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A teasing update has emerged on Rangers and their efforts to fast track John Souttar’s arrival at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Edinburgh News journalist Barry Anderson has claimed that the Gers are working to agree a deal to sign the centre-back this month.

He Tweeted: “Rangers’ talks with Hearts over John Souttar are progressing but no transfer agreed yet. Seems a matter of time. Will be surprised if he plays for #HMFC again. Not involved at Auchinleck Talbot today.”

Excitement

This teasing claim will surely get Rangers fans excited as it suggests that the club are well on their way to bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month. Whilst Gio van Bronckhorst can rest easy with the knowledge that he is guaranteed to come in the summer, it could be a major boost in the short term to have him arrive six months earlier.

Bringing the central defender to Glasgow this month could improve the Gers’ chances of achieving success domestically and in Europe as he could be an upgrade to the starting XI.

Souttar has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.44 across his 19 Premiership starts. He has won 70% of his individual duels and made 4.3 clearances per game, showing off his defensive quality at this level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once hailed the defender as one of the best in the division, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

Meanwhile, no Rangers player outside of James Tavernier (7.80) has managed a higher rating than Souttar in the league. Connor Goldson’s score of 7.15 is the highest of any centre-back in the squad, suggesting that the Hearts man has been head and shoulders above any of van Bronckhorst’s current options.

Therefore, bringing the 25-year-old in this month could be a huge move by Ross Wilson and the Dutch head coach and fans will surely be excited by the prospect of him lining up for the club this season. That is why they will be delighted with this latest update on the pursuit by Anderson.

AND in other news, Major development emerges in “groundbreaking” Rangers move, GvB will be buzzing…

Rangers defender Connor Goldson ‘seems galvanised’ by the arrival of Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox amid the uncertainty over his future, according to sports journalist Andrew Dickson. 

The lowdown

The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson wrote at the end of October that it was ‘getting hard to see’ Goldson, who has ‘been a rock for Rangers’, remaining at Ibrox amid a ‘contractual stand-off’. The defender’s £27,000-per-week deal is due to expire at the end of this season.

Football Insider reported earlier this month that the Englishman, who has been selected for all but one Premiership game so far this term, was intent upon returning to the English Premier League.

The latest

Dickson took to Twitter to admit that, after the Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian last month, he thought it was clear that Goldson was clamouring for an exit, but he has hailed the 28-year-old’s resurgence since the arrival of Van Bronckforst at Ibrox.

The journalist tweeted: “Six games into the Gio reign, where is everyone sitting now on Goldson? I thought after the Hibs semi that he was almost certainly wanting out… but his response to the new manager has been excellent and I feel he’s looked much more like himself. Seems galvanised by the manager.”

The verdict

It’s understandable that Dickson feels there has been a marked improvement in Goldson’s form since Van Bronckhorst came to the club last month. Since the Dutchman’s first Premiership game in charge against Livingston, the ex-Brighton defender has posted markedly better performance ratings from renowned website WhoScored.

The departure of a figure like Steven Gerrard, a Champions League winner and former Premier League player of the year, might have had Rangers fans fearing the worst, but could Van Bronckhorst inspire a change of heart from Goldson?

It’s not out of the question, and prolonging their European campaign by finishing second in their Europa League group should only have helped their case as the January transfer window looms.

But what if rumoured suitors West Ham United come knocking? They’ve been hit with two serious injuries in the heart of defence, and an offer from the Londoners may be too good for Goldson to turn down, if indeed he is still clamouring to return to England when the window opens.

In other news, many Rangers fans bemoaned this injury update

Celtic have been encouraged to secure the permanent signing of Jota in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, Pete O’Rourke stated his belief that all Celtic fans would love for Ange Postecoglou to secure the permanent signing of the 22-year-old Benfica loanee in the upcoming winter window.

Previous reports had revealed that the Bhoys do possess an option to buy the Portugal U21 international, with the figure required in order to seal the forward’s permanent switch to Parkhead believed to be around £6.5m.

Speaking about the club’s potential signing of Jota, O’Rourke said: “Yeah, this is a deal all Celtic fans want to get done as soon as possible. They love Jota up there.”

Celtic fans would love it

Considering just how impressive Jota has been since his arrival in Glasgow this summer, it is easy to see why O’Rourke believes that Celtic’s permanent signing of the 22-year-old would be a deal the Parkhead faithful would love.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £3.15m-rated winger has bagged five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen player who Postecoglou himself dubbed an “unbelievable” talent average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the sixth-best player in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

The £7.1k-per-week winger was also in excellent form over his five Europa League outings, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates – returns which saw the forward average a SofaScore match rating of 7.40 in the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see that retaining the services of Jota beyond the end of the current campaign would be something of a major coup for the Bhoys, as the Portuguese youngster very much looks to possess the ability to help take Celtic to the next level both in domestic and European competition.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £900k-rated Celtic “part-timer” with swoop for £3.5k-p/w machine

Having watched his new suitors defeat Arsenal on Thursday evening from the stands, interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick took charge of the Red Devils from the dugout for the first time on Sunday.

The German got off to the perfect start as United scraped a 1-0 victory over a resolute Crystal Palace outfit at Old Trafford with Fred’s late stunner the decisive moment.

None of the Manchester club’s stellar attacking options stood out, with the winning goal having to come through a rare strike from the Brazilian midfielder.

However, there was one man who was particularly disappointing in Rangnick’s first game: Jadon Sancho.

It’s no secret that the 21-year-old has struggled to replicate his fabulous form at Dortmund for Manchester United since arriving for £73m in the summer. However, there had been signs of late that the winger was starting to blossom.

The Manchester United Evening News stated that Sancho now “looks like a different player from the one who started the season”, however, he was ineffective on Sunday afternoon.

In what was a quiet game, Sancho struggled to make any sort of impact, losing possession 15 times (every 3.2 touches) as well as failing to win any of his aerial duels and coming off best in just two of six ground duels (72% overall).

As a result, Rangnick opted to withdraw the Englishman in the 62nd minute as United looked for an alternative strategy to secure the three points.

Despite an ineffective performance, there is still optimism that United fans are starting to see glimmers of the Sancho they hoped for after goals against Villareal and Chelsea in recent weeks. Ironically, both came after the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

It took Sancho 15 games to net his first goal in a United shirt against Villareal and is still yet to register an assist for the Red Devils.

There is undoubtedly potential there, but Rangnick will have to find a solution to get the best out of the £81m-rated man. For now, however, the wide man has already failed his new interim manager.

As per Calciomercato, it appears that yet another player is now keen to join West Ham United as news emerges on Lille star Jonathan David.

The Lowdown: Targets eye Irons move?

According to numerous claims, it seems that a fair few transfer targets are quite keen on the idea of joining the Hammers and are open to a move to east London.

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Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard has apparently ‘made it clear’ to West Ham that he wants to join, as per a recent update by reliable club insider ExWHUemployee.

Meanwhile, another reliable source in Evening Standard reporter Jack Rosser revealed earlier this month that Burnley defender James Tarkowski would also be interested.

Eurosport journalist Dean Jones lifted the lid on Manchester City defender Nathan Ake’s stance as well, claiming that the Netherlands international is ‘keen on the prospect’ of joining the Irons if his club will allow it.

As per a claim from Italy, yet another player is open to a London Stadium move.

The Latest: David’s stance is clear…

According to Calciomercato, in-form Lille striker David ‘likes’ the idea of joining either West Ham or Barcelona as the January transfer window looms.

The Canada international has been in fine form, scoring 14 goals in all competitions already this season, including three in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

The Verdict: Tremendous coup?

David is one of the hottest forward prospects in Europe right now and has also been dazzling on the international stage, with a very impressive 18 goals in 24 caps.

His national team coach, John Herdman, even described the starlet as ‘fearless’ – with the praise hardly ending there.

Writing for The Guardian, French football expert Adam White raved over the 21-year-old’s exploits in a detailed piece and explained how he is transforming into an ‘elite striker’ in Ligue 1, even likening his style to Luis Suarez and Wissam Ben Yedder.

Valued at around £45m by Transfermarkt, his current deal at Lille runs until 2025, putting his club in a strong negotiating stance when it comes to a potential transfer.

For this reason, while David would undoubtedly be a phenomenal signing for West Ham, we believe this could be far too difficult to pull off.

In other news: ‘Yes please’, ‘Buzzing’…These West Ham fans rave as Newman eyes ‘absolute bargain’ for Moyes, find out more here.

With Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side heading into Wednesday evening’s Championship clash on the back of a resounding 3-0 defeat last time out, the 46-year-old Albion manager will undoubtedly be hoping for a much-improved result and performance when Hull City visit The Hawthorns in midweek.

However, with Darnell Furlong’s sending off against Fulham meaning that the right-back will miss Wednesday’s game due to suspension, the Frenchman has been left with something of a selection headache on the right-hand side of his defence.

Having said that, when Ismael arrived at West Brom this summer, he came with the promise of being a manager with a reputation for developing a club’s younger talents – something that Furlong’s suspension could allow him to put into practice once again.

Indeed, with the 46-year-old not having another senior right-back in his first-team squad, it would appear to be a choice between playing either a midfielder or attacker out of position at wing-back or handing 19-year-old right-back Taylor Gardner-Hickman his league debut for the club.

And, considering just how impressive the youngster has been in the club’s youth sides, as well as the fact that Ismael is known to rate the versatile defender extremely highly, it would seem an obvious choice for the Frenchman to finally unleash the teenager against a struggling Hull City side on Wednesday.

Over Gardner-Hickman’s 30 appearances for West Brom’s U18 side, the 19-year-old scored three goals and registered four assists, playing a variety of positions along the right-hand side of the youth team.

The youngster has also continued this fine attacking form over his 34 appearances for Albion’s U23 side, bagging six goals and providing four assists for Deon Burton’s outfit.

And, with Joseph Masi revealing that the man who Sam Allardyce suggested could become an “important” player for West Brom was the reason Ismael did not sign a backup right-back this summer, it would only seem natural for the Frenchman to finally give the youngster a shot in the position on Wednesday evening.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

An update has emerged on Rangers’ pursuit of a new defender amid talks of a new manager arriving at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are one of the clubs considering a swoop for Hearts central defender John Souttar ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims Nottingham Forest and Stoke are also interested in Souttar, with Hearts potentially ready to cash in on him to avoid the defensive titan leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Instant hit

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has reportedly held a second round of talks with Rangers and could become the new manager of the club this week. If he does get the job then he should start to think about what he wants to do in the January transfer window, which is where Souttar comes into play.

The Dutchman could become an instant hit at Ibrox, if he isn’t already, by securing a deal to sign the 25-year-old to bolster the squad. Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun are both out of contract at the end of the season and Souttar could be a superb replacement for either of them.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once heaped praise on the defender and hailed his development at the club. He said:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time.

“He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

This highlights the level he has been playing at in Scotland in recent years, with Levein believing him to be the best centre-back in the division at the time of these quotes. His comments on his passing also suggests that he could suit Rangers’ possession style, with an ability to play out from the back.

The £3.1k-per-week beast has averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.27 in the Premiership this term, whilst scoring three goals in 11 starts. Balogun and Goldson, meanwhile, have averaged scores of 7.06 and 7.00 respectively, suggesting that fans would love to see Souttar come in as he has shown that he can perform to a higher standard consistently in the same division this season.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst could make himself an instant hit with the supporters by making a major addition to the squad in Souttar. The defender has proven that he can excel in the Premiership and put in consistent, strong, displays and Rangers could benefit from his talents if they lose one, or both, of Goldson or Balogun.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Journo drops Rangers manager update that’ll surely please fans…

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has provided injury updates on Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent ahead of Sunday’s clash with St Mirren.

What’s the latest?

The 41-year-old has revealed that Jack has returned to first team training after recovering from his long-term injury, whilst Kent is expected to be back within the next week.

Gerrard told Rangers’ official Twitter channel: “It’s a big day for Ryan Jack as he is back with the team in training for the first time in months. Ryan Kent, we are hoping to have available in and around the Aberdeen game or just slightly after.”

Gers fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that two key players are set to return from notable injuries. Kent’s last appearance came against Lyon in the Europa League on 16 September, whilst Jack has not played a single minute of football since February.

The Ibrox faithful will be delighted to see Kent return as he has shown his quality at Premiership level in recent years. Last season, he scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 37 appearances as he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23. The fans will be looking forward to seeing him back in action as he can clearly make a difference in the final third for Gerrard’s side.

Former Gers marksman Kris Boyd once lauded the ex-Liverpool winger’s ability with the ball at his feet, hailing him as a player who gets fans off their seats. 

He said: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Meanwhile, Jack was also impressive in the league last season. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 in 19 appearances prior to his calf injury, creating one chance per game and winning 56% of his duels as he completed 90% of his attempted passes.

This shows why Gers fans must be happy to see him back in the fold after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He has proven that he can be a quality central midfield option in the Premiership and his return gives Gerrard another option to utilise as Rangers go in search of back-to-back league titles.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

With a heavily changed team from the XI that started their 5-0 bashing of Manchester United last weekend, Liverpool managed to get past Championship club Preston North End by a scoreline of 2-0 in the Carabao Cup last night thanks to goals from Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi.

Despite managing to progress through to the next stage of the competition and keep a clean sheet in the process, one player that we feel didn’t cover himself in glory in midweek for the Reds was left-back Kostas Tsimikas, who came in for Andy Robertson.

The defender, who started the match at Deepdale and played the full 90 minutes, managed to make just one clearance and one interception, got dribbled past on three occasions, won just three of the 10 duels he was involved in, lost possession 21 times and only managed to complete one of the eight crosses he attempted, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 6.6, making him one of the lowest-rated Liverpool players on the day according to SofaScore.

This says to us that Tsimikas let Jurgen Klopp down somewhat after the German showed enough faith in him to start against Preston as well as proving himself to be a bit of a lightweight given the poor defensive statistics he racked up.

So far this season, Tsimikas, who has been described in the past as a “dangerous” player by Reds journalist David Hughes, has made seven appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, starting five of them.

Liverpool signed the defender back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Greek club Olympiacos for a reported fee of £11.75m.

Last season saw the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, make just seven appearances for the Reds.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, Robertson shouldn’t have any concerns about Tsimikas taking his place in the starting XI at the weekend given the level of performance he put in against Preston.

Looking ahead beyond that, we feel that Tsimikas will have to improve on what he delivered on Wednesday whenever he gets another opportunity to play in Klopp’s side, or else he could find his playing opportunities limited as time goes on.

In other news: FSG could land LFC’s next Henderson in 18 y/o “huge talent”, fans should be excited – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur’s shocking run of form in the Premier League continued on Sunday afternoon after they were well-beaten in the north London derby by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

It was a third straight defeat and also the third successive time that Nuno Santo has seen his side leak three goals – a vast contrast to the opening three games of the season, in which Spurs kept three clean sheets.

There are now plenty of problems facing the Portuguese head coach.

Spurs were amongst the worst attacking sides in the division as they went into the weekend having recorded the lowest total expected goals (4.42 xG) of any top-flight team but now they’re leaking goals at an alarming rate, meaning they cannot even grind out draws.

Davinson Sanchez has seemingly reverted back to his calamitous self following the most recent international break. Ahead of kick-off, Football FanCast explained why the £42m flop should’ve been axed for this encounter and Nuno was severely punished for trusting him to start.

Once dubbed a “real liability to his team” by ex-Wimbledon defender Kenny Cunningham, the Colombian international put in an absolutely disgraceful showing against their arch-rivals.

SofaScore graded him among Nuno’s worst performers (6.3) and it’s easy to see why.

He was weak in his battles up against the goalscoring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, having won just one of six battles (16%), whilst he also lost possession seven times and committed two fouls.

Sanchez was caught napping for Emile Smith Rowe’s early opener – as the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick claimed, he was “all at sea on his return to the side.”

In addition, the 25-year-old, who earns a reported £75k-per-week, failed to register a single tackle, interception or block as the Gunners ran him ragged throughout the 90 minutes.

Time and time again, Sanchez has let Spurs down, perhaps it’s time to get rid for good, especially when there’s summer signing Cristian Romero sat waiting on the bench.

Plenty of supporters seems to be aggrieved with players like vice-captain Harry Kane, venting their frustrations on social media, but the England talisman had very little service throughout and he was not at fault for Arsenal’s dominance in their own penalty box.

Nuno must think twice before trusting Sanchez again.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Lloris: £27m-rated Spurs passenger badly betrayed Nuno vs Arsenal…