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An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to bolster their options between the sticks…

What’s the talk?

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the Light Blues are eyeing up a swoop to sign Everton shot-stopper Asmir Begovic at the end of the current campaign.

The former Stoke City man is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and the Gers could now swoop to sign the experienced colossus on a free transfer.

Crook tweeted:

“#EFC goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is a summer transfer target for #RangersFC.”

Beale can finally ditch McGregor

Teddy Bears boss Michael Beale can finally ditch current no.1 Allan McGregor by securing deal to sign Begovic, whether that comes in January or at the end of the season when his deal at Goodison Park expires.

The Scottish stopper’s form has declined in recent seasons and his worrying form indicates that the Gers could improve their team by replacing him in one of the next two transfer windows.

During the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, McGregor saved 85% of the shots on his goal and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 across 27 appearances in the Premiership. He also only made one error leading to a shot or goal and these statistics show that he was sensational between the sticks as he saved the vast majority of the efforts against him and rarely made mistakes.

However, the veteran only saved 66% of the shots on his goal last season, averaging a rating of 6.76, and made four errors leading to shots or goals, whilst he has stopped 59%, averaging a score of 6.73, in the current term.

These statistics prove that the £13k-per-week liability has been on a massive decline over the past two years and that is why Rangers may be looking at a new shot-stopper to replace him.

Begovic, who was once dubbed as the “ultimate professional” by his former manager Eddie Howe, has been a backup for the Toffees since the start of last season but did catch the eye during his spell with Bournemouth in the Championship in 2020/21.

The Bosnian averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 and saved 73% of the shots on his goal across 45 appearances for the Cherries as he consistently delivered quality displays between the sticks.

He proved that he still has what it takes in the present as he showcased his quality in the Premier League this season with a Sofascore rating of 8.00 and a clean sheet against West Ham for Everton, saving all four of the efforts against him.

Begovic – who earns £43k-per-week in the English top-flight – also produced a brilliant display in the EFL Cup earlier this term as he earned himself a Sofascore rating of 8.2, by saving five out of five shots, in a 1-0 win over Fleetwood.

The 35-year-old’s statistics, albeit with limited game time in the last 18 months, indicate that he could be an upgrade on the struggling McGregor and that is why Beale must push for this deal to be done.

Manchester City have reportedly made contact with the father of Rafael Leao over a potential move from AC Milan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Back to winning ways

City got themselves back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory away at Leeds United on Wednesday night.

However, the result still leaves them five points behind league leaders Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola could look for an extra attacking reinforcement in January in order to help close the gap on Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Latest: Leao contact

As per Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb, City are ‘serious’ about signing Leao, and have made ‘important contacts’ with his father over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium.

Milan hope that he will renew his current deal at the San Siro having offered him €7m (£6.2m) a year in salary, but City intend to offer him a significantly better contract worth €12m (£10.6m) a year.

The Verdict: Get it done

With exit rumours regarding both Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva surfacing, City should be looking to get a deal done for Leao not just for this season, but as a long-term purchase.

Hailed as a ‘diamond’ by Milan legend Paolo Maldini, the winger boasts 34 goals and 30 assists in 135 games in total for the Serie A giants, including 16 goal contributions so far this term (Transfermarkt).

Sharing a similar playing style to Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, the Portugal international would be destined to thrive in the Premier League, but City may have to pay close to his €150m (£132.6m) release clause to sign him.

Nonetheless, at just 23 years of age, Leao could be a mainstay in the side for the next decade.

Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways with a 4-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on Wednesday night and there was even a rare start for popular academy graduate Oliver Skipp.

However, the England U21 international struggled to impress and may have failed Antonio Conte’s test with a woeful display.

Harry Kane bagged two of the Lilywhites’ four second-half goals, with his talismanic partner Heung-min Son and Matt Doherty also getting on the scoresheet to lift the north London outfit to within two points of third-placed Newcastle United.

It was the perfect way to bounce back from their humiliating New Year’s Day defeat to Aston Villa, where Yves Bissouma picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and a subsequent suspension.

That’s what allowed Skipp to come back into the fray at long last, having struggled for much of last season with injury. Indeed, it was only his third start in the Premier League this term and just his fifth since the start of 2022.

Perhaps it was rustiness, as alluded to by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold but it’s hard to imagine him keeping his place when Rodrigo Bentancur returns from injury, particularly after an impressive cameo from Pape Matar Sarr, too.

The 22-year-old gem – once dubbed an “absolute machine” by Opta’s Matt Hayes – registered the worst rating of any Spurs starter on Sofascore, highlighting that he was the poorest of his peers on the night.

He picked up an early yellow card and that certainly limited him somewhat, managing only one tackle. Skipp also lost 75% of his duels, with Wilfried Zaha often gliding past him with relative ease.

As per Sofascore, he was dribbled past twice and in his 66 minutes on the pitch, he only managed 38 touches  – four fewer than goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The aforementioned Sarr quickly racked up 27 after replacing him too.

According to football writer Andrew Gaffney both he and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had “totally lost control of the midfield” in the first half and at the break then claimed Skipp was “chasing shadows” all half.

Similarly, journalist Matt Brian suggested that the Englishman was “run ragged” in this shocking display, which doesn’t bode well towards his chances of starting again anytime soon.

The young £40k-per-week enforcer, therefore, failed to impress in what was a rare opportunity to stake a claim and he must be careful to not tow the same career path as Harry Winks.

Skipp will do well to be involved against Portsmouth in the FA Cup now.

AND in other news, Spurs close in on dream 1st Jan signing in £35m “special talent”…

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale looks set to be a busy man this month as he aims to assert his own stamp on the Ibrox side.

Having taken charge in November, Beale has enjoyed a rather fruitful start to life back in Glasgow, winning four matches and drawing once – the recent Old Firm tie on Monday.

The Englishman is already eyeing up a few players that he wishes to sign this month, with St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus one of them.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Australian is being eyed up by Beale and Ross Wilson and it is unlikely that St Mirren will stand in his way should an offer arrive, although it is unknown just how much the Buddies will be looking for.

Imagine him and John Lundstram

With Steven Davis ruled out for the rest of the season, Ryan Jack’s contract set to expire and the future of Glen Kamara still up in the air amid links away from the club, Baccus could form a solid duo with Lundstram in the Rangers midfield axis under Beale.

Lundstram has been one of the club’s better performers this season, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 20 Premiership appearances, scoring five goals and making 0.7 key passes per match, underlining his attacking threat from the middle of the pitch.

Baccus could provide excellent defensive support in the midfield as he has averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.1 clearances, and 1.1 interceptions per game, along with winning 4.8 duels – a success rate of 46%.

His ball-winning qualities could allow Lundstram some extra freedom to push forward and contribute more toward the side’s attack and this could become the basis of an excellent midfield dynamic heading into the future.

Baccus played four matches for Australia at the recent World Cup and although he only started one match, it is evident that he was trusted enough to be called upon to play at the highest level.

The 24-year-old was dubbed “impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting during his spell at Western Sydney Wanderers and Beale could begin his Rangers revolution well by signing the player this month and bedding him into the squad ahead of a transitional few months ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking at sealing a move for Piero Hincapie…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, who delivered an update on Spurs’ desired dealings this month. He wrote:

“Longer term, they want to bring in a left-sided central defender and will pursue a deal in the summer, with Clement Lenglet’s loan spell from Barcelona up at the end of the season.

“A player Tottenham are looking at is Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, who is an Ecuador international, but Napoli are also keen on the 20-year-old.”

He’d be Romero 2.0

In Hincapie, sporting director Fabio Paratici could unearth another Cristian Romero-type player for the Lilywhites.

Speaking about the Ecuador international on a recent episode of Sky Sports’ ‘Transfer Talk’ show, Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard said:

“There is a tremendous young player in there but he does make mistakes – he’s given away penalties, he’s been sent off, he’s made bad passes, things like that.

“If you are willing to stick with him and give him game time, let him develop, fine. If you’re going to stick him on a bench, that would be a big worry for me. At Leverkusen, they’re very good at spotting talent, especially in South America.”

Indeed, there are surely plenty of similarities between the two players, both of whom seemingly play each game on the edge – whether that be in terms of aggression and putting themselves at risk of receiving an early bath or on the ball, attempting the sort of passes you’d expect to see from your playmaker rather than centre-back.

FBref also liken Hincapie to Romero based on statistical profile alone, with the Leverkusen defender ranking inside the top 4% for dribbles completed, the top 7% for expected assists and the top 12% for tackles, all per 90, when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five divisions.

The 21-year-old, once dubbed a “prodigy” by journalist Jose de Jesus Ortiez, was thought to be available for around £34m in the summer. so he wouldn’t come cheap considering his age but as Hatchard suggests, he is one for the long-term future, just like Romero, 24.

As such, whilst a likely risk, it could be well worth Paratici swooping for Hincapie to pair him with the Argentinian in Antonio Conte’s back three for the long-term future.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Kulusevski 2.0 as Spurs plot move for £30m “game-changing talent”…

Tottenham Hotspur fell to an extremely disappointing 2-0 defeat in the north London derby on Sunday evening, a result that leaves Antonio Conte’s side five points adrift of fourth place – having played a game more – while it also sees Arsenal move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

As is now something of an unwanted trademark for the Lilywhites, Spurs started the game slowly, with a calamitous Hugo Lloris own goal gifting the Gunners the lead on the 14-minute mark, before a long-range strike from Martin Odegaard nine minutes before the break doubled the visitors’ advantage.

After the interval, Tottenham briefly looked as if they could haul themselves back into the fixture, with Aaron Ramsdale producing three fine saves to keep out Harry Kane and Ryan Sessegnon, although, as the game wore on, Arsenal once again took control, seeing out the 2-0 win with relative ease.

However, while the result will most certainly be a bitter pill for Conte to swallow, the performance of Pape Matar Sarr on his first Premier League start will have undoubtedly been a bright spark for the 53-year-old – as the midfielder well and truly repaid the Italian manager’s “big show of faith” on Sunday.

Indeed, over his 76 minutes on the pitch, the 20-year-old impressed in possession of the ball, enjoying 61 touches – the fifth-most of any Spurs player to feature in the match – completing 41 of his 46 attempted passes – at a success rate of 89% – and finding his man with one key pass – with Matt Kim claiming that Sarr’s forward passes and progression were “amazing” on the day.

The £14.5m signing also caught the eye in more workmanlike metrics, making three tackles, three interceptions and one clearance, as well as being successful in six duels and breaking up Arsenal’s play by committing two fouls.

While the Senegal international’s Sofascore statistical rating of 6.5 saw him fall some way short of the 8.0 received by Kane – the highest received by any Tottenham player – Sarr was awarded a much more favourable six in Alasdair Gold’s own player ratings for football.london.

The journalist wrote: “Making his full Premier League debut in a north London derby and he showed he doesn’t look out of place. It was a tough assignment with Hojbjerg against Arsenal’s midfield three but he worked hard and earned a standing ovation from a number of the fans when he went off.”

While such a lacklustre defeat against their most bitter of rivals is a result that no Spurs supporter will be enjoying today, there should be some confidence taken from the impressive showing by Sarr, as the youngster was very much Tottenham’s brightest spark on an otherwise bleak day.

A claim has emerged on Aston Villa and their pursuit of Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Villans are one of the clubs who have ‘discussed’ a potential deal to sign the Netherlands international before the end of the month.

The report claims that Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United, and Nottingham Forest, all teams Fun88 have had major sponsorship deals with, are also interested in signing the La Liga dynamo.

It is stated that the player has already made his way to England in preparation to hold talks with potential suitors after Villarreal decided that they are willing to loan him out for the second half of the campaign.

Jack Grealish replacement

Johan Lange could finally find Villa’s replacement for Jack Grealish by beating off competition from their Premier League rivals to sign Danjuma this month.

The England international, who joined Manchester City in 2021, produced an impressive six goals and 10 assists from out wide in the 2020/21 top-flight campaign before leaving the club.

Last season, no Villa midfielder or wide player managed more than Emi Buendia’s 10 direct goal contributions, which suggests that the club are yet to find another forward who can impact games as Grealish did for Dean Smith.

Danjuma could be that player as his form for Villarreal last season showcased his ability to make a huge difference in the final third. In the 2021/22 campaign, the Dutch international delivered 10 goals and three assists in 23 La Liga outings, whilst also scoring six and assisting one in 11 Champions League matches.

The winger, who the Spanish side signed for £22m at the start of last season, was previously lauded for his ability in attack by former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips, as the ex-forward said: “On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.

“He is a player who can hurt any defence on his day. He’s shown that countless times. Players like him are a rarity in this day and age.”

His aforementioned statistics for Villarreal back up these comments and journalist Dean Jones summed it up best by once claiming that Danjuma could be a “game-changer” for Villa.

Grealish was a ‘game-changer’ for the Villans on a regular basis and the ex-Bournemouth man has proven, under Emery’s management last term, that he can have a similar impact with his ability to produce goals and assists week-in-week-out at the top level.

The 25-year-old’s pre-existing relationship with the Villa boss could also allow him to hit the ground running and have an immediate impact in the second half of the campaign, which potentially gives him an edge over other targets who may not have worked with the manager before.

Photo by Unsplash

Southampton failing to secure the signing of former striker Danny Ings is a ‘travesty’, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Secret meeting held

Nathan Jones’ side are rock bottom of the Premier League table after winning just four of their 20 matches this season, with an attacking addition seen as a priority this window.

The Saints were just one of several clubs interested in a move for the 30-year-old forward earlier this month having fallen out of favour at Aston Villa, and reports even claimed that key figures from the club secretly met with the veteran to discuss a potential return.

However, he instead ended up making the initial £12m move to West Ham, meaning that the south coast outfit will have to go back to the drawing board to identify new candidates.

The Latest: Taylor’s reaction

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor reacted to Southampton missing out on Ings and suggested that he would have been able to make a significant impact if he would have gone back to St. Mary’s.

“Southampton need that player, like a Danny Ings, someone who literally does what it says on the tin. I think it’s a travesty, really, [that] they didn’t bring him back to St Mary’s. Even signing him for West Ham, to me, that almost guarantees West Ham safety.”

The Verdict: Blow for Jones

Ings has been dubbed a ‘lethal’ finisher by journalist Chris Sutton, and while he picked up an injury in his Hammers debut, Southampton not being able to convince him to return to the club will have been a huge blow to Jones.

The Nike-sponsored attacker has bags of experience and is proven in the top-flight, having made 87 goal contributions in 189 appearances at this level, not to mention he was averaging 1.5 shots per league game under Unai Emery.

The Saints were reportedly in advanced talks to sign Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, but with him having now agreed a deal to join Bournemouth, the boss will have to continue his search to find the prolific profile of player he’s desperate for.

West Ham United have been linked with many players this window, and yet have only seen two deals completed as of yet.

However, with the recent confirmation that Craig Dawson will depart from the London Stadium, a huge vacancy has opened up in their back three that must be filled.

The 32-year-old was poised to leave east London in the summer but saw a deadline day switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers halted due to an injury crisis at the back.

Summer signing Nayef Aguerd had been ruled out for the foreseeable future, and Kurt Zouma would later require knee surgery. Therefore, he stayed.

However, now that both have returned, manager David Moyes will be looking for the perfect centre-back to partner the Moroccan who truly showcased his talents at the recent World Cup.

The 26-year-old recorded three clearances and one tackle per game as they reached the semi-finals, but it was his 87% pass accuracy that truly shone.

His ability on the ball was unparalleled, and he was instrumental in their wicked transition that resulted in so many famous results.

With a similar system employed by his domestic outfit, he could benefit from the return of a purely solid centre-back to afford him the platform to showcase his talents.

That could certainly be Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykola Matviyenko, who was linked to the Irons despite engaging in talks with Brighton and Hove Albion. The Ukrainian outfit are reportedly demanding a fee of around €25m (£22m).

For blocks and clearances, there are few across Europe who can compete with his statistics. When compared to other centre-backs across the continent, for both of these metrics he ranks in the top 1%.

However, he does pair this with a fine attempt to play football. As such, he also sits in the top 7% for passes attempted.

Oleksandr Ryabokon, a football legend throughout Ukraine, was full of praise for the 26-year-old. He described him as “a stable and reliable player,” before continuing:

“In my opinion, reliability is the most important quality for a central defender. He can play as a centre-back and a left full-back. He is a smart player, he reads the game well, and he is an accurate passer.”

This was further supplemented by journalist Andrew Todos, who predicts a bright future for Matviyenko: “In my opinion, he can be world-class when he plays in a formation with three defenders.”

All the signs point towards this being a hugely successful deal should they manage to pull it through, now offering the returning Aguerd a partner with which the club can build into a more impressive future.

Newcastle United made a late inquiry to Manchester United to check on the availability of their midfielder Scott McTominay ahead of deadline day.

What’s the latest?

The Toon are going into deadline day with just one January deal over the line in Anthony Gordon but it does seem as if they are still targeting some late moves.

And a potential midfield option could well be high up on that list with their veteran midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey, set to leave the club over the coming hours for Nottingham Forest.

One of the names to be heavily linked with a potential move to St. James’ Park in these final hours is the Sheffield united ace Sander Berge.

However, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, journalist Graeme Bailey has suggested the Magpies have enquired over the availability of McTominay – albeit an unsuccessful enquiry:

(27:50) “Newcastle again inquired about McTominay, again just double-checking and you meant that didn’t you? He’s definitely not available? Okay, thanks. We’ll be back in the summer.

“So they were just double-checking McTominay wasn’t around because again he would have been a nice loan for them, perfect to come in.”

Could have landed a gem

With Shelvey headed for a future away from Newcastle, Eddie Howe’s midfield will lose an awful lot of experience in the middle of the park.

Although McTominay is still just 26-years-old, he is a player with vast experience for the Red Devils with 194 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

And it is to little surprise that United would be unwilling to offload the Scotsman at this stage of the transfer window with the midfielder still playing an important squad role.

However, his role over the last year has seen a change with the arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen seeing his starts in the United side reduced with just seven in the league this season.

But with the Brazilian suspended for their previous outing against Arsenal, it was the 26-year-old who Erik ten Hag called upon to fill in for the experienced midfielder.

And given the midfielder ranks in the top one percentile for clearances as well as the upper sixth percentile for ariel duels won, he could have proven a solid defensive midfield addition to Eddie Howe’s side (via Fbref).

Although it seems a deal this month is off the cards, it was interesting to hear Bailey suggest they will be back in the summer for the midfielder.