FOOTBALL UPDATE

FA  Cup fourth round tie between Liverpool and West Brom at Anfield.   Liverpool:  Jurgen Klopp looks set to be without a trio of players for this one. Adam Lallan has suffered an injury setback, whilst Ragnar Klavan and James Milner also look set to miss out through illness and a dead leg respectively. Nathaniel Clyne is thought to be making good progress as he recovers form a back problem but he is still not training with the rest of the squad. Captain Jordan Henderson is back in training and could get the nod in this one, whilst Dejan Lovren is also back available. Simon Mignolet will be given the chance to stake his claim between the sticks.   West Brom:    The 'Baggies' are thought to be suffering after a flu bug swept through their camp, with Ben Foster, Ahmed Hegazi, Gareth McAuley, Jay Rodriguez, Sam Field and James McClean are all struggling to be fit for the game, meaning the likes of Boaz Myhill, Oliver Burke and Hal Robson-Kanu....

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain credited a second-half "rampage" from Liverpool with ending Manchester City's unbeaten run in the Premier League. The former Arsenal midfielder set in motion a thrilling 4-3 win for Jurgen Klopp's men, who responded to Leroy Sane's equaliser five minutes before half-time by putting City to the sword after the break. Roberto Firmino caught out John Stones to get on the end of Oxlade-Chamberlain's throughball and dink a finish past Ederson, the first of three goals in a dizzying nine-minute spell, with Sadio Mane and the excellent Mohamed Salah also getting in on the act. It meant a first loss in 23 Premier League outings for Pep Guardiola's side this term, whose heads cleared in the closing stages as substitute Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan set up a grandstand finish. "It's a nice statement for us. They've been brilliant all year, they’re a fantastic side," said Oxlade-Chamberlain, who felt Liverpool t...

Real Madrid want to sign Mohamed Salah in response to Barcelona’s £146 million purchase of Philippe Coutinho.  Barcelona completed their huge money move for Philippe Coutinho and have added a very talented player to their squad to help plug the gap left by Neymar when he left in the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain. Of course, the La Liga giants have done very well this season, leading the pack in Spain by 9 points and ahead of Real Madrid by 16 points. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the current Champions League title holders are keen on sending a message to Barcelona and believe a similar raid on Liverpool to sign Mo Salah would do the trick. The Galacticos are huge admirers of Salah (who isn’t?) and believe the African Player of the Year recipient to be a player worthy of pulling on the white Madrid shirt. Di Marzio writes that “the Spanish club will now try to tempt the Egyptian winger and sign him, as Barcelona did with Coutinho.” If this is tr...

Barcelona signing Philippe Coutinho has traded heart-felt messages with former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard.  http://ochoochosoccer.blogspot.com.ng/2018/01/luis-suarez-welcomes-philippe-coutinho.html?m=1 The Brazilian secured his move to the Nou Camp for an impressive £145 million and Gerrard insisted he respected his decision, posting a message on Instagram declaring his admiration. The 37-year-old admitted it was hard to see such a good player leave the club but insisted Liverpool could not stand in the way of his dream. Gerrard posted on Instagram: 'It hurts you have left because you are a special player, up there with the best I shared a pitch with.  'I want to wish you and your family all the best for the next stage of your career in Barcelona . Thank you for the special moments and memories over the last 5 years . YNWA.' In response to Gerrard's message, Coutinho said: 'Steve, thanks so much for your kind words. It was an honour for m...

Coutinho's first full day as a Barcelona player included a welcome message from former Liverpool team-mate Suarez.  Luis Suarez has vowed to help Philippe Coutinho achieve his dreams following his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona. The Brazil star finalised his move to Camp Nou on Monday, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract after a reported fee of €160million was agreed between the clubs. Suarez, who played alongside Coutinho at Anfield until he joined Barca in 2014, is looking forward to great success alongside his new team-mate. Writing on Twitter alongside a picture with Coutinho, Suarez said: "Welcome my friend, how nice [it] is to share [a] team with you again. "Lots of success in this new stage [sic], we will achieve them all together!" Coutinho had earlier met Gerard Pique and Paulinho on his first full day at the club.

Borussia Dortmund have agreed a £63.5m deal to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.  The Dortmund forward has been long linked with a move to the Premier League with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all showing reported interest in the player. The Chinese club have now entered advanced negotiations with the 28-year-old. China’s next big name Should Aubameyang make the switch, he would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Carlos Tevez, Hulk and Oscar in moving to the Chinese Super League. Evergrande won the Chinese league title in 2017 and are now looking to assert their dominance by moving for the Dortmund player. They are currently managed by World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, who took over from former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, returning for a second spell in charge. Chinese clubs are limited to four foreign players, at this moment in time, Evergrande have just...

Liverpool have not given up hope of signing Leon Goretzka, even though the Schalke midfielder is thought to be close to joining Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Goretzka is reportedly Liverpool's first choice to replace the recently departed Philippe Coutinho, despite strong suggestions that the German international is set to join Bayern in the coming days. According to Loic Tanzi of French television channel SFR Sport, Liverpool "are doing everything to try to convince him (Leon Goretzka), despite the fact that he is close to Bayern Munich." Having joined Schalke from VFL Bochum in 2013 after his first season in professional football, Goretzka has gone on to make 130 appearances in all competitions in the Royal Blue of Schalke, scoring 19 goals in that time, with his performances this season helping Schalke to second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich ahead of German football's return from the winter break this coming weekend. The 22 year old midfi...

LA LIGA news is coming thick and fast with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all looking at strengthening during the January transfer window.   Harry Kane to Real Madrid Harry Kane to Real Madrid could have huge consequences for Manchester United. Don Balon say any move to the Bernabeu for the England star may see Gareth Bale depart. And United, who also want Kane, may benefit. Red Devils want to sign Bale this month. But if Real dig their heels in, Jose Mourinho may have to wait until the summer instead.   Luis Suarez to Liverpool Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is reportedly hopeful of re-signing Luis Suarez from Barcelona. Spanish outlet Diario Gol claim the Reds manager is determined to bring Suarez back. Liverpool are on the lookout for new attackers after selling Philippe Coutinho to Barca for a huge £142million. And though Roberto Firmino has excelled in a no9 role this season, Liverpool want Suarez back to lead the l...

Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City today. The Algerian has been linked with a move away from King Power for a while now and it seems that he is heading to Anfield this week.Mahrez will replace Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool. The Brazilian completed a €160m move to Barcelona yesterday The report adds that the transfer has been agreed and Liverpool will pay €55m for Mahrez and the player will complete his medical today. Mahrez is expected to sign a four-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2022. The Leicester City star has been in outstanding form over the last few seasons and he should prove to be a valuable asset for Klopp. However, his playing style is not similar to that of Coutinho and it will be interesting to see how the German integrates his new signing into the side. Liverpool have recently signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Mahrez is likely to be their second January s...

Phillipe Coutinho has signed for Barcelona in a five year deal, the Catalan club has confirmed, with the fee believed to be 160 million euros. In what is the second most expensive transfer ever after Neymar's move to Paris Saint-Germain, 120 million euros is to be paid up front with another 40 million performance related. The Brazilian is expected to be presented at the Camp Nou on Monday, which will conclude a transfer saga that dragged on throughout last summer with Liverpool then adamant that they would not allow their key creative midfielder to leave.Coutinho did put in a transfer request but it did not sway the Livepool board but now the persistence of Barcelona and the player has seen the move finally come to fruition.  Barcelona have brought in the player despite him not being eligible for the Champions League this season, having already been fielded by Liverpool.

Barcelona and Liverpool are close to sealing the transfer of Philippe Coutinho having agreed on a fee for the Brazilian. Philippe Coutinho's dream of joining La Liga giants Barcelona is about to be realised after the fee and payment schedules were agreed between the two clubs. The Catalans were planning to fly the Brazilian out on Saturday for a medical examination to be completed on Monday, which is why Coutinho didn't join the rest of the Liverpool squad on their trip to Dubai.  As soon as the deal worth £145 million is concluded, Coutinho will travel to Spain to meet up with his new teammates, becoming the second-most expensive signing of all time.  Liverpool bought Coutinho for £8.5m from Inter Milan in 2013 and are set to make a handsome profit when the transfer is officially announced in the coming hours.

Virgil van Dijk was ecstatic to mark his "dream" Liverpool debut with the winning goal in Friday's FA Cup triumph over rivals Everton.  The world's most expensive defender, who completed his move from Southampton for £75million this month, headed in the winner six minutes from time to settle a fiery Merseyside derby at Anfield. He had earlier seen a similar chance go begging as he nodded into the arms of Jordan Pickford, but was left beaming with joy at the end as his late intervention made it 2-1. "What a night," the Dutchman told BBC Sport. "It was thoroughly deserved, it felt amazing to be out there. The goal is very special for me and my family. "Playing at Anfield for Liverpool is a dream for every player. To score a goal is even more special." Derby debut. Late winner. Scores in front of the Kop. pic.twitter.com/gVLG3VBnat — Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 5, 2018 James Milner, who put the hosts 1-0 up from the spot afte...

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has reached an agreement in principle to join Juventus in the summer.  The 23-year-old Germany midfielder is out of contract this summer and is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, having entered the final six months of his current deal. Liverpool are still trying to persuade him to sign a new contract at Anfield, with boss Jurgen Klopp happy for this to come as late as the end of the season. Can does not need to keep Liverpool informed of his plans beyond this season if he does decide to leave Anfield. Serie A champions Juventus have been trying to sign Can for some time but Sky Germany understands the midfielder will not leave Liverpool in the January transfer window. They face Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup third round on Friday, followed by a home clash with Premier League leaders Manchester City on January 14.

Mohamed Salah has won the African footballer of the year award Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah was named African Player of the Year in Ghanaian capital Accra on Thursday, the first Egyptian to win the award since Mahmoud al Khatib in 1983. The 25-year-old has scored 23 goals in 29 matches in all competitions this season for the Premier League outfit after moving from AS Roma in the summer. He also starred for resurgent Egypt, who last year finished runners-up to Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations and secured a first World Cup appearance since 1990. In the penultimate round of World Cup qualifying, Salah scored the brace that edged Congo Brazzaville in Alexandria, including the stoppage-time winner from a penalty that sealed a trip to Russia. Salah’s Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, of Senegal, was runner-up and 2015 winner, Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang third after a 30-player list had been trimmed to three. National coaches, Confed...

The Barcelona are preparing a fourth offer for the Liverpool midfielder and are ready to smash the British transfer record to get the deal done this month.  The 25 year old wants to seal his dream move to Spain before the transfer window closes and Barcelona are willing to pull out all the stops to make it happen after three failed bids in the summer. But Kop boss Jurgen Klopp has no fears about his players being distracted by the Coutinho circus ahead of tonight’s Merseyside derby. Klopp refused to be drawn on the future of the Brazilian – who will miss the Cup clash with a thigh injury – but insists the team will not lose focus in their FA Cup third round clash against Everton at Anfield.  He said: “Sometimes they are in the middle of the story and sometimes they are sat next to the guy in the dressing room who is in the middle of the story. “These young boys are used to this from a really early age and are used to ignoring things around them. If they are smart e...

Liverpool have recruited a ‘really high-quality player’ in Virgil van Dijk, according to Roberto Firmino, who is looking forward to playing with, rather than against, the Dutchman. Van Dijk, who finalised his move to Anfield on New Year’s Day, established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading defenders during his two-and-a-half-season spell with Southampton. And, after lining up in opposition to his new teammate on four occasions since joining the Reds in the summer of 2015, Firmino is delighted to now share a dressing room with Van Dijk.  “He’s a really, really good defender. It’s always really hard playing against him. It’s very hard, he marks very tightly and I just think he’s a really, really high-quality player,” the Brazil forward said. Expanding on the areas of Van Dijk’s game he appreciates and detailing what attributes he expects the No.4 to bring to Jürgen Klopp’s squad, Firmino continued: “I think in addition to the fact he’s very physical, it’s his p...

Liverpool Former defender Jamie Carragher has urged Philippe Coutinho to stay at Anfield until the end of the season. Carragher gave his advice on the potential transfer of Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona on Twitter. On Tuesday that the Reds' playmaker has played his last game for the club, according to Spanish media reports, but it will take a British transfer record to sign him.  Carragher said: 'Best thing is agree the BIG fee for Coutinho to go in the summer like we’ve done with Keita, not now. 'What do the club gain by doing it now? Top 4 & CL progression seriously risked if they sell in Jan, & difficult to replace him now. 'If he goes on strike he damages himself.' Gary Neville mocked Carragher's thoughts on the Coutinho saga referring to them as 'a lovely story'. He then tweeted his Sky Sports colleague with Lisbon-based journalist Marcus Alves' tweet and added 'Strike / Strike / Strike!!' with a crying laught...

As Liverpool continued their preparations for Friday's clash with Everton, there was a fresh face training among Jurgen Klopp's squad. Virgil van Dijk, who became the world's most expensive defender when he completed a £75million move from Southampton this month, joined his team-mates for the first time on Wednesday night. The defender could make his debut in the FA Cup third round on Friday. And he appeared in good spirits ahead of the Merseyside derby at Anfield. As Liverpool continued their preparations for Friday's clash with Everton, there was a fresh face training among Jurgen Klopp's squad. Virgil van Dijk, who became the world's most expensive defender when he completed a £75million move from Southampton this month, joined his team-mates for the first time on Wednesday night. The defender could make his debut in the FA Cup third round on Friday. And he appeared in good spirits ahead of the Merseyside derby at Anfield. Van Dijk took part...

Philippe Coutinho finally completing his desired move to Barcelona but Ernesto Valverde has given nothing away in the week the transfer window opens.  Reports in England suggest that Liverpool may be ready to open negotiations for the Brazilian and consider a club record deal."[Coutinho] is a player for another team," noted Valverde at his pre-Copa del Rey press conference. "He is a great player, of course. "I don't know what will happen, but I like mine much more."One player who will be pulling on the Blaugrana jersey in January is Ousmane Dembele, who Valverde declared fit before considering the future of the winger's countryman, Samuel Umtiti."Having a player like Ousmane back is very positive for us," added the coach. "He got injured just as he was adapting to the team, so let's see if he can help us. He is ready to play."[Umtiti] is a great player and we hope he stays at Barcelona for many years."Celta Vigo a...

Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah are doubts for Liverpool's FA Cup tie with Everton on Friday after missing the Premier League win at Burnley. The attacking pair were absent from the matchday squad at Turf Moor, where the Reds claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory in stoppage-time to secure a third successive win. And their respective minor thigh and groin injuries will need assessment ahead of the Merseyside derby, with both ‘at least a doubt’ as it stands. “Phil are Mo are injured, not massively but enough for today [to be] no chance. And [they are] a doubt, at least a doubt, for Everton,” said Jürgen Klopp.