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Liverpool were held to a dour 0-0 draw by Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds knew that victory at Old Trafford would take them three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table but they were unable to take advantage of Pep Guardiola’s side playing in the Carabao Cup final.

Instead, their front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino drew a blank, with the latter substituted in the first half after appearing to hurt his ankle.

The result means that Liverpool are now just a point clear of Guardiola’s men. Their destiny is still in their own hands as they attempt to win their first league title of this century, but the dropped points inevitably qualify as a setback – especially against a United side severely weakened by injuries.

Many Reds fans are worried about the prospect of the run-in after a performance that was short on attacking threat and which featured a worrying injury to a top player.

Take a look at some of the best reaction on Twitter below!

Speaking in a Liverpool Q&A, journalist Paul Gorst has shared what he believes on Mohamed Salah’s contract situation at Anfield.

The Lowdown: Talks breakdown…

The Egyptian’s representatives and Liverpool officials recently failed to reach any agreement over an extension to his current deal on Merseyside, throwing his future at the club into question.

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Salah’s contract, as things stand, is set to expire at the end of next season – giving the Reds just two transfer windows to either reach an agreement with the player or opt to sell him for a profit.

The African superstar has been a crucial player for manager Jurgen Klopp this season, standing out as Liverpool’s most threatening player by some distance, leading the side in goals and just one assist from joining Trent Alexander-Arnold at the top of those charts too.

While Klopp has seemingly remained calm over Salah’s stand-off with Liverpool, Gorst has now made a claim that this surely cannot be the case inside the club.

The Latest: Gorst makes behind the scenes claim…

Speaking in a Q&A, when asked about a story which seemingly dominates most headlines coming out of Liverpool, Gorst explained:

“Jurgen Klopp has always projected an air of calm about the situation but there must be some concern behind the scenes that the contract remains unsigned, surely?

“Clearly something isn’t right. I did believe it would be resolved without too much fuss up until a few weeks ago when his agent, Ramy Abbas, started acting the goat on Twitter with the laughing emojis.

“If Salah does want to stay, as he has repeatedly claimed publicly, then FSG have to make sure it happens. A Gini Wijnaldum repeat will not be tolerated by fans.”

The Verdict: Worrying times…

Having Salah at the club for just one more full season would truly be a nightmare scenario for Klopp.

Raking in 20 goals and ten assists this season, Salah eclipses every one of his teammates in terms of shots at goal per 90 (4.3) and also tops every one as Liverpool’s best all-round performer by match rating (7.71, WhoScored).

Losing Salah would surely leave a gaping hole in Liverpool’s forward line, especially on a Bosman, with the ball now firmly being in FSG’s court to ensure he remains a key member of Klopp’s side for years to come.

In other news: Journalist: Liverpool want to sign ‘incredible’ star after he blew away Anfield officials, find out more here.

Everton academy director David Unsworth is to leave the club to ‘pursue his managerial ambitions’, Sky Sports News report. 

The lowdown

In addition to overseeing the academy, Unsworth was also the Under-23 boss at Goodison Park.

He’s had two spells at the caretaker manager during his time at the club, first at the end of the 2015/16 season when Roberto Martinez left the club, and more recently in the autumn of 2017 following the departure of Ronald Koeman.

Unsworth, a left-back, spent 11 years of his playing career with The Toffees across two stints (1992-1997 and 1998-2004). Overall, he made 329 appearances and scored 40 goals.

The latest

Sky Sports journalist Tom White broke the news live on air on Tuesday morning.

Unsworth wants to step up from coaching youth football and occupy the hot seat at the senior level.

“Significant news coming out of Everton,” White said. “David Unsworth is going to leave his position at the club.

He added: “He’s leaving because he wants to become a first-team manager, so that will be elsewhere.”

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The verdict

Chairman Bill Kenwright says the club are ‘sad’ to see Unsworth after a lengthy period of ‘great’ service. He also hailed the 48-year-old as a ‘winner’.

Theoretically, Paul Tait, the current Under-18 coach, may now be promoted to the U23 role. He’s steered Everton’s teenagers to fifth place in the current U18 Premier League standings.

But could another coach follow Unsworth out the door in the coming years?

Ashley Cole, who joined Frank Lampard’s staff in February, has said he ‘definitely’ wants to take on a managerial position. If an opportunity to be the main man presents itself in the future, he may also be tempted, leaving Lampard with plenty of moving pieces in the summer.

In other news, journalist Paul Brown has dropped this Frank Lampard claim.

Leeds United’s return to the Premier League saw them embark on a bit of a spending spree under Marcelo Bielsa, and the Whites’ most high-profile signing was undeniably the capture of Valencia star Rodrigo.

Reports claimed that the Yorkshire club shelled out a club-record sum to bring the Spain international at Elland Road, and almost a couple of years later, it’s quite safe to say things haven’t really worked out for the forward – he’s managed just 12 goals and three assists in 55 games across all competitions for Leeds.

What perhaps makes a move for Rodrigo even worse now on reflection, is that they were actually also attempting to sign Rafael Leao at the same time back in 2020.

Football Insider claimed that the Portugal Leao was of interest to Leeds, although it was suggested that luring him away from the San Siro may prove to be “complicated” as Milan still had “high hopes” for him.

It was added the Whites had made enquiries for the attacker, and that if Milan were going to sell, it would be for nothing less than the £20m they themselves have paid to sign him for French side Lille.

Since that deal failed to come to fruition, Leao has come on leaps and bounds in his time in Serie A.

Now valued at £60m by CIES, the 22-year-old – almost a decade younger than Rodrigo – has really come to the party for Milan this season, bagging 11 goals and providing another six assists in 34 games across all competitions – including notching in the Champions League earlier this year.

The president of Leao’s former club, Lille, Gerard Lopez simply declared him the “Portuguese Mbappe”, while Sporting CP’s former youth coach, Tiago Fernandes, proclaimed: “I pushed (then-Sporting coach) Jorge Jesus to take him in the first team and I said to him: ‘Yes, Gelson Martins has talent but Rafael is the best player in the history of the Sporting Academy’. At youth level, he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo.”

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Dubbed as an “extraordinary talent” by Croatia legend Zvonimir Boban, it’s clear missing out on Leao may rank as one of  Victor Orta’s biggest howlers at Elland Road, especially when you consider how Rodrigo’s career has turned out.

The man with 34 career goals to his name could have been a superstar signing for the Whites up front.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has been hit with a worrying injury blow to Ibrox midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the latest?

Rob Page has revealed that the Gers ace sustained a knock whilst playing for his country last week.

Speaking about the midfielder and his team-mate Gareth Bale, the 47-year-old told Sky Sports, via STV: “They both struggled towards the end of the game. You could see both of them were holding their groins and hamstrings.

“They both had a tough 95 minutes. But we’ll have another night and we’ll make that decision in the morning whether we involve them in the 23. They’re not going to start.”

Livid

This update will surely leave the Ibrox faithful livid, as the Juventus loanee appears to have suffered a big injury setback at the worst possible time.

Ramsey has struggled for fitness since arriving in Glasgow in January and finally made his full Premiership debut for the club prior to the international break. He started the 2-1 win over Dundee away from home and scored his first goal for the Scottish giants as he converted from close range after Kemar Roofe’s effort was saved.

The ex-Arsenal man followed that up with an impressive showing for his country against Austria. As per SofaScore, he won four of his six duels and created two chances in the middle of the park as he registered a rating of 7.3 in the World Cup play-off encounter.

These two performances suggest that he was finally starting to find his feet after a difficult time with injuries. However, that appears to have ended swiftly as he has been hit with another body blow, and it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined with this latest knock.

Therefore, supporters will be livid as he may not be able to build on the foundations he has built for himself in the last two games for club and country. They will be frustrated by his fitness issues and potentially question Ross Wilson for sanctioning a deal for him in January when they might have been able to bring in a player with a better injury record.

Hopefully this turns out to be a minor issue for the Welshman and he will be available for selection when it comes to the Old Firm derby on Sunday. Rangers face a huge clash with Celtic in the Premiership this weekend, and losing Ramsey would be a bitter blow for Van Bronckhorst’s side.

AND in other news, Rangers played a masterclass over Ibrox “dafty” whose value plummeted 50% in 1 year…

Taking to Twitter, Marco Conterio, chief editor of TUTTOmercatoWEB, has shared transfer news out of Tottenham involving AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target…

The Ivory Coast star has been a name long linked with a move to north London as his Milan deal continues to wind down.

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Kessie is free to leave as a free agent at the end of 2021/2022 as things stand but the Rossoneri could still make a profit off his sale if they find a buyer for him before 11pm tonight.

Tottenham have been one of the big clubs tipped to make that happen throughout January but reporter Conterio has now shared a fresh update on Twitter.

The Latest: Tottenham table Ndombele swap deal proposal…

According to the Italian journalist, Tottenham tried to insert club record signing Tanguy Ndombele in a last minute swap deal proposal to sign Kessie.

However, Milan’s response to this offer was a swift no as Ndombele now nears a move to Lyon.

“Background on Tanguy Ndombele finished at Lyon on loan for 3 million with right of redemption,” he explained.

“Tottenham tried to insert him in a proposal to get Franck Kessie right away. No from Milan to Spurs.”

The Verdict: Blow…

The 25-year-old would’ve been a fine last minute move for Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici – especially going by his obvious quality and glowing endorsements.

Kessie’s manager, Stefano Piolo, has labelled the player ‘sumptuous’ – with his 19 goals since the beginning of 2019/2020 coming as further evidence of his threat going forward.

Valued at around £43.2 million by Transfermarkt, Spurs could have feasibly signed him for a much cheaper fee if Milan opted to do business this month, but it appears they’re resigned to losing him on a free later this year.

Perhaps this is one Paratici could revisit in six months time.

In other news: Tottenham enter last gasp bidding war to sign ‘crazy’ player, £16.6m offer made, find out more here.

Reliable journalist Gary Jacob has made a claim on defender Angelo Ogbonna amid recent hopes he could make a return before the end of 2021/2022.

The Lowdown: Insider shares West Ham hope?

The Italian, who hasn’t featured since November, sustaining an ACL injury against Liverpool, has been at the centre of claims in recent days that he could in fact be available for the final few games of this season.

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Indeed, West Ham insider Claret & Hugh believe that there is hope within the club that Ogbonna could make a contribution for manager David Moyes over the last couple of matches.

This comes after the centre-half returned to light training and travelled to France, watching the Hammers’ historic victory over Lyon in the Europa League, though he was not a squad member.

It’s also been claimed that Ogbonna, if Moyes’ men make the Europa League final, ‘could be fit enough’ to start.

However, issuing a claim to the contrary, Jacob has more pessimistic news amid this update.

The Latest: Jacob makes Ogbonna claim…

Jacob, writing for The Times in midweek, says that Ogbonna is in fact ‘out for the season’ with West Ham suffering somewhat of an injury crisis at the back.

Kurt Zouma could already be sidelined for ‘several weeks’, meanwhile Issa Diop’s ankle injury could rule him out for the remainder of this campaign.

This may leave Craig Dawson as Moyes’ only fit, natural centre-half for the final run-in.

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes…

Amid C&H’s update, Irons supporters will be hoping that there is in fact hope of an Ogbonna return despite Jacob’s firm claim.

The colossal 6 foot 3 defender was a mainstay in Moyes’ side before the ACL injury and has been an arguably crucial player for nearly two full seasons.

Former Hammers defender James Collins has labelled Ogbonna ‘phenomenal’ for his contribution at the London Stadium and his return would be a real boost.

However, as things stand, it appears Moyes may not be able to rely on the 33-year-old’s surprise early comeback.

In other news: Moyes set for GSB backing as West Ham insider makes exciting big-money claim, find out more here.

Aston Villa have been linked with Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij, and it’s a move that Steven Gerrard simply has to make. 

This article is part of The Transfer Tavern’s The Gossip series, where we analyse players and managers based on praise and criticism from past and present.

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Football Insider reported on Saturday afternoon that Villa are monitoring the Dutchman as they look to sign an ‘A-list centre-back’ in the summer transfer window. De Vrij is into the final 18 months of his contract at the San Siro and Transfermarkt value him at £31.5m.

The same publication has previously reported that Gerrard had deemed Ezri Konsa too inconsistent and resolved to upgrade on him in the summer.

The manager

When he was in charge of the Dutchman at Inter Milan, Antonio Conte showered De Vrij with praise.

He talked up the defender’s reliability and importance and even compared him to Leonardo Bonucci, who was named in the FIFPro World XI in 2017 and, more impressively still, in the IFFHS Men’s Team of the Decade for the 2010s.

Placing De Vrij in that bracket is clearly a huge compliment.

The pundit

During last summer’s European Championship, Dutch pundit Kees Kwakman waxed lyrical about the defender.

He claimed that the Inter colossus ‘can do anything’ that’s asked of him as a defender and argued that he was more dependable than team-mate Matthijs de Ligt, the second most expensive defender in football history.

Kwakman said that the 30-year-old may not look ‘that strong’ or ‘that fast’ to the naked eye, but appearances can be deceptive.

The journalist

BBC Sport journalist Raj Chohan tweeted last summer that De Vrij had been ‘the best CB in Serie A overall’ in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

He then went a step further, declaring that the former Lazio man deserved to be recognised as ‘one of the best CBs in the world’.

Based on these compliments, if the Dutch centre-back were to join Aston Villa, he’d be arriving at Bodymoor Heath with some pretty glowing endorsements from respected figures in management and media.

In other news, these blockbuster Villa links have also emerged

Everton have appointed their sixth manager in as many years with Frank Lampard joining the Toffees on a two and a half year deal, and he now has a challenge on his hands to help the club turnaround the abysmal season they’re currently experiencing sitting 16th in the Premier League table.

Despite five signings being made in the January transfer window to bolster the squad after a huge injury crisis and a clear attempt to freshen up the side with new additions who can make an impact on the poor performances we have seen so far this season, there is still some talent within the existing ranks at the club.

One player who has to be credited for his hard work this season is Demarai Gray, who is currently the club’s joint top goal scorer this season alongside Andros Townsend with six goals and two assists.

According to One Versus One, the attacker is in the top three for completed blocks and in the top five for his successful dribbles in the Premier League this season so far, proving that he offers more than just goal involvement for the side, although he has also impressively created 12 big chances and made nine key passes inside the box.

Ironically, Gray who was hailed “a big talent” by Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, is one of the least expensive signing in the Everton first team squad, at just £1.7m his impact has been worth it’s weight in gold when you look at some of the transfer fees the club has paid for less impactful players in the squad, like Alex Iwobi who was signed for £34m.

Now the club is entering a new era under Lampard, Gray has an opportunity to learn and further develop his game under the management of a man who knew exactly how to maximise his opportunities in and around the box in his playing days, becoming one of the greatest attacking players the Premier League has ever seen.

Previously, he has been a rather inconsistent individual but that could all change with the freedom Lampard potentially gives him to thrive in what has the potential to be an exciting front four at Goodison Park.

At 25 years old, the forward will be coming into the peak of his playing days and with the new manager’s guidance, alongside the output statistics previously mentioned, there is no doubt that the £42k-per-week gem can elevate his potential and talent.

There is a good chance that the winger will continue to feature in Lampard’s set up and will likely play on the right side of the attacking three behind Dominic Calvert Lewin in a 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Dele Alli and Richarlison.

It will be fascinating to see how the former Chelsea boss sets up his first starting line up this weekend against Brentford in the FA Cup clash at Goodison Park, but there is no reason why Gray shouldn’t be unleashed in that attacking threat going forward under the new manager.

In other news: Frank Lampard’s predicted XI for new era

A big Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged on their chances of landing Thomas Muller this summer…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided an update on the club’s pursuit of the German international ahead of the upcoming window.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m told Newcastle have been informed that Thomas Muller will be signing an extension with Bayern, so they will be moving on from their interest in him.

“They were intrigued by the potential of a player of his quality and experience becoming available but will now look elsewhere, as this one has hit a dead end.”

The midfielder putting pen to paper on a fresh deal with the Bundesliga giants now appears to have left PIF looking elsewhere for reinforcements in that position.

Eddie Howe will be deflated

Howe will surely have been deflated by this claim as Muller would have been a sensational signing for the Toon army heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

The German has enjoyed a wonderful career with Bayern and proven himself to be a top-quality player over the years for club and country. He has produced 226 goals and 242 assists in 624 matches for the Allianz giants, whilst also scoring 43 times in 112 caps for Germany. This shows that he has delivered on a consistent basis in the final third over the course of a number of years, which means that he is a known quantity.

He would have come in at Newcastle as a player who can make an instant impact as he knows exactly what it takes to perform at the top level. Muller is not an up-and-coming prospect finding his way in the game and this means that he would have been less of a risk than, for example, signing a 22-year-old with under 100 appearances in a top European league.

In the Bundesliga this season, the 32-year-old has chipped in with seven goals and 17 assists in 30 outings. Meanwhile, no Newcastle player has more than six strikes or four assists in the Premier League, which means that Muller would have been a major upgrade on what Howe currently has at his disposal in attack.

Therefore, the head coach will be disappointed that the Magpies are now set to miss out on him as he looks to extend his stay with Bayern instead of making the switch to St. James’ Park.

AND in other news, 71% duels won: £19k-p/w NUFC titan brought his “passion off the pitch” onto it vs NCFC – opinion