Newly promoted, and relegation threatened Ipswich Town might feel pretty intimated about their next match. Going to Anfield is always tough, but when you’re visiting a side with quadruple talk, well that’s another layer of aura to deal with.

Quadruple talk is nothing new to Liverpool, in recent years, as they’ve stayed alive in all four competitions, deep into the campaign, in a couple recent seasons.

 

Liverpool Preview Material:   Team News    Starting 11 Prediction

Premier League Form, Standing:  Liverpool FC  1st, 50 pts, WWDDW   Ipswich Town  18th, 16 pts  LWDLL

The Reds are top of the table in the two big ones. Meanwhile they’re also in the semis of the League Cup and 4th round of the FA Cup. So we’ll just have to wait and see.

But we will have plenty of time to go over all of that later.

Liverpool Starting XI Prediction vs Ipswich Town

Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch; Mo Salah, Dominic Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz; Darwin Nunez

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

Ipswich Town and Monaco are among the clubs eyeing a move for Sheffield United forward Ryan Oné this January.

According to L’Equipe, the 18-year-old is attracting interest from a number of sides ahead of the conclusion of the winter market.

Oné has made 10 appearances for the Blades this season in the Championship, scoring once.

The youngster has a contract with the Yorkshire outfit until the summer of 2029, meaning there is no immediate rush for the club to make a decision over his future.

Oné is attracting interest from both England and abroad ahead of the 3 February transfer deadline.

Ligue 1 giants Monaco are reportedly weighing up a possible move for the Scotland underage international.

Premier League clubs Ipswich have also been mentioned as a potential next destination for Oné, and it is understood the Tractor Boys are close to making an official offer for the player.

RB Salzburg and Juventus are also understood to be interested, although it remains unclear whether a bid will be forthcoming.

It is unclear whether Sheffield United would consider a sale, but the arrival of Tom Cannon has potentially moved Oné further down the pecking order of Chris Wilder’s first team squad.

The Blades are aiming to fight for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.

Sheffield United’s forward options

Cannon has arrived this summer from Leicester City after spending the first half of the campaign on loan with Stoke City.

It was reported earlier this month by Sky Sports that a £10 million deal was agreed between the two clubs.

Wilder also has the likes of Kieffer Moore and Rhian Brewster to call upon to lead the line, with the returning Ben Brereton Diaz also capable of playing through the middle.

Sheffield United are currently second in the Championship table, two points behind leaders Leeds United.

Given the number of options available to Sheffield United, perhaps that could open the door to a move for Oné this month.

Wilder has been playing with just one up front all season, so unless that’s going to change then someone is missing out on playing time with Cannon coming in.

Oné is still young and doesn’t need to be playing every week at this stage of his career, but the chance to move to Monaco or Ipswich could be tempting.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee it would take to convince Sheffield United to cash in, but it could become one to keep an eye on in the closing days of the window.

After the Merseyside derby was called off earlier in the season, the sight of weather warning in Liverpool could start worries for fans once again.

As shared on the Met Office, Liverpool is currently in a yellow weather warning and states: ‘Storm Éowyn will bring a spell of strong winds for a time on Friday.’Slot challenges Darwin Núñez to find consistency

Thankfully, the website shares that on Saturday that there is no warning in place across Merseyside as so our upcoming Premier League game looks set to be on.

We’re lucky with that news though as parts of the city return to a yellow warning on Sunday too, with fortune hopefully being on our side to ensure we can play the next game.

Liverpool’s game with Ipswich looks set to go ahead

We’ve seen concerns with other matches this season, like the one against Southampton, where weather warnings have been in place but the game went ahead.

With wind being the only reason that we have a game in hand over our title rivals, there’s room for concerns it may get worse and a decision may have to be made on the day of the Ipswich match.

However, Arne Slot will be fully focused on trying to ensure that his team is prepared for the visit of the newly promoted side and that we can run out victors.

The conditions may impact our ability to play the long diagonal balls towards Mo Salah or from Trent Alexander-Arnold and encourage a more patient build-up.

Our visitors may try and use it to their advantage too, making it an interesting proposition to prepare for.

 

Christian Walton never expected to be a Premier League goalkeeper.

Had he thought, earlier in his career, that one day he’d be starting against champions Manchester City while wearing an Ipswich Town shirt? “Probably not,” he admitted. “I dreamt about it, but the reality of it, probably not.

“Now we’re here, you’ve got to embrace it and enjoy the moment and the experience.

“We’re going up and challenging ourselves against the best opposition in the world.”

Walton’s journey to this point hasn’t been easy. A product of Plymouth Argyle’s academy, he made the move to Brighton as a youngster, where he struggled for minutes and spent most of his time out on loan.

He helped Town secure promotion from League One up to the Championship in his first full season at the club, but a plantar fascia injury saw him lose his spot in the starting lineup. Now, midway through the club’s first Premier League campaign since 2002, he has it back.

“It took a lot of hard work,” he explained. “Obviously last season was tough for me personally. I spent a lot of time out of the team, so I see that as an opportunity where I was able to reflect on how I was looking as a goalkeeper and ways I wanted to improve.

“I think last year was a big year for me as I wasn’t playing. It just gave me time to improve on other bits.

Walton didn’t start a single league game for Town last season (Image: Ross Halls)

“Taking a step out of the team was probably beneficial in a way. It’s been a lot of hard work and long may it continue.”

Having fallen behind Vaclav Hladky in the pecking order last season, Walton was linked with a move away from Ipswich. The situation looked set to continue when they signed Arijanet Muric from Burnley, leaving the 29-year-old as the clear second choice.

Asked whether he considered pushing for a departure to secure regular football, he replied: “Yeah, maybe a little bit, but not massively.

“I always had full belief that I’d be able to get back in the team here. Even on the back of making transfers in the summer, I always had belief that I was going to play for Ipswich. It’s the club I want to play for.

“To get the first game of the season was nice, then signing a new contract on the back of that. Obviously I’m settled here.

“Last year was a bit of a weird one. I got injured, you know the story, but I always had belief in myself, that I’d get back in the team at some point. It was just about making sure that I was doing the right things.

“To be part of this group in the Premier League, that was something I wanted to be a part of. That was my decision to stay, really.”

A goalkeeper’s career is tough. Walton described last season’s injury like ‘feeling a stone in your shoe’, and the mental side of being out of the team took its toll on him mentally.

Having a life outside of football is vital in such moments. He enjoys gardening and is currently watching Traitors on BBC One. The latter has become a popular source of conversation in the dressing room.

Ultimately, for him, Muric and highly-rated youngster Cieran Slicker – who all make up the goalkeeper’s union at Town – only one can start. Substitutions are incredibly rare.

“That’s the position I picked, I suppose,” Walton chuckled. “I knew it going into it, but it’s tough.

Arijanet Muric was dropped from the starting lineup at the start of 2025 (Image: Ross Halls)

“The goalie union they talk about is really, really crucial, I think. You’re training with them every single day, so you need to have a good relationship with the other goalies and the coach, so that’s important.

“At the same time, I was frustrated that I wasn’t playing and I felt like I should be playing, but then me being like that and working hard in training pushes the person that’s starting every week. I think it has its positive effect all round, really.

“You always put yourself in their shoes. If I was playing, I’d want everyone that’s a part of the goalie group to be supportive of me, so I think it works both ways.

“It’s always about being supportive of your team-mate – any team-mate – whether it’s a defender, a striker, it doesn’t really matter. Making sure you’re there for each other, it’s important. The goalie group is really good here.

“Of course I want to play. The manager picks the team, so it’s his decision, so I was doing everything possible to make sure I was ready for when the time comes – whether it’s an injury, a lack of form, suspension, whatever it is.

“It was just about making sure that I, personally, was in the best position to go and do what I can do, to help the team – for it to almost be an easy transition. When the goalie does change, that it’s not a massive transition so it’s as smooth as possible for the team. I feel like I’ve done that.

“It’s obviously tough for Aro losing his position, but that’s the life of a goalie. I had the same last year. It’s about working hard together.”

Goalkeepers have to be mentally strong. Only a handful earn regular minutes in the Premier League, and Walton was always determined that he could be one of them.

“Having the mindset that I always wanted to be a Premier League goalie was key,” he stated. “I didn’t play last year as I planned to, but it’s obviously a massive step-up.

Many fans and pundits believe that Joao Pedro should have been sent off after colliding with Walton at Portman Road (Image: PA)

“You know that coming into the season. The level of opposition is really good and really high, but the quality we’ve got in our group is Premier League quality.

“It’s been a step-up, but it’s been enjoyable to watch it for the first part. Now playing in it has been really good.”

His impressive save against Chelsea – denying Cole Palmer with an acrobatic stop – certainly stands out as a key memory. On the flip side, getting clattered by Brighton’s Joao Pedro probably doesn’t. Walton was certainly surprised that the Brazilian international wasn’t sent off.

“At the time, I didn’t know what the ref was going to give,” he said. “I knew he’d probably book him.

“VAR looked at it and didn’t think it was enough for a sending off, so as players and as a club, we have to go on that decision. That was the decision that they felt right at the time.

“It’s probably not for me to say it’s a red card or whatever. It was painful, but it was one of those things, it can go either way I suppose.”

Regardless, his journey to the top has been exciting, with plenty of twists and turns. His first Premier League minutes actually came as an Ipswich player against Liverpool on the opening day of the campaign, albeit in unexpected circumstances.

“I was quite excited,” he recalled after being asked about his pre-match nerves. “Being the first game, it was pure excitement. I hadn’t played much last year, so it was one where I had to go out, show the best that I could do and do my best for the team while enjoying it as well.

“It was just a late call on Aro. He was struggling with a knock, so they wanted to leave it as late as possible. The goalie coach called me on my way in. We usually know the day before, but it just depends on what the game is.

Walton started against Liverpool on the opening day of the season (Image: PA)

“It was just excitement, probably playing in the club’s biggest game in the last 22 years. To be part of that team was really special. Obviously there were a lot of players in that team who played in League One.

“To step out there against Liverpool was a really special moment, both for us as players and everyone at the football club.”

Town will meet Liverpool again this weekend, with the two teams clashing at Anfield as the Reds chase the league title. For Walton, there aren’t many better sides when it comes to attacking.

“Them, Man City, Chelsea – they have top attacking lines,” he argued. “Throughout the whole 20 teams in the league.

“Liverpool are in a rich vein of form at the minute and are doing very well. They want to be champions this year. It’s going to be a tough test, but one we’re looking forward to.

“We have to do the things we do well, starting the game with real intensity is going to be important. Knowing our game plan and sticking to that as much as possible.

“They are obviously a great team with some outstanding players, so we know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s a challenge that we’ve got to look forward to and really stick to our game plan.”

Town and Middlesbrough have agreed a fee for the permanent transfer of central defender George Edmundson, who is set to join the Championship side on a two-and-a-half-year deal, TWTD understands.

As previously reported, the 27-year-old was the subject of two failed bids from Boro, where he has been on loan since August with the Blues activating a recall clause earlier in the week.

The two parties continued discussions, however, and a deal has been agreed with the Blues set to receive an initial fee of around £500,000 plus top-ups, some shorter term, some based on Boro being promoted.

We understand Edmundson has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Teessiders, who are managed by Blues boss Kieran McKenna’s close friend Michael Carrick. His signing looks set to be confirmed on Friday.

Edmundson was out of contract with Town at the end of the season when he would have been able to leave on a free transfer. As he had played for both the Blues and Boro this season, he could only have moved to the Riverside during this window.

The ex-Oldham defender joined Town for around £1 million from Rangers in the summer of 2021, signing a four-year deal.

In total, he made 71 starts and four sub appearances while at Portman Road, scoring once, and was a member of the squad which won back-to-back promotions.

 

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Ipswich Town have also made an offer to sign an international defender after their move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Julio Enciso.

The Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna have been busy so far in the January transfer window, with a number of new faces arriving at Portman Road.

First to sign was centre-back Ben Godfrey who joined on loan from Atalanta, and Jaden Philogene quickly followed him through the door, signing permanently from Aston Villa.

Imagine him & Delap: Ipswich set sights on signing their own Anthony Gordon

Talking about more signings, McKenna said last week: “We’ll try to, if we can find quality that can improve us. I think our depth is pretty good now. “If we can get everybody back fit, our depth is fine.

“But if we can add quality that can help the starting eleven, or quality that can help from the bench, then we’ll certainly aim to try and do so – but only if the right players are available that can really push us on.”

Now, another loan deal has been secured for Brighton attacking midfielder Enciso. There is no option to buy the Seagulls gem at the end of the season, but he could prove to be a shrewd signing, especially as Manchester United reportedly made a late attempt to sign him over Ipswich.

There were reports that McKenna and Ipswich could make up to five signings this month, and with a centre-back, winger and attacking midfielder landed, attention has seemingly turned to a new full-back.

Ipswich Town make offer for Elias Jelert

According to reports in Turkey, relayed by Sport Witness, Ipswich Town have made an offer for Galatasaray defender Elias Jelert. The 21-year-old can leave his current employers for the right price, with Galatasaray looking to recoup the €9m (£7.6m) they paid for Jelert just last summer.

However, Ipswich’s offer seems to be below that figure, with the report stating: “If the red-yellows are willing to lose money on the Danish player they invested €9m in, this transfer will happen.”

However, it is Ipswich who have seemingly made the first move, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig waxing lyrical over Jelert back in 2023, describing him as a “complete full-back”.

Primarily a right-back, Jelert can also play as a left-back or a right midfielder so he should offer plenty of versatility to McKenna’s side, should he join.

He has made 25 appearances in all competitions for Galatasaray, however, only six of those have come as a starter. It looks as if it will be one to keep a close eye on before the deadline, with Jelert potentially rivalling the likes of Leif Davis, Conor Townsend, Ben Johnson and Harry Clarke at full-back.