According to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, AS Roma have tried to snatch away Liverpool’s 28-year-old playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri with a cheeky bid, but their approach has been refused.

What’s the word, then?

Even though he’s mostly been a bit-part player for Liverpool in the 2019/20 campaign – seeing how he’s only managed to feature in 256 minutes of football across ten appearances in all competitions – Shaqiri has attracted some interest from Italy.

Roma reportedly asked for his availability on loan, with the Gladiators looking for someone who could potentially replace the injured Nicolo Zaniolo.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

With the 20-year-old prodigy out with a fitness issue, the Italian outfit need someone to fill his void and supply them with goals.

But with Romano concluding his tweet by simply saying “no chance”, it appears Roma will have to look elsewhere.

Verdict

Even though Shaqiri has been plagued with injuries in the ongoing campaign, already missing out on 11 games in total, he still sounds like a good option for Roma.

After all, we’re talking about a player who scored 15 goals and assisted a further 15 for Stoke prior to his move to Anfield and also has some Serie A experience from his spell at Inter Milan.

However, Klopp appears to think Shaqiri still has something to offer to the Reds as they continue their march towards the Premier League title.

Currently, they are 14 points clear and are enjoying the view from the top of the mountain.

It still remains to be seen whether the 28-year-old winger will have any kind of role to play in the remainder of the season.

It’s difficult not to think, however, that he could’ve been a more important part of Roma’s squad had the transfer gone through.

Elsewhere, one of Liverpool’s players truly showed his worth with an excellent off-the-bench performance vs Tottenham Hotspur…

According to a recent report from The Mirror, Manchester United want to sign Birmingham City’s 16-year-old prodigy Jude Bellingham.

The same source states that the Red Devils are even willing to fork out around £12.5m, which is simply an eye-watering sum for a kid of his age.

But who exactly is this young, up and coming player and why would Ole Gunnar Solskjaer want to add him to his current crop of players?

Let’s find out…

Who is he?

Bellingham is a product of Birmingham City’s academy. Some of his first steps as a footballer were made when he was just eight years old, playing for the Blues and rising through their ranks quickly and effortlessly.

Fast forward into the future, and the now 16-year-old prodigy is already making strides in his career, having been named EFL Young Player of the Month award for November 2019.

The big fat United quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Man Utd?

He also became the club’s youngster ever goalscorer at just 16 years and 38 days, breaking the record set by club legend Trevor Francis in 1970.

By the looks of things, he could definitely be someone Man United could mould into a superstar.

How does he play?

Bellingham is a highly technical and explosive type of player. Even though he is a natural centre-midfielder, we can actually see him in various different positions depending on the needs of the team, as evidenced by the games Transfermarkt have in their database.

But even though he could be characterised as an aggressive and attacking-minded player, he is also able to drop deeper when necessary and assist the build-up of his team.

We can actually see that tendency in his heatmap for the 2019/20 season across all competitions, as provided by Wyscout.

Bellingham is extremely composed and mature for his age, and represents a rather safe option for his teammates in possession. He is also most dangerous when actually on the ball and when given the licence to wreak havoc in the opposition’s lines. The technical side of this 16-year-old midfielder is best seen in his dribbling stats as Wyscout register 4.18 per game with 58.9% success rate.

His control is also really good as he has only averaged only 1.2 unsuccessful first touches per game in the Championship this season.

Prior to the Birmingham’s weekend clash with Cardiff, the 16-year-old has tallied 23 games for his club in the ongoing campaign in the domestic league, starting an impressive 17 out of those games and scoring three goals while adding one assist to that tally as well, proving that he has an eye for goal and a lethal strike.

One other notable trait that describes this youngster quite well is his maturity in defence. He partakes in 9.33 defensive duels per game with a success rate of 62.6%. He also averaged an incredible 4.52 interceptions and 6.47 recoveries per game, with 56.6% happening in the opposition’s half, proving his aggressive nature and hefty defensive contribution.

Continuing the trend

If he is truly to be incorporated into Solskjaer’s squad, Bellingham would be another young talent defending the colours of the Red Devils.

With the likes of Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood already at the club, Man United’s future certainly looks extremely bright and the coach’s intentions are crystal clear – a young revolution and rejuvenation of the team.

Bellingham is only 16 years of age but his potential is already out there for everyone to see.

For that reason, the reported interest from United and other big European clubs doesn’t come as a surprise.

According to Sky Sports, Sevilla are looking into the possibility of acquiring Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos in the ongoing January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that Julen Lopetegui is keen on adding more firepower to his squad and Morelos, who’s been in top form this season, has attracted interest from top clubs across Europe.

And this is coincides with the recent departure of Javier Hernandez to LA Galaxy on Wednesday, which has left Sevilla with a need to dip their toes into the market and look for new additions.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

As Sky Sports note, Rangers are keen to hold onto the Colombia international and their departing chairman Dave King stated a couple of months back that the club wouldn’t sell even for £40m.

But for the La Liga giants, this would be nothing short of a major scoop.

Verdict

At the moment, the Andalusians have a slight problem in front of goal, having only managed to rattle the net a total of 25 times in the first 20 games played in La Liga.

Morelos, meanwhile, is currently in red-hot form and banging them in left, right and centre. He can boast 28 goals scored in all competitions in his first 35 games played this season and 76 in 126 games for the club as a whole – all of that at the tender age of just 23.

But as Sky Sports note, Sevilla are not the only club prowling around the young striker and it remains to be seen who will end up winning the race for his coveted signature.

Needless to say, landing such a young and vibrant forward would likely improve Lopetegui’s front line and give Sevilla a much-needed boost for the second half of the campaign.

Of course, there’s also the possibility of him staying in Scotland but can Rangers fend off all the potential suitors? Sky Sports speculate that an offer around the £40m mark would indeed at least tempt them into selling.

Whether Sevilla would offer that much, though, is another matter altogether.

In other news, Sevilla have already tried their luck by approaching Liverpool for one of their bit-part players but Klopp remained firmed in his stance…

Jean-Kevin Augustin may have been a Leeds player for less than a week, but he’s already settling in quite nicely at Elland Road.

The Frenchman was present for the Whites’ 3-2 win over Millwall on Tuesday evening, and he was seemingly very impressed by what he saw.

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It wasn’t just the football on display that impressed the striker though.

Indeed, the forward made it very clear that the atmosphere on Tuesday night was an eye-opening experience for him, and it seems as though he’s already fallen in love with his new club.

The 22-year-old said that the feeling around the ground on Tuesday made him want to die for the club, despite only being a United player for a few days.

Understandably, many fans were buzzing to hear this from their new striker as this type of passion is rare to find in any player, never mind a man who has only been at the club for such a short period of time.

Other supporters thought that this was a sign of the right attitude from Augustin.

To be fair, if a player is that passionate about the team he’s playing for he’s likely to give it his all on the pitch, and if Augustin puts everything he can into playing for Leeds then he could shine for them.

The 22-year-old netted nine goals in the 2017/18 season for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, and if he can rediscover that type of form, there is a high chance he’ll impress in the English second tier.

In other news, Phil Hay has said that Bielsa still has faith in one out of form star.

After Derby County cruised past Northampton Town 4-2 on Tuesday evening to enter the FA Cup fifth round, Manchester United supporters have since gone on to buzz over a reunion with Old Trafford legend Wayne Rooney – with one fan warning of a potential ‘masterclass’ from their former hero. 

Rooney, who is United’s all-time top goalscorer, left the Red Devils in 2017 to boyhood club Everton and has been on the move ever since – enjoying a brief stint in the MLS with D.C. United before joining Derby County last summer. Now, after helping his new team cruise past Northampton in the FA Cup fourth round, contributing to proceedings with a 77th-minute penalty, the former England international now faces a reunion with United at Pride Park – much to the bewilderment of Red Devils supporters.

Indeed, Rooney’s incredible haul of 253 goals and 146 assists in 559 appearances for United (Transfermarkt) has warranted legendary status for the 34-year-old – with a bout against his former club making for a tasty fifth-round tie.

Here’s how supporters reacted to the Rooney reunion on Twitter – find all of their best comments down below.

How will Rooney fare against United? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Celtic may have League One side Clyde in the Scottish FA Cup, but Neil Lennon has claimed that they will be taking the game seriously, as reported on the club’s official channels.

He gave an indication of some of the names that he could pick, stating: “Against Clyde this Sunday, we’ll make a few changes for sure. We don’t want to overdo it, but there are a few players bubbling under. Ryan Christie could do with a game, Elyounoussi could use some time on the pitch as well, but we’ll still field a strong team.”

This does show that the manager will be playing a mixture of first-team regulars and players who could do with getting some extra minutes under their belts.

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With this in mind, FFC has predicted the starting XI that Lennon could utilise, featuring five changes from the 4-0 win against Motherwell.

The defensive unit largely stays the same, with Fraser Forster, Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien all continuing from the 4-0 win against Motherwell.

During a Q&A on The Athletic, Kieran Devlin was singing Stephen Welsh’s praises, and he could get another chance to impress in the cup, coming in for Jozo Simunovic.

James Forrest is operating on the right in this team, with Mohamed Elyounoussi coming in to do the same on the opposite side.

Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic are both included in this XI, having been left out of the starting lineup against Motherwell, joining Scott Brown in midfield.

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There were plenty of complaints about Patryk Klimala’s lack of game time against Motherwell, as he was brought on with just seven minutes left of the encounter, so the fans could be appeased by seeing him in cup action.

Odsonne Edouard is rested for the game in this lineup, due to his importance to the team, as is signified by the fact that he already has 23 goals and 16 assists across all competitions this season.

That means Leigh Griffiths is given the chance to carry on his positive form, having amassed three goals and an assist in his last five league games.

Meanwhile, Celtic fans have been swooning over one man after the Motherwell win.

Aston Villa are among the clubs interested in signing Wigan Athletic full-back Antonee Robinson, as reported by The Mirror.

The USMNT international has been close to completing a move to AC Milan during the January transfer window but still finds himself at the DW Stadium.

It seems as though that may not be the case by the end of the summer, as there are now various clubs who are showing interest in signing the 22-year-old during the next transfer window.

Villa are joined by Chelsea and Newcastle United as being in to sign the defender, while it is suggested that there may also be other suitors.

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If Suso is able to bring him to Villa Park, then it could be a big boost for Dean Smith – especially if the team is still in the Premier League at that stage – but it could prove to be a major blow for Neil Taylor, as it could push the Wales international further down the pecking order.

So far this season, Robinson has made 29 Championship appearances, scoring one goal, while averaging 0.8 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game, being fouled 1.1 times. Defensively, he makes 2.3 tackles, 2 interceptions 2.8 clearances and 0.3 blocks on average.

Even if it is in a lower division, this is a fairly impressive return, which could see him become an exciting addition for Villa if signed.

This could put him in a good position to challenge Matt Targett for a place in the starting lineup, leaving Taylor to either settle for a place as third-choice or to depart permanently.

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As it is, he has only made eight Premier League starts and two substitute appearances this campaign, averaging 1.1 tackles, while committing 0.6 fouls and being dribbled past 0.7 times, making just 0.1 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per game.

Considering these numbers, it is pretty difficult to see how Taylor can compete, so Robinson would likely be the upgrade that forces him out.

Meanwhile, Jack Grealish makes his moral standing known.

Tottenham Hotspur have been left with an uphill battle to keep their Champions League hopes alive following a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg of their Round of 16 tie against RB Leipzig.

A second-half Timo Werner penalty sank Jose Mourinho’s side after Ben Davies felled Konrad Laimer inside the area, but in truth, the Bundesliga outfit were worthy winners, and it was only Hugo Lloris that stopped it from being a cricket score.

The visitors recorded 16 shots for their one goal as Spurs struggled without their own striker with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son sat on the injury table.

Fans were far from happy with the performance and in particular the display from midfielder Harry Winks.

Here’s what has been said…

Plenty of supporters used a range of superlatives to describe the 24-year-old’s showing, including “trash,” “shocking” and “frustrating” whilst others referenced how lost he appeared to be in midfield.

According to SofaScore, Winks lost possession 17 times, was dribbled past twice and failed to record a single key pass, which is quite the poor return for a player in the engine room.

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It has led to a couple of members of the Spurs faithful questioning if he was good enough for a team with European ambitions, one claimed he wasn’t whilst another went a step further by claiming the Englishman had two months to shape up or he would be out the door.

Winks has played 29 games across all competitions this season and is yet to score or assist, as per Transfermarkt, who also value him at £36m.

There has been many more supporters wanting the academy graduate either dropped from the starting lineup or booted out the club entirely following his latest performance.

Spurs will have it all to do in Leipzig in a few weeks time as the Bundesliga side managed to clinch a crucial away goal on Wednesday evening.

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And in other news, Moussa Sissoko responds to Spurs teammate Tanguy Ndombele’s Instagram post…

Charlton Athletic are in decent form of late.

The Addicks have won three of their last five games, and they’ve got a great opportunity to make it back to back wins on Wednesday as they host Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley.

Garry Monk’s side have been in poor form recently, winning just one of their last 12 league games, and Lee Bowyer’s men have a real chance to pile on the misery.

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A win here would see the London club move one step closer to safety, and here’s how we think they’ll be lining up for this one.

Despite winning 3-1 on Saturday, we expect Bowyer to make two changes for this one.

Unsurprisingly, Dillon Phillips remains in goal, but there is a change to the backline.

Adam Matthews and Alfie Doughty remain at full-back, but Jason Pearce has come in for Naby Sarr at centre-half to partner Tom Lockyer.

Bowyer used a narrow diamond in midfield last time out and it looks basically the same as it did against Luton, with Adedeji Oshilaja holding the fort at the base of the midfield behind David Davis and Josh Cullen.

Erhun Oztumer retains his spot in the number 10 role.

Meanwhile, Macauley Bonne comes in for Andre Green to partner Lyle Taylor after his impressive showing off the bench – the former Leyton Orient man assisted the Addicks’ third goal against the Hatters.

He’s also the Addicks’ second-top scorer in the Championship this season with eight goals.

In other news, one man showed what he’s all about on Saturday.

The tale of Ian Poveda has been a strange one. Not even 21 yet, the winger has already been at some of the most prestigious clubs in world football.

The England youth international has been at Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City, but now he’s at another club with rich history – Leeds United.

Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, he’s received a bit of the Jack Clarke treatment. The Spurs teenager was loaned back to Elland Road for the first half of the season but found minutes hard to come by – playing just once in the Championship.

Likewise, Poveda has also found minutes at a premium and hasn’t featured yet for the first team after arriving from Pep Guardiola’s Man City in January.

He was frustrated with a lack of opportunities under Guardiola but he’s now been left somewhat neglected by Marcelo Bielsa too.

It’s rather strange that he’s preferred Jack Stevens on the bench, a youngster who wasn’t shy of controversy earlier this season when he was banned for breaking betting regulations.

However, the performance of Leeds would have been another blow to Poveda who could see opportunities limited further after the impact of Helder Costa and Jack Harrison.

The dynamic duo, who can both join Leeds permanently in the summer, were in fantastic form as they showed what they were all about on Saturday.

Costa will cost Leeds £15m in the summer when he becomes a permanent acquisition while Jack Harrison may also move in a deal that would set the club back £8m.

At £23m, they are pricy players compared to Poveda who only walked through the doors on a free transfer. Though, with Costa attracting criticism this season there could have been a route into the first-team for their January arrival. After all, he’s only managed two assists all term.

That will become more difficult after Harrison and Costa played such a vital hand last weekend, though. Leeds were at their free-flowing best on the counter-attack as the wide men combined to play a total of six key passes.

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Their creativity was sumptuous as the Portuguese laid on an assist for Pablo Hernandez while he also played an inch-perfect ball that split the defence in the build-up to Tyler Roberts’ first strike.

In terms of his dribbling, he mustered just one but Harrison registered as many as six successful take-ons.

It was an inspired display from the pair – one that will hand a further setback to Poveda.

Meanwhile, one Thomas Christiansen signing is proving Leeds have NO REASON to make a £5m signing this summer…