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When Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League last season, before welcoming an incredible number of new signings, some may have questioned whether they had been too active in the transfer market, unbalancing Steve Cooper's side. One year later, however, and the Midlands club look comfortable enough to secure back-to-back survival in England's top flight hopefully without too much fuss.

In their first game back after the international break, Forest square off against Luton Town in a crucial six-pointer – it is the type of a game that a side hoping to create distance between themselves and the dropzone should be winning.

The likes of Taiwo Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White have been particularly successful for Forest, helping their side to their most impressive moment this season in a 1-0 defeat of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Even with Cooper's attacking options flourishing, however, those at the City Ground are still reportedly eyeing a move for one wantaway forward in the January transfer window, perhaps due to Awoniyi's injury.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Nottingham Forest's summer spending reportedly reached the €122m (£106m) mark, as a number of names arrived, from Callum Hudson-Odoi to Anthony Elanga in what turned out to be a successful transfer window. The Midlands club will be well-aware of the need to keep their foot on the gas, however, and could, therefore, return to the market in January.

The latest Michy Batshuayi transfer news certainly looks positive for Forest, too. According to Turkish newspaper Sozcu, the forward has requested to leave current club Fenerbahce, and Forest, alongside RC Lens, are tracking the former Premier League winner, who will reportedly cost just €10m (£9m).

With Awoniyi, Origi, and Chris Wood to call upon up top, it could easily be argued that Forest don't need Batshuayi. Given his Premier League experience, desire to leave for more game-time, and relatively low price-tag however, he could be an option worth pursuing to add that extra piece of depth in case any more injuries pop up.

How many goals has Michy Batshuayi scored?

Now 30-years-old, Batshuayi has lost his place in Fenerbahce's starting line-up, having fallen down the pecking order. When he has been given a chance, though, to his credit, the forward has delivered. In three starts in the Super Lig this season, Batshuayi's stats have been impressive, having scored twice and assisted once, whilst also scoring in a Europa Conference League start. It seems like all the former Borussia Dortmund man needs is consistent game-time.

When he has earned minutes on the pitch in the past, Batshuayi has been the centre of praise, including from former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, who said, via the club's official website: "It was interesting to see not just the player – I kind of knew the quality Michy had and it’s always good to see that up close – but also the personality.

"Since early season, how he’s trained, his demeanour, his positivity, and quality when he’s come on, which is obviously the most important thing, have been top class.

"When Tammy is scoring regular goals and getting a firm foot in the team, that’s not easy. It’s the same for Oli [Giroud]. Michy has shown all the right ways of handling that. He has been very good for us so far, and that positive spirit when you’re not playing regularly is not just important for him, cause that’s tough sometimes, but it’s important for the group. He deserves extra praise for that. He’s positive, hard-working, loves scoring goals."

Fans believe Manchester United's Mason Mount will make England's squad for Euro 2024 after he was apparently seen modelling the new kit.

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• Mount spotted modelling new England shirt
• Fans say he'll be in Euro 2024 squad
• Hasn't been capped since 2022

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per , an image of Mount seemingly modelling the new England shirt appeared on social media this week and fans have taken it as an indication that he is part of Gareth Southgate's plans for the summer, even though the midfielder has made only 14 appearances in all competitions for United this season.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  "He's definitely going to Euros," X user UTDKara wrote, while pbtrentz said: "This sends a message."

  Bitoutd used the opportunity to take a pop at Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, saying: "Southgate watched Gallagher for a week and decided it’s Mount time."

  8o8z4L had a similar thought, saying: "Still in with a shot to get in ahead of Connor Gallagher."

  Meanwhile, Ryann0003 said: "People forget how much Southgate loved him 😭Just need a few good games and he will be in."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mount's first season at United has been curtailed by injury and last week the 25-year-old made his first Premier League appearance since November when he came off the bench to score in the 1-1 draw at Brentford. He has not played for England since the 2022 World Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MOUNT?

  The former Chelsea star will hope to stay fit and get more playing time between now and the end of the season to ensure he has a chance of making it into Southgate's squad for the European Championship in Germany.

In the Premier League era, some of the league's greatest defenders have graced Chelsea with their monstrous performances, elegance in possession and leadership expertise.

John Terry, for example, was all of those rolled into one and he captained the Blues through their most successful period, making a whopping 717 appearances across a glittering 19-year period that saw him lift a whole host of trophies, including five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and a Champions League.

Through his unstoppable displays at Stamford Bridge, it became apparent that the key ingredient to any team is having a defensive stalwart anchoring the ship to success.

The latest generational defender to exemplify the above at Chelsea is Thiago Silva, the Brazilian who makes the art of defending look easy through his exceptional ability to read the game – with his "football brain" seemingly "above everybody", according to former boss Graham Potter.

Unfortunately, at 39 years old, the pleasure of watching him in action is coming to an end and Mauricio Pochettino must prepare for the day he eventually hangs up his boots by having a replacement lined up.

That replacement could come in the shape of Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni.

Chelsea's January transfer targets

According to CalcioMercatoWeb, Chelsea and Manchester City are considering a move for the highly-rated centre-back.

The report details that the 24-year-old is valued at €70m (£60m), however, Inter aren't under pressure to sell after the Italian penned a new four-year deal in the summer.

Bastoni was previously the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur when Antonio Conte was manager but he rejected the opportunity to link up with the fellow Italian as he didn't want to leave the Serie A giants.

Since arriving at the San Siro in 2019, the 6 foot 3 colossus has become one of the best left-sided defenders on the planet and it is clear if Chelsea were able to successfully strike a deal with Inter, Bastoni would become a revelation in the Premier League.

Alessandro Bastoni is the dream heir to Thiago Silva

Inter Milan's stalwart, who was dubbed by Italian journalist Marco Sconcerti as a "young [Leonardo] Bonucci", ​​is leading the next generation of Italians into battle and displays an abundance of attributes that suggest he's going to have a long and successful career at the top of world football.

Similarly to Silva, Bastoni is the complete modern defender and doesn't possess many chinks in his armoury, demonstrating his exceptional ability to drive from defence with the ball and elegantly dictating play with his passing range.

In possession, the £170k per-week monster is near faultless and this is evidenced by how he ranks against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for his ball retention and ball-carrying attributes.

According to FBref, Bastoni places within the top 1% for progressive passes received, top 2% for progressive carries, top 11% for progressive passes and top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90.

For those metrics alone, it isn't a shock to see many of Europe's top clubs salivating over the prospect of watching the Italian dictating possession from deep and kick-starting attacks with his wonderful passing range.

Although his defensive metrics don't rank particularly high as the Inter back line isn't put under constant pressure, Bastoni is incredibly good at reading the game, like Silva, while he's also an imposing presence, winning 65.5% of his aerial duels and placing within the top 3% for tackles won in the attacking third.

Bastoni is on the brink of becoming a world-class defender and he should be top on the list of players to replace the Brazilian stalwart.

Sunderland are embarking on their second season back in the Championship following promotion from League One last year.

Alex Neil was the man who led them into the second tier in 2021/22 and Tony Mowbray has built on those solid foundations since being appointed as head coach in August 2022.

The experienced manager has utilised his attractive style of football and astute man management to tune the Black Cats into a play-off chasing side having lost out to Luton Town in the semi-finals last term.

Whilst Sunderland have seen an upturn in fortunes on the pitch, that is largely down to their improved recruitment strategy off the field, with a focus on acquiring talent under the age of 23.

In the past 18 months, the North East giants have seen this model come to fruition, acquiring the likes of Daniel Ballard, Jobe Bellingham and Jack Clarke; three youngsters who have become revelations in red and white.

If astute and accurate recruitment in the transfer window is what Mowbray hopes will propel them towards the Premier League, it was their misfiring strategy of old that sent them crashing towards League One.

The club spent most of their top-flight years paying over the odds for terrible talent while missing out on quality stars who would have aided their bid for survival.

Their failures to capture Kevin De Bruyne in 2011 and Virgil van Dijk in 2015 emphasized that claim, however, that duo weren't the only world-class talent that slipped through their grasp as they let an opportunity to sign Mohamed Salah pass them by.

When Sunderland wanted to sign Mohamed Salah

According to the Sunderland Echo [via the Daily Express] the Black Cats were interested in capturing Salah on loan from Chelsea in January 2015 after he had failed to impress Jose Mourinho following his £11m move from Basel.

At the time, the Egyptian wasn't in 'the special ones' first-team plans, with the likes of Willian and Andre Schurrle preferred alongside automatic starters Oscar and Eden Hazard, and Mourinho was keen for the then 22-year-old to gain more experience before challenging in the following campaign.

It was reported that Poyet was plotting a move for Salah in the summer transfer window of 2014 amid concerns surrounding Fabio Borini's future, but the Black Cats instead completed a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion's Will Buckley.

While Buckley spent the majority of his career plying his trade in the football league and is now retired at the age of 33, Salah has developed into the world-class talent that his formative years promised, accentuating how bad Sunderland's recruitment model was during that period.

Will Buckley's career statistics

Sunderland captured highly-rated winger, Buckley, for £2.5m from Brighton in 2014, becoming their seventh signing of that summer.

At the age of 24, Buckley had made over 220 appearances at senior level, beginning his ascent towards the Premier League at Rochdale, rising to prominence at Watford before making a name for himself on the South Coast.

The wideman was blessed with skill and trickery with the capacity to excite but didn't display the quality to go with those attributes in the final third, expressed by only notching up 19 goals and 16 assists in 109 appearances at Championship level for the Seagulls.

Poyet was foolish to expect him to deliver goals and assists in the top flight, especially considering the fleet-footed winger only posted seven goal contributions in his final season for Brighton, with the Uruguayan eventually paying the price for signing Buckley instead of Salah on loan.

While the Englishman recorded zero goals and two assists in 22 appearances in the 2014/15 campaign – and only eight goals across the rest of his career – Salah would eventually rise to stardom at Fiorentina and Roma before becoming truly world-class at Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool statistics

In the summer of 2017, Liverpool made one of the most invaluable transfers in their history, prising Salah from Roma for a club record £34.3m at the time.

It is difficult to put into words how amazing the Egyptian has been since arriving at Anfield, but the statistics certainly do his talents justice, showcasing his ruthless consistency in front of goal while the fact the Reds rejected a £150m bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in the summer shows how ridiculously high he is valued.

He's never dropped below the 23-goal mark in a single season at Liverpool and that is a testament to his truly relentless finishing ability.

A crucial cog in Jurgen Klopp's winning machine and a player largely responsible for propelling the Reds through a trophy-laden period, Salah has achieved everything he would have ever dreamed of on Merseyside.

From helping add a sixth Champions League to the Reds cabinet in 2019 to winning their first Premier League title in 2020, the explosive forward has scooped up a whole host of individual accolades over the years that honour his freakish goal-scoring talents.

He's claimed the PFA Player of the Year award on two occasions – in 2018 and 2022 as well as the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions (2018, 2019 and 2022) and while those awards are impressive, they don't scrape the barrel of what Salah has achieved across his glittering six-year spell at Liverpool.

At the age of 31, the "special" talent – as lauded by Klopp – is still at the pinnacle of his powers, ranking in the top 1% against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for non-penalty goals, top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty box and top 5% for assists, as per FBref.

The all-time Premier League great has started this campaign on fire too, scoring ten and supplying four assists in 13 matches across all competitions and was shortlisted for this year's Ballon d'Or, finishing above the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Robert Lewandowski.

With 196 goals and 83 assists in 318 appearances for Liverpool, Salah's status as a Reds legend is already solidified and for as long as he continues to tear through opposition defences at will, Sunderland supporters will forever pull their hair out knowing they could have witnessed one of the greatest players of this generation don the red and white jersey.

Harry Kane still makes time to watch close friend Heung-Min Son "every week" and sent a special message on the Korean star's Tottenham landmark.

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• Kane still follows Spurs and Son
• Admitted to being lucky for playing with the Korean
• Wished Son the best in reaching 400 club appearances

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a heartwarming display of camaraderie and friendship, Kane revealed that he continues to support and watch Son playing for his former club Tottenham despite leaving for Bayern Munich in the previous summer. Son, who joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, reached his 400th appearance for the north London outfit during the match against West Ham United and several of his former teammates like Kane, Delle Alli, and Hugo Lloris wished him the best after achieving the milestone.

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• WHAT KANE SAID

  In a heartwarming video, Kane stated: "What’s happening, Sonny. Just wanted to reach out and congratulate you on 400 appearances for Spurs. Incredible achievement, mate. Obviously been lucky enough to spend a lot of those appearances with you, so it’s been a privilege! Great guy, a great footballer and keep it going, mate. I’m watching you every week – keep smashing it, keep scoring goals and I hope to see you soon.”

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Son has now been at Spurs for nine seasons and the records keep tumbling. With his goal against Luton Town last Saturday, the South Korean (160) moved up to fifth place in Tottenham’s all-time goalscoring charts, which is a monumental achievement considering that he has not played as a striker in most of those 400 appearances. Kane leads the list with 280, followed by Jimmy Greaves (266), Bobby Smith (208), and Martin Chivers (174).

Former Ballon d'Or winner and Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

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• Hegerberg extended Lyon stay
• Signed a new three-year deal with club
• Barcelona wanted to sign the forward

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There were speculations over the 28-year-old's future with the French club with Barcelona reportedly interested in signing the forward in the summer but she has now put pen to paper on a new contract that keeps her at the club until 2027.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hegerberg joined Les Fenottes in 2014 and in the last nine seasons, she has won 23 trophies with the club which include eight Division 1 titles and six Women's Champions League trophies. The Norwegian bagged the prestigious Ballon d'Or in the inaugural season of the award – 2018.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  The official statement on the club's star player's contract extension read, "Norway and Olympique Lyonnais superstar Ada Hegerberg continues her adventure with the French giants. Hegerberg’s future has dominated the transfer windows over the years, as the saga of a potential move to FC Barcelona kept fans and media busy on numerous occasions. It is now sorted with the 28-year-old forward extending her stay at Lyon until 2027, in a major coup from the French club. Despite the change of ownership and intense courtship from some of the best teams in the world, Hegerberg, the first Ballon d’Or and top goalscorer in UWCL history, has opted for stability. The summer of 2024 will mark her tenth year anniversary with the club.'

  After signing the deal, Hegerberg said, "I’m glad we were able to make it happen. The story is yet to end. I firmly believe we have the team to win more trophies in the coming years, and the support we need to keep the team and the club at the highest level possible."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ADA HEGERBERG?

  The player will be next seen in action on Saturday as Sonia Bompastor's side take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final clash.

A second-place finish last season was the closest Arsenal had come to achieving Premier League glory in almost two decades, having been top of the division for 248 days before losing the lead to treble-winners Manchester City.

A back injury to star defender William Saliba in February was arguably the primary catalyst behind the Gunners' demise – as hinted at by teammate, Gabriel Jesus – but head coach Mikel Arteta is keen to add depth to his defensive department to ensure the same doesn't happen this time around.

The Spaniard has identified one player in particular who could have a massive impact at the Emirates Stadium for years to come.

Arsenal transfer targets – Yarek Gasiorowski

According to Spanish outlet Diario AS, the north London club are keen to secure the services of Valencia defender Yarek Gasiorowski and have been keeping tabs on his progress for a number of years with Los Ches. The report also states that Arsenal couldn't make a move for the youngster until his 18th birthday due to Brexit regulations, prohibiting English clubs from signing foreign players aged 17 and under.

Gasiorowski, who is eligible to play for both the Spain and Poland national teams, made his debut for Valencia this season in a 1-1 draw with Mallorca back in October and has gone on to feature three times in La Liga, including a 35-minute cameo against European giants Real Madrid.

The player was pursued by Austrian champions RB Salzburg during the summer, with Valencia even turning down a £4.3m offer for the player who was described as a "rare" talent by journalist Antonio Mango, after scoring a hattrick as a central defender on Wednesday for Spain's U19s in a 5-0 win over Moldova.

Yarek Gasiorowski's stats this season

Gasiorowski is a versatile youngster, having played as a left centre-back, a left-back and a right centre-back this season for Valencia in all competitions. Despite being left-footed, the 18-year-old has also featured twice at right-back since the beginning of the 2022/23 season and possesses a wonderful passing range, capable of breaking lines of opposition pressing with ease.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is a lot less versatile than this, having played solely in the heart of defence under Arteta this term. The Brazilian has had experience at left-back and even in midfield as a single-pivot but has been utilised in these positions just once throughout his entire playing career, according to Transfermarkt.

Gabriel is a solid defender but has certain defensive weaknesses which could force Arteta to look for a stronger candidate to partner with Saliba at the back in the near future. The Brazilian is in the top 4% for challenges lost per 90 this season compared to all centre-backs in Europe's top-five leagues. Furthermore, the former Lille man is in the top 19% for errors per 90 and has won merely 58.4% of his aerial duels per 90, according to FBref. Gasiorowski, on the other hand, has yet to lose a single header since being called up to the first team.

Arteta notoriously enjoys players who are versatile. Thomas Partey has played as both a defensive midfielder and at right-back, Oleksandr Zinchenko can play at left-back and in the middle of the park, while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu can feature all across the backline. Gasiorowksi is far more flexible with his positioning than Gabriel and could be the perfect player for the Spanish coach's fluid style.

As such, the young left-footer could usurp the Gunners man in the years to come to form a long-term partnership with Saliba in the heart of the backline, with that potentially set to be a truly mouthwatering duo, indeed.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost after learning that one of their first-team players has returned to training, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

West Brom injury news

The Baggies haven't had the best luck when it comes to players being sidelined this season, but supporters have recently received some positive news surrounding the fitness of four of their senior squad members who have been out of action. Josh Maja, John Swift, Daryl Dike and Adam Reach have all returned to the grass during the international break as they step up their recovery and get closer to once again being competitively involved, and if the following update is to be believed, they aren’t the only ones who will soon stage their comeback.

Back in January, Martin Kelly sustained a serious knee injury and he’s been ruled out ever since having undergone surgery to rectify his problem, meaning that he’s hardly had a chance to prove what he’s capable of since putting pen to paper.

The Hawthorns right-back has only made seven senior appearances following his arrival from Crystal Palace last summer (Transfermarkt – Kelly statistics), though when he’s ready to return to action, the 33-year-old will be hoping that he can nail down a regular starting place and make a positive impression on Carlos Corberan.

Martin Kelly returns to full training

According to BirminghamLive, Kelly has returned to training and could be available for the first team in a few weeks time, with the plan being to build up his fitness by giving him game time with West Brom’s youth side.

“The lesser spotted Martin Kelly was welcomed back into first-team training this week by his teammates, who have long awaited his return. Still with some weeks to go, and likely under 21s minutes, before he might be considered for a place in the match-day squad, it's a significant step forward for Kelly.”

Corberan handed boost over "outstanding" Kelly

Whilst Kelly hasn’t been able to showcase his talents since joining, West Brom will know that they still have a fantastic player on their hands, so it will be a huge boost for Corberan to finally have the defender at his disposal having been ruled out since the start of the year.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the colossus was averaging 3.4 aerial wins and 2.6 clearances per game last season in the Championship for the Baggies (WhoScored – Kelly statistics), highlighting the rock he can be at the heart of the backline, but he’s also capable of getting involved in the final third.

The Whiston-born talent has posted 12 contributions (eight assists and four goals) since the start of his career, which shows that he can use his athletic pace to burst down the flank, take on his marker and create chances for both himself and his fellow teammates in the opposition’s half.

West Brom’s “outstanding” player, as hailed by Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman, even has the versatility to operate everywhere across the backline and slightly higher up on the right side of the midfield, so for all of the qualities that he brings to the squad, the sooner he returns, the better.

Alisha Lehmann could be set for a shock Aston Villa exit with reports suggesting that several Mexican clubs are in for the Women's Super League star.

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• Lehmann linked with shock Aston Villa exit
• Three Mexican clubs interested in Swiss star
• 2023 Liga MX Femenil champions leading the race

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lehmann has played a reduced role at Villa this year, starting just 11 of her 18 games as the end of the season nears. As such, she is also yet to score in the league this term.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It appears that are clubs in Mexico keen to capitalise on that situation and offer Lehmann a chance to be a key player again, with journalist Fernando Esquivel understanding that Queretaro, Leon and Club America are all interested in the Switzerland star and have started "dealings" to bring her to South America.

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  The report says that, of that trio, Club America is leading the race. The Eagles are two-time champions in Liga MX Femenil, winning the Clausura as recently as 2023. It is expected that "negotiations will progress", with the WSL now in danger of losing one of their major assets.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mexico has one of the most exciting and fastest-growing women's league in the world. It constantly produces impressive attendance and television audience figures and has attracted some of the game's top stars, including Jennifer Hermoso, Spain's World Cup-winning forward.

A Liverpool legend is believed to be "turning heads" at the club as his reputation continues to rise, ahead of what could be a very popular return to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool future

The Reds have enjoyed a wonderful period under Jurgen Klopp, who arrived at the club in October 2015, and has inspired the Reds to so much trophy success. The German ended Liverpool's long and painful wait for a Premier League title back in 2019/20, following a remarkable season that saw his team only drop two points in the opening 27 fixtures, and he has also tasted Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup success.

There will come a time when Klopp eventually leaves his post as manager, however, in what will be a sad day for anyone of a Reds persuasion, and the Liverpool boss' current deal expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.

It remains to be seen if the 56-year-old will end up extending his stay – many no doubt hope that he will – but the club will surely be thinking about eventual successors for the legendary German, ensuring they bring in the right person to take the team forward.

Liverpool eyeing Xabi Alonso as next manager

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Ben Jacobs admitted that Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso is seen as a potential replacement for Klopp one day, with the Spaniard excelling at Bayer Leverkusen currently.

"My understanding is that Alonso is obviously focused on Bayer Leverkusen and not getting ahead of himself, they’re top of the Bundesliga at the time of recording.

"But there's no doubt that Alonso is turning heads at the moment and that includes with two of his former clubs, Liverpool, and Real Madrid. I think less so Bayern Munich at this stage, because Thomas Tuchel is starting to settle, but obviously, if a vacancy ever opens there, then we know that Alonso will be linked with it as well. But the Liverpool possibility is maybe the most interesting."

Alonso certainly looks like a brilliant young manager who is already making waves in the game, considering he has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga table, only failing to win one of their first 11 matches.

The 41-year-old was such a popular figure at Liverpool in his playing days, not only possessing endless quality, but also understanding what it means to represent a club of such tradition and stature. His influence in the 2005 Champions League final will never be forgotten, with his rebound effort from a penalty miss making it 3-3 on the night against AC Milan.

Assuming the classy Alonso continues to thrive in the coming years, he definitely looks like a standout current option to be Klopp's eventual replacement, although the majority of Reds fans will hope that the latter remains in charge well beyond 2026.