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Sadio Mane struggled for form as Liverpool drew 0-0 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday.

The Reds had the chance to take advantage of home comforts in the first leg but drew a blank, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino also in frustrating form.

But it was Mane who seemed to be at the centre of every major chance that fell Liverpool’s way.

Indeed, he showed signs that it might not be his night in the 15th minute, as he faced up Joshua Kimmich, turned him inside out and worked an angle for a shot. It was a wild effort and flew wide.

In the 32nd minute, he twisted to shoot first-time after a Naby Keita shot was deflected into his path, but he scuffed the effort and it did not trouble Manuel Neuer. An overhead kick in the second half was not even close.

Late on, a fine diving header drew an excellent save from the Germany goalkeeper but it was his only shot on target in the game.

While a member of a trio, when Mane fails to fire, Liverpool often struggle to create genuine moments of danger.

This was true on Tuesday, too, as, per WhoScored, Mane touched the ball just 37 times, the fewest of any Reds outfield player.

He completed just one dribble throughout the game, too, and was dispossessed five times, the most of any player on the pitch.

In total, Mane also committed three fouls, the joint-most of anyone except for Robert Lewandowski.

The Senegal international attempted a mere 17 passes, the least of any Liverpool player that started the game, and 13 lower than Alisson, who had the second-lowest tally for the home side.

Mane’s misfires ultimately stunted Liverpool’s attacking rhythm and robbed them of the dynamism that usually defines their forays forward.

Because of his poor form, the Reds could not sustain their pressure and now find themselves in need of a classic performance in Germany if they are to progress to the next round.

Former Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips has delivered a damning verdict on the transfer of Dele Alli to Everton. 

The verdict: In the wilderness

Signed from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent basis in a deal which could rise to £40million if all clauses are met (Sky Sports), the 25-year-old has struggled so far on Merseyside.

Left on the bench for each of the Toffees’ last four Premier League matches, the one-time England regular has failed to recapture his best form so far since arriving at Goodison Park.

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In fact, Alli has only played 169 minutes under Frank Lampard, starting just once and failing to complete a full match.

The latest: Summer exit pending?

Following a recent report from The Telegraph suggesting that the Englishman could leave the club as soon as the summer, 48 year-old Phillips told Football Insider that the attacking midfielder may indeed need to move on again but called the news he’s heard a ‘surprise’.

“There have been suggestions that his time at Everton is going to come to an end. That’s a real surprise, for me. I thought a fresh challenge would get him back to the level we saw from him before.

“It’s a really difficult period for Dele Alli and his career. He’s got to find somewhere where he can thrive, and it’s not looking like that’s going to be Everton.

“It’s disappointing for player and club, but the reality is that he has been so far from his best.”

The verdict: What happens next…

Under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), it’s difficult to envisage that the club would cut ties with the 37-cap England man as early as the upcoming summer window.

Still just 25 and with undoubted quality, Lampard may well give Alli time in pre-season to prove that he can be part of plans moving forwards.

However, should the 43-year-old succeed in retaining Everton’s top-flight status then the manager will be on the lookout for players to take the side to the next level, something Alli has so far proven to be well below in his fleeting outings.

So far, the man once hailed as ‘amazing’ by Jose Mourinho at Spurs has lost possession on 43 occasions during six league outings for the Blues (Sofascore) and is seemingly in dire need of a career reset.

In other news, three players struggle despite victory. Find out who here!

Leeds United’s medical staff have been particularly busy throughout the current Premier League campaign, with the Whites being hit by a number of injury blows.

Even though there are only a handful of games left to play before the season draws to an end, it seems as though Jesse Marsch will have to get through this period without one player in particular.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed that Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw will be out of action for the remainder of 2021/22 after fracturing his knee cap.

In his post, the journalist said: “A fresh injury setback for Leeds United as Adam Forshaw ruled out for the rest of the season.”

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Terrible news for Leeds

Since arriving at the Yorkshire club back in the 2018 January transfer window, the Englishman has gone on to make 78 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with three assists along the way.

With 22 league appearances under his belt this season, the midfielder has been a rather important figure for the Whites in this campaign.

The 30-year-old has been one of Leeds’ best passers of the ball in the campaign, with only Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk having a higher pass completion percentage than Forshaw – out of players to have played more than one game.

And, taking into account how Leeds are quite light in the central-midfield position, as well as having only just seen Kalvin Phillips back on the pitch following his hamstring injury, this news on Forshaw will certainly come as a huge blow to Marsch and his side heading into the final stages of the season.

Also, with the Englishman having recovered from a very significant hip injury that kept him out of action for a total of 560 days between September 2019 and April 2021, this latest setback will also be a disappointing blow for him on a personal level.

Moving forward, with the Whites having some big games ahead of them against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, Marsch will have to make sure that his side can pick up as many points as possible so they don’t potentially end up at risk of getting relegated.

Then, for next season, everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that Forshaw can make another recovery and play a big part in their campaign.

AND in other news: Orta must launch Leeds bid for “complete” £72k-p/w gem, he could be their Luis Suarez

Newcastle United are reportedly set to seal their first signing of the upcoming summer transfer window after agreeing a fee for Matt Targett…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are expecting to complete a deal to sign the Englishman on a permanent basis from Aston Villa at the end of his loan spell.

The report claims that the Toon are on the verge of securing a £15m swoop for the former Southampton full-back, making him their first addition ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Eddie Howe will be over the moon

This update will surely leave Newcastle manager Eddie Howe over the moon, as it means that the left-back position is not a cause for concern heading into next season.

Instead of worrying about who his first-choice will be in that position, the 44-year-old can plan ahead knowing that Targett will be slotting in on the left of the backline.

The likes of Matt Ritchie, Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett are also at the club and can provide competition for the 26-year-old’s place, which means that there is no need for any more signings in that area of the pitch after this deal is completed.

Upon Targett’s arrival at St James’ Park on loan, Howe said: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”

These comments highlight how highly the Newcastle head coach rates the defender, whose performances in the top flight have lived up to the hype. He has proven himself to be a reliable option in the Premier League, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.87 across 26 appearances for Villa and Newcastle this term.

The left-back has created 1.3 chances per game and showcased his defensive quality with an impressive 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match. He is a modern day full-back who can excel at both ends of the pitch, and this is why the ex-Cherries boss will surely love to keep him heading into next season.

At the age of 26, the Magpies can get many more years of service out of Targett, whose performances on the pitch suggest that he could nail down the left-back spot for the foreseeable future at St James’ Park. Signing a player who could be a regular for the next four or five seasons for £15m seems like a bargain on paper, and Howe will be delighted with this prospective deal.

AND in other news, NUFC now eye swoop for “breathtaking” £36m-rated phenomenon, he could be Ginola 2.0…

The lure of guaranteed playing time is expected to see Celtic win the race to sign Bayern Munich youngster Christopher Scott this summer, according to Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with move

The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to Parkhead in recent days, with Sky Germany reporting talks with the player’s representatives even though Bayern are keen on extending his stay beyond 2022 – when his current deal expires.

It is believed that Brentford are also interested in acquiring Scott’s services, as the potential battle to sign him in the summer hots up.

The youngster has won four caps for Germany’s Under-20 side and is valued at £1.08million by Transfermarkt.

The Latest: McCleish backs Hoops for signing

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish, a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, backed Scott, a ‘glorious talent’ to trade Bayern for Celtic, with the promise of more minutes giving them the edge over Brentford:

“That would be a cracker. I suspect he will only come if he is promised he will be playing. I’m not saying he’ll be in the nucleus of the team.

“But he will need to be assured he will be getting games. It’s rare to see young teenagers making a breakthrough but teenagers in their late teens have a chance.

“If you’ve got a glorious talent, there’s absolutely no stopping you. But it seems that a lot of them are thinking about, not bigger clubs but the bigger leagues, to get them over that kind of foundation hurdle.

“The aim is to catch the eye of the seniors at Bayern Munich or whatever. They clearly want to get the experience of a tougher league.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

While Scott wouldn’t necessarily come in as a key man immediately, he is someone who would be viewed as a long-term signing with great potential.

That’s not to say he wouldn’t play regularly, though, as McLeish alludes to, and he has been described as ‘one of the biggest talents in Germany’ in the past, surely earning himself plenty of playing time when the Bhoys compete on multiple fronts.

Scott could add depth and quality to Celtic’s midfield, not to mention ensure that Ange Postecoglou’s side continues to build into the future, as key midfielders like Callum McGregor begin to age.

In other news, two Celtic players could potentially start at Rangers this weekend. Find out who it is here.

Lucas Moura has given Antonio Conte plenty to think about as Spurs advanced into the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday evening.

The north London outfit welcomed top-flight rivals Brighton and Hove Albion to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on their return from the winter break and they ran out 3-1 victors.

Goals from Harry Kane, either side of a Solly March own goal and Yves Bissouma consolation strike, sealed the win.

With the Lilywhites in cruise control for much of the game, the Italian head coach was able to hand debuts to both Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski following their deadline day moves from Juventus last week.

And the latter particularly impressed in a 22-minute cameo from the bench.

His brilliant movement on and off the ball should’ve seen him earn a near-perfect maiden outing. The Swede laid on the perfect ball for Steven Bergwijn, only for the winger to sky it into the stands.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick dubbed his short outing as “eye-catching” after the game. The same cannot be said for the vastly-experienced Brazilian, who for large parts of the match went missing.

‘Barely registered in an unusually subdued display,’ is how the reporter described Moura’s performance as he ranked him amongst Spurs’ worst players on the night.

Indeed, across his 68 minutes on the pitch, the 29-year-old managed only 44 touches, in which he lost possession 17 times, meaning he handed the ball back to the Seagulls once every four minutes.

Wasteful.

Elsewhere, he failed to register a single shot on target, pulled off just one successful dribble from three attempts and made only 19 passes at an accuracy rate of 70%, as per SofaScore.

Ineffective.

The £18m-rated lightweight, who also lost 60% of his battles, has now given Conte a massive dilemma. This sort of disappointing display has come at the worst moment as his potential successor – Kulusevski – looked the part instantly.

Once claimed to be a “nightmare” to train against by teammate Eric Dier, it would not be a surprise to see Moura’s place in the starting XI at risk heading into the next couple of matches – and importantly, their return to the Premier League, where a place in the top four is still up for grabs.

The former PSG star can ill-afford more matches like that now that he has serious competition for places – whether Conte drops him or not remains to be seen but the Italian has plenty to mull over before they host Southampton on Wednesday night.

It could also be too soon to trust Kulusevski but that cameo was too good to ignore, thus the 52-year-old has been left with a major dilemma this weekend.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £31.5m-rated Spurs “animal” with 97% pass accuracy stole the show vs Brighton…

Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola have seemingly set their sights on an ‘incredible’ new target amid reports they’re edging closer to signing Borussia Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland.

The Lowdown: City in pole position for Haaland…

A plethora of credible claims have backed that City are by far the frontrunners to seal a summer deal for Haaland.

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Journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed last week that the 21-year-old has given his green-light to join Guardiola’s side, as also backed by The Times.

The Daily Mail, sharing news on City’s interest in West Ham United star Declan Rice last week, thereafter claimed that a move is already ‘agreed’ to sign Haaland as Sky Blues sporting director Txiki Begiristain sets his sights on a Fernandinho replacement.

Meanwhile, this week, even ex-Man City forward Rodney Marsh got in the act – taking to Twitter and saying that the striker’s move to Eastlands is ‘done’.

City supporters, fresh off an absolutely exhilarating night of Champions League semi-final action against Real Madrid, could be interested to hear of an ‘offer’ as Guardiola joins the mix for a brand new target.

The Latest: City offer on the table…

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Premier League champions, and by extension their boss, are now eyeing Championship starlet Djed Spence.

It is claimed he has five ‘offers’, including one from City, but the player himself is a fan of bitter rivals Man United.

He explained (via Twitter): “Update #Spence: Selling price is €12-15m! It is said that he has got 5 offers. City, Arsenal & Tottenham are among the interested clubs. Jedd‘s dream is to play for #MUFC one day. He is a fan! Been told there should be still a loose contact with #FCBayern.”

The Verdict: Win the race?

The competition for Spence’s signature is evidence of his real quality and sky high potential.

He has been shining in England’s second tier on a loan spell at Nottingham Forest from parent club Middlesbrough with former Scotland international Alan Hutton recently calling him ‘incredible’ and ‘ready for the next level’.

The only sticking point may be his affection for the Red Devils, and as City target a possible future heir to Kyle Walker on the right side, Guardiola will want players who think of Eastlands as a priority move.

In other news: £102m ‘big name’ set his sights on joining City, turns to super agent for help…find out more here.

As many as seven clubs want to sign Wolves centre-back Romain Saiss in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update this weekend.

The Lowdown: Saiss has key decision to make

The Moroccan is out of contract at Molineux at the end of the season, with no new deal agreed currently at the club.

Saiss has been a model of consistency for Wolves throughout 2021/22, forging a strong back-three partnership with Max Kilman and Conor Coady, and scoring twice in 28 Premier League appearances.

A new update suggests Bruno Lage could have a fight on his hands keeping hold of his defender, though.

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The Latest: Seven clubs interested

According to L’Equipe [via Sport Witness], Saiss is ‘followed by many clubs’ ahead of a potential summer exit from Wolves.

The teams in question are Real Betis, Villarreal, Wolfsburg, Marseille, Lyon, Rennes and Strasbourg, highlighting the 32-year-old’s popularity.

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The Verdict: Exit most likely?

This is a hard situation to read, with Saiss at a key juncture in his career, in terms of still being young enough to move elsewhere and perform at the top level for a few more years.

He may feel that a fresh challenge makes the most sense while he has time on his side, rather than extending his stay at Wolves and drifting past his prime there.

Ideally, Saiss would sign a new Wanderers deal, however, with his performances consistently strong this season and Lage calling him a ‘very important’ player.

In other news, Tim Spiers has provided a key Wolves injury update. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Nantes winger Moses Simon…

What’s the talk?

According to OwnGoalNigeria, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are battling with Leeds United to land the £20m forward in the summer.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 outfit were unwilling to part ways with him in January and are now open to cashing in on him at the end of the campaign, with the Toon now preparing to offer a £100k-per-week deal to the attacker.

Far better than Fraser

Newcastle must ensure that they are able to get this deal over the line, as Simon is far better than their current right winger Ryan Fraser.

The Nigerian has produced two goals and six assists in 18 Ligue 1 starts this season whilst averaging a whopping 2.3 key passes per game, after managing six goals and five assists in the division last term. This shows that he is a creative threat at the top level and that he is also capable of finding the back of the net, which could make him an exciting player for Eddie Howe to have.

Meanwhile, Fraser has just one goal and one assist in 17 Premier League matches for Newcastle in the current campaign, averaging 0.6 key passes per game. This comes after he provided zero goals and two assists in 18 games last season for the Magpies under Steve Bruce, with these statistics suggesting that Simon would be a major upgrade on the former Bournemouth man.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr previously lauded the Ligue 1 gem’s quality and versatility, saying: “I really like this player, he has a foolproof mind. He is small (1m68) but he has a big heart. He is very talented technically, physically with his speed, despite his size.

“With me he can play right back, and he does! He has a lot of strings to his bow.”

Former Nigeria captain Austin Okocha also dubbed him a “menace” with his ability to take players on with the ball and cause problems for the opposition defence. These comments suggest that Howe could love to work with the 26-year-old, who has the tactical flexibility to be used in a variety of ways and the skills in possession to make things happen in the final third.

Hopefully PIF will be able to tempt him into making the move to St James’ Park in the summer and he can bring his creative magic to the Premier League.

AND in other news,  Huge blow: Newcastle facing major setback before Aston Villa, Howe will be worried…

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Red Bull Salzburg forward Karim Adeyemi to Anfield in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that the Austrian side have now completed the signing of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian striker Fernando, after reaching an early agreement to sign the 23-year-old from the Ukrainian outfit.

In an earlier tweet, Romano had claimed that Fernando will be the replacement for Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi – who himself has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool this summer.

A huge boost

With the latest news from Romano announcing RB Salzburg’s capture of the Brazilian, it opens up Liverpool’s move for Karim Adeyemi.

Following on from his break-out season for Salzburg last year – that saw him conjure up seven goals and nine assists in 29 league appearances – the German has continued his electrifying development this term.

Indeed, Adeyemi’s 20 goals and five assists from top of the Austrian Bundesliga and into the final of the Austrian Cup.

Furthermore, his three goals and two assists over competition for the youngster’s signature from Klopp’s old side Borussia Dortmund.

His game as a forward is well-rounded and, at the tender age of 20, he has done enough to prove his efficiency as a Firmino-type centre-forward – one who can both score and create goals. His 11 assists last season demonstrate this nicely.

The £31.5m-rated starlet has garnered some impressive numbers this season – seeing him rank equal with Roberto Firmino with around three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.

However, the German massively outdoes the Brazilian when it comes to goal-creating actions, with his 0.60 GCA per 90 placing him in the elite category for this metric, in comparison to positionally similar players over the last year.

In recent years, Liverpool have been incredibly impressive in the transfer market, and this feels like another deal that could go down as a huge success in the club’s history.

AND in other news: Klopp can unearth Liverpool’s new Michael Owen in rarely-seen 40-goal teenager