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As Harvey Elliott continues to sparkle, his call for a spot in the Liverpool squad next season grows louder and louder.

The winger, signed from Fulham as a 16-year-old nearly two years ago, is enjoying a stunning season with adopted employers Blackburn Rovers.

In 34 appearances for the Lancashire outfit this season, he has notched five goals and ten assists following his latest contribution against Norwich City on Saturday, a highly impressive count for a player so young.

This is even more eye-catching considering the responsibility he has taken on at Ewood Park, with just 20-goal Adam Armstrong being more productive in the squad at the time of writing.

It is a contribution and in fact understanding of his role that indicates an added maturity on his extremely young shoulders.

Elliott also has statistics that even rank him higher than some of his illustrious Anfield contemporaries.

According to WhoScorded, the youngster is averaging 1.1 shots per game which is more than the likes of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri.

His 1.7 key passes per game is also a truly outstanding number and ranks him joint-highest of the Liverpool squad alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane.

Whilst it is true that Elliott’s numbers have been accumulated in a much weaker league, those contributions bode extremely well considering that Elliott is unlikely to even hit his peak for at least another decade.

Jurgen Klopp is also certainly aware of the winger’s extreme promise and potential, labelling him as “special” just after his debut for the Reds.

Now rated at £13.5m, Elliott’s valuation is surely going to soar following his exhilarating season in the Championship, catapulting his chances of breaking into the Liverpool first team.

Those calls for him to be included won’t so much be shouts for much longer, they’ll soon be demands.

AND in more news, take a look at which former Real Madrid defender Liverpool must not sign…

Rekeem Harper is surely running out of time to prove his worth to West Brom as his struggles continue this season.

The 20-year-old is currently on loan to Championship outfit Birmingham City, where things aren’t going to plan and given it’s a division that the Baggies seem destined for, this could spell serious trouble.

Indeed, only a miracle will see Sam Allardyce save Albion from the brink of an instant return to the second flight as they remain nine points adrift of safety with only 12 games left to play.

If they do go down, then you’d imagine that a talented academy graduate like Harper could really stake a claim in being part of the first-team set-up finally, but he’s yet to be convincing during a poor stint at the Blues this term.

The young Baggies starlet ranks amongst their three worst performers since arriving in January, recording an average rating of 6.28 as per WhoScored – only former Hawthorns man Jonathan Leko (6.24) and Adam Clayton (6.16) have been poorer.

Harper has only started nine matches for the Midlands outfit since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, so evidently, he had not been fancied by Slaven Bilic nor Sam Allardyce.

That’s despite all the praise he’s received in the past.

Tony Pulis once compared the defensive midfielder to Patrick Vieira, claiming he’s a “talent” with “a lot of potential,” while Darren Moore has previously lauded him “fearless” and “energetic.”

Even Bilic dubbed Harper a “powerhouse.”

In seven appearances for the St Andrew’s side, the 6 foot 2 colossus has only managed 0.9 tackles per game and has evidently struggled in his battles, as he has committed 1.4 fouls per game, via WhoScored.

The former sees him rank 13th for players that have started four or more games for Birmingham, which just isn’t good enough for that anchorman-like presence. Similarly, Celta Vigo loanee Okay Yokuslu has been utilised to good effect for the Baggies, averaging 1.3 tackles and only 1.3 fouls each game.

Again, 13 other current Albion players are doing better than that.

Clearly, Harper has it all to do if he’s to have much of a long-term future at the Hawthorns. It’s been one massive nightmare, having once been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Juventus via the Mirror in summer 2019, now his career at struggling West Brom could be in jeopardy.

If the £12.5k-per-week gem continues to struggle during this loan spell, then he won’t be earning a spot in the squad next season in the Championship, let alone if they achieve the unthinkable and remain in the top-flight.

It’s now or never for the 20-year-old.

These upcoming months could be rather telling – is he the next Nathan Ferguson? or merely another Leko? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Allardyce must offload £20k-p/w West Brom gem this summer, Sawyers once dubbed him “unbelievable”…

Manchester United head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a Manchester derby that looks key to their fleeting title hopes.

The Red Devils can reduce the gap between themselves and current leaders Manchester City to 11 points, and in the process halt their neighbours’ march to the title.

They were frustrated last time out, being held by Crystal Palace.

How different could their line-up look from the stalemate at Selhurst Park?

There could be as many as three changes for Sunday’s match, the majority of them enforced.

Dean Henderson is set to continue in goal in the absence of David De Gea – the Spaniard travelling back to Spain for the birth of his child.

One alteration will take place in front of him. Victor Lindelof has fully recovered from his back problem so will be reintroduced into the starting lineup in place of Eric Bailly. The £21.6m-rated Swede will join Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in defence.

Having played the full 90 minutes at Selhurst Park, it appears unlikely that 32-year-old Nemanja Matic will start consecutive games within a couple of days. Scott McTominay, who was on the bench against the Eagles, is likely to be restored as United go with what appears to be their strongest midfield against the champions-elect.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer has a slight dilemma in attack, with Edinson Cavani ruled out. This could see the United boss move Mason Greenwood into the No. 9 role, with Daniel James coming into the starting line-up on the flank.

Elsewhere, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes are both almost guaranteed to start the game.

AND in more news, make sure you read why we think it’s time for Amad Diallo to make his full Red Devils debut against Manchester City…

A Matheus Pereira brace from the spot sealed Sam Allardyce’s first three points as West Brom boss with a huge 3-2 victory over fierce rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this afternoon.

The first meeting between the two Midlands sides in nine years saw the Baggies run out on top having come from behind in the second half to pick up only their second win of the season.

Albion’s Brazilian playmaker drew the plaudits of BT Sport commentator Glenn Hoddle, who handed Pereira the Man of the Match award whilst central defender Semi Ajayi was another contender as his equaliser sparked the comeback.

But arguably, neither were as influential as the returning Kyle Bartley, who looked a rock at the back in his first Premier League start under Big Sam.

Indeed, the home side did find the net twice, both as a result of set-piece scrambles but in reality, Fabio Silva’s strike was an exquisite finish you’d expect from someone far more experienced and Willy Boly couldn’t be stopped so close to the goal.

Only Pereira (8.0) graded better than Bartley (7.5) as per SofaScore ratings, and you’d have to wonder if that would be the case had the Baggies kept a rare clean sheet.

Aside from the two spot-kicks, the 24-year-old was weak and lightweight against a vulnerable Wolves backline, as seen by him winning just five of 15 battles (33%).

Pereira also lost possession ten times, the worst of any attacking Albion player and was dribbled past two times, meaning he failed to stop the Old Gold from breaking in a counter-attack.

Likewise, with Ajayi, he too lost possession ten times and was wasteful with the ball, making only 67% of his 24 passing attempts – the worst of any starter on either team, per SofaScore.

Bartley, on the other hand, was immense defensively – he made a game-high eight clearances, some five more than Boly for Wolves, and also had double the number of blocks (four) than any other player on the pitch too, thus showing just how committed he was in trying to hold onto the victory.

The 29-year-old colossus also completely nullified the threat from the likes of Silva, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore, whom all on their day can strike fear into any defence, as he won 80% of his duels both on the ground and in the air.

Joseph Chapman at BirminghamLive also agreed with this point of view in his post-match ratings, handing Bartley a 9/10, which was better than Pereira. He wrote:

“Was excellent in open play when defending crosses from the box. Won a number of challenges and headers and set up Ajayi’s equaliser. Was throwing himself in the way of shots right until the end. Colossal effort.”

The 6 foot 4 monster, thought to be earning just £17.5k-per-week at the Hawthorns, absolutely stole the show for Albion and showed Allardyce what he’s been missing since his arrival.

Bartley could well have a big part to play in the Baggies’ survival bid as seen by this monstrous display across the Black Country border,

AND in other news, WBA could land their next Evans in £5.4m-rated titan, Big Sam dubbed him “outstanding”…

According to The Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, West Ham are reportedly leading the race for Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard as he’s set to leave Old Trafford on loan.

What’s the word?

Lingard, 28, has been at the club since the age of seven but has struggled to adapt to the demands of club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The academy product has not even managed a single start in the Premier League so far this season, despite making the bench on four occasions so far and has been restricted to cup appearances.

He has been heavily linked with moves to Inter Milan, Tottenham, Nice and Sheffield United but it seems he could be set for a reunion with his former manager David Moyes at West Ham.

Get rid of him

Lingard is one of several players who haven’t been able to perform on the big stage for a number of years now and is strikingly similar to Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez, who is four years his senior, struggled to perform at Old Trafford after his arrival from Arsenal, bagging just five goals and nine assists in 45 games for the Red Devils. Considering his exemplary record at Arsenal, signing him was considered to be quite a coup at the time, but his form soon tailed off shortly after his arrival.

The former England international has contributed to 53 goals in over 200 appearances for the club. However, he has never really hit the same heights he enjoyed in the 2017-18 season, where he scored ten times in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Despite his obvious struggles, he still earns around £75,000-per-week at Old Trafford, and when you consider his role in the squad, it becomes clearer that he isn’t of the required standard. Once the end of the season comes to the end, he will have cost Ed Woodward a combined total of £3.9m for a year’s worth of not contributing much on the field.

This means that if you divide the number of games he has played this season – three – by his yearly salary, he will have set the board back a hefty £1.3m per appearance with little to no reward, as he has failed to find the back of the net in each of those appearances.

These days it’s becoming harder to justify his position in the squad, let alone a place in the starting line-up.

It’s easy why the club should consider offloading Lingard. After all, he’s bleeding Woodward dry.

He might not be the only one heading for the exit, with Phil Jones also considered surplus to requirements.

AND in other news, Marcus Rashford masterclass helps Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2…

Leicester City leapfrogged into second place in the Premier League table after an emphatic win over Tottenham Hotspur last night. Despite going into the fixture as the underdogs, the Foxes dug in their claws and made sure they weren’t leaving without all three points.

There are now just four points between them and leaders Liverpool right now, a gap which could easily be eradicated as this unpredictable campaign unfolds.

Brendan Rodgers will certainly be delighted thanks to his side’s hugely important 2-0 win and his club’s next match will see them take on Manchester United, on the back of their mammoth 6-2 victory over Leeds.

The manager will be especially pleased with James Maddison, who produced a creative masterclass in north London.

James Maddison impressed vs Spurs

Whilst Jamie Vardy was the stand-out performer for Leicester in attack, his teammate was another influential asset to the Leicester lineup.

According to FotMob, Maddison completed the highest percentage of passes out of anyone on the field with an impressive 96%. He was also the most fouled player on the pitch, showing just how much Spurs struggled to contain his attacking prowess.

Additionally, the midfielder contributed 3/3 long balls, five key passes and hit the target twice, as per Sofascore. Whilst he may not have been involved in the two goals scored on the road last night, nothing should take away from Maddison’s creative performance. He was the real driving force in Leicester’s engine room on Sunday.

Rodgers realises how lucky he is to have a playmaker like the 24-year-old on his books. He lauded the midfielder as having “immense quality” following his show-stopping performance against Brighton.

Maddison is key for this Leicester side and he could be one of the main ingredients to help guide the Foxes to their second Premier League title this season.

In other news, Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

Leeds must look to sell Tyler Roberts in this January transfer window amid reported interest from Championship side Bournemouth.

What’s the story?

Signed back in January 2018 when Thomas Christiansen was still in charge at Elland Road, it’s fair to say Roberts hasn’t quite fulfilled the kind of potential that convinced Leeds to spend around £2.5m to bring him in from West Brom.

He’s bagged just seven goals in 63 total appearances for the club, whilst injuries certainly haven’t helped his cause either. This season has seen him make just nine appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

But he could be set for a fresh start, with The Daily Mail claiming that Bournemouth are monitoring the out-of-favour forward, and that with Josh King and David Brooks the subject of Premier League interest, they are on the look-out for potential replacements.

Leeds must sell

At just 21, Roberts still has plenty of time to grow and develop, but the Whites’ promotion to the Premier League means they desperately need top-quality players both in the starting line-up and on the bench.

And Roberts sadly just doesn’t fit into that category. It’s been a telling sign that Bielsa has started him just twice this campaign, with only one of those coming in the Premier League, and even that was against Manchester City way back in early October.

The Wales international’s potential has been something Leeds icon Ian Harte has talked up previously, saying: “Since he signed from West Brom he’s really matured. Okay, he’s had a few niggling injuries since he arrived but he’s definitely a very clever player.

“He’ll get you goals and drop into those pockets where defenders will want to come out, so he’s a very intelligent player. It’s just frustrating for the strikers there because of the formation that they play and the fact that it’s only one up front.”

But Roberts just hasn’t shown it consistently enough to warrant still being part of this Leeds team going forward, especially if Andrea Radrizzani has aspirations of getting this side back to the glory days. Selling the Welshman this month just seems the logical thing to do.

In the end, the final score-line seemed to paint a completely different story to what actually happened on Sunday. A wretched display saw Aston Villa go 4-0 down at home to Southampton, before a late flurry of goals to make it 4-3 ensured the result looked far more respectable.

Dean Smith will undoubtedly not be impressed with the way his side started the game, especially in that first-half, when they went behind by three goals and also saw Che Adams have a goal ruled out for the visitors too.

But the one man who perhaps let the manager down the most, was John McGinn. The Scotland international was nowhere to be seen during his side’s Premier League clash, almost looking lost at having to play in a more deeper role in central midfield.

He just couldn’t get himself involved in the game, with a Saints midfield run superbly by double free-kick goal-scorer James Ward-Prowse completely overwhelming him in the engine room.

As per Sofascore, McGinn won just two of his eight total duels, whilst his usually energetic and intelligent runs forward deserted him. He attempted no shots on goal whatsoever, whilst he provided just one key pass and managed no successful dribbles whatsoever either.

With a final match rating of 6.2, the Scot had the worst score of any Villa midfielder, and his anonymous display contributed massively to Villa falling to yet another defeat in the Premier League.

After a barnstorming start to the top-flight, Smith’s side have suffered back-to-back defeats, halting all the momentum they had built up. Of course, it’s important to not go too overboard with Villa losing, especially given that they only avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season.

But even whilst putting a lid on expectations, Sunday’s performance was more than just a bubble being burst. And McGinn’s lacklustre display at the heart of midfield was the perfect symbol of that.

Steven Gerrard made no attempt to disguise his desire to bolster his firepower as Glasgow Rangers embarked on a spending spree in the summer, with Ross Wilson securing the services of Ianis Hagi on a permanent deal from KRC Genk after a short loan spell.

The Ibrox boss brought in two backup strikers in Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe on four-year deals for undisclosed fees, whilst Rangers signed Bongani Zungu on an initial loan deal from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on transfer deadline day.

Red hot Roofe appears to be in such fine form, with seven goals in 12 games, but Itten has struggled to find his feet so far this season, managing to score just twice in 14 appearances in all competitions, a fact which won’t go unnoticed by Gerrard, who has a wealth of options to choose from at the top of the pitch.

Not that he’d like to admit it, but there will come a point where Rangers will have to rejuvenate their aging squad, which is one of the oldest in the division, as it’s fair to say that Jermain Defoe and Greg Stewart are nearing the end of their time at the Govan stadium.

With Lille retaining a long-term interest in Alfredo Morelos, the manager may have to start thinking about dipping into the academy ranks, and it appears he may be more inclined to do so after Chris McKee signed a new contract at the club until 2022.

The Rangers prospect has impressed backroom staff after breaking into the B-team this season, having been called up to Northern Ireland’s U21 squad last month.

Former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan was full of praise for McKee’s progression, as he told Football Insider: “It is very exciting because strikers come with a commodity.

“Sometimes you have to go out and buy them, a bit like Joe Gelhardt at Leeds, but if you already have them in your ranks fantastic.

“Rangers have barely paid anything for McKenna. He is a young player who knows where the back of the net is so he is worth his weight in gold, he really is.”

The 18-year-old has already scored eight goals for the development squad so far this season, which is more than Itten has managed for the first team, but he insists he won’t get distracted by the new deal.

“I am buzzing to sign the new deal. We had been talking about it for a wee while but it’s always good to get it done,” McKee told Belfast Live.

“Now it is out of the way I just want to kick on now and keep improving.”

This kind of attitude is exactly what Gerrard will have wanted to hear, as the Rangers manager has previously warned academy players in the past that they won’t get a chance to impress in the first team unless they leave their ego at the door.

Whilst only time will tell if McKee will be able to hit the same heights as his older teammate, the signs are starting to show that the Gers may have a top talent on their hands, whilst he won’t cost Wilson a penny.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get rid of Jordan Jones, he earns more than Joe Aribo…

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are trying to sell Anwar El Ghazi before the domestic window closes.

What’s the word?

The Netherlands international has fallen out of favour at Villa Park this season, failing to play a single minute of Premier League football, and only playing in the Carabao Cup thus far.

Now, Football Insider claim that El Ghazi is one of a trio of players who Dean Smith is looking to offload before the window closes on October 16, with the other two being Henri Lansbury and Frederic Guilbert.

Time to cash in?

With Bertrand Traore making a high-profile arrival from Lyon earlier in the summer, and the club already having Egypt international Trezeguet on their books, it was always going to be that much more difficult for El Ghazi to see first-team action this season.

And so it has transpired. The Dutchman has been on the bench twice in the Premier League without coming on, whilst he didn’t even make the match-day squad for the clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

For a player who Smith hailed as having an “awful lot of potential”, it’s been quite the turnaround. The £7.2m-rated ace has clearly fallen down the pecking order, and it’s quite telling that even despite Traore not being at full fitness yet, El Ghazi hasn’t tasted top-flight football thus far.

If they can get some decent money from a Championship club before the deadline, then it may be a deal that suits all parties. Villa get another fringe player off their books, and El Ghazi himself will stand a better chance of first-team football.