The future of Pepe Reina at Liverpool has come into sharp focus. The Daily Mail says wandering out of his area, when Liverpool were on the cusp of a hard-earned, morale-boosting win at current Premier League champions Manchester City, merely reinforced the resolve at Anfield to find a buyer between now and the end of the season. Word has gone round that a changing of the guard could be imminent, with the search for a long-term replacement well and truly underway.

Interest in England Under 21 keeper Jack Butland cooled long before he joined Stoke from Birmingham on deadline day but Asmir Begovic's likely availability in the summer is under close review. With Manchester United in pole position for the Stoke No 1, though, the net has been cast further afield, with form reports being ordered on Borussia Moenchengladbach's Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Hannover's Ron-Robert Zieler.