his Portuguese positional peer.

Nunes has not quite hit the ground running since his introduction to life in the English top-flight, only recording a Sofascore rating of 6.76 after making 17 Premier League appearances, although his 83% passing accuracy and 0.9 key passes per match indicate a creative prowess lying dormant, that Klopp could certainly unleash.

As per FBref, the 11-cap star ranks among the top 15% for touches in the attacking box and the top 5% for progressive passes received throughout Europe’s big five leagues, illustrating an offensive nature that will only enhance the Reds’ prospects of success.

And with the £88m-valued Musah considered a comparable player by the statistical site, it’s clear that Nunes’ more established skill set would be better suited to steer Liverpool away from the current obscurity – and commanding a relatively similar fee, the Anfield hierarchy would do well to target the Wolves midfielder.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lauded Nunes as “one of the best midfielders in the world” once, a true testament to the recognition of his skill set that would only continue to blossom under Klopp’s sagacious tutelage.

With Klopp showing diligently in the past that he can identify premium talent from outfits a step behind the Merseyside outfit, such as the signings of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Gini Wijnaldum from Newcastle United – both integral components to the recent prosperous period – Nunes could be the perfect heir to the vacant throne in the centre of the Anfield park, with someone of his robust, progressive nature needed t0 ensure a blip does not worsen, sending the good work tumbling into the abyss.

Overview

Nowadays, there is rarely a shortage of breaking news and rumours related to the Premier League, Football league, and others. You can find plenty of coverage for player transfers and a full account behind each story. But some stories matter more than others, in that they involve political or moral repercussions for the rest of us.

In fact, this post is going to be about one such incident when a reputed player allegedly ended up promoting gambling in a morally grey area. So, read on to learn more about the event and its after effects.

What exactly happened with Wayne Rooney and 32Red?

While currently a football manager, Wayne Rooney is mainly famous for his forward and midfield roles in his past career as an English footballer. But he took his fans, as well as his critics, by surprise in August 2019 when he signed a questionable deal for 32Red, a British online casino firm with a Gibraltar licence.

The story goes something like this. The former England captain transferred to Derby County in exchange for a handsome salary worth nearly £100,000 a week. But part of this amount would be paid by 32Red in exchange for brand promotion. Basically, Rooney would wear the number 32 on his t-shirt. But this would simply highlight the casino brand wholesale to the viewers.

Indeed, shortly after the deal, the ex-captain posed for the club wearing the t-shirt, alongside Phillip Cocu, the manager for Derby County. This ended up causing a stir in the media. The proposed reason was that such a display would send a wrong subliminal message of casino advertising to the masses. In particular, children would be the most vulnerable to the advertisement. Many people even thought that the kids were already spending more time gambling than doing drugs or smoking in the UK.

After the event

Of course, the story has evolved a lot ever since it first came out. Initially, only social media and the press took notice of the incident. But soon afterward, a number of influential people rebuked the event. In particular, the Church of England strongly condemned Rooney’s decision to sign the deal, and so did various healthcare professionals.

The British legislation had left the issue of governing gambling activities mostly to itself. In other words, the gambling companies themselves had to decide what safe gambling policies to adopt, for the most part. While this was all in the spirit of promoting autonomy in the industry, an event like this invited strong criticism from the international community.

Specifically, countries such as Australia, Italy, and Belgium clearly expressed their discomfort over the matter. Studies had already shown the effect of such advertising on the general public. Basically, it promoted irresponsible gambling views and behaviours. Moreover, the casino in question indulged in questionable practices by being easy on a high-roller addict during the year before.

Regrets his decision

Later on, Rooney himself admitted to how stupid one can behave under such circumstances. People tend to be vulnerable with their gambling habits when they have to fend for themselves under a lack of the right supervision. By the way, that is also why all responsible gambling companies nowadays include some kind of self-exclusion and loss/wager limiting provisions on their website.

The above dubious behaviour of Rooney, combined with the one on part of the gambling company itself, paints a good picture of what went so wrong with the incident. Apparently, there was a serious moral compromise in order, besides an obvious conflict of interest. It was no wonder, therefore, that the two ended up receiving so much blame in the aftermath of the unwelcome deal.

Verdict

By this time, the story may have more or less faded away from the public view. After all, such incidents may be rather common for all you know. For instance, during the 2019-20 season itself, almost half of all the Premier League’s teams were set to display various gambling brand logos on their t-shirts. And things haven’t changed any for the better since then.

But the message these sorts of events deliver couldn’t be any clearer for the public. In this day of clickbait advertising, it is even more important to fend for oneself, especially over matters such as gambling. As always, start by choosing a casino with safe and morally sound gambling practices. Try to avoid non gamstop casinos and practice responsible gambling. By all means, have fun, but stay safe.

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The January transfer window is done and dusted and all attention now turns towards Glasgow Rangers and their ambitions on the pitch for the remainder of the season.

Michael Beale’s side return to Premiership action tonight as they travel away from Ibrox to face Hearts in the hope of clawing back some of the nine-point deficit at the top of the table.

The Light Blues remain unbeaten under the English head coach and won their last outing in the division 2-0 as they beat St. Johnstone at Ibrox – thanks to goals from Glen Kamara and James Tavernier.

In spite of the win, it was far from a perfect performance by the Gers and one player who struggled in the match was central midfielder Ryan Jack.

The Scotland international was hooked at half-time after a disappointing first half, in which he was handed a yellow card that was reviewed for a potential red and lost 66.6% of his individual duels.

Jack avoided a sending off but was unable to escape being substituted at the break and Rangers boss Beale must now unleash former Sheffield United enforcer John Lundstram in his place for this clash with Hearts.

The Englishman was brought on for the second half against St. Johnstone and has been one of the club’s top-performing stars in the Premiership so far this season.

Lundstram currently sits sixth in the Gers squad for average Sofascore ratings in the Scottish top-flight this term – averaging a score of 7.09 across 23 appearances.

The £22k-per-week gem, who ex-Rangers man Maurice Ross once hailed as the “cornerstone” of the team, has been a reliable performer in the middle of the park and is a player the manager knows is capable of putting in an excellent display in the Premiership – as shown by his average performance level.

Lundstram has scored five goals from midfield this season in the league but the warrior has not shrugged off his defensive responsibility as the 28-year-old has also made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match, which shows that he is regularly winning possession back for his side.

The central midfielder, who former teammate Kane Hemmings described as “invaluable”, has also completed 90% of his attempted passes and made 0.7 key passes per outing. This shows that the gem rarely gifts the ball back to the opposition and is capable of the odd bit of creativity to help the side out in the final third. 

Beale must now unleash the combative talent from the start against Hearts tonight, after Jack’s disappointing showing last time out, as Lundstram is a proven and quality performer at this level.

Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans could be a ‘real option’ for Manchester United this summer, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Tielemans to leave?

The 25-year-old is out of contract at the King Power Stadium this summer and it now looks inevitable that he will depart as a free agent, with reports even suggesting he is ‘refusing’ to sign a contract extension.

Tielemans has continued to be a key player for Leicester this season however, scoring three times from 19 starts in the Premier League, but it seems he is eyeing up a bigger challenge.

United have been linked with a move for him in the recent past and it looks like they could return for him during the summer transfer window.

The Latest: United a ‘real option’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs talked up the idea of Tielemans making the move to Old Trafford:

“I think that Tielemans was was not too sold on Manchester United under previous managers. But, with Erik ten Hag turning things around, if Manchester United qualify for the Champions League that could be a real option for them.

“If they lose a midfielder, they might feel like a box-to-box midfielder or an attacking midfielder, like Youri Tielemans, he could be the type of player that not only balances the books a little bit but can chip in with some goals and help add a little bit of control into central midfield. Manchester United and Arsenal are still two to watch.”

The Verdict: Could be perfect

United’s midfield looks strong currently, but with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen both turning 31 this year, Erik ten Hag needs to look at the long-term picture.

In that respect, Tielemans could be a great option to bring in, having scored 28 goals and registered 25 assists in 185 appearances for Leicester, showcasing his eye for goal in the middle of the park.

At 25, he is at a perfect age to come in and provide some energy there, having averaged 2.2 tackles per game in the league this season, which is only bettered at United by Casemiro (3.3), Bruno Fernandes (2.4) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (2.3).

England legend Gary Lineker has described Tielemans as ‘stunning’ this season and his all-round game could help take the Red Devils to another level, aiding squad depth even further.

Aston Villa are ‘yet to discuss’ a new deal for Tyrone Mings even though his current contract expires next year, according to journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Mings’ contract running down

The 29-year-old has continued to be an important player for the Villans this season, making 18 Premier League starts and improving as the campaign has progressed.

Mings’ current Villa deal runs out in the summer of 2024, however, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be offered an extension before then.

Now, a new update has now emerged regarding the situation.

The Latest: No talks yet

Taking to Twitter, Preece said that there are currently no talks going on regarding a new contract for Mings, but suggested that the club should get it done:

“Villa yet to discuss a new contract for Tyrone Mings who’ll have 12 months remaining on his #avfc deal at the end of the season. The centre-back’s form has been brilliant. Mings will be 31 by the time his current contract is up. New deal a no-brainer?”

The Verdict: Is it worth it?

This is a tricky one for Villa, considering Mings turns 30 next month and is already one of the biggest earners at the club, bringing in £80,000 per week.

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Offering him another big-money deal at his age would represent a risk, even though the 17-time capped England international remains a good player who has been called ‘fantastic’ by Steven Gerrard.

The best solution would be to offer Mings a shorter-term contract that doesn’t eat into his 30s too much – if he wants to accept it he can, but if not, a move elsewhere could make sense.

He should certainly continue to be an important and popular figure at Villa Park for the foreseeable future, though, so a summer exit from nowhere is not something Unai Emery would surely want.

Insider Dean Jones has insisted that Leicester City have to sell Kelechi Iheanacho this summer if he isn’t given enough game time in the coming months.

What’s the word?

On the weekend, the Foxes picked up a morale-boosting 4-2 away win over Aston Villa. New signing Tete netted on debut, while goals from James Maddison and Dennis Praet were also important.

However, Iheanacho stole the show with one goal of his own as well as two assists. His performance served as a reminder of his quality and posed the question: why hasn’t Brendan Rodgers started him more often. Indeed, up to this point in the Premier League season, the Nigerian has started just twice.

While speaking about the player on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones said it was “crazy” that the player hasn’t been able to fulfil his potential at Leicester and claimed he should leave in the summer if he isn’t afforded more opportunities to shine.

The insider said: “Look, if he doesn’t start getting a run between now and season, he’s got to leave. Like, it’s free Iheanacho time. He needs to be allowed to go and do what he needs to do.

“I mean, this was a guy that, when they burst onto the scene, him and [Marcus] Rashford were neck and neck. Like, who’s gonna be the superstar out of this team? There’s him on one side of town [at Manchester City], there’s Rashford on the other side of town, which one is going to score more goals in their career? Who’s going to be the biggest name?

“He just faded, you know? And it’s crazy that it’s ended up like this where he’s just an afterthought.”

Stalled career?

When he broke through at Man City, Iheanacho certainly did look to be a top talent. Indeed, in his first season of regular football, the striker netted eight league goals and claimed two assists in just 753 minutes of league football.

And after 29 goal contributions in 64 games for City, he then joined Leicester where he has struggled to quite fulfil his potential. For instance, even last year he only started 13 of his 26 league appearances for the club, netting four goals.

However, from time to time, he delivers great reminders of his talent – having netted the winner in the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup this season – so perhaps it is time to see what he can do at a club where he will play more.

It’s certainly hard not to feel as though his best years are being wasted as an attacking “afterthought” for the Foxes under Rodgers.

Newcastle United are reportedly plotting an ambitious summer move for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Lowdown: Outstanding season

It is safe to say that Kvaratskhelia is enjoying an outstanding season at Napoli so far.

The Georgia international has recorded an incredible 11 goals and 14 assists in just 23 games in total over all competitions (top of the Serie A table, as well as win their UEFA Champions League group.

The Latest: Kvaratskhelia interest

As per Football Insider, Newcastle have identified Kvaratskhelia as an ‘A-list’ summer target, with qualification for the Champions League next season a ‘critical’ factor in attracting an elite talent like him.

Kvaratskhelia is thought to be on the ‘radar’ of the Magpies’ recruitment team off the back of his outstanding campaign in Naples.

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The Verdict: Ambitious

A move for Kvaratskhelia this summer would certainly be ambitious from the St. James’ Park outfit.

His agent has already confirmed that there is ‘a lot of interest from many clubs’ in his signature, and it is sure to be a huge battle to try and persuade him to move to the North East.

Hailed as a ‘future Ballon d’Or winner’ by journalist Carlo Garganese, the 22-year-old has the potential to become one of if not the best player in the world, and if the Tynesiders can land him this summer, it would be a real coup.

Craig Hope has claimed that the form of Newcastle United’s record-signing Alexander Isak is a huge concern heading into the Carabao Cup final.

The Lowdown: Awful preparation for Newcastle

It was a devastating night on Tyneside for Newcastle last night as they lost their 17-game unbeaten run to Liverpool and saw regular number one Nick Pope handed his marching orders in the first half.

Pope played a massive role in getting Newcastle into the Carabao Cup final having been the man between the sticks when they knocked out Crystal Palace on penalties and now he won’t be able to walk out at Wembley next week.

The red card wasn’t the only bad way to prepare for a cup final but now Newcastle have won just once in their last seven Premier League games and have scored just three goals which will be alarming for Howe.

The Latest: Isak failing to impress

Hope was far from impressed by Isak last night as he slammed the £60 million striker on his YouTube channel for failing to score once again as he battles with Callum Wilson to start next weekend.

He said: (3:40) “I’ve been far more impressed when he’s come from the bench. All of his best performances – certainly post-injury – have come as an impact sub and why is that, I honestly don’t know.

“But when he’s started games he’s looked nowhere near as impactful, sharp or likely to score goals so that would be a concern because Callum Wilson came on towards the end there and had another nine days without training properly now, so what sort of shape is he going to be in going into the final?

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The Verdict: Major headache for Howe

Prior to the game against Liverpool many Newcastle fans will have been excited by the prospect of getting Bruno Guimaraes back for next week’s Wembley clash, but now they are certainly thinking about who won’t be there.

Now, Howe will be sweating about what he does come next Sunday afternoon with Pope absent, Joe Willock an injury doubt and with just three goals in their last seven league games, the striker debate is certainly one that will be rife.

Wilson entered the game last night and managed just 10 touches which certainly wasn’t the impact he will have hoped for so Howe must now decide if he goes with his tried and tested number nine, or the £60 million man with three goals to his name this season.

Lee Ryder has revealed there’s nothing between Mark Gillespie and Loris Karius ahead of Newcastle United’s upcoming cup final.

The Lowdown: Unimaginable circumstances at Newcastle

Less than a week ago, Nick Pope and Newcastle United were looking ahead to a cup final and the Magpies’ first appearance at the redeveloped Wembley Stadium in such a match, but the goalkeeper’s moment of madness last weekend has thrown preparations up in the air, with his red card meaning he watching from the stands.

With Pope suspended for the final, Martin Dubrvaka cup-tied and Karl Darlow out on loan at Hull City, it’s between Karius and Gillespie as to who starts on Sunday.

Karius has the experience of finals and playing in the Premier League, but has never played a competitive game for Newcastle, whereas Gillespie has three appearances under his belt for the Magpies but has not previously played higher than the SPFL or League One.

The Latest: Nothing to split Karius and Gillespie

After speaking to the players and Eddie Howe on Tuesday, Ryder admitted on his Facebook page that there is nothing to separate the two ‘keepers with the final creeping ever closer.

He said: “If it was definitely going to be Loris Karius, I think he would’ve put him up in the press conference.

“I think it’s a bit disrespectful to just say it will be, because from what I’m told, there is not much to pick from the two goalkeepers.”

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The Verdict: Karius is the sensible choice

While there may not be a lot between the two ‘keepers, the fact that Karius has played in the Champions League, Premier League and German Bundesliga would suggest he’s the more accomplished player to start on a big occasion.

However, he does have that Champions League final nightmare display on his CV, which may well be playing on his mind if he walks out as Newcastle’s No 1 at Wembley, so a boyhood fan in the form of Gillespie could be a safer bet if he can handle any big-game nerves.

Gillespie would know what it means to be playing at the national stadium for the club given he grew up supporting, but we feel Howe must make a decision based upon ability alone and nothing emotional should be attached.

Steven Gerrard’s tenure in charge of Glasgow Rangers will go down fondly with the Ibrox faithful, despite his acrimonious exit.

He led the Ibrox side to the Premiership title in 2020/2021 – their first in a decade – while restoring the club’s status in European competition, reaching the last 16 of the Europa League twice during his reign.

His forays into the transfer market were hit-and-miss, however. despite bringing Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent, and Kemar Roofe to the Light Blues, he also signed Eros Grezda, Umar Sadiq, and Juninho Bacuna.

He also sold players before really giving them a chance, with Matt Polster being a key example and although he may not have gone on to become a star in the team, his displays since leaving Glasgow have proved Gerrard may have made a blunder over the American gem.

Did Rangers sell Matt Polster too early?

Signed from Chicago Fire in January 2019, Polster was expected to deputise for captain James Tavernier at right back, while also able to fill in at defensive midfield if so required.

The form of Tavernier plus his incredible resilience to injury meant Polster was limited to just ten first-team appearances for the Gers, with the club never really seeing his full potential.

Just 18 months after arriving, the player was moving back across the pond, this time to MLS side New England Revolution for £400k and he went on to prove the Englishman wrong during his first few seasons back in America.

83 appearances, four goals, and winning the 2021 MLS Supporters Shield have certainly proven that Polster’s time at the Ibrox side was cut short far too soon and he should have been deployed in midfield more often.

His performances have even led to high praise from the media, with MLS insider Tom Bogert lauding the 29-year-old machine as “one of the league’s best DMs” since moving from Rangers and he has managed to rediscover the form that led to Gerrard bringing him to Glasgow in the first place.

There is obviously no guarantee that he would be a regular fixture in the starting XI for the club had he remained in Scotland for longer, yet just ten appearances were hardly enough to prove his worth.

Meanwhile, over in America, Polster was a top-eight performer for the Revs’ across both 2021 and 2022, via Sofascore, displaying some sort of consistency as they took home the title in the former campaign.

The former Liverpool captain clearly suffered a blunder by moving the American midfielder on too soon.

Who knows, he may have followed in the footsteps of his compatriots Claudio Reyna and Maurice Edu as Americans who enjoyed excellent stints at Rangers.