Napoli midfielder Dries Mertens is said to be frustrated at his club and has delayed renewing his contract with the Serie A team, opening the door for Liverpool. 

Calciomercato claim Partenopei manager Maurizio Sarri has upset the apple cart in Naples, with Mertens feeling he “doesn’t want to be a third wheel anymore,” and “wants a bigger role.”

Liverpool were recently linked with a move for the Belgium international, but the claims were quickly denied by the player’s representatives. 

Mertens’ agent Soren Lerby spoke to FCInterNews (h/t Mirror‘s James Whaling), and he said his client will not complete a move away from Napoli this January: “I have heard these rumours but there is absolutely nothing concrete. We are not talking about these rumours. Dries is not leaving Napoli in January.”

However, news of the player’s contract delay will enthuse Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, as he runs the rule over the former PSV Eindhoven operator. 

Inter Milan are also interested in Mertens’ services, as are a number of Premier League clubs, per Calciomercato.

Mertens has in the past had success as a No. 10, but Belgian football expert John Chapman suggested the player’s optimal position is out wide:

The attacker can play across the midfield and will fulfil different functions within a team.

The 28-year-old has been in fine fettle in front of goal this season, scoring six times in 14 appearances in Serie A and Europe, according to WhoScored.com.

However, Mertens has started from the bench during eight of his appearances in the Italian league. 

Here is video of the player’s recent best moments in a Napoli shirt:

In other news, Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland is “attracting attention” from Liverpool and Manchester United, as the England international proves to be one of Europe’s burgeoning talents.

Former Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen told Omnisport (h/t FourFourTwo) he is “unsure” if Butland is prepared or ready to leave the Potters:

It’s hard to judge [if Butland will join a bigger club].

I talked to him a couple of years ago when he joined Stoke. He was third choice and very frustrated.

He is young and eager and wanted to play. I told him to wait your time, work hard, which he has done and he is now reaping the benefits.

It was the right thing. He went and got some experience at Championship clubs and waited his time. He has been tremendous for them this season.

Butland has arguably been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, and his displays have matched the likes of David De Gea and Co. 

He is in line to become England’s first choice in the years ahead, and possesses a credible threat to Joe Hart’s status as No. 1. 

However, current goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has been described by Klopp as “one of the smartest keepers I’ve ever had,” as quoted by the Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce. 

Mignolet’s form will dictate if the Reds search for a new entity between the sticks for next season, but Klopp is sure to keep his eye on Butland and his outstanding development as it continues.

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Chelsea have been named as one of a clutch of clubs reportedly chasing Monaco’s midfield starlet, Bernardo Silva, although he could cost a whopping £21.7 million in the January transfer window.

According to Tuttosport (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness), the Blues, Juventus and Inter Milan are all keeping an eye on the Portugal international. The 21-year-old has been superb since signing for Monaco and is rated as one of the finest young playmakers in the game. However, it’s claimed there’s a €30 million (£21.7 million) valuation of the youngster.

There’s definitely an argument to suggest Silva would be worth that kind of money, though. Here’s a look at the kind of talent the young man possesses:

Anyone who tuned into the European Under-21 Championships during the summer will recall just how impressive a player Silva is. He has an understanding of the game that belies his tender years, is technically tremendous and can fulfill a variety of different tactical roles in the team, whether playing centrally or floating in from the flanks.

As WhoScored.com showcase here, during that competition, he was devastating with the ball at his feet:

Chelsea could certainly do with a player who would add that kind of guile to their forward forays. At the moment, Jose Mourinho’s side are looking blunt up top, with Diego Costa ponderous and the players who supplied the bullets so frequently last season completely out of sync with him.

Indeed, even Eden Hazard, Chelsea’s standout performer in a wonderful 2014-15 campaign, has been badly out of form. Squawka Football illustrates just how poor the Belgian has been lately when compared to his usual high standards:

Even so, spending big to bring in Silva wouldn’t be the answer for the Blues midseason. The Portuguese would surely jump at the chance to play for an established elite side like Chelsea and under the tutelage of his compatriot, Mourinho. But after some patchy showings in Ligue 1 so far this term, it’s clear he’s still rough around the edges.

The Premier League would be far too steep of a learning curve for Silva to come in and make the immediate impact Chelsea require at this point. Nonetheless, in the future, he’s definitely a player to keep a close eye on.

Chinese Super League Want John Terry

According to Sami Mokbel of the Mail Online, John Terry is a target for Chinese Super League teams, as the division seeks to grow its brand. Mokbel writes Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is the league’s primary aim, citing a potential £75 million deal from Shanghai SIPG. However, their interest in the Chelsea captain is also noted.

Terry, who has been in and out of the Blues team this season, could sign for a new club as early as January, with his contract to expire at Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign.

It’d be a big blow for Chelsea if they were to lose their captain, even if he is now 35 years old. As noted by the Premier League Twitter feed, he’s long been a brilliant player for the Blues:

It’s his influence around the club that will be tough to replicate, too. Terry has been at the heart of many successful Chelsea teams and knows exactly what it means to don the all-blue strip. Should he leave, players with a connection to the supporters and emotive ties to the club, like he has, will be scarce.

That’s something every team needs if they’re to be a success over time. As we can see here courtesy of OptaJoe, Chelsea are lacking in English players, which will be a worry for some supporters:

However, from Terry’s perspective, it’d be wise to consider options. While he may not be able to play at the elite level for much longer, should he move abroad to a league like the CSL or Major League Soccer in the United States, he could still be a useful player. He’d get paid handsomely for it, too.

Chelsea would be wise to keep the defender on board in some capacity. Mourinho’s side is lacking in leaders beyond their current figurehead. And with no new candidates for the captaincy emerging this season, another year around the club would be preferable. Doing so would make the transition easier once Terry does eventually decide to call it a day with the Blues.

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Chelsea are set to face significant competition from Manchester United this summer in the race to sign John Stones, as the Red Devils are reportedly preparing to break the bank to land the Everton defender.

According to the Independent‘s Mark Ogden, United are ready to offer £50 million for the centre-back—a world-record fee for a defender—and with Chelsea struggling, believe they are in the driving seat to prise him away from Goodison Park.

The news of their determination to get their man will come as a serious blow to Chelsea, who sorely need defensive reinforcement to help them get back to their best.

Their back line is still capable of producing impressive performances, per Squawka Football:

However, such displays have been the exception rather than the rule in this campaign, and the results are there for all to see:

Indeed, the Blues have conceded 24 goals in 15 Premier League games and have already lost eight games—just one fewer than Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City’s combined total of nine.

Stones would be an exceptional candidate to revamp their back line.

BBC Sport’s Ryan Evans believes the 21-year-old should be a key fixture for England:

The Times‘ Henry Winter noted his comfort on the ball:

Indeed, his composure in possession is more reminiscent of a continental defender than an English player, but the youngster is also capable of using his physicality well, having won 55 percent of his tackles and 58 percent of his headed duels in the Premier League, according to Squawka.

United have slightly less need for Stones having been solid at the back this season with just 10 goals conceded in the league.

However, as Ogden also noted, Stones’ capture would fit in with United’s wider pattern of recruiting top young talent—including the likes of Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay and Luke Shaw—to prepare for the future and long-term success.

Further, they’d be remiss not to pursue one of the brightest young stars in English and indeed European football when they have a realistic chance of acquiring him, and Stones would make an excellent candidate to partner Chris Smalling.

Chelsea’s crisis isn’t likely to last more than one season, though, so even if they miss out on the Champions League next year it’s not likely to have a large impact on Stones’ decision when he’s inevitably offered long-term deals by both clubs.

The Blues have been dealt a further blow in the transfer market as they seek to capture Boca Juniors forward Jonathan Calleri in January.

According to David Amoyal, translator for Gianlucadimarzio.com, Inter Milan and Bologna will “collaborate” to sign the 22-year-old, while Chelsea are “having issues getting the work permit” and don’t “seem able to close the deal.”

The striker, who bagged 21 goals and 11 assists in 2015, is one of the hottest properties in South America and could be the answer to the Blues’ other problem area—up front. 

However, it seems Chelsea could be set to miss out on the promising youngster, so they would be wise to line up other targets in case they’re unsuccessful in landing Calleri.

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Arsenal could face stiff competition in the race for Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi next summer, as Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offer €40 million for the striker.

That’s according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), with Football Italia noting the Gunners and rivals Chelsea have also been linked with the 22-year-old.

The Inter captain has been one of the few highlights at the San Siro in recent years and last season bagged 27 goals and nine assists in all competitions.

Though he hasn’t been able to replicate the same form so far in this campaign with four goals and an assist in 12 appearances, Italian football expert Adam Digby believes the forward remains a potent hitman:

Arsenal could use another forward to share the workload up front for the Gunners, as beyond Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, they have few reliable options—Theo Walcott can be prolific but can’t be relied upon due to injury, Danny Welbeck isn’t nearly clinical enough and Joel Campbell, though encouraging, is not yet scoring regularly.

Likewise, with Sergio Aguero often out injured, City are frequently forced to rely on the hit-and-miss Wilfried Bony and teenager Kelechi Iheanacho, so another striker would be useful.

Gazzetta‘s report (h/t Football Italia) indicates Icardi is hopeful of staying with the Serie A side, and the club are likely to try to hold onto their best players as they seek to rebuild and return to their position among Europe’s elite.

However, it also reports that to recruit further talent to aid their project, Inter may equally be forced to raise the cash through sales, so Icardi’s position at the club may not be quite so secure.

The Argentinian could well be subject to a bidding war in the future, and he is an exceptional talent—if Arsenal are hoping to lure him to the Emirates Stadium, they’ll need to be prepared to spend big.

Returning to north London could be on the cards for on-loan goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, as according to the Mirror‘s Ed Malyon, temporary club Roma are pursuing a January deal for Paris Saint-Germain stopper Salvatore Sirigu, and as a result, the Pole’s spell in the Italian capital may be cut short.

The 25-year-old has kept just three clean sheets in his 17 appearances for the Giallorossi this season and recently came under fire after being caught smoking—something he was fined for at Arsenal last season.

However, one of his clean sheets was the 0-0 draw with BATE Borisov in the final match of the UEFA Champions League group stage, which saw Roma progress to the next round.

As football writer Conor Kelly notes, Szczesny played a key role in the result with a magnificent save:

Nevertheless, Sirigu is an upgrade on him, and Roma would be wise to recruit defensively if they’re to avoid humiliation in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

With Petr Cech and David Ospina firmly ahead of him in the pecking order at Arsenal, Szczesny no longer has a future at the club, so if he does return to north London in January, he’s likely to be loaned out again or sold if the club can find a suitor.

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Brazilian World Cup winner Lucio has urged Philippe Coutinho to forego any potential move to Barcelona and remain at Liverpool if he wants to become one of the best players in the world.

Coutinho has been a key part of Liverpool’s resurgence under manager Jurgen Klopp, but people have previously linked him with a move away from Anfield to Barca, per Spanish outlet Sport (via MailOnline’s Nicholas Godden).

Lucio, who played alongside Coutinho at Inter Milan between 2009 and 2012, believes Liverpool is the ideal place for the 23-year-old to develop, per Sky Sports:

I am very happy that he is having success at Liverpool. There is potential to be the best player in the world, of that there is no doubt. But it will depend on what happens around him. He is only going to get better.

[…]

I think that is a personal decision for him [Barca move], but Barcelona have a lot of great players, but that can put a shade [sic] on his play. Liverpool is the right place for him to become the best. He has his space, and can play where he wants.

Coutinho was absent for the Reds’ recent 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League, and they sorely missed him, per former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann:

The Brazilian is arguably Klopp‘s most important player, and his influence on Liverpool’s creativity is huge.

Lucio is correct in saying that Coutinho would be far less prominent if he were to move to Barca, not least because of the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Any potential move to Barca would undoubtedly attract him, given how competitive they are at the top of the European game.

But Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe believes Klopp‘s arrival has made Liverpool genuine Premier League title contenders once again:

Even if the Reds do not win the title this season, if they can make a genuine tilt for the top four and display a marked improvement, they are much more likely to be able to keep hold of the vital Coutinho.

Elsewhere, Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged the club to keep faith with striker Daniel Sturridge despite his persistent injury issues.

The team recently ruled the Englishman out of action again for 10 days, per MailOnline’s Dominic King.

Fitness worries have consistently plagued the 26-year-old, and he has reportedly spent more than half of his Liverpool career absent through either illness or injury, per the Telegraph‘s Alistair Tweedale.

As a result, Hamann recently suggested the Reds cut their losses on Sturridge, but Barnes has urged Liverpool to keep the faith, per Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (via talkSPORT’s Joe Moore):

He’s one of our very important players and we need him. He, along with Coutinho, gives us that little bit of extra class. As to what the solution is, whether you give him four months off to get everything right… I just don’t know. But because of his quality I don’t think it’s necessarily time to cut our losses with Sturridge. He’s obviously still a great player and we need to keep our quality players at the club.

When he is available, Sturridge is fantastic, and it would be wasteful to get rid of him any time soon.

But should he not be able to prove his long-term fitness in the future, the Reds may yet show him the door at Anfield.

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