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West Bromwich Albion are not interested in a deal to bring Vedat Muriqi to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, despite reports linking the Baggies with the SS Lazio centre-forward this month, Valerien Ismael’s side do not look as if they will make a move for the 27-year-old any time soon.

Speaking about Albion’s reported interest in the Kosovo international, Jones said: “It would be a strange one because [Daryl] Dike was a big signing that took a lot of financing. Unless West Brom are about to give the green light to some outgoings, I can’t see Muriqi signing, to be honest.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that the arrival of Muriqi to The Hawthorns would be an attention-grabbing move this winter, considering the striker’s recent record in Italy, West Brom very much look as if they are dodging a bullet by not sanctioning a swoop for the Kosovan.

Indeed, over his 27 Serie A appearances for Lazio last time out, the £5.4m-rated striker scored one goal, provided no assists and missed four big chances for his side, as well as hitting the target with an average of just 0.3 shots per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week man earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore rating of just 6.69, ranking him as his club’s 12th-worst performer in the league.

This season, Muriqi has once again been in abject form over his 11 league appearances – only one of which has come as a start – with the 27-year-old failing to directly contribute to a single goal, in addition to missing two big chances.

These metrics have seen the Kosovan somehow average an even more disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.52 this time around, ranking him as Maurizio Sarri’s fourth-worst player in the Italian top flight.

As such, with West Brom already paying the wages of a centre-forward who has not exactly been in breathtaking goalscoring form this season in the shape of Jordan Hugill, the last thing Ismael needs is another striker who has struggled to hit the back of the net in recent campaigns – something that leads us to believe that Jones’ recent update will have Baggies fans buzzing.

In other news: Ismael could solve a major issue as WBA begin talks for “outstanding” £27k-p/w machine

Liverpool officials are meeting with their counterparts at Fulham this morning to try to agree a deal for Fabio Carvalho, as per Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown

Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor reported on Sunday that Liverpool had made a £5m bid for the 19-year-old.

Carvalho is into the final six months of his contract at Craven Cottage, but Fulham are keen to keep hold him until the end of the season as they push for promotion. They’re currently leading the Championship, five points clear of Blackburn Rovers with a game in hand.

That could mean that Carvalho remains in London on loan until the end of the season, with Liverpool eager to do a deal now so that the fee isn’t determined by tribunal.

The latest

Romano tweeted on Sunday night that there would be a ‘new meeting in the morning’.

He added that ‘LFC are working’ on an agreement because manager Jurgen ‘Klopp wants him for the future’.

The verdict

Off the back of the signing of Luis Diaz, Carvalho would be another exciting addition for the Reds, albeit one who may take longer to make an impact at the top level.

The England under-19 international has been directly involved in 11 Championship goals (scored seven, set up four) this season despite only starting 15 games, while Fulham manager Marco Silva has hailed him as a player with ‘fantastic’ ability.

If Liverpool make an early breakthrough on Deadline Day, the 19-year-old could follow Harvey Elliott in swapping Craven Cottage for Anfield in his teenage years.

In other news, Neil Jones has dropped several Liverpool transfer claims

Everton have had a huge makeover during the first month of the year, signing five new players, saying goodbye to Lucas Digne and Rafa Benitez, and then ending the month by confirming Frank Lampard as the new manager to lead the squad into their challenging last few months of the season.

This new era for the Toffees could not have come at a better time as they are set to take on Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend and the Premier League returns shortly after, with the side needing to hit the ground running to avoid a relegation battle.

Lampard has already been pictured alongside Duncan Ferguson leading his first training session on Tuesday, and there are many options to consider for his first starting line up.

Here at Football FanCast we have predicted how the former Chelsea boss could pick his team.

Lampard predominantly has favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation over his managerial career and was something we saw a lot of in his stint as Chelsea manager.

We expect that Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli will be given an instant opportunity to impress in the starting line up, with Abdoulaye Doucoure out injured for at least the next four weeks, it elevates the former’s chances of being able to make a good impression on his new manager.

Alli would replace former Toffees manager Benitez’s common choice of Andre Gomes in the attacking role behind the striker, especially with the £120k-per-week flop who was criticised for being “reckless” by Everton journalist, David Prentice, struggling to make a significant impact.

As a result, Lampard will be looking for a more consistent threat in the position by utilising his options.

We would also expect January signing, Vitaliy Mykolenko to start in Lampard’s strongest XI in the left-back position, alongside a centre back partnership of Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina.

The Chelsea legend and his new-look Everton squad will have a huge challenge of staying in the FA Cup this weekend, and it would be a promising start for Lampard if he could pull off a win over Brentford to set a good positive mindset of things to come for this Toffees squad.

At the moment, they are clearly lacking confidence, and with fixtures against Newcastle and Leeds United coming up in the Premier League, they need to improve rapidly.

In other news: Lampard must axe Holgate in defensive masterclass

Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst were left frustrated on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw in the Premiership away from home.

Dundee United found themselves 1-0 up at half-time as they bundled in a header from a corner to take the lead in the first half.  Chances came and went throughout the first 30 minutes of the second half as Benjamin Siegrist pulled off a string of key stops for the home side.

Joe Aribo produced a fine finish from Calvin Bassey’s cutback to level the scores with 15 minutes to play, setting up a tense end to the game. Amad Diallo hit the post and Ryan Jack saw an effort brilliantly blocked as Rangers were unable to find the winner and had to settle for a point.

Forget Helander

Filip Helander made his Premiership return at centre-back and lost his man for the goal. He also made a couple of rash challenges and appeared to be off the pace in the first half, but it was Alfredo Morelos who cost the side the three points.

The Colombian centre-forward was not at his best on Sunday as he missed a number of gilt-edged chances to seal the win for the Gers. His all-around display left a lot to be desired after his masterclass against Borussia Dortmund last time out, with burnout a potential explanation for his showing.

Out of possession, he was not good enough. As per SofaSore, he lost 72.7% (8/11) of his individual battles throughout the match. He also committed two fouls whilst failing to make a single tackle or interception in his 96 or so minutes on the pitch.

On the ball, he was wasteful. Via SofaScore, he had five shots on goal and missed an unbelievable three ‘big chances’ in front of goal, whilst also completing one of his two dribble attempts. This shows that he was nowhere near good enough with his finishing as he was presented with multiple glaring opportunities to score and came away from the game with no goals.

Therefore, he cost Rangers the win as finishing off just one of those three openings would have resulted in van Bronckhorst’s team coming away with a 2-1 victory. It was not Morelos’ best day and, hopefully, he will be able to put it behind him quickly to put in another strong performance against Dortmund in the second leg next Thursday.

AND in other news, Rangers can repeat Aribo masterclass with “constant threat” who’s “going to blossom”…

Frank Lampard has registered his interest in bringing Conor Gallagher to Everton from former club Chelsea, according to TEAMtalk. 

The lowdown

Gallagher is currently on loan at Crystal Palace, having previously had spells at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion.

He’s under contract with The Blues for another three and a half years, and Transfermarkt value him at £19.8million.

Lampard added two midfielders to his ranks on Transfer Deadline Day last month – Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli – but the former is due to return to Manchester United at the end of the season.

The latest

Lampard, planning for his first full season at the helm, has spoken to people at Stamford Bridge about Gallagher, claim TEAMtalk.

He’s let them know that, should the midfielder be available on loan once again, Everton would be very interested.

Chelsea’s current plan is to integrate Gallagher into their first team, but Lampard is trying to place The Toffees at the front of the queue in case that stance changes.

The verdict

It’s absolutely no surprise that Lampard is already making moves for Gallagher in light of his outstanding performances this season.

He leads the Crystal Palace squad for goal involvements with 12 in all competitions (seven goals, five assists) and he’s also second to Tyrick Mitchell for tackles per 90 minutes (2.5).

Gallagher’s manager, Patrick Vieira, has even compared him to Lampard himself in terms of his style of play, though the player insisted he wasn’t at that level just yet.

In other news, the treatment of this Rafa signing has Michael Ball fuming.

Newcastle United have now personally sent scouts to watch Joao Palhinha ahead of an ‘opening’ in the summer.

The Lowdown: Revelation

Palhinha has been nothing short of a revelation for Sporting Lisbon, especially over the last two seasons, in where he was a won the Portuguese league title last term, and this campaign, he has already helped Sporting win the League Cup and Super Cup, while also being instrumental in guiding them out of their UEFA Champions League group.

Likened to ‘Hercules’ by teammate Jovane Cabral, who is currently on loan at Lazio, the six-foot-three powerhouse is sure to have plenty of admirers in the summer, and it looks as if the St. James’ Park faithful are certainly one of them.

The Latest: Scouts sent

As per Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness), the North East club are just one of a number who are following Palhinha, and have even been personally sending scouts to watch him for his last few games.

His entourage already had approaches for his signature in the January transfer window, and there is reportedly an ‘opening’ for his departure, with Sporting wanting at least €30m (£25m) to part ways.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given his stature and previous success performing at the highest level, Palhinha would be a perfect addition to the Premier League, none more so than for the new mega-rich Tynesiders.

Having arrived last month, fellow Portuguese speaker Bruno Guimaraes will surely be licking his lips at the prospect of forming a formidable partnership in the heart of midfield with Palhinha, who at 26 years of age, is just about to enter his prime.

Of course, the Magpies need to avoid relegation first, but if they do, the Portugal international should be top of their shopping list.

In other news, find out what ‘exciting’ transfer claim Lee Ryder has dropped here!

Leeds United failed to secure a much-needed win against Leicester City today in Jesse Marsch’s first Premier League game in charge of the Yorkshire club since replacing Marcelo Bielsa earlier this week.

A second-half goal from Harvey Barnes was enough to seal victory for the home side as Leeds continue to fight for their future in the top flight.

Along with the overall negative result, one player in particular who let the side down and failed to make a positive impression on his new manager was Rodrigo.

Rodrigo was poor v Leicester

Before being taken off in the 63rd minute, the Spaniard had 41 touches of the ball but could only accurately complete 18 of his 26 passes. The 30-year-old also registered three clear shots at goal but only one of them tested Kasper Schmeichel.

Things weren’t great for the attacker off the ball either, having lost 78% of his duels and getting dribbled past on three occasions. This display ultimately earned Rodrigo an underwhelming overall match rating of 6.7/10, making him one of the lowest-rated starters in a Leeds shirt on the day according to SofaScore.

Leeds Live also picked up on his uninspiring performance at the King Power Stadium by saying that he “fluffed one too many chances when someone of his quality should have done better”.

This could also describe the lack of quality the former Valencia striker has shown in front of goal throughout the entire campaign, with just three goals to his name in 20 top-flight appearances.

Having had his time at Elland Road described as “disappointing” by Kevin Phillips, Rodrigo will need to make sure he can show his new manager that he has what it takes to lead the team from the front. To do that, he needs to start having more of an impact in front of goal where it really matters, or else he could find himself out of the team if Marsch isn’t convinced by him.

Also, with Patrick Bamford having been fit enough to make the substitutes’ bench this afternoon, it could be bad news for the Spain international if the newly-appointed Leeds boss decides to put the Englishman back in the team when he’s ready to play again.

In other news: Graham Smyth has revealed a Leeds “surprise”…

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Leander Dendoncker might have to leave the club this summer according to insider Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said that if the club end up keeping Bruno Neves and Joao Moutinho then Dendoncker “might have to move on.”

This is due to the fact that in the past it has been suggested that in order to buy new players Wolves have had to sell first. Whilst there has been a lot of interest in Neves, there has also been interest in Dendoncker from Italy.

As we reported last week, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Inside Futbol), Serie A side Lazio are interested in signing the midfielder who rated at £27m.

Supporters will be gutted

We urged the club not to sell Dendoncker because he has been a key player in the side this season, and if he does end up leaving, supporters will be gutted as well.

In an ideal world they would be able to keep hold of all three players and still add to their squad, however this is looking increasingly less possible. Over the past few seasons they have built a side capable of challenging for Europe, and if they are to keep in the mix for those place they will need Dendoncker.

The Belgium international joined the club permanently from Anderlecht in 2019 for £12.4m after having spent the previous season on loan at Molineux. His value has since more than doubled as he has become key since the arrival of manager Bruno Lage.

He has the highest pass completion rate in the Wolves squad out of any midfielder that has completed more than two full games this season, which proves that he is good in possession and a key link between defence and attack.

Dendoncker also ranks in the top 3% for blocks made in comparison to other Premier League midfielders this season. He may not be a flashy or entertaining player but he is crucial to the teams performance.

If he leaves then the club do have cover in the form of youngster Luke Cundle, but it would still be a huge loss and it would likely see them struggle to finish in a European spot next season.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Sa: Wolves “hindrance” who made just 7 passes let Lage down…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte’s future is still very uncertain, according to journalist Dan Kilpatrick.

The Lowdown: Spurs frustrations

The Italian first arrived in north London back in November of last year, and despite his current contract running until the summer of 2023, the recent 0-0 draw against Brentford raised plenty of frustrations.

In the wake of this stalemate, which came as a huge blow in their push for a Champions League place, a fresh round of speculation was started, months after Conte hinted at quitting the club following a disappointing result at Burnley.

Indeed, reports in France believe Mauricio Pochettino is on the verge of being sacked at PSG, with Conte allegedly offering himself as a replacement, and Kilpatrick has now shared what he knows on the situation.

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The Latest: Conte exit?

The reporter took to Twitter to confirm that Conte now faces ‘such an uncertain future’ in the Premier League, claiming there is ‘risks’ to Daniel Levy now backing him in the transfer market.

Expanding in his Evening Standard column, Kilpatrick claims that the Spurs head coach is indeed ‘rumoured to be interested’ in succeeding Pochettino in Paris.

The Verdict: Long-term vision

Following Levy’s search for a new manager last summer, it was important that he appointed someone who was able to convince captain Harry Kane to remain at the club, and it looks like Conte was the man to do just that, with the England striker admitting that he has a “good understanding” with his boss.

The chairman has shown that he is willing to financially back his man when it comes to completing business too, with the recent signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur already having a huge positive influence on the team.

This can offer plenty of reason for optimism moving forward, but if Tottenham were to secure European football next season, then Conte will need to rebuild his squad should he stay, and Levy will need forget the risks and help his gaffer in the summer transfer window.

Alasdair Gold says there could be an unexpected departure from N17 this summer…

Rangers travel away from Ibrox tonight as they face the exciting prospect of a Europa League semi-final first-leg match in Germany.

The Gers have enjoyed a sensational season in Europe and are now in with a shot of reaching the final as they clash with RB Leipzig on Thursday night.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men can put one foot through the door with a win tonight ahead of the second-leg in Glasgow next week and they come into the game off the back of a 3-1 win over Motherwell in the Premiership.

How many changes will the head coach make to the team from that match? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make five alterations to the side, with Calvin Bassey, Ryan Jack, John Lundstram, Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo all coming in.

Starting off at the back, we published an article explaining why Bassey must be unleashed at centre-back to replace Leon Balogun – who was sent off against Motherwell. The veteran, who Sir Kenny Dalglish previously dubbed a “leader”, will be available to play as he now faces a domestic suspension but we are backing the head coach to axe him for this match.

In midfield, Jack and Lundstram should both come in for Scott Arfield and Steven Davis. The pair started together in the middle of the park in the wins against Braga, Red Star Belgrade and Borussia Dortmund in the earlier rounds of the competition.

This suggests that Van Bronckhorst has found the winning formula in midfield with the British duo and, therefore, they should both start against Leipzig in Germany tonight.

On the right, Aribo may come in for Amad Diallo. We published an article explaining why the Ivorian should be dropped from the starting XI and replaced by the former Charlton attacking midfielder as part of the front three.

Finally, we are predicting that Kent will come in on the left for Scott Wright. The gem, who Steven Gerrard dubbed a “constant threat”, has one goal and four assists in 10 outings in the competition and has the quality to be the difference-maker with his creativity, which is why he should start.

AND in other news, Gio van Bronckhorst provides big pre-UEL Rangers injury update…