Liverpool had a decent summer transfer window as they strengthened various areas on the pitch.

Naby Keita and Fabinho joined the midfield, while Xherdan Shaqiri signed on the dotted line from Stoke City.

Arguably the most important addition was goalkeeper Alisson, who swiftly replaced Loris Karius as the club’s new number one.

Even though Jurgen Klopp recruited some talented players, the performances on the pitch have been below par.

The club are still in contention for Premier League glory as they sit second in the standings, two points adrift of leaders Manchester City following an unbeaten run.

However, there is a sense that the Reds are missing a creative spark – something that Philippe Coutinho possessed and demonstrated before he left Anfield to join Barcelona in January.

With the January transfer window a matter of weeks away, some Liverpool fans have decided to discuss the potential transfer business that could be coming their way.

Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.Comment from discussion With the january transfer window opening in a month, what changes should we look to make?.

The Playmaker FC squad decided to wind-up some unsuspecting Brazil fans at the Emirates on Saturday night. Watch the hilarious results in the video below…

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been voted the Premier League’s PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month for November by football fans across the country. In a vote run by fan engagement experts Snack Media, the colossal Dutch defender won by a landslide, seeing off competition from the likes of Huddersfield Town’s Aaron Mooy, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Manchester City trio Raheem Sterling, David Silva and Leroy Sane.

In the first of four divisional votes carried out over seven days via Snack’s digital and social networks and supported by top flight football clubs and the press, it was van Dijk’s contribution to two clean sheets and seven points gained from three outings in November that clinched him the award. The Netherlands international is the second Liverpool player of the season to earn one of the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month accolades, after Sadio Mane won it in August.

The Championship vote opens at 11 am on Monday 3rd December. To vote go to: http://www.footballfancast.com/pfa-awards

Chelsea blew the title race wide open this weekend with an excellent 2-0 win over Manchester City.

The Blues put the disappointment of last weekend’s loss to Spurs behind them and saw off the Premier League champions behind another excellent performance from Eden Hazard.

However, there is still a chance that Hazard is playing his last season for the Blues, and we here at the Tavern think that the Blues need to be eyeing up potential replacements.

And one man we think would be a superb addition for Chelsea is Dortmund and England sensation Jadon Sancho.

The young England star has been superb since making the move to the Bundesliga, and he possesses similar qualites to those of Hazard, with his pace and dribbling ability marking him out as one of the most dangerous wingers in the game at the moment.

Sancho would no doubt cost a fortune, but Chelsea will likely be armed with funds from a potential Hazard sale if they make their move, and who better to spend it on than someone like Sancho.

The youngster has the world at his feet at the moment, and Chelsea would be wise to make their move before others start to sniff around the classy wide man.

Chelsea fans, what do you think? Would you take Sancho back? Let us know in the comments!

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According to The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur will battle Everton for the signature of Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes at the end of the season.

Gomes joined Everton on loan from Barcelona during the summer, and the midfielder has been outstanding for the Toffees since stepping into the first team.

It is currently unclear whether Barcelona are prepared to sell Gomes at the end of the season, but there will certainly be interest in his services.

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham have been impressed with the performances of the Portugal international this term, and will launch a bid next summer.

The Tottenham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer report, and it would be fair to say that there are some very differing opinions.

Indeed, whilst a number would be happy to take 6ft 2in ace Gomes, there are others who do not believe that the midfielder would be a good fit for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Tottenham supporters can be seen below:

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at Wembley to witness Spurs’ dramatic second half comeback against PSV. Watch the drama unfold in the video below…

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle have made Eintracht Frankfurt’s Sebastian Haller their number one transfer target in January as they look to stave off the threat of relegation – fellow strugglers Crystal Palace must deny the Magpies the opportunity to smash their transfer record by offering the German side Christian Benteke in a genius player-plus-cash deal.

What’s the word?

Well, The Northern Echo have reported that Rafa Benitez and co. are hopeful of bringing the big Frenchman to St James’ Park when the transfer window opens in a bid to bolster their attacking options but, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, it will set them back up to £26m – Mike Ashley’s minimal backing surely won’t allow for such a fee, leaving the door open for Palace.

Having picked up a shock win over champions Manchester City after edging out Leicester in a gritty clash the week before, Palace have had an impressive December and, should they get a result against Chelsea, will surely be deemed unlikely candidates for relegation but only if they can fix one huge problem.

Benteke’s dire performances since an impactful debut season in red and blue has seen him notch just three goals in 35 appearances and the Eagles should sure look to offload a player who is fast becoming an expensive mistake – they can sign a much needed goalscorer and get one of their most costly payees off the books all at once by including the former Liverpool man in a deal for Haller.

Hitman Haller

The towering striker has been sensational this season – he has struck a formidable partnership with Luka Jovic and bagged 12 goals and 11 assists in 25 appearances for Die Adler (or the Eagles, funnily enough) in all competitions.

Frankfurt are clearly reluctant to let him go and will demand a fee similar to that which Palace signed Benteke for in 2016, but by sending the misfiring target man the other way, Roy Hodgson and co. will surely lessen the resolve as both are of a similar mould – this could also be the fresh start Benteke needs to reignite his career.

The Croydon outfit have no difficulty creating chances as they took a massive 31 shots against Cardiff but none of these attempts found the net and, thus, the score ended 0-0 – a disappointing result after the Etihad heroics.

Haller could be the difference between relegation and survival for the Eagles and they must make the 24-year-old their priority in the new year.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”350482″ player=”12034″ title=”Check out the new White Hart Lane”]

According to the results of a recent Football FanCast poll, a large majority of Charlton fans would support manager Lee Bowyer if he made a move for Exeter City striker Jayden Stockley to replace Nicky Ajose in January.

Lyle Taylor and Karlan Grant have been on fire so far this season for the Addicks. However, when one of the lethal pair is unavailable, as has often been the case, Ajose fails to provide an adequate replacement.

The 27-year-old has been much criticised by Charlton fans this season, often for his lack of end product, and it’s clear from our poll that many would like to see him replaced in the winter transfer window.

In fact, 80 per cent of those who responded said that they would like to see the club make a move for Stockley.

The 25-year-old is in prolific form this season and is now surely ready to make the step up to League One after his move from Aberdeen in the summer of 2017.

Check out the full results of our poll below.

According to a recent report from The Sun, Oumar Niasse could be set for a move away from Everton in the January transfer window. The striker made the move to Goodison Park back in January 2016 after impressing greatly at Lokomotiv Moscow, although a lack of regular game time under new Toffees manager Marco Silva this season has plunged his future at the club into doubt.

And reports suggest that fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace have made a £6.5 million bid for the 28-year-old, a fee the Merseysiders must take and indeed run with in a bid to finally cut their losses on the underperforming forward, who has proven to be a transfer shocker.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Senegal international was brought to Goodison Park in the winter window of 2016 as Roberto Martinez sought further improvements to his striking ranks, what with Romelu Lukaku the main man at the club but no real accomplished options besides him.

And with the Belgium international eventually leaving for Manchester United back in the summer of 2017, Everton fans would have been hoping that Niasse was the man to fill the void left by the striker’s departure, only for the opposite to happen with the club still on the lookout for a replacement for Lukaku 18 months on from his exit.

And that’s because Niasse simply hasn’t been able to produce the goods on a consistent enough basis for the Toffees – there have been glimpses of promise, including the eight goals he scored in 22 Premier League appearances last term, but on the whole he has completely flattered to deceive.

And the fact that he has mustered just five Premier League appearances under new boss Silva this season, despite the Toffees’ obvious need for an out-and-out number nine to lead the line, emphasises just how lowly he is rated by the 41-year-old – Niasse’s time at the club appears all but over.

Yes, they may have spent big money luring him away from Lokomotiv Moscow back in 2016, with his arrival costing the Toffees £16.11 million (as per Transfermarkt), and as such they look set to incur a hefty loss on the 28-year-old, but with Palace themselves in need of a striker to lead their line, Everton may not get a better chance to recoup some of that price-tag back.

Roy Hodgson’s Eagles have seriously struggled in front of goal this term in netting on only 19 occasions in the league so far, with the injury to Christian Benteke leaving them very short up top, and thus without that much-needed focal point which has often made a telling difference to Palace in recent times.

Niasse might be able to provide that hence the reported move for the striker – for £6.5 million, it’s a move that is in the best interests of Palace, Everton, and indeed Niasse, which is why the Toffees must take the money and run in a bid to finally get rid of the 28-year-old.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Connor Goldson believes Rangers can launch a major assault on the Scottish Premiership table after the double signing of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis. The club are currently level on points with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic at the top of the table.

What’s the word?

Rangers made a major double signing this month, acquiring two experienced campaigners to bolster their title charge.

Defoe is a brilliant striker who still holds the ability to score at the highest level, despite falling behind the likes of Callum Wilson and Joshua King in the Bournemouth pecking order.

He was prolific in MLS, and could also start hitting the back of the net with regularity north of the border.

Davis, meanwhile, knows Rangers inside out and is a proven winner, having picked up three SPL titles during his two previous spells with the club, as well as two Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups.

Gerrard has pulled off something of a masterstroke, according to Goldson, who told the Evening Times:  “It’s a lift. It just adds to the squad. It brings a good amount of experience.

“It brings people who have been at the highest level and done it and aren’t going to get afraid if we are up there in a title race.

“The good teams always improve and so far the gaffer has gone about doing that in the transfer window.

“The one thing I will say is that the size of this club deserves to have players like that playing for them. We deserve to attract those kind of players because the club is huge.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

“You don’t understand it when you are in England, but this club deserves to have the best available players to help them try and win things because it’s been a long time since we have. That’s something that we need to aim for.

“We need to go as far as we can in the league, try and win as many games as possible. We have got the cup coming up, and we need to go as far as we can in that.”

Rangers still a massive club

Rangers have suffered a fair bit in recent years, obviously falling down the leagues and having to claw their way back to the top table of Scottish football.

With Gerrard at the helm, they have shown that they hold the ability to still mix it with Celtic, having previously traded titles with their bitter rivals.

And Defoe and Davis bring experience, know-how and genuine footballing ability, and Goldson is right; Rangers need to be fighting on more than one front.

Should they lift the title come the end of the season, it would see Rangers restored to a level that was previously thought beyond them, and Defoe and Davis could play a massive part in that.

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Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Tuesday that talismanic striker Harry Kane won’t be back in training until the start of March following the ankle injury he picked up at the end of 1-0 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday, which leaves Mauricio Pochettino with a predicament.

On the chalkboard

It is the injury issue in his team that the Argentine manager will always be dreading not only because of the quality Kane has, but also because of the lack of depth in the centre-forward position for the north London outfit.

With the 46-year-old ruling out any chance of forgotten striker Vincent Janssen coming in from the wilderness to be in first-team contention again, he has been left with Fernando Llorente as his only out-and-out senior striker option.

While a move to bring a new player to Spurs could easily happen with a couple of weeks of the transfer window still remaining before it closes, Pochettino could easily choose to pick from within if he can find the right combination.

What do we expect him to do?

Well, we are expecting him to stick with the 4-4-2 diamond/4-3-1-2 formation that has been his preference in recent weeks, but without Kane and Son he has to make two changes up top.

Llorente simply doesn’t have the speed or mobility to play successfully as a lone striker for a club still competing in four competitions, and he needs support up alongside him if Tottenham are to continue on the goal trail in the next couple of months.

Lucas Moura, who could be a doubt for the Premier League clash against Fulham at the weekend following a blow to the knee he suffered in the FA Cup against Tranmere Rovers, has already played in a striker role for Spurs this term, and would be the most effective partner alongside Llorente because of the sheer pace that he has.

As well as the Brazilian, we would expect highly-rated teenager Troy Parrott to become a common face on the substitutes’ bench, and while the exciting 16-year-old may be too young to start in these fixtures right now, there’s no reason why he can’t make a difference coming on later in matches.

Which Man Utd star got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to share their feelings on the news that Daniel Sturridge is set to leave the club in the summer, as Jurgen Klopp opts not to renew the England international’s contract which is set to expire.

According to a report from Paul Joyce of The Times, the 29-year-old will be free to find a new club at the end of the season having made just six starts so far this season, scoring four goals.

Sturridge has understandably failed to dislodge 17-goal Mohamed Salah from the Reds’ starting lineup, and looks to be the second victim in Klopp’s fire sale after the departure of another forward in Dominic Solanke – Divock Origi is another striker who has been made available for transfer.

The former Manchester City and Chelsea man has scored 67 goals in just over 150 appearances at Anfield, and could’ve been a much bigger success on Merseyside were it not for his injury problems…