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Glasgow Rangers have been linked with a deadline-day move for Aberdeen winger Scott Wright.

What’s the word?

Rangers confirmed the signing of Wright on a pre-contract agreement last week with the 23-year-old due to move to Ibrox in the summer when his deal at Pittodrie ends at the end of this season.

And now, Rangers are now in talks with Aberdeen to try and push for a move before the transfer window closes tonight, according to The Daily Record.

However, Aberdeen are under very little pressure to sell Wright after the departure of Sam Cosgrove to Birmingham City, so Ross Wilson will have his work cut out before finalising a move.

Ace up their sleeve

While the ever-reliable Ryan Kent is a dead cert to start on the left wing, Steven Gerrard has struggled to find a suitable understudy for the former Liverpool man, as Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been battling to bag the backup spot, though they have both had their critics.

Sunderland have now signed Jones on loan until the end of the season from the Scottish Premiership leaders, leaving Gerrard desperately short of options on the left wing after Glenn Middleton joined St Johnstone on a short-term loan deal last month, with Barker the only other natural left-winger.

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Signing Wright would be a significant upgrade on Barker, who has struggled for game time under Gerrard this season for obvious reasons – in his last appearance alone, he was rated as one of the worst players on the pitch by SofaScore in the 2-0 victory over Lech Poznan in the Europa League.

In Wright, however, Rangers could find a player who could give them the cutting edge in the title race.

According to WhoScored, it seems the 23-year-old is better than Barker in almost every area of the pitch. He currently averages more key passes (1.3) and dribbles (1.5) per match and commits fewer fouls than the 24-year-old, which suggests that he offers a greater counterattacking threat.

Wright has been in such fine form since the start of this season, having made 17 top-flight appearances in the Scottish Premiership with two goals and two assists to show for his 14 starts, per Transfermarkt.

Dons boss Derek McInnes has heaped praise on the maturing youngster for translating his “terrific” talent into consistent performances at Pittodrie.

The move is ultimately in Rangers’ hands and if they can put forward an offer that the Dons simply can’t refuse, then they would be in a strong position to sign Wright before the close of play on deadline day.

AND in other news, George Edmundson must use temporary loan move to resurrect Rangers career…

Reports by 90min earlier this week claimed Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign free-agent Daniel Sturridge, but Steve Bruce should ignore a desperate bid to replace the injured Callum Wilson with the former Liverpool striker.

The Magpies are due to be without their 10-goal top-scorer for the best part of two months after Wilson sustained a deep hamstring tear during his side’s 3-2 win over Southampton earlier this month.

Bruce opted to fill the ex-AFC Bournemouth marksman’s void with Miguel Almiron playing a false nine position at Chelsea on Monday night, while Allan Saint-Maximin and Dwight Gayle operated in wider roles at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle’s makeshift system failed to result in taking any points from south west London with each of Almiron, Gayle and Saint-Maximin taking one shot but only Gayle forcing a save from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Second-half substitutes Joelinton and Andy Carroll further failed to record a single effort, to see that the pair plus Gayle remain on just one goal each in the Premier League this season.

The Toon could look to outside options in their search for goals amid a relegation fight, with it claimed that Sturridge has been offered on a short-term deal.

West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United are thought to have contacted the 31-year-old to discuss a potential Premier League return, while an intermediary has reached out to the Magpies following Wilson’s injury.

90min further added that Sturridge has been keeping fit following his release by Super Lig side Trabzonspor last March in anticipation of a return to football.

Sturridge played just 16 games for Trabzonspor after being dropped by Liverpool at the end of his contract in 2019, in which he scored seven goals across all competitions but was axed by the Turkish club 17-months before his deal was due to run out.

The £3.5m-rated forward is now said to be under consideration for a potential return to English football by Newcastle, but Bruce should walk away from the intermediary offering Sturridge’s services.

Newcastle would have no guarantees over what sort of player they would be signing in Sturridge, who may have scored 77 times throughout his career in the Premier League but only hit two of those in his final 18 games following another two-goal campaign in 2017/18.

The 6 foot 2 man also struggled to establish himself at Trabzonspor prior to his release, with Sturridge only starting 11 of his 16 appearances and playing an average of just 52.75 minutes a game.

That’s before 11 months on the sidelines, that will surely have taken a toll on his fitness no matter the regime the 26-cap England international has put in place.

Injuries have taken its toll on the striker, and he seems to be a player on a downward slope. The Magpies mustn’t fall into the trap of making a desperate move for him to remedy their number nine woes.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Steve Howey drops verdict on Graeme Jones replacing Steve Bruce…

Southampton travel to Goodison Park on Monday evening in the hopes that they can pick up their first Premier League win since early January with three points against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have endured a woeful recent run of form which has seen them slide down the table, with a relegation fight not out of the question, despite the South Coast club going top of the league earlier in the season after a 2-0 win against Newcastle.

The Austrian manager has had to cope with a number of injury issues to key players in recent weeks and looks set to be without the likes of Oriol Romeu, Kyle Walker-Peters, Ibrahima Diallo and Takumi Minamino for Monday’s game against the Toffees.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up against Everton, with four changes from the team that started against Leeds last time out, as well as a change in formation…

After keeping clean sheets in all of his appearances so far this season, it is time Hasenhuttl gave Forster the opportunity to start in the Premier League, in the hope that he can help turn their form around.

There’s one change in defence, as the Saints switch to a five-at-the-back formation, which allows Jan Bednarek to move back to centre-back, whilst Kayne Ramsay comes in at right-back.

With Romeu and Diallo both unavailable, Stuart Armstrong is perhaps likely to start in central-midfield alongside James Ward-Prowse.

After being rested against Leeds United, Moussa Djenepo comes back in on the left-hand side for Nathan Tella, whilst Nathan Redmond moves to the right-hand side after playing as a striker in recent fixtures.

Finally, the out-of-form Che Adams is unsurprisingly replaced by Danny Ings, who will have to be at his best in a lone striker role if Southampton are to get anything from this game.

And, in other news… Saints should unleash rarely-seen academy beast vs Everton; he can help stop the rot

According to a report by Italian news outlet Calciomercato, defender Nicolas Nkoulou is one of the players who will almost certainly leave Torino at the end of the season – with Andrea Radrizanni and Leeds United eyeing a move for the Cameroonian whose contract is set to expire. 

Indeed, the 30-year-old looks set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season according to this report, with the Whites keeping close watch as they plot a swoop.

Nkoulou wanted by Leeds

Calciomercato say Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is a big fan of the 72-cap colossus with a plethora of experience on the international stage as the Africa Cup of Nations winner attracts attention from Elland Road.

He also possesses experience playing in the Champions League for both Lyon and Marseille, with Nkoulou and Bielsa previously working together at the latter club.

Indeed, the centre-back is a player who Leeds’ boss knows very well and is now keen on reuniting with in Yorkshire – coming as the defender’s Serie A exit looks inevitable.

Transfer Tavern take

Radrizzani and co could snap him up for free in the summer in a bid to bolster Bielsa’s Premier League options, with the lack of a price tag potentially being a main attraction amid financial uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

In other news: Phil Hay has dropped a Robin Koch update, find out more here.

Manchester United turned in a heroic effort to halt Manchester City’s 21-match winning streak at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening.

Bruno Fernandes gave the Red Devils the lead early on from the penalty spot after Anthony Martial was fouled by Gabriel Jesus. Left-back Luke Shaw then extended the lead just after the break to top off what was an impressive personal performance.

Starting his 22nd Premier League game of the season for the Red Devils, the second-most in a single campaign throughout his career with the club, he continued his eye-catching resurgence.

Faced up against the ever-tricky Riyad Mahrez, the former Southampton man kept the Algerian under lock and key throughout the 90 minutes.

He produced a tackle, an interception and a block in the game according to WhoScored and whilst they are not the most overwhelming numbers in the world, Shaw consistently looked like he was not going to be beaten or taken on.

Whilst he was solid at the back, it was the offensive side of his game where the £19.8m-rated full-back was the most efficient.

He had two shots against City, both of those on target, which is more than inspirational Red Devils figure Bruno Fernandes, who scored the opening goal of the game from the spot.

As a matter of fact one of those shots was indeed key as it saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men double their lead at the Etihad. Shaw’s direct run at the City defence opened up the space before he played a clever one-two with Marcus Rashford. Receiving the ball back, the 25-year-old stayed cool to slot home into the far corner for just his third-ever Manchester United goal.

Shaw was not one for relinquishing possession either, having not been dispossessed or notching an unsuccessful touch throughout the 90 minutes.

He really is now playing a top form and looks to have secured the left-back berth for his own despite the summer arrival of Alex Telles from FC Porto.

Fernandes has often been Man United’s go-to player but in this game, it was Shaw who led the way to a derby day victory.

AND in more news, have a look why it’s a bad idea for Manchester United to splash the cash on Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has laid into Diego Llorente, picking out one particular ‘terrible’ incident against West Ham.

The Whites were beaten 2-0 at the London Stadium on Monday evening, as their Premier League season threatens to peter out a little.

It’s now four defeats in the last five league outings for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who are 11th in the table ahead of Saturday’s visit of Chelsea.

Llorente comes in for criticism from Whelan

Someone who had a bad night at the office against the Hammers was Llorente, with the centre-back at fault for Craig Dawson’s goal.

The Spaniard joined Leeds from Real Sociedad back in September, but has made just four starts in the league to date, struggling badly with injuries.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan didn’t hold back in his criticism of Llorente, saying much more is needed from a player with so much experience:

“You are looking at a centre-half who is a Spanish international.  You have to do your homework beforehand. I knew that Dawson was their most dangerous, aggressive player from set pieces. In the second-half Bielsa rectified that mistake because he made Liam Cooper mark him instead.

“When you look at Dawson’s goal, it’s terrible defending. It’s weak and too easy. You do not expect that from a Spanish centre-half.

“He gave Dawson so much room and freedom inside the penalty area. You cannot do that. It was a free header at the far post.

“We have been like this all season. Set pieces have once again been our achilles heel.”

Transfer Tavern take

In fairness to Llorente, his aforementioned fitness woes have made it difficult for him to settle at Elland Road, so Whelan’s judgment is slightly harsh.

The 27-year-old’s pedigree is undeniable, with six caps to his name for Spain, and he likely just needs a run in the team in order to find his feet.

He will though be forced to defend better when the Whites square off with a red-hot Chelsea side or things could turn ugly.

In other news, Patrick Bamford revealed his feelings towards divisive referee Mike Dean!

Lots of Everton fans have been left very pleased by an official announcement from the Goodison Park faithful on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, the 24-year-old has been called up to the latest England squad for their upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Calvert-Lewin has been enjoying a very good season for Carlo Ancelotti’s team so far, scoring no fewer than 19 goals and making a further four assists in 30 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

His form for the Toffees has yielded another call-up to the Three Lions by Gareth Southgate, as he will be hoping to help his country get off to the best start possible in the next set of games.

Everton fan reaction to Calvert-Lewin call-up

These Blues showed their appreciation for Calvert-Lewin’s call-up on Twitter after the club shared the news, with one EFC supporter saying that he was ‘pleased’ for the English striker:

“Well deserved, my man please go and come back to us injury free”

Credit: @PROSPER29011663

“My striker @CalvertLewin14”

Credit: @everton_now

“Let’s goooo DCL much deserved.”

Credit: @SirThaddeus

“YES DCL!!!!”

Credit: @BazTastic77

“Pleased for young Dom. No Keane is incredible if you look at who he’s picked.”

Credit: @CoachSteveRich

“So happy for DCL, shocked how neither Godfrey or Keane haven’t made it – yes I know Godfrey is in the U21”

Credit: @KPrxdiigyy

In other news, find out what potential injury boost Everton have received before Manchester City here!

When Helder Costa completed his switch to Leeds United last summer, Marcelo Bielsa would no doubt have been hoping for some big things from his big-money signing.

With reports claiming that Leeds spent around £16m to sign him on a permanent deal from fellow Premier League side Wolves, it’d be fair to assume that Bielsa would have expected a lot more from one of the club’s most expensive signings in recent memory.

Instead, the 27-year-old has really struggled at Premier League level, managing just two goals in 19 top-flight games for the Yorkshire club, and playing less than 1000 minutes in the competition.

Now, CIES value him at just £6m, less than half of what the Whites actually paid Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to bring him to Elland Road permanently.

His performances this season have really struggled for any kind of consistency, and his recent form has been the perfect snapshot of that – after coming off the bench to score against Arsenal at the Emirates, he popped up with an assist against Southampton a couple of games later. Since then however, he’s delivered nothing, and was promptly dropped from the side by Bielsa for the 2-1 win over Fulham.

And, after a particularly disappointing display against Aston Villa back in late February, former Leeds man Noel Whelan tore into the winger for failing to take his chance.

He said: “Costa was given his opportunity and once again he did not take it. We are talking about a £16m player here who did not effect the game in any way shape or form. He needs to show consistency. You need to make that position your own when your manager puts his trust in you from the start.

“I saw absolutely nothing from him against Aston Villa. Nothing suggested to me that he has given Marcelo Bielsa a headache with that performance.”

Now, reports in recent days and weeks have claimed that Leeds are willing to listen to offers for Costa in this upcoming summer transfer window, with the club having earmarked him as someone who could be sold to raise some funds for improvements elsewhere.

Given how his market value has dropped considerably, it would certainly be a major surprise if Leeds got anywhere near the kind of money that they actually paid to sign him.

It surely has Andrea Radrizzani fuming about Leeds’ blunder to commit to paying such a large chunk of money for Costa in the first place.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this starlet who’s shades of Raphinha…

David Moyes should look to discover his Mark Noble heir by unleashing West Ham United product Keenan Appiah-Forson next season.

Noble has committed to extending his time in claret and blue into an 18th and final term by recently signing a new one-year deal, that will see the curtain fall on his Irons career in the summer of 2022.

Mr West Ham’s farewell tour will provide Moyes with a piece of welcome depth in the engine room as the veteran is presently his only back-up to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, who have played every minute of regular time in the Premier League this season.

West Ham could look to bolster their numbers in the centre of the pitch with a revived approach for Matias Vecino in the summer, after reports surfaced in Italy last week that Inter Milan are looking to sell the former Irons target for between €8-10m (£7-8.5m).

Yet Moyes could look to save David Sullivan and the Irons board a few million pounds that can go toward the arrival of Sebastien Haller’s replacement, simply by unleashing Appiah-Forson and seeing what the 19-year-old has in his locker.

Many people at the Hammers academy expect the Englishman to go on and achieve big things at the London Stadium, with forward Kai Corbett one of several prospects to praise Appiah-Forson in the Academy Spotlight segment of West Ham’s matchday programme.

“He does so much work, the team wouldn’t be the same without him,” Corbett noted, via quotes by The Athletic, ahead of West Ham’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

Jamal Baptiste, Dan Chesters and Bernardo Rosa are also noted to believe Appiah-Forson deserves much more recognition than he currently receives, while Terry Westley – West Ham’s Academy Manager between 2014-19 – has likened him to Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

“I left when he was still a scholar, but I’ll never forget how committed Keenan was,” Westley told The Athletic. “He always listened and wanted to improve. I can tell he’s really enjoying himself and that’s what warmed the staff to him. You could always rely on him to do well.

“Keenan’s small but he’s such a tough boy. He’s similar to N’Golo Kante in terms of his work ethic because he’s so difficult to mark. Keenan has a lot of potential and it’s great that young players are getting an opportunity at West Ham under David Moyes. Keenan could be next.”

But while Westley suggests Appiah-Forson “could” be next, the talented teen should be next and given the chance to learn first-hand from Noble, Rice and Soucek while proving his potential to Moyes as the next chapter comes into focus at West Ham.

He is an established regular in Dmitri Halajko’s Under 23s with 12 appearances and three goals in the Premier League 2 this season from the deep-lying midfield role, and has already enjoyed his first taste of senior football.

Appiah-Forson was given an example of first-team action as West Ham beat Newport County in the EFL Trophy back in September 2019, and has gone on to feature in three further cup ties – including beating Portsmouth away to the League One side last November.

The next step for Appiah-Forson is either a loan move away to enjoy consistent first-team minutes or to make the step up to Moyes’ ranks, which should soon be on offer.

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

In an exclusive with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals during his career for Wolves, has claimed that Pedro Neto is easily worth more than £75 million.

It has been reported that Manchester United are interested in signing the Portuguese winger for £50 million, with his current Transfermarkt value standing at £31.5 million.

Neto just signed a new contract at the end of last year which will keep him at Molineux for another five years as Wolves hope to fend off any interest this summer.

Speaking on how much Pedro Neto is worth in today’s market as well as his thoughts on the £50 million links to Man United, Bull told FFC:

“£50 million is absolutely shocking you know, I think you’ve got to be looking at £75 million-plus for him, easily.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“I think he’s a skilful and talented player who is very young and it’s certainly up to him now in terms of how high he wants to go.”

Pedro Neto has been Wolves’ most productive payer this season registering five goals and five assists which sees him as the club’s top scorer.

Next season may see the £50k p/w winger come on leaps and bounds if he has Raul Jimenez to get on the end of his through balls and crosses next season.