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Over the years, Ipswich Town have had some big names play for the club. Before Kieran McKenna took the Tractor Boys from League One to the Premier League in consecutive seasons, some current-day Premier League stars wore that famous blue shirt during their time in the football league.

The likes of Trevoh Chalobah spent a season on loan at Portman Road from boyhood club Chelsea, and Tyrone Mings, now part of Unai Emery’s successful Aston Villa side, played 63 times for the club before a move to Bournemouth. The likes of Chris Wood and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have also played for Ipswich.

Another of their former players, who has since gone on to play European football, turned out to be a genius piece of business from the club. That player is Adam Webster.

Adam Webster’s record at Ipswich

Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Webster spent two seasons at Portman Road when they were in the Championship between 2016 and 2018. He was part of a side that managed to avoid relegation, finishing mid-table in both of his seasons at the club.

The Tractor Boys signed the centre-back in June 2016 from Portsmouth, the club where he first broke through. He cost the East Anglian outfit around £750k, according to BBC Sport, which, at the time was a record fee for Mick McCarthy as Ipswich boss.

The centre-back went on to make 53 appearances for the club over the two seasons, managing to get himself on the scoresheet once, against Birmingham City, and grab three assists along the way.

Frustratingly for the defender, injuries hampered his time at Portman Road. In his first season, he missed 259 days, and 44 games, with five separate cases of injury, before missing a further 94 games and 17 games with three different injury issues in his second campaign.

Eventually, the defender departed the club in 2018, joining Championship rivals Bristol City. His move to Ashton Gate cost £3.5m, although there were reports of clauses in the move increasing that to £8m.

Webster’s value in 2024

Nowadays, the defender is worth even more, as he continues to ply his trade on the South Coast at Brighton. He has become a key player at the Amex Stadium and was even praised by Jamie Carragher in 2022 for being “better than any other English central defender” at playing out from the back with both feet.

The Seagulls paid £20m to sign the defender in 2019, and he became their record signing at the time. He now ranks 10th on that list, alongside some superb players who have been signed by Brighton’s effective recruitment strategy.

Player

Signed from

Fee

Georginio Rutter

Leeds

£39.3m

Yankuba Minteh

Newcastle

£29.4m

Joao Pedro

Watford

£28.8m

Mats Weiffer

Feyenoord

£26.9m

Brajan Gruda

Mainz

£26.5m

Ferdi Kadioglu

Fenerbache

£25.2m

Matt O’Riley

Celtic

£24.8m

Moises Caicedo

Independiente

£23.7m

Carlos Baleba

Lille

£22.7m

Adam Webster

Bristol City

£20m

He has since gone on to make 142 appearances for the South Coast outfit, although he has sadly been hampered by injuries at the Amex, too. He has so far managed to amass eight goals, including the first of a 2-1 win away to Arsenal, and three assists.

Despite his injury problems, the defender has certainly put in some key contributions, skippering the side on six occasions, and even featuring in the Europa League, a five-minute cameo at home to Ajax.

Nowadays, the defender, who was described as “immaculate” in possession by former Portsmouth teammate Tom Craddock, has seen his value drop slightly. According to Transfermarkt, he is now worth £12.6m, although that still represents a 260% increase from the £3.5m upfront fee that the Tractor Boys received for him back in 2019.

That is also worth more than summer signing Sammie Szmodics, who cost £9m up front. The Ireland international is valued at around £8.4m according to Transfermarkt, following a superb 2023/24 campaign for Blackburn Rovers in which he scored 27 Championship goals.

The 29-year-old has also caught the eye early into his time at Ipswich, after netting in the defeat away to Manchester City, with the club having certainly progressed since the days in which Webster was plying his trade under the likes of McCarthy.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

There is certainly a strong argument to be made that Ipswich made a mistake selling Webster. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and knowing the player he has become, the Tractor Boys may well wish he was in McKenna’s squad today, alongside Szmodics and co.

Ipswich must regret not signing £16m PL star who's better than Hutchinson

The exciting star would have been incredible under McKenna.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 3, 2024

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a big say in the club’s recruitment drive, and the tactician is now reportedly convinced he will transform a striker’s fortunes if sporting director Edu Gaspar strikes a deal.

Strikers linked with Arsenal recently

The summer transfer window has just closed, but that hasn’t put a halt to speculation over who could join the Premier League title hopefuls in 2025.

Arsenal could bid £126m for Real Madrid target who they've watched for ages

The Gunners will have to shatter their transfer record.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 27, 2024

Arsenal spent around £100 million on five new additions before summer deadline day on August 30, with David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling all sealing transfers to the Emirates Stadium.

It’s been reported that Arteta is targeting a prolific goalscorer to lead his Arsenal frontline at the turn of the year, regardless of Kai Havertz’s fine form in a makeshift centre-forward role over the last 12 months.

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Gabriel Jesus’ inconsistent fitness record and lack of proficiency have led Edu and Arteta to consider alternative options to the Brazilian. Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres are all rumoured Arsenal striker targets, as per media sources from the last seven days.

Meanwhile, some outlets have even boldly claimed that Real Madrid star Rodrygo could be offered to Arsenal in a swap deal for defender William Saliba, although the likelihood of this happening is almost nil given just how crucial the Frenchman is to Arteta.

As well as the aforementioned frontmen, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is said to be on Edu’s agenda heading into 2025. Vlahovic was a target for Arsenal back in 2022, during his days at Fiorentina, but the Old Lady eventually ended up winning the race for his signature that year.

Since the Serbian chose a move to Turin over north London, he’s scored 43 goals and racked up a further 10 assists in 107 total appearances for Juve, but uncertainty surrounds Vlahovic’s long-term future in Serie A.

The 24-year-old’s contract expires in 2026, and it is believed that talks over a new deal for Vlahovic are stalling. This has led to Arsenal re-joining the hunt for his signature, with a move away for Vlahovic very much on the cards next year.

Arteta convinced he can transform Vlahovic if Arsenal sign him

As per Spanish media sources, a fresh update has surfaced on Arsenal’s links to the £365,000-per-week forward.

It is believed that Arteta thinks he can get the very best out of Vlahovic if Arsenal sign him, and ultimately transform his fortunes under the Spaniard’s guidance.

The Gunners have their sights set on Vlahovic as a striker reinforcement, and it looks as if Arteta would almost certainly give the green light for his arrival. In terms of asking price, some reports have floated a £52 million price tag, but this may well drop by next summer if his contract situation remains the same.

Wolves started the 2024/25 Premier League campaign slowly, losing two and drawing one of their opening three fixtures. However, the Old Gold had a tough start, facing both Arsenal and Chelsea in their first two games.

Gary O'Neil lost one of his most important players this summer, with Pedro Neto making the move to Chelsea for a fee of around £54m.

​​​​​​Neto made 24 appearances for Wolves last season in all competitions, scoring three goals, providing 11 assists, and totalling 1,729 minutes played.

It may well come to pass that they end up missing the electric winger. Do they miss Morgan Gibbs-White, though? He's certainly gone to a new level after leaving Molineux behind.

Morgan Gibbs-White at Wolves

Morgan Gibbs-White came through the Wolves academy, joining the club at eight years old. He played 17 games for the U21 side, scoring two goals and providing five assists, but it didn't take long for the English midfielder to break into senior football.

Making his first-team debut in 2017, Gibbs-White went on to make 88 appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and providing one assist, but many of these minutes were from the bench, totalling 3,053 minutes.

Gibbs-White spent two spells out on loan, his first being with Swansea in 2020/21, but his most successful time came at Sheffield United in 2021/22, where he made 38 appearances for the Blades in all competitions, scoring 13 goals, and providing ten assists.

This successful stint for Sheffield United caused Nottingham Forest to make a move for the English midfielder, paying a £25m initial fee, with add-ons that take the deal to a total of £42.5m.

How Gibbs-White is playing at Forest

Since being sold by Bruno Lage to Forest, Gibbs-White has been a key man, making 83 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals and providing 18 assists, totalling 6,949 minutes played. He has already doubled his minutes played in fewer appearances for Forest than in his time at Wolves.

Labelled an "underrated playmaker" by Statman Dave, the 24-year-old has made an immense impact so far this season. Indeed, the English midfielder has created the most chances from open play in the Premier League (9), joint with Chelsea sensation Cole Palmer.

Goals

0.31

0.34

Assists

0.00

1.38

Progressive Carries

2.33

3.45

Progressive Passes

7.00

6.90

Goals/Shot

0.11

0.11

Key Passes

3.00

3.79

Passes into Final Third

6.67

4.83

Shot-Creating Actions

5.33

7.24

Successful Take-Ons

2.00

1.03

As you can see from the metrics so far this campaign, Gibbs-White is performing extremely close to Palmer's level, even bettering him in some metrics. The 24-year-old is averaging seven progressive passes per 90, more than Palmer's 6.90.

He is also averaging nearly double the successful take-ons of Palmer, with two per 90 minutes, compared to Palmer's 1.03. Gibbs-White has a more compact and durable body composition, where his ability to carry the ball with power and a long stride helps him to get away from his marker/defender. It's perhaps not a surprise, therefore, to see that the two are now teammates at international level.

Contrastingly, Palmer is more controlled with his movements, using body feints and agility to get away from his man and create separation, and he does this effectively, averaging more progressive carries than the former Wolves man despite their different carrying styles.

Wolves could have done with the creation of Gibbs-White this season, especially after losing Neto this summer, and it seems clear that selling him may well have been a mistake as he looks on track for his best season yet.

Wolves hit the jackpot on "fearless" star whose value has risen 233%

He has been superb under Gary O’Neil.

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 10, 2024

Leeds United are thought to be interested in a move for Swansea City forward Joel Piroe, according to Phil Hay.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

The Whites look set for a busy few weeks ahead of the new Championship season under new owners the 49ers Enterprises, with Nick Hammond previously brought in as interim football advisor to oversee the upcoming transfer activity.

New manager Daniel Farke appears to be on the hunt for new signings, with Hay recently stating that a new goalkeeper, left-back, centre-back and midfielder could be on the radar.

Names who have been linked with a move to Elland Road include Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow, Preston North End’s Freddie Woodman, Norwich City’s Angus Gunn, free agent Ryan Manning, Burnley’s Charlie Taylor, Liverpool’s Nat and Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer.

A new centre-forward also appears to be of interest to those at Elland Road, with Piroe named as a target alongside Nottingham Forest's Sam Surridge. Writing for The Athletic, Hay said:

“Up front, Leeds are one of several clubs on the trail of Swansea’s Joel Piroe, someone they targeted at the very end of last summer’s transfer window and who is into the last 12 months of his deal. Nottingham Forest’s Sam Surridge is an alternative target.”

Who is Joel Piroe?

Piroe is a left-footed centre-forward who can also play on either wing if needed and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €10m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 23-year-old was on the books of NEC Nijmegen and Feyenoord before progressing through PSV Eindhoven’s academy. The Dutchman was sent out on loan to Sparta Rotterdam and made just 14 senior appearances for PSV before moving to Swansea back in 2021.

Since then, Piroe has gone from strength to strength in England, scoring 22 goals in his first season in the Championship. He then followed it up by netting 19 times last year, with former Swansea boss Russell Martin labelling him as “clinical”.

“If you wanted it to fall to anyone, it is him, he is so clinical with both feet, and he is a great technician.

“But the most important thing he has is the right mentality when he gets around the goal. He shows composure, he is calm, and he just focuses on his technique, something that all top strikers possess.”

He has never played against Leeds but Piroe has proven he can be a top Championship player, so he could be just what Farke and Leeds need heading into the new season.

Piroe could bring more than goals to Elland Road, though. As per FBref, the striker ranks in the top 4% of forwards for pass completion percentage and top 10% for passes completed, showing that his game isn’t just finishing chances.

Currently, Leeds have Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt and Georginio Rutter as centre-forward options, but with Rodrigo linked with a move away and Farke reportedly seeing Rutter as a wide forward, a move for Piroe could make plenty of sense, and by the looks of things, it is one to keep an eye on.

Everton are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements following another Premier League relegation scrap last season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

Will Everton sign Allan Saint-Maximin?

According to 90min, Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees have been checking in on the player's situation at St James' Park alongside Crystal Palace and AC Milan, whilst he has also become the latest player to be targeted by Saudi Pro League clubs too as game time has been limited for the Frenchman during Newcastle's rebuild.

What positions can Allan Saint-Maximin play?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be making a rebuild of the forward line at Goodison Park his top priority this summer with both departures and injuries plaguing Everton's ability to comfortably retain their top-flight status.

The Toffees have lost both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon over the last 12 months, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury issues have only added to the Merseyside club's plight which led to them being the second-lowest scoring team (34) in the entire Premier League last season.

As a result, the signing of Saint-Maximin could bring Everton's attacking threat back to life next season as his explosive and energetic approach to the wider forward role could cause chaos for opponents and ultimately improve the performances significantly.

Despite the 26-year-old ace – who had his transfer fee reduced to £26m in January – often being pushed out of the first-team by his position competitors, he still managed to outperform Dyche's forward options in a number of key attacking attributes.

According to WhoScored, only Alex Iwobi tallied up more assists (7) than winger Saint-Maximin (5) last season, whilst he outperformed every single Everton player with his successful dribbles completed per game (2.3), as well as offering 1.2 key passes per 90 which is something only Dwight McNeil (1.4) and Iwobi (1.7) managed to better.

Not only that, the Newcastle star ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for assists, progressive carries, successful take-ons, shot-creating actions and touches, demonstrating that he is one of the hottest forward prospects in Europe who can offer creative consistency for Everton.

Such numbers could well see him replace Richarlison's output, with the Brazilian impressing in similar metrics during his time at Goodison. Indeed, in his penultimate campaign with the club, he posted 1.8 successful dribbles per game.

The Premier League-proven talent has often been highly praised for his impact on Tyneside in the past, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville blown away by Saint-Maximin's skills:

"Honestly, he’s a massive threat and a nightmare for defenders. He creates chance after chance. He’s brilliant for Newcastle fans and a real positive part of the team.

"To see his speed, his movement, it’s absolutely breathtaking. We were defenders in the Premier League and played against lots of good players."

Replacing Richarlison was never going to be an easy task for Everton when he made the move to Tottenham Hotspur, however, there is now a real opportunity for Dyche to bring in a player with bags of technical ability and entertaining qualities in Saint-Maximin who could revive the presence in front of goal next season.

Chelsea "really, really like" AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and are interested in bringing the player to the Premier League, but the deal itself is "really tough" to get done, claims journalist Ben Jacobs.

Chelsea transfer news – what's the latest on Mike Maignan?

The Blues have been having something of a fire sale in recent weeks, with players like N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly joining the Saudi Pro League, whilst Mason Mount and Kai Havertz have moved to Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively.

Among the players bidding farewell to Stamford Bridge is Champions League-winning goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has also opted to join the Middle East's burgeoning super league, joining Al-Ahli.

That move has left Kepa Arrizablaga as the club's undisputed number one, but based on recent reports, it appears that the club does not have the most faith in the Spaniard.

According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are 'considering a move' for the French international, despite manager Mauricio Pochettino's 'willingness to start the season with Kepa.'

If the Blues are serious about securing the keeper's signature, they will have to stump up some serious cash, as transfers expert Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier this month that Milan have priced their player at over €55m.

What has journalist Ben Jacobs said about Mike Maignan to Chelsea?

Jacobs explained that the interest and admiration from the West London club is genuine.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Mike Maignan is someone that Chelsea really, really like, but it's a really tough deal to do with Milan."

Would Mike Maignan be a good signing for Chelsea?

While Kepa has certainly improved for Chelsea over the last 18 months, Maigan would be a brilliant signing for the Blues and a real step up in terms of quality.

According to WhoScored, Milan's shot-stopping extraordinaire had a brilliant season in Serie A last year, averaging a rating of 6.64 across his 22 games.

The Cayenne-born "monster" – as described by journalist Robin Bairner – looks even more impressive when you look at his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Frenchman is in the top 8% for saved penalty kicks, the top 11% for goals against, and the top 22% for clean.

If that wasn't enough FBref also considers both Alisson and Ederson to be within the five most similar goalkeepers to Maignan, hardly bad company to keep.

If Chelsea can, they certainly should get this deal done, even if AC Milan want a king's ransom.

An update has emerged on Manchester United's plans to add a new number nine to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What's the latest on Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United?

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are in the market for a 'marquee' addition to their forward options and Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is one of the names on their list of targets.

The report claims that the Denmark international would be one of the cheaper options available to them as the Serie A outfit are looking for a fee in the region of £60m to part ways with him.

It states that the 20-year-old centre-forward 'wowed' United's scouts in the season just gone, although they do not believe him to be on the same level as the likes of Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, and Randal Kolo Muani at this moment in time.

Where would Rasmus Hojlund fit in at Manchester United?

United boss Erik ten Hag could line up with the Danish marksman as his number nine and play England international Marcus Rashford out on the left flank, with Antony potentially completing the attacking trident on the right.

Hojlund is not a player who should be expected to hit the ground running as Erling Haaland did for Manchester City as the Norwegian finisher broke the Premier League record for the most goals in a single season.

However, the talented youngster would be a long-term addition.

At the age of 20, the striker could improve and develop with experience while also working with ten Hag on the training pitch to become a lethal no.9 who could also make Rashford unstoppable.

The current United star plundered an exceptional 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 outings in all competitions for the club last season, with 17 of those strikes coming in the league – no other player managed more than eight.

Rashford was the obvious threat for opposition teams to look out for, with more than twice as many league goals as any other forward in the squad, and Holjund's arrival could provide defences with another player to focus on, which could open up more space for the English hotshot to thrive in the final third.

The Atalanta dynamo scored nine goals in just 20 Serie A starts in 2022/23 while he has also found the back of the net six times in four European Championship qualifying matches for his country.

This means that the £11k-per-week gem scored more league goals than every United player other than Rashford last term, despite only starting 20 games, which is why he could be an exceptional addition to ten Hag's squad for now and in the future.

The exciting young talent, who was once hailed as "remarkable" by manager Gian Piero Gasperini, has showcased his potential as a goalscorer and his goal threat could force opposing teams to place an emphasis on marking him out of the game.

This, in turn, this could free some of the shackles from Rashford to provide the 25-year-old phenomenon with fewer obstacles between him and the goal as the defenders would have to worry about Holjund's quality as well as his.

Chelsea are in pursuit of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic; however, any deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge 'will not come with a cheap price tag', according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Dusan Vlahovic?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via The Daily Star, Chelsea are keen on signing Vlahovic this summer and have offered several players to the Italian giants to try and initiate a swap deal.

Chelsea have already held a meeting with Juventus director Giovanni Manna and offered several players to try and initiate an agreement for the £214k-a-week ace, including Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah, Romelu Lukaku and Kalidou Koulibaly.

Last month, ESPN detailed that Chelsea had made Vlahovic their preferred striker target this summer and had made an offer of around €80 million (£68.1 million) to try and acquire the Serbia international.

Vlahovic is reportedly unhappy at Juventus and would be open to a new challenge next term as he ponders his next career steps amid interest from the Blues.

Sky Sports have claimed that Chelsea are also in talks to sign Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson this off-season as Mauricio Pochettino looks to beef up his attacking options and finding an agreement on personal terms isn't expected to be a problem for the west Londoners.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has stated that Vlahovic would be an expensive signing for Chelsea as they look to bring him in this summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "There's a lot of determination needed still with Chelsea on the forward front, both from a stylistic perspective and a financial one as well. We know, for example, that the club are looking at Dusan Vlahovic and he'll be very possibly leaving Juventus this window, but that one will not come with a cheap price tag."

Would Dusan Vlahovic be a good addition to Chelsea's forward line?

Vlahovic is someone who certainly knows where the goal is and could add a focal point to Chelsea's attack that was largely missing for large spells of 2022/23.

Across the campaign, the 23-year-old – dubbed a "monster" by some in the media – made 42 appearances in all competitions, registering 14 goals and four assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Vlahovic also led the line efficiently by bringing his teammates into play and successfully carried out 63 shot-creating actions.

In Serie A, the former Fiorentina striker was a constant threat to opposition backlines and averaged around 2.5 shots per match, according to WhoScored.

Chelsea look set to embark on a new era under Pochettino and bringing in a high-calibre forward like Vlahovic would provoke plenty of excitement around Stamford Bridge ahead of 2023/24.

Liverpool are expected to be active in the summer transfer market after a difficult season and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's pursuit of a potential target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Micky van de Ven?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool have been "following" VfL Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven.

Romano told GIVEMESPORT:

"Now for Van de Ven is a player they've been following for a long time. Let's see if they decide to enter into it or not. But it's just about following the player nothing else at the moment honestly."

Who would Micky van de Ven replace in the Liverpool team?

The highest priority for Jurgen Klopp and his new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is clearly to rebuild the midfield presence in the squad, with Alexis Mac Allister already confirmed as the first signing of the summer.

Having said that, there is an element of pressure mounting on the club to consider their defensive options too as both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip well into their 30s at this point, with the latter entering the last year of his contract next season.

Indeed, the German coach has started to establish Ibrahima Konate as a starter in the first team but bringing in some more youthful talent and fresh depth in the defensive set-up would be massively advantageous as Liverpool attempt to build the next generation of success at Anfield.

As a result, the signing of van de Ven could be a great opportunity for Klopp and could provide him with the dream heir for Matip to learn the ropes as his understudy in preparation for the chance that the defender departs as a free agent next summer.

Over 33 Bundesliga appearances, the 22-year-old Dutchman – hailed "dominant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has tallied up an 88% pass completion rate, 11 clean sheets and successfully completed 70% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.4 tackles, 3.1 clearances, 64 touches and 3.8 duels won per game, proving that he is a huge presence with reliable defensive traits.

Not only that, van de Ven ranked second for pass interceptions in his own half in the entire Bundesliga this season, as well as ranking in the top five for tackles in his own half and the top ten for blocked shots, as per One Versus One.

With that being said, it is reported that the Wolfsburg colossus has a price tag of €30m (£26m) which would fit FSG's strict financial structure perfectly, so a potential move for van de Ven is definitely one to watch for Liverpool this summer.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could be poised to enrich his central ranks by swooping for one of Europe's most coveted prospects in Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga.

What's the latest on Gabri Veiga to Liverpool?

At least, that's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who recently took to Twitter to reaffirm that Liverpool are "informed on the conditions" of a move for the 21-year-old, who has a buyout clause of €40m (£34m) with the Sky Blues.

Newcastle – while Romano quashed claims that a deal had been concluded – remain firmly in the race for the dynamic midfielder and boast the allure of Champions League football next year to entice Veiga, something Liverpool cannot offer next term.

Despite this, Klopp's Reds have been reported to be 'firm favourites' for the Spaniard's signature by the Northern Echo, and there is a sense that the race will enter the crucial stages over the coming weeks.

How good is Gabri Veiga?

The Spain U21 international has been riding the crest of a wave this season after plundering 11 goals and four assists from just 28 starting appearances in LaLiga.

Only last year, he plied his trade in the Spanish third tier before earning a call-up to Celta Vigo's senior side, playing seven top-flight matches, and now looks set for a career of great prosperity at the highest level.

Should he join the crowd at Liverpool, he will be provided with a platform to flourish and cement a prominent role in Klopp's system, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.

And given his box-surging style of play draws parallels to the latter, Oxlade-Chamberlain, he could prove to be an almighty upgrade on the injury-stricken England international, who has been riddled with setbacks over the past few seasons after looking so promising during the early phases of his Merseyside career following his £35m switch from Arsenal.

The one-time Southampton youngster averages 1.2 shots and 1.7 dribbles per game across the duration of his professional career, as per WhoScored, also completing 81.8% of his passes and once being lauded for his ball-carrying prowess and offering "something totally different" by Rio Ferdinand, but his inhibition has resulted in nothing more than a peripheral role over the past few years.

Suffocating pressure and high-octane intensity are staple points of Klopp's system when it is firing on all cylinders, and Veiga, who has been hailed as a "top talent" by Romano, certainly looks like he embodies this.

As per FBref, the prodigy ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 2% for total shots, the top 20% for rate of assists, the top 12% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons, and the top 11% for touches in the opposing box per 90.

Dubbed "baby Kaka" by football content creator Rimedi, Veiga wields the whole gamut of tools to craft a formidable career path for himself, and under Klopp's wing, he could be the destructive midfield force needed to rekindle the once burning furnace that was the nucleus of Liverpool's illustrious success.