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Rangers striker Jermain Defoe was part of Sky Sports’ punditry team for two televised Premier League matches on Sunday.

He joined Graeme Souness, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville in the studio for West Ham United v Tottenham (two of his former clubs) and Manchester United v Liverpool.

However, Rangers were in action themselves on Sunday, beating St Mirren 2-1 to move three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

What’s Defoe’s role at Rangers?

Defoe signed a one-year contract extension at Ibrox over the summer and has taken some coaching responsibilities in addition to playing (via BBC Sport).

The 38-year-old has only seen eight minutes of competitive action so far this term, making a substitute appearance against Dundee United back in early August. Aside from that, he hasn’t featured in any of Steven Gerrard’s matchday squads.

At 9:21pm on Sunday night, Rangers’ official Twitter channel tweeted that ‘it was great to see one of our coaches on punditry duty today’. They added that they were ‘looking forward to having JD back at our training centre to continue his development as a coach whilst playing a key role within our squad’.

However, with Defoe still in the Gers’ playing ranks and his current club playing yesterday, some Light Blues supporters were not impressed with his Sky Sports appearance.

Fans fume over Defoe no-show

“He should be on the bench to bring on in games, never mind at Old Trafford!”

Credit: @ClaytonLaird

“Key role within our squad… he’s been bombed out”

Credit: @thestranGER1872

“He should have came on in the second half, he’s the best finisher at the club.”

Credit: @jamesst50264523

“There’s no way this is justified”

Credit: @CraigBr92630627

“Would have been great to see him at our game today too Mr Rangers”

Credit: @cccc18721972

“Good luck to Gary Mac on covering the Leeds game next Sunday while we’re away to Motherwell. Baffling stuff.”

Credit: @NYCRFC

“Embarrassing”

Credit: @jamiehanna2000

In other news, many Rangers fans gushed over this training ground image.

Bournemouth have reportedly made an approach to sign Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh this summer.

The Lowdown: Drameh at Cardiff

The Leeds youngster decided to head out on loan during the January window, joining Championship side Cardiff City until the end of the season.

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Drameh has become a regular for The Bluebirds, making 18 consecutive starts following his move to Wales.

The 20-year-old, who’s positioning was labelled as ‘awful’ by Ian Wright against Arsenal back in December, now appears to be catching the eye elsewhere following his spell in the second tier.

The Latest: Bournemouth approach

According to Wales Online, Bournemouth have made an approach over a move for Drameh, outlining how much they’d be willing to offer when it comes to wages.

The report adds that Leeds look likely to assess the full-back in pre-season, with Drameh open to the idea of another exit if he isn’t guaranteed minutes under Jesse Marsch.

The Verdict: Tricky…

Drameh will be entering the final two years of his contract in the summer, and it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers group, Victor Orta and Marsch will have another difficult call to make on the youngster over the coming months.

We have already seen that Drameh is willing to force his way out of Elland Road, and another temporary deal away could suit all involved.

Bournemouth could well be a destination, and it looks as if they are going to earn promotion back to the Premier League. Therefore, if regular minutes can be guaranteed, then the south coast could be the perfect place for Drameh ahead of a potential breakthrough into the Leeds side in 2023/24.

In other news: Sky Sports now share big news on Leeds star’s Elland Road future; ‘dealing’ already happening. 

An update has emerged on Lille gem Renato Sanches, regarding Wolves’ plans to sign him in 2022…

What’s the talk?

Midlands reporter Luke Hatfield has named the midfielder as a player the club are more likely to pursue ahead of Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek.

He told GIVEMESPORT when asked about a possible move for the Dutchman:

“I still think someone like Renato Sanches is going to be probably higher on the list for Wolves this winter or next summer.

“He offers a little bit more of an all-round game. But, I suppose, if they miss out on him or decide to look elsewhere then van de Beek could be a really good option for them.”

Neves 2.0

Bruno Lage must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for Sanches in January as he could land Ruben Neves 2.0 for the club.

Neves joined Wolves whilst they were in the Championship and immediately helped them to win promotion back to the top-flight, scoring six goals in 42 second-tier appearances. He has since gone on to play 126 times in the Premier League as the side have consolidated their place at the top table.

The Portugal international average a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.20 in the Championship, showing that he was consistently putting in quality performances at that level to push Wolves to the next stage. His ability, therefore, played a major role in the club taking the next step and achieving promotion.

In Sanches, Lage could be repeating that masterclass for Wolves in his own way by improving the midfield to help the team push on again, this time into Europe. The 24-year-old has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.96 in Ligue 1 for Lille, whilst making 1.7 tackles and interceptions, along with 1.4 key passes and 2.6 dribbles, per game.

The £27m-rated destroyer was previously lauded for his physical strength by former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac, with the Croatian saying:

“Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body. It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus. I’m delighted for Renato – I said yesterday that he was excellent in pre-season and it wouldn’t be long before he plays.”

This shows that he has the defensive and physical attributes to adapt well to playing in the Premier League, whilst his dribbling and creative statistics for Lille suggest that he also has an attacking edge that could drive Wolves forward in games.

His 1.4 key passes per game rank him level with Raul Jimenez for the number one spot at Wolves, whilst he is only behind Adama Traore (4.7) in dribbles per match. Therefore, he would be the best midfield at the club in both statistics if he is able to translate his form over to the Molineux, which is why he could elevate the team’s attacking potential without taking away any defensive aspects.

This is why Lage could repeat a Neves masterstroke with the former Bayern man as he could be the signing, just as his compatriot was in 2017, that pushes Wolves on to the next level and gets them challenging for European football.

AND in other news, Lage may already be heading for a major January disaster at Wolves, fans would fume…

A number of Wolves supporters have been lauding Conor Coady’s celebration after scoring in his team’s 3-1 win at home to Southampton.

Bruno Lage’s side continued their impressive season on Saturday afternoon, easing past the Saints at Molineux to follow up their famous 1-0 victory away to Manchester United in their previous Premier League clash.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Coady made it 2-0 before James Ward-Prowse pulled a goal back with a trademark free-kick. Adama Traore then put the game to bed in the dying minutes, scoring his first goal of the season.

It was a rare Coady strike which was arguably the highlight of the afternoon, with the skipper netting just his fifth goal in 298 appearances for Wolves.

Wolves fans laud Coady celebration

After the game, the club’s official Twitter channel shared a video of Coady scoring and celebrating passionately with the home fans. Unsurprisingly, these Wolves supporters reacted gleefully to the footage.

“Keep watching this, how much it means to him and the team, Love how Sa is there too. LOVE this and our Captain”

Credit: @SmithShakesp

“I don’t think team morale has ever been this high. Only looking up from here”

Credit: @jm0ty

“You cannot put a price tag on that”

Credit: @JasDeo1

“What a bloke. Honestly so happy for him it’s nice to see his turnaround after so many slandered him (including myself) to now being an important part of our defensive unit and adding a few goals here and there”

Credit: @Alfiewwfc_

“It’s impossible not to like this bloke”

Credit: @Cookmtt1976

“My skipper!!!”

Credit: @86bakes

In other news, some Wolves fans are delighted after news emerged regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, Ajax were ‘priced out of a potential deal’ by Tottenham for Steven Bergwijn as Antonio Conte considers him ‘an important member of his squad’.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn’s transfer saga

The Dutch winger was at the centre of a fluctuating transfer saga during the January window. One moment he was seemingly off from N17, the next Conte wanted him to stay.

On 9 January, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that Tottenham had ‘decided to sell’ the 24-year-old amid interest from a number of clubs.

Two days later, the Evening Standard reported that Spurs had rejected an opening £15m bid from Ajax. It was said that Daniel Levy was holding out on the deal as he was looking to recoup as much of the £27m that they paid for the player in 2020 as they could.

However, Bergwijn seemingly threw his Spurs future into the air as he fired in two stoppage-time goals in 80 seconds to snatch Conte’s side three points in a thrilling 3-2 win over Leicester City two weeks ago.

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The Latest: Ajax ‘priced out’ of Bergwijn deal

According to Eccleshare on Twitter, the Dutch champions were priced out of a possible deal for Bergwijn, a player who Conte feels is an integral member of the Tottenham squad.

He outlined: “It’s been a busy day for #THFC departures, but Steven Bergwijn is staying put. Ajax priced out of a potential deal for someone Antonio Conte considers an important member of his squad.”

Eccleshare also revealed for The Athletic that Spurs were not actively looking to offload the attacker, but Ajax’s interest had tested their resolve. This ultimately ended as the Dutch giants could not afford to meet Tottenham’s asking price.

The Verdict: Good choice

Bergwijn has not enjoyed an easy period since he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but in recent weeks, it seems that the Netherlands international’s fortunes may have changed.

With the 24-year-old having secured Spurs that dramatic win against Leicester and with Alasdair Gold hailing him as a ‘rare bright spot’ in the recent defeat at Chelsea, this begged the question as to whether Conte and Fabio Paratici were silly to consider allowing the player to leave.

Considering the failed pursuit for now-Barcelona winger Adama Traore, Tottenham have made the right call to keep hold of the Dutchman, whose ‘quality’ has been hailed by Conte himself.

In other news: Tottenham: Late Ousmane Dembele attempt fails

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As quoted by Football London, West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Manuel Lanzini is close to a return to action, following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Chilean coach said, “this week I think we will have the squad list [on Thursday] and maybe Lanzini and Nasri can be included on the squad list…We will talk [Thursday] with the medical staff and then we will decide.”

Whether or not it is in time to face Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday night, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder is clearly close to a return to field. This will be welcome news to Hammers fans, as the Argentine can certainly have an impact between now and the end of the season.

On the chalkboard

The midfielder was expected to miss out on the entirety of this campaign after he sustained a knee injury during preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, he now looks to be on schedule for a return ahead of the initial 15-month diagnosis.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The team he is coming back into though is very different to the one he left. The Hammers have improved their attacking contingent whilst Lanzini has been sidelined, and summer arrival Felipe Anderson could make it tricky for the 4-cap Argentina international to get back into the team.

Pellegrini will have to find a way to balance his side so that Lanzini and the Brazilian can play alongside each other without leaving the Irons defensively exposed.

Finding the balance

With both Anderson and Lanzini on the pitch, the east London club would boast a great deal of creativity, technical ability and flair. However, neither are the most defensively aware or diligent of players. Despite all their quality, the Irons could find themselves missing the work rate currently brought to the side by the likes of Mark Noble, Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio – and there isn’t room for all of them in the starting XI.

Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko’s own returns to fitness could intensify this selection headache for the manager. Pellegrini will likely have to make some tough choices in the summer, or else find a way to accommodate all of this attacking midfield talent, to ensure that the Iron’s don’t become a top-heavy, unbalanced outfit.

Aston Villa are considering a move to appoint Kasper Hjulmand as Dean Smith’s successor at Villa Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Rob Dorsett, with the journalist revealing on Sky Sports that the Denmark manager is one of the names on Aston Villa’s shortlist of candidates to fill the vacant managerial position in the Villa Park dugout.

Dorsett went on to claim that Villa’s sporting director, Johan Lange, is a big fan of the 49-year-old coach, as well as suggesting that Hjulmand will be brought in for an interview at the club.

In his comments, the journalist said: “The Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand is also on their list. He’s very well known by the sporting director [at Aston Villa], Johan Lange, who himself is Danish. I expect him to be interviewed – but I suspect he’s a bit of an outsider for the role, as I see things at the moment.”

Lange would love him

Considering the rather remarkable job Hjulmand has done since being appointed as the Denmark manager in the summer of last year, in addition to achieving equally as impressive results during his time in charge of FC Nordsjaelland, it is easy to see why Lange is such a fan of the 49-year-old coach.

Indeed, after being promoted from Morten Wieghorst’s assistant manager to first-team coach at Nordsjaelland back in 2011, Hjulmand went on to guide the Danish side to their first-ever Superligaen title during his debut campaign at Farum Park, pipping FC Copenhagen to the league on the final day of the season.

The following campaign, Hjulmand once again defied expectations with Nordsjaelland, securing a second-place finish in the league, as well as earning what is perhaps the most famous point in the club’s short history – in the form of a 1-1 draw with Italian giants Juventus in the group stage of the Champions League.

As a result of these massive overachievements, Bundesliga side 1.FSV Mainz 05 took a chance on the 49-year-old manager in 2014, although he returned to Denmark and Nordsjaelland after winning just four of his 21 games in charge of the German side.

After a further three solid seasons at Farum Park, Hjulmand eventually left the club in 2019, before being appointed as the Denmark national team coach in the summer of 2020.

And, the Dane once again defied the odds with De Rod-Hvide at Euro 2020, guiding his side to the semi-final of the competition, narrowly missing out on qualification for the final as a result of Harry Kane’s extra-time penalty.

As such, while it is true that Hjulmand does not have much experience of managing in one of Europe’s big five leagues, the 49-year-old’s knack of overachieving with the teams he has coached could well be enough to convince the Villa board to take a chance on the Dane.

In other news: “I understand”: Sky journo drops big AVFC manager update, fans surely buzzing

According to a report from RMC Sport (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in a move for Angers striker Mohamed-Ali Cho.

The lowdown: Rising stock

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in France and has previously attracted interest from Leicester City and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite not boasting an impressive goal return in domestic football, Cho has netted two goals in three outings for France at under-19 level.

A fresh update has now emerged suggesting that Liverpool could be among the clubs looking at the talented youngster…

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The latest: Premier League giants watching Cho

As per RMC Sport, as translated by Sport Witness, the Anfield club and their Premier League rivals Chelsea are both ‘keeping an eye’ on Cho.

It is claimed that RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the teenager as the Ligue 1 outfit eye a ‘record’ sale exceeding the €25m (£20m) they received from Lyon for Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

Formerly of Paris Saint-Germain and Everton at academy level, leaving the Goodison Park club in 2020, the report states that Cho is ‘one of the most highly-rated youngsters on the market’.

The verdict: Firmino successor?

Possessing a perceived market value of £13.5m and out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), signing the French teenager – who was described as possessing ‘bags of potential’ by Alan Hutton when discussing Tottenham Hotspur’s previous interest – would be a relatively inexpensive deal for the Reds.

As Jurgen Klopp and outgoing sporting director Julian Ward prepare for life after Divock Origi and (potentially long-term) Roberto Firmino, adding a new centre-forward to the squad will be necessitated over the coming transfer windows.

Although a lowly two goals in 49 senior appearances from Cho doesn’t make for excellent reading, the ‘intelligent’ starlet – as hailed by his manager Gerard Baticle – has been a regular feature this season, starting on 18 occasions in Ligue 1. That makes him a viable option to continue the pattern of Liverpool turning lesser-known prospects into eventual stars.

In other news: Liverpool could now sign South American beast for a bargain as price drops by 38%

Speaking live on his Twitch stream, as shared by The Daily Express, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared another update on Tottenham Hotspur target Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs in talks…

As reported by multiple reliable sources, Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been in talks to sign the Wolves winger, whom Antonio Conte intends to use as a right-wing back.

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The Italian wants to strengthen out wide and sees Traore as a player who could seriously bolster his three-at-the-back formation, coming amid claims that he wants an upgrade on summer signing Emerson Royal (The Athletic).

As the final week of the transfer window looms, an agreement still hasn’t been announced with negotiations taking time.

Journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph claimed recently that Spurs are eyeing a loan with an obligation to buy for the player as Romano now shares Traore’s stance on a switch to north London.

The Latest: Traore wants to join Spurs…

According to the Italian on his Twitch, as relayed by The Express, the 25-year-old is apparently eager to join Conte at Spurs and sees the opportunity as one he can’t refuse.

Talks are expected to continue between the Molineux outfit and Tottenham as the Lilywhites head coach sets sights on his first signing at N17.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Lauded as ‘undefendable’ and ‘unplayable’ in past seasons by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, a huge admirer, pundits across the Premier League believe Traore could indeed be a good fit for Spurs.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, for instance, called the Spain international a ‘perfect fit’ for Tottenham and if they can agree a loan it would be some stellar business.

Still fairly young in his mid-20s, Traore’s price tag has dropped massively in recent seasons, which could partly be due to his contract situation at Wolves.

Romano, writing for Calciomercato in October 2020, claimed that the Midlands outfit once valued their man at a sky high €100 million (£83.1m).

Spurs would be foolish not to strike and seal a deal before January 31.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for £220k-p/w ‘jewel’ as he lays out transfer demand for Spurs chiefs, find out more here.

According to a report from Goal, Liverpool are interested in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane.

The lowdown: Long-standing admiration

The Reds have previously been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and recent performances in Spain have only further cemented the former Bournemouth star’s burgeoning reputation.

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Signed for £21.3million in 2021 (Sky Sports), Danjuma has scored 14 times and registered another four assists in 29 appearances so far for Unai Emery’s side.

Now it would appear that Liverpool’s interest in the Dutchman is only growing, with his goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday sure to catch the eye.

The latest: Mane successor?

As per Goal, Liverpool, and by extension new transfer guru Julian Ward, are said to be ‘interested’ in signing Danjuma but are ‘unlikely to make a bid’ in the upcoming summer window.

It’s claimed that Liverpool view the six-cap Holland ace as a ‘possible successor’ to Mane – who is fast approaching the final 12 months of a contract on Merseyside.

The report also states that the Reds ‘could sanction’ a bid next year for the winger with a mooted €75million (£63million) release clause.

The verdict: Rising star

After flopping on the south coast – failing to score or assist in 14 Premier League outings and completing 90 minutes just twice in those games – Danjuma has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in Spain.

Despite struggling in England, he has been impressing in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League, ranking as his club’s sixth-best player in the top flight and third-best in European action, per Whoscored.

Described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by Kevin Phillips, the skilful winger has completed 1.2 successful dribbles per game from 20 league appearances so far this season (Sofascore).

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), the release clause could represent value for money for a player who possesses the necessary range of attacking assets to replace Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

In other news, Liverpool target reportedly set to leave Bundesliga giants. Find out who it is here.