Journalist Charles Watts has expressed his disappointment that Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net as he nearly scored a “truly great” solo goal in midweek.

What’s the latest on Gabriel Martinelli and Arsenal?

In the Europa League this week, the Gunners had to settle for a point away in Portugal as they took on Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of the competition’s last-16 stage.

William Saliba headed in from a corner to give Mikel Arteta’s men a lead before the opposition struck back twice to take the lead. In the end, Hidemasa Morita’s own goal via a deflected Granit Xhaka pass was enough to see the game finish 2-2.

However, things for the Premier League side may have been different had Martinelli managed to finish off his brilliant solo effort. The Brazilian ran from deep inside his own half, past numerous players, and even rounded the Sporting goalkeeper, only to be tackled by Jeremiah St. Juste at the last moment.

While speaking about it on YouTube, Watts lamented: “Martinelli, I gave a six [out of ten], mainly because of that amazing run in the second half, which I think we were all just begging for him to finish off.”It would have been one of the truly great goals and it was such a shame that he did all that hard work, ran all that way, beat all those players, and then just after he goes around the ‘keeper, the guy gets back and clears it before he can roll it into an empty net.”It would have been an absolutely amazing goal. That was a real, real shame.”Has Martinelli ever scored a brilliant solo goal for Arsenal?Martinelli has been in pretty impressive form for the Gunners over the course of the season, starting all but one of the club’s 26 Premier League games so far, providing 11 goals and two assists.Interestingly enough, though, he is yet to score in Europe this term despite having played six times in the competition. This goal would have been a brilliant way to put an end to that run and it’s not as if he doesn’t have previous of scoring such fantastic goals, either.Indeed, against Chelsea in the 2019/20 season, he ran 67 yards in 13 seconds to score in superb fashion – while the effort ended up being voted as the Arsenal Goal of the Season.What’s more, in pre-season against Fiorentina in 2019 when Martinelli had just joined the club, he once more ran from his own half, nutmegging a defender, only to agonisingly send the ball wide.Seeing as it’s the sort of goal most players can only dream of, it’s quite incredible that Martinelli has nearly repeated the trick on three occasions.

Liverpool will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their mid-week Premier League clash at Anfield this evening and Jurgen Klopp will surely be hoping that his side can regain some confidence in front of the home support.

It hasn’t been the best seven days for the Reds with a 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League which was followed up by a lacklustre and uninspiring stalemate with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday night.

The Reds are now nine points adrift of a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four and a 3-0 victory in the second leg at the Bernabeu will be their last hopes of progressing in the European competition. That has left next season’s involvement in the tournament in huge doubt.

As a result, every point and remaining fixture in the top flight counts for Klopp and tonight’s game will give the team a golden opportunity to tighten the gap to Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

Liverpool have been given a huge injury boost ahead of the fixture with Ibrahima Konate confirmed as a potential returnee this evening.

Klopp confirmed in his pre-match press conference: “Ibou trained now completely normal. Should be absolutely OK for the squad at least.”

Will Konate start against Wolves?

After the poor performance against Palace and with the Liverpool boss revealing that Joe Gomez will not be available for the fixture, tonight’s game could be the perfect opportunity to get Konate back in the defensive set up and linking up with Virgil van Dijk once again.

The talented Frenchman damaged his hamstring at the end of January and has not been seen in the squad since, however, the clash with Wolves could not have come at a better time and if he can help deliver Liverpool a victory he would surely stake his claim in the centre-back role going forward.

Despite making only five Premier League appearances this season, the £70k-per-week titan – hailed an “absolute dream” by Phil Thompson – has tallied up an 86% pass completion rate and completed 100% of his dribble attempts so far, displaying that he is the perfect modern-day centre-half, capable of playing the ball out from defence confidently.

Furthermore, his 1.8 interceptions per game are the highest of anyone in the squad, while his 2.4 tackles are the second-highest in the team, and the best of any defender.

With that being said, the return of Konate will surely be warmly welcomed by the Anfield faithful this evening and Klopp will be hoping that a fresh perspective in the team will help to improve upon the dull displays seen on too many occasions this season.

Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the progress of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse ahead of a potential summer move.

The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse on the move?

The Englishman has possibly been Saints’ standout player in a season full of struggles, with the south coast side currently sitting 19th in the Premier League.

Ward-Prowse has eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in the league in 2022/23 to date, showcasing his world-renowned free-kick-taking ability with a winner at Chelsea last month.

With Saints potentially getting relegated this season, the 28-year-old could be looking for a fresh challenge and he has been linked with a move away recently.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing up move

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Daniel Levy and Co are ‘monitoring’ Ward Prowse’s situation at Saints currently, with a possible summer switch on the cards.

Southampton are resigned to losing their skipper if they are relegated, and Spurs have recently been hit hard by injuries in their midfield department.

The Verdict: Could be a top signing

Ward-Prowse, who actually has an impressive eight direct goal involvements against Spurs, is a top-quality footballer who has arguably been playing at a lower level than his talent merits for some time now, considering he is an 11-cap England international.

The £100,000-a-week midfielder has shown great loyalty to Saints, but at 28, now feels like the time to test himself elsewhere and Tottenham could be ideal for him.

Ward-Prowse would come straight in as a key man, having racked up 330 Premier League appearances and been called ‘phenomenal’ by former teammate Charlie Austin.

His technical ability is nicely complemented by a tenacious edge – he averages 1.7 tackles per game in the league this season – and he could help Spurs’ midfield look more formidable moving forward.

The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe believes that Amadou Onana’s deficiencies in defending could end up costing Everton in games to come.

The Lowdown: Onana has been a big success at Goodison Park

Everton are in a relegation scrap despite spending over £65m on new players last summer, although things have turned around under Sean Dyche with three wins since his arrival – the same number Frank Lampard managed earlier in the season.

However, one of the success stories of this season has been the impact Onana has made on the team, having made the most tackles out of any other Everton player (FBref), which saw him linked with a move away in January.

The Belgium international was compared to France midfielders Paul Pogba and Aurelien Tchouameni by journalist Julien Laurens before he made the switch to Goodison Park, but Dyche may well have stifled some of his talent since taking over from Lampard.

The Latest: Everton must get the most out of Onana

Despite his impressive displays thus far in an Everton shirt, O’Keeffe claimed on the All Together Now podcast that he could cost the Toffees if he keeps being played in a more defensive role to incorporate Abdoulaye Doucoure into the team.

He said: “He’s very much still getting to grips with the Premier League. I know he’s gone to a World Cup and all this, but this is still a player who’s come over from Ligue 1 in France and is trying to adjust to the Premier League, and defensively, the speed of the game.

“I like his tackling technique, but I think it’s going to take a while to get the timing just right, and he is – as you’ve rightly said – going to pick up bookings and he might cost us sometimes.

“I think maybe he’s a bit better further forward breaking, like almost [more of] a box-to-box role, but at the moment, Doucoure seems to be doing that better.”

The Verdict: Still taking time for Onana to adapt

The fact that clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea were showing an interest in Onana back in January when he’d only played a handful of games shows the talent that Everton have on their hands, although he is still raw at this level.

Therefore, given his potential and talent, it would make sense for Dyche to be playing him in a more natural and less risky position of defensive midfield, especially as he clearly struggles to tackle, with eight yellow cards to his name already.

Onana was never going to arrive at Everton as the finished article having never played in the Premier League before – he’s still very young and is also having to play in a struggling Toffees side, so he’s not able to adapt and learn from too many top-quality players at the moment.

Liverpool have not been at the races this season, falling from their pedestal at the forefront of domestic and continental football and now struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds languish in fifth in the Premier League, six points adrift from fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and fell in the early stages of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

And with Anfield receiving a 5-2 drubbing at the hand of Real Madrid in this term’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg, the Merseyside outfit’s German manager has his work cut out to reinstate the cohesion and intensity that has waned over the duration of the campaign.

Every department of the field has been affected, and while offensive seasonal signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, landed for £85m and £35m respectively, have tantalised promise of success, the attacking line has not been what it once was, especially given the £35m departure of prolific stalwart Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.

And with recent news that Klopp favourite Roberto Firmino will depart from Anfield at the end of his contract, further concerns have consequently risen.

Firmino has made 355 appearances for the Reds, scoring 108 goals and supplying 79 assists, integral in the club’s ascension and subsequent clinching of a wealth of major honours including the Premier League and Champions League, also scoring ten goals and providing five assists from just 16 starts this season.

Thus, attention will turn to who can replace him with Lewis Koumas potentially one prodigy set to benefit.

Who is Lewis Koumas?

With such burning requirement for reinforcements at Liverpool, spending a lucrative fee on a replacement for the 31-year-old Firmino might not be the most prudent move, given the offensive ranks at the club boast the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota as well as the aforementioned Nunez and Gakpo.

That’s why academy prospect Koumas – son of former Premier League player Jason Koumas – deserves a shot at ascending to the first-team fold, having impressed for the club’s academy.

“He’s a good footballer. He’s very good at running without the ball, he is very good at running forwards. His movement and timing is excellent – and he likes to finish,” Liverpool coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson once described of the prodigy to The Athletic.

The 17-year-old possesses an innate striking instinct, having scored seven goals and provided three assists from just six matches in the U18 Premier League this season,  also scoring twice from as many games in the UEFA Youth League.

Also speaking to The Athletic, Koumas’ former youth coach Danny Hart stated: “He played like a 16-year-old when he was 10. It was just bizarre, the quality he had. From that first trial alone he was just unreal. He was like the driver and the engine. You could play him wherever you needed to.

“He was such an athlete, which helped, and he was so switched on tactically. You could give him the ball and he knew what to do with it. All of the players looked up to him.”

Praised by Andy Kelly for one performance where he “worked his socks off”, Koumas certainly boasts the cutting edge and work-rate to replace Firmino and eventually earn a place in Klopp’s system over the coming years, giving the copious ranks up front for the senior side, investing in youth and providing the exciting talent with the platform to make a mark could unearth the next club’s next star.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been offered the chance to bring Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Standout performer

Julen Lopetegui made six new signings during the January transfer window but he will need to recruit further reinforcements in the summer regardless of if he’s able to maintain his side’s top-flight status.

The Uruguayan’s contract at the Jose Alvalade Stadium isn’t set to expire until 2026, but being Ruben Amorim’s top-performing defensive player, he has caught the eye of the hierarchy at Molineux.

The Latest: Wolves offered Ugarte

According to reports in Europe (via Sport Witness), Wolves have been gifted the chance to sign Ugarte with his agent, Jorge Mendes, ‘offering’ him to Lopetegui.

Sporting are currently ‘refusing’ to sanction a sale, but the 21-year-old does have a €60m (£53m release clause) included in his deal.

Barcelona and other unnamed clubs are also in the mix, but with the super agent’s strong connection to the Midlands, this could be one to watch in the months ahead.

The Verdict: Neves successor?

The Athletic have reported that Ruben Neves could be heading for the exit after failing to be persuaded to sign a new contract, so should he depart, Ugarte could be the ideal successor.

Sporting’s gem is naturally stronger in the defensive aspect of his game, where he currently ranks in the 99th percentile for most tackles and also pass accuracy.

The Montevideo native would also provide flexibility having operated as a box-to-box central midfielder alongside his more natural number six role, making him a useful option to have in the building.

Ugarte has been dubbed a ‘Uruguayan Warrior’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and we believe he would be an excellent signing for Fosun should they successfully get a deal over the line.

Liverpool have ‘sent scouts’ to watch Benfica defender Antonio Silva ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: £87m release clause

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol but Jurgen Klopp has reportedly made the 19-year-old one of his top transfer targets this summer.

The Portuguese has a €100m (£87m) release clause included in his current contract which the Anfield outfit wouldn’t be willing to pay, but they remain hopeful that a deal can be struck thanks to their strong relationship with the club having purchased Darwin Nunez.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed that this situation could be ‘one to watch’ as the season draws to a close, and it appears that the hierarchy are already taking the necessary next steps…

The Latest: Liverpool scout Silva

According to Jacobs (via CaughtOffside), Liverpool and four other potential suitors are completing background checks on Silva ahead of the upcoming window. He said:

“Silva is contracted until 2027 with a €100m release clause. Real Madrid, Liverpool, Dortmund, Napoli and Manchester United are among the clubs who have recently sent scouts to see Silva play.

“But there’s nothing to get too excited about just yet. It’s normal to watch top young players at this stage of the season and it will take time before it’s clear if any club moves.

“It will be interesting to see how Benfica handle summer suitors if they do arrive. They really don’t want to lose Silva yet, and although Rui Costa said the same about Enzo Fernandez, the fact they got €121m from that deal leaves them with no need to sell.”

The Verdict: Potential advantage?

Silva shares the same agent as Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Nunez which could give Liverpool the potential edge over their competitors when trying to get a deal over the line.

The 6 foot 1 ace currently averages 3.2 clearances and two tackles per league game, via WhoScored, whilst ranking in the 99th percentile for pass completion, highlighting his calmness and composure when playing out from the back.

The Adidas-sponsored centre-back has only made 33 senior career appearances given his young age but already has two international caps to his name having been chosen to represent Portugal at the World Cup in 2022.

Finally, Silva has been hailed a ‘superstar’ by Reds legend Jamie Carragher and he would be a hugely exciting signing for the future of the club in years to come.

Former Scottish Premiership striker turned pundit Frank McAvennie has slammed the ‘bad’ recruitment and business he has seen at Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Contract crisis

Rangers currently have as many as eight players going out of contract in the summer, as well as Malik Tillman set to return to Bayern Munich after his loan spell at Ibrox ends.

They include the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Allan McGregor, who have all had regular minutes so far this season, and at this moment in time will all be allowed to leave on a free transfer.

In terms of recruitment, the Gers have made valuable additions this term in the likes of Antonio Colak, Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell, but others have failed to impress like injury problems.

With outgoings, the likes of Leon Balogun were allowed to leave on a free transfer last summer, while others like Calin Bassey and Joe Aribo were sold to balance the books.

The Latest: McAvennie slams ‘bad’ business

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie has slammed both the Light Blues’ recruitment and business as ‘bad’, and claims that things could get ‘worse’ for them next year:

“I can’t believe Ross Wilson.

“How would he let all of those players come to the end of their contracts? There is a lot of good players whose contracts are coming up. It is going to be very interesting to see how this goes.

“But it is bad recruitment and a bad bit of business. If you are letting players go for nothing then you don’t have the money to buy new players. So it could be worse for them next year.

“They will need to get loan deals for players which is not always good because players who are not playing are the ones who go on loan.

“It is a strange situation over there but nothing surprises me.“

The Verdict: Wilson must do better

Sporting director Ross Wilson must do better in terms of the business decisions that he is making at the club, after travelling Teddy Bears supporters held up a banner that red ‘time for change’ as well as banners with the faces of Wilson and managing director Stewart Robertson crossed out before kick-off in their 4-2 win at Motherwell on Saturday.

They are still nine points behind Celtic in the title race, and look like they will surrender another trophy to their bitter rivals after losing the Scottish League Cup final 2-1 to them in February.

Nonetheless, with so many first-team players going out of contract, supporters will worry if Rangers will have the money to compete with the Hoops in the next window, as they will be losing a lot in potential transfer fees.

The Athletic reporter Patrick Boyland hailed Everton loanee Tom Cannon’s ‘great finish’ as he scored for Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Cannon scores

Cannon scored the opening goal of Preston’s 2-0 win at home to Cardiff City in the Championship, after he struggled off the defender in the penalty area before unleashing a ferocious effort into the back of the net.

That is his second goal in three games in a Preston shirt, as he looks to continue his development ahead of a return to Everton at the end of the season.

The Latest: Boyland praise

Taking to Twitter after footage of Cannon’s goal was shared, Boyland praised his ‘great finish’, and says that he is ‘developing well’ at Preston:

“Great finish from Tom Cannon. Developing well.”

The Verdict: Give him a chance

Cannon is showing what he is capable of on loan, and so the Toffees need to give him a chance in the first team next season.

He has only made three senior appearances for them, and his record at youth level is phenomenal, with 51 goals and 14 assists in 97 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The Goodison Park outfit have been goal-shy in the Premier League so far this term, with a total of just 20 goals scored, and Cannon deserves a chance to impress in the first team following his successful loan spell.

Liverpool's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's midfielder Jude Bellingham has hit the rocks and the 19-year-old is unlikely to make a move to Anfield.

Are Liverpool still in the race for Bellingham?

A potential move to Anfield has been reported to be in the cards of the England midfielder for months now with the Reds believed to be seriously interested.

However, they are expected to come up against the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid in the summer in the pursuit to land the talented youngster.

But the issue lies in the expected price which will be put on Bellingham by Dortmund with the German side believed to be looking for a fee in the region of €150m (£130m).

Indeed, speaking on the Walk On podcast, David Ornstein has provided the latest in the race for the Englishman but has insisted the Reds are not entirely out of the race:

"More lately, it has emerged that three candidates are probably his strongest suitors: Liverpool, who have been most heavily linked with him – in recent months, you could even say years; Manchester City; and Real Madrid. And what we report in my Monday column on The Athletic is that it's looking increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will do the deal this summer, as things stand.

"I think it's vital to stress that Liverpool's pursuit is not off, but that is our understanding of the current situation from speaking to multiple sources with knowledge of this situation from across the industry. And on that note, I'll finish in that Liverpool will be reluctant to get into a bidding war at that level of finance."

Should Liverpool move on from Bellingham?

Whilst Ornstein has admitted there are some big hurdles lying ahead of Liverpool if they are to pursue in the race to land the midfielder, they are not out of the running.

However, the prospect of finding themselves in a bidding war with the likes of Madrid and City will surely make those at Anfield consider their options ahead of the summer.

But Bellingham is surely worth the potential summer headache if they are still in the race to land him.

The 19-year-old has become a regular for the England national side and played a big role in their World Cup journey over the summer.

Chelsea may well have disrupted the market for central midfielders in January by signing Enzo Fernandez for a fee in the region of just over £100m.

However, when comparing the pair's performances this season, it is apparent there are a lot of similarities in their returns for their respective clubs.

The duo have both returned just shy of three tackles per 90 minutes, whereas, Bellingham has offered slightly more shot-creating actions per game (via FBref).

With this in mind, it would suggest that the Reds could find themselves a potential alternative for Bellingham for a cheaper fee if push comes to shove in the summer should they be outpriced by their rivals.