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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has backed Liverpool to bounce back from their slump and finish in the top-four, before challenging at the top next season.

What’s going on at Liverpool?

Liverpool have collapsed this season, as they find themselves in seventh place and on the verge of being knocked out of every cup competition, having competed for the quadruple less than a year ago.

After winning every trophy on offer under Jurgen Klopp, they now find themselves in a crisis, as uncertainty behind the scenes regarding the ownership and hierarchy, as well as an ageing squad disappointing on the pitch, has led to a miserable season for the club.

They look likely to miss out on Champions League football for next season, and this could seriously harm their transfer plans, but Redknapp has surprisingly claimed on Sky Sports that they will rediscover their best form and be ready to compete at the top again next season.

“If you want to improve and start challenging again, and as low as it’s been for Liverpool at times you’re never that far away. You’re only one or two players away. Look at what Manchester United have done all of a sudden with Ten Hag, he’s brought in a couple of and all of a sudden there’s a bit of belief again and now they’re flying high.

“I still believe with Liverpool, with a couple of players coming in, Fabinho is 29 still but for some reason he looks like he’s gone over the edge. Maybe they need to find a young defensive midfield player, someone to fill that void.

“I still feel Liverpool, I think they’re still getting the top four. And I also believe that next year they’ll be challenging again.”

Can Liverpool finish in the top four?

Redknapp’s statement came after Liverpool dropped yet more points as they drew with Crystal Palace, and they now find themselves nine points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place.

They do have two games in hand over Spurs, but with just two wins in their last five league games, it would take a major turnaround in form and confidence to attempt to finish in the top four this season.

A 5-2 home defeat to Real Madrid dented Liverpool’s confidence even further, and with an ageing, injury-prone midfield, and an out-of-form defence, they look too far behind their competitors such as Spurs and Newcastle for the final Champions League spot.

Failing to qualify for the Champions League could hinder their chances of signing top target Jude Bellingham, but if Liverpool do make some smart signings this summer and rebuild their squad, they could be back in a position to return to the top end of the table next season.

Aston Villa are currently 12 points clear of the relegation zone and appear set to retain their Premier League status for the fourth straight season since their promotion back to the top flight in 2019.

The Villans spent three years down in the Championship following their relegation at the end of the 2015/16 campaign and endured some difficult times in the second tier before Dean Smith led the side to play-off glory in 2018/19.

One signing the club ultimately had a howler with during that period was former Bristol City centre-forward Jonathan Kodjia, who arrived at Villa Park for a then-Championship record fee of £15m.

What happened to Jonathan Kodjia?

Roberto Di Matteo was the club’s manager at the time and hailed the striker as a “proven” goalscorer, with the gem having struck 18 times in 45 Championship matches for the Robins in the 2015/16 campaign.

The Ivorian enjoyed a terrific first season in the Midlands as he plundered 19 goals in 36 outings in the division but the 6 foot 3 attacker was unable to carry this form over into the subsequent years.

Kodjia managed ten league goals in the next three seasons – nine of which came in the 2018/19 Championship campaign – and the forward failed to score in any of his six Premier League appearances.

Ex-Villa attacker Darren Bent stated that the Ivory Coast man was “way too inconsistent” and that he did not show enough during his time in the top division, which is backed up by the aforementioned statistics.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith decided to part ways with the striker midway through the club’s return to the Premier League as Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC signed him for an undisclosed fee in January 2020.

The striker has since moved on to Umm Salal SC in Qatar – joining them last summer on a free transfer – and has scored five goals in 13 outings for his new club.

At the age of 33, the veteran is not plying his trade in a major European league and his decline since the end of his first term at Villa has been disappointing to see.

The dud’s poor form and failure to make the step up to the Premier League, despite joining the Villans for a Championship record fee, is why Di Matteo had a blunder when it came to signing him in 2016.

Despite heading toward the end of his career, Kodjia has only played six matches in one of Europe’s top five leagues with the marksman very much having failed to live up to the price Villa splashed out for his services.

West Ham have been criticised for their transfer business in recent years but it seems clear now that the east London club did brilliantly to sell Andre Ayew for £18m.

How did Andre Ayew do at West Ham?

The Hammers would sign the Ghana international from Swansea City in 2016 for a then club-record deal worth £20.5m, having scored 12 Premier League goals for the Welsh side the season prior.

However, his time at West Ham would prove far less successful, as he managed just 12 goals and five assists in 50 appearances before being sold back to Swansea in January 2018, with the Swans also paying a club-record fee of £18m to bring him back to the Liberty Stadium.

Although the Hammers were forced to take a loss on Ayew, his disappointing displays as a Hammers player suggested that they did well to sell him for as much as they did at the time.

His subsequent performances emphasise that further, as he failed to score in 12 appearances for Swansea in the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign, as they were relegated back to the Championship.

The veteran forward's career has largely been downhill since then, as he would endure a difficult loan spell with Fenerbahce in Turkey, scoring just five goals in 38 appearances, before twice failing to achieve promotion with the Swans, despite hitting a combined 31 league goals.

A spell in Qatar would follow for Ayew, where he would manage an impressive 22 goals in 40 appearances for Al-Sadd, but he failed to produce the goods for his country at the World Cup, averaging a woeful 6.25 rating from WhoScored across his three group stage appearances, which included a woeful penalty against Uruguay in the crucial deciding match.

He would sign for Nottingham Forest on a £45k-per-week deal in January and has done little to impress thus far, failing to score and assist in any of his six appearances, which included another "pathetic" penalty – as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor – in the 3-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

As per Football Transfers, the 33-year-old is now valued at just £2.1m, so it seems clear that the Hammers deserve some credit for getting £18m for him just five years ago, particularly when you consider how he has declined since his London Stadium exit.

Manchester City have made an enquiry about signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Striker needed?

Man City are hardly in need of a striker, given just how good Erling Haaland has been since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, with the Norwegian scoring an incredible five goals against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Pep Guardiola also has Julian Alvarez at his disposal in attack, and the Argentinian has impressed whenever he has been given the opportunity this season, netting on 10 occasions in all competitions.

The 23-year-old is poised to put pen to paper on a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the Sky Blues, however that has not stopped Guardiola from considering a new option to bolster his frontline…

The Latest: Osimhen eyed

According to Plettenberg, Man City have ‘inquired’ about signing Osimhen, despite the fact they already have Haaland and Alvarez.

If the Sky Blues do try to pursue a deal for the striker, they will face stiff competition for his signature, as the Sky Sports reporter has ‘been told’ the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United also said to be interested.

Bayern Munich are no longer in contention for the Nigerian, as Napoli are set to demand €100m (£88.2m) to part with one of their prized assets, with a fee that high deemed ‘not feasible’ for the German club.

The Verdict: Get it done?

There is no question that the 24-year-old is a hugely talented player, weighing in with 21 goals and five assists in 27 appearances for Napoli so far this season, currently way out in front at the top of the Serie A goal-scoring charts.

Gianfranco Zola has waxed lyrical about the Lagos-born marksman’s various qualities, saying: “He’s a very complete player. He’s got a good reference going forward, he can link up play and he’s devastating in the air. He’s a pest to defenders.”

That said, it is hard to see where the Nigeria international would fit into the Man City team, given that he has almost exclusively featured at centre forward throughout his career, a position in which Guardiola is already blessed with fantastic options.

With Osimhen also set to command a huge price-tag, it is not a transfer that is worth pursuing for the Sky Blues, and they should instead look to strengthen other areas of the squad, particularly central midfield, with Ilkay Gundogan’s future in doubt.

When Jurgen Klopp took the reins at Liverpool in 2015, the prestigious Premier League outfit was a shadow of its former calibre, but the meticulous and mesmerising crafting of one of Europe's modern super-teams has reinstated authority and left the club competing for major honours across every angle once again.

The road has been rocky this season, with last season's FA Cup and Carabao Cup champions falling by the wayside and now languishing outside of the top four after 26 matches, exiting from each cup competition prematurely and 27 points behind league leaders Arsenal, with the two games in hand inconsequential given the insurmountable gulf between the Reds and the table-toppers.

Regardless, Liverpool's resounding success over the past years lies largely in Klopp's success on the transfer front, crafting his team with shrewd and well-placed acquisitions to ascend to prominence, with the dealings of peripheral figures during this time imperative toward clinching profits to set up the big buys. One such departure that helped with that was Dominic Solanke's.

How much did Liverpool sell Solanke for?

In 2019, Bournemouth registered their interest in the striker and eventually parted ways with £19m in order to acquire the striker from Anfield and bring him to the south coast.

That marks quite the piece of business with the Merseyside outfit initially bringing in the forward on a free transfer from Chelsea as a 19-year-old in 2017.

Indeed, Liverpool cashed in for a lucrative fee less than two years after the player's arrival at Anfield, with Solanke registering just one goal and one assist from 27 appearances under Klopp's tutelage.

It's well-known that Liverpool operate a largely self-sustaining model, and with Solanke's exit coinciding with the seasonal arrivals of Alisson and Fabinho, the Brazilians staples toward the recent silver-laden success, the feat in growing his value at such an important period in the club's modern history is exemplified.

Fortunes have been brighter on the south coast, with the 25-year-old scoring 53 goals and supplying 24 assists from 163 outings for the Cherries, including a mammoth haul of 29 strikes and seven assists in the promotion-clinching Championship campaign last year, but it is hard to envisage he would have been the catalyst for success had he stayed with the Reds.

Hailed for his "massive" contributions as a dynamic talisman by Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil, Solanke has been vital to his current outfit's relegation dog-fight this term, scoring three goals and providing four assists in the Premier League from 22 displays, with the Cherries one point adrift from safety after 27 matches.

The one-cap England international is valued at about £17m by CIES Football Observatory, which does reflect the fee accepted for his departure from Anfield, but given the 6 foot 2 colossus arrived at Liverpool for nothing, Klopp and co were prudent to ship him on and cash in when they did.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth will once again be the man tasked with carrying out the club's transfer business this summer, with the Magpies hoping to kick on next season by securing quality, ready-made signings.

As The Athletic revealed earlier this month, one man who is seemingly 'liked' by those at St James' Park is Nottingham Forest starlet, Brennan Johnson, with the explosive Welshman among a crop of attacking targets who could be considered in the near future.

The 21-year-old was reportedly of interest to Tynesiders last year ahead of the start of the current campaign, with the Independent reporting that the northeast side were one of the clubs to hold talks with the youngster's representatives.

As the report outlined at the time, the Nottingham-born speedster was valued at around £20m-£25m after playing a key role in the Garibaldi's promotion campaign, although with that fine form having continued this time around, CIES Football Observatory now values the 18-cap gem at around £35m.

The "wonderful" talent – as hailed by national team boss, Robert Page – would certainly add further depth to Eddie Howe's attacking ranks, while also proving an asset who could be relied upon for the long term due to his relative youth.

How would Johnson fit in at Newcastle?

Having typically lined up on the right flank under Steve Cooper so far this term, Johnson could well represent a notable upgrade on current Newcastle winger Jacob Murphy in that position, despite the latter man having been a regular fixture during Howe's tenure.

The 28-year-old has featured more frequently than any other player since the arrival of the former Bournemouth boss, although has largely been restricted to a substitute role in that time, starting just seven league games so far this season.

While the £35k-per-week man is "so important" to the Magpies – as journalist Chris Waugh recently noted – that positive impact has rarely been matched by a reliable end product, as the experienced asset has just six goals and ten assists to his name in 139 games in all competitions for the club to date, including just one goal and one assist in all competitions this season.

Although, ironically, Murphy did impress against Forest last weekend to ease the loss of the stricken Miguel Almiron, after racking up five key passes, it remains to be seen if the Englishman will be a long-term solution beyond the end of the season.

Johnson, by contrast, has been in fine form so far this term having scored seven goals and laid on two assists in the top-flight to date – as well as registering two goals in five Carabao Cup outings – after previously contributing 28 goal involvements in all competitions last season.

A player with undoubted searing pace, like Murphy, the 5 foot 10 ace has been lauded as "arguably one of the best counter-attacking centre-forwards in the Premier League" by Page, with Howe likely to be keen to utilise such a devastating weapon on the flanks.

That quality is also laid bare by the fact that the "unbelievable asset" – as dubbed by Page – notably averages 1.1 successful dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game in the league this season, while the current Magpies man averages just 0.3 and 0.5 for the same two metrics, respectively.

Johnson would also be able to provide the benefit of his flexibility to be able to feature all across the forward line and in a playmaking role if required, with that versatility an attractive prospect as far as Ashworth and co are concerned.

While poaching the in-form asset clearly won't come cheap, it does appear that the City Ground sensation could represent a real upgrade for Newcastle.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is now set to decide on the future of his Swedish centre-back Victor Lindelof ahead of the summer window.

Could Lindelof leave United in the summer?

The 28-year-old defender will enter the summer transfer window with just one-year remaining on his current deal with the Red Devils.

And this will come at a time when United are being linked with other centre-backs in an attempt to strengthen their options at the back.

Ten Hag decided (via ManchesterWorld) in favour of keeping Lindelof over the January transfer window as he blocked a potential exit from Old Trafford for the Swedish defender.

However, with the summer transfer window approaching, Fabrizio Romano has suggested the Dutch manager will once again be made to decide on the future of his £120k-per-week centre-back:

"From what I understand, Erik ten Hag, at the end of the season, will make a decision on two players. One is Victor Lindelof, because speaking with the Swedish national team, Lindelof said that he wants to play.

"In January, he had two possibilities – one was Inter and one was Atletico Madrid – but Lindelof decided to stay because Erik ten Hag said no. Ten Hag said the player is going nowhere.

"And so in January, nothing happened. But for the summer, now it is Ten Hag who has to make a decision and speak to Lindelof to decide the future."

Should Man United sell Lindelof in the summer?

Having been made to stay at Old Trafford over the January transfer window, there is likely some frustration on the Swede's part at the lack of game time he has been handed.

Since the winter window closed, Lindelof has played just 101 minutes of football in the Premier League and has not featured since the middle of February (via Transfermarkt).

In Lindelof's last start in the Premier League for United, he received a lot of praise from some of his teammates following the game with Bruno Fernandes labelling him "elite".

And it certainly was an impressive display from the Swede with the defender clocking up eight clearances, four interceptions and three tackles against Leicester City (via Sofascore).

It is apparent Ten Hag has his favoured pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane with the possibility of breaking that partnership up slim.

However, Lindelof has shown he is more than capable of putting in a shift when required for the Red Devils.

But the issue lies in those chances in the starting XI potentially not coming frequently enough for a player who will be wanting to impress ahead of next summer's European Championship.

Lindelof has only played 539 minutes of Premier League football this season with only five league starts under his belt (via Transfermarkt).

With reported interest coming from German side Eintracht Frankfurt in January, it will be interesting to see if the player pushes for an exit over the coming months.

Celtic attacker Liel Abada looks set to leave the club during the summer transfer window, with Premier League clubs interested in signing him.

Is Abada shining for Celtic this season?

The 21-year-old has been a Hoops player since 2021, having arrived from Maccabi Petah Tikva, scoring 27 goals in 95 appearances, as well as chipping in with 18 assists.

This season, Abada hasn't always managed to be a key figure for Celtic, however, admittedly playing 29 times in the Scottish Premiership, but only actually start 10 of those matches. His lack of regular starts has led to speculation over his future at Parkhead, with his current deal not expiring until the summer of 2026, but a new challenge potentially appealing to him.

Now, a new report that has emerged further suggests that the Israeli's time with the Hoop could be up, ahead of a possible action for his signature at the end of the season.

Could Abada seal Celtic exit?

According to Football Insider, Abada "is wanted by multiple Premier League clubs amid tensions with manager Ange Postecoglou", suggesting that an exit could be on the cards. Both Southampton and Crystal Palace are mentioned as potential suitors, although "other top English outfits" are also believed to be in the conversation.

Should the aforementioned pair suffer relegation to the Championship, however, it is unlikely that they will be able to entice Abada to their respective clubs. There is now "a genuine chance" of him leaving Celtic in the summer window, after what is described as a "breakdown in relations" with his manager.

Losing Abada at this stage in his career would be a blow for Celtic, considering he is already performing at a high level at just 21 years of age, scoring 10 times in the league and registering four assists in the Scottish Premiership in 2022/23.

Granted, it is pointless keeping hold of an unhappy player, especially if Ange Postecoglou has fallen out with him, but the hope is that they are able to patch things up and ensure that both end up remaining at Parkhead for many years to come.

The lure of the Premier League is clearly great for many players, given the financial rewards and the calibre of players in the division, so Abada could see this as a great time to test himself in a new league, having been described as a "really ambitious" player by Postecoglou in the past.

Leeds United know full well that they need to start picking up points. With results going awry over the weekend, and big rivals having picked up key points, the Whites know that a loss tonight against Liverpool would condemn them to a terrifying final seven games of this season amongst the strugglers.

It seems that with the conclusion of his campaign speedily approaching, some teams like AFC Bournemouth are thriving, and the likes of Everton and Leicester City are sinking. The main goal should be to just stay above the latter, and Javi Gracia will know that securing a result against a side like the Reds will go a long way towards achieving that.

Also, the confidence that avoiding defeat could provide would be instrumental in lifting spirits after their miserable 5-1 drubbing at Crystal Palace last week.

The only upside to facing the Reds tonight is that Jurgen Klopp's men are far from the unstoppable machine they have been in the past, showing plenty of deficiencies that have resulted in their tumultuous year.

Gracia could seek to exploit that, focusing mainly on the struggling Virgil van Dijk to extract some joy.

In front of a raucous Elland Road crowd, who will cheer every offensive action, high press and tough tackle, there are few who embody all three of these characteristics more than Rodrigo, who must return.

Will Rodrigo play vs Liverpool?

Having enjoyed his finest goalscoring season yet in the Premier League, with 11 goals to his name already, this coincides well with the loss of form of the hulking Dutchman.

It seems that since returning from that fateful ACL injury, the 31-year-old has been just slightly off the pace in his defensive interactions. As such, he has endured some questionable high-profile blunders, drawing ridicule.

Jason Cundy even took to talkSPORT to brutally rip into the Champions League winner, claiming: "He has this languished style of run, he seems to try and bide time but doesn't react. I think he has had a good 18 months.

"People compare him to John Terry and Rio Ferdinand but he cannot lace their boots."

That is not to suggest he has been poor this season, as a 7.04 average rating is more than respectable. It just marks a large drop-off from the 7.26 the year earlier, suggesting there are now glaring weaknesses to his game.

This will likely have piqued the interest of Rodrigo, who seeks to add to his already impressive year in front of goal. With a sharp turn of pace and intelligent movement to boot, the £100k-per-week finisher has been inevitable at times this season with his proficiency.

Sky Sports man Aaron McClean had praised the 32-year-old for performance during a key result to secure survival last season. He had noted that the forward was a "livewire", and that kind of quality could be key again today.

If he is to be paired with Patrick Bamford tonight, as Gracia seeks to apply further pressure to their opponent's weak spots, the Spaniard could be key in driving his team forward and spurring on the crowd. Anything more than a loss tonight can be deemed a success, but there'll be a quiet confidence that the hosts can snatch all three points.

Liverpool's thrilling 2-2 draw with rivals Arsenal on Sunday saw misfiring forward Diogo Jota continue his long-running goal drought, with the Portugal international having now gone 32 games without finding the back of the net at club level.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man – who arrived at Anfield on a £41m deal back in the summer of 2020 – had initially been a clinical presence in front of goal for Jurgen Klopp's side, notably scoring 15 Premier League goals last season in the club's push for the title.

While injury has restricted the 26-year-old to just seven starts in the competition this time around, it is still rather concerning that the Porto native has been unable to get off the mark, with supporters likely to be losing patience with the dynamic marksman.

How did Jota perform against Arsenal?

On the face of it, the £140k-per-week dud did make a handful of vital contributions against the Gunners yesterday after teeing up Jordan Henderson in the build-up to Mohamed Salah's first-half effort, having also won a penalty for his side after the break, after cleverly buying a foul off Rob Holding.

While such an impact was 'not bad considering he is still nowhere near his sharpest', as per GOAL's Neil Jones, Jota did little else to truly justify his starting berth, having looked like a player who is 'desperately in need of a goal', according to the Echo's Ian Doyle – who awarded the striker a 5/10 match rating.

Those woes were laid bare by the forward's limited involvement prior to his withdrawal on the hour mark, having recorded just 30 touches in his 60-minute outing – fewer than what teammate Alisson achieved in the sticks (67).

The one-time Molineux hero also lost possession on ten occasions as a marker of his struggles and failed to complete a single dribble, while also failing to offer much in a defensive sense after winning just four of his ten total duels and being dribbled past once.

While Jota's replacement – Darwin Nunez – didn't fare much better after squandering a gilt-edged chance late on, it may be time for the Uruguayan to be unleashed in his place moving forward, with the summer signing having scored 14 goals in all competitions this season.

It has been a particularly difficult run of fixtures after facing Manchester City, Chelsea and the north London outfit in quick succession, although with the Reds now on a run of four league games without a win, changes will seemingly be needed to get the club's European qualification hopes back on track.

If there is to be any potential casualty in the coming games, it should well be that of Jota.