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Liverpool are currently in the midst of an injury crisis, particularly in the midfield area of their squad.

The Reds are without Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones and Naby Keita, with the latter even potentially facing the exit door in the not too distant future amid uncertainty surrounding his contract.

This has led to Jurgen Klopp explaining that the club will look to bring a new midfielder in before the summer transfer window ends to help ease the burden these injury issues have caused.

One player that has been linked with a move to Anfield that could help soothe the predicament the Merseyside club find themselves in is RB Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer.

According to German media outlet Kicker (via Liverpool Echo), the Reds are interested in signing the midfielder, who could be available for a fee of £25m.

While the club are clearly not of a mind to be getting rid of any of their midfielders this summer, Laimer’s potential arrival could help the Reds push Keita out of Anfield in the near future.

After making 77 senior appearances for RB Salzburg in which he scored eight goals and provided six assists, the Austrian joined Leipzig in the 2017 summer transfer window.

Since then, Laimer has found the net 11 times and supplied 18 assists for the German club in 164 appearances across all competitions.

To give further insight into what sort of player he is, Adi Hutter had this to say about the Austria international.

“He is incredibly aggressive on the ball, challenges opponents very hard and brings established professionals to the ground. He knows exactly what he wants.”

Looking at the midfield duo’s previous domestic campaigns, the Leipzig star not only delivered four more goal contributions than the Liverpool figure, but he also racked up a higher percentage of shots on target (43.8% vs 26.9%) as well as more tackles in the midfield third of the pitch (22 vs 19).

Crucially for Klopp’s well-drilled system, Laimer is also more successful when hounding the opposition, making 9.71 successful pressures per 90 last season compared to Keita’s 8.23. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that Julian Nagelsmann once dubbed him a ‘Monsterballeroberungsmaschine’, which in English means “a monster, ball winning machine.”

With Keita having such a substantial injury record, the club may well be keen on getting rid of him soon, with some of his displays in the Red of Liverpool even being branded as “awful” by editor Ollie Connolly.

If the Merseyside club were able to bring the Leipzig figure in first, this could make it an easier decision for them to move the £120k-per-week Guinea international out further down the line.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has only ‘heard good things about’ Tottenham Hotspur target Destiny Udogie. 

The lowdown: Deal close

Recently, BBC journalist Alex Howell confirmed that Spurs were nearing the capture of Udogie as Fabio Paratici attempts to further bolster Antonio Conte’s squad.

Then, the 19-year-old Italy youth international was left out of the Udinese squad for their Serie A opener against AC Milan, another sign that the transfer was progressing in the right direction for the north Londoners.

Now, one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the deal, lauding Tottenham for their ability to beat major competitors from domestic rivals to the talented youngster…

The latest: ‘Over the line’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Bridge – who works for Sky Sports – suggested that the Lilywhites had pulled off a sensational coup in landing the four-cap Under 21 starlet.

He said: “In terms of Udogie, I’ve only heard good things about him. He’s very exciting, he wants to join an English club so it’s great that Spurs have got this over the line because I’m sure that Brighton would have offered him a deal to come in straight away, Manchester City want to upgrade their left-backs, Juventus wanted him, so Spurs have got him ahead of all of these clubs, so well done to them.”

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The verdict: Happy days

Clearly a highly sought-after talent with an abundance of potential, signing Udogie ahead of the likes of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City has to be regarded as a feather in the cap of Paratici and indeed show proof of where Spurs are as a club right now.

Last season, the teenager – who was described as an ‘incredible talent’ with the ‘perfect physical attributes for the Premier League’ by journalist Josh Bunting – scored five times and provided three assists in 35 Serie A outings from an attacking left-back role.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to renowned full-backs such as Renan Lodi, Alex Moreno and Tottenham’s own Sergio Reguilon (FBref), Udogie has all the characteristics of a ready-made operator in Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 formation, albeit the Italian may have to wait behind Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic for first-team opportunities.

Ironically, the arrival of the £15.2m-valued Reguilon-esque starlet could spell the end of the Spaniard’s time in N17, with Barcelona reportedly eyeing up a move for the outcast.

A big update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers as they have been dealt a potential blow in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has claimed that the Gers, alongside a host of other clubs, are missing out on a deal to sign Doron Leidner ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Israel international is moving to Greek giants Olympiacos, days after the Light Blues secured the services of Ridvan Yilmaz from Besiktas.

Thomas tweeted: “#HapoelTelAviv LB Doron Leidner is set to move to #Olympiacos. A #Rangers and #Celtic target earlier in the summer and on the lists at #Bologna and #Sassuolo too, but he is moving to Greece in an initial £1.7m (€2m) deal. Already on #NottinghamForest radar for the future #nffc.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be deflated

This claim will leave the Ibrox head coach deflated, as Leidner had the potential to be an excellent addition to the squad heading into next season.

Whilst Yilmaz has come in to offset Calvin Bassey’s departure to Ajax, the left-back situation in Glasgow may not be as simple as it currently looks on paper.

Borna Barisic has been attracting interest from Turkey and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at the club beyond the end of August. Journalist Fraser Fletcher recently confirmed that “Trabzonspor are really keen on him” as they eye up the full-back.

The Croatia international’s exit would leave Yilmaz without any competition, and Leidner could have provided that for the Gers.

By the age of 20, he has racked up 57 first-team appearances for Hapoel Tel-Aviv and chipped in with one goal and five assists. He has also been capped three times by Israel at international level and set up two goals in those Nations League clashes.

The gem has shown great promise in his short career to date, and that is proven by the significant interest in his signature from a host of European clubs. He is seemingly an attack-minded full-back and, at the age of 20, he still has plenty of years left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player over time.

This means that he could have been the perfect replacement for Barisic, if the Croatian full-back ends up joining Trabzonspor, as he is a young player with potential who could have put pressure on Yilmaz whilst being an asset for the future.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be deflated by this news and will now be hoping that the club are able to keep hold of Barisic.

AND in other news, Wilson could form a “massive” duo after Rangers given green light for £3.1k-p/w target…

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Omar Richards, and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Midlands football reporter for The Daily Telegraph John Percy, Nottingham Forest are now in talks with Bayern Munich to sign Richards.

Percy took to Twitter to reveal the latest news:

“NFFC are in talks with Bayern Munich over a possible deal for left-back Omar Richards.

“Fee of around €10m being discussed, but Forest face competition from Lyon. Richards joined Bayern last May from Reading.”

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that Forest supporters will be excited to see even more new additions making a move to The City Ground this summer, as Steve Cooper and the club seem relentless in bolstering the squad in order to have their very best chance at competing in the Premier League next season.

Richards has not been given too many opportunities to show his potential in the Bundesliga with just five league starts, but has shown glimpses of his capabilities despite his lack of game-time.

Over 12 appearances in the German top-flight, the 24-year-old left-back had an impressive pass accuracy of 92% in his own half, making 1.6 tackles on average per game, winning the majority of his ground and aerials duels combined (61%) while being successful in an overwhelming majority of his dribble attempts (73%).

The Englishman who was hailed a “great prospect for the future” by journalist Jonathan Low, could continue his development back in England if Cooper can provide a starting spot and consistent game-time in his Forest team next season, which could help the player get back into the national team after only picking up one cap so far with the U21s.

It has been reported that the Forest manager is keen to add new wing-backs to his team and Richards could be the perfect signing to continue to increase that winning mentality and experience in the team with the player recently winning the Bundesliga and earning four appearances in the Champions League last season with Bayern.

With that being said, the signing of Richards could be a great opportunity for Cooper to further develop the player’s talents and capabilities in his newly-promoted team next season and if the manager can get the best out of him it could be a great piece of business for Forest’s future.

AND in other news: Priority deal: NFFC plot bid for “fearless” £15m “prospect”, Cooper will be buzzing

Liverpool were linked to a move for Otavio this summer with a bid expected this week from the club, however, a new update has now emerged from a reliable source on the rumour.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has now revealed there have been no negotiations to sign the Porto midfielder or Georginio Wijnaldum this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Both Liverpool and Porto deny all the stories about Otavio deal. There are no negotiations ongoing – also, the release clause is €40m and not €60m. Otavio and Wijnaldum are not in the list for Liverpool as things stand – still long market, but no talks for these two.”

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that supporters will be gutted that Liverpool don’t seem to be closer to making a midfielder signing this summer, as the centre of the pitch was reported as a priority area that the club wanted to address this summer.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all now in their 30s, so signing new midfielders to come in to progress gradually in the team to take over in the midfield of the future is something that could do with being looked at this summer.

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With both Wijnaldum and Otavio off the cards as it stands, it is looking likely that the powers at Anfield are planning to hold out for Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham – who Liverpool are reportedly confident about signing this time next year.

It remains to be seen if the Reds will compete at the same outstanding level they did last season, winning both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, getting to their third Champions League final under Klopp and taking the title race down to the last day of the Premier League campaign, playing every game they possibly could.

Losing Sadio Mane is a big blow for Liverpool, alongside Divock Origi and Taki Minamino, who will both also leave the club this summer, while there are also reports that FSG are considering the sale of Mohamed Salah this summer after making no progress in contract negotiations.

However, despite Liverpool’s lack of progression with a midfielder so far, the window has only been open for almost three weeks and there is still plenty of time for things to change – and FSG will need to make a decision on whether they believe the current team and new additions are enough to continue to compete.

AND in other news: FSG submit Liverpool bid for £27m-rated “phenomenon”, he can be Klopp’s next Salah

Recent reports have seen Scottish Champions Celtic linked with a move for Welsh youngster Rabbi Matondo, the former Manchester City man set to be yet another player with Etihad links to make the switch to Parkhead.

Currently on the books of Schalke – having joined from City in an £11.3m deal three years ago – the 21-year-old appears set for pastures new with just 12 months remaining on his existing deal having spent the most recent campaign on loan at Belgian outfit, Cercle Brugge.

With the Pro League side recently announcing that they won’t be making his move permanent – having opted against exercising the reported €3.5m (£3m) option to buy fee – the door has been opened for other potential suitors to make their move.

Although Premier League sides are believed to be sniffing around – notably Leeds United – those of a Hoops persuasion will be hoping that the “electrifying” starlet – as he has been dubbed by Ryan Giggs – will favour a move to the Glasgow outfit this summer.

Should the £3.6m-rated gem make the move in the current window, he could potentially form an explosive duo with the hero of the most recent campaign, Jota, with the Portuguese starlet believed to be “very close” to making his loan move permanent.

The 23-year-old plundered ten goals and a further ten assists in 29 Scottish Premiership games in last season’s triumphant campaign, having initially joined the Old Firm side on a temporary deal on deadline day last summer.

The fleet-footed star has dazzled with his speed and trickery on the flanks under manager Ange Postecoglou, with the former Yokohama boss potentially set to be able to form a lethal wing-duo should Matondo join him at Celtic Park prior to the start of next term.

It is a mouthwatering notion just thinking about the pair tearing defences apart down both flanks, with the two men also likely to provide high-quality entertainment for the home crowd, with the Welshman, in particular, having been dubbed “very exciting to watch” by journalist Ian Mitchelmore.

The £12k-per-week “wing wizard” – as he has been described by Alex Chaffer – proved just what an asset he can be during his loan stint in the 2021/22 campaign, netting ten goals and providing two assists in all competitions to show just a flavour of what he can produce if handed regular game time.

As Postecoglou’s men look to kick on again next term, having such a deadly attacking partnership in tow would no doubt help in their quest for even more glory.

IN other news, Deal Imminent: Celtic “very close” to big summer move, it’d be Ange’s best swoop yet…

BBC pundit Alan Hutton has criticised the ‘pile up’ of international fixtures taking place after it was revealed that Celtic ace Carl Starfelt has sustained a serious injury.

The Lowdown: Starfelt suffers hamstring injury

In an update on the 27-year-old’s fitness, it was reported by the Daily Record last week that the centre-back could be ruled out of action for months after he was stretchered off the pitch with a suspected hamstring problem in Sweden’s game against Slovenia.

As quoted by the same newspaper, the defender admitted that the initial diagnosis of his injury ‘does not look very bright’, meaning that the Hoops now look set to be without their man as Ange Postecoglou steps up preparations ahead of the start of the new season.

The Latest: Hutton slams international schedule

Speaking during an interview with Football Insider, Hutton claimed that the number of games being played is ‘too much’ for the international stars to deal with.

“Look, I don’t think it’s a problem going away on internationals. It’s happened for as long as I can remember when the season finishes.

“You get a week off and then you go and play your international matches or if it’s a tournament. I think the problem at this moment in time is the fixture pile up.

“If you look at any of the teams, I mean Scotland could have had five games in June. That’s too much after a long season.

“I understand with everything that’s going on, you have to fit certain things in, I do get it.

“But I think the amount of football that’s being played in the season is too much. Especially for some of these top stars and top nations that compete in everything.”

The Verdict: A race against time

Starfelt managed to play almost 45 minutes for Sweden before being removed from the field in what was only his sixth appearance for his country, which will come as a huge blow to the Australian boss.

The £17k-per-week gem was a stalwart in the Scottish Premiership this season and proved just how much of a rock he can be at the heart of the Celts backline, having averaged 3.5 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

Postecoglou will want to have all of his defensive experience available to him for when the new term kicks in, but with Starfelt not even having a time frame on his return yet, whether he will be declared fully fit in time or not yet remains to be seen.

In other news… a Celtic transfer target is now pushing for an exit from his club to make the move to Parkhead.

Jurgen Klopp will make a late decision over Roberto Firmino’s involvement in Liverpool’s crucial Premier League clash with Tottenham this weekend.

The Lowdown: Massive game at Anfield

The Reds are looking to return to the top of the table on Saturday evening, for the time being at least, as they welcome Spurs to Anfield for one of the biggest games of the season.

Antonio Conte’s side are battling for a top-four finish with rivals Arsenal, so the eventual outcome on Merseyside could be enormous for both sides.

Firmino has been Liverpool’s only injury absentee of late but a key update has now emerged regarding his fitness ahead of the match.

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The Latest: Late call on Firmino

Taking to Twitter, journalist James Pearce relayed Klopp’s words on the Brazilian, saying he will decide whether or not to include him in the squad on the day:

“Klopp on Firmino: “He’s back in training so now we have to make a decision. It might make more sense for him to just train through the weekend and then he’ll be a big stop closer for Tuesday.”

The Verdict: No need to risk him

There was a time when an injury to Firmino felt disastrous, with Klopp so reliant on him staying fit for long spells, along with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Liverpool have incredible attacking depth after signing Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, however, so there is no need to rush back a potentially undercooked player.

Divock Origi is an option from the substitutes’ bench, too, given his penchant for scoring important goals, so it would make more sense to allow Firmino to continue his recovery over the weekend, potentially featuring at Aston Villa on Tuesday night.

In other news, a pundit has torn into one ‘shocking’ Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

He was widely credited for his role in the Champions Trophy win, but Pakistan’s wicketkeeper has struggled to make his mark on the Test team

Osman Samiuddin at Lord's23-May-2018Eleven months ago, Sarfraz Ahmed stood on the balcony of his house in North Karachi and we caught a passing glimpse of that which he is waiting to become. A small part of a big city – his constituency let’s call it – was massed below him on the street, rapt and united in adulation and celebration.Sarfraz has lived in that same house his entire life. The area is known as Buffer Zone (don’t ask). There were neighbours in that crowd and people who had known him and seen him grow up who may have realised at some point that he was special but who, until then, may not have realised quite how apart from them he could become.Somebody in the crowd started singing and Sarfraz eventually joined in this exquisite trolling of the trope of India’s dominance of Pakistan. Let’s agree that he’ll never be a dancer but in playing along, he gave this charged, jubilant scene the definition it had been seeking: a leader among his people, as one of them, but also apart from them.Today, a day on from his 31st birthday, a week on from the worst Test he has had personally, a day before the biggest examination of his fledgling Test captaincy, he is Pakistan’s undisputed captain but is still waiting to become their leader.***Nobody really knows what makes the perfect captain and if they tell you they do, don’t buy it. The one thing we do know – and in the case of Pakistan, the foremost prerequisite – is that, without performing himself, a captain is as pointless as a celebrity without an Insta account. Runs are what established Misbah. The example that Imran set is what made his side great. And runs are what smoothed the prickliness of Miandad.If it used to be complicated for wicketkeeper-captains, it isn’t anymore: they need to score runs like anyone else. Sarfraz knows it because, until he became captain, he was scoring runs. And they weren’t just runs – they were crisis runs, mood-shifting runs, runs for fun.On the 2016 tour to England, in fact, there were a handful of Test 40s considerably more significant than just their sum. And he bossed the ODI series. Those were the peak years, from the start of 2014 and his hand in the Sharjah chase, to the lost-cause fifties in Australia at the end of 2016.The batting hasn’t hurtled off a cliff since, but it has begun to trek down it. There was that fifty against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy on which the tournament turned (albeit he was helped on his way by Thisara Perera and his missed sitter at mid-on). The hand-eye coordination that can make his offside game so thrilling is now occasionally revealing the risks that make it appear wafty. The urgency that was so vibrant has, a couple of times already, looked hasty.Sarfraz Ahmed greets crowds outside his house in Karachi•AFPAnd then there’s the noose by which all wicketkeepers eventually hang. So deep are the scars of Kamran Akmal upon Pakistan that for a long time, anyone who could identify which gloves go on which hand was a good keeper. But we’re reaching a moment in Sarfraz’s wicketkeeping – and actually we’ve been here for a while. According to ESPNcricinfo’s records, Sarfraz has missed at least 19 chances in 26 Tests since the start of 2015. He’s dropped or missed 11 catches out of a total of 93 opportunities, but more damningly, has missed eight stumpings out of 19 that have come his way. All in all, that means he is missing roughly one in every six chances. Those are not figures to sweep away easily.Carry on like this for a while and it starts building up into a fair old storm. Everything gets sucked into it, like the constant haranguing of players. Some days, such as the third T20 in New Zealand earlier this year when he was shouting at Mohammad Amir to stop appealing and just pick the damn ball up to prevent a single, it’s okay. That is the alertness to match situations that is intrinsic to Sarfraz’s game.Other days, such as when he ran up to lecture Hasan Ali on his way back to the bowling mark only to be, apparently, ignored, it is OCD micromanagement. And the berating of fielders for poor throws … it’s not a great look if he’s dropping chances himself.Eventually the whispers about his fitness might gather the strength to become actual criticism. He is passing those fitness tests and working hard, no question. But he doesn’t look like the poster boy for the no-prisoners-taken fitness regime they’re trying to implement. And as the captain, you’d think he should be the poster boy.***The thing is, whether the PCB intended it as such or not, Sarfraz has been a captain-in-waiting for years. He’s the closest the board has come to grooming a captain from an early age. Sure, there have been bumps along the way, but he was Under-19 captain just over a decade ago and he is now the national captain in all three formats. That is as straight a line of leadership development as you’ll find in Pakistan cricket.And there’s no questioning that, under his command, Pakistan’s white-ball sides have, at the very least, halted an alarming slide and, at the most, turned into a modern outfit. And no matter how he can be with his players on the field, from a distance it does appear as if he has pulled off that other great captaincy trick – of appearing to be one of the boys while at the same time not.There’s a tale from that Champions Trophy win with which to finish. After the opening defeat to India and heading into their next training session at Edgbaston, Pakistan sat down in the dressing room for a bit of soul-searching. Words were needed – tough, unsparing words. Mickey Arthur had been dishing them out thus far but he now needed it to come from the players. The player who got up to kick that verbal ass? Shoaib Malik.Or, to put it more relevantly, not Sarfraz: the captain no question, but a leader in waiting.

Plays of the day from the second ODI between India and New Zealand in Delhi, featuring cramps, throws and blows

Alagappan Muthu20-Oct-2016Nothing but painRohit Sharma had used his backfoot cover drive to bully a reasonably good ball to the boundary. There was barely any swing. There was no reason not to try it again. At the start of the eighth over, he got in position for the shot again, but this time Trent Boult, from around the wicket, got the ball to straighten just enough to snatch the edge through to the wicketkeeper. It was a beautiful ball, but that matters little to the dismissed batsman. Less so when he suddenly cramps up. Rohit was turning back to see if the catch would be taken when he felt something in his left bicep. The arm went completely limp. He was left hunched over for several moments, clutching it, and needed the physio to tend to it before he could walk off.Avoiding painLately, umpire Bruce Oxenford has been turning up for limited-overs matches with a shield on his arm. He crosses his arms in front of his chest as he takes his stance at the bowler’s end, the shield in place to deflect the ball away from his face. It turned out that the extra protection would have served his partner well too. In the seventh over, Tom Latham drilled the ball down the ground, and fear of being hit made umpire Anil Chaudhary dash frantically to his right. He was on one foot, the other in the air, looking comically ungainly. Umesh Yadav, the bowler, was able to get a hand on the ball and send it off course. But Chaudhary gestured immediately to his partner, his elbow moving up to his face, as if he were saying, “I should get a shield too. Could have avoided pain – and looked cool to boot.”Only, when Oxenford had the chance to use the shield, he couldn’t act quickly enough. Corey Anderson’s throw from the deep at the bowler’s end headed straight at him and he was struck on the box.The Superman dive that went in vainManish Pandey seemed to have done enough to secure a couple of runs. He’d played the ball softly, placed the ball to deep midwicket’s right, and the fielder there was Mitchell Santner, who is left-handed and had to run around the ball. He did so with remarkable swiftness. Then came the throw which was brutally flat. Luke Ronchi had positioned himself between the stumps and the throw, but it came to him on the half-volley, which is hard to collect because you have to keep your eyes on the ball when there is a real chance it might bounce up and hit you. But in one fluid motion, he collected the ball and swung it back to catch Pandey short despite his full-length dive.And the fast bowler’s disdainNew Zealand were floundering in the final overs of their innings, and they could have done with some good, old-fashioned Tim Southee slogs. He had, after all, made his maiden fifty in his 100th ODI in Dharamsala. Except, in Delhi, he was bowled second ball by a superb yorker from Jasprit Bumrah. It was quick. It cramped the batsman for room. And it hit the base of off stump.The second innings provided opportunity for round two. And this time, the game was at stake. It was the final over. India needed 10 to win. New Zealand needed a wicket. Bumrah was given the strike in the third ball and Southee revved up. The ball curved into the right-hander at pace, sank below the bat and crashed into middle stump to seal New Zealand’s victory.