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According to The Scottish Sun, Billy Gilmour is considering a loan exit away from Chelsea this summer, and The Daily Record has suggested Glasgow Rangers could be a potential destination for him.

The Lowdown: Gers prepare for new campaign

The Gers enjoyed a magnificent campaign last term, winning the Premiership title without losing a single league match (BBC).

As such, the Gers have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League group stages this term. They will need to bring in new players this summer though to deal with the gruelling task of task of competing in such elite competition alongside their domestic pursuits.

The Latest: Gilmour on the radar

It is now being reported that Gilmour will push for a loan move away from Chelsea as he looks to earn more first-team minutes.

The Daily Record have suggested the Gers could be in line to sign him, along with Brentford, West Ham, Swansea and Vitesse Arnhem.

The Verdict: Beyond the Gers reach

In an ideal world, Steven Gerrard would surely love to add £9m-valued Gilmour (Transfermarkt) to his side. The 20-year-old was part of a squad that won the Champions League last month, and he made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Blues across the season (Transfermarkt).

He has also earned a call-up to the Scotland squad for the European Championships, while Roy Keane even labelled him “world-class” in the past.

Unfortunately, all of this probably means Gilmour will move to a Premier League side next term as he aims to test his abilities at the highest level. If the Gers do make the Champions League group stage, that could be enough to convince Gilmour, but there are no guarantees right now.

In other news, Gers have been urged to sign this young Dutchman.

Celtic are thought to be weighing up summer moves for Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet and Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Howe closing in on Celtic switch

It seems as if Eddie Howe is set to become the next permanent Celtic manager.

Reports have claimed that the 43-year-old has agreed to replace Neil Lennon at Parkhead and will be the man in charge for the 2021/22 season.

He is thought to be putting together his Celtic Park backroom staff, with some members of his team expected to come from Bournemouth, his previous employers.

It now looks as if the Hoops are already throwing possible signings in Howe’s direction ahead of a potential summer rebuild.

The Latest: Howe presented with idea of pursuing Nisbet and Hickey

The Scottish Sun understand that Howe has been presented with the idea of Celtic going after Nisbet and Hickey.

The report claims that Nisbet is rated at £3m, whereas a deal for Hickey could cost over £4m.

Both possible additions could see them become two of the club’s 30 most expensive signings of all time, with Odsonne Edouard’s £9.27m move from Paris Saint-Germain leading the way in that department.

The Verdict: Possible Edouard and Laxalt replacements?

In our opinion, the two reported targets could come in as replacements for Edouard and Diego Laxalt.

The French forward has his heart set on a Parkhead exit, regardless of who comes in as manager, with reports suggesting Leicester City are confident the King Power will be his next destination.

Nisbet has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, two of which came against Celtic. He has plenty of experience in Scottish football so could be a wise addition to come in for Edouard.

Meanwhile, left-back Laxalt will return to AC Milan over the coming weeks following his loan spell at Parkhead.

The South American hasn’t exactly been a revelation at the Hoops, failing to cement his place in the side at the expense of Greg Taylor.

Bringing in Hickey, 18, who already has Scottish Premiership experience, could also be a smart move, but it seems as if he’ll be the more expensive of the two potential additions.

In other news: Celtic keen on versatile English ace, find out who it is here.  

Aston Villa could be heading for another Charles N’Zogbia disaster amid reports linking them with a move for Bordeaux’s Mehdi Zerkane.

What’s the story?

In recent days, French publication L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) has claimed that Dean Smith’s side have made contact with Zerkane over a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It was added that: “Zerkane, who scored a goal last night vs Lens in a crucial win in FCGB’s relegation battle, was watched again by Aston Villa scouts who were in the stands – they have been tracking Zerkane for at least 3 months and have made contact with the player’s entourage.”

Another N’Zogbia disaster

Villa fans will, of course, know all about N’Zogbia and the kind of hype that came with him after some starring performances with Wigan, but the exciting winger never ended up delivering at Villa Park.

And, in a piece done by The Birmingham Mail, they wrote: “Quick, agile, athletic and an eye for a goal! What arrived was a massive anti-climax having cost little over £10m. He was not helped by the dour football of Alex McLeish. He could hardly utilise his expertise in a team playing route one football.

“He did suffer an Achilles injury during Paul Lambert’s tenure that kept him out for a season. But, with a £50-60k wage heading into his bank account each week, the Frenchman has simply not justified it. He had offered nothing in all honesty to this team, even during Tim Sherwood’s short-lived spell last season where he was in the starting-XI more often that not but was just a passenger if anything else.”

Zerkane is in that similar mould, being someone who can play on either flank with a bit of pace, but there are already some signs that he would be a massive flop at Villa.

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This season has seen him score just one goal in 28 games in all competitions, the kind of record that even favours poorly compared to N’Zogbia’s tally of five in 93 for Villa.

And like the Frenchman, Zerkane has also suffered from injuries in his fledgling career, and has already missed a decent chunk of the campaign just gone by with a leg issue.

This has all the hallmarks of going down the route that N’Zogbia’s career did at Villa, and if that’s the case, it’s a move that won’t have fans happy at all.

Meanwhile, Villa are interested in this South American star; it’s not Buendia…

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action as they welcome already-relegated Sheffield United to north London this evening.

Ryan Mason’s side will be looking to bounce back from a tough week, which ended in another final loss after being defeated by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last Sunday.

The 29-year-old has plenty to ponder in terms of team selection and whilst a top-four berth appears out of reach, Spurs could still qualify for the Europa League once again but it is games like this that they must secure maximum points.

So, what sort of side could we see the interim boss select at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight? Here’s our predicted XI as well as the latest team and injury news heading into kick-off…

We’re predicting there to be as many as four changes to the side that tasted defeat at Wembley a week ago.

In his pre-game press conference, Mason revealed that he had no fresh injury concerns and that Ben Davies would still be out through injury, so he has the exact same options to choose from.

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He also claimed that Matt Doherty had been back in training all week, so he could well come back into the starting XI, taking the place of Serge Aurier, who last week was lambasted as “one of the biggest liabilities in the Premier League” by Jamie Carragher.

That echoed the thoughts of Darren Bent who once dubbed the £18m-rated star a “liability.”

We could expect to see Joe Rodon in contention once again as he was cup-tied for the final and was not played against Southampton last week as Mason wanted his defensive pairing to be settled, though bringing him in for Eric Dier could be a decent switch to make.

The pair will be joined by Toby Alderweireld and Sergio Reguilon, who both keep their place in front of Hugo Lloris.

Another change could come in midfield, with Tanguy Ndombele likely to replace Harry Winks as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s partner, whilst Lucas Moura comes back into the no.10 role from out wide.

Gareth Bale might be the fourth and final change as he replaces Giovani Lo Celso in attack and both Heung-min Son and Harry Kane are more than likely to start.

AND in other news, Spurs must land perfect Kane replacement in “special” £36m-rated goal-machine…

Leeds United are reportedly showing genuine interest in signing  Brest winger Romain Faivre, but other big clubs are also interested.

The Lowdown: Past interest in Faivre

Marcelo Bielsa is expected to make additions to his squad in the summer transfer window in order to ensure that they keep improving next season.

The Whites have been linked with a move for Faivre in recent months, with the 22-year-old scoring six goals and registering five assists in Ligue 1 this season.

The Latest: Leeds in the race for winger

According to Le Parisien [via Sport Witness], Leeds are showing ‘concrete interest’ in signing Faivre at the end of the season, but they aren’t alone in that respect.

Both Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund are also in the mix, along with AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach.

It is claimed that Leeds will have to pay between €15m and €20m (£12.95m-£17.26m) to acquire the Frenchman’s signature.

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The Verdict: Worth a punt?

Faivre might not the most high-profile name with whom Leeds have been linked, but his statistics suggest that he could thrive in this Whites team.

On top of his aforementioned 11 goal contributions in the league, he also averages 2.6 dribbles per game, highlighting his direct nature. That’s comfortably more than any Leeds player in the Premier League in 2020/21, with Raphinha (1.9) leading the way, going to show what an exciting acquisition he could be.

Indeed, the Brazilian was a left-field £17m signing from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes and has gone on to excel in Yorkshire, so the Whites could strike a similarly successful note with another raid on the French top flight if they sign Faivre.

In other news, one pundit has tipped a Leeds attacker to leave the club at the end of the season. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United appear to be extremely keen on Everton teenager Thierry Small, who could be yet another young talent to develop under Marcelo Bielsa and Mark Jackson at Elland Road.

The 16-year-old, considered the best left-back in the country for his age, is willing to snub a three-year professional deal on Merseyside, according to the Daily Express.

Leeds ready to offer pathway to first-team football

The report claims that Small is prioritising a breakthrough in first-team football and is even ready to turn down interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

Leeds, who appear to be after a new first-choice left-back this summer, are one of three sides ‘prepared to offer him a direct pathway straight into the first-team set-up’, 12 words that could prove pretty crucial considering the difficulty he may have breaking into sides that have Lucas Digne, Kieran Tierney and Luke Shaw all in top form.

Small has ‘frightening potential’ but has made just one senior appearance for the Toffees.

Transfer Tavern take

Bielsa has been extremely picky during his tenure at Elland Road in regards to handing several Whites youngsters regular game time.

The club’s current Under-23 side are sitting pretty at the top of Premier League 2 Division 2, with the likes of Cody Drameh, Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood all starring under Mark Jackson.

None of the three mentioned have made a senior appearance for Leeds to date, so Small may have to be relatively patient in regards to a first-team opportunity, something he doesn’t appear keen on.

It seems as if the club like what they see in Small, though, so it could be a deal to keep a close eye on over the coming months.

In other news: Leeds linked with move for £4,400-a-week attacker, find out more here. 

Former Sunderland loanee Adnan Januzaj is a classic case of ‘what if?’ not only for the Mackems but also for the player himself.

What if David Moyes had extracted more from the player’s game during the 2016/17 season? That campaign was a torrid one for Sunderland, a term that was marred by their relegation from the Premier League.

The Black Cats had spent ten years dining at the top table in English football but Moyes was unable to steer them to safety.

Januzaj was a player who could have benefited their cause. He signed on loan from Manchester United after a season where’d been in and around their first term. He also joined on a temporary basis after a short stint on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

On paper, the Belgium international should have done a lot more at the Stadium of Light.

He departed after Sunderland’s relegation with just one goal and three assists to his name in 28 appearances. Evidently, the young talent wasn’t living up to the hype.

Januzaj was sent off within a matter of weeks of being at the club and things didn’t get much better for him.

Speaking about the dynamic forward in January 2017, Moyes said: “I’m quite tough on Adnan.”

He then added: “He’s got individual ability but at the moment I’ve not seen him really hit the form which I’d love him to have done.”

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Sunderland supporters rarely saw the best from a man that was valued at £6.3m when he was in the north-east as he departed with a dismal legacy.

Things never worked out for Januzaj once he returned to Manchester United but he is now thriving in Spain and excelling in Europe for Real Sociedad.

In 2019, his transfer value had increased by £7.2m to a total of £13.5m and it was clear to see why. The 26-year-old scored eight times and picked up four assists throughout 2019/20 and he has impressed this term as well.

Januzaj has been involved in four goals in 20 La Liga outings and helped his side to a first Copa del Rey trophy in 34 years.

He has helped steer Sociedad to fifth in the Spanish top-flight and to the later stages of the Europa League. In that competition, the creative attacker has managed a mighty 4.1 dribbles per game and 1.7 key passes a match.

For context, only two players in the entire competition have managed more successful take-ons this season.

It’s hardly a surprise, therefore, that he’s earned plaudits.

After registering two key passes and three dribbles against Man United in the last 16 of the Europa League back in February, Paul Scholes commented: “I never understood why it didn’t work out for him because he had such talent, but it didn’t.

“He’s gone on to good things and tonight he’s been excellent. I knew this kid had ability and he’s showing it.”

It’s a shame, therefore, that he wasn’t able to harness similar qualities at Sunderland. On his day, he is an enthralling watch. Regrettably, that was never really seen under Moyes.

AND in other news, Forget Scowen: SAFC must swoop for “technically gifted” 19 y/o whose “touch is a joke”…

Steve Bruce should look to unleash Matty Longstaff following the international break in the hopes of convincing Miguel Almiron to stay at Newcastle United for the long-term.

What’s the word?

Speaking with Paraguayan radio station ABC Cardinal on Friday, Almiron fuelled speculation that he could look to secure a move away from St James’ Park in the near future.

The 27-year-old has admitted that he would like to play for a club who carry a greater fight in their performances, as he became the latest Toon player to seemingly criticise recent results.

Ciaran Clark had revealed earlier in the week that the United squad “weren’t up for it” during last weekend’s 3-0 mauling by relegation rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, as the Magpies’ torrid run of form stretched to two wins in 18 Premier League games.

Almiron has now fuelled speculation that he may look to secure a move away from Tyneside after his agent Daniel Campos claimed the midfielder would already have been sold amid interest from Atletico Madrid had it not been for the global pandemic.

“I would like to play in a team that fights more,” Almiron said. “Here, I am happy, and I feel comfortable.”

Campos had noted earlier in the season that Almiron may look to join a team who play a different brand of football than Newcastle, and could chase a transfer in June.

“Miguel’s work rate at Newcastle and Paraguay has been great,” Campos told Futgol 970 in November, via quotes shared by Chronicle Live. “If it wasn’t for the pandemic, he would’ve been elsewhere. Perhaps he would like to play on a team that has a lot of possession. Maybe in June, he’ll make that jump.”

Time to unleash Longstaff?

Almiron claiming that he would like to play in a side which carries more fight, just after Clark admitted that Newcastle rolled over against Brighton, will be a bitterly concerning update for Bruce.

Newcastle have established themselves as a team which plays on the back foot throughout the Premier League season, with relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion the only side to have averaged a lower share of possession per game (41.4%) than the Magpies (42%) to date.

Only Burnley (71.6%) and the Baggies (73.1%) retain possession at a lower standard than the Toon, who hold a 75.3% pass success rate, while Bruce’s men rank 14th in the division for tackles made per game with 14, per WhoScored.

All the indications point to a style of football not to Almiron’s preference, but Bruce can look to impress the Paraguayan coming out of the international break by unleashing Longstaff to add more bite to the engine room.

Longstaff has only played 377 minutes in the Premier League this season, despite Bruce assuring the 21-year-old of his path to the first team last summer and many considering the academy graduate to be the aggressive presence which Newcastle currently lack.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson also claimed that Longstaff “would be a good addition for any team” last summer amid the midfielder’s contract stand-off, while later noting that he is already a “top player” but is “going to go on to become a better player”.

However, Longstaff’s development has stagnated massively this season due to his limited chances under Bruce, but he will still be expected to add bite to the engine room against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday and show Almiron what some in the Newcastle squad are capable of producing.

AND in other news, Newcastle are closely monitoring a £13.5k-p/w dud who’s “been caught out” this season…

As per Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers will demand at least £6m to part ways with Filip Helander this summer.

Gers set Helander price-tag

In recent days, Champions League chasers Leicester City, as well as Aston Villa, have been linked with a move for Gers defender Helander (Sportbladet).

As per this latest report, it has been suggested the Gers will demand at least £6m to let the Sweden international leave. That would represent a minimum 42% profit on the £3.5m they paid for him in 2019 (The Scottish Sun).

Potential bargain

This is a potential bargain for any club looking to sign the 27-year-old. Incredibly, despite this now being his second season at Ibrox, he is yet to lose a single Premiership match (Transfermarkt). Injuries have reduced him to just 29 appearances in the Scottish top flight, but that is still an impressive record.

The former Bologna centre-back has two years left on his contract at Rangers and regularly appears for his country – he has started both of Sweden’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers this month. Although he plays in Scotland, the Gers could demand considerably more than £6m for him.

As such, Ross Wilson and co should perhaps revisit this demand. If they do not, it may send the wrong message to clubs who are interested in other talents at Ibrox.

In other news, some Rangers fans react to this bizarre news on an Ibrox hero.

Some Arsenal fans have been left to slam the display of Granit Xhaka in the first half of their game away at Burnley in the Premier League, after he made a bizarre error to gift the hosts an equaliser.

The central midfield player was guilty of giving the ball away quite cheaply on a number of different occasions for the Emirates Stadium faithful, which eventually resulted in a quite ridiculous goal for Chris Wood.

The Switzerland international does sometimes takes a lot of risks in terms of keeping hold of the ball for too long or trying some ambitious passes, which can lead to him giving up possession to his opponents, and he played a ball across goal into the midriff of the New Zealand international, which ricocheted into the net.

Gunners supporters fumed at his performance in the first half of the match, and Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the 28-year-old can put that blunder behind him and recover after the break.

Arsenal fan reaction to Xhaka’s first-half display

These Gooners slammed his first-half performance on Twitter, with one AFC fan even going as far to claim that he is ‘useless’:

“#BURARS good chance for a breakaway, but, no, #xhaka side wards, backwards…”

Credit: @chudds007

“Xhaka starting to lose possession.”

Credit: @FRANXICAN

“Xhaka is useless stop defending stupid players”

Credit: @olalekan_ab

“Xhaka is so negative with going forward its a joke. Definitely glad we bought a forward thinking player in Partey”

Credit: @jed_i_diah

“Xhaka error, normal thing.”

Credit: @TayoSays

“Again. What’s with Xhaka’s bad habit to pull back when we’re breaking forward?”

Credit: @Arsenal_LINY

In other news, find out whose display was slammed against Leicester City here!