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Chelsea have joined the race to sign NK Kustosija teenager Dino Klapija this summer, but a fresh report has revealed they aren't the only club looking to bring him to the Premier League.

Who is Dino Klapija?

Klapija is naturally a striker who began his career with New York City’s academy before joining Dinamo Zagreb’s U17s, to now being a regular feature of NK Kustosija’s youth side, as per Transfermarkt, but there’s a chance that he could be on the move before the end of the window.

Croatia’s youth international still has another three years remaining on his contract with Petra Mandic’s side, but after training with the senior first team on several occasions, he’s already caught the eye of Manchester United, where Fabrizio Romano recently delivered an update on the 16-year-old’s future. Taking to X, he wrote:

“Understand Manchester United and RB Leipzig are both negotiating to sign top talent Dino Klapija — also an option to close the deal now for January. Decision on player side expected soon as 2007 born striker will leave Croatian side Kustosija soon.”

Are Chelsea signing Dino Klapija?

According to Sportske Novosti (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are also "showing an interest" in Klapija and are set to battle it out with Manchester United having entered the running to secure his services. The Premier League pair are "in the hunt" for the centre-forward who is viewed as a "top quality talent" and a "jewel" by his current club.

NK Kustosija sources have revealed that "numerous scouts" have been in attendance at some of their recent games and have "made their presence" known, with Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and RB Leipzig also firm contenders.

The European clubs have already "expressed their desire" that they would be willing to offer more than €5m (£4m) for their target, though it's unknown as to whether the top-flight clubs would be willing to do to the same.

How good is Dino Klapija?

Chelsea are reportedly looking to bolster their attacking ranks with young up-and-coming talents who will be able to develop and push to compete for a first team place in years to come, and whilst he’s not a household name, Klapija is set to have an extremely bright future ahead of him.

The USA born gem made his debut for Croatia’s U17s during their 2-0 victory over Montenegro back in December 2022, and has since gone on to pick up a second cap, with his nation clearly seeing the potential he has to offer and rewarding him for his efforts.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

With the exciting prospect still only being a teenager, it would make complete sense for him to be immediately sent out on loan should he put pen to paper in order to give him the necessary game time, experience and exposure so that he'd be ready to return and challenge for a spot in the senior fold.

Mauricio Pochettino is clearly open to handing opportunities to the younger players who deserve it with the likes of Levi Colwill and Carney Chukwuemeka having been regular features at the start of this season, and Klapija could follow in their footsteps in the near future.

Nottingham Forest have now submitted a bid for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez, and they have already received a response from the Spanish side, a recent report has revealed.

Who are Nottingham Forest signing this summer?

Forest got their first win of the Premier League season on the board on Friday night, defeating Sheffield United 2-1, but they remain in the market for new reinforcements, and a new midfielder appears to be one of Steve Cooper's priorities.

The Tricky Trees have now made an offer for Bologna defensive midfielder Nicolas Dominguez, and they are set to battle for the 25-year-old's signature with Galatasaray, although Brighton & Hove Albion and AC Milan are also named as potential suitors.

Another key midfield target for the Reds has been Benfica's Florentino Luis, having already had two offers turned down by the Portuguese club, the most recent of which amounting to €35m (£30m).

The report makes it clear that Forest could be back with a new bid in the near future, but in the meantime they have started to run the rule over other targets, and they have now made an attempt to sign Real Betis' Rodriguez.

That is according to a report from ABC Sevilla (via Sport Witness), which states the Tricky Trees made a bid to sign the 29-year-old on Friday night, however it was immediately knocked back by the Spanish club, as it was far below their asking price.

Betis are looking to hold out for a fee of €12m (£10m), but the Reds' opening offer amounted to less than €10m (£8.5m), so it appears as though the two clubs are still some way apart.

A reason why Forest may have offered so little is because the midfielder has just entered the final year of his contract, with his agents "moving his name" through the market, as he has no interest in signing a new deal.

Betis are willing to listen to bids, given that they risk losing the Argentine for free next summer, but the Tricky Trees will need to come back with a higher offer if they are to get a deal over the line.

Who is Guido Rodriguez?

Born in Saenz Pena, Argentina, the Betis star made his breakthrough in his home country, appearing for River Plate 18 times, before going on to prove himself in the Mexican league with Club Tijuana and CF America.

Since then, the maestro has become an integral player for Betis, making 34 La Liga appearances last season, while also amassing 29 caps for Argentina, featuring once during the nation's 2022 World Cup triumph.

The Argentina international has been lauded as a "defensive monster" by football analyst Marcus Bring, and it is clear to see why, given that he ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles, and the 97th percentile for clearances per 90 over the past year.

Although he is now 29-years-old and approaching the latter stages of his career, Rodriguez has proven he is worth Betis' asking price of £10m, and Forest should undoubtedly return with a new and improved offer in the coming days.

Sreesanth’s attempt to seek court intervention to lift the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI, for his alleged involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, has failed. A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that the BCCI ban cannot be overturned or reduced, thereby negating a judgement issued by the same court in August, which had asked the board to lift the ban.In a series of tweets after the judgement was made public, Sreesanth called Tuesday’s verdict “the worst decision ever”, and said he would continue to challenge the ban. Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – were given life bans for their alleged involvement in the 2013 corruption and spot-fixing scandal in the IPL.In August, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court, had accepted Sreesanth’s writ petition, filed in February, and told the told the BCCI it had no “incriminating evidence” and hence the ban should be “quashed”.In his petition, Sreesanth told the court that in 2015, a trial court had dropped the criminal charges filed against him by the Delhi Police and hence the BCCI, too, should lift the ban. Sreesanth was among 42 individuals chargesheeted by the Delhi Police under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).Last month, the BCCI challenged Justice Mustaque’s order, saying the criminal proceedings established by the Delhi Police had no bearing on its own investigation, which had been carried out by Ravi Sawani who was chief of the board’s anti-corruption unit at the time. Sawani had prepared two reports – preliminary and supplementary – having questioned Sreesanth in person and having taken a written undertaking from the player.In its petition, the BCCI also asked whether a writ court could “sit in appeal” and “alter the quantum of penalty imposed” against the findings of the board’s disciplinary committee. A writ is an application filed in the court asking it to enforce some right against an authority or against an order against which there is no statutory remedy.The BCCI said that its decision was in “accordance” with the principles of natural justice and asked the court to decide whether Justice Mustaque’s order was “contrary to law and to principles of justice, equity and good conscience and ought to be set aside?”On Tuesday, in an oral order, a two-judge division bench, comprising Justices Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, ruled that a writ court could only scrutinise if the BCCI’s investigation process was fair, but could not challenge the merits of the punishment. The writ court, the division bench pointed out, could not overstep its brief and become an “appellate” power over BCCI; doing so would be “exceeding the limits of judicial review”.The division bench also rejected Sreesanth’s argument that he had been denied natural justice. It said Sreesanth had actually violated the BCCI’s anti-corruption code, having failed to inform the anti-corruption unit about the illegal activities despite receiving education from the ACU. The division bench also agreed with the BCCI that the decision of the Delhi trial court could not be equated to the life ban as desired by Sreesanth.Sreesanth expressed strong resentment towards the court order immediately after the judgement was made public and questioned why he was being singled out when the BCCI had allowed Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – the two IPL franchises suspended following the 2013 scandal – to return to the fold. “Special rule for me? what about real culprits? What about chennai super kings ? And what about Rajasthan?” he tweeted.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2017Shai Hope got an inside edge on to his stumps in the first innings and was lbw in the second•Getty ImagesKyle Hopec Stokes b Anderson 25, feisty, rearing off a length, clips the shoulder of the bat and flies to gully! Hope has been blasted out by an absolute ripsnorter from Anderson! Stokes this time holds on without drama, it was a straightforward catch after the ball had kicked like Buckaroo and taken Hope completely by surprise. He battled through admirably last night but couldn’t do too much with thatlbw b Roland Jones 12, full, straight and given lbw! After a long talk, Hope calls for the review out of, well, hope. It has angled back in a little, Hope plays around it, but it’s umpire’s call on clipping leg stump. Not plumb, but out enough with it being given on the field by S RaviKieran Powellrun out (Anderson) 20, angled in and tapped down towards mid-on, Powell calls for the single – but it’s a risk, direct hit! Gone, run out by a yard! Calamitous stuff from West Indies and they’ve lost two in two overs… It was a good throw from Anderson but Powell really misjudged thatc Cook b Anderson 10, edged and taken at first slip! Anderson nips out the first again, maybe could have been left on length but it veered away as Powell pushed stiffly from the crease and sent a fast nick straight into Cook’s bucket handsRoston Chaseb Anderson 0, bowled ‘im! Precision stuff from Anderson, decking back in off a perfect length, Chase can’t get his bat down quite in time and edges on to his stumps… The pink ball pops the bails and England are right amongst ’em, herelbw b Broad 24, shoots on low, into the pads – Chase has been done! Easy decision for Marais Erasmus, Broad gets his wicket and moves within one of levelling up Ian Botham… Chase might have come forward but couldn’t then get his bat down as it seamed in at himShai Hopeb Roland-Jones 15, timber! Hope plays on, Roland-Jones breaks the (brief) resistance and West Indies are five down… An ill-advised shot, given the circumstances his team were in, trying to drive on the up and there was enough seam movement to mean the ball ended up cannoning into the stumps off the inside edgec Root b Stokes 4, edged, sharp catch at second slip! Stokes has found some good rhythm in this spell, but it’s a loose poke outside off, really. Was just short of a good length, but quite wide, Hope hangs his bat out and the edge is grabbed by the captainThe West Indies captain Jason Holder was another who went twice in the day•Getty ImagesShane Dowrichlbw b Roland-Jones 4, that’s stone dead lbw! Gets it full and straight, that actually straightens off the seam and beats the outside edge as Dowrich shapes to play towards mid-on and that’s clattering off stump.b Broad 5, bowled him, neck and crop! That went through Dowrich like a battering ram, seaming in to smash the top of off stump – and it moves Broad clear of Botham as England’s second-leading Test wicket-taker! Anderson and Broad are together at the top of the pileJason Holderc Bairstow b Moeen 11, caught behind after a review! Another one past the outside edge, and Bairstow is convinced he’s nicked it! The review is called for. Moeen certainly wasn’t sure. There are spikes on Ultra Edge – although did they quite match up? – and this is overturned! Holder isn’t impressed. Bat was nowhere near the ground or the pad. Noise can’t have been anything elsec Cook b Broad 0, gone first ball! Broad is off and running again, no need to check with the umpire this time… A beauty holding its line on off and Holder can only steer it low to first slip! He’s level with Botham and on a hat-trick!Kemar Roachb Broad 5, that’s through him! Full at off stump, Roach goes for the drive and this spears past the inside edge to take out off stumpb Anderson 12,that does the job, full and straight. Very similar to the first-innings dismissal, Roach misses his drive and the stumps are clatteredAlzarri Josephlbw b Broad 6, fired in at the stumps, hits the pads and up goes the finger! Joseph misses playing across the line, pinned like a gigantic butterfly on the crease… That looked plumb and S Ravi agreed with Broad, who was off and running in familiar fashion before glancing round to have it confirmed. West Indies still have two reviews left but Joseph doesn’t even bother to burn onec Stokes b Roland-Jones 8, edged to slip, and that’s the win to England. In the channel outside off, excellent line, the outside edge carries low to Stokes who grabs it down to his right

Chelsea are still "following" Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia for a summer move, however Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo remains the "priority" target, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Moises Caicedo signing for Chelsea?

Brighton manger Robert De Zerbi effectively proposed a swap deal involving Caicedo and Levi Colwill earlier this week, however Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear the centre-back will not be put up for sale, recently saying:

“He is our player and he is going to continue with us. I am happy with him, his performance was good today, better than what I expected because it is only the first game with us after the season with Brighton. I am so happy, he can be one of the greatest centre-backs in England.”

As such, the Blues will have to match Brighton's asking price for the Ecuadorian midfielder if they are to sign him this summer, and journalist Dean Jones believes they will be willing to fork out £80m to get the deal over the line.

It is thought that the Seagulls would accept a bid in that region, but it also needs to be "topped up with add-ons, and Chelsea are now working on a deal of that nature, according to The Daily Mail.

The report also states that the 21-year-old has been assured he will be allowed to leave this summer, should a suitable bid be tabled.

Romano has now dropped an update on Chelsea's pursuit of Caicedo, while he also makes it clear that Lavia remains a potential target, telling CaughtOffside:

"Chelsea are also following the Lavia situation due to the connection with Joe Shields, one of the Chelsea directors, but it’s not linked to the Moises Caicedo deal. Caicedo remains the priority for Chelsea, but Shields had Lavia at Southampton and Manchester City, so he knows the player well and there is a good connection there."

How good is Romeo Lavia?

Lauded as an "absolute monster" by journalist Benjy Nurick, the central midfielder was a shining light in a poor Southampton side last season, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League, the second-highest figure in the squad.

Over the past year, the 19-year-old has also displayed his defensive aptitude by averaging 1.90 blocks per 90, which places him in the 96th percentile compared to other players in his position.

The Saints are resigned to losing the Belgian youngster this summer, and they are hoping to receive a fee of £50m, which makes him a cheaper option than Caicedo, however there are doubts over whether he is at the same level as the Brighton midfielder.

Although he has been playing in a better side, the Ecuador international has averaged more tackles and interceptions per 90 than Lavia over the past year, while he has also recorded a far better pass-completion rate.

As such, it is the right call for Caicedo to remain Chelsea's priority midfield target, and they should only look to sign Lavia if they miss out on the Brighton star.

Celtic appear to be edging closer to a move for Gangwon FC forward Yang Hyun-jun, with the situation “gradually being resolved”.

Are Celtic signing Yang Hyun-jun?

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have acted swiftly in the transfer market following the Northern Irishman’s return as manager at Parkhead, with midfielder Odin Thiago Holm and winger Marco Tilio joining from Valerenga and Melbourne City receptively on five-year deals.

Rodgers reportedly has a £30m transfer kitty to play with this summer, and that figure may have been boosted, with star man Jota since signing for Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in a deal worth £25m.

As a result, Celtic appear to be on the hunt for another wide forward, with Yang a player they have been heavily linked with. Reports suggested that a £2.1m fee had been agreed between the two clubs, however, as we know, a move is yet to materialise.

Yang has been keen to make the move to Scotland and even previously admitted he would give up his salary to force through a deal with the Scottish Premiership champions.

"Celtic is a good offer, so I want to go. I have to do my best as a member of Gangwon. But I think the desire to go will still be there.

"I want to go to Celtic this summer. I hope Gangwon will allow me to transfer. If the transfer fee isn’t enough, I’ll even give my salary."

The Daily Record shared an update on Celtic and Yang in the last 48 hours, saying that a dream Hoops transfer for the forward is still on. They believe a £2.1m deal is still being floated and shared more comments from the player himself, who said that “situation is gradually being resolved”, with Gangwon re-evaluating Yang’s value following a meeting.

"The stagnant situation is gradually being resolved.

"The club have re-evaluated the value through CEO Kim Byung-ji during the one-on-one meeting. Still, there seems to be some progress. I think I hurt the fans too much. I want to make the fans smile and go to Celtic."

Who is Yang Hyun-jun?

Yang is valued at a career-high €700,000 by Transfermarkt and has made 71 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring nine times and registering five assists in all competitions.

The South Korea U23 international has previously been labelled as Gangwon's up-and-coming star who is unpredictable and eye-catching by K League United columnist Nathan Sartain, so could be a shrewd addition to come in and attempt to fill the void left by Jota.

Primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle, the 21-year-old was hailed as “excellent” and a “level above” in the media following a pre-season performance against Tottenham last year.

By the looks of things, he could be the next attacking Asian player to move to Parkhead, following in the footsteps of the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Oh Hyeon-gyu, and it appears as if a deal in the region of £2.1m could be edging closer following the player’s recent comments.

Ross Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2017

It’s only March but Ross Taylor has come up with a resolution for next year – or maybe just next season – already. “I think I am going to start [keeping count of] how many games I can play without getting injured,” Taylor joked during a stint on the , SkyTV’s daily tea-time interview slot, during the fourth day’s play between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton. “Calf, hammies, side-strains, fingers, bones. It’s just disappointing that it’s South Africa I have missed a few times.”Taylor has missed some part of the last three series against South Africa, the first in the aftermath of the captaincy debacle in 2012-13, the second a limited-overs series in 2015 following surgery after a groin injury sustained in Zimbabwe, and now the last two Tests in this series, after tearing a calf in the first.Although Taylor admitted that not having to front up to “Morkel and Rabada is probably not a bad thing,” he said he would like to play as much as he can in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, which is being touted as the swansong of his career. His most recent injury has served to spur him on to ensure he gets there. “I just need motivation when things aren’t going well, when you get a bit tired of day-in, day-out cricket, just a nice little reminder to say why you play this game. Hopefully I can get through that.”For now, Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy and the triangular tournament in Ireland, also featuring Bangladesh, which precedes the ICC event. New Zealand will be without their IPL players for that tri-series, which will make Taylor’s presence even more important and he hopes he can play a role in mentoring some of the younger players. “You want to expose young players to get the depth in the squad that we are comfortable with,” he said. “[So] we have 20 players at any time that can be very competitive against any side in the world.”One thing he may not be teaching them is to copy his signature celebration of sticking his tongue out on reaching a century. “I did it when I was youngster growing up – I got a cheeky hundred, I was dropped a couple of times and then I got a cheeky hundred so I did it. When my daughter was growing up, she was 2 or 3, she said, ‘Daddy, can you get a hundred for me and poke your tongue out?’ So that’s what I do now,” he said.Taylor has had the chance to do that in two ODIs and a Test this summer, which is not his best tally but has contributed to what he regards as an overall period of good progress for the team. “It has been a great summer,” he said. “Regardless of what happens [in this Test], it has been a successful summer. We retained the Chappell-Hadlee and got some convincing results against Pakistan and Bangladesh. We could finish off the summer really well with a Test victory here and we’ve seen some young players coming through and some veterans stepping up.”The highlight, though, has been the way Kane Williamson has stepped up to the captaincy. Since taking on the job in July last year, Williamson has scored 1079 runs at an average of 59.94 which includes four Test hundreds. He has also become the fastest New Zealander to 5,000 runs and equalled Martin Crowe’s century haul, and Taylor believes there’s no limit to what he can achieve.”He is only 26. He is in fantastic form and he scored a great hundred here. Add into it how the team played in Wellington, going into a must-win match and having to step up at a crucial time, to get a century here – every one starts talking about how many he is going to get,” Taylor said. “He could go down as our best batsman.”

Harry Kane finds the idea of a transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich appealing, David Ornstein has claimed.

What's the latest on Harry Kane?

The England striker has one year remaining on his contract at Spurs, who are still reluctant to see him depart the club this summer.

Bayern Munich have already seen a bid rejected for the 29-year-old, as chairman Daniel Levy is adamant that he can eventually tie Kane down to a new contract.

There were question marks about whether Kane would want to leave the Premier League, but Ornstein has now revealed on TalkSPORT that the Englishman would be open to moving to the German champions.

"Bayern Munich registered an offer of €70m (£60m) plus add-ons a couple of mornings ago, and that was rejected out of hand by Daniel Levy, but it showed the interest of one of the biggest clubs in world football," he stated.

"We understand that a move there would appeal to Kane if it came to fruition. I think the expectation is that Bayern will probably go again, there have been reports suggesting that.

"Whether they'll be successful, I don't know because I've always been led to believe that Daniel Levy doesn't want to lose him and so isn't putting a price on it or countenancing his sale."

Should Kane go to Bayern Munich?

Kane has had yet another outstanding individual season, scoring 30 league goals, but Spurs disappointed throughout, finishing in eighth place and failing to qualify for European competition.

The striker is yet to win a major trophy in his career, and a move to a European giant like Bayern Munich would give him a strong chance of winning league titles and competing for Champions League glory.

Spurs could cash in on their talisman, sending him abroad rather than to a Premier League rival, and can use the money from what could be a big sale to reinvest into the squad.

New manager Ange Postecoglou has already added James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario to his ranks, and whilst selling Kane would initially be a big blow, it could allow him to completely rebuild the Spurs squad, which has steadily declined in quality over the last few years.

Kane could compete for major honours without tainting his Spurs legacy by joining a rival, and Spurs can aim to build a competitive side which is no longer reliant on their star striker.

The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2017The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive. Grave, who is serving his notice period at the Professional Cricketers’ Association in England, where he has been employed as commercial director for the last nine years, will assume the WICB role from February.The position of the WICB CEO was left vacant once Michael Muirhead stepped down on October 14 last year, although he continued in the role until December at the request of the board.Dave Cameron, the WICB president, said in a media release on Monday that Grave was a “unanimous choice” of the interview panel from a shortlist drawn up by global consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers.The WICB stated that among the “top” priorities for Grave would include overseeing $40 million budget of the WICB with “an increased focus on player relations and improved performances on and off the field”. Muirhead’s tenure saw the board turn around its finances but also featured disputes with senior players over pay and selection.”Johnny has a proven track record of success in his career to date and a huge amount of relevant experience and will add exceptional value to the organisation,” Cameron said.Grave, who will be based in Antigua, said he was excited by his next challenge. “I am genuinely excited by the opportunity of improving cricket at all levels within the region and am looking forward to working with the many stakeholders who are committed to the long-term development of West Indies Cricket.”

Liverpool are creeping towards the latter stages of a deal to bring OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram to Anfield, according to reports.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?

A report from Football Transfers claims the Frenchman has 'verbally agreed terms' on a deal with the Anfield side, with manager Jurgen Klopp tracking the player since January.

Such claims are corroborated by the prominent Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter on Thursday to state that the Reds have scheduled a fresh round of talks with the Merseyside outfit.

With interest in Thuram believed to be high, as much as €60m (£52m) could be required to prise him away from the French Ligue 1, though such a sum could be worthwhile considering the calibre of his skill set.

What would Khephren Thuram bring to Liverpool?

It cannot be surprising to any avid football fan that Liverpool are undergoing major midfield surgery following a dismal campaign that illuminated the need for change, compounded by the mass exodus – James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all left upon the expiry of their contracts, while stricken loanee Arthur has also left the Premier League club.

However, given the situation Klopp is beset with, failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons and ceding acres of territory to those at the forefront of the division, this is a blessing in disguise and the opportune moment to rekindle the flame has arisen, with the bargain £35m transfer of Alexis Mac Allister already concluded.

Considering the aforementioned departees, Thuram would have the perfect chance to cement a starting berth as the prestigious outfit look to commence a renaissance, having earned praise as the "perfect profile" by journalist Alex Jaquin.

While the midfield and its inability to effectively protect the defence this season has been the crux of Liverpool's demise, Thuram's acquisition could actually bolster the offensive ranks, too, with the new-look frontline exhibiting glimpses of brilliance over the past year but yet to click into top gear.

Mohamed Salah has been as imperious as ever, though, and plundered 30 goals and 16 assists from 51 matches across all competitions, and while he did not start off as emphatically as he would have hoped, 20 of his 31 direct contributions in the top flight occurred after the midpoint and could tantalise further stunning form when Liverpool ostensibly return to prominence next year.

Thuram can aid this and then some; as per FBref, the £15k-per-week machine ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 25% for assists per 90, illustrating his knack at driving forward and creating danger in the final third.

Salah, who ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box, can act as both the conduit from which Thuram can latch onto and the dynamic forward to provide a multi-faceted edge to the attack.

Hailed for his "tremendous" abilities by one Anfield Wrap podcaster, Thuram could be the dream signing to both enrich Liverpool's midfield vibrancy and infuse the robustness of the centre with the potency of the attack, and Klopp must throw the kitchen sink at tying up a deal this summer.