Liverpool have ended 2025 on the front foot, reclaiming agency and focus after Arne Slot’s side got lost for much of the first half of the 2025/26 campaign.

After winning the Premier League title and spending record-breaking numbers on new signings, Liverpool were billed as odds-on favourites for a back-to-back trophy, but many things have gone wrong for the Reds this term, tactically imbalanced and unable to defend against this new direct culture in the English game, evidenced by their shocking defensive record against set-pieces.

Most Set-piece Goals Conceded 25/26 (Top 5 Leagues)

Club

Games

Conceded

Liverpool

18

12

Bournemouth

18

12

Nott’m Forest

19

12

FC Koln

15

11

West Ham

18

11

Fiorentina

17

10

Data via ThisIsAnfield

Liverpool stare at the imminent January transfer window with centre-back signings in their eyes. But it’s not only defensively that the Anfield club have struggled, with attacking issues leading to a flurry of speculation over Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who now looks like he’s joining Manchester City.

Liverpool's transfer plans in attack

Alexander Isak broke his leg this month, aggravating an already struggling frontline. This might have prompted Liverpool to follow up on their November calls with Semenyo’s representatives, but FSG have decided against matching the intensity of City’s interest.

Could this be because sporting director Richard Hughes has been tasked with signing an even more exciting attacking talent?

Well, this week, Anfield Watch have confirmed that Liverpool have registered their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt winger Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, with the 20-year-old making waves in the Bundesliga.

This won’t be an easy one to pull off. Arsenal also have a vested interest, and Frankfurt don’t want to let him go, pricing the up-and-coming talent at around £71m.

Why Liverpool should sign Bahoya

Bahoya is exceptionally fast and intelligent in his movement and decision-making.

After leaving Angers for his current German employers in 2024, the snappy winger has only gone from strength to strength, starting eight league games this season and proving that he has the kind of quality to see him succeed at a top club in the Premier League.

Given that Liverpool have spent so much money on new forwards recently, Bahoya’s younger and less experienced presence might actually bear dividends for the overall fluency of Slot’s frontline.

Analyst Spencer Mossman has even said that he’s “like a younger Bukayo Saka”, and that bodes well for the France U21 international’s potential on the grand stage, given he shares with Arsenal’s talisman (and Semenyo) a combativeness and energy to match his final-third potency.

Though he has not yet found the kind of clinical form Semenyo is riding in the Premier League, with nine goals and three assists to his name this season, there is much to like from an underlying perspective.

Bahoya vs Semenyo (League Form 25/26)

Stats (per 90)

Bahoya

Semenyo

Goals scored

0.29

0.39

Assists

0.19

0.17

Touches (att pen)

4.33

4.78

Shots taken

1.73

2.60

Shot-creating actions

3.46

3.57

Pass completion (%)

75.1

72.2

Progressive passes

2.31

3.34

Progressive carries

4.04

3.70

Successful take-ons

1.88

1.60

Ball recoveries

4.33

4.20

Tackles + interceptions

3.75

1.82

Data via FBref

As per Sofascore, Bahoya has completed 62% of his dribbles and won 64% of his ground duels in the Bundesliga this season, with a precision to his movements that bespeaks his prodigious physical skillset.

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He’s also intelligent and coded for success in Liverpool’s frontline. Analyst Ben Mattinson singled out Hugo Ekitike’s “link-up prowess” for Frankfurt last season after setting up a Bahoya goal. There’s a combination that could wreak havoc on the Premier League next season.

There’s a sense that Liverpool opted against signing Semenyo because they have bigger plans shelved. Bahoya could become a bona fide superstar in the Premier League, surpassing the kind of level Semenyo would offer Slot’s side.

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane loves his new manager Antonio Conte after a promising behind the scenes update emerged this week…

What’s the word?

The England international came close to leaving his boyhood club last summer, being involved in an intense and controversial transfer saga with Manchester City, who were keen to sign him on top of their £100m man Jack Grealish.

A move failed to materialise and Kane started the season in dire form, failing to find the net in the Premier League until his seventh appearance, whilst he scored just once in 13 outings, via Transfermarkt.

Now under the Italian, he’s bagged six goals across ten games, including a last-gasp winner at the Etihad Stadium, leading to murmurs of a new contract in the pipeline.

And according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, the 28-year-old is very happy at Spurs again and loves working under the one-time Premier League and FA Cup winner.

“Everything I’m hearing about Kane at the moment is that he’s really happy and he loves playing under Conte, so long may that continue,” he told GIVEMESPORT this week.

Positive signs

Indeed, Kane has looked a different animal on the pitch since the north Londoners replaced Nuno Santo with Conte and that’s hardly much of a surprise given the negative brand of football on offer under the Portuguese.

And the fact that the 52-year-old is a born winner who is hungry for success – just like Kane, who wants to add silverware to his glowing goalscoring record at the club he’s risen through the ranks at.

Ten of Kane’s 17 goals across all competitions this season have come since Conte was appointed in mid-November.

His £200k-per-week contract expires in the summer of 2024, meaning chairman Daniel Levy probably has only one or two chances left to cash in on the superstar – if he’s that way inclined – though that would seem an unlikely scenario following Bridge’s recent claim.

That should leave many supporters around Hotspur Way absolutely delighted and the manager too because a happy Kane is one performing at his best for the club and they will not want to lose him, regardless of what happened last summer.

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They won’t find or generate a better centre-forward than Kane anytime soon, if ever.

If he’s truly happy behind the scenes, then there’s every chance he sees out his career in a Lilywhites shirt and that has to be a very exciting prospect to fans and Conte alike.

AND in other news, Forget Japhet: 19 y/o “rising star” who has impressed Conte could save Spurs millions…

Vladimir Coufal will be ‘missed so much’ as West Ham battle for European qualification, BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan has told Football Insider. 

The lowdown

The 29-year-old hasn’t played for the Hammers since the 2-2 draw with Leicester City on 13 February. David Moyes had selected him in the starting line-up for 19 of his 25’s Premier League matches up to that point.

The Czech international suffered a groin injury and the club have confirmed that he has undergone surgery. Injury expert Ben Dinnery has predicted a further “five to six-week” layoff for the defender after the procedure.

The latest

Whelan believes that West Ham will suffer from the absence of Coufal at both ends of the pitch. The Hammers currently sit fifth in the table, but the 47-year-old fears that this injury will ‘ undoubtedly dent’ their hopes of making it into the Champions League.

Speaking about Coufal to Football Insider, Whelan said: “He’s such an important player. He’ll be missed so much in that West Ham side because he’s so consistent.

“He’s come up with goals and assists in the past, he’s intelligent defensively, and he fits right into that style of play brought by David Moyes – he works so hard.

“It’s difficult not to miss these types of players when you’re still fighting in two competitions, because there’s no option to rest or rotate.

“They’re fighting to qualify for the Champions League, let’s not forget – but this news will undoubtedly dent those hopes, it’s a massive void.”

The verdict

It’s clear that Moyes values Coufal highly, and with good reason. Since the Czech ace joined West Ham, he has registered 10 assists in 56 league appearances, illustrating the creative threat that Whelan mentioned.

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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher even included the ‘brilliant’ right-back in his team of the season for 2020/21, butt now the Irons face being without him for both legs of their Europa League round of 16 tie against Sevilla, as well as a trip to local and positional rivals Tottenham.

After Declan Rice missed the defeat at Liverpool and Jarrod Bowen was forced off at Anfield with an injury, Moyes must be cursing his luck on that front.

In other news, Gabriel Agbonlahor has ripped into this ‘overrated’ WHU trio.

Pundit and former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has been reacting to an update on Newcastle United’s permanent swoop for Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Targett impressing at St. James’ Park

Eddie Howe brought in the 26-year-old on loan late in the January transfer window. Targett has been a regular since then, playing every minute possible in the Premier League other than being forced to sit out in the 1-0 win over his parent club last month.

The left-back has helped The Magpies pick up 13 points from a possible 15, with Lee Ryder reporting in the week that an agreement in principle is already in place over a permanent move north.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish, who contributes for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Targett and the news of a likely full-time transfer.

He labelled Targett as a ‘very consistent player’ and said it would be ‘another shrewd signing’ by the club.

“A very, very consistent player. I watched him at Fulham and he’s been a regular for Villa as well.

“For me, it’s another shrewd signing for a guy who now has got a hell of a lot of experience in the division.

“He is looking like a really good player. You can see Newcastle have got an extremely high confidence level. When you get three points on the board, you can’t wait until the next week.

“All of a sudden that confidence soars. The signings that they’ve made have been shrewd.”

The Verdict: No brainer

Ryder believes a fee for Targett will be in the region of £15m, with Villa already looking at back-up replacements for the Englishman.

He appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high £15.3m Transfermarkt valuation, so a permanent move at this time appears to be a no brainer.

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As per WhoScored, Targett is the club’s third-best performer this season behind Kieran Trippier and Allan Saint-Maximin, and it is good to know that an agreement is already in place in what looks set to be a busy summer window.

In other news: Staveley now actively working on free transfer deal for Howe; target shares same agent as Fraser. 

Liverpool are interested in bringing Karim Adeyemi to Anfield this summer and will ‘take him immediately’ if he becomes available, according to a fresh update from Germany.

The Lowdown: Adeyemi shining

The 20-year-old is continuing to catch the eye for RB Salzburg this season, scoring 15 goals in just 18 starts in the Austrian Bundesliga, not to mention three in seven Champions League outings.

Big things are expected of Adeyemi in the future – he has been lauded as a ‘fabulous player’ by Glenn Hoddle – and he has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past.

Adeyemi’s current Salzburg deal expires in the summer of 2024.

The Latest: Key update emerges

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Marc Behrenbeck [via Sport Witness], Liverpool could be willing to sign the youngster in a €40million (£33.2m) deal, but he is still expected to join Borussia Dortmund:

“There are some, especially from the Premier League, who would take him immediately for 40 million euros. That is not a lot of money for such a player.

“I still assume that the deal will go through (to join Dortmund). We are too far along for that.”

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The Verdict: Superb long-term signing

Adeyemi is a player with so much potential and he could suit Liverpool down to the ground, being viewed as a future part of their next great front-three beyond Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have already been brought in to fill the eventual void left by the trio and the Salzburg man is an even younger option with arguably an even greater ceiling.

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Adeyemi has already scored one goal in three caps for Germany, as well as enjoying 48 goal involvements in 83 appearances for Salzburg – he could lead the line for many years to come at Anfield.

In other news, a journalist believes one Liverpool player could leave this summer. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool defender Neco Williams may not be content with being Trent Alexander-Arnold’s backup in the long-term, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Williams impressing at Fulham

The 20-year-old joined Fulham on loan during the January transfer window, having struggled to earn minutes at Anfield so far this season.

Williams has impressed in his first couple of months in west London, scoring two goals and setting up another two for the Championship leaders and almost finding the net from the halfway line in one match.

The Welshman will return to Liverpool at the end of the season, but it remains to be seen if his long-term future lies on Merseyside.

The Latest: Pearce unsure of William’s Liverpool future

Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce claimed that Williams may look for a permanent move away from Liverpool in order to be a regular starter, if he cannot offer a strong challenge to Alexander-Arnold’s position in the Reds’ starting XI.

The journalist stated: “Very difficult to find anyone who has Trent’s skillset. Neco Williams doing very well at Fulham on loan. But whether he would be happy being Trent’s deputy next season I’m not sure.”

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The Verdict: Understandable if Williams wants out

Williams is a talented young footballer but the fact of the matter is that he has arguably the world’s best right-back ahead of him at Liverpool.

For that reason, it is almost impossible to see the Welshman being a fixture in the team at any point over the next few years, unless Alexander-Arnold suffers from serious injury problems.

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Williams could be a great deputy for his team-mate over time, maturing into a formidable player, but it would be wholly understandable if he wanted to leave the Reds for good and become a key figure elsewhere.

In other news, three Liverpool players struggled in the win against Nottingham Forest. Read more here.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United managerial target Erik ten Hag has been approached by two more clubs following Old Trafford talks.

The Lowdown: Talks held with Ten Hag

Ten Hag appears to be one of four candidates to take over from Ralf Rangnick in the summer and held ‘positive talks’ with United last week. Mauricio Pochettino, Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique are also thought to be on the club’s radar.

Reports have also suggested that Rangnick’s consultancy role may not be as hands-on as first imagined, with United getting a head start on their search for a new long-term manager.

The Latest: Romano’s tweet

Romano had this to say on Twitter about the Ajax boss, sharing details of two further approaches. However, he added that there is a ‘positive feeling’ at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils still looking at other options:

“It’s true, Erik ten Hag has been approached by two more clubs after meeting with Manchester United. No final decision yet on Man Utd side – he’s been interviewed last week, positive feeling but club board’s still considering other options.”

The Verdict: Crucial

There looks set to be a major shake-up at Old Trafford over the coming months, so getting the next managerial appointment spot-on is crucial.

The club are doing the right thing by looking elsewhere following talks with Ten Hag, but after two approaches for the Dutchman, it could make sense to speed up the process when it comes to talking to other candidates.

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The last thing United will want is to interview a plethora of managers over time and decide that Ten Hag is their man, only for him to take a job up with another interested party.

In other news: ‘Absolutely shocking’ – Source reveals Man Utd star now wants to quit even if Ten Hag arrives

Aston Villa had a fairly miserable return to Premier League action this afternoon after losing 2-1 to their Midlands rivals Wolves at Molineux.

The Villans found themselves 1-0 down after just seven minutes as full-back Jonny Otto got his name on the scoresheet. Things then got worse for the away side as Ashley Young, who replaced the injured Lucas Digne just a few minutes after the opening goal, ended up turning the ball into his own net with 36 minutes on the clock.

A late penalty scored by Ollie Watkins ended up merely being a consolation goal as Steven Gerrard’s side left Molineux with no points.

One player in a Villa shirt who had a particularly disappointing afternoon, arguably more so than Young, was right-back Matty Cash.

Having played the entire 90 minutes, the full-back had 55 touches of the ball but could only complete 26 passes. Out of the four crosses he attempted, three of them were inaccurate, in addition to the one and only long ball he played failing to find its intended target.

The defender, who has been slammed in the past by former Villa manager Dean Smith for his “stupid” decision making, ended up losing possession of the ball for his side 15 times throughout the match.

From a defensive point of view, the Poland international lost 71% of his ground duels, was dribbled past on two occasions and failed to make even one tackle, showing how much of a liability he was at the back.

This display ultimately earned the 24-year-old a disappointing overall match rating of 5.9/10 from SofaScore, making him the lowest-rated Villa player on the day – even lower than Digne, who was only on the pitch for 13 minutes.

Birmingham Live journalist Ashley Preece also picked up on the defender’s shaky performance by saying that he was “caught out far too often being high up the pitch as Marcal and Podence had real joy down Cash’s side on the break.”

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“The Polish international was guilty of slipping over in dangerous areas which allowed Wolves to get their tails up,” he added.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that it was a bad day at the office for Cash, and one to forget for him and the team as a whole.

In other news – O’Neill disaster: Aston Villa will surely rue call on “charismatic” 300-goal “tiger”

A £40k-a-week Nottingham Forest player is now set to leave in the January transfer window, having fallen down the pecking order at the City Ground.

Dyche heading into first transfer window as Forest boss

Sean Dyche has overseen a fantastic turnaround since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, with his side moving five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, courtesy of the emphatic 3-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

The Tricky Trees now have some breathing space in the relegation battle, but with the January transfer window just around the corner, Dyche will be presented with his first opportunity to make changes to the squad he inherited, in a bid to continue the charge up the table.

Some departures could be on the cards, with it being revealed that Arnaud Kalimuendo wants to leave, amid a lack of game time since arriving in the summer, and another little-used player could be set to follow the forward out of the exit door.

That is according to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), which states Willy Boly is now set to leave Nottingham Forest within a matter of weeks, given that the 34-year-old will need to find a new club in January if he is going to stand a chance of making the Ivory Coast World Cup squad.

Boly has just six months remaining on his £40k-a-week contract, and Forest have now decided not to offer him fresh terms, which means a winter departure could now be on the cards.

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As such, losing the 34-year-old next month wouldn’t be a major blow, particularly considering Dyche’s side have been solid from a defensive point of view as of late, keeping three clean sheets in their last five Premier League matches.

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Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic have formed a solid partnership at the back, with the centre-backs being hailed for the part they played in helping Forest reach the Europa League last season.

Boly leaving Forest in the January transfer window may be best for all parties, considering the defender is clearly surplus to requirements, and needs to receive game time more regularly if he is going to make a late push for the Ivory Coast World Cup squad.

Despite Manchester United being far from their best this season, Bruno Fernandes has once again been exceptional. Despite playing deeper in United’s midfield, next to Casemiro in the pivot, he is still producing an extraordinary amount of goals and assists.

This season, the United captain has played 16 games in the Premier League, scoring five goals and assisting a further seven. That assist tally is more than any other player in the top flight.

As United content creator Dev Bajwa said, the Portuguese superstar has been “absolutely exceptional” for Ruben Amorim’s side this season.

He has benefited from extra attacking firepower this season, which United are looking to add to in January.

Man United targeting big-money attacker

The summer transfer window saw the Red Devils reshape their attack with a multi-million-pound overhaul. Benjamin Seso was signed to lead the line, and they brought in two players ready-made for the Premier League, in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, it seems they could follow a similar pattern in January. United are said to be ‘in direct talks’ for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. Romano reports that the 13-time Premier League champions have ‘called this week’ and are ‘pushing’ for a move in January.

Unsurprisingly, United are not the only side in the top flight who want to sign the Ghanaian attacker. Their cross-city rivals, Manchester City, have also opened talks to sign Semenyo, with Romano confirming the final choice is ‘up to the player.’ As for a price, the winger has a release clause of £65m, which is valid in the first 10 days of the window.

Why Bruno Fernandes would love Semenyo

There is no doubt that bringing Semenyo to Old Trafford would be a strong addition for Amorim’s squad. Although he is a winger by trade, he could slot in as a wing-back, as Amad has done successfully, play as a number 10 or even as a number nine, a role he has done before.

This season, the 25-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s most in-form players. In 15 appearances in the top flight, Semenyo has found the back of the net on seven occasions and assisted three goals on top of that.

One of his most notable performances came away to Liverpool in the first game of the season. The Cherries number 24 bagged two goals at Anfield, devastating Arne Slot’s side in transitions and showcasing exactly why football scout Antonio Mango praised him for being so “explosive.”

Looking at some of his underlying numbers this season, it is easy to see why Semenyo is so highly sought after by both Manchester clubs. Not only is he averaging 0.8 goals and assists each game, but he’s creating 1.3 chances and winning 4.1 duels per 90 minutes on average.

Semenyo key stats in 25/26 PL season

Stat

Per 90 mins

Season total

Goals & assists

0.8

10

Conversion rate

22.58%

22.58%

Chances created

1.3

18

Take-ons completed

1.7

24

Ground duels won

4.1

60

Ball recoveries

5

74

Stats from Squawka

United fans might well be licking their lips at the prospect of seeing Semenyo playing alongside Fernandes this season. With the creativity of their skipper, even from those deeper zones, and the clinical nature of their potential new signing, it could be a match made in heaven.

The United number eight obviously has exceptional quality in the final third. He averages 3.15 key passes per game this season, placing him in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders. This pass to Mason Mount against Wolves is an example of the skill he possesses.

It is easy to imagine this duo being largely unstoppable for the Red Devils. Regardless of where on the pitch Semenyo operates, Fernandes has the ability to find him, especially if that is in transitional situations of more open games.

£65m is an expensive deal, especially in January, but United would be adding an extra quality in attack, signing a player who can make Fernandes’ output even better. Semenyo could be a huge addition for the Red Devils this winter.

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