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Liverpool supporters may still be reeling from Jurgen Klopp's announcement that he will be stepping down from his managerial position at the Anfield helm at the end of the season, but the action continues and the Reds now await the visit of Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Championship side defeated Bristol Rovers in the third round to earn a trip to Merseyside, and while Liverpool will be confident of advancing, the Canaries have lost just one of their past six fixtures across all competitions.

Nonetheless, Liverpool held off Fulham to qualify for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea earlier this week, topped their Europa League group and are perched atop the Premier League table with a five-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City (who do have a game in hand).

With a double Premier League header forthcoming next week, Klopp might look to make some rotations for the FA Cup clash, with as many as four changes from the team that defeated the Cottagers on Wednesday night.

1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

With Chelsea visiting Anfield on Wednesday before a crucial weekend clash at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal, Alisson might find himself with a prolonged break as Caoimhin Kelleher retains his spot between the sticks on Sunday afternoon, having featured 12 times across all competitions this term.

2 RB – Conor Bradley

What an impact Conor Bradley has made since bursting onto the scene at the start of the month, impressing off the bench against Arsenal, winning Man of the Match in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg and keeping a clean sheet on his Premier League debut last weekend.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the cusp of a return from injury but it would be unwise to chuck him right back into the mix and Bradley will start once again.

3 CB – Jarell Quansah

This time last season, Jarell Quansah was honing his craft in League One with Bristol Rovers but has been a resounding success this term, having scored once and supplied three assists from 16 senior showings for Liverpool.

Moreover, the 20-year-old titan ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 20% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.

4 CB – Ibrahima Konate

Virgil van Dijk is an "immense" player, as was said by The Times' Henry Winter, but he started against Fulham and Ibrahima Konate will partner Quansah in the FA Cup for the second time this season.

The Frenchman is a monstrous presence at the back and while Joel Matip's season-ending injury in December was a huge blow, he has alleviated the worries with some stunning displays of late.

5 LB – Andrew Robertson

Andrew Robertson has been sidelined since October after injuring his shoulder on international duty with Scotland, sitting on the bench against Fulham this week but not gracing the field.

The dynamic left-back is one of the best in the business and while Joe Gomez has performed absence in his absence of late, Robertson is creative and cultured and will use the Norwich contest to rekindle his fitness.

6 DM – Alexis Mac Allister

Alexis Mac Allister has been in mesmerising form since returning from a knee injury at the start of January, with The Athletic's James Pearce remarking that he was "so good" as the Reds defeated the Cherries 4-0.

With Wataru Endo still competing at the Asia Cup with Japan, the £35m summer signing will retain his spot and look to orchestrate play against second-tier opposition.

7 CM – Harvey Elliott

Harvey Elliott has been largely restricted to starting berths in cup competitions this season but, still only 20, remains one of English football's most promising young outlets.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Passing

Aerial duels

Key passes

Tackling

Through balls

Long shots

Source: WhoScored

As per FBref, the £40k-per-week ace ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 5% for touches in the attacking box per 90, so he will certainly have a say on the effectiveness of Liverpool's attacking efforts.

8 CM – Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones is becoming increasingly important in Liverpool's first-team and is starting to dig up goals and assists to complement his technically proficient style in the engine room.

BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has heralded the 22-year-old's "phenomenal" ball retention and his prowess in this regard will be crucial in nullifying the Norwich threat.

9 RW – Cody Gakpo

At right wing, Cody Gakpo will be expected to retain his spot after starring from the flank earlier this week, though he was unable to continue his four-match scoring streak in the Carabao Cup.

Gakpo also started on the right when Liverpool defeated Arsenal in the previous round and will look to latch onto Elliott's creativity behind him to enter double digits for striking this season.

10 CF – Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez bagged twice against Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend to take his seasonal tally up to ten goals and ten assists apiece.

Still dividing opinion, with his wayward finishing marring exemplary application and creative influence to make a marked improvement on Liverpool's fluency, the Uruguayan will hope to fire himself into something of a purple patch with a big effort tomorrow.

Durham pulled off a comfortable DLS chase after restricting Warwickshire in the field

ECB Reporters Network26-Apr-2019Durham returned to winning ways in the Royal London Cup with a comfortable seven-wicket Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.A solid all-round display saw Durham bounce back from their North Group defeat at Worcester two days earlier. They restricted Warwickshire to 244 for 8 with tidy bowling, led by Ben Raine and Liam Trevaskis, supported by excellent fielding.Tim Ambrose, Chris Woakes and Sam Hain made half-centuries but the scoring-rate was slowed for too long by the need to shore up the innings after the loss of early wickets. The home side’s total looked under-par and even more so when, after an hour’s rain delay, the DLS equation left Durham requiring 211 in 36 overs.Alex Lees, Graham Clark and Gareth Harte eased Durham to victory with 14 balls to spare to ensure they remain right in the heart of the qualification race.Warwickshire, meanwhile, without a win after four games, desperately need victory in the derby against Worcestershire at New Road on Sunday. Added to their problems is yet another injury concern as Ambrose did not keep wicket after suffering some hip discomfort between innings.Put in, the home side received a perky start from Ed Pollock who collected 22 in fours and sixes but was then smartly caught by Scott Steel, running round the midwicket boundary, off Brydon Carse. Steel then showed safe hands again, at deep extra cover, to remove Dom Sibley off Trevaskis.Ambrose and Hain added 69 in 15 overs before the latter was bowled behind his legs by Gareth Harte. That was the first of three wickets in 23 balls as Will Rhodes chipped Carse to midwicket and Liam Banks lifted Raine to long off to leave the Bears 142 for 5.Woakes injected some momentum with a 43-ball half-century but Durham fielded tigerishly, turning a number of apparent boundary hits into ones or twos. They also caught like cats, with Harte pouching Ambrose at midwicket, Steel pouncing like a panther for a third time when Alex Thomson skied Carse, and Clark making no mistake when Woakes lifted Matty Potts to long-on.The DLS calculation left Warwickshire badly needing early wickets but they took only one, when Steel was brilliantly caught at cover by a diving Sibley off Olly Hannon-Dalby.Clark and Lees were little troubled in a stand of 93 in 14 overs, the former reaching his second List A half-century, from 47 balls, in the grand manner with a six hoisted into the Hollies Stand off George Panayi. He then pulled a Thomson long-hop to midwicket and Woakes swiftly had Cameron Bancroft caught by sub keeper Alex Mellor but Lees skilfully shepherded his side to victory in an unbroken partnership of 79 with Harte.

Harry Kane looked devastated as he hung his head and hid his face behind a seat in the dug out after Bayern Munich were knocked out of Europe.

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• Bayern went down 2-1 to Real Madrid
• Kane was taken off when Bayern led the match
• Striker watched in disbelief as Madrid sailed over the line

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a scene that spoke volumes of anguish and disappointment, Kane couldn't hide his frustration as he witnessed his team's European dreams shattered at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening. Bayern Munich, despite leading 1-0 through Alphonso Davies, succumbed to a late double by Joselu, ultimately crashing out of the tournament with a 4-3 aggregate loss.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting replaced Kane in the dying minutes of the game as the striker could not continue due to a back injury, as clarified by Thomas Tuchel after the match.
  The agony of defeat was compounded by the stark reality that Kane is yet to claim a piece of silverware in his illustrious career, despite amassing an impressive tally of over 400 goals for both club and country.

  When Kane made the high-profile switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich for a staggering £100 million last summer, he had envisaged lifting trophies and etching his name in footballing history. However, the reality has been far different from his aspirations as Bayern have surrendered their Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and were knocked out of the DFB Pokal in the second round.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  Kane has been simply sensational on an individual level with Bayern and boasts of having 44 goals and 12 assists in 45 appearances across competitions. An impressive 36 of the 44 goals have come in the Bundesliga and he could potentially surpass former Bayern star Robert Lewandowski's remarkable feat of 41 goals in a single season during the 2020-21 campaign if he manages to score six more in the final two games of the Bundesliga season against Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim respectively.

Mohamed Salah scripted a new Premier League record on Sunday as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling encounter.

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• Salah made history in the Premier League
• Contributed with a goal and assist in the Reds' win over Spurs
• Liverpool sit third in table

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Egyptian star contributed with a goal and an assist as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in a six-goal thriller in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday. With his stellar show for the Reds, Salah has become the first player in the history of the league to score 10-plus goals and provide 10 or more assists in three consecutive campaigns. He also equalled Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney's record of contributing with 10 or more goals and assists in five different seasons.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Salah opened the scoring for Jurgen Klopp's side in the 16th minute before Andy Robertson doubled the team's lead at the stroke of half-time. Five minutes into the second half, Cody Gakpo further increased the Reds' tally before Harvey Elliott slotted in a fourth goal from the Egypt international's assist. Richarlison pulled one back in the final 20 minutes of the regulation time before contributing with an assist for Heung-min Son's 77th-minute strike as Liverpool eventually wrapped up a 4-2 victory.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Lilywhites' defensive woes continued in the league as they have now conceded 12 goals in their last four Premier League games. The loss at Anfield comes as a huge blow for the club, who were hoping to seal a top-four spot this season, but now find themselves seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  After getting back to winning ways against Spurs to make their position in third in the Premier League standings even stronger, Klopp's men will now look ahead to a clash with Unai Emery's Aston Villa away from home in the Premier League on May 13.

West Brom stopped the rot by beating Rotherham United mid-week, injury issues piling up at the Hawthorns saw Carlos Corberan's Baggies lose two on the spin before a convincing 2-0 win versus the Millers put them back on track.

Grady Diangana's deflected effort early into the second half was the decisive strike at the New York Stadium, with an electric substitute cameo from Jed Wallace ensuring that the three points were heading back to the West Midlands come full-time – the former Millwall man's free-kick finding the back of the net off the cross-bar late on.

Wallace could be pushing for a start at the weekend against Stoke City as a result, with one notable underperformer in South Yorkshire fearful of being axed by Corberan on the contrary.

Jayson Molumby didn't cover himself in glory when making a rare start for the Baggies versus Rotherham, a quiet showing from the Irish midfielder.

Jayson Molumby's game versus Rotherham in numbers

Making his tenth start of the season – only his second first-team start in the league since starting versus former club Millwall in late September – Molumby did not grasp the opportunity well whatsoever in an underwhelming run-out.

Playing further forward in a somewhat unfamiliar attacking midfield role, West Brom's number eight was largely ineffective in helping his team advance up the pitch against Leam Richardson's relegation-threatened Millers.

Molumby would attempt zero dribbles during his second-rate showing, as per Sofascore, dragging his one effort on goal during the contest wide in a cagey encounter.

It was also a sheepish showing from the usual defensive midfielder when it came to being authoritative, winning just one aerial duel in the match whilst losing all of his attempted ground duels.

Birmingham Live journalist Joseph Chapman gave Molumby a 6/10 rating in his post-match thoughts as a result, giving Grady Diangana and Cedric Kipre high 9/10's for their excellent displays instead.

Related 9/10 West Brom star who won 9 duels was as good as Diangana vs Rotherham

This West Brom star stole the show away at Rotherham, as the Baggies picked up a convincing 2-0 win.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Dec 13, 2023

He described Molumby's display as being 'much improved' in the second half, but the Irishman wasn't worthy of lasting the full 90 minutes.

Wallace's introduction into the contest in place of the underwhelming Baggies' number eight further exposed how quiet he was, West Brom's number seven electric from the get-go when substituted on just shy of the 70-minute mark.

Jed Wallace's game versus Rotherham in numbers

The 29-year-old attacker was instrumental in his side getting over the line and making the last few minutes tick by easier at the New York Stadium, Wallace's free-kick at the death wowing the jubilant away supporters to secure a 2-0 win.

It wasn't just this game-clinching goal that excited the Baggies away fans however, Wallace was constantly in the thick of the action throughout his 24 minutes on the Rotherham turf.

The 29-year-old was 100% accurate with all of his passes, only needing nine touches of the ball to help his team come away victorious from South Yorkshire.

Wallace has enjoyed an excellent individual campaign when fit away from just this game, scoring three goals and assisting a further three strikes from 19 games played.

West Brom's £25k per week man was even praised by Sheffield United defender Jack O'Connell when speaking to Sky Sports last season about Wallace's ability, stating that his deliveries into the box are "unbelievable" for a player in the second tier.

Battling back from a recurring shoulder problem to make a cameo appearance against Rotherham, Corberan will slot Wallace back into his starting lineup for the game against Stoke after coming away from the Millers game without more cuts and bruises.

Versatile at playing down the flanks or through the centre, Wallace looks as if he'll displace Molumby for the game against the managerless Potters on Sunday.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers could have a difficult situation to manage at the start of next year as a number of players look set to be unavailable due to international duty.

The 2024 Asian Cup takes place between the 12th of January and the 10th of February and this means that the Hoops could be without a number of their top players during that period, depending on selections and how far their respective countries go in the tournament.

Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Hyeon-gyu Oh, and Hyun-jun Yang are just a few of the Bhoys talents who could be on their way to the competition and miss games for the Scottish giants.

This could leave Celtic particularly light at the top end of the pitch as both of their recognised centre-forward options could be competing in the Asian Cup and, therefore, be unavailable for selection for Rodgers.

With this in mind, it could be beneficial for the Parkhead side to bring in another number nine during the January transfer window to lead the line in their absence.

They already appear to be on the case as the Hoops have been touted with an interest in striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, who is the son of former Bhoys star Pierre.

Celtic transfer news – Sydney van Hooijdonk

According to Italian outlet Corriere di Bologna (20/11/2023 printed edition, Sport page 3), via 67HailHail, Bologna are prepared to sanction a loan deal for the young ace in January.

The report has claimed that the Serie A outfit are willing to send him out on a temporary basis for the second half of the season in order to free up space for them to bring in their own additions in that area of the pitch.

It is stated that Celtic have already made opening enquiries about a possible swoop to secure his services, although it remains to be seen whether or not they would want a permanent or loan deal.

A temporary arrangement could be the perfect solution for Scottish giants as van Hooijdonk could come in to provide relief whilst Oh and Kyogo are possibly away with their respective countries and then the club are not tied down to three senior strikers beyond the end of the season.

Rodgers only lines up with one centre-forward in his favoured formation and it could be difficult to keep three first-team options happy, particularly when Celtic are bottom of their Champions League group and on course to be kicked out of Europe this season.

Van Hooijdonk is not a new target for the Hoops as Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph named him as a player who had been on the club's radar throughout the summer transfer window. Although, they either opted against a move at that point or were unable to strike a dela with Bologna.

Celtic could now find a lethal partner for Luis Palma during the second half of the season by signing the Serie A prospect to bolster their attacking options, as they could thrive alongside each other.

Luis Palma's season in numbers

The Honduras international has enjoyed a terrific 2023/24 campaign since his move from Aris FC over the summer and is proving himself to be a superb signing by Rodgers.

He has hit the ground running in Scottish football and has showcased his ability to provide consistent quality as a scorer and a creator of goals from out wide.

Palma arrived at Parkhead off the back of a return of 13 goals and eight assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for his previous club last season. The exciting ace then started the current campaign with two goals and three assists in five outings for the Greek side before his move to Scotland was completed.

Since his switch to Paradise, the 23-year-old whiz has racked up five goals and five assists in 12 matches for Rodgers – with nine of those goal contributions coming in the Scottish Premiership.

Minutes played

90

Sofascore rating

10

Goals

One

Assists

Three

Big chances created

Two

Key passes

Seven

Dribbles completed

Four

Palma's most recent Celtic performance (via Sofascore)

As you can see by his latest Hoops showing, Palma is capable of the spectacular and has plundered an outstanding four goals and five assists in five league starts for the club so far.

He has created four 'big chances' and produced 2.6 key passes per game for his teammates in the top-flight, which shows that the former Aris star is able to consistently open up the opposition's defence to create opportunities for his fellow attackers.

Sydney van Hooijdonk's goal record

Palma could, therefore, be a fantastic partner for van Hooijdonk in the final third as the Bologna youngster has the potential to be a reliable scoring option for Rodgers.

The 23-year-old marksman has only scored one goal in 11 first-team matches for his current club but proved himself to be a lethal scorer in Dutch football.

He started his career with NAC Breda and racked up 42 goals and two assists in 57 U17 and U19 appearances combined before a step up to the senior squad, where the young finisher produced 23 goals and four assists in 70 outings.

This form earned him a move to Bologna and the Italian side opted to send him out on loan to Heerenveen for 18 months to continue his development.

Van Hooijdonk, who was once hailed as "prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored six goals and created two 'big chances' in 13 Eredivisie matches during the first five months of his loan spell.

He followed that up with a sublime return of 16 goals and one assist in 30 league starts for Heerenveen as the right-footed dynamo showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

His record of 22 goals in 43 league starts for the Dutch side on loan meant that van Hooijdonk averaged more than a goal every other match during that period.

Now, imagine how lethal the £9k-per-week gem could be in front of goal with the supreme talent that is Palma out wide providing him with a regular stream of chances, and 'big chances', to score from for Celtic.

They could thrive next to each other in attack whilst Oh and Kyogo are potentially unavailable, which is why this could be a fantastic piece of business by Rodgers.

The Bangladesh opener, who is recovering from a wrist fracture, hurt himself again during training and might not be available for the first Test against West Indies

Mohammad Isam13-Nov-2018Opener Tamim Iqbal’s return to the Bangladesh side is likely to be delayed further, after he had picked up a side strain during training on Tuesday. Tamim, who had fractured his wrist in the Asia Cup, had hoped to return to action for the first Test against West Indies, which begins on November 22 in Chittagong, but chief selector Minhajul Abedin has now said that he is in doubt.”We are still awaiting a doctor’s report on Tamim to know the extent of his injury but it now seems difficult [for him to be available for the first Test],” Minhajul told ESPNcricinfo.Tamim had returned to batting against the cricket ball in the nets earlier this week, after undergoing rehabilitation for the wrist injury. Tamim injured himself while batting during the Asia Cup opener in September.He then left to London for check-up before returning to Dhaka for rehabilitation. The Bangladesh selectors will also assess Shakib Al Hasan’s recovery from a long-standing finger injury, before naming the squad for the opening Test against West Indies.

Shamsi is yet to take a wicket in two outings against Zimbabwe, while Tahir took 10 wickets – including a hat-trick – in the ODI series and collected a career-best 5 for 23 in the first T20I

Liam Brickhill10-Oct-2018

Tabraiz Shamsi celebrates Angelo Mathews’ dismissal•Associated Press

Imran Tahir has been released by South Africa for the remainder of their T20 series against Zimbabwe in order for the hosts’ selectors to have a closer look at left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi.Tahir took 10 wickets, including a hat-trick, across the one-day internationals last week and claimed five wickets in just 17 deliveries to finish with a career-best 5 for 23 in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe in East London on Tuesday. Twice he has also opened the bowling, adding to his already formidable skill set in white-ball cricket.”I’m just happy that it’s coming out nicely at the moment,” said the understated Tahir after his match-winning performance. “Now and then it will be a big challenge to bowl with the new ball with only two men out, but I’m up for the challenge. I’m really keen to learn and experiment, and see where I am. It helps to have someone bowling at 140 from the other end. It makes my job easier.”While he remains a vital part of South Africa’s plans building towards the World Cup next year, Tahir’s workload has often been managed by the team management. He was also left out of the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year in order to give an opportunity for coach Ottis Gibson to see what South Africa’s other spinners can do.Tahir’s absence will bring both pressure and opportunity for Shamsi, the sole specialist spinner remaining in South Africa’s squad. Shamsi has yet to take a wicket in two limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe, and has struggled in Tahir’s shadow.In the Paarl ODI, Shamsi registered the most expensive figures ever for a South African against Zimbabwe, leaking 72 runs in 10 overs, and in the first T20, he was at the receiving end of Peter Moor’s charge – the Zimbabwean smashing four sixes in a 25-run over.As the series moves up to the highveld for two games in Potchefstroom and Benoni, it was always less likely that South Africa would even pick two spinners in their playing XI. With Tahir gone, Shamsi has a chance to show the coaches and selectors where he might fit into their plans.

MatériaMais Notícias

O estado de saúde de Ramón Díaz é bom. Foi realizado com sucesso na manhã deste sábado, na Clínica La Costa, na Argentina, um procedimento cirúrgico no novo treinador do Botafogo.

Apresentado aos jogadores do Alvinegro no começo da semana, Ramón teve voltar para a Argentina para realizar uma cirurgia que já estava marcada e tinha a ciência da diretoria do Alvinegro. Ele foi acompanhado de Emiliano Díaz, seu filho e auxiliar-técnico.

O novo treinador, agora, terá que repousar por cerca de uma semana. O estado de saúde do argentino é bom e ele deve retornar aos trabalhos no prazo estabelecido pela equipe médica. Enquanto isto, Ramón Díaz acompanhará o Botafogo de longe.

Emiliano Díaz, que acompanhou todo o procedimento cirúrgico, retorna ao Brasil ainda na noite deste sábado. Ele dará o treino neste domingo, no campo anexo do Estádio Nilton Santos, e estará à beira do gramado na partida contra o Red Bull Bragantino, na próxima segunda-feira, às 20h, pela 21ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Pelo Instagram, o auxiliar deixou uma mensagem.

– Quero agradecer de coração à clínica La Costa e aos médicos Dorcas Sanabria e Luis Alberto Bogado, toda a equipe médica, ao meu amigo Miguel Figueiredo, a minha nova casa, o Botafogo, que teve um gesto inigualável de nos apoiar neste momento. A operação de Ramón Díaz foi perfeita. Obrigado por todas as mensagens de carinho – escreveu.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spent the summer transfer window reshaping and restoring his side's midfield after a challenging campaign but now appears to be turning his attention toward the frontline.

The Premier League giants are still lacking a specialist No. 6 and that is something that will be resolved; similarly, the Reds refrained from bolstering a backline that shipped 47 goals during the 2022/23 league season – a large factor behind the failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Again, this will be sorted, but such issues have not stopped Klopp from registering an interest in a dynamic forward currently riding the richest vein of form of his career, and while the Anfield side yields an impressive clutch of options, his acquisition would actually make a lot of sense.

Who could Liverpool sign in January?

According to Liverpool reporter Neil Jones, Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto has attracted the attention of some of the Premier League's most esteemed outfits following a fine start to the campaign, and the Reds are among the interested parties.

Jones penned his thoughts on a prospective move and claimed that the 23-year-old would be a good fit, especially considering the inevitability that Mohamed Salah will leave the club at some point.

This follows news from Football Transfers' Steve Kay, who confirmed that Liverpool are considering lodging a bid, though the Old Gold would likely only entertain his sale if their £50m valuation was met.

With fellow title-chasers Arsenal also interested, the race for the Portuguese ace's signature could really heat up as the winter transfer window draws closer.

How good is Pedro Neto?

Liverpool are attracted by the possibility of signing Neto due to his expansive attacking ability, physical strengths and intelligence in fashioning openings, both as a direct threat and as a creative component.

Praised for his "incredible" performances by his manager Gary O'Neil, Neto is finally coming into his own after signing for Wolves from Italian side Lazio in an £8m double deal with Bruno Jordao in 2019, having endured a torrid time over the past few seasons.

Indeed, Neto has been plagued with injuries that have restricted him to a peripheral role after dazzling in 2020/21, clinching just three direct goal contributions across the subsequent two Premier League campaigns, but that has changed emphatically this term.

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

G/A Rate

23/24

8

1

5

0.75

22/23

18

0

1

0.05

21/22

13

1

1

0.15

20/21

31

5

6

0.35

19/20

29

3

3

0.20

Now, it's early into the season of course, but Neto is demonstrating a refined cutting edge to his game that bespeaks a new level of maturity and intelligence, a freshly-charged explosiveness that has sent the Premier League into a furore.

With a goal and five assists – which is the joint-highest in the division – the fleet-footed dynamo is thriving as the chief creator in the squad, playing on the right flank and actually grabbing the assist for Hwang Hee-chan's early goal against Liverpool in September.

Arsenal are indeed also said to be pursuing Neto's signature and will make Liverpool's life hard in waging transfer battle for the thriving Portugal ace, but putting effort into winning the race would undoubtedly be worthwhile.

Aside from Salah, Liverpool's options on the right flank are somewhat thin, Ben Doak is a precocious talent but alas is only 17, while Harvey Elliott knows the role but does not offer the kind of threat to serve there with regularity.

Neto has seemingly found his best position in the right wing, and given that he is starting to demonstrate his abilities as a force to be reckoned with, it might be the apt move to make.

Liverpool have already demonstrated the worth of raiding Molineux for offensive phenoms, with Diogo Jota joining in a £41m deal in 2020 and since plundering 45 goals and 17 assists from 122 matches.

Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad fiercely pursued Salah's signature during the closing weeks of the summer transfer window and even presented a £150m proposal at the death, though this was swiftly rejected by Klopp's side.

However, his contract expires in 2025 and if no resolution is found then it is more than plausible that the current campaign is Salah's last on English shores, and Neto could be signed to serve in his stead.

How does Pedro Neto compare to Mohamed Salah?

Replacing a world-class sensation such as Salah is not an enviable task, and it would be a fool's notion to target a player such as Neto and declare them the heir to the Egyptian's Anfield throne.

Quite simply, Salah is one of Liverpool's greatest players and is among the finest forwards to ply their trade in the Premier League, with his exploits leading Michael Owern to proclaim him as "one of the greatest of all time".

Across 315 outings for the Merseyside outfit, the 88-cap star has scored 192 goals and supplied 83 assists, with a goal contribution rate that astoundingly sits at 0.87 – for reference, Fernando Torres' at Liverpool is 0.71.

This season, he has already posted six goals and four assists from his first ten appearances, offering a more creative angle to his game with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz offering a direct offensive threat.

The 31-year-old has created nine big chances from just eight Premier League matches at a rate of 2.1 key passes per match, as per Sofascore, and while his prodigious talents are irreplaceable, Neto could hold the blueprint to emulating his level of supplementation.

Indeed, this season the £50k-per-week Wolves whiz has created five big chances in the top-flight at rate of 2.5 per game, also completing 83% of his passes – leading talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor to laud his "blistering pace."

Producing a steadier stream of support than a player of Salah's ilk, and for a midtable Wolves team, is an impressive feat and a testament to Neto's burgeoning ability.

Still within the early phase of his career, Neto is starting to shine at the heart of a goal-shy Wolves outfit that is fighting for survival.

While it's true that this cohesive outfit's chink in the armour is found in the attacking impetus, Neto has had a direct hand in six of the nine goals scored thus far – that's 66%.

Placed in a Liverpool side boasting an offensive body with a whetted cutting edge, Neto could make the increments to his game that would only enhance the efforts of his peers.

For a player boasting more prolific creativity than Salah, this would only be a promising move for Klopp's side, and given that the 5 foot 8 phenom now plies his trade most regularly on the right side of the attack, he is the perfect counterweight to work in flux, maintaining the dynamism that is pumping life into Liverpool's attack once more.