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Liverpool are in the process of a midfield rebuild at Anfield this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia?

According to The Independent's chief football writer Miguel Delaney, Liverpool are in a four-way battle to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia.

As per his most recent article, Delaney claims Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea join the Reds in the race to sign the midfielder this summer and it is expected that Saints will command a fee of £45m to part ways with their youthful asset.

Who would Romeo Lavia replace in the Liverpool team?

Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke have got off to a great start this summer with the signing of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister earlier this month.

When assessing the talent that Liverpool have been linked to this summer, including Khephren Thuram and Kouadio 'Manu' Kone, they appear to be targeting more youthful prospects who can develop into superstars at Anfield like those before them, instead of opting for more experienced and short-term solutions to bolster depth.

As a result, the signing of Lavia would be a fantastic opportunity for the Reds to inject another rising star into their successful squad, and he could be the dream understudy for Fabinho next season.

Over 29 Premier League appearances last season, the 19-year-old talent – hailed "perfect" by reporter Nick Emms – has tallied up an 86% pass completion rate and successfully completed 68% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.1 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 4.9 duels won per game.

Not only that, Lavia ranks in the top 12% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues in 2022/23 for possession won, compared to Fabinho who ranked in the top 41%, demonstrating that the youngster is already showing stronger ball-winning capabilities than his Brazilian peer on Merseyside.

Liverpool have had huge success when acquiring the services of Southampton's talent with Adam Lallana, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane just three of the players who have switched their allegiance to the six-time Champions League winners and thrived in the process.

With that being said, if the club could secure the services of Lavia, who Benjy Nurick views as a "monster", it would be a major coup and provide Klopp with a quality player to deploy instead of Fabinho, who could ultimately replace the Liverpool ace all-together in the defensive midfield role.

Bangladesh fought themselves into a promising position in the second Test, leading by 128 runs and hopeful of setting England a significant fourth-innings target to chase on a wearing surface

The Report by Alan Gardner29-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBangladesh’s pursuit of a first Test win over England has been nothing if not absorbing. Following their narrow defeat in Chittagong, they once again fought themselves into a promising position in the second Test, leading by 128 runs and hopeful of setting England a significant fourth-innings target to chase on a wearing surface. Only Bangladesh’s recent record – and history itself – would lead you to bet against them.The second day at Mirpur highlighted their fragility, as well as the weaknesses of an England team one-and-a-half games into a seven-Test odyssey on the subcontinent. England were struggling to stay afloat after being reduced to 144 for 8 during the morning session, 19-year-old offspinner Mehedi Hasan bewitching the top order for his second consecutive six-for, before a record stand between Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid carried them into a scarcely believable first-innings lead.Bangladesh’s openers responded with a counterattack against the new ball, led by the irrepressible Tamim Iqbal, before two wickets in three balls caused another tremor. Mahmudullah’s dismissal from the last ball of the day, slogging wildly at Zafar Ansari, then took the gloss off a recovery stand of 86 with Imrul Kayes and England, mindful of the way Bangladesh plunged from 171 for 1 to 220 all out on Friday, will not have given up hope. Like one of the many tributaries flowing into the Bay of Bengal, this fluctuating match has refused to follow a set course.Root leaves field with stomach complaint

England’s prospects of pulling off what promises to be a taxing run-chase could be dealt a blow after Joe Root was laid low by a stomach complaint on the second afternoon in Dhaka.
Root, who top-scored in England’s first innings with 56, left the ground early during Bangladesh’s second innings and is currently being assessed by the team medical staff.

The resurrection of England’s first innings, another stark reversal of fortunes, demonstrated the point. Having been eight down and 76 runs in arrears, Woakes and Rashid put on 99 together as Bangladesh visibly wilted after a dominant morning session in which they had claimed five wickets and seemingly regained control of the match.Their mettle was further tested by an off-field intervention. England had edged in front when Woakes, on 38, slapped a high full toss from Sabbir Rahman straight to midwicket but Chris Gaffaney, the TV umpire, deemed the delivery a no-ball for being above waist height – an undoubtedly harsh decision – and England went on to add another 22 runs to their total. Given that was the margin between the sides in Chittagong, it could still prove crucial.Tamim and Imrul wiped out the deficit, as momentum continued to shift and England’s spinners once again came under attack. Ansari removed Tamim for his maiden Test wicket and Ben Stokes struck in the following over but Imrul moved past 50 and was steady at the close – even if Mahmudullah was not.The Woakes-Rashid partnership was England’s highest for the ninth wicket in Asia and kept the tourists in game after another trial by spin. At lunch, England had been left sagging on the ropes and contemplating a significant first-innings deficit, despite a battling fifty from Joe Root.Woakes and Rashid were initially only focused on getting to the break, though both needed some luck to survive. Woakes was given out caught behind but successfully reviewed, while Mushfiqur Rahim’s resort to the DRS could not dislodge Rashid after the ball deflected off his body to slip. Rashid could also have been stumped when Mushfiqur dropped the ball on to the wicket but the bails stayed in place.They remained glued together for almost the entirety of the afternoon session, playing straight against the softening ball and frustrating Bangladesh’s hopes of a potentially decisive lead. After 57 overs exclusively of spin, Mushfiqur finally called on his one seamer, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, before the captain turned, slightly in desperation, to Sabbir, who ought to have had Woakes as his first Test wicket – though it was neither a shot nor a delivery to be proud of.Gaffaney’s decision further deflated Bangladesh and although Mehedi had Woakes smartly caught at leg slip by the diving Shuvagata Hom four runs short of a second Test half-century and Steven Finn did not last long, edging to Mushfiqur in the next over, the scales had tipped England’s way.On this security-heavy tour, England have become used to travelling in convoy through closed-off roads, free from the usual traffic, Dhaka’s notoriously sclerotic system bypassed. The two Tests against Bangladesh have been similarly fast-moving, the traditionally glacial progress of subcontinental cricket melting into something far-less predictable.The challenge for England was clear from the outset. Mehedi was again Bangladesh’s spin kingpin and there were already signs of the pitch offering more grip after Moeen Ali edged the third ball of the day to slip on the bounce. Fourteen runs had come from 11 deliveries in slightly frantic fashion when Moeen tried to manufacture a sweep and Mehedi slid the ball past the bottom edge to shudder off stump.During an extended morning session, which spanned almost 40 overs, on a surface that was perfectly suited to the talents of the home attack, Mushfiqur bowled his three spinners throughout. Root provided the principal roadblock to Bangladeshi ambition. He survived one tough chance to slip and many more deliveries spitting past the bat to compile his first half-century of the winter before becoming the eighth man out shortly before lunch. Having seen Taijul Islam spin the ball practically at right angles past his bat, he was defeated by the very next delivery, one that pitched in almost exactly the same spot only to zero in on leg stump.Jonny Bairstow was the only other top-order batsman to reach 20, while Ansari, the debutant at No. 8, hung in as best he could. It took a superb reaction catch from Shuvagata at gully to remove him, giving Mehedi his five-for in the process; he became only the second offspinner after Sonny Ramadhin to do so twice in his first two Test matches.Taijul might have dislodged Root on 19, but Mahmudullah failed to get more than fingertips on a thick edge that gave him little time to react as the ball diverted past Mushfiqur’s gloves. The next delivery brought the wicket of Stokes, taken at short leg for a duck, the ball spinning in sharply from over the wicket to deflect off the inside edge via the thigh pad.England were 69 for 5 and once again in need of a sixth-wicket rescue job. Bairstow provided one of sorts (these things are relative), although his 45-run association with Root was not quite enough to extend a run of 50-plus stands that had stretched back to England’s defeat to Pakistan at Lord’s in July. The Yorkshire pair were proactive in their running and watchful in defence, accepting that the ball would frequently rip past the edge but quickly resetting their sights for the next delivery.Bangladesh reviewed unsuccessfully when Root was on 33, seeking an lbw, but after their doughty association had held for 16.3 overs – by far the longest of the innings until Woakes and Rashid came together – and England were perhaps just beginning to think about parity, Bairstow played absentmindedly around Mehedi’s first ball back into the attack to be pinned in front of his stumps.

Aston Villa have their eyes on a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window, as Unai Emery prepares for his first summer in charge of the club.

The Spaniard is reported to have a monster £150m budget to spend, as the Villans aim to equip their side with star quality as their first European involvement since 2010 comes next season.

In their latest linked player, Villa could sign one of the world’s most talented youngsters, who could be a perfect fit in Emery’s plans.

What’s the latest on Joao Felix to Aston Villa?

As reported by Mundo Deportivo last week, Villa have emerged as one of the ‘options’ for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

The claims have been supported by Football Insider, who yesterday revealed that a move for the Chelsea loanee ‘cannot be ruled out’ ahead of the window, with the player having already been offered to the Villans.

Transfer expert Pete O’Rourke added that the Midlands side are ‘ambitious’ and aim to bring in attacking reinforcements this summer.

What could Joao Felix bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded as being an “excellent player” by international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner even tipped the starlet to ‘repeat’ his successes in Spain during an interview in 2019.

There’s no denying the talents that Felix has, despite a slightly underwhelming loan spell at Chelsea ending with him scoring four goals in 16 Premier League appearances – via Sofascore.

At just 23, the youngster has already established himself as one of Europe’s most encouraging talents, as supported by his 107 goal contributions in a total of 238 recorded career appearances – as per Transfermarkt.

The youngster could find comfort playing under Emery, who could unleash the Portuguese gem’s full potential which would be a positive action for Villa and specifically, Ollie Watkins.

Playing predominantly as a centre-forward, Felix has become accustomed to playing with a strike partner in Madrid, recording stellar performances in Diego Simeone’s inspired 3-5-2 formation.

During his time in Spain, the £195k-per-week ace registered 52 goal contributions in 131 games, showing the threat he could add to Villa’s attack if paired with Emery’s 15-goal forward.

Hailed as “special” by former strike partner Alvaro Morata, the Spaniard praised the former Benfica star’s ability to provide a ‘great’ range of passing that allowed him to run into space.

Emery has unleashed a strength in positional play in Watkins, that could serve the Spaniard well if he can pair him with the expertise of Felix.

In a piece analysing the Englishman’s performance against Newcastle United this season, Medium journalist Sam Stobbart claimed that the 27-year-old ‘can’t be stopped’ when he makes a run to capitalise on a ball from an advanced position.

Such exploits have been displayed by Felix, who could be Watkins’ perfect strike partner, something that's rubber-stamped by his average of 4.12 progressive passes per 90, ranking him in the top 5% of forwards in Europe in this area – as per FBref.

Emery could create a special duo to grace Villa Park if he can pull the superstar signing off, and with his stance on wanting to “add another striker” clear, the prospect is one fans can get very excited about.

Chelsea are eyeing up a move for striker Tammy Abraham this summer as incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster his attacking options ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Tammy Abraham to Chelsea?

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are looking at re-signing former striker Abraham from AS Roma, with the player expected to be available for around £40m as the Blues look to activate a buy-back clause.

They could face stiff competition from a host of Premier League sides however, with Manchester United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur all keen on luring the Englishman back to England.

Signing Abraham could give the new boss a licence to ditch Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the new season.

Does Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have a future at Chelsea?

The 33-year-old has a contract until 2024 with the London side, however, he could well be on the move this summer after a woeful campaign.

The £160k-per-week flop only joined the club from Barcelona last year, yet he has failed to live up to expectations, playing just 22 matches across all competitions and scoring only three times as Chelsea have struggled in front of goal this season.

The Blues have netted just 30 times in the Premier League thus far, with only three teams scoring less and Pochettino will be desperate to sign someone who can get them firing again. Abraham may be the ideal choice.

He knows Chelsea well, scoring 30 goals in 82 appearances before making the move to Serie A side Roma back in 2021, and it’s fair to say he has enjoyed his time in Italy.

Not only did he help end Roma’s 14-year trophy drought by claiming victory in the Europa Conference League last term, but the 25-year-old has also been rather prolific under Jose Mourinho, finding the back of the net 36 times in just over 100 appearances, and it could be a big loss if he does move on.

Abraham claimed that Mourinho passed on words of encouragement before his debut campaign, telling him to become a “monster” and he has certainly become that on the continent.

His numbers have dipped during 2022/23 compared to last season, scoring nine times, yet his Premier League experience could be key for Pochettino as he aims to assemble a side which should really be challenging for major honours across the board.

The Englishman has scored 26 goals in the top flight, and he would be inserted into a team containing Raheem Sterling, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk, suggesting plenty of chances will be created for him.

Reflecting on what had been a bleak year, Angelo Mathews thanked Sri Lankan fans for their support, following his team’s first Test victory since October

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele30-Jul-20162:26

‘Needed the win after tough six-eight months’ – Mathews

Reflecting on what had been a bleak year, Angelo Mathews thanked Sri Lankan fans for their support, following his team’s first Test victory since October. The 106-run victory in Pallekele was just Sri Lanka’s second against Australia, but also Mathews’ first triumph over a Test-playing nation in 2016. Sri Lanka had beaten India in a T20 in Pune, but Mathews had been unavailable through injury during that series.”After a rough, tough six to eight months, we needed that victory,” Mathews said. “In that time, there was a situation where fans were turning away from us. As cricketers we feel that, because when we play well everyone loves you. Even when you lose they may love you, but they are also disappointed. The best thing was to win this match for the fans. It’s a great win for those who stayed with us, and we thank them because that support means a lot.”In the past six months, we as a team got a lot of stick. But that’s part and parcel of the game. When we do well we get praised. When we do badly we get a bit of stick. I think we as players need to understand that.”Mathews was full of praise for Man of the Match Kusal Mendis, whose 176 had transformed the outlook of the match. Mathews said he had seen something special in Mendis as far back as December, when Sri Lanka toured New Zealand. Mendis had played only one first-class season at the time, without particularly stellar returns.”The selectors said he was really good, but I hadn’t seen him much to be honest,” Mathews said. “Once we went to NZ I thought Kusal was pretty special as well. The way he handled himself at the top of the order – it was a couple of tough tours for him as well in New Zealand and England, where it was seaming around. You don’t always have to have a lot of experience. There can be exceptional players like him who can walk into the international scene and start performing.”Mendis’ score was more than triple what any other batsman managed in the game, and had rescued Sri Lanka from a first-innings deficit of 86.”Especially playing his first Test against Australia and their very good attack, Mendis showed a lot of class and a lot of temperament,” Mathews said. “It was not easy to bat on that wicket. It was turning rapidly and their bowlers were bowling well and fast as well. The way he played, he made it look so easy. Most of us were struggling to get runs. The way he batted, I’m very excited for the future.”Debutant left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan was also instrumental to the victory, taking seven wickets in the match. He was part of a three-man frontline spin attack, featuring Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, but he turned the ball substantially more than either senior spinner.”When Rangana is bowling, he is attacking but also he contains,” Mathews said. “We needed someone like Sandakan. Unfortunately, Dilruwan didn’t bowl that well in the game, and I’m sure he’ll come back strongly. But it was very pleasing to see Sandakan bowling his googlies, and also the batsmen were finding it very tough on this wicket. He will take the confidence of this performance forward.”Mathews was quick to stress that plenty of work remained to be done in both the series, and with the team, but said the team environment had already benefited from the vibes resulting from a victory.”The atmosphere in dressing room has changed a lot. Even though we lost in the recent past, we’ve not given up. We always had hopes. We always helped each other. Every team goes through this transition period, and once you click, you can go a long way. That’s what we believed. We kept helping the youngsters and even the youngsters threw in their ideas. It was a collective effort from the whole team.”

Manchester City will have to try and claim a positive result against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League fixture without Nathan Ake, as reported by CityXtra.

What is the Man City vs Real Madrid team news?

The Premier League outfit are tantalisingly close to another European final, with only Real Madrid in their path on the route to get there. Pep Guardiola’s outfit will have to overcome the La Liga giants before they can even begin to think about a potential place in the showcase fixture against Inter in Istanbul.

The club fared well in the first leg of the semi-final tie though, managing to come away with a 1-1 draw. It was Vinicius Jr who struck first, putting the Spanish team in front in the first half of the competition despite Erling Haaland having a couple of half-chances to give his own side the lead beforehand. However, the Premier League side kept on pushing and were rewarded in the 67th minute, as a fierce strike from Kevin De Bruyne flew into the back of the net and levelled the scores.

Karim Benzema had an excellent opportunity to give his side the lead again ten minutes from time, only for Ederson to produce a super save and with that, the match ended in a draw.

City gave a good account of themselves and will now fancy their chances, on an even keel, of pulling off a result in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium. However, ahead of the fixture, Pep Guardiola has revealed a blow to the side in terms of injury news.

Speaking to the press this week, via CityXtra, the Catalan revealed that the club are set to be without Nathan Ake for the match against Madrid. The defender didn’t feature in the first leg of the fixture through injury and he will be sidelined for the return tie now too.

It will be a positive though for City supporters to hear that, aside from the former Bournemouth man, Guardiola has given the rest of his team a clean bill of health. Speaking about his squad’s fitness ahead of the game, Guardiola said: “Except Nathan [Ake], everyone is fit."

How will Man City lineup against Real Madrid?

It will be a blow to not have Ake available again considering how highly he is rated in the game. Virgil Van Dijk, who features in the same national team with the Netherlands, has called the player "fantastic" in the past for example and he has only got better at City. There is not a whole lot the club can do about his absence though and they will have to work with what they've got.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Pep Guardiola pick a very similar team to the one that claimed the initial draw against Madrid, although the boss has hinted that he may switch things up for this next clash.

His side dominated possession, with a 55% share over the La Liga outfit, and they also passed the ball around with aplomb managing a 91% pass success rate over the course of the match. The only issue was their inability to create and finish chances, with the side having less big chances than Madrid and also having less shots in general than their Spanish rivals.

If Guardiola can get his team to make possession count in this next fixture, then it could go a long way towards helping the team to book their place in the final of the Champions League.

West Ham endured a difficult evening in their last Premier League outing against Liverpool.

The Reds ran out as supremely dominant 2-1 winners and restricted the Hammers to only two shots on target throughout the game.

After Lucas Paqueta’s sublime strike gave the Irons an early lead, they rarely troubled the Reds and failed to construct any periods of sustained pressure.

With the Europa Conference semi-final looming next week and a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, David Moyes should shuffle the pack to make his side more threatening.

One way that this could be done would be to replace the underperforming Michail Antonio with Danny Ings, who offers a far more complete package as the focal point up top.

Should West Ham start Danny Ings over Michail Antonio?

Antonio has surprisingly risen above the Englishman in the pecking order but drastically struggled in the last encounter.

After registering an assist in the early stages against Liverpool due to some slick and intricate link-up with Paqueta, the Jamaican was anonymous for the rest of the proceedings and recorded the lowest Sofascore rating of any West Ham player (5.8).

In a miserable evening for the Hammers’ record Premier League goalscorer, he only managed one successful dribble, had zero shots on target, missed two big chances, and failed to produce any accurate crosses, as per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Ings has netted double the amount of goals (eight) as his fellow striker (four) in the Premier League this campaign and is surely a more logical option on Saturday in terms of rotation and tactics.

Across the £125k-per-week striker's career, the former Liverpool man has forged a respectable reputation for his link-up play and eye for goal.

During his stint with Aston Villa, retired forward Noel Whelan commented on his style of play and partnership with Ollie Watkins.

He said: “He’s showing what a good player he is and how dangerous he can be when he drops between the lines to feed Ollie Watkins. He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with Watkins."

With top four yet to be secured and the Irons having only netted 34 goals in 32 games, the reintegration of the ex-Villa man could be the perfect antidote to bounce back against the Eagles this weekend.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner wants to extend his stay at the club beyond this summer, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Will Milner leave Liverpool this summer?

The 37-year-old has enjoyed an incredible career, playing at the top level for over 20 years after bursting onto the scene as a teenager at Leeds United. He joined Liverpool in the summer of 2015 and has gone on to enjoy nearly eight memorable years at Anfield, winning all there is to win, including the Champions League and Premier League.

Milner has been a role model for the Reds throughout that team, with Jurgen Klopp calling him an "incredibly important" figure at the club given his all-round influence. The veteran midfielder is out of contract at Anfield at the end of this season, however, and his future remains up in the air as the club decide whether or not to offer him an extension.

Now, a key update has emerged regarding Milner's next step in his career – one that suggests he doesn't feel he is done at Liverpool just yet.

Could veteran earn contract extension?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs claimed that the Englishman is keen on staying put with the Reds rather than leaving on a free transfer this summer:

"From Milner's point of view, he'd like to extend at Liverpool, but from Liverpool's perspective, they've always been under the impression that this is his last season at Anfield.

"It's not because they don't value him as a squad player and a dressing room influence, it's just ultimately time for the player and club to part way and that's been the Liverpool perspective.

"Now, if they see anything in the last few games in terms of leadership and impact in their push for Champions League football to change that, then you can always potentially get a twist. But, in essence, nothing has change with Milner. He would love another year."

There is no question that Milner has become a Liverpool hero considering what he has achieved since his arrival, but we think keeping him this summer is something the club should avoid doing. At 37, he is not the player he used to be, as shown in only being selected from the start on six occasions this term (down from 28 starts in his first season), and he perhaps needs to move on as part of a major midfield shake-up at Anfield.

Granted, giving him a new one-year deal wouldn't be a disaster – he could very much be a squad player who can fill in across various positions occasionally – but getting his £60,000-a-week salary off Liverpool's wage bill could free up funds to bring in younger alternatives.

Chelsea are now open to offers for midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interest

The Premier League playmaker has worked his way up through the academy ranks at Stamford Bridge, where he was sent out on development loans to Crystal Palace and Fulham before becoming a regular feature of the senior first-team squad.

The Blues graduate has played in four of the last five top-flight games under Graham Potter, but having now entered the final 18 months of his contract, has been linked with an exit.

Newcastle United were reportedly interested in a late deal to sign the 27-year-old in January but a deal failed to materialise because the boss wouldn’t let him leave due to the injury crisis his squad were facing at the time.

The Latest: Chelsea open to sale

According to Football Insider, Loftus-Cheek is now also being ‘tracked’ by several clubs both in England and overseas ahead of the summer window.

In the Premier League, it’s claimed that there are five unnamed teams that hold a ‘strong interest’, whilst AC Milan and Roma are ‘keeping tabs’ in the Serie A.

The SW6 outfit are believed to hold an option to extend his current deal by one year, but sources have stated that they are ‘open to selling him’ and will therefore listen to any offers put on the table.

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Chelsea have already sold the likes of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori having come up from the academy and it’s important that they don’t do the same with Loftus-Cheek, because he is a player who nearly always has a positive impact on the team.

The Adidas-sponsored star has made 30 goal contributions (13 goals and 17 assists) since being promoted to the first team and adds a different dimension to the midfield with his height and athleticism compared to his fellow teammates, standing at 6 foot 2.

England’s former international currently ranks in the 99th percentile for most progressive carries and the 97th percentile for most successful take-ons per game, highlighting the difference he can make when given the chance to play (FBRef).

The Lewisham-born talent is also a great option for the manager to have at his disposal having operated in an incredible nine various positions throughout his career.

Loftus-Cheek has been dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Josh Bunting and he could go on to become a key cog in the midfield over the next few years, but that will only happen should the Blues change their mind on his future.

Liverpool have distinguished Rafael Leao as an option for transfer this summer, in a move that could finally replace Sadio Mane and reinvigorate manager Jurgen Klopp’s wayward Reds.

Leao has risen to the fore with AC Milan over the past several seasons, now flourishing with the current Serie A champions and attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

And now, according to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Liverpool have joined the hunt for the Portuguese prodigy, with the current fallen squad understandably requiring reinvestment this summer following a woeful campaign.

Interestingly, the report claims that the Anfield-based contingent might be inclined to offer Colombian winger Luis Diaz in the package to sweeten the deal and lessen the mammoth fee; Leao reportedly holds a release clause of €150m (£132m), which would likely prove too tall an order in its entirety.

Is Leao the dream Mane heir?

Mane signed for Liverpool from Southampton for £34m in 2016 and forged his name into prominence on the global stage, scoring 120 goals and supplying 48 assists from 269 outings before switching to Bayern Munich for £35m last summer, a year before the expiry of his contract.

And given that he was instrumental in the most illustrious period of the Reds’ modern history, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup under Klopp’s wing, a large chunk of the decline in the squad’s collective calibre this season can certainly be attributed to his absence.

And in the “phenomenon” – as dubbed by Italian sporting director Fabio Cordella – that is Leao, a tailor-made replacement might just be ready to take the Premier League by storm in Liverpool colours, having plundered nine goals and ten assists from 32 outings across all competitions this season.

As per FBref, the £30k-per-week gem ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and wingers for assists, 6% for progressive carries and 4% for successful take-ons per 90, he could indeed be a sterling addition to an outfit requiring a superlative new force with creative and transitional ingenuity.

Hailed as a “superstar” by ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray, Leao was once dubbed the “Portuguese Mbappe” by Lille president Gerard Lopez, and given the Frenchman’s standing as one of Europe’s leading forwards, perhaps even the best the globe has to offer considering he is valued at a seismic £158m by CIES Football Observatory, Liverpool might just have their catalyst for change with an acquisition.

Given Liverpool’s current turbulence, landing a ‘phenomenon’ of Leao’s ilk would be an unmitigated success for Klopp and co, taking a major stride in returning to former glory and reinstating the diminished potency and power that the frontline once had.

The chasm left in Mane’s wake could be filled by no better option than the prolific Leao.