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Liverpool correspondent James Pearce has labelled an injury update to midfielder Arthur Melo as ‘devastating news’.

The Lowdown: Surgery required

Arthur made the move to Anfield late in the summer window, joining on a season-long loan from Juventus. However, the 26-year-old has struggled on Merseyside and is yet to make a Premier League appearance for the Reds.

His only first-team minutes came off the bench in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Napoli in September. The midfielder now looks set to be out of action for three to four months after sustaining an injury in training that requires surgery.

The Latest: Pearce reacts

Pearce took to Twitter on Saturday evening to report the update regarding Arthur.

He shared a story for The Athletic, describing it as ‘devastating news’ for the player.

The Verdict: Not good

Arthur is yet to get going under Jurgen Klopp, and it looks as if he won’t be seen in action again until 2023.

The Reds reportedly have the option to make a move permanent at the end of the season in a deal worth £32m, however, you’d say that a full-time move is unlikely at this moment in time.

Hopefully, Arthur’s surgery goes as planned and he can return in good time, where he can potentially show everyone at the club why Klopp and co decided to bring him to Anfield.

Crystal Palace have gone from being the oldest team in the Premier League back in 2020 to developing and nurturing some of the league’s best young talent in just 12 months.

Tyrick Mitchell, Conor Gallagher and Mark Guehi all earned England call-ups over last season due to their consistency and outstanding contributions to Patrick Vieira’s side, and the French manager has made the development of young talent a key part of his philosophy during his short time so far at Selhurst Park.

Despite his integration of flourishing rising stars, there are still some players that have remained a part of the squad since Vieira took the reigns in south London, with Jordan Ayew one of the only remaining senior players to make the cut and to still feature in the team regularly.

However, with his goal contributions drying up and the striker turning 31 years old this month, it could be time for the Palace boss to start considering his options when it comes to reinventing and refreshing his forward line next summer when Ayew will be out of contract.

Vieira perhaps will not have to look far for Ayew’s successor when the time comes to phase out the Ghanaian number nine and Palace could save millions on their next striker to take up the central role.

Luke Plange is currently on loan with RWD Molenbeek in Belgium, with one goal and one assist over three appearances so far, but his most notable performances came last season in the Championship with Derby County.

Over 26 appearances, the 19-year-old scored four goals, delivered two assists and created two big chances in his first season playing at a senior level, scoring more goals in Wayne Rooney’s team than Ayew scored (3) in 31 Premier League appearances last season for Palace.

Plange who was hailed a “real threat” by Crystal Palace assistant manager Osian Roberts, also earned high praise from one of the best strikers to grace English football as former manager and England all-time top goal scorer when Rooney spoke out on the young forward last season:

“Luke Plange has a bit of everything in his game.

“He can run in behind teams, he’s quick and he is also strong enough to hold the ball up. As well as that, he’s a clever player and also a finisher.”

With that being said, Plange is certainly a prospect that Vieira should be keeping a close eye on over the coming months as he could flourish and even be an upgrade on Ayew over the years ahead if he is given the chance to shine at Selhurst Park.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has urged Arsenal to make ‘one or two more signings’ this summer in order to compete at the top of the Premier League. 

The lowdown: Busy summer

The Gunners have already enjoyed a fruitful summer in the transfer market as Edu bolstered the options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal with a number of exciting new additions.

Gabriel Jesus, Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Matt Turner all arrived at the Emirates Stadium, whilst the north Londoners continue to be linked with further attacking stars like Lucas Paqueta and Cody Gakpo.

As the window enters its final fortnight, one well-informed onlooker has suggested more incomings at Arsenal could see Arteta’s charges mount a serious challenge this season…

The latest: ‘Two more signings’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that ‘one or two more signings’ from Edu would be welcome.

He said: “It just shows the benefits of getting your business done early and having a full pre-season with your first-choice XI.

“One or two more signings gives Arsenal real depth that they still need. I mean, their starting XI is pretty much as good as almost anyone in this league at the moment. But those extra signings would seriously put them in the conversation for the top four. I think it’s too soon to consider them going any higher than that.”

The verdict: Spot on

If there are to be further arrivals into N7 it appears certain that they will be in the wide areas given the previous interest in Raphinha and the suggestion of a ‘mystery winger’ being on the radar.

With out-of-favour Frenchman Nicolas Pepe unlikely to be involved in Arteta’s plans and Marquinhos still an unproven entity at the Premier League level, adding an alternative option into the ranks would be a welcome move.

Despite netting six goals in the opening two fixtures, sterner challenges lie ahead and this campaign could be decided by those who are able to last the pace, therefore another marquee arrival such as Pedro Neto could well be on the cards before the September 1 deadline passes.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Matheus Nunes this summer, and following the injury crisis in the midfield, they may now be ready to advance on their interest in the player before the transfer window closes.

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has given a detailed assessment on Liverpool’s chances of landing Sporting CP midfielder Nunes this summer, claiming the club already have “scouting reports” on the player.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“There’s Matheus Nunes at Sporting. That’s one to look out for if they do go into the market. He would be a good fit. I know that Liverpool have got some scouting reports on him made up already.

“He’s the perfect profile that they would normally look for in a signing. I’m not convinced that they will go ahead with this before deadline day, it might just be one that they’ve got on the back burner, but it’s probably a name to look out for if they do.”

It’s time to forget about Thiago

With Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both already sidelined ahead of the Premier League opener for Liverpool at Craven Cottage, the last thing Jurgen Klopp needed was Thiago Alcantara sustaining yet another injury, alas the Spanish midfielder now joins his teammates on the injury table for the next six weeks.

This is the seventh instance of injury for the former Bayern Munich midfielder who joined the club in 2020, spending 197 days on the treatment table so far over the last two years and failing to play more than 25 Premier League games per season, so it’s time for the club to stop relying on injury prone players and start investing in young talent that can offer reliability.

Nunes has been speculated with a move to Merseyside throughout the summer and it comes as no surprise as he is the perfect profile of midfielder to slot into the squad at Anfield, proving over last season in Liga Portugal that he could be a valuable asset to the Liverpool manager over the season ahead.

The £51m gem delivered a 92% pass completion rate in his own half, creating six big chances, winning 55% of his duels and successfully completing the large majority of his dribble attempts too (70%). That was all combined with three goals from his central midfield role over 33 appearances.

Thiago offers a very unique dynamic in the midfield for Liverpool which gives the team a great edge when coming up against opponents, but his lack of availability is a cause for concern, as is the age range of the players in the squad, with the starting XI vs Fulham the joint oldest in the Premier League last weekend.

Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago, Joel Matip, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino are all in their 30s now, so the recent injury problems in midfield could be a great opportunity for FSG to start introducing more young players into the centre of the pitch, with Nunes just 23-years-old.

With that being said, the powers at Anfield have a lot to consider in terms of getting in another player before the transfer window. They would be making a big risk in terms of the fitness in midfield if they do not advance on Nunes or any of their other midfield target.

For now, they must forget about Thiago and swoop for the ever-improving Portuguese. His passing ability and composure on the ball would make him the perfect replacement for Klopp.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Amine Gouiri in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to iNews, the Magpies have been eyeing up the OGC Nice attacker as they plot moves to improve their attack ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that he may not be an active target for the current window, though, and could be a player they look to move for in the future.

It has previously been reported that the gem is valued at £30m by his current club and it remains to be seen how much the Toon would be willing to pay for him.

Imagine him & Guimaraes

If the Magpies are able to swoop for the Frenchman this summer then he could form an exciting partnership with Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes.

The central midfielder joined the club from Ligue 1 in January and made an almost instant impact on the side as he caught the eye in the Premier League.

In 11 starts for the Toon last season, the ex-Lyon man averaged an exceptional SofaScore rating of 7.25 as he chipped in with five goals and one assist from the middle of the park.

He has shown that he has the quality to lift the roof off St. James’ Park and Gouiri has the potential to make a similar impact in England.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed him “wonderful” and a “joy to watch”, illustrating how exciting he could be for the fans to see play in black and white. He is a technical player who can get the supporters off their seats with his ability on the ball, which is backed up by his statistics in recent seasons.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the 22-year-old racked up 10 goals and nine assists in Ligue 1. He also created an eye-catching 12 big chances for his teammates and delivered 1.3 key passes per game as he showcased his quality in the final third.

This came after he managed 12 goals and seven assists in 2020/21 for Nice – as well as creating 11 big chances. These statistics show that he is not a one-season wonder and that he has the potential to make a big impact in the Premier League, as he has already proven himself to be a consistent performer in another major European division.

Now, imagine him and Bruno devastating opposition defences with their ability to score and create goals. It is an exciting thought and one that will, hopefully, become reality one day.

AND in other news: Howe could land his own Dias for Newcastle in £38m deal to sign “underrated” colossus

Nottingham Forest are looking for players in the transfer window that can come into the team and improve the squad ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League, and now a new potential transfer target has been named.

What’s the latest?

According to Russian news outlet Sport Express, Yusuf Yazici’s agent has now named Nottingham Forest as one of the potential clubs that are vying to sign the player this summer.

As per the report, the Lille OSC midfielder’s agent Adam Chebedzhi has spoken to the publication about the player’s future.

Chebedzhi claims:

“Yes, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are interested in Yusuf. Now the clubs are negotiating. But I want to say again that CSKA will hold a special place in our hearts”

James Garner replacement

Not only will Steve Cooper be hoping to acquire players who can strengthen the team, but he will also need to find replacements for players in key areas that have now returned to their parent clubs following loan spells at The City Ground.

Djed Spence, James Garner, Philip Zinckernagel and Keinan Davis are just some of the first team players who have now returned to their respective clubs, so it is important to Forest find the right players to replace them to ensure they are in a good position to compete in the Premier League.

Garner, in particular, has returned to Manchester United and currently there are no plans for the player to return on another loan to Forest despite reports that the club are interested in re-signing the young midfielder.

As a result, Yazici could be the perfect replacement for the 21-year-old next season with the £15.3m-rated Turkish midfielder capable of playing multiple positions in midfield.

Yazici spent the second half of last season on loan with CSKA Moscow and was a stand-out performer in the Premier Liga over his 10 appearances, scoring eight goals, making 2.3 key passes and taking 1.3 shots on target per game, as well as maintaining a pass accuracy of 87% in his own half.

The Lille star has been the recipient of high praise, with Mesut Ozil hailing Yazici an “incredible talent” back in 2018.

With that being said, if Nottingham Forest can secure a deal for the midfielder this summer it could be a great opportunity for Cooper to bolster his midfield ahead of the newly-promoted team’s Premier League return next month.

AND in other news: “Expected to…”: David Ornstein drops big NFFC transfer claim, Cooper will be buzzing

ExWHUemployee has provided a fresh claim regarding West Ham United and their former striker, Sebastian Haller…

What’s the word?

As per the club insider, the Hammers reportedly did not include a sell-on clause as part of the Ivory Coast international’s move to Ajax in January 2021, amid suggestions that the 27-year-old could be on his way to Borussia Dortmund as a replacement for new Manchester City arrival, Erling Haaland.

Asked on Twitter whether the east Londoners could take home a percentage of that potential €40m (£34.4m) fee, should he make the switch to Germany this summer, the respected source stated: “I don’t think we do [have a sell-on clause]”.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man had been a club-record capture for the London Stadium outfit in 2019, although failed to really catch fire in a claret and blue jersey, with the club eventually accepting a sizeable loss to allow him to head to Amsterdam.

Supporters frustrated

Having suffered the fury of seeing the £31.5m-rated gem disappoint in the Premier League only to become a world-beater in the Eredivisie, supporters would no doubt have been praying that one saving grace from the Haller saga could be the opportunity to generate funds from his future moves.

Alas, the lack of a sell-on clause has thwarted such hopes, with the Irons faithful only set to grow increasingly annoyed over a transfer that simply failed to work out.

Aside from that stunning overhead kick in the draw with Crystal Palace back in December 2020, the France-born ace largely underwhelmed in English football, scoring just 14 goals and providing only three assists in 54 games in all competitions.

With manager David Moyes often favouring the more makeshift presence of Michail Antonio in attack, the club decided to cash on their failing asset after just a year-and-a-half, with few shedding too many tears over his departure.

That decision has somewhat backfired, however, with the £64k-per-week monster having since been in prolific form in Holland, netting 47 goals and chipping in with 16 assists in just 65 games under new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

That tally includes a remarkable haul of 11 goals in last season’s Champions League – a record only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (13) and Karim Benzema (15) – breaking a competition record in the process after reaching ten goals in fewer games than any other player, while also becoming just the second player ever to score in all six group games.

Such form has unsurprisingly caught the attention of those at Dortmund, with it bizarre to think that the 6 foot 3 marksman has gone from playing understudy to Antonio to potentially being the man to fill a Haaland-shaped void in Germany, all in the space of just 18 months.

As for the Hammers, the club are still scratching around trying to secure a suitable centre-forward addition, albeit with reports suggesting that Moyes is not keen to break the bank for any new striker.

To see an ex-player performing so well, at a time when West Ham are in need of a new number nine, will no doubt be a major source of frustration to supporters.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Rangers chief executive Ross Wilson is set for a big summer transfer window at Ibrox, as it will be Gio van Bronckhorst’s first extended chance to shape his squad.

The Dutchman had one month in January to bolster his playing ranks and was given a number of loanees to work with as Amad Diallo, James Sands and Aaron Ramsey all came in.

Nathan Patterson was also sold for a club-record transfer fee after coming through the academy setup, and he is one of many players over the years to achieve success after rising through the ranks at Ibrox.

However, one youth product on whom the club dropped a clanger was defender Craig Halkett, who Mark Warburton allowed to leave on a free transfer in 2016.

The centre-back was never offered an opportunity to play at senior level for the Gers, as he went on loan twice before joining Livingston on a permanent deal.

This gave him the chance to get regular game-time under his belt and he played 137 times in three-and-a-half seasons for Livi, helping them to climb from League One to the Premiership with back-to-back promotions – an extraordinary feat.

He then earned himself a move to Hearts in 2019 and he has played more than 100 matches for the Edinburgh club to date, catching the eye in the 2021/22 campaign.

Jam Tarts manager Robbie Neilson previously hailed the 26-year-old’s “standout” performances, while Hearts TV pundit Robert Borthwick claimed in March that Halkett had been “immense all season”, and the statistics back that up.

In the Premiership, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 across 28 outings. He made a whopping 4.5 clearances per game and won an impressive 67% of his duels as he showcased both his positional awareness and his physical strength at this level.

For context, that rating would place him seventh in the Rangers squad for outfield average ratings in the top flight. This suggests that the £2.4k-per-week enforcer would be one of the Gers’ top performers if Van Bronckhorst had him as an option within his squad.

At the age of 26, Halkett is now heading into the prime years of his career, and he still has room to hone his skills even further as he continues to gain experience.

Therefore, Warburton dropped a huge clanger by allowing the defender to leave for nothing six years ago, as the Hearts tank has gone on to make a success of himself elsewhere. The former Rangers boss must surely be regretting the call to axe him from the squad in 2016.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: GvB can form scary Rangers duo by signing £4.5k-p/w machine…

Liverpool appear to have suffered a huge blow after it was reported that transfer target Aurelien Tchouameni has decided to join Real Madrid instead of making the move to the Premier League, according to transfer insider Graeme Bailey. 

The Lowdown: Tchouameni profiled

The 22-year-old first joined AS Monaco on an initial five-year deal from Bordeaux in January 2020 and he since gone on to make 95 appearances for his current employers, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The Reds had previously held talks with the maestro, with 90min claiming that the Merseyside club, alongside top-flight rivals Chelsea and Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, made contact with Monaco to register their interest in securing his services.

However, the Frenchman has revealed his next destination, and it doesn’t involve a move to England.

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The Latest: Decision made

In a new post on his Twitter profile, Bailey reported Tchouameni’s decision to join Liverpool’s Champions League final opponents, writing: “Aurelien Tchouameni heading to Real Madrid; Liverpool and Chelsea informed of decision. Big blow for Liverpool and Chelsea – Tchouameni is a very special player.”

Expanding in his article for 90min, the journalist stated that the Merseysiders had made the eight-cap France international one of their ‘top summer targets’ and were even confident that the deal was ‘90% done’ just a few weeks ago, but sources have now told the website that the £19k-per-week star has ‘decided to join Real’.

The Verdict: Missed opportunity

The news that Tchouameni has chosen not to take up the option of signing for Liverpool must come as a huge blow for the Anfield outfit, who have clearly been long-time admirers of the player.

The 6 foot 1 talisman, who was once dubbed “pure gold” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has hugely impressed for Monaco this season, averaging 2.9 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and 1.6 shots per league game, via WhoScored, highlighting the impact that he can have at both ends of the pitch.

With Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner all 30 or older, the Reds could have done with signing someone like 22-year-old Tchouameni in the middle of the park. However, with him seemingly off to Madrid, it’s now time for FSG to be looking at bolstering their ranks elsewhere ahead of the 2022/23 season.

In other news… Liverpool will reportedly ‘listen to offers’ for one first-team star this summer

Giovanni van Bronckhorst must not play Fashion Sakala as the ‘lone frontman’ against RB Leipzig on Thursday, journalist Andy Newport has warned.

The lowdown

Van Bronckhorst deployed Sakala in a right-sided berth in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Celtic on Sunday.

With Alfredo Morelos out for the season and Kemar Roofe also missing through injury, it was Joe Aribo who stepped in as a no. 9.

The £3.6million-rated Zambian came under fire during the first 45 minutes at Parkhead, with The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell tweeting that he wasn’t ‘keeping the ball well enough’ and Sky Sports commentator Ally McCoist branding him ‘really poor’.

However, it was his goal that salvaged a draw for Rangers midway through the second half.

The Gers have now turned their attention to the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Leipzig as they look to turn the tie around after a 1-0 defeat last week.

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The latest

Asked as part of The Daily Record’s Monday Jury whether Sakala should start against Leipzig, Newport replied: “Perhaps, but certainly not as the lone frontman.”

Sakala ‘proved again’ during what was a ‘pretty rotten first half’ display on Sunday that he’s currently ill-equipped to ‘play with his back to goal’.

On the other hand, ‘he can be a threat’ if he’s ‘given space from the wide areas’.

The verdict

Sakala was named on the bench for the first leg in Germany, coming on for the final 21 minutes.

He failed to make much of an impact in his cameo, losing possession five times despite only recording eight touches.

It’s difficult to know where the £8,300-per-week man stands after the Old Firm. Was his goal enough to paper over the cracks that were visible in the first half?

Sakala has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in his first season at the club but clearly there are concerns over his all-round forward play.

If Rangers fail to make it through on Thursday, they may be left wondering what might have been had Morelos, their top scorer, stayed fit.

In other news, read this former Gers boss’ verdict on Josh McPake.