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Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to a photo of Steven Gerrard at Liverpool’s training centre as the Gers continue their pre-season plans.

The Light Blues are preparing for the 2021/22 campaign as they aim to build on the success of the previous term, when they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years, which means they are partaking in the Champions League qualifiers. They started their pre-season programme with a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle and will next face Tranmere.

That clash with the Liverpool-based club will be away from home, meaning the Gers have travelled down to Merseyside. It appears that Liverpool have allowed Gerrard, who is an Anfield legend, to use their training centre for his Rangers side ahead of their next warm-up clash.

A photo of Gerrard at the training ground was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Scottish champions’ supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with some jokingly fearing that he may ultimately be tempted to return to his former club.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the photo of Gerrard

“Iconic”

Credit: @GraemeCairns

“Dunno what’s more sexy.. that zipper top ..or the man in it”

Credit: @Annie_bear1872

“You love to see it”

Credit: @L3ewis21A

“I just pray we keep the badge on his top for as long as possible before he moves on til the one behind him!”

Credit: @eddie_cotter

“Don’t be getting any ideas Stevie”

Credit: @_ScottCairns_

“This pic gives me the fear.”

Credit: @xxxFisherxxx

In other news, this man has revealed that he snubbed a move to Rangers

A Newcastle United transfer claim has been made regarding their business in the window in the coming days…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has dropped an exciting update which promises a huge week for those associated with the Magpies.

He tweeted: “Expecting transfer breakthroughs at #nufc this week. Been fairly amused by some of the names mentioned in certain places recently, however there are players under serious discussion that haven’t been mentioned anywhere yet.”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will be delighted with this update as it suggests that they are in for an exciting week of action in the transfer market.

The Magpies are in a desperate situation in the Premier League and new additions could be vital to their efforts to remain in the top flight. They are 19 games into the season and have mustered a measly 11 points, just one more than bottom-placed Norwich, with a mere one win to their name so far.

Dean Smith’s Canaries are also the only team who have conceded as many goals as the Toon (42) in the league, highlighting their fragility at the back. Eddie Howe’s side have conceded far too many goals, during his tenure as well as under Steve Bruce and Graeme Jones, and that could need to be addressed this month.

Their struggles on the pitch over the course of the first 19 games suggest that the current playing squad is not good enough to save their top-flight status. The lowest points tally to secure Premier League survival in the competition’s history has been 33 and the Magpies are currently on course to end with 22, falling well short of what is required to remain in the division.

This is why strengthening the squad with new signings this month could be crucial to Howe’s chances of avoiding the drop. Therefore, fans will be delighted that the club are expecting ‘breakthroughs’ in negotiations in the coming days, for it suggests that players will be coming in to bolster the squad as soon as possible.

Supporters will surely not want any deals dragging out until late in the month, particularly near deadline day, and they will be buzzing to see some business being done early. It means that they may be able to relax during the latter stages of the month instead of watching the club rush around and potentially make panic buys which do not make sense from a footballing or financial point of view.

AND in other news, “I am told…” – Journalist drops big Newcastle transfer claim which will deflate Toon fans…

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst could be on his way to having a very busy summer at Ibrox if he fails to win the title.

Failure to secure the league title would suggest that the squad is not in the right place to dominate Scottish football, and this could lead to off-season surgery being performed by the Dutch head coach and Ross Wilson.

We published an article explaining why Borna Barisic is one player who should be sold in the summer. The Croatia international has attracted interest from the Premier League and is said to be worth £5m, which suggests that Wilson may be able to rake in a respectable amount of money for him at the end of the season.

This would add £5m to the club coffers and save £18k-per-week in wages, but it would leave Van Bronckhorst without any left-back competition for Calvin Bassey.

However, instead of forcing Wilson to enter the transfer market to sign a defender to bolster the squad, the Dutchman can save millions by unleashing one of the players in the academy – Kevin Ciubotaru.

The 18-year-old Romanian joined the club earlier this year and has already played for his country at multiple youth levels.

Speaking about himself, Ciubotaru said: “I think my qualities are speed, dribbling and stamina. I style myself like Theo Hernandez from Milan, although I have a lot of work to do with my right foot. I still have a lot to learn of course.”

This is some comparison from the youngster, as Hernandez has been in phenomenal form in Serie A this season for the Rossoneri. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.22 and produced 10 goal contributions in 25 appearances, which shows that he has been consistently delivering top-class performances.

If Ciubotaru can get even close to that level, he will be a fantastic player for Rangers in the future, whilst he will also be exciting to watch for the supporters as he attempts to burst forward in attack to create goals.

The full-back previously described himself as a “robot” in the way he focuses solely on football to improve himself as a player. This suggests that he has the mentality required to make it at the top level, as he is not allowing himself to be distracted by anything else and is driven to achieve his goals.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst must offer him a chance to show that he can make the step up to the senior team. If the 18-year-old can make that leap, he will save Wilson millions in the transfer market with any money they can make from the sale of Barisic.

AND in other news, Was £2.7m, went to £162m: Rangers fumbled deal for “alien” who’s the “god of football”…

According to a report in the print edition of the Sunday Mirror, a shock West Ham transfer update has emerged involving Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: Moyes in forward hunt…

Irons boss David Moyes has set his sights on improving West Ham in January as they become linked to many new attacking additions.

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Antonin Barak, Jesse Lingard and Adam Hlozek have been mentioned most recently with West Ham now having to compete in Europe as well as on the domestic front.

The Evening Standard claim West Ham will be backed to bring in a new striker, top centre-half and potentially Lingard but it’s the Mirror who have now come out with, what perhaps is, the news of the day.

The Latest: West Ham ‘leading chase’ for Hazard…

As per their information, West Ham and Everton are ‘leading the chase’ for Hazard as he gets told to pack his bags and leave in January.

Real are desperate to get his £416,000-per-week wages off the books, so much so they are willing to accept half of their original £43 million asking price for the player.

Indeed, if any club can convince him to join on loan in January with an obligation to buy later, they will accept a final fee of £21m.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Signing Hazard for just £21m would have been unthinkable a few seasons ago, with West Ham legend Tony Cottee dubbing him ‘unplayable’ back in 2018 (Sky Sports).

However, after a spell of injury woes and failing to rekindle his previous Premier League form (The Mirror), the Belgium international is now in a totally different spot.

So much so, we believe West Ham are actually better placed looking elsewhere, especially considering the 30-year-old winger has been accused of laziness and a bad attitude in training by former teammates (John Obi Mikel to beIN Sports via Sky).

The last thing Moyes needs is a player of this nature disrupting the harmony of his squad, no matter his obvious quality in past seasons.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham now in pole position to sign ‘world class’ striker, find out more here.

Leeds United are nine points clear of the bottom three and can now start to plan for life in the top-flight for another season, barring a late collapse.

Jesse Marsch will be making key decisions over what he wants to do in the transfer market and will surely be looking at the current weak points in his side.

One player who may find himself on his way out of the team is central midfielder Mateusz Klich as he has struggled in the middle of the park.

The Poland international has averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.69 across 22 starts, losing 59% of his duels and making 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game. These statistics show that he has been below par this term as he has been unable to perform to a high level on a consistent basis.

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Marsch will have the opportunity to finally replace him in the summer and he can do just that by securing a deal to sign Josh Cullen.

Leeds are reportedly interested in a swoop for the ex-West Ham battler and he has the potential to be an excellent replacement for Klich.

His former manager Lee Bowyer previously lauded his performances, saying: “Every single game he’s outstanding, very rarely does he do anything wrong.

“Again he protected the back four so well in the middle of the park. Josh doesn’t really give the ball away. He tidies things up, he breaks things up well. He was outstanding.”

Although he was speaking about his displays for Charlton, these comments are also an apt way to describe his form for Anderlecht. In the Belgian Pro League, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.22 as he has won 60% of his duels and made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game.

This shows that he can be an improvement on Klich in the midfield as he is stronger in his individual battles and has been able to perform to a higher level on a consistent basis.

Although, it is impossible to say whether or not he will be able to adapt to playing in the Premier League, which is one question mark that can be put on the move.

Cullen has, however, shown that he can perform at an international level, with his former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy commenting: 

“He’s technically very good and a tough little sod. He puts his foot in and stands his ground. You wouldn’t think he’s a little fella that gets knocked around. He handles the ball particularly well. He’s got good legs and gets around the pitch.”

It is now down to Victor Orta and Marsch to work together to bring Cullen to Elland Road in the summer to see if he can replicate his dominant midfield displays for Anderlecht in the English top-flight next term.

AND in other news, “Really significant”: Insider drops huge Leeds claim that’ll get supporters bouncing… 

Journalist George Caulkin has dropped a major update, regarding Newcastle’s pursuit of a new manager.

What’s the talk?

The Athletic reporter has claimed that PIF will not be appointing Portuguese head coach Paulo Fonseca to replace Steve Bruce at St. James’ Park.

A recent report stated that Newcastle were set to offer him a contract after he impressed in an interview with the club, but Caulkin has made it clear that he will not be in the dugout on Tyneside anytime soon.

He told the Pod on the Tyne podcast for The Athletic:

“I have been told that it won’t be Fonseca; I’ve been told that now, a couple of times, but I’m not saying that as a definitive thing.”

Buzzing

Newcastle fans could leave fans buzzing as it appears to increase the chances of the club sealing a deal for Ajax manager Erik ten Hag. The previous report made it seem as though Fonseca was the favourite for the role, with the club willing to offer him a deal.

However, Caulkin’s claim leaves the rumour pretty much dead in the water.

It does not get much clearer than ‘it won’t be Fonseca’ and this leaves Newcastle fans to get excited about who it could be instead.

The Portuguese head coach has an impressive C.V and PIF ultimately opting against a swoop for his services could hint at the standard of manager they believe they can attract.

Fonseca won 1.77 points per game with Roma in the Serie A during a two-year spell with the Italian giants and won three league titles in three years at Shakhtar Donetsk prior to his spell in Italy.

This suggests that he can handle the pressure of expectation at tops clubs, with impressive results on the whole for Shakhtar and Roma.

The club have been linked with a move for Ajax manager ten Hag and this update on Fonseca could play into the reports that the Magpies are keen on the Dutchman, which fans will be delighted with.

He has won two Eredivisie titles with Ajax and reached the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final, despite selling the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Hakim Ziyech and Donny van de Beek along the way.

Ten Hag has won 2.15 points per game across 204 Eredivisie matches in charge of Utrecht and Ajax and his proven track record of success under difficult circumstances shows that he could be a great appointment. This is why Newcastle fans could be buzzing with this update from Caulkin, as it leaves the door ajar for the Dutchman to walk through.

AND in other news, Bruce’s legacy: “Immense” NUFC dynamo has seen his value plummet £9.9m in two years…

A number of Aston Villa supporters have criticised Ollie Watkins’ ineffective performance against Arsenal in his side’s 3-1 defeat on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side produced a lifeless showing at the Emirates, as they were deservedly beaten by the Gunners.

Thomas Partey gave Mikel Arteta’s men the lead and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty on the stroke of half-time doubled the hosts’ advantage.

The game was effectively ended as a contest when Emile Smith Rowe added a third in the second half, and while Jacob Ramsey scored a wonderful consolation, there was very little to celebrate from a Villa perspective.

One player who really struggled all evening was Watkins, with the striker failing to complete a dribble or play a single key pass during the game, making 14 fewer successful passes than his own goalkeeper, Emi Martinez.

Villa fans lambast Watkins display

The 25-year-old’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by these Villa fans on Twitter, who took to the social media platform to lay into him.

“Watkins is doing nothing. AGAIN!”

Credit: @razorrudd

“Tyrone is slow, sloppy and arrogant. The same system doesn’t work against every opponent. Our midfield looks tired and out of ideas. Watkins is bang out of form. We have a very good squad but absolutely no identity”

Credit: @JosephBrimson

“Wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Watkins for the right price tbh”

Credit: @avfcdvd

“Watkins’ work rate has dropped off massively and you take that from his game you are left with a distinctly average player”

Credit: @dicktonksy

“Watkins looks defeated this season. Buendia must be better than what we’ve seen, right? With the personnel in the squad it’s blindingly obvious that there is only space for 1 striker in Villa’s best team. Worrying how Villa now ship goals like 19/20 when 20/21 they were “

Credit: @BannisterMonty

“Watkins. Where is our Ollie? Totally lost this season. Bailey. Changes the game for us. Ramsey. Energy. Buendia. Struggled this evening. Axel. Doesn’t work in a back 3. Targett. Poor & left flanks empty. Smith. Caught out and stubborn. Needs to improve. Quick.”

Credit: @amc89avfc

In other news, another Villa player’s performance against Arsenal was also criticised. Find out who it is here.

Glen Kamara has refused to commit his future to Glasgow Rangers while on international duty with Finland, saying he will wait and see what happens in regards to a new deal.

The Lowdown: Kamara future unsure

£5.4m-valued Kamara (Transfermarkt) was the subject of plenty of interest from the Premier League during the summer transfer window, including from former club Arsenal (Football Insider).

However, he remained at Ibrox in the end, although he has now provided an insight into his thinking.

The Latest: Kamara refuses to commit future

Speaking while away with Finland, Kamara did not close any doors in regards to what could happen. He said (via Ibrox News):

“From what I know, there has been some interest from different teams in different leagues.

“If something had happened, then it would have happened. But it didn’t happen, and the focus is on Rangers, which is something I look forward to.

“There have been, talks and they have been ongoing. We will see what happens. I can’t really tell you much, and I can’t really say more about that.

“Let’s see what happens.”

The Verdict: Worrying for Gers

We are approaching an important moment in the career of Kamara at Rangers. At the end of this campaign, he will have just one year left on his contract with the 55-time Scottish champions (Transfermarkt) – it is time to decide whether to sign a new deal or seek pastures new.

After impressing both with the Gers last term as they won the Premiership for the first time in ten years and with Finland during Euro 2020, Kamara has made himself an attractive proposition for a number of clubs. There is only so much he can achieve north of the border, and he may well be weighing his options as he deliberates a new deal.

In other news, Rangers fans reacted to this latest Heart and Hand twist.

Craig Hope has now revealed five players that Newcastle United are targeting ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Bodies needed

As the St. James’ Park faithful are currently lurking in the relegation zone, it is clear that reinforcements are needed next month in order to give them the best possible chance of surviving.

Survival means everything to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, as they can then kickstart their long-term project in the summer, and thus be able to attract bigger names to the North East given that they would still be playing in the top flight.

The Latest: Five targets

As per Hope, Lloyd Kelly, a player Eddie Howe signed back in 2019, as well as central defenders Matthias Ginter, Joe Rodon and Sven Botman, are among the Tyneside outfit’s January targets.

The Daily Mail journalist is ‘also told’ that Mohamed Elneny is an option in the middle of the park for the new owners.

The Verdict: Kelly, Elneny plus one centre-back

Kelly is of course a player that Howe knows well – in a 2019/20 season plagued by injuries, he started eight out of the nine games that he was available under the manager (Transfermarkt).

A player that Howe has a lot of admiration for, he would certainly know how to get the best out of Kelly, providing that he can stay free of injury.

Elneny offers a lot of Premier League 30 goals so far in the top flight, the second-most out of any team.

Rodon offers that Premier League Botman have played at the highest level in the UEFA Champions League.

Nonetheless, bringing at least three of those players in would certainly help bolster up the squad, and give them the best possible chance of avoiding the drop.

In other news, find out which former Magpies NUFC are eyeing in a shock transfer here!

Leicester City have received a potentially significant boost ahead of the upcoming campaign, with key midfielder James Maddison appearing more likely to remain at the club.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 24-year-old has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Arsenal over the summer, but a recent report from The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath claims that the capital club are more likely to sign Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard.

“They are also still interested in Martin Odegaard, who excelled on loan from Real Madrid last season, and their pursuit of the Norwegian could go into the final days of the window,” McGrath wrote.

“Odegaard is a more likely option than Leicester City’s James Maddison, who has also been of interest.”

Leicester City fans will be buzzing

News that the Gunners have reportedly turned their attention to Odegaard will leave Leicester supporters buzzing.

Maddison has established himself as a key figure for the Foxes since arriving at the King Power Stadium back in 2018, scoring 27 goals and providing 20 assists in 119 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ charges, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield along the way.

It is a measure of his importance to the team that he was their highest-ranked player on WhoScored for their Europa League run last season, as well as their second-highest during the 2019/20 Premier League.

His impressive performances for the Midlands club over the last three years attracted the attention of the Arsenal hierarchy, who offered an ambitious player-plus-cash deal for his services.

The capital club made Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles available for Leicester after baulking at their £60m asking price for Maddison, but Rodgers and director of football Jon Rudkin weren’t interested.

With Leicester in an extremely healthy position due to Maddison’s current contract not expiring until the summer of 2024, Arsenal appear to have moved on to a cheaper alternative to the Englishman, allowing Foxes fans to breathe a sigh of relief.

Rodgers will now be hoping that the 24-year-old can return to top form and fire the club to a top-four finish next May, something which has cruelly evaded them since the Northern Irishman’s arrival from Celtic two-and-a-half years ago.

In other news… Leicester agree deal for “outstanding” £60k-p/w beast, Rodgers will be over the moon