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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has been giving his thoughts ahead of Manchester United hosting Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, saying players keeping their discipline will be key, and Naby Keita should take note.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds legend was delivering his weekly predictions – 1-1 in this case – for the upcoming matches in the English top flight, and he unsurprisingly had plenty to say about the clash at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.

The visitors are looking for a positive result in their battle with Manchester City to win their first-ever Premier League trophy, while the Red Devils are a side reborn under the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent months.

With a big rivalry between the two, Lawrenson issued a warning via the BBC: “They have to deal with the history of the whole Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry, and everything that goes with it, as well as United’s recent revival. The atmosphere at Old Trafford will be white-hot.

“To come away with anything, the Reds will have to keep their heads.

“I know from playing in this fixture myself that the tackles will be flying in, so discipline is vital. No-one can afford to make a stupid lunge at someone early on because they will get sent off for it.”

Who needs to take note?

In one word, Keita.

While teammates Jordan Henderson and James Milner are guilty of losing their heads at times – see their dismissals this season – they both have the experience of playing at Old Trafford and know what they need to do to stay on the pitch.

It isn’t the same with the Guinea international, who will be making first appearance away against United and is still in a transitional period where he is looking to prove that he should be a regular starter in the Liverpool midfield.

He hasn’t picked up a single booking in 19 Premier League outings this season, but he has committed 21 fouls and was also sent off on three occasions for Red Bull Leipzig last term.

When you are a player looking to make an impact on the biggest stage, he could be in danger on Sunday of letting his enthusiasm get the better of him.

Liverpool secured their place in the FA Cup final by beating Manchester City 3-2 at Wembley Stadium this afternoon.

Reds defender Ibrahima Konate opened the scoring for his side with just nine minutes on the clock with a header.

After 17 minutes, Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead before adding another goal just before the half-time whistle.

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City duo Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva then managed to pull a couple of goals back for the Manchester club in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide for Pep Guardiola’s team.

With that result, it’s Liverpool who will be in the final this year to face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace.

Despite the victory, not every player in a Liverpool shirt had a particularly successful day in terms of their individual performance.

One player in Jurgen Klopp’s side that was something of a passenger on this occasion was Mohamed Salah.

With the entire 90 minutes under his belt, the winger only had 38 touches of the ball in total, which was 31 fewer than goalkeeper Alisson Becker managed to have.

Having completed just 15 passes throughout the game, the Egyptian gave possession away for his side 13 times, making him a bit of a liability on the ball.

Off the ball, the attacker ended up losing 78% of the duels he was involved in, as well as being caught offside twice and getting dribbled past on two occasions.

This display ultimately earned Salah an extremely underwhelming overall match rating of just 6.3, making him the joint-lowest rated player that started the game for the Reds, alongside Fabinho.

Having been slammed by Alan Shearer for his “awful” first-half display in the 2-2 draw between the two sides in the Premier League last weekend, the 29-year-old didn’t have much impact once more this time out.

Moving forward, with the Reds now having an FA Cup final ahead of them, as well as a final sprint towards potentially winning the Premier League and Champions League, they will undoubtedly need Salah to start firing if they are to have any chance of securing a famous quadruple.

AND in other news: In talks: Liverpool eye move for “ice cold” £31.5m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s next “star”

Manchester United will appoint a new manager this summer and along with a brand new manager, there is expected to be new signings after the club didn’t make any new additions in the winter transfer window, with news emerging that they are now interested in a popular striker.

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, Manchester United scouts attended the Liverpool vs Benfica clash on Tuesday evening to watch Darwin Nunez, who is attracting interest from a number of clubs.

The report suggests that Arsenal scouts were also in attendance to see the Uruguayan striker score against the Merseyside club in a 3-1 defeat in the Champions League semi-final.

The Telegraph have reported that Manchester United join Newcastle United, West Ham and Atletico Madrid in their pursuit for Nunez, and report that he could cost £60m to sign this summer.

Rashford replacement

There have been many players that have been reported to want out of the Manchester United fold including Marcus Rashford, who has been linked with wanting a move away from his boyhood club this summer, and Nunez could be the perfect replacement.

Although Nunez is better placed as a centre forward like his Uruguayan team-mate Edinson Cavani, the £36m-rated star has been known to be deployed on the left wing but would surely get his opportunities to play in the central role at Manchester United too, something Rashford has not excelled in.

According to Soccerment, when you compare Rashford to the Benfica striker this season, Nunez has scored 21 league goals to the Man United player’s four as well as being more successful in completing aerial duels, crosses, dribbles and shots, so it would be an absolute no brainer to upgrade and sign the 22-year-old this summer.

Nunez, who was hailed “a real handful” by BBC journalist Tom Allnut and as a “special talent”, has a number of potential suitors reported to be lining up to secure his signature this summer, but Manchester United may have a real advantage with the opportunity to work with Cristiano Ronaldo and a new manager next season, and could become an integral part of the team at Old Trafford.

The focus for the Red Devils right now is appointing Ralf Rangnick’s successor, but with a promising outlook and a new era set to start at the club it could be the perfect time to sign a young player like Nunez to take Manchester United back to the glory days that once were.

In other news: Journalist drops big MUFC update from dressing room sources, supporters surely buzzing

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Luka Jovic to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side will go head to head with Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to secure the signing of the Real Madrid centre-forward at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that the 24-year-old himself is desperate to depart the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, while Carlo Ancelotti is also more than willing to part ways with the Serbia international – with the LaLiga side reported to be demanding a €30m (£25m) fee for the striker.

Imagine him & Antonio

Considering West Ham’s rather desperate need for a new centre-forward this summer, with Michail Antonio having been the Premier League side’s only recognised senior striker ever since the sale of Sebastien Haller back in January 2021, it is not difficult to understand why Moyes would be interested in a move for Jovic ahead of the Hammers’ 2022/23 campaign.

While it is true that, following his €60m (£52.4m) move to Madrid back in the summer of 2019, Jovic has struggled to make any real impact at the Bernabeu – featuring for a grand total of just 1487 minutes, the equivalent of 16 and a half matches, over his near three-year spell in Spain – the 24-year-old has nevertheless proven previously just how talented a player he is.

Indeed, over his 32 Bundesliga appearances in his final campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018/19, the £16.2m-rated forward was in devasting form, scoring 17 goals, providing five assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of three shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the player who Mladen Krstajic dubbed a “dangerous” talent average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as his club’s third-best performer in the top flight of German football.

However, it was not only domestically that Jovic impressed that season, as the £152k-per-week hitman was also in deadly form over his 14 Europa League fixtures, bagging ten goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing the Serbian – who Zvezdan Terzic predicted to “explode” back in 2014 – average a SofaScore match rating of 7.26.

As such, should Jovic be able to refind this level of form following a potential switch to West Ham this summer, alongside Antonio, Moyes will have finally formed an extremely dangerous attacking duo at the London Stadium – something that has been a huge issue for the Hammers over the last year and a half.

AND in other news: Moyes could unearth WHU’s next Cottee in 18 y/o “talent” who’s “getting rave reviews”

Leeds United are back on the road again on Monday night with a showdown against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Heading into this clash off the back of a 3-0 win against Watford, Jesse Marsch’s side have the chance to secure another victory and move away from the relegation zone.

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In terms of what the travelling squad could look like for Monday’s match, it seems as though an early clue has been dropped over the possible inclusion of two players in particular.

What’s the news?

In response to the announcement of the Leeds U23 starting XI for their league clash against Manchester City on Friday evening, journalist Phil Hay had this to say about the absence of attacking duo Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.

He said: “Marsch hinted that certain players might be missing tonight ahead of Palace away on Monday. Cresswell and Summerville start but Gelhardt and Greenwood not involved.”

This suggests that rather than be involved with the U23s on Friday, the attacking pair could be in the senior squad to take on the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

Fans will be delighted

Taking into account how Leeds have striker Patrick Bamford out with an injury, having the option to rely on Gelhardt and Greenwood if needed will be the best way forward for Marsch.

Should the young duo find themselves in the squad on Monday, as they were for the win over Watford, this would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans, especially if they manage to get any minutes on the pitch or even grab a goal or assist.

As this is what Greenwood managed to do when he provided the assist for Jack Harrison’s goal at Vicarage Road after replacing Dan James, Marsch could give him a chance to shine once again this time around as he is evidently improving game by game.

Gelhardt, meanwhile, has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign where he’s become a fan favourite in Yorkshire. He has found the back of the net twice and provided three assists in 14 league appearances this season, showing that he is also capable of being an attacking threat for the side.

As a result of their youthful exuberance and newfound importance to Marsch’s charges, supporters will be delighted that they’ll be rested and fully fit to play on Monday evening.

Moving forward, with Leeds needing to rack up as many points as possible to make sure they don’t end up back in the Championship, the 48-year-old could be relying on the young duo for the remaining games of the season.

In other news: 150% hike: Leeds United hit the jackpot on “real technician”, he’s a “proper talent”

West Ham have asked to be kept informed about Divock Origi’s situation at Liverpool as the club plot a late bid, according to a Football Insider source.

The Lowdown: Striker struggles

Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior centre-forward at West Ham. Unsurprisingly, he is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, having netted eight times.

However, due to his vast injury history and the failure to replace Sebastien Haller, fans will no doubt be desperate to see a new name arrive before Monday’s deadline.

As it stands, were the Jamaica international to suffer a serious injury or enter a significant slump in form, it may be the nail in the coffin of any hopes of securing Champions League football.

The Hammers were reportedly pursuing Benfica starlet Darwin Nunez, but this has seemingly been put to bed by Sky Sports’s Transfer Centre, who report that the Portuguese side have rejected the Irons’ bid for the player.

As a result, West Ham have been exploring alternative attacking options.

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The Latest: Irons make contact with Liverpool

According to a West Ham source at Football Insider, the Hammers have their eyes on a late bid and have asked Liverpool to keep them informed about Origi’s situation.

The outlet’s source claims David Moyes ‘is personally overseeing the club’s late search for a forward and Origi is firmly on his radar’.

Liverpool are open to a loan, loan-to-buy and permanent bids for the striker, following the arrival of Luis Diaz from Porto.

Origi has entered the final six months of his contract at Anfield, but there is a 12-month extension clause in his deal.

The Verdict: Origi a solid option

With 103 Premier League appearances under his belt, Origi could prove to be a fantastic choice for Moyes and the club. Despite his limited game-time, the Belgian striker has scored 40 goals for the Reds, many of which have come during the most important of occasions.

This includes two goals in their infamous 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final, which was further topped by scoring the winning goal in the final against Spurs, leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to the club’s sixth UCL trophy.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said that ‘Divock is one of the world’s best finishers’, so it’s not hard to see why Moyes is interested in him. If the club can get this deal over the line before the deadline hits, this could prove to be a fantastic signing for the Hammers.

In other news: Jesse Lingard keen on Hammers move

West Bromwich Albion have had an incredibly busy period behind the scenes since the club were relegated from the Premier League last season.

Having appointed Valerien Ismael as manager and brought in a number of players in the previous summer transfer window, the Baggies got rid of the former Barnsley coach after just seven months in charge.

Now with Steve Bruce at the helm, the Midlands club are currently sitting in 13th place in the league table.

With promotion out of the question, the Baggies will be facing another season in the second division.

Before that, the club have the chance to make some more changes to their squad during the upcoming summer transfer window, which is apparently on Bruce’s mind already.

What’s the word?

Speaking about the window and what sort of business they’ll be looking to do in it, Bruce had this to say on the matter:

“It’s what I’ve done for the past 20-years and I’m quietly confident that we can do it.

“I think they have seen the same players too often maybe. It’s not the players’ fault either. But we need to freshen the whole place up.”

“We are going to work as hard as we can. Not everyone is going to go and let’s be fair we have still got some good players for this division here. But the club needs to be freshened up.”There is a lot that have been here for a long time and I think the supporters want to see some new faces more than anything. And the players that do stay will respond to that. Absolutely they will. You can change the manager or the coach. But there is nothing like a new player, a good player, coming in. Maybe it will be three, four, five, six, maybe.”Great news for Baggies fansTaking what Bruce had to say into account, it seems as though there will be a significant amount of transfer activity going on at the Hawthorns this summer.This should therefore be an exciting bit of news for the Baggies fans and increase their hopes that next season will be much smoother than this current one.One area of the squad that the Midlands club should definitely look to strengthen is their attack given how they’ve only scored 47 goals in 44 league games. However, that will be smoothed out by the return of Daryl Dike after injury; someone that Bruce is surely relishing the opportunity to finally let loose.Combine him with a few new additions in the final third and their chances of promotion next term will look far brighter.Bruce has plenty of experience when it comes to signing players, and this could be vital for West Brom’s hopes of having a successful next campaign if they get their recruitment right.In other news: Bruce could now save WBA millions with £9m-rated “monster”, he’ll be key next season – opinion

Aston Villa are now in talks with Barcelona over a permanent deal for Philippe Coutinho, according to 90Min’s Graeme Bailey. 

The lowdown

In January, Coutinho moved from Catalonia to the Midlands on a short-term loan. Under the agreement, Villa reportedly have the option to buy the Brazilian for £33million at the end of the season.

Coutinho has scored four goals and provided three assists in his first ten appearances in claret and blue.

Only two players – Danny Ings (ten) and Ollie Watkins (eight) – have recorded more goal involvements over the entire season for Villa.

The latest

Bailey wrote on Twitter that ‘Aston Villa [are] in talks’ with Barcelona as they bid to sign Coutinho long-term.

In his attached story, he writes that the player’s form has caught the eye of ‘rival Premier League clubs’ but Villa are ‘optimistic’ that they can overcome any hurdles and win the race.

Those hurdles include Coutinho’s near £500,000-per-week salary (including bonuses) – the 29-year-old apparently knows he’ll have to take a pay cut if he’s to secure a move to Villa Park.

Villa are looking to wrap up a deal in advance of the summer so they can move on to other priorities.

The verdict

Gerrard called Coutinho ‘magical’ during their time together at Liverpool, which lasted two and a half years.

His 54 goals for the Reds included one against Villa in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, though Tim Sherwood’s side did go on to win the game 2-1.

To this day, Gerrard continues to fawn over the attacking midfielder, recently describing him as both a ‘quality footballer’ and ‘a great human being’, so you’d imagine that he’s pushing the club very hard to clinch the deal and see off any competitors.

The 41-year-old will also be well aware that Villa will be an even more attractive proposition for future targets if they have the former Ballon D’Or nominee on their books – players may relish the chance to link up with him.

In other news, Villa have been linked with this audacious free agent swoop.

Aston Villa were particularly busy throughout the recent January transfer window when it came to making changes to their senior squad with some new faces brought in and some current players moved out.

Even though the window has now closed, it seems as though Villa are set to welcome a new face to the Midlands club in their youth ranks.

What’s the news?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Alan Nixon, Villa are “going to sign” 16-year-old Derby County youth striker Omari Kellyman, who Nixon described as being a “real talent” for a fee of around £500k.

As well as securing deals for the likes of Lucas Digne, Calum Chambers, Robin Olsen and Philippe Coutinho to strengthen Steven Gerrard’s side, Villa also brought in 17-year-old defender Kerr Smith from Dundee United to embed him in their U23 side.

Strengthing all areas

This apparent move for Kellyman seems to be in a similar vein as their swoop for Kerr, showing that not only are Villa’s owners interested in making Gerrard’s first-team stronger, but also improving their youth sides and bringing in players that could potentially grow into future senior players.

The Midlands club have become renowned for blooding young talent with Jack Grealish eventually being sold for £100m after coming through the academy and now Jacob Ramsey making his mark at senior level.

According to a report from The Athletic, Kellyman is a “central striker who can also play as a number 10 or second striker. In a talented Derby U16 side, he has arguably been the brightest spark,” which just goes to show how highly coveted he is and why Villa have been quick to bring him to the club.

With that in mind, it seems as though Gerrard will have a really exciting prospect on their hands once they get the youngster through the door at Villa Park.

Moving forward, while first-team opportunities may not be on the horizon for Kellyman just yet, he has plenty of time to get acclimatised to Villa’s youth teams and work his way up from there.

If he does that and gets the chance to show Gerrard what he can do, there’s every possibility that he could one day make it into the first team and make a name for himself in the Premier League in the future, which would be very exciting for the fans to see.

In other news: Forget Targett: Gerrard could unearth AVFC’s new hero with 18 y/o “mini Gareth Barry” – opinion

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an exciting Rangers transfer claim involving Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the story?

The Ibrox side look set to complete the signing of Lechia Gdansk right-back Mateusz Zukowski, and now it appears Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side could also be the destination for Wales international Ramsey according to Romano.

Writing on Twitter on Monday morning, he said: “There’s nothing done yet but Juventus are pushing Aaron Ramsey to find a new club on #DeadlineDay. Rangers could be a possibility, Juventus are prepared to accept. #transfers It depends on Ramsey and personal terms to be discussed, as per @DiMarzio.”

Fans will be buzzing

While Zukowski may be one for the future, Ramsey would certainly be the kind of signing who could have a major impact on this Rangers side for the here and now.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger raved about the Welshman’s ability to get into the box and find himself on the end of moves, saying: “In my head, Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year. He is a Frank Lampard type. He is (about) getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run.

“Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.”

Described as an “outstanding technician”, Ramsey would offer Rangers that much-needed knack of getting into the box at the right times and scoring those poacher-type goals – he’s got 74 career goals to his name thus far.

Ramsey’s the kind of marquee signing that would certainly have Gers fans absolutely ecstatic and send a statement to the rest of the Scottish Premiership that they mean business.

The midfielder’s experience of playing at the highest level, whether that be in the Premier League, Serie A, Champions League or even on international duty with Wales would add a wealth of quality to this Rangers side.

With the Gers firmly in a title battle with arch-rivals Celtic, bringing in someone of Ramsey’s ability could be the kind of game-changer that can help pip their foes to the trophy.

Meanwhile, this Rangers target is now “in Glasgow” to complete his move to Ibrox…