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Liverpool are reportedly among the "most interested" clubs in signing Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada this summer.

What's the latest on Kamada to Liverpool?

The Merseyside outfit have three central players all out of contract at the end of the season, and with FSG having decided not to trigger Arthur Melo's option to buy, the Reds will need to completely revamp their central ranks ahead of the forthcoming term. Jurgen Klopp has already confirmed that he used the most recent international break to hold talks with some of his transfer targets, but stopped short of specifying particular players, though it's no secret that he's been heavily linked with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount.

Meanwhile, Japan international Kamada's deal at the Deutsche Bank Park is set to expire in the summer, meaning that he is poised to become a free agent and therefore able to talk to other clubs regarding his next move, and amid being Oliver Glasner's second-best offensive player in terms of match rating with 6.83 (as per WhoScored), he isn't short of potential suitors.

Back in February, 90min credited the Reds, alongside their Premier League rivals Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, with an initial interest in the 26-year-old, who was being monitored by the quartet, and if the following update is anything to go by, it sounds like the Anfield side are ahead of their competitors in the race to secure his signature.

According to reports from Spain-based Relevo (via Liverpool Echo), Klopp's side and Bayern Munich were name-checked as the two current clubs to be most expressing their admiration for Kamada.

The latest claim reads: "As reported by the German press, he will not renew his contract with Eintracht and will go free. Many teams are getting in touch with the environment, but so far the most interested clubs are Liverpool and Bayern Munich. At the moment there is nothing advanced with Atletico de Madrid or with other Spanish clubs, which are closely monitoring the situation."

Should Liverpool make a move for Kamada?

Kamada has been dubbed a "hero" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and considering that it would cost nothing to acquire his services, Liverpool surely have to consider making an approach at the end of the season.

The Nike-sponsored star is naturally an attacking midfielder – which is highlighted in his numbers, having racked up an impressive 18 goal contributions (13 goals and five assists) in 37 appearances across all competitions this season.

The £34k-p/w talent would also add excellent versatility to the Liverpool squad, having operated in seven different positions since the start of his career, including three within the midfield and across the frontline. Kamada knows what it takes to be successful having lifted the Europa League and German Cup with Frankfurt, so would match the winning mentality and ambitions to secure further silverware on Merseyside.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Rafa Benitez is not yet a "concrete" option to replace Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.

What's the latest on Rafa Benitez and Leicester?

After a frankly turgid Premier League season, the Foxes finally decided to come to a “mutual agreement” with their coach and part ways.

This means Rodgers leaves Leicester in the midst of a worrying relegation battle with the club 19th in the division with ten games left to keep themselves afloat.

With that in mind, whoever comes in now won't have long to turn things around and so the Foxes may want to hire someone with good experience at handling this kind of situation.

Following that logic, Benitez has emerged as one of the favourites to come in and take over from Rodgers in the near future.

However, when talking about it all on the House of Champions: A CBS Soccer Podcast, Romano explained that there is nothing set in stone just yet.

He said (12:33): "I also heard some rumours of Rafa Benitez but I'm told that at the moment it is not something advanced or that concrete."

Who will be the next Leicester manager?

The 62-year-old Spaniard would certainly arrive with all the prerequisite experience of English football, pushing in title challenges and relegation scraps.

After all, he has managed the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Everton. In that time, he did get relegated with the Magpies but was only in charge for ten games that season and has never finished lower than 13th when in charge for a full campaign.

The good thing is, Benitez does seem to be keen on returning to management too. Indeed, he recently told the Daily Mail he is open to taking on a new challenge, saying: “Yeah, yeah, for sure. The good thing I have is that because I have managed so many years and because I was successful, I can decide."

However, it sounds as though he is quite picky: “I have had around 20 offers since I left Everton. National teams, different teams in Asia, in the Emirates, in Mexico. National teams everywhere.

“Some teams in England, some teams in Spain. The reality is you need to find the right one, the team that will allow you to build.”

With that in mind, it remains to be seen if the Spaniard would be up for the challenge of keeping Leicester from avoiding the drop. Although, his most recent venture saw him earn 19 points in 19 league matches with the Toffees, boasting a win percentage of just 31.8%.

Other names to be mentioned in the media are Thomas Frank, Ange Postecoglou, and Michael Carrick but all of those are currently in work. So perhaps Benitez is the most realistic target for now.

West Ham United have been handed a boost ahead of the Premier League's resumption next weekend, as Vladimir Coufal is now expected to be fit for the visit of relegation rivals Southampton.

Has Vladimir Coufal recovered from his injury?

The right-back has been out of action since picking up a heel injury in the 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest last month, missing each of the Hammers' last five fixtures.

It has been a big loss for Moyes as he has been forced to utilise either Ben Johnson or Thilo Kehrer in that position, and neither have impressed with their performances this season, ranking as the 12th and 16th-best performers in David Moyes' squad according to WhoScored.

Hammers fans will have been hoping that the former Slavia Prague man would use the international break to get back to full fitness, but he was a surprise inclusion in the Czech Republic squad and could feature in their upcoming games against Poland and Moldova.

Czech boss Jaroslav Silhavy has provided an update on the 30-year-old's situation, which will perhaps put upset West Ham fans at ease.

He told iDNES.cz: “Vlaďs had health problems with his heel, but at the moment he is doing everything to be ready for Friday.

“Our side is in daily contact with West Ham, we exchange information and we believe that Vlad will be ready for the match against Poland on Friday.”

Should Coufal come out unscathed, then there is no reason now why he won't be able to feature against Southampton in the six-pointer at the London Stadium next weekend.

While his performances have perhaps dropped from his first season at the club when he notched seven assists in just 34 Premier League appearances, he is still a reliable member of Moyes' squad, and his attitude is exactly what the Hammers need to get out of the mess they find themselves in.

Mark Noble testified this when speaking on the Peter Crouch Pod in 2021, referring to his former teammate as a "machine", which still holds true today, as he ranks third for both tackles and interceptions in the Hammers' squad, emphasising his willingness to put everything on the line defensively.

Considering Moyes' side failed to win any of their domestic fixtures without Coufal in the side, losing to Brighton and Manchester United and drawing with Aston Villa, the £35k-per-week defender's return could prove vital for the must-win game against Southampton this weekend.

Moyes knows that he can trust Coufal and it would not be a surprise to see him back in from the start against the Saints, providing he can avoid another injury issue with the Czech Republic this week.

Liverpool have found themselves really struggling to maintain their high standards this season, and it is clear the once successful squad is starting to turn stale with a refresh urgently needed this summer.

The Reds have found themselves without a chance of collecting another trophy this season and are currently seven points adrift from the fourth Champions League spot inside the Premier League top four with just 12 remaining fixtures to close the gap.

Indeed, there is no doubt that the powerbrokers at Anfield will be working hard to find fresh perspectives who can join the squad in the summer with a recruitment drive of youthful players expected as Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount have both been linked on numerous occasions with a move to Merseyside.

However, the supporters of the club will be under no illusion that their frugal American owners will be splashing the cash like their top-flight rivals when the transfer window opens, but will expect to see drastic improvements and effort put into bringing success back to Anfield sooner rather than later.

As a result, whilst the focus may be on the players Jurgen Klopp could bring in to spark the next generation of success, the German coach could unleash another player from the fantastic academy set-up at Kirkby.

One player who has been a stand-out performer in the Merseysiders' youth teams is Melkamu Frauendorf, a player who is showing signs that he could be the next Harvey Elliott.

Who is Melkamu Frauendorf?

The young talent joined Liverpool from Hoffenheim back in 2020 on a scholarship with the academy after capturing the attention of the club's scouts over in Germany and just one year later signed his first professional contract after impressing with the U18s in his first season.

Since then, Frauendorf has had no trouble making his presence known in the youth set-up and was even seen training with the first team in Dubai during the World Cup break back in November last year.

The Germany U19 international has tallied up 86 appearances, 19 goals and 14 assists since his arrival – with two of those appearances in the senior team when Klopp gave the youngster his FA Cup debut against Shrewsbury Town in January 2022.

Over his two appearances this season in the Football League Trophy, the young midfielder has registered one assist and won the majority of his duels (53%), as well as averaging two tackles, two key passes, one shot on target and four duels won per game.

Frauendorf has also earned high praise for his talents to go alongside his impressive output, with his former Hoffenheim coach Danny Galm claiming:

"Mel is a very flexible player. He is straightforward with a good technique and very, very good endurance.

"For me, he was a very important player, who often initiated decisive moments with his dynamic and straight dribbling.

"I’m not a fan of comparing players to others but Mel is a special player. He is fast and has good endurance, and he wants to learn, but remains creative."

Mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder, the 19-year-old rising star has all the attributes to become Klopp's next Elliott as he is capable of being part of a midfield system but is also fearless when it comes to breaking the lines to attack and ultimately score goals, just like his senior Liverpool positional peer.

With that being said, it is clear that Frauendorf has a bright future ahead of him and could be exactly what Klopp needs to bolster the depth in his first-team midfield personnel next season.

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a move for Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto, in what could be Todd Boehly's best deal in his time at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Wilfried Gnonto?

According to Italian news outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are all lining up moves for the 19-year-old, who has established himself as a mainstay at Elland Road following his summer switch from Zurich.

Already a fully-fledged Italy international, the teenage forward boasts an impressive return of two goals and three assists in 16 top-flight appearances so far this campaign, with WhoScored awarding him a solid 6.62 average rating for his performances.

Despite his age and lack of experience, Gnonto looks as if he will be vital to Javi Gracia's side in the final few months of the campaign, as they look to avoid a return to the Championship.

The left-winger ranks fourth for shots, third for key passes and third for dribbles per game in Leeds' squad, so there is no doubt that he has been one of the most consistent attacking threats in what has been a disappointing campaign for the Yorkshire outfit.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Tam McManus lauded the former Inter academy star earlier in the season after Leeds came back to beat Bournemouth 4-3.

He said: “The boy who got the assist, he came on and he just looks like a little pocket rocket.

“Wow, what a performance from him. He looks like he has a real low centre of gravity and he looks absolutely tremendous."

However, Chelsea and Boehly may well be hoping that Leeds are relegated this season, as Gnonto has done enough to prove he is ready for Premier League football, and it could cut short his stay at Elland Road in favour of a move to an established top-flight club.

The report from Italy goes on to claim that Leeds would want to receive a minimum of €30m (£26m) for the youngster this summer, which represents just a drop in the ocean for Boehly given the sums he has spent on players in his Stamford Bridge tenure thus far.

While there is already a plethora of young attacking talent in Graham Potter's squad, the likes of Christian Pulisic and Mykhailo Mudryk have just one goal and two assists between them and have underwhelmed so far this campaign, so Boehly could bring in a younger, Premier League-proven talent to replace them.

Gnonto certainly fits Boehly's model of young signings, so the Italy international could be his best addition yet if he can live up to his huge potential at Stamford Bridge. After all, his five goal involvements this term in his formative years are more than any of Chelsea's recent signings aside from Raheem Sterling.

Admittedly, he doesn't have much competition for that prize, but it's a marker of the attacker's vast potential, and as such, simply must be signed.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe could be set to raid former club Bournemouth this summer, amid reports that the Magpies are interested in signing defender Jordan Zemura from the Vitality Stadium.

What's the latest on Zemura to Newcastle?

According to 90min, the Tynesiders are among a number of Premier League clubs who are said to be 'admirers' of the 23-year-old, with the Zimbabwe international facing an uncertain future with his current side with just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal.

As per the report, the 5 foot 8 gem was recently dropped by manager Gary O'Neil due to his ongoing contract dispute, with that situation having seemingly alerted clubs across the division to his potential availability.

The St James' Park hierarchy – including sporting director Dan Ashworth – may have a battle on their hands if they are to make a concrete approach any time soon, however, with West Ham United said to be currently leading the race for the player's signature.

Would Zemura be a good signing for Newcastle?

There will likely be a sense of Deja vu among Newcastle supporters regarding this potential interest in Zemura, with the northeast side having previously snapped up Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

Much like Zemura, the Scotland international had endured a turbulent and somewhat toxic end to his time on the south coast having decided against signing a brief, short-term extension on his deal in order to continue playing in that Covid-impacted 2019/20 campaign, with Howe – who was in charge at the time – taking the decision not to call upon the diminutive speedster for the remainder of that season.

That "disgraceful" exit – as per Dorset Live's Daniel Davis – undoubtedly left a bad taste in the mouth among those of a Cherries persuasion, with Fraser having since been dealt a dose of Karma after struggling to make his mark at St James' Park, scoring just three goals and providing only six assists in 59 games in all competitions.

Those woes have been compounded by the fact that the 29-year-old has now been banished from the first-team squad by Howe, with it looking as if a summer exit is now an inevitability – bringing to an end a rather failed deal for all concerned.

With Newcastle still paying the price for that signing, there may be concern among Ashworth and co in enduring a repeat scenario by snapping up another contract rebel in the form of Zemura, particularly with the London-born ace rather inexperienced at the top level.

The one-time Charlton Athletic academy graduate has made 19 top-flight appearances so far this season and has averaged 2.1 tackles per game in that time, albeit while contributing just a solitary assist and recording an average match rating of only 6.57, as per Sofascore – the 18th worst rating among his teammates.

The promising talent did enjoy a positive campaign in the Championship last term – with former boss Scott Parker stating that he has a "lovely forward drive about him" – after scoring three goals and providing one assist, although has since racked up just a solitary goal involvement this time around.

Considering that the highly-coveted asset has hardly pulled up any trees this season – and bearing in mind the comparison to the Fraser deal – Newcastle may well be wise to refrain from pursuing a summer swoop.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter is expected to remain in charge at Stamford Bridge for the rest of the season, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Premier League boss has been under huge pressure after a poor run of form, which has seen several candidate names being linked to take over in the capital.

Todd Boehly reportedly made contact with Mauricio Pochettino and is an admirer of Zinedine Zidane, but the 47-year-old has since secured his side a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

After Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, the Blues coach was spotted celebrating with the owner in the tunnel, who appears to have made a short-term decision on his future.

The Latest: Potter set to stay

According to the The Daily Mail’s Chief Football Reporter Sami Mokbel, Chelsea are expected to give Potter ‘breathing space’ which will mean he can ‘at least’ see out the remainder of the 2022/23 season.

Boehly’s consistent backing is said to have been ‘rewarded’, with concerns that he might have had to dismiss the manager now ‘nothing he needs to worry about’.

The Verdict: Risk worth taking

Potter will know that two back-to-back victories won’t have completely removed him from the spotlight but Chelsea deciding to put their full faith in him is a risk worth taking.

The Solihull-born coach has won 11, drawn seven and lost ten of his 28 games in charge so far, but qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League is a huge statement to make, with cross-town rivals Tottenham crashing out on Wednesday to show just how easily it can all fall apart in Europe.

Kai Havertz has also publicly admitted that the players are 100% behind him to succeed so it’s time for them to step up and start picking up results should they want Potter to remain in the dugout.

Liverpool tallied up another three points last night in their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will be feeling relieved that a late surge of creativity helped his side secure a 2-0 victory.

The Reds climbed into sixth on Wednesday night following the positive result on Merseyside and are now just six points adrift of the top four ahead of their clash with bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday evening.

Liverpool dominated throughout with 57% possession, had more shots on target (6 v 1), created more big chances (4 v 1) and completed more accurate passes (437 v 320) but for large parts of the meeting looked like they were heading for a similar fate they endured in their stalemate with Crystal Palace last weekend.

In the first half, the game looked set to be relatively uneventful with Liverpool struggling to bring the energy needed to quickly get stuck into their opponents and at the half-time whistle it looked like the Anfield faithful were set for another sleep-inducing outing.

The same could be said for the opening 15 minutes of the second half with neither team looking like they were going to snatch all three points. However, a moment of magic from Darwin Nunez finally brought Liverpool to life with a goal scored in the 67th minute and although VAR cancelled the goal it was the wake-up call the team desperately needed.

Just six minutes later Virgil van Dijk rose to get on the end of a free-kick which was batted away by Jose Sa but into the path of Diogo Jota who flicked it on for the Liverpool defender to take his second chance at a header which he comfortably converted to give Liverpool the lead.

It was then the turn of the inevitable Egyptian winger Mohammed Salah to score his 20th goal of the season in all competitions in the 77th minute, killing the game and securing Liverpool an important victory in front of the home support.

Indeed, Salah’s effort to double the lead was a welcome sight for the Kop but it was Van Dijk who worked tirelessly throughout the game to keep the game alive for the Merseyside giants.

How did Van Dijk play against Wolves?

The Dutchman’s exemplary performance came after a fantastic week so far for the player who was named in the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11 by his professional peers on Monday evening and proved against Wolves exactly why he is considered one of the best defenders in the game.

Over his 90-minute performance, the 31-year-old titan completed a whopping 80 touches and made 66 accurate passes, as per Sofascore.

In producing two shots on target and delivering one key pass, he was a constant thorn in Julen Lopetegui’s side, while in making two clearances and winning three duels, the Netherlands international was a rock at the back.

The £220k-per-week brute’s faultless display prompted high praise with talkSPORT commentator Joe Shennan claiming that the centre-back looked “back to his best” under the lights on the red side of Merseyside:

Klopp will surely be hoping that the victory over Wolves will give his players the confidence and ambition they desperately needed as they head into a difficult meeting with an incredibly in-form Man United side this weekend and will be able to deliver the supporters the belief that a Champions League qualifying spot is well within reach.

With that being said, Van Dijk’s dominance and resilience throughout his performance at Anfield proved that hard work really does pay off, which should give the player and his peers the boost they need to get the job done over the remainder of the season.

Liverpool have earned an exemplary reputation for their transfer business since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards at Anfield, with the combined elite football brains developing and building one of the most successful teams in the world over the last half-decade.

The Reds have enjoyed success across the board with their fantastically assembled Anfield powerhouse with the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup won since the 2018/19 season.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum are just a handful of the players who have become household names since their arrivals on Merseyside, all becoming trusted components under Klopp during his reign at Anfield

However, carefully crafted and well-thought-out transfer business hasn’t always been the culture for the Merseyside giants, especially when a short period of transition in the early 2010s became a memory that many Liverpool supporters try to etch from their memory.

The January 2011 transfer window is fondly remembered for the arrival of arguably one of Liverpool’s best players in the Premier League era when Luis Suarez came to Anfield, but it will also be one to forget with the £35m signing of Newcastle United’s highly-rated young striker Andy Carroll.

It was nothing short of a disastrous panic buy after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea on deadline day and will forever haunt Carroll’s short-lived legacy at the club, with the mid-season swoop being voted the worst-ever signing in Premier League history during a survey in 2022.

Despite penning a five-and-a-half-year deal, the striker only made 58 appearances for the Reds, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists until he was finally offloaded just two-and-a-half years later when he joined West Ham United for £15m – a huge £20m loss on what Liverpool had paid the Magpies.

Where is Andy Carroll now?

Since his move to east London in 2013, the former England international has become a journeyman in the aftermath of his six-year spell with the Hammers.

Carroll – who Scott Groom suggested was the Reds’ “worst” signing – went full circle to make a shock return to his boyhood club Newcastle after becoming a free agent in 2019 and going without a club for the start of the 2021/22 season. That has been followed by a stint at West Bromwich Albion and two spells at Reading, for whom he currently plays in the Championship.

It’s safe to say the now 34-year-old never reached the heights in his career that he would’ve hoped, with his failure to prove himself at Anfield the catalyst in his footballing misfortunes.

However, the player has spoken out and hints that he doesn’t regret his transformation from hometown hero to generational flop, saying: “Listen, I would have rather stayed at the time and all the way to the helicopter I’m thinking, ‘What is happening? What am I doing?’. But looking back, and how it shaped me as a player and a person, I would honestly still do it. I probably needed to get out of the city to grow up.”

With that being said, the former recruitment team at Anfield will probably not carry the same sentiment in hindsight, and the signing of Carroll remains a transaction over which Liverpool and their supporters will have nightmares.

The major talking point surrounding Newcastle United this week ahead of tomorrow’s League Cup final has been centred on the goalkeeping situation, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe having been dealt an unwanted headache following Nick Pope’s red card in the recent defeat to Liverpool.

While that suspension has somewhat soured the mood heading into Sunday’s clash with Manchester United, one notable positive for the Tynesiders will be the return of influential midfielder, Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazil international having served his three-game domestic ban in recent weeks.

The former Lyon man – who arrived at St James’ Park on a £40m deal in January 2022 – was dismissed late on the semi-final, second-leg victory over Southampton, subsequently ruling him out of the last three Premier League games.

Thankfully, the 25-year-old will be able to feature against the Red Devils at Wembley, with the northeast side having notably failed to win any of the six games that the ten-cap gem has been absent for this season, with Guimaraes having been ruled out through injury earlier on in the campaign.

That fact has laid bare just how integral the £120k-per-week maestro is to Howe’s side, hence the notable lift that it could give to the club to be able to have the playmaker back in action.

Should Guimaraes play against Man United?

As teammate Kieran Trippier only recently stated, the Rio-born superstar is a truly “massive” asset for Newcastle, with the latter man having shone over the last 12 months or so in the centre of the park.

Despite largely operating in a deep-lying role in front of the back four, Guimaraes has already managed to chip in with nine goals and four assists in 41 games in all competitions for the club to date, while he also ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for successful take-ons.

It is the 6-foot sensation’s defensive prowess that has particularly caught the eye, however, with the “world-class” ace – as described by club colleague Dan Burn – also ranking in the top 10% for tackles made.

That quality was evident when Howe’s men came up against the Old Trafford outfit back in October, with that goalless draw in Manchester seeing the midfield menace win five ground duels and register one key pass, having produced an ‘excellent display’, in the words of The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder.

Guimaraes will no doubt be looking to dominate Erik ten Hag’s side once again this time around, with the one-time Athletico Paranaense man likely to fancy his chances up against a midfield that has chopped and changed in recent weeks, following the loss of Christian Eriksen to injury.

The Red Devils will likely be fearful of coming up against such a “magnificent” talent – as lauded by club legend Alan Shearer – with the Brazilian potentially set to prove vital to Newcastle’s hopes of glory.