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Liverpool supporters in the Transfer Tavern have used the first few days of 2018 to reflect upon their team’s 2017, a year in which the Reds returned to the Champions League, but ultimately weren’t able to add a trophy to their cabinet.

Jurgen Klopp took charge of his first full season as manager last time round and helped the club get back inside the top four for the first time since 2014, when they came second in the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers. And having made the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition this time round, and very much looking at a winnable fixture in the next round against Porto next month, Klopp deserves huge credit for turning things around at Anfield, although their wait for a trophy goes on after coming up short in both domestic cup competitions.

Overall though, many of our resident Liverpudlians were pretty happy with their side’s efforts in 2017, and are looking forward to what 2018 may bring for the Reds, both domestically and in European competition.

In the meantime though, there has been plenty of transfer talk for those Liverpool fans lining up at the bar to get their teeth into, not least recent reports suggesting that Bayern Munich may well have upset Schalke regarding their public pursuit of midfielder Leon Goretzka.

The 22-year-old’s contract at the Bundesliga side is up in the summer and as such interest in his services has intensified, although Schalke are reportedly unhappy with Bayern given that they have made their interest public in recent times.

As such, the door is ajar for Liverpool to seize the initiative in pursuit of the Germany international, as he could be exactly what they need in the middle of park in both the second half of the season, and in the years to come.

The Schalke midfielder has shown enough promise in the last few years in his homeland to suggest that he could go on and become a top quality midfielder, be it as a defensive-minded player in sitting in front of the backline, or someone who is willing to get into advanced positions and help in attack.

More importantly for Liverpool though is that they face the prospect of having neither Philippe Coutinho nor Emre Can at the club come the start of next season, and as such their midfield ranks seriously need bolstering if Klopp is to take them to the next level.

Coutinho has been the Reds’ orchestrator for many a year now but looks set to join Barcelona, be it this month or in the summer, while Can has improved markedly as a midfielder since Klopp took over in October 2015, to the point that he is arguably their best in that department.

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Take these two out of the side, and Liverpool are significantly weaker, and as such Klopp needs to start bolstering his ranks to compensate for those inevitable departures.

Goretzka’s arrival would go some way to doing so, and with Bayern seeming to have upset the apple cart, the Reds now must seize the initiative and bring the talented German to Anfield this month.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez had previously said that he wanted all of his January transfer business to be completed by January 20, but less than a week before that deadline is up the Spaniard is yet to add a single player to his squad.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss was unhappy with the club’s summer transfer business, although he would have been a little more content when his team sat in sixth position in the Premier League table after 10 matches of the season.

However, a run of just two points from ten games catapulted the Magpies into relegation trouble, with two wins in their last five matches seeing them arrest the slide and they now lie three places and just three points after a disappointing 1-1 draw with bottom side Swansea City at St James’ Park at the weekend.

Benitez won’t be happy that he hasn’t made a signing yet, but with seemingly no progress over a proposed takeover deal, the 57-year-old is waiting to see how much money he will be given by owner Mike Ashley – who wants to sell the club – to strengthen his squad this month.

Ashley is unlikely to pour millions in given the current situation, and while it may not be ideal for the club or their Spanish manager, the Tyneside outfit may be reliant on loan deals before the window slams shut on January 31.

Premier League rules permit that Newcastle can sign two players on a temporary basis from their top flight rivals – although they can’t be from the same team – while there is no limit to how many players they can bring in on loan from foreign clubs.

The Magpies will be working behind the scenes to work out which two English-based players they can bring in, and there are potentially plenty of options available to them.

The Toon have a particularly strong relationship with Chelsea having signed Christian Atsu from them in the summer, and they have already been linked with loan moves for Kenedy and Charly Musonda, with the former being able to play as a left-back or left winger, and the latter able to play anywhere across the three attacking midfield positions in Benitez’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.

Blues boss Antonio Conte is also reported to be looking for a new striker to provide competition for Alvaro Morata, and if he succeeds then the out of favour Michy Batshuayi could also be available on loan.

While Kenedy and Charly Musonda would be useful additions, the Premier League rules could mean that Newcastle decide to wait for Batshuayi given their need for goals – they have scored just 21 goals in 23 top flight matches so far this term with strikers Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic only netting eight of those.

Benitez’s former club Liverpool may also have players available on loan, with Danny Ings a possibility if they fail to sell the £30m-rated Daniel Sturridge, while defensive midfielder Marko Grujic could also leave on a temporary basis to play regularly.

With Jonjo Shelvey continuing to be linked with a move to West Ham, a move for the latter could prove to be shrewd, while they could even look to get Javier Hernandez on loan as part of any deal that took the 25-year-old to the London Stadium.

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Elsewhere, Arsenal striker Joel Campbell could be available if he is recalled from his loan at Real Betis having struggled to make an impact, Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe could also go while Leicester could let attackers like Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa or Leonardo Ulloa leave towards the end of the window.

Benitez should also have a good knowledge of the European market, with someone like Atletico Madrid winger Nicolas Gaitan potentially available on a loan deal until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Grzegorz Krychowiak could also look for another Premier League opportunity if his West Bromwich Albion loan spell is ended early.

While it certainly isn’t an ideal scenario if Newcastle do have to rely on loan deals this month, if they remain patient until the end of the month, they can still get the players that they need to help them in their battle to survive in the second-half of the campaign.

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool will hold further talks with German international Emre Can over his future before the end of the month.

What’s the story?

Can’s current deal with Liverpool will expire at the end of the season, meaning that he is currently free to discuss terms with foreign clubs.

Juventus have been strongly linked with a move for the midfielder in recent weeks, although it is understood that the German has not yet decided his future.

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool plan to sit down with Can once again over the next week or so in a bid to convince the 24-year-old to pen a new long-term contract.

It is understood that Can wants a buy-out clause inserted into a new deal, but Liverpool are currently unprepared to meet those demands, which has led to a stand-off.

Why Liverpool have to keep him

Liverpool, understandably, are reluctant to break their club precedent when it comes to inserting a release clause into Can’s contract.

The Reds, however, are facing the prospect of losing a very good footballer, who is rated at £25.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, for free.

Can has been a Liverpool player since the summer of 2014, and after initially struggling for consistency, the midfielder has developed into a key player for the Reds.

This season, he has scored four times and registered three assists in 27 appearances in all competitions.

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In the current market, it would take at least £40m for Liverpool to replace a player of Can’s ilk, and that is why they have to bite the bullet when it comes to contract negotiations.

It might well be that a Real Madrid or a Barcelona come in with a big offer in a few seasons, but that is a much better scenario than allowing Can to walk away for nothing this summer.

Michy Batshuayi must have felt as if the west London sun was beating down on him like a spotlight as Chelsea strolled to a convincing, almost unopposed 3-0 win over Newcastle. With so much talk about his future and the lack of faith Antonio Conte places in him over the last few months, the need for goals in the only competition that offers the Blues a likely chance of silverware this season, in the absence of £60million striker Alvaro Morata, inevitably put Batshuayi’s turbulent Chelsea career at centre-stage on Sunday.

In terms of finding the net, Batshuayi certainly didn’t let his side down. He opened Chelsea’s account after just 31 minutes, giving them a real foothold in the match, and then completed his brace just before half time to put the home side in complete control. But in truth, scoring goals has never been Batshuayi’s problem – he’s already hit double figures across all competitions this season and averaged one goal per 93 minutes throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.

The real problem though is Batshuayi’s all-round game; his positional awareness, his intelligence when making runs, his first touch and his hold-up play; and Conte will have seen little on Sunday to really change his mind.

The 11-cap Belgium international still suffered four unsuccessful touches and was dispossessed three times (the most of any Chelsea player on both fronts) while he won just one aerial duel and didn’t provide a single key pass in the space of ninety minutes – despite the two players either side of him, Eden Hazard and Pedro, taking seven efforts at goal.

There are rumours of the 24-year-old completing a loan move to Borussia Dortmund before the transfer window slams shut on Wednesday and regardless of his impressive brace at the weekend, Conte certainly won’t stand in the deal’s way.

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Ragnar Klavan has made 20 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool during the 2017-18 campaign, but the centre-back might find first-team football difficult to obtain in the final months of the season.

Indeed, the £75m January arrival of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton has done Klavan no favours when it comes to securing a regular spot in Jurgen Klopp’s first XI.

Klavan, who is valued at £3.1m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has not actually played for Liverpool in the Premier League since the middle of last month, and he has not even made the squad for their last three league fixtures.

The 32-year-old arguably out-performed Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren in the opening months of the season, but it appears that he has now fallen behind both of those players when it comes to the race to be Van Dijk’s partner at centre-back.

The Liverpool fans have not forgotten about Klavan, however, and many have taken to social media to reveal their respect for the Estonian.

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Indeed, one supporter even claimed that he was the best centre-back of all time. A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:

Wolverhampton Wanderers are a point closer to automatic promotion to the English Premier League after a 2-2 result at home to Norwich City on Wednesday night.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo might feel his side should have won however after they rushed to a 2-0 lead within 25 minutes.

It was a lead they held until the final moments of the match but Nelson Oliveira’s long-range effort rescued a point for the visitors after Christoph Zimmerman had already pulled one back.

Supporters, while obviously still expecting to go straight up this season, were left frustrated with the performance and the result.

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It was another chance for fans to see Benik Afobe too, who came one for half an hour to make his fourth appearance since joining from Bournemouth in January.

It’s the striker’s second spell at the club, so supporters know what they’re getting with the 25-year-old and some believe he’s a player that will never fit into Santo’s system.

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Fans are now calling for Leo Bonatini to be given the opportunities that Afobe is currently getting.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

Marouane Fellaini is on the verge of securing a five-year deal with Galatasary, according to reports by Turkish newspaper Aksam.

It is simply a matter of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s now on a five-year deal between the injury-maligned player and the Turkish club.

What’s the story?

United’s soundbite-worthy manager Jose Mourinho has impressed upon the Belgian the importance of penning a new contract before his current one expires in the summer, telling him earlier this month to “sign and shut up”.

The midfielder has had big money offers on the table from both Turkey and China, however, and made clear his intentions in December when he rejected United’s initial offer of renewal.

Felliani’s struggles in his first few seasons at Old Trafford were well-documented as the Red Devils struggled to deal with the post-Fergie hubris, but he finally seemed to find his feet under Mourinho prior to an injury-riddled 2017-18 season.

What next for Mourinho’s men?

A nervous summer awaits for Mourinho, who risks losing two of his midfield stalwarts. Veteran midfielder Michael Carrick is considering retirement at the end of the season after undergoing surgery to correct an irregular heart rhythm that has seen him sidelined since September.

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The two compliment each others strengths well, with Fellaini’s aerial presence underlined by his 2.5 aerial duels won per game and Carrick’s pass completion rate of 79.3% giving United much-needed composure on the ball in the middle of the park.

Mohamed Salah, Granit Xhaka, Xherdah Shaqiri, Mohamed Elneny, Yann Sommer, Breel Embolo; FC Basel’s record of nurturing young talents that go on to excel in major European Leagues can’t be faulted.

All but one of those finished in the top half of their respective top flights last season, and Liverpool’s Salah has established himself as one of the continent’s most irresistible goal threats since joining the Anfield ranks from Roma last summer.

Accordingly, while the Swiss outfit’s Champions League clash with Manchester City may have lacked genuine significance after Pep Guardiola’s side netted five away goals in the first leg, it was nonetheless an important occasion for those eager to keep abreast of the exciting young players starting to emerge on the fringes of European football.

And once again, as is nearly always the case when FC Basel meet an English side in European competition, a promising young player stood out as the visitors took advantage of complacency to seal a surprise 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Providing the sharpest and most potent prong in breakaway attacks that made a mockery of City’s 78% possession was 23-year-old Mohamed Elyounoussi. The Norwegian international, Moroccan born, is enjoying another fantastic season after netting ten times during his first term at St. Jacob-Park, this time around matching netting prowess with creative instincts to bag as many assists as last season already, 13, alongside seven goals.

Two of those strikes and two of those set-ups have come in the Champions League, including one apiece on Wednesday night against the most dominant team in England this season.

As Basel responded to City’s opening goal and early pressure with a tenacious run down their right flank, it was Elyounoussi who found a pocket of space by allowing City’s centre-backs to retreat an extra yard too far before powerfully converting a cross from another promising Basel youngster – 20-year-old Blas Riveros.

Elyounoussi then turned provider as Basel completed a comeback in the second half. Michael Lang’s rifled finish at the near post was something to behold, but it owed much to Elyounoussi’s vision, mobility and hard work – and some halfhearted defending from Yaya Toure.

The attacking midfielder carried the ball from left attacking midfield across the Ivorian’s patch all the way to the right wing, protecting it well and slaloming between two City defenders before putting a cute reverse pass straight into Lang’s path.

The idea of Elyounoussi moving to the Premier League has already been in the consciousness of the press for some time, far preceding Wednesday’s performance.

He was once mooted as Leicester City’s replacement for Riyad Mahrez following their title-winning season, and Blick reported in December that a Southampton scout had ran the rule over the attacker during a 4-1 win over Lausanne – while citing ten unnamed Premier League clubs as a potential rivals for his signature. Their understanding is that he’ll leave the Swiss champions this summer.

Southampton too, do need that extra dose of creativity in their midfield. Sofiane Boufal has struggled to produce his best since arriving from Lille, Nathan Redmond already seems to have one foot out of the exit door and Dusan Tadic’s once ever-dependable spark has glowed noticeably dimmer this season. For all the concern over how a lack of dependable firepower may result in their relegation, consistently supplying the centre-forwards with the right quality has been a problem for much of the campaign too.

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Valued at just £6.75million by Transfermarkt and demonstrating a level of form in Europe’s ultimate competition that suggests a readiness to test himself in a more competitive league, Elyounoussi could prove an incredibly shrewd signing for Southampton, the kind of acquisition that has been at the heart of their transfer model in the Premier League – a young player with big potential and an eagerness to prove himself in a major European top flight.

So, Southampton fans, would you back a summer swoop for Elyounoussi? Let us know by voting below…

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Rangers lost for the second successive home match on Saturday, defeated 1-0 by Kilmarnock in Scottish Premiership.

With the pressure again mounting on a Gers manager and his squad of players, the home side couldn’t rise to the occasion against Steve Clarke’s organised outfit, eventually being punished by former striker and the league’s top scorer Kris Boyd.

For many it was the final straw in terms of their opinion of Graeme Murty, believing that he doesn’t have what it takes to lead the club forward in the long-term.

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The former U20s coach was given the job on an interim basis until the end of the season but fans are already thinking of potential replacements this summer.

One name that’s coming up is Saturday’s opposition manager Steve Clarke after the sensational job he has done with Kilmarnock this season, making them one of the most formidable outfits in the entire division from a relegation threatened position.

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Fans took to Twitter to discuss his potential appointment at Ibrox…

Everton fans have been discussing England’s goalkeeper situation, and most of them are convinced Jordan Pickford is the man for the job.

If there’s one spot that’s “up for grabs” in England’s World Cup squad this summer, it’s the starting goalkeeper, and reports suggest Pickford will start vs the Netherlands on Friday.

Gareth Southgate will probably take two of Joe Hart, Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope to the World Cup, and it’s still anyone’s guess who gets the nod.

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Butland and Pickford are probably the most naturally talented keepers, but the two have conceded more goals than all but one Premier League keeper this season (Jonas Lössl 52, Butland 51, Pickford 50).

Nick Pope is undoubtedly the form keeper, but has only just broken on to the big stage and doesn’t offer the experience someone like Hart does. Hart of course has had a torrid season with West Ham, but there are still many who think he is the best choice.

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Everton fans have been discussing the dilemma on Twitter, and while some of them still have some doubts about their ex-Sunderland stopper, they seem mostly convinced he is the best choice.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…