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At the age of 35, Liverpool midfielder James Milner is currently the seventh-oldest current Premier League player, with an astonishing 568 league appearances under his belt in what has been an impressive career in English football.

Taking that into account, and with his current contract at Anfield set to expire next summer, it’s not out of the question that the Merseyside club could be looking to replace the veteran if he ends up leaving then.

Rather than potentially splashing out a significant transfer fee on a new player from another club to replace Milner if he were to leave, we feel that Liverpool could already have their perfect heir for him within their youth squad in James Norris.

The 18-year-old, who is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, is predominantly a left-back, a position where Milner has made 66 appearances throughout his career. He has also played as a central midfielder, centre-back and left-midfielder on two occasions for England’s under-19 side this season, showing her versatility at such a young age, just as Milner has done throughout his long career.

According to Liverpool’s official website, Norris is an “energetic left-back who can also play in midfield”, has “a great work ethic matched with a sweet left foot” and “loves to get forward and support the attack”.

Throughout his short career so far, he has made 35 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18 side, with five goals and five assists to his name, as well as making 13 appearances for the under-23 side, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Norris made his senior debut for the Reds during Liverpool’s 5-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup back in December 2019.

Looking ahead to the future, if he can keep developing within Liverpool’s youth teams for the time being and adapting to different positions as he has been doing, he could well go on to become a very useful figure for Liverpool in their senior squad in the foreseeable future given his versatility, especially if Milner leaves the club when his contract runs out next year.

In other news – Forget Keita: Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w LFC outcast on Sunday, he impressed v Atletico

Leeds United are eyeing a late transfer window move for Orlando City striker Daryl Dike.

What’s the story?

According to reports in previous weeks and months, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were named among the clubs interested in signing the 20-year-old this summer, with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea also said to have been impressed by his performances on loan at Barnsley last season.

And now, writing on Twitter, TEAMtalk’s editor, James Marshment, revealed: “TEAMtalk has been informed that Leeds are looking at the possibility of signing Daryl Dike on loan from Orlando City before the window closes. USA striker notched 9 in 19 for Barnsley last season. West Brom also keen. Story to follow….”

Fans will be buzzing

Just a few days after Bielsa himself admitted that any new signings could be unlikely before the end of the transfer window, it appears the Whites are still exploring every possible avenue behind the scenes.

The 20-year-old was in fine form after joining Championship outfit Barnsley on loan back in the January transfer window, netting nine goals in just 19 league games.

A player profile done by SBNation noted: “A physical striker, Dike is more than a bruising finisher. His ‘delicate touch’ and high level of technical ability belie his size, enabling a confidence in possession with both passing and dribbling. That said, he scores a lot of goals in a variety of ways. Headed finishes, short-range placement, and long-range bombs, the 6’2” attacker can do it all.”

Given the lack of genuine first-team cover behind Patrick Bamford up front – Rodrigo was deployed in the number nine role in the Carabao Cup second round clash against Crewe – Dike’s arrival, even on a temporary basis, would go a long way to addressing that need.

And with his style of play being so distinctly different to anything Leeds and Bielsa currently have at their disposal, he could give them a different dimension when starting games or even just coming off the bench.

After hearing news that they would be unlikely to make any further moves in the transfer market, this latest update on their pursuit of Dike is sure to have fans delighted.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this young record-breaker…

Rangers continued their superb run of form under Giovanni van Bronckhorst as they won for the fourth time in five games under the Dutchman.

The Gers beat Hearts 2-0 away from home and have now won all four of their Premiership matches with the 43-year-old at the helm.

Alfredo Morelos scored the opening goal with a composed finish from inside the box after electric wing play from Fashion Sakala down the right to tee him up.

Joe Aribo then doubled the lead after he latched onto a sublime pass from Connor Goldson before clinically dispatching a shot into the far corner, with the Gers holding out for the 2-0 win in the end.

Whilst Morelos and Aribo may get the credit for their part in sealing the three points, one player who also deserves immense credit is central defender Calvin Bassey – who impressed at centre-back.

Defensively, he was almost faultless. As per SofaScore, he won 100% (2/2) of his duels on the pitch, whilst making four clearances, two blocks, two interceptions and two tackles. This shows how strong he was defending his own goal, as he was able to make numerous key contributions at the back to keep Hearts at bay.

One criticism of his performance could be that he came close to scoring an own goal in the second half. He was caught in a difficult position at the front post from a cross and deflected the ball up onto his own crossbar and was fortunate that it bounced down the right side of the line from his perspective.

On the ball, he was reliable. As per Sofascore, he completed 100% of his passes as he found a teammate with all 40 of his attempts. He was successful with all three of his long passes and had 51 touches of the ball overall. This shows that he has quality in his distribution to go along with his excellent defending.

Therefore, he was the unsung hero for Rangers as he effectively and efficiently went about his business at centre-back and helped the side keep a clean sheet along with the three points. The £6.4k-per-week beast has been in fine form and van Bronckhorst will surely be hoping he can continue to put in performances like this at the back.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kent: GvB must seal Rangers deal for £9.3k-p/w gem who “creates opportunities”…

Wolves youngster Ryan Giles can become a key figure at Molineux after his loan spell at Cardiff City ends, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Giles out on loan

The 21-year-old joined the Bluebirds on the temporary basis back in the summer, in order to enjoy some invaluable playing time in the Championship.

Giles has registered a hugely impressive nine assists in just 16 league starts this season, having been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by teammate Marlon Pack.

The young midfielder will return to Wolves at the end of the season, at which point Bruno Lage could make him a key part of his plans.

The Latest: Hatfield tips youngster to shine

Someone who expects that to be the case is Hatfield, who told Give Me Sport that he sees a bright future for him at Wanderers:

“I’m sure they’ll have one eye on him. He fits in really well with the formation they play and he is a really exciting young player.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

It is always exciting to see young homegrown players given an opportunity, so the hope is that Giles can force his way into Lage’s plans.

To have registered nine assists in such short time this season speaks volumes about the Englishman’s qualities as a footballer, especially with the Championship such a taxing league for young players to make their mark in.

With Joao Moutinho now 35 years of age, a gap in Wolves’ midfield could open up next season and Giles may be the man to come in and fill the void, having averaged 2.8 key passes per game in the league in 2021/22 to date.

In other news, some Wolves fans have erupted over a piece of transfer news. Read more here.

Celtic could look to sign Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on loan with an option to buy, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers profiled

Carter-Vickers has been linked with a move to Parkhead for some time now.

The 23-year-old, primarily a centre-back who can also play at right-back, has less than 12 months remaining on his Spurs contract. He’s had six separate loan spells away from Tottenham, one of which was with Luton Town, where then-team-mate Sonny Bradley described Carter-Vickers’ as ‘fantastic’.

The USA international has made just four appearances for Tottenham, and it seems as if he could be on the move yet again.

The Latest: Loan to buy?

The Daily Record’s live transfer blog on Monday (22:43) shared some interesting news on Celtic’s interest in Carter-Vickers.

They suggested that Carter-Vickers would want to leave on a permanent basis, if he does indeed depart north London this summer.

However, Celtic are thought to be exploring a loan with a possibility to buy for £5m, with The Daily Record believing that is a ‘live option’.

The Verdict: Could be Celtic’s biggest signing of the summer

It appears as if the Hoops are looking at a potential loan with an option to make it permanent next year.

However, should Celtic decide to sign Carter-Vickers this summer on a permanent basis instead, he seems likely to be the club’s most expensive addition of the window due to Spurs’ £5m valuation, surpassing a £4.86m deal for Kyogo Furuhashi.

It appears as if a deal for the American should be one to keep a close eye on, especially as Celtic are short of senior centre-back options following Kristoffer Ajer’s exit and Christopher Jullien’s injury and hence could look to push through a deal relatively quickly.

In other news: Wednesday medical – ‘Excellent’ Celtic ace now set to leave after recent development.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC Radio 5 Live regular Alan Hutton has been left thrilled by the news he’s seen out of Tottenham involving Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey.

The Lowdown: Spurs now eyeing Lamptey…

Sky Sports broke the news last week that Spurs are now eyeing a move for the youngster as one of the right-back candidates to replace Serge Aurier this summer, who is now being heavily linked with a north London exit.

The exciting 20-year-old started just 11 Premier League games for the Seagulls over 2020/21 but hugely impressed in his most of appearances, propelling him on to Spurs’ radar.

The Latest: Hutton thrilled by this news…

Reacting to this news which has come out of Tottenham, Hutton has been left thrilled and believes it is a potential signing which could actually excite supporters.

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“I think Brighton have got the best deal ever. What did they buy him for, £2-3million? We’re probably talking about a big figure here,” the Scottish pundit explained to Football Insider.

“I think he had an excellent start to the season. Yeah, he did drop off a little bit but that’s to be expected.

“Your first main season within the Premier League, especially for one so young, you’re going to have a little dip in form.

“I think that’s a move that the fans would be really excited about. He’s an exciting player and he’s going to get better as he gets more experienced.

“I think it’s one the fans would like.”

The Verdict: On the backburner…

While we agree that Lamptey is an exciting prospect, Tottenham should be prioritising the acquisition of at least one capable new centre-half, preferably two.

It has long been a problem position for Spurs and it may need reinforcing the most this summer, with chairman Daniel Levy not exactly having a king’s ransom in transfer funds. Tottenham need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy and any funds off a potential Aurier sale should go first and foremost towards signing a colossal centre-back.

In other news: Journalist says Spurs now after this ‘magical’ man as ‘official contacts’ begin, find out more here.

Nuno Santo faces several dilemmas as Tottenham Hotspur begin their UEFA Europa Conference League group stage campaign with a trip to France to face Stade Rennes.

The Portuguese head coach must balance the need to bounce back from Saturday’s surprise defeat to Crystal Palace with the need to get off to a good start in a competition they are among the favourites to win, also knowing that they face local rivals Chelsea this weekend.

With plenty of his first-team squad on the treatment table or unavailable, Nuno’s options are threadbare as it is.

Here’s how we think Spurs could line up at Roazhon Park later this evening…

Nuno will be without Eric Dier, who has not travelled to France due to injury, or Davinson Sanchez and Cristian Romero, who are still stuck in Croatia following the international break, so it seems likely that young duo Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga will pair up, with the latter looking to make amends for this red card against the Eagles.

Either side of them could be further changes as Ben Davies and Matt Doherty come in for Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal, respectively. They’ll all be in front of backup goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, who takes the place of club captain Hugo Lloris.

Perhaps the biggest decision facing the Spurs boss is what to do with his midfield as his trio on Saturday struggled to have much of an influence whatsoever.

Tanguy Ndombele is yet to feature this season and could be called upon to offer something different – and much-needed – in the attack. It would be a massive call to make considering he wanted to leave during the summer transfer window, as per the Telegraph.

He could be joined by summer signing Bryan Gil in attacking midfield as the pair look to add creativity to Nuno’s lineup, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg playing slightly deeper in the engine room.

Without Heung-min Son, it’s likely we see Steven Bergwijn make a reappearance on the wing, having missed the trip to Selhurst Park, whilst Lucas Moura could be preferred on the other flank.

Harry Kane is expected to lead the line, particularly without the services of his lethal South Korean partner. Although, 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett may come off the bench at some stage.

In total, there could be as many as seven changes for the trip to Rennes.

Predicted Spurs XI (4-2-3-1): Gollini; Davies, Rodon, Tanganga, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Gil, Bergwijn, Moura; Kane.

AND in other news, Nuno handed Spurs boost as major Hotspur Way development emerges, fans will be buzzing…

Kristjaan Speakman has shed further light on his transfer strategy at Sunderland this summer.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with the SAFC Unfiltered podcast (cited by the Sunderland Echo), the Sunderland sporting director suggested that a major part of his plan for the recently closed transfer window was to reduce the average age of Lee Johnson’s first-team squad, as well as signing quality over quality.

In his comments, Speakman said: “We did let a group of players go which was potentially risky but we felt that to change the philosophy, the dynamic of the squad and average age that would have to be done.

“The average age this year is 24.8. I think last year it was just over 28. We had some games where we were just short of 29. If you look at that it’s a huge difference [in] what the squad dynamic looks like.”

The sporting director continued: “We had a really clear idea about who we wanted to go for and we wanted to go for a smaller streamline squad of quality over quantity. When you do that you have to be really precise with those signings because you have less room for error.”

Music to the ears of fans

Considering the fact that Sunderland’s decline from the Premier League to the third tier of English football was largely down to disastrous recruitment, horrible mismanagement and chaos in the boardroom – all of which contributed to poor results achieved on the pitch – Speakman’s latest remarks are sure to come as music to the ears of the Stadium of Light faithful.

Finally, it would seem as if there is a clear transfer plan and philosophy at Sunderland – something that would already appear to be bearing fruit, with the Mackems currently topping the League One table after five games played.

As such, it very much seems as if, under the guidance of Speakman in the transfer market and Lee Johnson on the pitch, things are finally looking up on Wearside, something that has been an incredibly long time coming.

And, if the Black Cats can go on to achieve promotion come next May, Sunderland fans will undoubtedly be forever grateful to Speakman for being the man who finally helped get their club back on track.

In other news: Sunderland handed potential injury boost ahead of Accy clash, Johnson will be buzzing

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that he is surprised by former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to join Crystal Palace.

The 47-year-old was available following his shock Molineux exit last month and had been linked with a host of clubs.

According to The Telegraph, Nuno had been interviewed by Everton after Carlo Ancelotti’s departure to Real Madrid, while Palace spoke to Frank Lampard and monitored the likes of Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper.

In the end, though, the south London outfit have seemingly opted for Nuno in a move that has surprised Palmer.

“I wouldn’t have thought he would leave Wolves to take the Crystal Palace job,” the ex-Leeds United player said. “That’s just in my opinion because it’s the same of the same for me.

“Palace, they might have a good season and finish just below halfway or whatever, but they’re not going to burst into that top five or top six. So, to me, Wolves and Crystal Palace are much of a muchness. So I’m surprised.”

Wolves and Palace finished in 13th and 14th respectively, so the above is a very fair point.

The latter, though, could need a massive rebuild job this summer, as the futures of so many players remain in doubt. Perhaps that is a challenge and task, creating a brand new team, Nuno is relishing.

West Ham United have been able to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League and seventh place in the Premier League table with just one figure in their squad that predominantly plays in the centre-forward position – Michail Antonio.

Despite scoring eight goals in 32 league appearances for the Hammers, the Jamaican hasn’t been able to find the net in the top flight since New Year’s Day against Crystal Palace.

With the next summer transfer window approaching, it seems as though the east London club are in the mix to add another striker to their squad and provide a bit of competition for Antonio.

What’s the news?

According to a recent article from Calciomercato, West Ham are one of the clubs interested in signing Torino striker Andrea Belotti in the upcoming summer transfer window.

With a total of 386 senior and youth club appearances under his belt, the Italian has scored 155 goals and provided 35 assists along the way, showing that he has a knack for finding the back of the net.

Better than Antonio?

Since joining his current club back in 2015, the 28-year-old has scored 110 goals in 247 outings for the Serie A side, showing just how important he has been for them over the past few years.

On the international stage, Belotti has scored 12 goals in 42 senior appearances for Italy.

This backs up what his former teammate and former West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart had to say about him when the Englishman described the attacker as having an “instinct for goals.”

With just 18 league games to his name in this current Serie A season, the striker has still managed to rack up the second-highest number of shots at goal (45) out of anyone at Torino.

To compare him to the West Ham striker, the Italian has racked up a higher percentage of aerial duels won this season (39.7%) than Antonio (36.2%).

This shows how much of a threat in the air he can be in terms of winning balls and scoring goals with his head. Battling physically for the ball is one of the West Ham striker’s main strengths so if Belotti can top him in that department, it bodes well for the Hammers.

Despite having a current market value of £25.2m according to Transfermarkt, the Irons could secure the Italy international on a free transfer this summer as his current contract with Torino is set to expire at the end of the season.

Even though he’s struggled with some injury issues this season, Belotti certainly has what it takes to be a solid signing for West Ham. The major plus side is that West Ham could discover someone that’s better than Antonio when it comes to scoring goals on a regular basis.

In other news: Sources: West Ham eye swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o, he’s “similar to Eden Hazard”