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Liverpool could be handed a significant boost ahead of their clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Roberto Firmino’s reported return to fitness.

The Brazilian missed the Reds’ last Premier League clash, the 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Anfield, with a knee injury but he is set to be assessed of the trip to Molineux on Monday.

Should he be fit enough to start for the Reds, Jurgen Klopp has to put him in from the beginning of the match, even with Diogo Jota also returning to contention in recent weeks and gunning to start against his former club.

Put simply, the former Hoffenheim man is a key player for the current reigning Premier League champions.

In 37 appearances in all competitions so far this season, he has 13 goal contributions – six goals and seven assists. Only Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have contributed more to Liverpool.

His statistics also put him right at the top end of Liverpool’s attacking output. According to WhoScored, the 29-year-old averages 2.4 shots, one key pass and 1.6 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

This is some way higher than the player who may likely replace him in starting line-up, Jota. The former Wolves man averages just 1.9 shots, 0.6 key passes and one dribble per game.

It would not make a lot of sense to keep the Portuguese in the starting XI at the expense of Firmino then.

Some will argue that there is no need to reintroduce him so quickly especially after recovering from injury. However, with a player so key to Liverpool, with Klopp even labelling him as “special”, it would seem baffling to leave the £64.8m-rated forward out of the side.

AND in more news, have a look at why a current FC Porto man and former Premier League flop is not what Liverpool should be looking at in the summer transfer window…

According to reports, Leeds United are among a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard.

What’s the story?

After going through a fairly quiet January transfer window at Elland Road, all eyes are on what Marcelo Bielsa’s side do when the summer comes around.

Already, there has been speculation linking them with a move for Milan youngster Tommaso Pobega, and now, The Daily Star claim that the Yorkshire club have got their sights set on another Serie A sensation.

It’s suggested that along with the likes of Southampton, West Ham, and Tottenham, Leeds have joined the race to sign Damsgaard, and that they have expressed an interest in luring him to the Premier League.

A dream player for Bielsa

More than the fact the 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign with Sampdoria going forward – he’s scored two goals and provided four assists, including against the likes of Inter and Milan – it’s his defensive work that surely marks him out as a dream signing for Bielsa.

Sofascore lifts one of the left-winger’s biggest strengths as his “high pressing”, and when you look at his defensive numbers, it’s clear to see why.

Despite the position he plays, he has averaged an impressive 1.5 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game in Serie A – only Jack Harrison betters his tackles per game among Leeds’ wide options, while nobody can match his interceptions rate, proving that Damsgaard is someone who is more than capable of buying into Bielsa’s intensity at Elland Road.

Dubbed as “magical” by Norwegian football expert Martin Mikkelsen, he also added that Damsgaard is “dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

The Denmark international could strike a tantalising wing duo with Raphinha on the opposite flank, with both seemingly capable of moments of magic – you only have to look at the latter’s piece of skill to completely embarrass Gary Cahill in the Premier League last time out to see that.

The right-footed Damsgaard would offer something different to the left-footed option of Harrison, and both him and Raphinha cutting in from their respective flanks would open the game up a lot more for Leeds’ full-backs to make flying runs past them.

The £7.2m-rated gem isn’t just a flashy winger who only cares about what he does at the top end of the pitch. His defensive diligence is something Bielsa would absolutely love, and it’s exactly why the Whites must fend off the competition to sign him in the summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign Kalvin Phillips’ perfect midfield partner in this Italian starlet…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer praised the impact that West Brom’s January signings have had since arriving at the club.

The likes of Mbaye Diagne, Okay Yokuslu, Robert Snodgrass and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were all brought in by manager Sam Allardyce during the last transfer window and are contributing to the Baggies’ fight at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Diagne, in particular, is making quite the impression at the Hawthorns, with the Senegalese striker managing to find the back of the net in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United in February.

Overall, Palmer is pleased with what he has seen from Allardyce’s new recruits, feeling that they have settled in well at the club.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Palmer said:

“He’s got the players that he wanted to get in and they’re playing really well. Most of the guys that he’s brought in are foreigners who haven’t had any taste of English football before, they’ve hit the ground running.

“The players that he’s brought in have settled in fantastically well. The likes of Snodgrass have done well for Sam.”

Next up for Allardyce and his January signings is a clash against Everton at home as West Brom look to build on their recent 1-0 win over Brighton.

The Baggies could move three points behind relegation rivals Fulham by the end of Thursday should they win and Scott Parker’s side lose to Tottenham, so Allardyce will no doubt be desperate to see some big performances from his winter additions and the rest of the team.

According to La Nazione (via Sport Witness), Leeds are very much interested in signing Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar.

Orta’s second chance

Reports over the summer suggested that the Whites were keen on bringing the Chile international to Elland Road, especially with Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul staying put.

Now, Italian publication La Nazione have delivered a huge update on Leeds’ interest in Pulgar ahead of the January transfer window, saying that things are “concrete”.

It’s suggested that Fiorentina are waiting for Marcelo Bielsa’s side to make their move, and will consider offers put on the table. January could represent Victor Orta’s second chance to land Pulgar.

Imagine him and Kalvin Phillips

After failing to get a deal over the line back in the summer, Leeds surely have to make sure Pulgar comes in before the end of January.

The Chilean has the kind of profile that would give Bielsa some much-needed quality and strength in depth to go alongside Kalvin Phillips, or even replace him when he’s out injured.

A look at his playing style from World Football Index revealed: “Pulgar can only be truly appreciated by watching his positional sense and his ability to anticipate danger especially in transitions.

“He provides great coverage of the pitch whether he is utilised as the man sitting just in front of a back three or slightly higher on the right side as part of a flat midfield four or five.”

The £11.25m-rated ace covers the ground very well, and is a physical beast when it comes to the 50/50s. As per Sofascore, he wins 56% of his duels on the ground, and a whopping 71% in the air, and seems like he could be the perfect compliment to share the defensive burden with Phillips in the engine room.

Orta has to seize this great chance to fix his summer transfer blunder.

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers target Jack Simpson has agreed a Bosman move to Steven Gerrard’s side, which could spell bad news for George Edmundson in regards to his future prospects.

What’s the word?

The Rangers centre-back has struggled for game time this season having fallen out of favour with Gerrard after he served a lengthy suspension for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

Gerrard is currently blessed with great defensive options again, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander jostling for the position alongside Connor Goldson, so it’s no surprise that Edmundson finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, as he has made just one substitute appearance in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, averaging a miserable 5.52 rating overall.

Following the news that Rangers have agreed a pre-contract deal with Simpson, it is within the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old could find himself heading for the Ibrox exit, considering the Gers also have Nikola Katic on their books, with Gerrard recently confirming that the Croatian is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.

When one door opens, another closes

Rangers signed Edmundson from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £700,000 in 2019.

Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, scoring twice and supplying an assist in all competitions.

Gerrard had insisted that Edmundson could still find a way back into the first team in the future, saying:

“I think the important thing here was to get the players out of the isolation period, first and foremost. Then it was about sitting down with the players face-to-face to gauge a reaction to how they feel and where they were at.

“I spoke to them both individually and they were both very sad over the incident, they were remorseful, apologetic and full of regret. They first and foremost wanted to apologise to the supporters and their team-mates for their actions.”In my position, it was time to support these two players once I saw that reaction. It was the reaction I wanted to see.”Now it’s about me giving them the support and managing them to come back to top players because they are good players, we need them here to help and support us moving forward.”

However, reports in recent weeks have revealed Rangers will consider a January loan exit for Edmundson as he hasn’t played despite returning from suspension.

Having excelled for Bournemouth, the Scottish giants have taken a gamble on Simpson and it’s fair to say that they could be duly rewarded. He is currently averaging more tackles and clearances per game than Edmundson, which suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on the Rangers outcast. He’s currently valued at £1m but Rangers are getting him for free.

If Edmundson can’t re-establish himself in the first team at all between now and the end of this season, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him leave for pastures new in the near future.

AND in other news, Filip Helander proved a point to Steven Gerrard with his performance against Ross County…

According to The Telegraph, Manchester United are interested in signing Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid.

What’s the story?

The 30-year-old only joined Los Rojiblancos from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth at least £20m last year, but has quickly established himself as a first-team regular starter under Diego Simeone, playing in every single minute of every game in the Champions League and La Liga so far this season.

It’s claimed the Red Devils are leading the race to sign Trippier in the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate to add some cover and competition for his first-choice right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Adds depth, quality and cover

Wan-Bissaka has cemented his place in the starting line-up after arriving at Old Trafford from Crystal Palace in 2019. Whilst you can’t pick many holes in Solskjaer’s side, if there’s one glaring weakness, it’s the lack of depth in key areas, as Timothy Fosu-Mensah is the only other viable option, although Brandon Williams has filled in at right-back at times as well.

Woodward would be wise to sanction a move for Trippier as not only would he be able to provide cover for his countryman, but he’d also be a useful attacking threat as well.

The England international, who has won 23 caps for his country, has played 10 games in La Liga this season, picking up three assists so far, whilst he is averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and 1 key pass per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, even Wan-Bissaka has managed fewer clearances and interceptions on average per game in the Premier League so far this season, as per WhoScored.

England manager Gareth Southgate praised the diminutive colossus after he inspired a comeback against Belgium at Wembley back in October, saying “Trippier was like a soldier out there, unbelievable defensive performance,” whilst his former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has been tipped to replace Solskjaer at Old Trafford, has spoken on his admiration for the full-back in the past.

In over a hundred appearances for Spurs, Trippier scored two goals and supplied 24 assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

That sort of threat on the right-wing would be most welcome in Manchester and there’s no doubt he would be a superb signing for the Red Devils as nabbing a seasoned veteran to play second fiddle to Wan-Bissaka would be an extremely smart bit of business.

AND in other news, Forget Rashford: Paul Pogba steals the show as Manchester United fight back to beat West Ham…

Steve Bruce has fallen back to square one after his decision to start Paul Dummett over Jamal Lewis backfired terribly in Newcastle United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Dummett was thrown straight in at the deep end on Saturday as he made his first appearance in 11 months, at a time the Toon desperately needed a win after being humbled and humiliated away to Leeds United during the week.

Bruce sought to make changes at left-back after Lewis endured a horror show evening at Elland Road, where Raphinha toyed with the summer arrival from Norwich City as Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites ran riot to win 5-2.

Dummett was never thought to be the one to inspire victory over Fulham single-handily but struggled to get into gear as Newcastle opted to park the bus at home to a relegation-threatened side that had already allowed 22 goals in the Premier League this season.

Rafa Benitez took a shine to Dummett during his time on Tyneside when the Welshman rose from the fringes to establish himself firmly as a first-team player, yet even the Spaniard knew the £35,000-per-week full-back was not going to ever make an outlandish impact.

“He is one of the players we have who understands what to do better than anybody. In terms of position, you’ll put him as a left-back or a left-sided centre-back, he knows what he has to do,” Benitez told the Chronicle.

“He never takes too many risks, and he’s quite consistent. If you want him to attack more – and he’s not an offensive full-back – but he will try and give you some width too. When he has to defend, he will do it, but when we attack, he is aware to stop counter-attacks.”

Bruce has been without Dummett since January when the 29-year-old sustained a season-ending hamstring injury, before seeing his comeback dealt several setbacks with a muscle problem in pre-season and a reoccurrence of a hamstring problem.

Dummett was not expected to be fit to face Fulham yet was thrown straight into the deep end with a place in the starting line-up and, unfortunately for him, sunk.

The £4m-rated defender was inevitably rusty, which did him no favours, as Dummett trudged on to record no successful tackles, clearances or shots blocked before being replaced in the 79th-minute, per SofaScore.

He was able to register three interceptions, win three of five aerial contests and one of two ground duels, but did little when on the ball as he hugged the left-hand side of the half-way line for his 31 touches.

Ultimately, Dummett was replaced having completed 18 passes, with neither leading to a chance and neither coming from a cross or long ball as the five-time international sought to keep things simple.

Bruce will have taken little comfort from Dummett’s display having mostly just made up the numbers on the left-hand side and is firmly back at square one ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with Brentford.

AND in other news: “No point him going to Spurs” – Exclusive: Rob Lee drops huge claim on Newcastle star’s future…

West Ham United boss David Moyes wasted the first of his three substitutes in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Liverpool by calling on Andriy Yarmolenko to play the final quarter of an hour.

Moyes sought to make the first of his permitted changes by introducing Yarmolenko in place of Sebastien Haller, after the Frenchman failed to offer a persistent goal threat in the absence of Michail Antonio with the 30-year-old forced to sit out with a hamstring injury.

But the Scottish coach will only be regretting his decision as Yarmolenko failed to get into the game prior to Diogo Jota striking home from Xherdan Shaqiri’s pass to steal a win five minutes from time, before Said Benrahma and Manuel Lanzini swiftly entered the action.

Pablo Fornals’ second goal of the Premier League season had opened the deadlock for the Irons after just 10 minutes, though they returned to the dressing at the break with the score level after Mohamed Salah won and converted a spot-kick for a clumsy foul by Arthur Masuaku.

Moyes had considered cashing in on any residual value in Yarmolenko this summer, having identified Manuel Pellegrini’s £17.5million signing as someone the east London outfit could utilise in their bid to raise funds for his own incomings.

But a change of heart later in the summer saw the Ukraine international retained, as Moyes decided he liked what he’d seen from the attacker and was keen to keep the £6.75m-rated 31-year-old’s services, per ExWHUemployee on The West Ham Way podcast in August.

The Hammers boss’ sudden change will not have been a total turnaround, though, as Moyes had spoken of his support for what Yarmolenko offers in July after praising the former Borussia Dortmund man’s impact from the bench in their 3-2 victory over Chelsea.

“I’ve had a chance to see Yarma tonight, he gives me good competition,” said Moyes, via quotes by the Newham Recorder.

Moyes should not be feeling the same way as he did in July following Yarmolenko’s ineffective cameo in Saturday’s loss at Liverpool, as the veteran winger used his time in a central role to poor effect with just four passes made from 11 touches, per SofaScore.

He further failed to provide a key pass from either of his attempted passes, failed to register a shot on goal, won just one of four ground duels, lost possession four times, committed one foul, made no tackles, interceptions or clearances and attempted just one dribble.

Moyes will need to think long and hard over Yarmolenko’s place in the matchday squad ahead of next weekend’s London derby clash with Fulham at home, especially now that he feels Benrahma is fit enough to feature following his West Ham debut.

AND in other news, West Ham’s injury nightmare will only amplify David Moyes’ regret on failing to sign an “extraordinary” hitman.

David Sullivan has a chance to shine for West Ham United, after former Leeds striker Noel Whelan backed the east London outfit to sign Burnley’s James Tarkowski next summer.

What’s he said?

While speaking with Football Insider, Whelan claimed the Irons will be in a strong position to sign Tarkowski next summer after falling short in efforts to add the England international to David Moyes’ backline in the recent transfer market.

Tarkowski has since revealed in an interview with The Telegraph that he plans to continue rejecting potential new contracts at Turf Moor, as he wishes to take back control from the Clarets after club chiefs rebuffed £30million bids from the Hammers and Leicester City.

The 27-year-old has made it clear that he does not envisage his future being played out in Lancashire as his ambitions remain to play European football, yet the Clarets still put forward a proposed improvement on his £50,000-per-week contract with the deal set to expire in 2022.

“Burnley offered me a contract near the start of last season, which, for me personally, it was nowhere near what I was going to sign, and I think the club understood. And they’ve come back again this year, and still, for me, it’s just not right,” Tarkowski stated.

“Finances do matter, but, at this particular stage, whatever path I take I will get financially rewarded, so the financial side is not even in my thinking at the moment. It’s more about my football.”

Whelan believes Tarkowski’s refusal to sign a new contract will force Burnley to sell the England international next year.

“When you start getting players running down contracts to a year then you start getting worried as a football club,” he said. “Burnley are a football club that really can’t afford to let a player of that quality go on a free transfer.

“I think that will force their hands, that’s a little signal to Burnley as well that if you can’t pay him the wages that he wants then him moving club is imminent. It’s as simple as that.

“You don’t really get too many football players coming out publicly and saying that. He’s obviously made his mind up that he wants out and you know he wants a fresh start and a fresh challenge somewhere and West Ham seem to be the leaders in that race.”

Sullivan’s time to shine

With Tarkowski eager to leave Turf Moor and Burnley at risk of the defender further running down his contract, Whelan is right in that the Clarets may have to bite the bullet and cash-in on the 27-year-old who has been such a vital aspect of Sean Dyche’s plans in recent years.

Tarkowski, who Burnley valued as high as £50m this summer, has started 67 the Clarets’ last 69 Premier League games, with his only absences in that run coming at the start of the current campaign following West Ham and Leicester’s interest.

Sullivan may feel that a deal is more attainable for the Irons with time ticking on Tarkowski’s contract, too, and his determination to play European football is only matched by his desire to regain a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad having earned the last of his two caps in 2018.

Southgate’s frequent preference to overlook Tarkowski saw the Manchester-born defender state last year, via quotes by talkSPORT: “I am disappointed. I want to be involved. I feel like I’m playing really well, I’m at full fitness levels, playing every minute possible in games and I feel like I’m performing the best I have done for Burnley.”

Tarkowski remains playing at a high level, with the Burnley star averaging 2.0 tackles, 4.0 clearances and 8.0 duels won (2.6 ground, 5.4 aerial) per Premier League game this season, plus 26.6 accurate passes (76%), 0.4 key balls and 1.0 shots, per SofaScore.

Burnley will know Tarkowski will still hold a high value in the transfer market next summer, but also be fully aware of how fast his value will fall the longer he refuses to put pen to paper.

AND in other news, David Moyes can solve a West Ham dilemma by unleashing his plan for a £10.8m-rated dynamo.

It appears that Leeds United are in the market for another new winger before next week’s transfer deadline and a fresh name has emerged this weekend…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Whites are considering a move for Leicester City outcast Demarai Gray amid talks with Utrecht midfielder Gyrano Kerk.

The 24-year-old is in the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium and it’s thought that the Foxes would be open to selling him with his chances limited by the arrival of Cengiz Under – not that he was playing regularly anyway.

Last month, Football Insider claimed that Spurs would need to pay £20m for his services, though that remains to be seen if that’s the case.

Unfulfilled potential

It seems hard to believe that Gray has never lived up to the hype he carried at such an early age, though if there’s anyone to transform your game, it is indeed Marcelo Bielsa.

Across 168 appearances for the club, the English winger has only provided 13 goals and 17 assists with a whopping 132 matches coming in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt. In fact, he’s only played the full 90 minutes 13 times in the top-flight.

His current boss Brendan Rodgers once hailed Gray as a “big talent” whilst teammate Christian Fuchs claimed that the speedster was “unbelievable” in training, so his lack of end product in a real match could be down to his own mind; a lack of confidence perhaps.

It would be a mighty risk to take too as it’s thought that the Foxes outcast rakes in a pretty £55k-per-week, which would put him comfortably among the highest earners at Elland Road – and given he’s done little to justify it, that could cause a problem.

The Athletic’s Rob Tanner reported earlier this week that Gray rejected a contract extension despite Rodgers’ desire to use him off the bench. He even ranked third for xG behind Jamie Vardy last season, so there’s something there to be unleashed.

Perhaps a fresh start in Yorkshire under a proven manager like Bielsa would be suitable for everyone involved here. Only time will tell if this interest in genuine.

AND in other news, mooted target wants to stay at current club, a huge blow to Bielsa’s plans…