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Glasgow Rangers boss Michael Beale will likely be sweating on the long-term futures of both Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, with the duo still yet to commit their futures to the Ibrox outfit.

What’s the word?

It remains to be seen if the two men will remain in Glasgow beyond the end of the season due to their expiring contracts, with Gers chairman Douglas Park having only recently hinted that the players’ demands could well be “unattainable”.

The aforementioned Beale also stated upon his return to the club that he would “ideally” like to keep the pair with the Old Firm outfit for the long term, albeit while having acknowledged that both men are “capable of more” amid their current woes.

Transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now provided his verdict on the situation, with the journalist stating that the incoming coach will likely be keen to see a resolution to the current situation sooner rather than later.

“He [Beale] wants to know very quickly what the situation is here with both of these players because it’s very influential as to how you’re going to shape up the rest of your squad too, but they can also have a massive impact on the rest of the season,” Jones stated.

Ruthlessly ditch dud duo

Despite Beale previously admitting that he would like the two men – who are earning a reported £51k-per-week between them – to remain part of his plans moving forward, the 42-year-old may well have to be ruthless and move the misfiring duo on in January if they remain uncommitted to the cause.

In the case of Morelos, the Colombian striker has endured a torrid start to the campaign after scoring just three times in 19 games in all competitions, having notably been dropped earlier this season by former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst regarding fitness and attitude concerns.

The 26-year-old has notably been described as looking like a “pub amateur” by journalist Graham Spiers following his particularly limp Champions League displays in the group stage – in which the former HJK Helsinki man failed to register a single goal contribution – having lost his place in the side behind summer signing, Antonio Colak.

Although there may well be a desire to try and rejuvenate an asset who has scored 115 goals for the club to date, it could prove an opportune time to start afresh and boldly ditch the polarising marksman.

The same can seemingly be said of teammate Kent – who has been linked with a Premier League move of late – with the Englishman having also endured his own dismal run of form in the early months of the season, having been described as the club’s “biggest failure” by pundit Frank McAvennie.

The former Liverpool gem was also said to have “disappeared” in the 7-1 drubbing at the hands of his former employers, in the words of pundit Neil McCann, with the 26-year-old having also failed to register a goal or an assist in Europe this term.

Although the Oldham-born speedster does have six assists and a goal to his name in the top flight, it may well prove hard to rely on a player who is potentially thinking about pastures new heading into the second half of the campaign, particularly should no contract extension emerge.

Should Beale wish try and put his own stamp on the current squad, he could seemingly be best served allowing the duo to depart in the New Year, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggesting that the “inconsistent” forwards “need to go”.

As Rangers look to improve upon a frustrating and disappointing start to the campaign, getting both Morelos and Kent out the door could well be a good place to start.

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to move on full-back Jamal Lewis in January, with manager Eddie Howe seemingly overseeing something of an exodus from St James’ Park in the New Year.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the 24-year-old is one of four players whom the Magpies are open to offers for ahead of the transfer window re-opening, with Howe having deemed the Northern Ireland international ‘surplus to requirements’.

The piece suggests that PIF have given the sale of the former Norwich City man – as well as Jamaal Lascelles, Ryan Fraser and Matt Ritchie – ‘the green light’, should the northeast side receive suitable offers next month.

The Tynesiders only signed the Luton-born ace – whose existing deal is set to run until 2025 – back in the summer of 2020 for a reported fee of around £15m, albeit with the left-back having slipped way down the pecking order in recent times.

Finally ditch

It would seem that the time has come for Newcastle to finally ditch the £38k-per-week gem, with Lewis having simply been unable to force his way into Howe’s plans over the past year or so, making only six appearances in the Englishman’s tenure thus far.

That includes just two appearances so far this term for the 23-cap defender, with one of those outings coming against League Two outfit Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup back in August, having entered the fray as a second-half substitute.

Although the 5 foot 10 man was lauded as a “player of big potential” by his manager following that cup display, the fact that he was unable to even earn a start against lower-league opposition has illustrated just how far he has fallen of late, having now found himself firmly behind Matt Targett and Dan Burn in the pecking order.

With talk that another left-back addition could well be in the pipeline – amid speculation regarding Croatian international Borna Sosa – it would seemingly make sense for Lewis to be allowed to depart sooner rather than later, instead of continuing to be something of a wage burner for the club.

Initially dubbed a “very exciting prospect” by former boss Steve Bruce upon his arrival, it has been a “difficult” few years since then – according to Howe – with the former Carrow Road starlet having made just 34 appearances in all competitions in that time.

The writing had seemingly been on the wall when the £7m-rated man was left out of the club’s Premier League squad back in January, with that a clear indication of his standing in Howe’s eyes.

Having even struggled during the mid-season friendly clash with Al-Hilal earlier this week – after allowing ‘a number of Al-Hilal attacks to come down his side’ according to Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin – it does look as if Lewis has no part left to play for Howe and co moving forward.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has backed Sunderland in their reported pursuit of Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Registered interest

As per Football Insider, ‘sources’ have revealed that the Stadium of Light outfit have ‘registered their interest’ in a potential deal for Archer in January.

The striker has been limited to just 51 minutes of first-team football at Villa Park so far this season, and so could seek a move away in order to get more game time.

The Latest: ‘No-brainer’

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson has claimed that Archer would be a ‘great signing’ for the Wearside club, and that a dela in January for him is an ‘absolute no-brainer’:

“Archer has proven he can do it in the Championship.

“He would be great signing for them. He is a different profile of a striker to what Tony Mowbray has currently got. I could see that one happening.

“Look at where Sunderland are. Archer is more than capable of scoring goals at that level. If they can attract him it would be an absolute no-brainer. I really think he would do well there.

“It would be a good move for the player as well. Sunderland are a massive club with a great stadium and great support. There is potential for him to grow there as the club does. It is a move that would make sense.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Tony Mowbray’s side are in need of sufficient cover for both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, who have each suffered from injury problems this term, with the former being out since seven games with a toe injury between September and October.

When he was on loan at Preston North End last campaign, 21-year-old Archer managed an impressive seven goals and one assist in 20 matches in the Championship (Transfermarkt), showing that he can play at that level despite his relatively young age.

Nonetheless, the Englishman would surely relish getting more game time at the Black Cats, and so this is a deal that could work out for all parties.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that he ‘wouldn’t rule out’ Chris Wood moving to Leeds United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Leeds interest

As per Football Insider, Leeds are weighing up a January bid for Wood, as they look to bring in an alternative to Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo.

However, Eddie Howe has recently claimed that Wood is still ‘hugely important’ to the team, suggesting that he may want to keep hold of him come January.

The Latest: One to watch

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs has claimed that he ‘wouldn’t rule out’ Wood moving to Elland Road, despite Howe’s recent comments:

“I wouldn’t rule out Chris Wood, former Leeds, of course. He’s not getting much game time at Newcastle United at the moment.

“Newcastle are still looking at goalscorers and creative-minded options. I don’t think Leeds would want to sign Wood on a permanent deal, but there might be a loan opportunity there, so that’s one to just keep an eye on.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

With both Bamford and Rodrigo doubts to return against Manchester City, Jesse Marsch will be sweating over his forward options going into January.

Wood has been a prolific goalscorer throughout his career, netting 191 times in total for club and country, including 44 in 88 games during his first spell with the Whites (Transfermarkt).

Aside from Rodrigo’s nine goals in the Premier League, young Sam Greenwood is the only other Peacocks forward to get himself on the scoresheet with one strike so far (WhoScored), and so they could do with another presence up top from now until the end of the season.

Nonetheless, Wood could relish the opportunity to return to Elland Road and score goals in front of the home supporters again.

Manchester United have been long-term linked with a move for Stefan de Vrij and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Erik ten Hag is preparing a proposal to rival Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur for the Inter Milan centre-back.

As per the report, De Vrij is no closer to signing a new contract despite his deal expiring in the summer of 2023, which has led to continued interest from both Man United and Spurs.

Varane 2.0

Despite a striker being the top priority at Old Trafford in the new year, adding depth and quality to the back-line could be a great opportunity for the Red Devils.

In their victory over Nottingham Forest last night, Luke Shaw played in the centre-back role due to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof suffering from illness, whilst Lisandro Martinez was excused due to his World Cup exploits.

Indeed, it didn’t throw Man United off course as they delivered a 3-0 victory in front of the home support to put them just one point behind Spurs in the Premier League table in the race for the top four.

The opportunity to sign De Vrij at a cut price could be hugely valuable to Man United in their pursuit to return to Champions League football and compete at the highest level in domestic competitions after suffering their worst trophy drought in four decades.

Over 12 Serie A appearances this season, the £15m Dutchman – who was hailed “passionate” by Conte – has scored one goal and completed 100% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 42 accurate passes, two interceptions, one tackle and 4.3 duels won per game.

In fact, Ten Hag could even land a similar talent to Raphael Varane in a swoop for De Vrij, as the Manchester United defender is named as one of the most comparable players to the Inter sensation, according to FBref.

The positional peers have many similarities in their output over the campaign so far including pass completion rate (88% v 85.6%), tackles attempted (12 v 3), clearances completed (37 v 42) and ball recoveries (51 v 40).

With that being said, if the powers at Old Trafford can secure a good deal for De Vrij either in January or by signing him as a free agent in the summer it would be a worthwhile investment into the team’s defensive set-up.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their pursuit of a new right wing-back ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, sporting director Fabio Paratici has a number of wing-backs on his radar and wants to bring in a player in that position to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad.

The report claims that AS Monaco dynamo Vanderson is one of the players on the Italian’s shortlist as he is a fan of the young full-back, although they are also looking at Pedro Porro, of Sporting CP, Denzel Dumfries, of Inter, and Lyon’s Malo Gusto.

Back in September, it was reported that the Ligue 1 outfit wanted €60m (£53m) and this latest report does not add a new figure into the mix.

Big Matt Doherty upgrade

Matt Doherty has played nine times in the Premier League this season and started the club’s most recent clash in the division in the 2-2 draw with Brentford on Boxing Day.

The Republic of Ireland international has, however, failed to impress as he has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.79 and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per match, whilst creating 0.4 chances per outing.

He also turns 31 in January and the upcoming transfer window provides Spurs with the opportunity to sign an upgrade on the defender, which could then open the door for them to move him on to another club heading into the second half of the season.

Vanderson could be the player to replace Doherty as he has shown plenty of promise in Ligue 1 this season. The Brazilian has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.86 and made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game and this suggests that he would offer more to Spurs from a defensive perspective.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described the “complete” full-back as a “similar” player to former Inter Milan and Brazil full-back “Maicon”, who won the Champions League and was capped 76 times by country.

The Monaco man has shown off his well-rounded game by being in the 84th and 89th percentile respective amongst his positional peers for progressive passes and dribbles completed per 90 in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days. Doherty, meanwhile, is in the 10th and 29th percentile in those particular statistics and does not offer much in terms of quality in possession.

Therefore, Vanderson would be a big upgrade on the Irishman, who is nine years his senior, at right wing-back. The 21-year-old’s statistics indicate that he would improve Conte’s team in and out of possession and Paratici must now work hard to complete a deal for the dynamo.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing another exciting young recruit, with sporting director Dan Ashworth seemingly plotting a move for Stade Rennais sensation, Desire Doue.

What’s the word?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, the 17-year-old is one of the players who the Magpies are said to be ‘interested’ in at present, having already been looking to the future with the addition of Australian star, Garang Kuol, in recent months.

The report does suggest, however, that the young Frenchman could prove ‘difficult to dislodge’ from the Ligue 1 outfit, having only recently signed a new contract to extend his deal until the summer of 2025.

As such, the piece goes on to add that the teenager ‘will not be sold’ in the short or medium term, albeit with a move unable to be ruled out should an offer arrive that proves ‘difficult to refuse’.

Joelinton-esque

Despite having only made his professional debut for Rennes back in August, it would appear that Doue is already making waves at senior level, with the 5 foot 10 midfielder having scored three times in 16 games in all competitions so far this term.

The “exceptional” talent, as described by CBS journalist Jonathan Johnson, is clearly “one to watch” in the coming years – according to writer Zach Lowy – with the hope being that his development can continue at St James’ Park.

Although there may well be concerns over just how the prodigious gem will adapt to life in English football, those fears can be eased by the fact that the France U19 international share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Magpies star, Joelinton, according to FBref.

That likeness is illustrated by the fact that the pair both provide a real willingness to impact the play in the final third from their midfield berths, with the Brazilian gem ranking in the top 3% in Europe among those in his position for touches in the attacking penalty area, while Doue ranks in the top 4% in that same metric.

Equally, the latter man can also offer a real asset defensively as he ranks in the top 14% for tackles made, while Joelinton also ranks in the top 14% in that regard having been a typically relentless presence in Eddie Howe’s side of late.

One area in which Doue does potentially outshine the 26-year-old, however, is with regard to his dribbling prowess as he ranks in the top 1% for that metric, while the Newcastle maestro ranks in just the top 18% for dribbles completed – albeit with more minutes under his belt.

Nevertheless, that clear comparison between the pair should indicate that the Angers-born starlet can be a success at the Premier League outfit, with Joelinton currently thriving under Howe having started 15 top-flight games this term.

To be able to find a relative carbon copy of the “special” ace, as described by pundit Jamie Carragher, in the form of Doue would surely prove a wise investment for both Ashworth and Newcastle.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch will be without two experienced squad members for their FA Cup clash with Cardiff City this afternoon, according to Phil Hay…

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s ever-reliable reporter claimed that the Whites would be without the “usual suspects” when they make the trip to Wales, where they will begin their latest cup campaign in the third round.

He revealed:

“It was quite telling, I thought, that Jesse Marsch said on Friday that Leeds (or Angus Kinnear) had told him that they want a cup run. That’s clearly removed the scope for Marsch to weaken his line-up drastically this afternoon.

“The usual suspects are likely to be missing again – [Patrick] Bamford, [Adam] Forshaw etc – but Cardiff are not having a great season and Leeds should be confident of making this tie theirs.”

A big blow to Marsch

Given the recent comments from Kinnear to Marsch, it will come as a frustrating blow and bad news that he will not be able to call upon two of the club’s most experienced stars – and more – in a competition that has been a cause for concern in recent times.

Indeed, the Yorkshire giants have a diabolical record in the FA Cup, having been knocked out at this very stage in each of their last five attempts and that includes embarrassing defeats to lower league opposition like Newport County and Crawley Town, both of whom are in League Two right now.

Patrick Bamford has endured a rough time with injuries since the start of the 2021/22 campaign and recent surgery has ruled him out of action thus far in 2023. Leeds could certainly do with the man who bagged 17 goals in their first season back in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Marsch’s current first-choice engine room are all signings from the summer transfer window, with Mateusz Klich departing for pastures new.

Marc Roca and Tyler Adams, with all respect, will not understand what this competition means to fans in England, at least in comparison to Forshaw, who has made an FA Cup appearance for four different teams.

The Whites have also struggled massively in the league, finding themselves languishing down in 14th place, just two points above the relegation zone and with only two wins in their last 15 in the top-flight.

Game-changers such as Luis Sinisterra are also likely to be missing in the Welsh capital, only further adding to Marsch’s frustrations, with the Elland Road hierarchy clearly looking for a run in this competition to offer supporters some respite from their league woes.

As such, the American has got to be frustrated to have the likes of Bamford, Forshaw and Sinisterra unavailable, not just because they are all valuable in their own right but because their involvement could have also handed valuable rest to those that have been playing in their place each week.

AND in other news, Marsch has unearthed “an absolute star” at Leeds after he gave West Ham “nightmares”…

Liverpool ‘very much admire’ Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo but a deal would be ‘messy’, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Caicedo allegedly wants to join

The Premier League giants have held a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old having targeted a late move for him last summer, and whilst it failed to materialise at the time, he’s recently offered his admirers fresh hope that a future deal could get completed.

Football Insider report that the Ecuadorian, who they claim to be valued at £70m, has told his friends that he’d love to make the move to Anfield should the opportunity arise and has even changed agents to prepare for a big-money transfer.

The Latest: Problem…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs confirmed that the Merseyside outfit are hugely fond of Caicedo, but revealed that striking a deal this month could prove ‘problematic’ due to the agents involved.

“They very much admire the player and have done historically. When he was at Independiente del Valle before he joined Brighton, they did explore signing Moises Caicedo.

“It’s what’s been termed to me as a messy deal because even though Brighton could be persuaded to sell for a high price this January, the representation side of things is problematic. There’s more than one agent and he also changed his agent towards the back end of the summer.”

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The Verdict: Hold off for a bit

Caicedo is undoubtedly one of the top-flight’s most attractive players right now, but the Reds would be best waiting to pursue him until the summer if they are serious about landing him.

The Santo Domingo native’s contract at The Amex isn’t set to expire until 2025 so the Seagulls are under no pressure to let him go, and even if they did, £70m is a hefty sum for FSG to cash out in January, especially having already signed Cody Gakpo.

The Brighton star is seemingly keen to make the switch to Merseyside, but it’s important that the two parties reach an agreement when both the time and costs involved are right.

Sunderland may have to wait until the summer transfer window to sign young Genk forward Andras Nemeth, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Sunderland linked with Nemeth signing

The 20-year-old is struggling to be a key man for the Belgian giants currently, only managing one goal and assist apiece in 15 Jupiler Pro League appearances this season.

Nemeth has been linked with a move to Sunderland in recent times, as Tony Mowbray looks to improve his attacking options at the Stadium of Light.

A new update suggests that the Black Cats may have to bide their time, though.

The Latest: Summer move more likely

According to Het Nieuwsblad [via Sport Witness], Genk ‘do not want to talk about an immediate transfer’ when it comes to Nemeth and teammate Mika Godts, putting paid to a January move happening.

His current team feel he ‘could also be of great value’ to their reserve team in the second half of the season.

The Verdict: Go for him at the end of the season

This is a disappointing update for Sunderland, who may have to been hoping for a January deal, so they may now have to turn their attention elsewhere.

A summer move for Nemeth should still be attempted, however, with the youngster scoring eight goals in 11 appearances for Hungary’s Under-21s, as well as netting in his only senior cap to date.

At 20, he could be a long-term addition, too, maturing as a player and learning from an in-form Ross Stewart at Sunderland, before potentially partnering him in attack.