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Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is ‘destined to stay’ at the club beyond this summer despite recent reports to the contrary.

The Lowdown: Firmino’s contract running down

The Brazilian icon has been a wonderful player for the Reds, mastering the false nine roles and forging a legendary front-three combination with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Firmino is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of this season, however, and he has been linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter Milan in recent days, with the Italian press even believing he has been in contact with the San Siro club.

However, a new update suggests that the Reds’ No.9 will be going nowhere.

The Latest: Twist in the tale

According to FC Inter News [via Sport Witness], Inter are now unlikely to sign Firmino this summer despite their interest because he is ‘destined to stay’ put on Merseyside.

It is claimed that ‘talks’ have started between Liverpool and the 31-year-old over a new deal, with a two-year extension more likely than the three years he wants.

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Firmino isn’t quite the force he was, with age not allowing him to press as relentlessly as he once did – he averages 0.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, compared to 1.9 last term – but he remains an important player moving forward.

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For that reason, giving him a new short-term contract is an absolute no-brainer, allowing him to take up a squad role and proving to be an effective impact substitute when legs are tiring.

Some may be unhappy at Liverpool retaining an ageing player who is currently earning £180,000 per week, but he has been hailed as ‘world class’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past and squad depth is vital moving forward.

At 31, he is far from ancient, too, and there is no reason why he can’t produce many more telling contributions in the coming years, prior to leaving when his potential extension runs out.

The agent of Celtic teenager Eseosa Sule has confirmed that the player has completed a Parkhead exit.

The Lowdown: January speculation

Sule is an out-and-out centre-forward and was heavily linked with a move to Championship side West Brom last month.

Reports suggested that an agreement had been reached with the Hoops for the 16-year-old, however, only now has a move been rubber-stamped by his agent.

The Latest: Move confirmed

Sule’s representative, Darren McBay, took to Twitter on Monday to share an update on the forward. He said that a transfer to West Brom has been completed, posting pictures of the player holding up a Baggies shirt inside The Hawthorns.

McBay added that a move was delayed beyond January as it ‘still had to get international clearance approved’, something which now appears to have happened.

The Verdict: One to watch…

Sule had been tipped to make an impact on the first-team stage at Parkhead, so losing his services to West Brom isn’t ideal.

Celtic have a recent history of losing teenagers to English sides, with the likes of Leo Hjelde and Ben Doak moving to Leeds United and Liverpool respectively, with both going on to make Premier League appearances.

Sule could well be the next to breakthrough down south, so his development will be one to keep an eye on closely over the coming years, but unfortunately, it won’t be Celtic reaping the rewards.

Victor Orta has delivered a number of impressive transfer deals during his time at Leeds but one of his best was arguably Pascal Struijk, as the young defender’s value has rocketed during his time at Elland Road.

The Belgian-born defender would make the move to Yorkshire in 2018, signing on a free transfer from Ajax and originally linking up with the U23 side at Thorp Arch.

However, he would quickly make an impression and was promoted to the senior side in the 2019/20 season, making five appearances for the Whites as they earned promotion back to the Premier League.

He would then establish himself as a regular in Marcelo Bielsa’s side, making 27 appearances in the Premier League the following season, keeping his first-team spot under Jesse Marsch.

In total, the former Netherlands U17 international has made 87 appearances for Leeds’ first team, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist.

How much is Pascal Struijk worth?

New manager Javi Gracia is yet to take charge of a game but it seems extremely likely that Struijk will keep his place in the heart of the defence, given that WhoScored ranks him as the top performer in Leeds’ squad so far this season.

The 23-year-old has averaged a strong 6.90 rating across his 20 appearances in the top flight, while he also ranks in the top six Leeds players for tackles, interceptions, blocks and aerials won per game, which emphasises how much of an impact he has at the back.

Former Leeds United defender Tony Dorigo heaped praise on the young defender after a goal in a mid-season friendly against Real Sociedad.

He said:

“Pascal, he really has been tremendous this season, having to play at left-back, we know how good his defensive qualities are. Going forward I think he has just got better and better and here, well, this is the shot of a centre half. No messing about, no fancy curling it in the top corner, give it a thump. What a goal and what a strike.”

Unsurprisingly, Struijk’s emergence as a key player for Leeds has seen his transfer value significantly increase during his five-year stay at Elland Road.

Back in 2020, Transfermarkt valued him at just €750k (£663k) but now he stands at an impressive €20m (£18m), which represents a phenomenal 2566% increase, in terms of euros, in just three years.

Struijk is contracted until 2027 so Leeds fans will be hoping to see him stay for the foreseeable future, but Orta can be safe in the knowledge that the Yorkshire club will make a huge profit on the Dutch defender should he ever depart Elland Road.

In-form Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is the subject of interest from current Premier League leaders Arsenal, according to journalist Steve Kay.

The Lowdown: Watkins flying for Villa

The 27-year-old finds himself in a rich vein of form at the moment, proving to be one of Villa’s most influential players since Unai Emery took charge.

Watkins has scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league this season and he has found the net in each of his last five appearances.

The Englishman’s form doesn’t appear to be going unnoticed, however, which will be a concern for the Villans.

The Latest: Arsenal eyeing up move

Taking to Twitter, Kay claimed that Arsenal see Watkins as a potential transfer target during the summer transfer window:

“Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is one of the strikers that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on as a possible summer signing according to sources. Arteta is a massive admirer of the England International, who recently praised the forward in the away win against Villa.”

The Verdict: Could be hard to say no

In truth, it is understandable to see why Watkins’ head would be turned by a potential move to Arsenal this summer, given the quality they are performing with currently.

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Mikel Arteta has built an extremely exciting young squad that is pushing for Premier League glory and the Villa man could be seen as a big upgrade on Eddie Nketiah.

The £75,000-a-week Watkins certainly has the attributes to shine for Arsenal, not only scoring regularly this season but also working hard and pressing from the front, and he has been hailed as a ‘record breaker’ by journalist Gregg Evans for the recent scoring run.

The hope is that he sees his long-term future at Villa, of course – his current deal expires in 2025 – and that he continues to spearhead the Emery era.

Glasgow Rangers are back in action just six days after their League Cup final defeat, which was Michael Beale’s first loss in charge of the Ibrox side.

The club now realistically have the chance at winning just the Scottish Cup this season, having slipped nine points behind their Old Firm rivals in the Premiership title race and this will be Beale’s main focus from now on.

A home tie against Kilmarnock awaits this afternoon and gives the Light Blues a chance to close the gap to six points at the top of the table, temporarily at least, although the 42-year-old will need to choose a better starting XI as opposed to the one that took to the field at Hampden last week.

Will Todd Cantwell start against Kilmarnock?

Beale chose John Lundstram and Glen Kamara as the two players to form the midfield axis in the cup final, while Malik Tillman was given a starting slot in the attacking midfield role, however, none of them performed particularly well, with all three players receiving a rating of just 4/10 for their performances at Hampden via the Scotsman.

Cantwell has started off his Rangers career in a positive manner with the 25-year-old, averaging a 7.22/10 rating via Sofascore across his four league appearances so far, and it was a shame that he did not start against Celtic.

In those four games, he has managed to grab an assist, make 1.5 key passes per game, create one big chance, and take 64 touches on average, certainly proving that he has settled into life in Scotland with relative ease by creating opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis.

In only his second match for the club, Cantwell came on as a substitute for the final 14 minutes against Hearts and made his presence felt and this led journalist Jordan Campbell to lavish praise on him, saying: “Cantwell has been superb since he came on. Nearly every time he has got on the ball he has dribble past someone or produced a lovely pass.”

The magician’s former youth coach Gary Cockaday praised him previously, saying: “He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given.”

The 5 foot 10 maestro could unlock the Killie defence should he be unleashed this afternoon and with the cup final defeat scars still healing, it may be a match that needs just one moment of magic to ensure the club gets the three points.

Cantwell is capable of producing these moments and ‘lovely’ passes, as shown by his aforementioned statistics in the Premiership, and, thus, Beale should make up for last week’s mistake by starting the Englishman.

Celtic appear to have got away with a major decision last night as Alexandro Bernabei’s tackle went unpunished by VAR.

The Lowdown: Celtic showing no signs of slowing down

On a night when their Old Firm rivals kicked off at the same time, it was an evening where the pendulum could have swung in another direction, but Ange Postecoglou simply didn’t allow for that to even come into his thinking.

Despite going 1-0 down at home to a high-flying Hearts side, Celtic rallied back in the second half to record an emphatic and ultimately comfortable 3-1 victory.

However, it could well have been so different had referee Alan Muir or the VAR team spotted Bernabei’s lunge on Nathaniel Atkinson – which was high and above the ball – which could have changed the game had Celtic gone down to 10 men.

The Latest: Bernabei’s lucky to avoid a red card

Some Celtic fans may well have been confused that Bernabei was not even handed a yellow card looking back on the incident, and had VAR intervened, it may have been considered to be dangerous play.

While he doesn’t appear to make much contact with his lunge, VAR could well have seen it as endangering an opponent, as firm contact could have resulted in a clean leg break.

The Verdict: Postecoglou may finally be thanking VAR

There was indeed an apparent length check on this tackle from Bernanbei, but Hearts boss Robbie Neilson was left furious post-match that no red card was branded the way of the Celtic defender.

Postecoglou was very open just a few days ago about VAR, with the Australian boss claiming that it misses nothing, especially when it comes to his team. However, he may be counting his lucky stars that it did indeed miss something this time around.

While the contact doesn’t look to be too much from the Argentinian defender, the fact that Atkinson’s leg is planted and Bernabei has no chance of getting near the ball, he could’ve had no complaints if he was given his marching orders.

Chelsea have been heavily linked with Barcelona winger Raphinha in recent days but Graham Potter could unearth a dream alternative in Omari Hutchinson.

Could Chelsea sign Raphinha?

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, both Chelsea and Newcastle United are on high alert ahead of the summer, after Barcelona admitted that they could be forced to cash in on the Brazilian due to their ongoing financial difficulties.

The former Leeds United man was linked with a Stamford Bridge switch during the summer but opted for a move to the Nou Camp, where he has been a regular for Xavi's title hopefuls.

In total, the 26-year-old has made 37 appearances for the La Liga giants, contributing an impressive nine goals and nine assists, with the Catalan side now looking like favourites for the title.

Chelsea are no stranger to a big transfer fee but given that Barcelona paid £55m just last summer, the Brazilian winger certainly wouldn't come cheap, and Potter might feel that he has a ready-made alternative in academy star, Omari Hutchinson.

Who is Omari Hutchinson?

Hutchinson is an exciting 19-year-old winger who swapped Arsenal for Chelsea last summer and has made a huge impression in the Premier League 2 so far this campaign.

The Jamaican-born wide man boasts seven goals and eight assists in just 18 Premier League 2 appearances, while he also notched one goal and two assists in four EFL Trophy appearances.

A dazzling left-footed attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing, Hutchinson looks to have a lot of similarities to Raphinha, who starred in the Premier League with Leeds, contributing 17 goals and 12 assists across 67 appearances.

Hutchinson is clearly highly rated by Potter, as he has already made two senior appearances under the former Brighton boss, who sang his praises after he starred in a mid-season friendly against Aston Villa.

He said: "[Hutchinson] was really good, dangerous and asked a question all the time. Throughout the game, he showed his quality but he wasn’t the only one."

With Chelsea's big-money signings continuing to misfire, it seems only a matter of time before Potter turns to some of the exceptional academy talents on offer at Cobham, and Hutchinson will surely be near the top of the pecking order.

If the teenager's performances in the Premier League 2 can translate into the top flight, then Chelsea could soon have another gem on their hands, and Potter might feel that another big-money move for Raphinha simply isn't required, especially if it means blocking Hutchinson's pathway into the big time.

Sheikh Jassim is very confident in his bid to take full control at Manchester United, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Second bid

Jassim made an offer to take control at Old Trafford before the soft deadline set by the Glazers last month. The current Manchester United owners have seemingly placed a £5bn valuation for the club, with previous reports believing Jassim’s opening bid was set to be rejected.

However, Jassim seems determined to complete a deal and sent a ‘formidable delegation to Old Trafford’ last week for talks. Those discussions lasted ten hours and were thought to be positive, with Sky Sports stating that a second offer from the Qatari investors was set to be made today ahead of a new deadline.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter in the last 24 hours to share what he’s heard from the Qatari investors. The transfer expert said that Jassim is ‘still very confident’ to buy the club ‘for full ownership’ but said that possible rival Sir Jim Ratcliffe will also make a new bid.

‘Sheikh Jassim feels still very confident on his bid to buy Manchester Utd for full ownership; Sir Ratcliffe’s INEOS group will also bid again after positive talks last week.’

Romano reiterated that the deadline for second bids is on Wednesday evening, adding that it will then be ‘up to the Glazers, again.’

The Verdict: Promising

This update appears to be a promising sign for those wanting Jassim to replace the Glazers, and there will more than likely be further developments throughout the day.

Erik ten Hag may also be keeping one eye on takeover updates, especially as it could impact his transfer plans for the summer. The Qatari group led by Jassim previously wanted ‘things done quickly’ so they could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, while they were also confident there would be no dual ownership issues.

This will be one to keep an eye on, and it’ll be interesting to see who may join Jassim and Ratcliffe with new bids in the coming hours.

Arsenal have been absolutely flying this season, but not everyone in the squad has had the most fruitful of fortunes.

Signing from Porto for £34m in the summer, talented creative midfielder Fabio Vieira has not quite made the emphatic impact he will have hoped thus far, despite featuring prominently in the north London club's unsuccessful Europa League campaign.

Starting on just two occasions in the Premier League, the 22-year-old has clearly not been entrusted with more than a peripheral role with the stakes so high in north London at present; Arsenal are challenging for their first Premier League title in almost two decades, currently eight points clear of Manchester City with ten matches to play.

While Viera will be provided a platform to continue his development over the coming years, the progress of one particular midfield sensation in the Hale End academy will no doubt leave Arteta with something of a headache when considering his options for next term.

Who is Bradley Ibrahim?

Arteta must consider unleashing Bradley Ibrahim in short time, with Arsenal's official website hailing the dynamic ace as 'an energetic box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal' and a 'tireless' central presence.

The 18-year-old has made 18 appearances for the Gunners' youth teams this season and even found a place on the bench for the seniors on two occasions in the Europa League, though he still awaits his professional debut.

Praised to have come "a long way" by journalist Layth Yousif, Ibrahim signed his first professional contract almost one year ago, in March 2022, and has since started to push on the door of the U21 outfit, landing seven appearances already.

ROCNATION also regarded the teenage talent as an "athletic midfielder who is always looking to create space and play passes to unlock the opposition defence."

With this in mind, he could surely look to make an impression where Vieira has somewhat failed this season, mirroring his senior peer in athleticism and drifting movement on the ball, with Vieira ranking within the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for touches in the attacking box and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

While Arteta will be hesitant to ditch a young player of Vieira's quality so soon, unleashing Ibrahim and providing the Portuguese ace with competition from the Hale End ranks could bring out the best in both phenoms.

But if Vieira cannot grow into his midfield deployment next season with greater authority, he might have to keep one eye behind his shoulder, with Ibrahim's development tantalising a place in Arteta's plans sooner rather than later.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will likely have been keeping a close eye on the performances of his players while on international duty during the last week or so, with a handful of first-team stars having particularly impressed in recent days.

While such displays on the international scene may not have too great a bearing on team selection when club action resumes this weekend, one man who will be hoping to have staked a claim for a more prominent role at Old Trafford is midfield machine, Scott McTominay, following the 26-year-old's standout showings for Scotland.

The United academy graduate has endured a frustrating time under Ten Hag of late having started just seven Premier League games so far this term, with the signing of influential Brazilian, Casemiro, having shunted the Lancaster-born brute down the pecking order.

With the former Real Madrid ace currently ruled out through suspension, however, McTominay may be hoping he has done enough to cement his place as the man to fill the void of his experienced teammate, albeit while also potentially showcasing his credentials to take on a more advanced role in Ten Hag's side.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse first helped Steve Clarke's men power to a 3-0 win over Cyprus after netting twice off the bench on Saturday afternoon, before bagging himself yet another brace just days later in the shock, 2-0 victory over Spain.

That glut of goals has helped his nation get off to a perfect start in their quest to secure qualification for Euro 2024, with the towering asset likely hoping he can replicate that golden touch in the coming games for the Red Devils.

McTominay was not alone in having impressed on the international front, however, with fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes having also been "on fire" for Portugal over the past week, as per journalist Thomas Alencar.

How did Fernandes perform for Portugal?

Although the playmaking maestro was not able to get on the scoresheet like his club colleague, the 28-year-old was hugely influential in getting new boss Roberto Martinez off to a winning start in the dugout, having produced standout showings against both Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

Against the former, the £240k-per-week gem showcased the full array of his creative quality as he laid on a staggering haul of eight key passes, having arguably been his side's 'liveliest option' in the first half, in particular, according to GOAL's Thomas Hindle.

While that outing did see the former Sporting CP ace lose possession on 22 occasions, that was merely a marker of his typical desire to make things happen in the centre of the park, having also attempted nine crosses and completed five of his six long balls.

That magnificent performance – which earned Fernandes an 8.1 match rating, as per Sofascore – was followed by yet another classy display in Portugal's second fixture on Sunday evening, having again pulled the strings in his playmaking berth.

The one-time Udinese ace was only able to provide three key passes this time around, although did manage to get a deserved goal involvement after registering an assist for former United man, Cristiano Ronaldo, teeing up the prolific marksman with a neat, threaded pass in behind.

That 75-minute outing also saw the relentless ace win three of his five ground duels as a marker of his impressive work ethic, with that all-action performance earning the 5 foot 10 sensation an impressive 8.0 match rating, as per Sofascore.

While there may be concern for Ten Hag at seeing Fernandes feature heavily for his country following a hectic fixture schedule – having already made 44 appearances this season at club level – the former Ajax boss will be delighted that his stand-in skipper yet again showed his undoubted class.