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According to a report in The Lancashire Telegraph, Blackburn Rovers are continuing to monitor Charlton Athletic centre-back Patrick Bauer ahead of the summer transfer window, and if they get him they will be answering manager Tony Mowbray’s prayers.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Championship outfit were keen on the 26-year-old last summer as per The Lancashire Telegraph, but the Addicks didn’t want to lose one of their star defenders as they attempted to return to England’s second tier.

However, the German is now into the final few months of his contract at The Valley, and The Lancashire Telegraph report that he hasn’t changed his previous stance of not wanting to commit his future to the south London outfit.

That means he could leave Charlton for nothing this summer, and his future may depend on whether Lee Bowyer’s men go up or not – they look set to finish in the play-offs.

Answering Mowbray’s prayers

The Lancashire Telegraph says that experienced manager has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his backline this summer, with their poor defensive showings on the road ultimately costing them a shot at a top-six finish this term.

Of the 60 goals they have conceded, 42 of those have come on the road and they have seriously lacked height in the backline ever since Darragh Lenihan picked up an injury last month.

Bauer would certainly bring that given he stands at over 6 ft 3, and he has shown consistently with his performances for Charlton that he is ready to star at Championship level.

If they could get a quality centre-back for nothing this summer, Mowbray would be thanking his lucky stars.

Midfield creativity has been a huge issue for Liverpool this season as their over-reliance on their fearsome front three has seen them stumble in recent weeks in the Premier League.

Following the departure of Phillipe Coutinho last year to Barcelona, boss Jurgen Klopp has used the money recuperated to bolster the club’s defensive options by signing the likes of Alisson Becker, Fabinho and the excellent Virgil Van Dijk.

As a result of these purchases, the Reds have clearly shown a marked improvement at one end of the pitch yet in doing so have sacrificed a fair share of their attacking abilities. The failure of securing a deal to bring in Nabil Fekir last summer from Olympique Lyonnais has left Klopp’s side clearly lacking a spark at times in the Premier League this season.

Goalless draws on their travels at Everton and Manchester United in the last month has emphasised the chasm in midfield options between Liverpool and Premier League leaders Manchester City. Whereas Guardiola’s side has the luxury of choosing between the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, the Reds’ lack of squad depth may make all the difference in this year’s title race.

In order to address this issue next season, Klopp has to give up on the failed project of trying to get Adam Lallana back to his best.

Having moved to Anfield for a fee reported to be in the region of £25m by the Guardian in 2014 following an immensely successful spell with Southampton, the midfielder seemingly had all the hallmarks of becoming a world class talent.

Yet despite impressing initially in his first two seasons at the club, Lallana’s development was hampered by a myriad of injury problems which saw him miss 18 games for the Reds. The England international’s habit of spending far too much time sidelined has continued in the last three years as he has been unavailable for selection for a further 49 matches.

However, even when fit and playing for Liverpool, Lallana has been very inconsistent with the play-maker only producing glimmers of his talent during his five year spell at Anfield.

In terms of this season, it is clear that Klopp has a decision to make in the summer as the former AFC Bournemouth star has been incredibly underwhelming having yet to register a goal or assist in 15 appearances in all competitions.

If the Reds are to build a squad that can dominate both in the Premier League and in Europe over the next five years, they simply have to get rid of some of the deadwood in their squad. Unfortunately for Lallana, his form this season means that he has to be one of the players to depart in the upcoming transfer window.

The sale of the midfielder could suit both parties as for Liverpool, they can use some of the funds to bring in a young, exciting creative player whilst Lallana could also benefit from a new start elsewhere which could allow him to re-build his career.

What do you think Liverpool fans? Should Klopp give up on Lallana? Or does the England international still have what it takes to perform at the top level? Let us know below.

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Arsenal are suffering something of a defensive injury crisis at present. First choice right-back Hector Bellerin is out until the end of the season, as is centre-back Rob Holding. What’s more, summer signing Sokratis is also currently sidelined.

35-year-old right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner has proved incapable of dealing with the pace of the Premier League, whilst club captain Laurent Koscielny may also struggle with the strain of starting week in, week out.

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Despite all of this, Unai Emery cannot continue to rely upon 26-year-old Shkodran Mustafi in the heart of his defence. The 20-cap Germany international is a liability at the back. However, in light of Emery’s struggle to find effective cover for Bellerin, Mustafi should be tested at right-back.

The German has played at full-back in the past for his country and previous club Valencia. His passing ability and distribution can be put to good use on the flanks, whilst his defensive mistakes ought to be less costly than they would be at centre-back.

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Premier League strugglers Southampton to lose 2-0 when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but that isn’t the only piece of bad news he has for the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Liverpool legend was once again providing his weekly score predictions in the English top flight, but he doesn’t believe that Saints will bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 defeat against lowly Cardiff City last time out, a result which saw them slip into the relegation zone.

Predicting a 2-0 scoreline for the Gunners, the 61-year-old also added that he believes the south coast outfit are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.

According to BBC Football, Lawrenson said: “Southampton dropped into the relegation zone after losing to Cardiff last time out, and I think they might stay there for a while longer.

“Arsenal have got some issues they need to sort out – Mesut Ozil’s future being one of them – but their home record is very good and they should still be too strong for Saints.”

Is he right?

While his comments won’t be great reading for Southampton supporters or manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, he may well be correct in his thinking.

The south coast outfit face Unai Emery’s men, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their next four Premier League fixtures, while they have fellow bottom-three outfit Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

The clash against the Cottagers may be more winnable on paper than the other three, but the south coast outfit showed by taking just one point at home to Crystal Palace and the Bluebirds that they don’t always have the quality to get wins against the teams around them in the table on their own patch.

Even if they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side and lose the other three, they will be in big trouble in the final eight games.

Danny Rose completed his loan move to Newcastle United from Tottenham on Thursday night.

What’s the story?

The 29-time England international has made 10 starts for Spurs so far this season in the Premier League, but that has not been enough to keep him in North London.

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As such, the Toon have swooped to take him to St James’ Park until the end of the season. He is the third new arrival in the north east so far this month after loan moves for Nabil Bentaleb and Valentin Lazaro were also completed.

Change of direction

Steve Bruce’s side have been particularly defensive so far this campaign. Only three sides have scored less than their 24 goals so far this term and the average 39.1% possession they have managed in the Premier League is easily the lowest in the division.

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However, the arrival of Danny Rose, coupled with Austria international Lazaro, indicates a change in direction for the Toon. So far this season, Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth and DeAndre Yedlin have all managed a maximum of 0.4 key passes per game as they have shared the right-back role. Lazaro, meanwhile, scored three goals and managed six assists last season for Hertha Berlin and averaged 1.8 key passes.

On the opposite flank, Jetro Willems has 0.8 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per fixture. With one and 1.3 last season, Rose indicates an improvement in the offensive department as well. It therefore looks as though Bruce may look to be more expansive from the full-back position – Newcastle fans should be relishing the thought.

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Darren Moore could lose Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes at any moment, but the West Bromwich Albion manager should not fret and instead make a move to sign Southampton’s Callum Slattery on loan.

What’s the latest?

Claude Puel is yet to announce whether he will be recalling Barnes back to the Foxes or not, with the midfielder impressing during the first half of a season-long loan.

The Leicester manager gave a clear indication last week that a recall is on the cards, however, when he noted that there are more positives for his side should they bring the 21-year-old home rather than allowing the attacking midfielder to see out the season at the Hawthorns.

In the care of Moore, Barnes has featured in every Championship fixture to date, netting nine times and creating a further six goals for his Baggies teammates.

If he were to be recalled, West Brom would have to fill the void left with another clever attacking midfielder, and Southampton’s Slattery would fit the bill.

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Who is Callum Slattery?

Slattery may not yet be a household name, but the teenager has a big future set out for him on the south coast having worked his way through the academy system before earning his senior debut in the FA Cup last weekend.

In a starting role, the 19-year-old starred and displayed a similar style of play to that of Barnes, making the transition in Moore’s tactics less of a worry than proceeding in the Championship without a like-for-like replacement.

The former England youth international, who joined the Saints aged eight, is just the latest to break through a prestigious junior programme that brought the likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Luke Shaw and, more recently, Matt Targett and Yan Valery to the fore, who are all plying their trade in the top-tiers of football.

Slattery also understands the need to keep things calm when under pressure, and hails the breakthrough of James Ward-Prowse as an inspiration and someone he looks to for guidance.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Oliver Skipp has been named Premier League 2 Player of the Month following a fine showing of performances in September. Mauricio Pochettino had him on the bench for last weekend’s game against Cardiff City at Wembley due to injuries, but the newly turned 18-year-old has also performed with such maturity that warrants first-team opportunities in the near future. Spurs fans have had their say on the academy prospect and they are full of praise for their youngster.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the reaction.

A pair of fans even felt that a start in Spurs’ next fixture after the international break against West Ham United is the best option.

One fan even made the bold statement that Skipp is better than two of Spurs’ first-team midfielders at this moment in time.

According to a recent report from The Daily Star, Everton are one of several Premier League sides interested in signing Croatia World Cup ace Domagoj Vida this summer. The 29-year-old played a huge part in helping his country reach the showpiece in Russia this summer in starting six of their seven matches, including their 4-2 final defeat to France in Moscow earlier this month.

And his excellent exploits for his country has reportedly attracted the interest of several Premier League sides, one of which being Everton, although Marco Silva’s men should forget about him and instead do all they can to land fellow World Cup star Yerry Mina.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while 29-year-old Vida deserves great credit for helping Croatia produce their best-ever World Cup performance, he will be 30 during the coming campaign, and part of the Toffees’ biggest problem in the last year or so has been the fact that their backline is indeed aging.

The likes of Ashley Williams, Leighton Baines, and Phil Jagielka are all in the twilight of their careers and as such a more youthful approach in the transfer market could well be needed, and while Vida isn’t as far along as the aforementioned trio, his arrival would hardly be a nod to the long term.

Whereas 23-year-old Mina certainly would be, at the same time landing a centre back who has proven his worth in the last few years for both club and country.

Ultimately, one does not sign for Barcelona if one is not a seriously accomplished player, which is exactly where Mina moved to back in January to underline his credentials, even if he did only appear six times in all competitions in the second half of last season.

Yet it was also his efforts for Colombia at this summer’s World Cup which appear to be of interest to Everton chief Silva, as the 23-year-old netted three times for his country to help them reach the last 16, at the same time only conceding once while Mina was on the pitch.

Clearly, the centre back is hugely influential in both his own box and indeed the opposition’s to suggest that he could be a huge asset to Silva, not least because his addition would be a much-needed nod to the long-term, which hasn’t always been the case with signings in recent times – there’s a reason they have been linked with him this summer.

Thus, while Vida is a very accomplished defender, the Toffees should forget about him and instead seal a deal for fellow World Cup ace Mina this summer.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to reports from The Liverpool Echo, Everton are eyeing Lazio defender Wesley Hoedt as a potential summer addition.

The Toffees are keen to add ‘left-sided’ defensive cover and the four-cap Netherlands international is a left-footed centre-half, suggesting he can fill the injury void of Ramiro Funes Mori and potentially even line up at No.3 if required.

The 6 foot 3 defender enjoyed a relatively solid season last time out, making 23 top flight appearances as Lazio finished fifth in Serie A whilst averaging 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 2.3 successful aerial duels and 4.5 clearances per match.

Yet, at 23 years of age, Hoedt still represents a bit of a gamble for the Merseysiders – especially considering he’s never plied his trade in the Premier League before.

So, Everton fans, should your club swoop for the former AZ man or should Ronald Koeman be looking to spend the club’s funds on someone else?

Let us know if you’d back a transfer deal for Hoedt by voting below…

Alexis Sanchez has been Arsenal's stand-out player this season but question marks have surrounded about the Chilean's long-term future in North London, with many feeling the former Barcelona man will cut his ties this summer.

The two-time Copa America winner netted his 20th goal of the season in the Champions League on Tuesday night but was a frustrated figure come the final whistle, after Arsenal left the Allianz Arena with a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.

That's intensified rumours that Alexis may be moving on but the superstar seems to have suggested that's not the case, with his recent post on Instagram.

No soy un "SUERTUDO" simplemente trabajo con esfuerzo y dedicación para estar hoy aquí y sonreírle a la Vida