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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

You’d think after scoring 14 goals in the past three games that Leicester City would be OK when it comes to forwards.

However, it looks as if Brendan Rodgers still isn’t quite happy with the firepower at his disposal, as he’s looking to make that position his number one priority heading into the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to French football journalist Manu Lonjon, Leicester are looking to bring in Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis.

The 21-year-old Nigerian international has scored 25 goals in 86 appearances for his current side (via Transfermarkt), and recently made headlines by scoring twice at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid, topped off by copying Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous ‘Siu’ celebration.

So at least he’ll get on well with Jamie Vardy, who when it comes to mocking fans with his celebrations, has some history.

Looking for reinforcements

If you take a look at the Leicester squad as it is right now, there’s clearly a lack of depth when it comes to an out and out central forward to lead the line in Rodger’s 4-3-3.

Whilst the club do have Vardy who currently sits as the league’s leading goalscorer, it’s still going to be asking a lot of him to carry the load of the entire team throughout the season, particularly given his age.

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Then there’s Kelechi Iheanacho who as we’ve discussed on FFC before, doesn’t seem to be trusted by his managers at Leicester to start games on a regular basis. With Ayoze Perez acting as one of the wide men in the formation with some success so far this season, scoring a hat-trick against Southampton, it’s unlikely that he’s going to shift inside to make up the shortfall.

Neil Ashton pointed out on this weekend’s Sunday Supplement ‘the turn for home after January 1st, clearly the size of your squad has a huge impact on the final finishing position’.

At the moment they don’t have the size to compete with the rest of the big guns in the division, the sides that they are hopefully going to be battling it out with towards the end of the season.

Adding extra depth in someone like Dennis would be a significant help.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham are interested in Real Madrid’s Isco, according to Spanish outlet El Desmarque.

What’s the story?

Spurs have been linked with several creative midfielders in the last few weeks, such as Paulo Dybala and Bruno Fernandes, and now it appears they have set their sights on the Spanish midfielder.

When fit, the 27-year-old has often been an important player for Los Blancos, evidenced by his best return of 10 goals and eight assists in the 2016/17 La Liga season, having signed for the club for £23m in 2013.

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With Christian Eriksen setting his sights elsewhere, it is a deal which could make sense for both clubs, although Real Madrid hold all the cards considering the Dane’s contract situation.

Bayern Munich are also believed to be interested in Isco, and that could make things more complicated for Tottenham, though it is a deal which may not work out too well anyway.

Repeating past mistakes

Whilst the Spain international has improved his quality in a Real Madrid shirt, with 48 goals and 52 assists in 280 appearances for the club, his time in the capital has often been blighted by injury, and that should be a big concern for Spurs.

Considering their budget constraints in comparison to the rest of the top-six, and their much lower wage bill, they simply can’t afford for their highest-paid players to be sidelined too often, and Isco would fit into that category.

In Erik Lamela they have a similarly gifted, technical midfielder, but a player who has spent far too much time on the treatment table in recent years.

The Argentine has suffered with hip problems regularly since the 2016/17 campaign, first ruling him out for 57 matches before other niggles meant he only started 14 games last year.

Isco has similar problems, often picking up minor injuries which have a worrying long-term impact on his side, as he takes time to recover his fitness and match sharpness each time he makes a comeback. That in turn limits his influence, with six goals and one assist since the start of last season.

He has already missed a month of this term, and made only 17 starts in 2018/19, and therefore he cannot be relied upon to act as a replacement for Eriksen on a consistent basis – much like Lamela.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun, Manchester City are the latest side to join the race to sign Red Bull Salzburg hotshot Erling Haaland.

What’s the word?

The 19-year-old has been the talk of the town in European football this season, following a blistering start to the campaign in both the Norwegian top-flight and the Champions League.

The striker has scored 18 times in just 11 games across all competitions this season, with arguably his biggest career highlight coming against KRC Genk in the opening match of the Champions League when he scored a hat-trick.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Now, The Sun claim City have joined the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona in wanting the Norway international – a move to the Etihad would see Haaland follow in his father’s footsteps of playing for the Citizens.

Hot property

There is a considerable level of hype surrounding Haaland at the moment, and it is easy to see why. He truly burst onto centre-stage with his hat-trick in the Champions League, with Salzburg teammate Maximilian Wober labelling him as “phenomenal”.

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Norwegian football journalist Lars Sivertsen further painted a picture of just how dominant and physically intimidating the 6 foot 3 centre-forward can be.

“He gets about the pitch, he’s quite fluid in his movement. He’s decent with the ball and he’s a decent finisher. He’s got a lot of good ingredients for an absolutely terrifying striker. Players who have size and are still quick on the ground, it’s one of those things you can’t teach.”

A swoop for Haaland would represent a significant change from Guardiola’s perceived favoured approach. After all, the Spaniard seemed to ostracise Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his time at Barcelona. But City simply cannot turn their back on a prospect who is threatening to turn into one of the world’s elite strikers. The system and plan may just be better off being thrown out of the window if it means the Etihad side pull of a major coup in landing the Norwegian.

It really would be a major statement of intent if City can fend off strong competition from European rivals for Haaland’s signature.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After taking over from Rafa Benitez, Steve Bruce was always going to have a difficult job on his hands to convince the Newcastle faithful he is the right man for the job. A couple of months into his reign at St James’ Park, and there has been very little to shout about.

Aside from an impressive backs-to-the-wall win away at Tottenham, things just haven’t gone the Magpies’ way. After their opening six Premier League games, the Tyneside club have just five points on the board, and their 0-0 draw to Brighton last time out did nothing to whet the appetite.

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However, heading into the clash with Leicester on Sunday, Bruce must throw caution to the wind with his team selection, and simply show more attacking intent. Even if they lose, at least he will have shown the fans what they want – a desire to win. And with that in mind, here’s a look at how the Magpies could potentially line up at the weekend.

The main way of getting the side to be more adventurous? Moving away from the stale back-five that has dominated early proceedings. The approach has simply invited teams to overwhelm the Magpies and forced them onto the back-foot – this season, Newcastle have averaged a measly 37.7% possession in the Premier League.

That kind of defensive set-up may perform well against the big sides in the league, but against teams in and around them like Brighton, Bruce’s side could really do with taking the game to the opposition.

As such, a switch to a 4-2-3-1 could bring rich rewards. Not least of which would be some added support for club-record signing Joelinton. The Brazilian has valiantly battled at the top of the Newcastle attack with very little support. To put things into perspective, against Graham Potter’s side last weekend, the 23-year-old managed just 30 touches – the lowest of any player on the pitch who completed the full 90 minutes.

By having a formation with a five-man midfield, the Tyneside club stand a better chance of getting the best out of Joelinton and making sure he doesn’t get isolated. Miguel Almiron can play off him in the number ten role, whilst having Christian Atsu and Allan Saint-Maximin get to the by-line and put deliveries into the box will help in terms of the amount of service he will get.

Bruce may not be the most popular man around Newcastle, but with a tactical switch and greater willingness to play attacking football, he could slowly turn things around.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Alisson Becker is expected to return to first-team action for Liverpool in the coming weeks, but how much have the Reds missed their Brazilian shot-stopper?

What’s the word?

Former West Ham man Adrian has filled the void left by Alisson extremely well, there’s no doubt about it.

The Spaniard has wowed spectators and pundits with some incredible saves, stopped crucial one-on-ones from players like Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, and helped the Reds lift the Super Cup.

Yet, there is a feeling that Jurgen Klopp’s men look dramatically less stable at the back than they did last season, and the incredible stat below makes it clear just how much they truly miss their number one.

What do the stats say?

12 goals conceded in 11 matches isn’t exactly horrific, but considering it was nearly December before that number was breached last term, it is clear Alisson’s absence is being felt more than Adrian’s impressive form would suggest.

So what do the numbers tell us? Well, Adrian has a save percentage of 71%, which places him ninth in the Premier League.

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Last season however, Alisson led the league with a 78% save ratio, which is of course made even more impressive by the much larger sample size than we have for Adrian.

Looking at expected goals, we see that Liverpool allowed 29.15 xG in the league last term, but only conceded 22 goals, an impressive differential of 7.15.

This season, the Reds have conceded 7.28 xG and conceded five goals, once again implying that while Adrian is having a stellar start to life at Anfield, he simply isn’t the FIFA XI goalkeeper of the year.

On top of their abilities as shot-stoppers, there may also be a difference in leadership at the back with Alisson out injured – even some fans have noticed it too.

So, Alisson is a better shot-stopper, boasts a superior xG differential and the confidence he exudes seems to offer a security blanket of comfort for those in front of him.

Put simply – fear not Liverpool fans. Once the Brazil star returns, the defensive unit that conceded less goals than any team in Europe’s top five leagues last season should be back to doing what they do best – keeping clean sheets.

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Should Liverpool go on to win the Premier League this season, it will be interesting to see quite how this title bid comes to be remembered.

History always has a knack of recalling things slightly differently; sometimes that is due to the benefits of hindsight, retrospect and new information, but often its our ingrained desire for simplified, romantic narratives taking precedent over the accuracy of the nitty gritty. Constant inconsistencies and permutations are just too inconvenient to digest and retell. It’s much easier to shape events and themes around basic stories we can all follow.

So there’s every chance this Liverpool team will come to be misremembered, because of our preconceptions of Klopp’s side going into this season. The Reds didn’t quite match Manchester City for goals last term but going forward – and especially in the Champions League – they were decisively rampant. Mohamed Salah set a new record for Premier League goals in a single season, Sadio Mane netted 20 times and Roberto Firmino seemed to be redefining the role of a centre-forward in a modern 4-3-3.

That’s how we like to think about this Liverpool side – an unrelenting attacking force spearheaded by a world-class front three, perhaps the best front three around in terms of quality and compatibility. But Liverpool’s season hasn’t been built around the supreme performances of their forwards; vast improvements at the other end of the pitch have taken them to the table’s summit with only 11 games left to go.

Klopp would argue that his teams defend from the front, and that Firmino particularly is as important out of possession as any of his centre-halves. But the numbers are telling – by this point last season, Liverpool had scored six more goals in the Premier League, and across all competitions the front three had netted 65 times. This term, their combined tally is just 44 (stats worked out via various pages on Transfermarkt).

Sunday’s Northwest derby seemed to capture the rebalancing of which players Liverpool are suddenly so dependent on in a microcosm. Manchester United – albeit a Manchester United drastically depleted by injuries within the first half an hour – could barely get past the industrious Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in midfield to test the back four. But at the other end of the pitch, the front three that were so fearsome last season couldn’t find a moment of individual brilliance between them.

Of course, there are important caveats. Firmino withdrew through injury early on, so this was by no means Liverpool’s attack at its best. Likewise, due to the gravity of the situation, Klopp picked his sturdiest midfield, which somewhat limited the flow of supply into Salah and Mane. Nonetheless, you feel that the front three of last season, or at least the Salah of last season, would have twisted a few defenders inside out to pop up with a winning goal. Instead, both of Liverpool’s widemen produced their worst performances of the campaign.

And it inevitably highlights the contradiction behind Liverpool’s title bid; rather than the scintillating attacking football of 2017/18, defensive resilience and a new-found grit has got them through games.

But that isn’t how we’d like to remember them – historically, both Liverpool and Klopp are synonymous with excitement, entertainment, ambition and flair. The resident result-grinders, at least in the context of the Premier League title, are Chelsea, a club Liverpool are supposed to be the antithesis of. The idea of Liverpool winning the title ugly just doesn’t fit into our preconceptions and historic assumptions.

Perhaps the phrase ugly is a little overzealous, but Liverpool have certainly been a less beautiful beast than last season – immovable rather than irresistible. History, however, will unlikely remember them in that way; the two campaigns will be fused together, a brush of romanticism will be applied and while the impact of Liverpool’s defensive recruits over the last year will of course be acknowledged – chiefly Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Alisson – the relentless nature of the front three will be in the forefront of our minds.

Thing is, they just haven’t been quite so relentless this time around, when history’s spotlight is firmly set on them. And history, eventually, will only recall what we want it to recall – a Liverpool side that always thrilled, rather than one that relied on being almost impenetrable.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Borna Barisic showed a welcome return to form for Rangers in their dominant win over Feyenoord in the first round of Europa League group fixtures on Thursday night. The emotionally charged game served to inspire the Croatian to his finest performance in the famous blue jersey so far.

The Ibrox side overcame their Dutch counter-parts 1-0 thanks to a well taken long-range effort from on loan Liverpool starlet Sheyi Ojo but it was Barisic who provided the assist in an impressive display.

Barisic steamed into a 50/50 challenge and came out on top, releasing Ojo in the process. He then made himself available for a return pass, creating the space for the youngster to attack centrally and unleash an unstoppable effort.

The 26-year-old Croatian international looked worth every penny of the £2m transfer fee Rangers paid during the summer after he impressed against the Gers in last season’s qualifiers, as backed up by his performance statistics (courtesy of Whoscored).

He had a passing accuracy of 77.4%, the fourth highest throughout Rangers’ starting XI but more noticeably higher than James Tavernier on the opposite flank who came in at 66.7%.

Not only did Barisic provide the single assist of the game but he also contributed three key passes, demonstrating his importance to the Rangers attack. Defensively he was exemplary too, winning three tackles while making three interceptions and two clearances.

Barisic has now shown what he is capable of in his most convincing Rangers performance since joining in the summer and having missed out on a start to Andy Halliday and Jon Flanagan in the two domestic features previously, he’s surely now deserving of holding onto the No.3 berth – at least for the next few games.

West Ham United have opened talks with Tomas Soucek about extending his stay at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that West Ham have started negotiations with the 26-year-old midfielder regarding a new four-year deal.

The report goes on to state that, despite the fact the Czech Republic international’s current contract runs until the summer of 2024, the club’s hierarchy are keen to tie him down to a new long-term deal.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how “important” a part of the West Ham side Soucek has become since his €21m (£17.5m) permanent signing back in the summer of 2020, the news that the club are hoping to extend the midfielder’s stay in East London is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, during his first full season with the club last term, the £42m-rated man was in remarkable form over his 38 Premier League appearances, scoring ten goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The defensively-minded midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 9.6 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the £67k-per-week dynamo earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Moyes’ second-best performer in the top flight last time out – as well as seeing the 26-year-old win the club’s Hammer of the Year award.

As such, while many will be disappointed that West Ham missed out on a £50m deal to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the January transfer window, the news that the club are working on keeping Soucek a part of their squad for the foreseeable future – amid reported interest from both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain – is sure to have appeased the Hammers fanbase somewhat.

In other news: “Can confirm”: Ex drops big claim on failed deadline day move, WHU fans will be fuming

A major claim has emerged in Sunderland’s pursuit of a replacement for Lee Johnson at the Stadium of Light…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has revealed that they have reached an agreement with a head coach to finally take over at the club more than a week after Johnson’s sacking.

The ex-Bristol City boss was relieved of his duties after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton in League One at the end of January, with Kristjaan Speakman now set to replace him two games later.

Hope tweeted: “Alex Neil has agreed a deal to take over as Sunderland manager.”

Buzzing

Sunderland fans will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be delighted to read that significant progress is finally being made in their pursuit of a new manager. This latest claim indicates that they are inches away from being able to announce Johnson’s successor, and supporters will surely be relieved that the saga is coming to a close.

It has been a frustrating period for the club as they have lost back-to-back League One matches with Mike Dodds at the helm, losing to bottom-half teams in Doncaster and Cheltenham. Speakman’s lack of speed in appointing a manager has seemingly cost Sunderland six points as their interim coaching setup proved that they were not up to the task at hand.

The fans will therefore be buzzing for a new man to come in. They will also be excited as Neil comes in with the experience of getting a team promoted in similar circumstances.

Neil joined Norwich in January 2015 with the Canaries just outside the play-off picture in the Championship and led them to promotion via the play-offs. He galvanised the East Anglian outfit and took them to the Premier League, showing that he is able to make an instant impact without a pre-season or time to work out what he has within his squad.

Norwich won 15 of their 22 league games after his arrival before winning two of their three play-off matches to seal their ascent to the top flight. This highlights the potential that he has to make a difference at Sunderland, as he has proven that he can forge a winning team at a higher level than League One, which is why fans will surely be buzzing with this potential appointment.

AND in other news, “I understand”: Downie drops huge update in SAFC manager hunt, he’d be a “perfect fit”…

Aston Villa continue to make moves in the January transfer window amid reports claiming they are closing in on the signing of Dundee United starlet Kerr Smith.

What’s the story?

Writing initially on Twitter, journalist Scott Burns said: “@dundeeunitedfc defender Kerr Smith heads south to finalise big-money move to @AVFCOfficial.”

Then, in a follow-up article for The Scottish Express Sport, he added: “Dundee United have agreed a deal to sell Kerr Smith to Aston Villa in a deal that could eventually net them close to £2 million. The English Premier League side have managed to negotiate a significant transfer fee up front along with a number of major add-ons for their in-demand academy graduate.

“Crystal Palace, Southampton, Everton and Chelsea were all interested in the 17-year-old but Steven Gerrard’s Villa have struck a deal with sporting director Tony Asghar. The teenager has now been given permission to travel south for a medical, to agree terms and finalise his dream move.

Gerrard will love him

While the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne will no doubt play a major part in Villa’s first team over the coming weeks and months, the arrival of Smith is one for the future.

Indeed, in that aforementioned article, Burns added: “Villa rate Smith as one of the best young defenders of his age in the United Kingdom and very much see him as one for the future. He will be integrated into their under-23 squad in the short-term.”

Already standing at 6 foot, the 17-year-old has had his taste of first-team football this season for United, playing five games in the Scottish Premiership, including playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-1 draw against Celtic.

Speaking in April of last year, fellow defender Mark Connolly said: “Kerr, who played beside me, was fantastic. He’s 16 years of age and it’s incredible.”

Given the kind of project Gerrard is embarking on at Villa Park, the signing of a hugely talented youngster like Smith is sure to have him buzzing.

With the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Jacob Ramsey seeing some game-time in recent weeks, it’s clear the new Villa boss is intent on giving young players the chance to shine if they deserve it.

It’s exactly why he will surely be loving the prospect of coaching someone like Smith at Villa.

Meanwhile, this Villa target could be joining their Premier League rivals…