All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers travel away from Ibrox tonight as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men face the exciting prospect of competing in a European quarter-final in Portugal.

The Gers have battled their way through to the last eight and now come up against Braga as they look to make it through to the semi-finals, with the second leg coming at Ibrox next week.

Rangers head into the game off the back of a gutting 2-1 defeat to Celtic in the Old Firm clash in the Premiership on Sunday.

How many changes will he make to his side from that game?

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to his team, with Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala coming in.

Rangers played a 4-2-3-1 against the Hoops and the head coach may look to switch back to a 4-3-3 to offer more balance between defence and attack. Whilst they will want to go and beat Braga on their own ground, taking a draw or a narrow win back to a bouncing Ibrox would be ideal – instead of going all-out and risking a heavy defeat.

This change requires a midfield three instead of two sixes and a 10. We are predicting that Glen Kamara will come in to play alongside John Lundstram and Ryan Jack, leaving Joe Aribo on the bench.

The Finland international has started seven matches in the Europa League this season and completed an impressive 87% of his attempted passes, whilst creating 0.8 chances per game. His ability to dictate the play in the middle of the park can help the Gers to control the game, which is why he may be named in the XI.

In what we are predicting to be the most surprising change of the night, Arfield could come in for Aaron Ramsey on the right.

This may sound like a wild suggestion after two goals in two Premiership matches, but he is still managing an injury concern and they cannot risk overworking him. He only played one game over the international break as Wales boss Rob Page admitted that he was carrying a knock, which suggests that he is not ready to play three games a week.

Ross Wilson dubbed the gem as an “inspiration” in January and he can provide a lift off the bench if needed. This will manage his minutes and ensure that he can play against St Mirren on Sunday and then in the second leg against Braga next week, with the experienced Arfield able to put a shift in for this match.

Ex-Gers fullback Alan Hutton previously lavished the attacker with praise, saying: “He’s like a firework, isn’t he? You just light him and watch him go. He’s one of these players who plays at 100 miles per hour, he takes players on, he’s aggressive, he can get shots off.”

FFC published an article explaining why van Bronckhorst must start the Zambian through the middle. His pace in behind can be crucial to Gers on the counter-attack and offer them an electric threat on the break with him and Ryan Kent in the front three.

AND in other news, Major blow: Gvb dealt fresh Rangers injury setback that’ll leave Ibrox faithful fuming…

Wolves winger Francisco Trincao is unlikely to sign a permanent deal this summer with the Barcelona loanee reportedly unhappy at Molineux.

What’s the latest?

According to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Portuguese wide man ‘is not satisfied’ at the Black Country club and will look to return to Barcelona this summer. However, the 22-year-old is also seeking a move away from the La Liga giants.

There have also been talks of a potential swap deal involving the loanee and Adama Traore, who is currently on loan at the Catalan club. Although, this now seems unlikely if Trincao is unwilling to extend his stay in the West Midlands.

Wolves must part ways with Trincao

In all honesty, it’s no major loss for Wolves if Trincao objects to joining the club on a permanent basis. The winger has struggled to win over the Molineux faithful with just one Premier League goal in 24 appearances this term, a disappointing return.

The winger was given the nod to start on Friday night against Newcastle United, a game in which Wolves as a collective were poor, losing 1-0.

Although, the 22-year-old particularly struggled with Wolves journalist Tim Spiers labelling the Portuguese as “anonymous” in what could prove to be one of the final opportunities the Barcelona loanee gets in the famous amber.

Indeed, according to SofaScore, he managed just 13 passes in the entire game and none of them were key either.

Bruno Lage may inevitably opt to move Adama Traore on this summer too given his goal-shy first half of the season, but it now appears as though that deal will be separate.

The Portuguese manager still has a decent amount of options on the flanks with Daniel Podence as well as Pedro Neto, who is now back from injury, and the recently recruited Chiquinho.

However, there may still be a desire to recruit wide players in the summer with goals from wingers a rare spectacle this season for the West Midlands outfit.

Podence has netted just twice in the top-flight this season whilst Neto is still readjusting after a lengthy spell out and Chiquinho is slowly being integrated into the side.

It’s certainly an area for concern and fresh faces may be the necessary solution making it vital for Wolves to axe Trincao this summer with his loan spell ultimately proving to be a waste of time.

In other news: Disaster: Lage sleepwalking into huge Wolves error that could have dire consequences

Southampton will be hoping to make some valuable late improvements to their team whilst they still can with the window being open.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be very proud with how his players have conducted themselves in recent weeks as Southampton are now moving on up the Premier League table.

There are still plenty of games to go, mind, so Southampton cannot afford to get carried away as they continue their battle to reach the holy 40-point mark.

With the depth of quality Hasenhuttl has available to him, the Austrian coach will be confident of securing Premier League football next season but in the top flight, things never turn out to be that easy.

He needs to make some signings in the little time left but an efficient dealing would be the purchase of Rangers captain James Tavernier.

Tavernier, (who is valued at £1.8 million on Transfermarkt) has the experience and ability to be a big help to Southampton in their bid to avoid relegation this season.

The Rangers captain undoubtedly boasts brilliant leadership qualities, with top-notch commitment and desire to give everything he possibly can.

After leaving England around four years ago, James Tavernier could return with a completely different attitude and readiness to play, having been so vital for Rangers all this time since.

This season alone, the 28-year-old has nine goals and 14 assists all coming from the right-back position, which is incredible really.

Southampton could only dream of their attackers having that much of an impact, let alone one of their defensive players.

With Cedric on his way out – leaving Yan Valery as the only out-and-out right-back – a move for James Tavernier makes perfect sense for Southampton.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard could be set to face a crisis this summer, with a number of his first-team players and back-up options being linked with moves away from the club at the end of the season.

England international Ollie Watkins has been the subject of interest from Arsenal, who are also keen on Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz – along with Newcastle and Tottenham.

Meanwhile, hot prospect Carney Chukwuemeka has been identified by Borussia Dortmund as their ‘next Jude Bellingham’ – and he might not be the only Villa asset that could be heading overseas in the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Matty Cash is on La Liga giants Atletico Madrid’s shopping list this summer, and they are very keen on taking him from the Midlands to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

“The interest from Atletico Madrid is serious,” said O’Rourke, speaking to GIVEMESPORT. “He is among their top targets to fill the void left by Kieran Trippier’s departure to Newcastle.”

Fabrizio Romano had previously suggested that the Poland international was a transfer target of Diego Simeone on the Here We Go podcast, and now the chances of Villa being able to persuade Cash into staying could be getting slimmer and slimmer, much to fans’ frustrations.

Disaster in-waiting

Cash’s progress as a right-back has been nothing short of exceptional after signing for the club from Nottingham Forest back in 2020 for £14.18m. Thus, O’Rourke’s update will likely scare supporters.

Since making the move, he has made 59 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring three and assisting six, with all of his goals coming in the Premier League this season, as well as three of the assists.

Averaging a 6.98 match rating according to SofaScore in the league, only John McGinn and Philippe Coutinho have performed at a higher level in that respect for the club, and Cash has been a vital part of Gerrard’s opening stage of his rebuild, helping the club to ninth in the table.

It isn’t just his attacking threat that has caught the eye though, as he ranks among full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions in the top 6% for blocks per 90 (2.56), top 7% for interceptions per 90 (2.62) and top 15% for tackles per 90 (2.79) – demonstrating how much the defensive areas of his game have improved too.

Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, Villa could attract a hefty fee for the right-back, but Gerrard will want to keep him for as long as possible, and so will the fans who have been won over by him.

In other news: Sold at £11m, now a 266-goal icon: Villa will rue call on “magnificent” PL legend

Celtic’s transfer model under CEO Michael Nicholson and manager Ange Postecoglou will mean they miss out on large incoming transfer fees for talented academy prospects, according to finance expert Dr Dan Plumley, speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown: First of many?

This comes after a report from The Athletic confirmed that the Hoops will receive just £600,000 in compensation for highly-rated winger Ben Doak.

The 16-year-old is set to join Premier League giants Liverpool, having made only two senior appearances for Postecoglou’s side this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Unlike the £25million fee received following Kieran Tierney’s switch to Arsenal (Sky Sports), the Glasgow club have been left short in the Doak deal, and Plumley fears it is becoming a recurring trend.

The latest: Troubling times

Speaking to FI, Dr Plumley claims that Celtic’s youth-focused model means clubs south of the border may continue to exploit the rules.

“It’s largely because of Fifa regulations.

“England and Scotland are classed as different countries and they can settle on a compensation fee which is far lower than a transfer fee.

“Celtic do this in reverse as well, so you have to be mindful of it in this model. The player has a choice to stay at Celtic and develop into a £20m-plus player or move on and do the same at another club.

“Celtic have to be aware that big clubs will be looking at their players and are well placed to capitalise.

“For every Tierney, you manage to keep and sell for a big fee, you might have a few of these along the way.”

The verdict: Hands tied

Ultimately it would appear that there is very little Celtic or Nicholson can do about Premier League clubs attempting to cherry-pick their most prodigious talents.

At present, the Bhoys boast a wealth of promising youngsters in the likes of Johnny Kenny, Karamoko Dembele and Dane Murray, all of whom it would surely be hoped will continue their development at Lennoxtown, but Dembele for example could even be the next one to depart.

Perhaps Postecoglou, with the help of the likes of Nicholson, can help secure a clear pathway for youngsters to the first team whilst also doing a spot of talent recruitment themselves.

As for Doak and the compensation fee, the teenage winger looks to be destined for greatness and may always be regarded as the one who got away, both in terms of finance and impact on the pitch.

A journalist has revealed that Newcastle United are now in talks to sign Ludovic Blas in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The 24-year-old is enjoying a standout season at Nantes at the moment, scoring seven goals and supplying one assist in 19 games in Ligue 1 from midfield and currently ranking as the club’s fourth-best player (WhoScored).

He is averaging more shots and dribbles per match than any of his teammates, and he could be one for France national team coach Didier Deschamps to consider ahead of the World Cup in Qatar next winter.

The Latest: Newcastle talks

As per The Daily Star journalist Jacque Talbot on Friday evening, Newcastle and Watford are both in talks to sign Blas this month, while there is also interest in the player from Lille and from abroad. He revealed on Twitter:

“Understand Newcastle and Watford are in discussions to sign Ligue 1 star Ludovic Blas.

“The 24-year-old is talking to the Premier League relegation rivals who are set to play tomorrow, while there is also interest from Lille and in the Bundesliga.”

Of course, the two English clubs vying for Blas played out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, so talks may now intensify in the coming days.

Intriguingly, the Nantes maestro is represented by the same agency as Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, both of whom have signed for the Magpies since the start of the month.

The Verdict: Get it done

Newcastle are severely lacking in goals from the middle of the park, and Blas could certainly provide that given his record this season.

Nantes teammate and former Liverpool player Pedro Chirivella has previously described the 24-year-old as a ‘pure talent’, as well as an ‘incredible’ and ‘spectacular’ player. The Spaniard has even compared him to former Anfield teammates Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho (So Foot), which is very high praise indeed.

At 24 years of age, Blas still has such a high ceiling, and he could provide that extra bit of quality that the Tynesiders need in order to avoid relegation to the Championship.

In other news, find out who else is now ‘keen’ on signing for NUFC

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has urged Celtic to offer a new deal to keep first-team coach Gavin Strachan at Parkhead. 

The lowdown: Strachan a favourite of Celtic’s board

The 43-year-old survived a coaching staff overhaul and has since continued to impress in the role of first-team coach following the departure of Neil Lennon in February 2021 and the subsequent arrival of Ange Postecoglou.

A recent report from Football Insider claimed that the Parkhead hierarchy were keen to secure Strachan’s long-term future at the club and have duly opened contract talks with him, given his status as as a highly-regarded figure in Glasgow.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-3/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As the Bhoys set their sights on a 52nd Premiership crown to add to their Scottish League Cup success from earlier in the campaign, there could also be positive off-field developments in the near future…

The latest: O’Rourke endorses Strachan extension

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has implored Celtic to persuade Strachan to stay on.

The reporter outlined: “I think it would be a positive move for Celtic. It would just keep that continuity within the coaching group right now.

“If they can agree a new contract, it will just keep things ticking over nicely for everybody involved there.”

The verdict: He’s right

As the summer fast approaches and the managerial merry-go-round begins to fire up, the Hoops should be acting fast to appease the former Doncaster Rovers man after he turned down the opportunity to manage English League Two outfit Hartlepool United back in November.

Postecoglou is clearly onto something with the current setup at Lennoxtown, and retaining the status quo within the coaching ranks is equally as important as keeping hold of key players.

Having endured a torrid 2020/21 campaign, Celtic have been crying out for stability, and as such the club should be doing everything to keep the likes of Strachan, assistant manager John Kennedy and coach Stephen McManus in place at Parkhead.

In other news, an expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.

With no new players brought in during the winter aside from Willy Caballero who joined the club as a free agent in early December, Southampton have had a rather uneventful few weeks regarding any potential transfer business.

While the club did welcome a takeover from Sport Republic led by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, Ralph Hasenhuttl has not been given any new players to add to his squad.

Although, with only a few days left until the transfer window closes, it seems as though the south coast club could have a challenge on their hands to keep hold of one of their key players.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Jose Manuel Oliva (via Saints Extra) Newcastle United are negotiating with Southampton over a potential transfer for Mohammed Salisu and have apparently offered a similar to what they have tried to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos for, which is said to be in in the region of over £30m.

Southampton signed the defender back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Spanish club Real Valladolid in a deal worth a reported fee of £10.9m.

Since then, the 22-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £39k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has gone on to make 38 appearances for the Saints across all competitions.

Ralph would be furious

This season has seen the Ghanian play more minutes in the Premier League than any other Southampton player, as well as managing to rack up an overall performance rating of 7/10 from WhoScored, making him their second-highest rated outfield player behind club captain James Ward-Prowse.

Labelled as a “nasty” player in the past in terms of his defensive action on the pitch by Hasenhuttl, Salisu’s latest appearance for Southampton saw the centre-back put in a colossal performance in their recent 1-1 draw against Manchester City where he made a total of 14 clearances, seven tackles and four interceptions.

This not only highlights how important Salisu has been for the team this season but also how unhappy Hasenhuttl would be to see him potentially leave the club halfway through the season to join another Premier League side, which would undoubtedly be a disaster for Solak, especially this late in the window.

Moving forward, with Newcastle journalist Luke Edwards recently claiming that the Magpies had made an approach to Southampton to sign Salisu but were told that “it’s not going to be possible” for them to sign him, this should put to bed any concerns there may have been from the fans or Hasenhuttl about the defender’s immediate future.

In other news: Big boost: Hasenhuttl drops promising 7-word Southampton update, fans surely pleased – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a shock move for Jesse Lingard, according to reports.

The ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london first reported their interest, claiming on Twitter that Spurs had “sounded out” the 29-year-old’s representatives over a potential move to north London.

This was then backed up by Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam, who delivered an update live on air.

“Tottenham fans will like this one, because potentially, Jesse Lingard is on their radar,” he said. “Tottenham are keen to sign Lingard and they have approached his representatives over the course of this window, potentially with a view to a move in January, possibly, maybe more likely, the summer.”

A move for the England international would certainly raise a few eyebrows around N17 but ultimately, he is clear of Antonio Conte’s current options and as a homegrown player, that’s got to be very appealing heading into next season.

Valued at £18m, Lingard has struggled for game time at Old Trafford recently, playing 273 minutes all season but it was only last term that he excelled during a loan spell at local rivals West Ham United.

As per Transfermarkt, the out-of-favour star delivered nine goals and five assists as he played an integral role in helping the Irons quality for the Europa League ahead of Spurs.

That’s a lot better than what Dele Alli has delivered in a Lilywhites shirt in recent seasons. Across the last three Premier League seasons, the long-serving midfielder has contributed just nine goals and five assists, via WhoScored.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-conte-paratici-levy-premier-league” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

So what Lingard achieved in only six months has been better than the 25-year-old across two-and-a-half years. It’s just not good enough.

During his time at the London Stadium, the United loanee was praised immensely by those around him and the press.

“He’s been phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal,” claimed talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham, before later adding: “On current form, I think Jesse Lingard is the best player in the Premier League.”

Whilst assistant manager Stuart Pearce dubbed him a “special lad” whose “ability shone through” to talkSPORT.

Indeed, he caused Spurs all sorts of problems in the Hammers’ 2-1 win at the London Stadium – not only did he get on the scoresheet but he caused Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier all sorts of nightmares, managing 100% of his dribbles and drawing four fouls, via SofaScore.

On the evidence above, sporting director Fabio Paratici and go could do little wrong in trying to secure Lingard in 2022, whether that’s this month or in the summer.

AND in other news, “I’ve just had a message”: Duncan Castles drops Spurs transfer bombshell that’ll leave Conte livid…

Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update involving Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale. 

The lowdown: Bale in Madrid

Out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), it now seems inevitable that the 32-year-old will finally leave Spain this summer.

Despite being an integral part of a successful time in the history of the La Liga giants, the Welsh forward has been castigated by fans and media alike in recent years at the Bernabeu due to an ongoing battle with fitness issues.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Having spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Tottenham – scoring 16 times and providing three assists – a fresh claim has now emerged from Spain…

The latest: Spurs keen

As per the report from Sport, Spurs, and by extension Fabio Paratici, are among the clubs plotting to offer Bale a contract should the Welshman indeed decide to continue with his career.

Hometown club Cardiff City, Newcastle United, Rangers and a move to the MLS are also cited as possible destinations for the man once hailed as ‘one of the best in the world’ by former interim Tottenham boss Ryan Mason following a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

However, it’s suggested that the 102-cap ace may yet hang up his boots should Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The verdict: Still got it

If there was any doubting whether the enigmatic Welshman still has the quality to perform at the elite level, a recent stunning brace for Wales in the World Cup playoff against Austria put the questions to rest.

Managing Director of Football Paratici will attempt to strengthen the squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer and a move for Bale, who Antonio Conte actually tried to sign whilst at Inter Milan, would be an interesting option.

Whilst a return would excite supporters, since moving to Madrid in 2013 Bale has missed an eye-watering 134 matches through injury and fitness woes. Therefore, to make this move a feasible option certain assurances would either need to be in place over fitness or it would need to come at a low financial cost.

In other news: Report makes swap deal claim as Spurs open talks! Find out more here.