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Kris Commons has made a bold Rangers transfer claim regarding a move they should make in the next window.

What’s the talk?

The former Scotland international has urged the club to pick up the phone and enquire about a potential deal to sign Billy Gilmour, who they targeted in the summer, from Chelsea in January.

Commons has claimed that the 20-year-old could be a great replacement for Steven Davis, with his loan spell at Norwich currently under scrutiny due to his last league start coming on 18 September.

He wrote in the Daily Mail, via Daily Record: “If Gilmour is still twiddling his thumbs in January, Rangers should get on the phone to Chelsea and at least ask the question.

“Some people might think it would be a backward step to return to his old club. But Rangers are a different animal now compared to when Gilmour left in 2017.

“I’m a big fan of Steven Davis and he’s been brilliant for Rangers. But I would have Gilmour ahead of him all day.”

Imagine him & Aribo

Ross Wilson could land a dream Rangers midfield by bringing Gilmour back to the club. As Commons said, he could replace Davis and start in midfield alongside Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara.

Whilst Kamara provides the metronomic passing and ability to keep the play ticking over, Aribo and Gilmour could be the sources of the real action. They could form a fantastic partnership as the Chelsea man has the energy, work-rate and tenacity to buzz around the pitch and put out fires, winning the ball back and retaining possession, whilst the former Charlton wizard can use his ability to create chances going forward.

Aribo has scored two goals and created 1.9 chances per game in the Premiership for Rangers this season, averaging an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.04. Gilmour, meanwhile, has managed 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game for Norwich in the Premier League, winning 59% of his duels and completing 87% of his passes.

Upon being linked with him last year, Gers boss Steven Gerrard made his feelings on Gilmour clear as he said: “I think he’s pretty settled at Chelsea. Fabulous little player but there’s been no contact.”

This suggests that Gerrard would love to have the Scotland international at Ibrox. Should there be an opportunity to bring him in if Chelsea cut short his loan deal with Norwich, Wilson must then pounce and allow Rangers to use him and Aribo as an exciting pairing in midfield. The mixture of defensive ballast and energy along with creativity and drive could be an exciting one for fans to watch.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges on big Rangers problem which will leave fans buzzing…

Sky Sports have relayed news live on TV regarding Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic and his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Matic’s Old Trafford career

Matic made the move to United back in 2017 from Chelsea in a deal worth over £40m. Since then, the holding midfielder has gone on to make more than 180 appearances for the Red Devils, with 27 of those coming this season.

His current contract still has over 12 months left to run, however, Matic has now announced that he will leave the club over the coming months.

The Latest: Sky Sports relay on-air news

United shared the news on their official website, with Sky Sports News sharing the update live on TV.

They labelled it as ‘significant if you support Man Utd’, describing the midfielder as ‘the first out of the door’ at Old Trafford.

The Verdict: First of many?

Erik ten Hag looks set to come in to replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer and may well have plenty of key decisions to make on a number of players.

United have five players who will be out of contract at the end of June, including Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s future is also in doubt.

Matic’s departure could prove to be the first of many in a major Old Trafford shake-up under Ten Hag, and a new defensive midfielder could now be a priority heading into the summer.

In other news: ‘Expected’ – Fabrizio Romano drops first blow for Ten Hag at Man Utd with appointment ‘imminent’. 

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their attempts to bring Jota to Parkhead on a permanent basis this winter.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness), who claim that Benfica would be more than happy for Celtic to activate their €7.5m (£6.5m) option to buy clause for the 22-year-old winger in the January transfer window.

Previous reports have suggested that, as a result of the Portugal U21 international’s success in Glasgow, Ange Postecoglou is eager to tie up the permanent signing of Jota this winter, in a bid to ensure the forward is not tempted by a more enticing offer from another club come the end of the season.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since his switch to Parkhead this summer, the news that Benfica appear to be more than willing to wave goodbye to the winger on a permanent basis is sure to have left Bhoys fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, while, over his five Europa League fixtures, the £7.1k-per-week winger has bagged a further two goals, two assists and created four big chances.

These returns have seen the player, who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” talent, average a SofaScore match rating of 7.38 in the league and 7.40 in Europe, ranking him as the Hoops’ fifth-best and best performer in the respective competitions.

And, while it is true that Benfica’s stance on the forward’s potential transfer is not overly important – as Celtic can activate their option to buy clause without the Portuguese side’s permission – should the Liga NOS club have informed Jota that he could be in line for a starting spot at the Estadio da Luz next season, this may well have influenced the 22-year-old’s decision as to whether or not he would be willing to accept Celtic’s offer of a permanent deal.

As such, the news that Benfica will not stand in the way of Celtic’s swoop for the player who Postecgolou “wants to keep” is sure to come as a major boost for everyone involved with the club, as the Portuguese starlet remaining at Parkhead beyond the end of the current campaign is something that bodes incredibly well for the Bhoys’ future.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Robbie Keane with swoop for “bright” 18 G/A machine

With just five goals scored in their previous seven Premier League games, the upcoming January transfer window could provide the Merseyside club with a good opportunity to add some attacking reinforcements to their squad and potentially put their poor run of form behind them.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the Toffees already have their eye on securing a new attacking talent next month.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from L’avenir.net, Everton are interested in signing RSC Anderlecht winger Francis Amuzu.

After joining Anderlecht’s youth system back in April 2015, the 22-year-old has gone on to make a total of 142 appearances for the Belgian club across their youth sides and senior team, scoring 15 goals and providing 15 assists along the way.

So far this season in the Belgian league, the winger has managed to score three goals and provide three assists.

In terms of a potential move to Everton in January, this could give Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri the chance to replicate the same transfer masterclass he and Rafa Benitez pulled off in the summer by signing Demarai Gray, another young winger from a foreign club who has managed to hit the ground running at Goodison Park by scoring five goals and providing two assists in 16 league appearances.

In addition to this, even though he only joined the club in the summer alongside Gray, the fact that Andros Townsend has hit the age of 30, Amuzu could be a suitable long-term replacement for the Englishman on the right-wing.

Moving forward, Everton should definitely explore the possibility of signing Amuzu in January to see if he can spark a bit of life back into Benitez’s squad.

However, with the report saying that Rangers and Wolfsburg are also reportedly interested in signing Amuzu, but that Anderlecht aren’t looking to sell the winger anytime soon, Everton may have a challenge on their hands to secure his signature.

Either way, if Everton don’t end up signing Amuzu in January, they should probably look to sign a defensive player given how they’ve managed to concede 29 goals in their 17 league games this season.

In other news: Forget Rondon: Moshiri can sign Everton’s new Lukaku in “powerful” 28-goal “rocket” – opinion

Blackburn Rovers are set to beat Celtic in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Dilan Markanday. 

The lowdown

The Evening Standard reported in December that Celtic were among the clubs chasing Markanday ahead of the January transfer window.

Arch-rivals Rangers were also said to be in the frame, along with ‘a number of the Championship’s leading clubs’.

And it seems that Blackburn, currently third in England’s second tier, have seen off the competition to sign the 20-year-old, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season.

The latest

According to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, Blackburn are now ‘close to agreeing’ a permanent deal for Markanday.

Rovers will pay £500,000 up front but the fee could rise beyond the £1million mark if add-ons are triggered, while Spurs have also insisted upon a ‘significant’ sell-on clause.

The ‘deal could be announced next week’, he says.

The verdict

Losing out on Markanday is a blow for Celtic. He’s only made one senior appearance for Spurs, featuring in a Europa Conference League group game against Vitesse, but he boasts an exceptional record at youth level.

In 14 Premier League 2 appearances this season, he’s been directly involved in 17 goals (scoring 12 and assisting five more).

European football journalist Alex Barker has also raved about his ‘really clever footwork and dribbling ability’.

All this points to a very bright future indeed, and Blackburn have only paid half a million for a potential star in the making.

In other news, Alan Hutton has dropped this intriguing claim on Stephen Welsh. 

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Southampton striker Danny Ings lasted just 27 minutes before leaving the pitch with an injury during his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, and his latest setback suggests the club has made a grave error with their distinct lack of January business.

On the chalkboard

There is no doubt that Saints took a risk by bringing the 26-year-old to St Mary’s on an initial loan deal that will lead to a permanent £20m move at the end of the season last summer, as per The Telegraph, and it has proved to be the case.

While the attacker has scored seven goals in 18 Premier League appearances for the south coast outfit this term, including three since Ralph Hasenhuttl took charge in December, he has also missed six top-flight matches because of injury problems.

That number could increase even more if the issue that saw Ings limp off with less than half-an-hour played is deemed serious enough to keep him out of the huge clash with Cardiff City at St Mary’s on Saturday.

Grave error by Southampton?

It would seem that way, yes.

Saints failed to bring in a single new player during the January transfer window despite seeing the likes of Manolo Gabbiadini, Steven Davis, Cedric Soares and Wesley Hoedt go, and failing to sign a new striker could prove to be a decision that comes back to haunt them.

Should Ings be out for the foreseeable future – something that could certainly be the case should he have suffered a hamstring or groin injury – then the south coast outfit are left with Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Sam Gallagher as their strikers, with Michael Obafemi also currently on the sidelines.

The former trio hardly scream goals given they have three in the Premier League between them this term, and Hasenhuttl could be left relying on Nathan Redmond to find the net – as he did against the Clarets – which would be a dangerous game given they are currently just two points above the drop.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Norwegian football is going through a golden spell with a number of players now performing at the highest level in Europe. They look like a national team that are on the up and should start making their mark in major tournaments in the near future.

Here is a look at four of their players who could be set for big moves in 2022.

Erling Haaland

Striker Erling Haaland is the real star of Norwegian football. The Dortmund striker is considered to be one of the best strikers in the world at the moment. His goal scoring record at the German club over the last three years backs that up.

Last season’s Best Forward of the Season in the Champions League is being monitored by all the major European clubs, including Manchester United; their boss Ralf Rangnick is thought to be an admirer of the player. They will be fully aware that Haaland’s release clause of £64 million will be activated in the summer. This is much lower than what they will value the player at, as he would be expected to go for at least £100 million in today’s market.

As reported by ESPN, Barcelona are thought to be preparing a move for the striker this summer. They are doing their best to reduce their wage bill before then by offloading players like Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti. This will allow them to be able to finance a deal later this year.

Haaland will be hoping he can help Dortmund to some silverware this season if it does end up being his last campaign for their club. They are the 11/2 favourites to win the Europa League with Unibet, one of the leading sport betting sites in Norway who offer odds on the European competition.

Jørgen Strand Larsen

Another Norwegian striker who has a big future is Jørgen Strand Larsen. He currently plays his club football for Groningen in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. In his debut campaign for the Dutch club last season, he scored nine goals. He looks on course to beat that record this year.

Stand Larsen has played for Norway and may end up being Haaland’s strike partner going forward. He has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League to join Leicester.

Celtic are another club who are thought to be interested in Larsen. They bought Virgil van Dijk from Groningen in 2013. If they do sign the 21-year-old, they will be hoping the striker goes on to have a similar career to the former PFA Player of the Year.

Ola Brynhildsen

Only one player had more assists in Norway’s Eliteserien last season than Ola Brynhildsen. He helped Molde finish second in the final standings behind FK Bodø/Glimt.

The 22-year-old joined Molde from Stabaek in July 2020. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Norwegian club. Despite his age, he has already appeared 100 times in the Eliteserien, so he has lots of experience.

Brynhildsen has featured for Norway under-21s, however, he remains uncapped with the senior team. That is likely to change in 2022, especially if he continues with the form he showed last year.

Unlike Haaland and Strand Larsen, it may not take a huge transfer fee to scoop the talented attacking midfielder away from Molde. There are likely to be clubs across Europe who are happy to take a chance on him to see if he can step up to a higher level. It would be relatively low risk for them.

Marius Lode

Defender Marius Lode has been an integral part of FK Bodø/Glimt’s title success in 2020 and 2021. The towering centre-back has played in the heart of their defence and his form has been very consistent.

Lode received his first two caps for Norway in 2021. Unlike many players in his position, Lode is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He is also versatile in that he can play at full back and as a defensive midfielder, if required.

The Bodø/Glimt man has featured in Europe across all three leading competitions. British clubs will get a chance to see him close hand when the Norwegian club take on Celtic in the Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs, which takes place over two legs.

In the Europa League Conference League group stage, Lode finished fourth in the most completed passes. As documented by UEFA, he ended the group with 392 passes. Those sorts of stats showcase how much of an all-round player he is.

Stoke City are one of the clubs in England that has been linked with the Norway international. They are unlikely to be the only Championship side to do be doing so. Many English clubs have scouts regularly watching football in the Eliteserien.

If all four of the above players get their moves to bigger clubs in 2022, it can only benefit the Norway national team, as they look to improve their results on the international stage.

Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash

Rangers continued their fine form in the Scottish Premiership as they demolished Ross County 4-2 at Ibrox on Sunday.

The Gers are currently on an 11-game unbeaten run in the league and have only lost one of their 13 matches so far this season, as they sit top of the table.

Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent, Juninho Bacuna and an own goal sealed the win for Rangers after they went 1-0 down early on to a sloppy goal, with County scoring a consolation late on to make it 4-2.

Despite the emphatic victory, one player let Steven Gerrard down during the match as they struggled at both ends of the pitch – Calvin Bassey. The former Leicester defender was given the nod over Croatian international Borna Barisic and was unable to show that he is a better option than his fellow left-back.

Defensively, he was poor. Per SofaScore, he only made one tackle in the game and failed to make a single clearance, interception or block. This would not be a massive concern if Rangers kept a clean sheet and completely dominated the game, but the Gers conceded twice and both goals came from his side.

He was too far up the pitch down the left for the first goal Rangers conceded, as he left Leon Balogun exposed in the left channel, although other players should have come across to cover so it cannot go down as an obvious error by Bassey. For County’s second goal, he was at fault as he was caught on his heels as the ball was threaded through the box and he was not quick enough to track the run – leaving the player free to slot past Allan McGregor.

On the ball, the £6k-per-week youngster left a lot to be desired. Per SofaScore, he lost possession of the ball a whopping 21 times and failed with all seven of his attempted crosses. Despite having 88 touches and crossing the ball a number of times, he only created one chance for his teammates.

This suggests that he was not able to provide quality in the final third for Rangers, whilst also lacking defensively, which is why he let Gerrard down with his display. Barisic may not have to worry about his position at left-back if Bassey continues to produce performances like this but, hopefully, it was just an off-day for the Nigeria international and he can bounce back after the break and show the best of his qualities.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: £17k-p/w Rangers dynamo with 86 touches was the real star vs Ross County…

Transfer ‘insider’ Graeme Bailey has shared some West Ham United transfer news involving Brentford attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye new playmaker?

As reported, it is believed that the Irons’ manager David Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman have their eyes on an attacking midfielder/playmaker this summer.

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Most notably, the Hammers have been linked once again with a move for long-time target and Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard as he enters the final few months of his contract at Old Trafford.

A free agent in the summer, West Ham could significantly boost Moyes’ options for zero cost, leaving little surprise that the likes of Lingard have been mentioned as targets.

However, as per ‘insider’ Bailey, it appears that Newman and Moyes have their eyes on another playmaker in Eriksen, with the Dane also available on a Bosman this summer as things stand.

The Latest: West Ham look into Eriksen offer…

According to Bailey and fellow journalist Sean Walsh, writing for 90min, West Ham are now among a number of clubs ‘looking into offering Eriksen a contract this summer’.

The east Londoners are joined by Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and even Fulham in showing an interest in the 30-year-old.

The Verdict: Get it done?

A proven Premier League star, Eriksen has been one of the fairytale stories of 2021/22 given his comeback after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

His seemingly unwavering mentality could be a real pull for Moyes, along with his obvious quality, with Brentford manager Thomas Frank praising the ‘unbelievable’ attacker in recent weeks.

Once valued at £100m by his former club Tottenham, signing him for free would undoubtedly be a coup for the Irons this summer, although they face plenty of competition.

In other news: West Ham could strike fast agreement as Moyes eyes ‘world class’ new striker target! Find out more here

Many Everton fans have been slamming the performance of Fabian Delph in their game against his former club Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The midfielder did not enjoy his return to the Etihad Stadium as he was hauled off after just 63 minutes for Salomon Rondon, with the score at 2-0 to the hosts thanks to a cool finish from Raheem Sterling after a sublime pass from Joao Cancelo in the first half, and a rocket from Rodri after the interval.

Bernardo Silva added a third goal late on when Delph was no longer on the pitch, but some Everton fans thought that he should have done better to try and block the shot from the Spaniard for the second goal as it rifled into the back of Jordan Pickford’s net.

Delph failed to block any of City’s shots in the match and also failed to record a single interception or tackle, while losing out on all three of his duels (SofaScore).

Everton fans hammer Delph

These Everton supporters slammed Delph’s performance on Twitter, with one Toffee fans claiming that the 32-year-old was ‘pathetic’ against the Premier League champions:

“#delph not good enough, sorry”

Credit: @Cstyles1878

“Allan is so sloppy and Delph do me a favour, go as far as you can from Goodison”

Credit: @abbot551

“Delph just stopped then, pathetic.”

Credit: @GOT_Micknick

“Allan air shot. Delph air shot. Bunch of clowns.”

Credit: @rulitos14

“Is Delph playing for City???”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“Delph is playing against us”

Credit: @Evertxn

In other news, find out what stadium news has left these Evertonians gushing