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A major update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to make a fourth signing of the transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry has claimed that the Gers are set to bring in a new defender to bolster the squad on deadline day, having already sealed deals to sign James Sands, Amad Diallo and John Souttar this month.

He Tweeted: “Rangers close to signing right-back Mateusz Zukowski.”

Delight

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be delighted with this news as this will come as a much-needed boost to his squad on the final day of the window.

He lost Nathan Patterson to Premier League side Everton in a club-record deal at the start of the month and Zukowski could finally be his replacement.

Whilst Patterson was not a huge loss for the first team in the immediate future, he was the succession plan for James Tavernier at right-back and the Gers were left without an alternative after his sale.

Van Bronckhorst is currently bereft of options in the full-back position and this signing will give him more to work with in terms of rotation across multiple competitions in the second half of the campaign.

Zukowski, at the age of 20, has the potential to grow and take on Tavernier’s place in the team further down the line and could be the ideal replacement for the Scotland international who departed for Goodison. He already has a wealth of experience in Poland despite exiting his teens in November of 2021, having played 50 senior games for Gdansk.

In the Ekstraklasa this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.84. He has scored two goals and provided one assist, whilst making a whopping 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game for Gdansk, showing that he is adept at winning possession back for his side.

This suggests that he could be ready to make the step to the Premiership in the short-term as a back-up option at right-back, which is another reason why van Bronckhorst will be delighted with this news. However, the biggest plus point for this move is that it provides the Dutch head coach with a long-term successor to Tavernier – instead of being left in the lurch further down the line if the ex-Magpies man leaves in the next few transfer windows.

AND in other news, “Hearing…” – Transfer insider deals big late blow to Rangers, it’ll leave Gvb gutted…

West Ham United have initiated talks regarding a deal to bring Nathaniel Phillips to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh, who revealed that David Moyes and his transfer team are in discussions with the Liverpool centre-back ahead of a potential move in the winter market.

However, the insiders go on to suggest that the 58-year-old manager will first have to hold a meeting with the club’s new board in order to discuss his plans for the January transfer window, as well as the funds he will have at his disposal this winter.

Forget Ogbonna

With centre-back pair Angelo Ogbonna – anterior cruciate ligament injury – and Kurt Zouma – hamstring tendon injury – both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines, the heart of the West Ham defence is undoubtedly an area of the pitch in which Moyes simply must strengthen next month.

And, while it is undeniable that he is a player of extreme importance to the Hammers, should the club manage to get a deal over the line for Phillips this January, he could well be a signing who ultimately goes on to take Ogbonna’s place alongside Zouma in Moyes’ backline.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last season, the £7.2m-rated man was in excellent form, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 4.8 clearances and winning a whopping 7.5 duels per game.

The player who Jurgen Klopp dubbed a “monster” who is “absolutely insane” also chipped in going forwards, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 0.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £65k-per-week centre-back earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as the Reds’ fourth-best performer in the league last time out.

As such, should Phillips be able to refind this form after a potential switch to East London, it would not be surprising to see him take the place of Ogbonna in Moyes’ starting XI going forwards – leading us to believe that the West Ham board must do all they can do land the Liverpool defender in the January window.

In other news: West Ham can repeat Lingard masterclass with “unique” £21m beast who’s “irreplaceable”

West Ham United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon as they beat fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United 2-0 at the London Stadium.

Manuel Lanzini gave the Hammers, who host the Yorkshire club again next Sunday, the lead just after the half-an-hour mark before Jarrod Bowen secured the East London club’s place in the next round in added time.

However, despite Lanzini and Bowen being the players on the score sheet, another attacking midfielder impressed for David Moyes’ side: Nikola Vlasic.

According to SofaScore, the Croatian enjoyed a 91% passing accuracy against Marcelo Bielsa’s side as well as making three key passes.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old completed 80% of his dribbles and only lost possession on seven occasions whilst making 56 touches.

The attacking midfielder has endured mixed fortunes since returning to the Premier League from CSKA Moscow, having been at Everton previously.

Vlasic has only managed nine Premier League appearances this term, starting two games in the top-flight.

However, the Croatian has been of great use in other competitions, with the Hammers new to balancing four competitions, making a combined nine appearances in the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Moreover, the attacking midfielder is starting to find form in East London, scoring his first goal for the Hammers against Watford at the end of December as well as impressing in West Ham’s cup success over the Whites.

With fellow attacking midfielder Said Benrahma set to be absent over the coming weeks whilst with his native Algeria side at the Africa Cup of Nations, Vlasic has the opportunity to impress Moyes and put together a run of games in the top-flight.

Prior to the Leeds game, the Scotsman said to West Ham’s official website: “Niksi [Vlasic] will have opportunities and we’re trying to break him in.

“He’s beginning to show some good signs so let’s hope he can step up when he gets the opportunity. I do see opportunities for him with Saïd away.”

Furthermore, the £25m signing was labelled as “versatile” upon him signing for West Ham in September by former Hammers assistant Nikola Jurcevic and could start to justify that transfer fee in the coming weeks.

In other news: West Ham interested in promising forward

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a fresh injury blow with Rodrigo now ruled out for the Premier League clash against Chelsea this weekend.

What’s the story?

A statement from the club read: “Rodrigo has been suffering from bilateral heel pain for some time. The player and medical staff have deemed it necessary to reduce his activity for the time being, in order to aid his long-term recovery.”

Bielsa will be worried

If you thought things were just beginning to ease up slightly for Leeds on the injury front with the returns of Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford last weekend, think again.

The Whites’ disastrous luck with injuries has struck again, and not only will they be without talisman Kalvin Phillips for an extended period of time, their club-record signing in Rodrigo is set to be missing for a while too.

The Spaniard has scored just twice in 15 games in all competitions this term, and what has been particularly disappointing is that he has been given a runout as the sole centre-forward in Patrick Bamford’s absence.

The former Valencia man has shown flashes of his ability, and it was a particularly impressive performance against West Ham which really caught the eye of The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “I thought Rodrigo’s false nine performance on Saturday was worth another look. Lots to admire and ponder in his positioning, movement, interplay and switches of position with Raphinha. More displays like that could spark Leeds United into life.”

With Rodrigo now out for the foreseeable future, even more of the goalscoring onus is placed on the shoulders of Bamford, who could really do with some help having just returned from injury himself.

This latest update on Rodrigo is sure to have Bielsa worried.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a Rodrigo upgrade in this star…

According to reports by Il Mattino (via Sport Witness), Tottenham centre-back Davinson Sánchez has been shortlisted as an option for Napoli as they seek to replace Kostas Manolas in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Sánchez a regular under Conte

The 25-year-old struggled for playing time under former Spurs manager Nuno Espírito Santo, remaining on the bench for the last four games of the Portuguese’s tenure at the club. However, the Colombian has been a regular for Antonio Conte in his back-five system, having played the full 90 minutes in Spurs’ last three games.

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Sánchez is an important component of Tottenham’s defence as he leads the squad in offsides won per game (0.6), demonstrating his astute presence in the back-line.

The Latest: Napoli eyeing Sánchez

According to reports by Il Mattino (via Sport Witness), Napoli are searching for a replacement for Manolas following his transfer to Greek side Olympiacos.

Il Mattino have claimed that Sánchez is on the list of players that the Azzurri are monitoring ahead of the January transfer window. The Serie A title challengers have a limited budget, so it has been said that they will look for a potential loan deal whereby they only need to pay the player’s wages.

The Verdict: Exit seems unlikely

Arriving at Spurs in a deal worth £42m, it does not come as a surprise that top European clubs are interested in the 25-year-old defender. Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino once labelled Sánchez ‘a beast’, whilst his one-time Ajax manager Peter Bosz claimed that ‘he was a monster’.

Given the Colombian’s increased game-time at Spurs this season, it seems unlikely that Conte would let Sánchez leave halfway through the campaign, especially as the 52-year-old likes to utilise three central defenders in a back-five formation.

If Napoli want to pursue Sánchez, it seems highly unlikely that anything will come to fruition in the January transfer window, especially on a loan deal.

In other news: Tottenham gifted chance to sign ‘phenomenal’ £325k-per-week wizard with ‘magical powers’

Leeds United will not part ways with Raphinha for less than £51m this January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Leeds Live journalist Joe Donnohue, who stated in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that Victor Orta will not contemplate selling the 24-year-old winger unless an offer is submitted that amounts to three times the £17m fee the Brazil international cost the Whites back in October of last year.

A number of reports have linked the forward with a move away from Elland Road over the course of the last year, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all being touted as potential suitors for the former Stade Rennais man.

However, when discussing how much Raphinha would cost to sign, Donnohue said: “I think you’re looking at at least three times the figure they paid if he were to be sold. It would depend on the timing that he’d be sold. I think you’re looking at, at the very minimum, three times that £17m figure.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Raphinha has been since his arrival at the club, the news that Leeds do not look likely to sanction the sale of the winger for anything less than £51m – a fee which it would be difficult to see a club splashing out on the 24-year-old, particularly in January – is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances last season, the €40m-rated (£34m-rated) man scored six goals, registered nine assists and created a whopping 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots and making 2.2 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Alan Hutton dubbed a “nightmare” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Marcelo Bielsa’s third-best performer in the top flight.

The £58k-per-week winger has continued this form over his 10 Premier League fixtures so far this season, having already bagged five goals and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 2.2 key passes and taking 3.5 shots per match.

These metrics have seen the Brazilian average a SofaScore match rating of 7.26, ranking him as the 30th-best player in the entirety of the division, as well as Leeds’ best.

As such, the fact that it appears as if Raphinha will remain at Elland Road beyond the January transfer window is undoubtedly fantastic for the club, as it very much seems the winger will be at the centre of any success the Whites go on to achieve in the current campaign.

In other news: Victor Orta “preparing” LUFC bid for “special” 7 G/A gem, he’s what Bielsa is missing

Celtic are once again looking at moves for Bodø/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg and Urawa Red Diamonds forward Kasper Junker ahead of the January window, according to Celtic Underground.

The Lowdown: Summer links

As we know, the Hoops were extremely busy over the summer in terms of incomings and outgoings, with attackers Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota starring in Glasgow.

However, Celtic’s only senior midfield addition, James McCarthy, has struggled for game-time under Ange Postecoglou, whereas Giorgos Giakoumakis has had his fitness and injury issues.

Two men who were linked with a Parkhead switch over the last 12 months are Berg and Junker, and it seems as if they could be on the Hoops’ radar once again ahead of the winter window.

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The Latest: ‘Apparently’…

Celtic Underground took to Twitter late on Tuesday evening, claiming that Berg and Junker are two players being looked at once again. They tweeted: “Patrick Berg and Kasper Junker being looked at again apparently.”

Norway international Berg has played primarily as a defensive midfielder this season, whereas Junker has already scored 16 goals for his new club after only moving to Japan in April in a deal worth £1.89m, with both players out of contract in December 2022.

The Verdict: Interesting…

You’d expect that interim Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson will know all about the pair following their respective transfer links over the summer, so this latest update is certainly an interesting one.

Kieran Devlin claimed earlier this month that he believes the boat may have been missed in regards to a move for Berg following an impressive performance against AS Roma in the Europa Conference League.

Meanwhile, Junker has only just changed clubs, so it may come as a real shock if the Hoops manage to sign the pair during January.

It appears as if transfer business will materialise at Parkhead during the winter window, but whether that will involve Berg or Junker remains to be seen. Still, Celtic could try their luck.

In other news, read this exciting Jota claim from a journalist.

Leeds United may have won 2-1 at Norwich City on Sunday, but Liam Cooper, Daniel James and Jack Harrison all struggled at Carrow Road.

The Whites made the trip to face the Canaries in what was a vital Premier League clash at the bottom-end of the table.

After a drab opening 45 minutes, the game sprung into life after the interval, with Raphinha, Andrew Omobamidele and Rodrigo all scoring in the space of five minutes.

Leeds hung on in the end, sealing a massive three points in the process and taking them out of the relegation zone.

However, not everyone in the visitors’ line-up had a hugely impressive afternoon. As per SofaScore ratings, these were the Whites’ three worst players of those who featured for 45 minutes or more.

Liam Cooper – 6.6

Cooper started at the heart of the defence but he was never quite at his dominant best at Carrow Road.

The 30-year-old lost five of his 11 duels against Norwich, also losing possession 16 times overall, while his 61% passing accuracy rate was the lowest of any outfield player to feature for Bielsa’s side in Norfolk.

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Dan James – 6.6

James is still waiting for his Leeds career to fully take off and he went another Premier League game without registering a goal or an assist. He now has no goals in his first seven top-flight appearances for the Whites.

Not only that, but the Welshman only won four out of his 12 duels and was dribbled past twice, along with losing the ball five times. He completed only 13 passes this afternoon, the fewest of anyone in Bielsa’s starting line-up.

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Jack Harrison – 6.5

Harrison’s season is yet to kick into gear, having been Leeds’ joint-second top goalscorer in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

The winger was arguably his side’s poorest player on the day against Norwich, picking up a yellow card and completing no accurate crosses. The 24-year-old also gave the ball away 11 times and came off second best in 10 of his 13 duels.

In other news, Beren Cross has made a claim regarding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing as some early team news ahead of their game at Brondby in the UEFA Europa League has emerged.

Speaking in his pre game press conference ahead of the match, Steven Gerrard has now revealed that Ryan Kent will travel with the squad after training with them, while Ryan Jack has also been training and has an ‘outside chance’ of being involved on the weekend, although Glen Kamara is currently rated at ’50/50′ to be able to play after receiving a knock on his ankle.

Nonetheless, the Ibrox faithful we’re particularly pleased to hear the news of Kent’s return, given how long he has been out injured now.

The Light Blues have only managed to win four of the seven matches in the Scottish Premiership without him (Transfermarkt), with the 6-1 demolition away at Motherwell on the weekend the only real convincing performance.

With them currently lingering in third place in their group, the winger’s return will no doubt boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages – he has bagged five times and provided 11 assists in his Europa League career.

Rangers fans on Kent news

These Light Blues paused as the news on Kent was shared on Twitter:

“We are back baby”

Credit: @Aidan72_

“Tweets you love to see”

Credit: @gibbo89

“Things we love to see”

Credit: @Chloetimpany

“He’s back”

Credit: @Ross_Herkes1

“KENTTTT KENT WILL TEAR YOU APART, AGAIN!”

Credit: @JaffaGer

“The news we’ve all been waiting for!”

Credit: @Kennyw_11

In other news, find out what club update has Gers fuming here!

Fabio Silva lined-up for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Under-23s in Monday’s Premier League 2 clash with Sunderland.

The striker got on the scoresheet for James Collins’ side, but a Bill Harris hat-trick for the visitors saw them fall to defeat.

Limited involvement for Silva under Lage

Silva, a £35.6million addition in 2020, was an unused substitute in the senior team’s 1-0 win over Southampton at the weekend.

He’s played only 18 minutes of Premier League football since Bruno Lage took over from Nuno Espirito Santo.

The signing of Hwang Hee-chan from RB Leipzig appears to have pushed him further down the pecking order.

Both of Silva’s starts under the new boss have come in the Carabao Cup.

He able to notch two assists in the 4-0 rout of Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest last month.

It remains to be seen whether Wolves will look to loan out Silva for more regular game time when the January transfer window rolls around.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed the team news, and here’s what supporters made of it.

What did Wolves fans think of Silva’s Under-23 runout?

“Best place for him. Nowhere near a Premier League player. Waste of big money.”

Credit: @W4768721431

“Paid 35 million for him and the powers that be are playing in the under 23’s, he’s gonna improve. Send him on loan to a championship club and when he struggles there we know he will never make it in the prem”

Credit: @satsomboon

“He’ll be back playing in the Portuguese league soon. He’s just not good enough, not his fault we spent way too much on him”

Credit: @fle07tch

“About time he did too in all honesty – he needs playing time at a lower level to build his confidence rather than being pushed into the first team before he is really ready.”

Credit: @hrothgarwolf

“He needs to go out on loan to the Championship or even League One!”

Credit: @steviebee7

“Good, needs minutes”

Credit: @MOOKWOLF

In other news, fans were buzzing over this transfer rumour.