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Rangers winger Glenn Middleton is expected to leave the Ibrox this summer after a series of loan spells, according to Football Scotland (via Ibrox News).

The Lowdown: Middleton’s Rangers career

The Scotland under-21 international made his senior debut for the Gers under former boss Steven Gerrard back in 2018, with an expectation that the club had a talented teenager on their books.

The 22-year-old went on to impress that season after a number of promising cameos, leading him to sign a new five-year deal with the Glasgow club.

However, after his performances dipped, Middleton was sent out on loan to get his career back on track. This even included two spells at St Johnstone, but the youngster failed to impress sufficiently to get any more than one first-team game for Rangers after the 2018/19 campaign.

The Latest: Middleton set to leave Rangers

According to a report by Football Scotland (via Ibrox News), despite not working with manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst yet, it is expected that Middleton will leave the club in the coming months.

It is claimed that Van Bronckhorst could take a look at the winger during pre-season, although the chances that the Scot has played his last senior game for the Light Blues are said to be extremely high, with him said to be ‘the strongest bet to leave Ibrox this summer’.

The Verdict: Sell before his contract expires

The 22-year-old has now entered the final 12 months of his Rangers contract.

Therefore, it would seem silly to wait around until next summer for the youngster to leave, given that the club could make some money from his departure now.

During qualifying for the European Under-21 Championships, Middleton impressed with a number of his performances, leading to Athletic Bilbao striker Ewan Urain hailing him as a ‘special’ talent.

Following this previous international recognition, it could be possible for Rangers to command a fee for the player from abroad, which may suggest that his Ibrox exit is likely to come this summer.

In other news: Alan Hutton reacts to Rory Wilson transfer news

West Brom are in advanced talks to sign Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury this summer, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Choudhury linked with West Brom

The Baggies had a disappointing 2021/22 season, failing to get out of the Championship, and new signings are needed this summer in order to ensure that improvements are made under Steve Bruce.

West Brom have been linked with a move for Choudhury, who is set to leave Leicester ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

The 24-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers, having only started four Premier League matches last season.

The Latest: Move edging closer

According to The Northern Echo, the Baggies are now in ‘advanced talks’ with Choudhury over a summer move to The Hawthorns.

Middlesbrough are also hoping to acquire the services of the Englishman, who has been hailed as a ‘great player’ by Leicester colleague Harvey Barnes.

The Verdict: Great summer addition

Choudhury may have fallen out of favour with the Foxes but he has some excellent competition in midfield at the King Power Stadium, from Wilfred Ndidi to Youri Tielemans (both ranked in Leicester’s top six players of 2021/22 by WhoScored), so it would be unfair to judge him too harshly on his lack of game-time.

He could be a fantastic player in the Championship for West Brom, using his physicality to good use and indeed his ball distribution, having enjoyed an 82.6% pass completion rate in the top flight last season.

Such players can be crucial to West Brom mounting a genuine promotion push in 2022/23 – if they could bring in Choudhury and Conor Hourihane, with John Swift already signed, Bruce’s midfield could look to be in stellar shape by the time the new season starts.

In other news, West Brom have been boosted in their efforts to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

A big update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans for Jack Simpson at Ibrox heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, the central defender is one of the players expected to be told that they are free to leave Rangers ahead of next season.

The report claims that the Gers are set to cash in on a number of outcasts, after selling Cedric Itten to Young Boys, and Simpson is one of the names on the chopping board.

Supporters will be delighted

This claim will leave the supporters delighted as Simpson is an expendable member of the squad who must be axed in the coming months.

He put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal when he joined from Bournemouth but the move has not worked out for either party and now is the time for it to come to an end.

Simpson only made one start in the league throughout last season and this suggests that Gio van Bronckhorst, and Steven Gerrard before him, does not have faith in his ability to play regular games for the club.

Frank McAvennie criticised the dud during the 2021/22 campaign, claiming that he would be a liability against Hibernian: “Hibs are on fire and they really know what they are doing. They will fancy their chances.

“They know Simpson is the weak link. You expect he will start with the Goldson issue.

“He’s not had a great time of it so far, he barely played last season. We’ll see what happens but I expect Boyle will run rings around him.”

The Englishman played five Premiership matches in the 2020/21 campaign for Gerrard and failed to make a positive impact as he averaged an unimpressive SofaScore rating of 6.62. He struggled to prove his worth and this led to his lack of involvement in 2021/22.

Fans will, therefore, be buzzing to learn that he is set to leave the club in the coming months as it will take his wages off the bill and it means that there is not a player wasting away in the background whilst not benefitting the team on the pitch.

With Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey, Filip Helander, John Souttar, John Lundstram, and James Sands already at the club, van Bronckhorst will not be short of options at centre-back without Simpson…

AND in other news, “Was told..”: Journo makes big Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave supporters excited…

Newcastle United are believed to be in the running to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore, with the player expected to leave Molineux this summer.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Magpies are one of a handful of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Spaniard this summer, with the 26-year-old set to leave the Midlands outfit, despite Barcelona snubbing the chance to sign him on a permanent deal.

The former Middlesbrough man – who is out of contract next year – had been on loan at the Nou Camp during the second half of the most recent campaign, although the La Liga side have opted against activating an option-to-buy clause in his temporary deal, with Bruno Lage and co now seeking other potential suitors in order to cash in during the upcoming window.

The Tynesiders are said to have ‘enquired about his services’ in the past, with reports suggesting a €20m (£17m) bid could be enough to get their man, although they will face competition from Tottenham Hotspur with Antonio Conte having been interested back in January.

Imagine him and Ekitike

It may not prove an easy deal to get over the line, amid that rival interest from Spurs, although should PIF manage to snap up the unique talent it would no doubt prove a real coup for manager Eddie Howe.

There are concerns over his attacking output, as the £46k-per-week brute has registered just eight goals and 14 assists in 160 Premier League outings, although that does not tell the full story about his on-field impact, with few players – if any – possessing his rare physical gifts.

Something of a “freak athlete”, in the words of one journalist, the one-time Aston Villa man is able to combine both lightning speed and unrivalled strength to pose a relentless threat to any opposition, with the oiled-up colossus at times almost impossible to contend with.

His knack for driving his side up the pitch in double-quick time is a real gift, with the £25.2m-rated man unsurprisingly ranking in the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 1% for dribbles completed among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

As mentioned earlier, concerns over his attacking contributions are justified, although his brief return to Catalonia – where he began his career – has illustrated that he does have the capability to make an impact in the final third, recording four assists for Xavi’s side in all competitions during his six-month temporary stint.

There is the prospect of Howe lining up with Traore on one flank and Reims starlet Hugo Ekitike on the other next term, with the teenager believed to be nearing a switch to St James’ Park after reportedly agreeing a five-year deal with the club.

Dubbed “the next Mbappe”, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, the 19-year-old netted ten league goals and registered three assists in a breakout campaign in Ligue 1 during the 2021/22 season, with the expectation being that the versatile forward will only progress further in the coming years.

A partnership with that man Traore could also prove simply mouthwatering, with the young Frenchman also possessing outstanding talent with the ball at his feet, ranking in the top 16% for progressive carries and in the top 3% for dribbles completed, with Newcastle potentially set to have a fearsome threat down either wing.

That would feel like a long way from the drab, dull days under Steve Bruce…

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Tottenham Hotspur will have to spend €40m (£34m) to sign transfer target Weston McKennie. 

That’s according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke wrote at the weekend that Antonio Conte and Spurs were hoping to strengthen in central midfield this summer. The north Londoners signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in the winter but could do further business with the Bianconeri ahead of the expected departure of Harry Winks.

It was only last summer that Juve officially signed McKennie from Schalke for £18.45m after an initial loan. He is predominantly a central midfielder but has played in a vast array of positions, including both deeper and more advanced roles in the middle and on the right wing.

It’s worth noting that the American was missing from late February until the end of the season with a metatarsal fracture.

The latest

McKennie could move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with Spurs scouring the Italian market once again.

As per Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), managing director of football Fabio Paratici ‘particularly likes’ the 23-year-old and could push for a move.

Juventus are reportedly demanding £34m for his services, and it’s unclear yet as to whether Spurs will be willing to pay that amount.

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The verdict

McKennie isn’t necessarily someone who will come up with big numbers of goals and assists, having only notched three direct goal contributions in 2021/22.

However, he does take up advanced positions, ranking in the 98th percentile among his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues for both progressive passes received and touches in the penalty area.

McKennie, who won his country’s Player of the Year award in 2020, was starting to ‘come alive after a stuttering spell’ prior to his injury, in the words of sports journalist Josh Bunting.

Squawka have described him as a ‘wizard’ at his best, and Paratici clearly has confidence that the 23-year-old can reach that level consistently.

After doing business with Juventus for Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, perhaps it’s time for the Spurs supremo to once again tap into that existing relationship with the Serie A club.

In other news, Alasdair Gold has dropped a promising claim on another Serie A target

Journalist Xavi Jorquera Márquez of Cadena SER is adamant that Tottenham Hotspur have reached an ‘agreement’ over the permanent departure of midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso on the way?

As backed by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano, Villarreal are interested in re-signing the Argentine on a permanent deal from the Premier League club after his brilliant spell on loan at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

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Lo Celso spent the second half of 2021/2022 on a temporary spell in La Liga under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, thriving in their Champions League campaign in particular. Indeed, the South American averaged their second-most key passes and completed dribbles per 90 over six starts on their run to the semi-finals before being knocked out by Liverpool (WhoScored).

As such, the La Liga side are keen to snap him up indefinitely, with Marquez adamant that they have already agreed a fee with Tottenham.

The Latest: Marquez makes Lo Celso claim…

The reporter has said that, despite claims to the contrary, an ‘agreement’ between Spurs and Villarreal ‘exists’, with the fee ‘already’ discussed and specified.

He explained (via Twitter, translated from Spanish):

“Despite some, I still keep the same info.

The agreement between Villarreal and Tottenham exists and the amount has already been discussed and specified.

And I respect and always will respect the information of other journalists. that will never fail.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

Reiterating Marquez’s previous claim, Spurs have apparently agreed a deal in principle to sell Lo Celso for around €15m-€18m (£13m-£15m) plus bonuses.

Villarreal have also allegedly decided on the date of the announcement ‘if all goes well’, and as the Lilywhites seek to back Conte in the transfer market summer, it is also imperative that they make money through sales.

Paratici must balance the books, and managing to offload Lo Celso this early would come as a boost. This development may well be one to keep an eye upon over the coming weeks.

In other news: Paratici eyeing Spurs move for ‘sensational’ £75m man who Pep called ‘quality’…find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Yannick Carrasco to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Juanfe Sanz (via Sport Witness), with the El Chiringuito journalist suggesting that Fabio Paratici has now submitted an offer to Atletico Madrid regarding a deal for the versatile left-winger.

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Sport Witness go on to state that the 28-year-old has a release clause of €60m (£51m) written into his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, with Spurs reported to have been willing to pay this figure in the January transfer window.

Carrasco would be “unreal” for Spurs

Considering just how impressive Carrasco has been for Atleti this season, it is not difficult to understand why Antonio Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 33 LaLiga appearances in the current campaign, the £42.5m-rated winger – who can also be deployed at left midfield or left wing-back – has been in sensational form for Diego Simeone’s side, scoring six goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 2.6 dribbles per game.

The £141k-per-week Belgium international has also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 0.4 clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Josh Bunting dubbed “underrated” and Phil Kitromilides labelled “unreal” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Atletico’s third-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 28-year-old also ranks in the top 1% of wing-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed per 90, as well as the top 1% for npxG, the top 2% for shots, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 2% for npxG+xA over the last 365 days.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Carrasco would be something of an unreal fit for Conte’s left wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything he can to convince the Belgian of a move to north London this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could land Kulu 2.0 as Spurs eye £17m signing, he would “explode” under Conte

Manchester United have appointed their new manager Erik ten Hag who will take the reigns at Old Trafford imminently and he could be about to bring some of his players over with him from Ajax.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese news outlet UOL (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils are battling with fierce rivals Liverpool to sign Brazilian winger Antony this summer.

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The report suggests that the two Premier League clubs are in ‘dispute’ over the signing as both have made an approach to put the feelers out on whether the player would be open to a move to join them.

It is believed that Antony would favour a move to the English league over La Liga after a further approach was reportedly made by Barcelona.

Ten Hag needs him

Manchester United would surely have an advantage on other clubs interested due to the fact they have recently hired Antony’s former manager, and when you look at the current forward line at Old Trafford it is clear that Ten Hag needs him.

There have been issues with Marcus Rashford this season who has had a complete drop of in form and with reports of the winger considering a move away from his boyhood club in the North West due to a lack of game-time, it could be the perfect opportunity for the club to inject a fresh perspective and a new creative outlet into the attacking positions.

When you compare Rashford to Antony this season, it is clear that the £50m Brazilian would be a huge upgrade on the current Man United winger, scoring four more goals, creating 28 more big chances, with over twice as many shots on target and over 20% better crossing accuracy compared to his position competitor, according to Squawka.

Ten Hag recently claimed Antony was “top-class” when discussing the 22-year-old’s future in an interview (via The United Stand):

” If Antony were to go, it would be a loss for Ajax. He is top class,” the Dutch coach admitted.

With that being said, if Ten Hag can beat the competitors to secure the signing he could be onto something special with a player he knows how to get the best out of already, meaning he can be an instant hit and thrive at Old Trafford alongside Cristiano Ronaldo next season.

AND in other news: “Close sources”: Sky Sports journo “told” big MUFC update that’ll excite Ten Hag

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is now in pole position to sign ‘one of the best players in the world’ after officially signing Erling Haaland, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Huge week…

Citizens wanted to erase last week’s painful Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid and it’s safe to say Guardiola’s impeccable blues have done the job.

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Defeat to the Galacticos was swiftly followed by imperious displays against both Newcastle United and Wolves as City sealed back-to-back Premier League victories in an all-important title race with Liverpool.

Scoring 10 goals in two matches, the Sky Blues’ attacking potency was on full display, with the club also making a huge announcement between these encounters.

On Tuesday, City confirmed they have agreement for the summer transfer of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund – sealing the signing of one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers.

Now, A Bola (via Sport Witness) claim Guardiola is in pole position to sign another promising player.

The Latest: City ‘top of the list’ for Nunes…

According to their Portuguese sources, City are ‘top of the list’ for Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes as they emerge as frontrunners for his signature.

There is also apparently a ‘smell of farewell’ surrounding the 23-year-old who seems destined to leave the José Alvalade Stadium.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Nunes, still very young and with bags of potential, is a player Guardiola knows very well.

Following City’s 5-0 demolition job of Sporting in their Champions League round of 16 first leg a few months ago, the Spaniard heaped praise on Sporting’s gem and revealed his admiration.

The big name tactician even called Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world today’, and while that is a head-turning verdict, we believe Nunes’ statistics certainly reflect his real ability.

A marvellous ball-carrier, the starlet completes more dribbles per 90 than any Sporting player on average and completes the second-most through balls every game behind forward Pablo Sarabia (WhoScored).

Proving a real nightmare to play against, Nunes is also the joint-most fouled player per 90 in Sporting’s squad alongside Joao Palhinha.

Indeed, we believe adding the sensation to City’s already-impressive Portuguese contingent certainly wouldn’t be an unpopular move.

In other news: Guardiola could also join race to sign £354,000-per-week superstar! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sports Golazo presenter revealing in a recent interview with The Gooner Talk that, despite recent reports linking Arsenal with a move for the Manchester City forward at the end of the current campaign, it is actually Spurs who are leading the race to sign the 27-year-old.

The journalist goes on to state that this is down to Tottenham offering the England international assurances about his position in their first-team squad, while it is also believed that the former Liverpool starlet is keen to work under the management of Antonio Conte.

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Regarding the interest in Sterling, Jacobs said:  “Sterling is an interesting one, because I do think that the door is open for Sterling to leave Manchester City. I think there will be almost a North London derby-style pursuit for Sterling and, from what I gather, should he leave Manchester City, Tottenham are ahead of Arsenal in that particular pursuit.

“So, if Sterling is to join Arsenal, then Edu and [Mikel] Arteta are going to have to move quite quickly, but I think that Sterling is very intent – even though he will know Arteta very well – to play under Conte as his next manager if he is to make a move.

“The reason for that is because Tottenham have given him guarantees about style and about position. I think that Tottenham’s pitch is around ‘let’s get you back to doing what you do best,’ which is scoring goals, and I think Arsenal’s pitch is going to be ‘let’s get you back to what you did at the beginning of your career,’ which is being a very fluid, very versatile wide player that cuts inside.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a forward Sterling quite clearly is, the prospect of the winger linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is sure to be something that will have left the Spurs faithful buzzing, particularly if Fabio Paratici can land the 27-year-old ahead of Arsenal.

Indeed, according to FBref statistics, the £76.5m-rated attacker ranks in the top 15% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 22% for assists, the top 16% for xA, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes completed, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 3% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

The £200k-per-week dynamo’s defensive metrics are also impressive, with FBref ranking the 74-time capped international in the top 17% of forward’s in Europe’s big five leagues for tackles per 90, in addition to the top 23% for interceptions over the last year.

Speaking more generally, it is clear to see that the signing of a player who has scored 153 goals and registered 118 assists over his 466 appearances for both Liverpool and Manchester City would be an excellent addition to Spurs’ current attacking options – with Sterling boasting an extremely impressive record of a direct goal involvement every 126 minutes of football played.

As such, should Tottenham go on to land the 27-year-old – who is reportedly available for around £45m – this summer, it would certainly appear something of a coup for Paratici and Conte, while also being a signing that could help to transform Spurs from a top-four contender to a title challenger next season.

AND in other news: “Being monitored”: Kilpatrick drops Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing