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Xabi Alonso's decision to remain at Bayer Leverkusen prompted a range of reaction on social media, with some Liverpool fans left dejected at the news.

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• Alonso announces he will stay at Leverkusen
• News comes as blow to Liverpool and Bayern
• Fans react as search for Klopp successor continues

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reports emerged on Thursday evening that Alonso was unlikely to figure on the shortlist to replace the outgoing Jurgen Klopp, with Bayern Munich's hopes of landing the Spaniard dashed on Friday when news broke that Europe's hottest managerial property had decided to stay put in Leverkusen for another season.

  Absorbing the news that leaves both clubs no nearer to filling their managerial vacancies, fans took to social media to air their feelings.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  "Big for the Bundesliga. Real [Madrid] for him next," reacted German account @nside_pro_footb.

  On the influential Liverpool account, The Anfield Wrap, fans still reeling from Jurgen Klopp's announcement reacted.

  "I think the fans love Alonso more than Alonso loves our club. We need to move on," said @jayellcee7791.

  "Depressed no matter who we get," bemoaned @styz0r.

  "I was all in on Xabi to be honest, none of those other names inspire much confidence in me," posted @TheGraySon72.

  Others were more upbeat such as @PhilBlundell, who said: "The thing with managers is that there’s always other ones. If someone doesn’t want to manage Liverpool, which is the case here, there is absolutely no point wasting a second on it."

  "Xabi's loss," said a defiant @paulmcmasterLFC. "Whoever we get is inheriting a superb group of footballers."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The news came as something of a surprise with a decision expected much closer to the season's end as his all-conquering side conclude a season that sees them unbeaten in a remarkable 49 games across all competitions. As the fans' replies show, the revelation is likely to lead many to presume that Alonso is now primed to become the successor to Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid when the Italian calls time on his second spell in the Spanish capital.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR XABI ALONSO?

  Alonso will hope that this puts an end to all the gossip and allows his team to focus on their run-in. Leverkusen host Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon as they close in on what would be an historic first Bundesliga title.

Leeds United were, unfortunately, relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season after three years at the top table of English football.

The Whites were unable to extend their stay in the top-flight despite the efforts of sporting director Victor Orta, who changed the manager twice throughout the campaign.

Jesse Marsch started the season in charge but the American tactician was dismissed in January of this year and replaced by Javi Gracia, who was later moved on in favour of Sam Allardyce.

None of these moves by Orta helped to avoid the drop and some may point back to the sale of Raphinha during the summer of 2022 as the start of their downfall.

Marsch and the Spanish chief cashed in on the Brazil international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as Barcelona swooped in to secure his services.

How much did Barcelona pay for Raphinha?

The LaLiga giants reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £55m, with an initial £49m without add-ons, to sign the exciting winger after his impressive performances for Leeds over the previous two seasons.

Raphinha revealed that it was a dream come true for him to sign for Barcelona and Sky Sports reported the club were planning for his departure before the Catalan side secured his services.

This suggests that it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for the Whites to convince the former Rennes ace to remain at Elland Road.

He had given the club two fantastic years of service at Premier League level and helped to keep them in the division, which resulted in big-money interest from elsewhere.

The Whites were able to make a significant profit on the initial £17m that they paid Rennes for the Brazilian maestro back in the summer of 2020.

Therefore, it would be harsh to blame Marsch or Orta for sanctioning his exit as it was a logical one at the time. Denying Raphinha a 'dream' move to Barcelona for a gigantic transfer fee could have turned out to be a disaster if it upset the player and caused his form to dip or he then picked up an injury that devalued him and his performances on the pitch.

The howler was, in fact, how they used that money to replace their star forward as the club splashed the cash to make a number of signings that summer.

Who did Leeds sign ahead of the 2022/23 season?

Leeds brought in the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto, and Luis Sinisterra to bolster their attacking options in the wake of Raphinha's exit.

Orta and Marsch reportedly spent around £25m to sign Aaronson from the American tactician's former club RB Salzburg, whilst they also paid a reported £22.3m to sign Sinisterra from Dutch outfit Feyenoord.

This meant that the Whites spent almost all of the money they were due to receive for Raphinha on those two signings and they failed to replace the impact that the brilliant Brazilian had on the pitch.

The left-footed whiz scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 35 Premier League outings for the club throughout the 2021/22 campaign, which came after he managed six goals and nine assists in 30 league matches during his debut season at Elland Road.

How many goals did Raphinha score for Barcelona last season?

He hit the ground running in Spain and enjoyed a terrific first year with his dream club as the Brazil international racked up ten goals in all competitions.

The 26-year-old wizard, who was once hailed as a "magician" by former teammate Dan James, showcased his ability to provide a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals from out wide.

Raphinha ended the campaign with ten goals and 12 assists in 50 appearances across the Champions League, Supercopa, Europa League, Copa Del Ray, and LaLiga.

He also had a fair reason to be frustrated with his teammates last season as they did not make the most of his creative quality. The former Leeds star created 17 'big chances' and registered 9.35 xA in LaLiga – only to be rewarded with seven assists for his efforts.

This suggests that the talented ace's numbers could have been even better if his fellow attackers were more ruthless and clinical in front of goal.

Nevertheless, the £55m-rated phenomenon enjoyed a fantastic season and, as it turned out, managed to outperform every single Leeds player during the 2022/23 campaign.

Who was Leeds' top scorer last season?

Rodrigo finished last season as the club's top goalscorer in all competitions with 15 strikes to his name, 13 of which came in the Premier League.

The Spaniard outscored Raphinha by five goals but only managed two assists for his teammates. This meant that he was directly involved in 17 goals, in comparison to the Barcelona star's 22.

Aaronson also failed to step up to the mark after his big-money switch from Salzburg as the USA international scored two goals and provided three assists in 41 appearances in all competitions.

Jack Harrison, like Rodrigo, came relatively close to matching Raphinha as the English ace scored six goals and assisted ten for the Yorkshire-based side.

Sinisterra was brought in to bolster Marsch's options out wide and the Colombia international was unable to replicate the Brazilian's impact on the pitch as he contributed with seven goals and one assist in 22 matches.

No other Leeds players scored more than six goals and no one managed more than Harrison's seven Premier League assists for the club last season.

These statistics show that Raphinha outperformed every single Whites player throughout the 2022/23 campaign as the talented dynamo was involved in at least five more goals than all of them.

Therefore, this shows that Marsch and Orta failed to adequately replace the left-footed maestro in the summer of 2022 as they were unable to bring in forwards who could impact the game on a regular basis within the final third.

Their dismal transfer business after Barcelona's swoop for their 5 foot 9 star man left a lot to be desired and, ultimately, contributed to the club's relegation back down to the Championship, which is where they are now whilst Raphinha is playing week-in-week out for a European giant.

Antonio Rudiger sent a warning to Erling Haaland as the Real Madrid defender prepares to face the Manchester City 'super striker'.

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• Haaland sent warning by Rudiger
• Met in Champions League semis last season
• Real Madrid face Man City on Tuesday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rudiger claimed that Los Blancos have a plan in place to keep an eye on the Cityzens' stars like Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. He further stated that it's a personal fight for him as he meets the Norwegian goal machine once again this season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The two clubs last met in the semi-final of the Champions League 2022/23 season. The German defender did an outstanding job keeping Haaland quiet in the first leg as the Cityzens could manage only a 1-1 draw at Santiago Bernabeu. Pep Guardiola's side, however, came back strongly in the second leg and registered a 4-0 win at the Etihad to book a final berth.

• WHAT ANTONIO RUDIGER SAID

  At the pre-match press conference, the former Chelsea star said, "It was a good game last year at the Bernabéu. We all did a great job keeping Haaland quiet that evening. And my teammates did a good job keeping [Kevin] De Bruyne quiet. This time, the plan will be to control dangerous players like Phil Foden, De Bruyne, and Haaland… It's personal for me as a defensive player, against a super striker like Haaland.

  "We won't only sit back and watch City have possession. But that's part of the game. There will be phases where we have to defend more, and we're willing to do that."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  After facing the reigning European champions during the midweek, Carlo Ancelotti's side will be back in action in La Liga on Saturday as they take on Mallorca.

Nobody would have anticipated before this season kicked off the start Tottenham would have to their campaign, straight off the blocks at a rapid pace under new manager Ange Postecoglou in the Premier League.

Unbeaten in their first ten top-flight encounters with eight wins and two draws – which notably includes a dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool in front of the rejuvenated Spurs home masses – Tottenham are flying high even with the backdrop of Harry Kane departing, a whole host of new players joining the building and an unproven boss in English football taking the reins.

The appointment of the Australian head coach has proven to be a master-stroke by the Spurs hierarchy, a universally liked figure amongst the north London faithful for the exciting brand of football he's been able to implement in such a short space of time but also for his mannerisms in press conferences and media work that show he isn't arrogant or disillusioned.

He could have to make a big decision however very soon, a call that wouldn't have him in the good books of this specific Lilywhites player.

Postecoglou could be forced into dropping Richarlison from his first-team plans completely if the 26-year-old's below-par performances continue, the Brazilian noticeably underperforming away at Crystal Palace recently which could have cost his side on another day.

Richarlison's performance vs Crystal Palace

The former Everton man looked shaky throughout his 64-minute spell on the Selhurst Park pitch, Spurs taking the lead a matter of minutes after his manager hauled him off the pitch – Heung-min Son saving the day again with an effort from point-blank range to extend his side's unbeaten run, Tottenham winning 2-1.

Tottenham's number nine was largely ineffective in forward areas against the Eagles, attempting one shot all night which trailed wide of its intended target per Sofascore.

Richarlison could have cost his side with the number of times he lost possession unnecessarily, losing the ball a grand total of 20 times per Sofascore – the 26-year-old off his game throughout, lackadaisical when his teammates needed him to be switched on and focused.

Before being substituted off, the once-feared Everton attacker kept needlessly giving away fouls out of frustration for his current employers – giving away two fouls, according to Sofascore, in a horror show for the Brazilian winger that saw Football.London writer Rob Guest hand him a 5/10 match rating.

Brennan Johnson would be Richarlison's replacement and the ex-Nottingham Forest man was instantly in the think of the action, helping Son convert home with the assist.

Richarlison, therefore, could be sweating about his immediate first-team future off the back of this anonymous display in south London with the Brazilian's other displays for Spurs this season not exactly cementing a starting spot.

Richarlison's numbers this season

The South American forward has only scored two times for Spurs so far this season, with Tottenham defender Cristian Romero tied with the attacker in the goalscoring charts.

Netting versus Sheffield United back in September, alongside helping himself to a further goal in the EFL Cup versus Fulham before Postecoglou's side crashed out on penalties, Richarlison is currently on a barren goalscoring spell of five straight games in the league.

This current form is a far cry away from the heights the 26-year-old consistently achieved during his four-season stay at Goodison Park, scoring ten times in his final season for the Toffees before upping and leaving for the English capital.

Postecoglou has a huge decision to make surrounding Richarlison's future in a Spurs shirt, with the likely outcome pointing in the direction of the ex-Celtic manager benching his number nine in favour of fresher options.

Chelsea are close to sealing a £24 million payoff from Newcastle as the Magpies are close to triggering the terms to make Lewis Hall's loan permanent.

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• Hall joined Newcastle on loan with option to buy
• Terms to make deal permanent close to being triggered
• Left-back has made just three league starts this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 19-year-old joined the St James' Park team on loan last summer, but the deal will become permanent if certain conditions are met this season. If Newcastle finish higher than 15th in the Premier League table, they will have to pay £24m ($30m) to the Blues to sign Hall outright, Ben Jacobs reports, and they are close to mathematically confirming that will happen.

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  Newcastle paid an initial £4m to sign Hall on loan from the Blues, but his time in Eddie Howe's side has not gone according to plan. The left-back has made just 11 Premier League appearances this season, but only three of those have been from the start. Newcastle recently saw defenders Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman ruled out with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, so Howe called on Hall to start each of their last two league games.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea are said to have already added the £24m they will make from Hall's sale to their budget for next season. The London side are expected to bring in new players in the summer window, with coach Mauricio Pochettino admitting they must address the lack of maturity in the squad ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE?

  The Magpies can ensure they will finish above 15th place as early as this weekend when they come up against Tottenham at St James' Park. Chelsea, meanwhile, will take on relegation candidates Everton on April 15.

Chelsea have been left short-changed following the Premier League's decision to move their away tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers to Christmas Eve, according to Sky Sports finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Chelsea set to travel to Wolves on Christmas Eve

Chelsea are a major draw in the Premier League story that draw huge support for the club from across the United Kingdom and worldwide, with fans tuning in to follow the Blues' fortunes every season. In Britain, fans not present at games will primarily view their favourite side through broadcast giants Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video. Every few years, the cycle renews and alterations occur as the Premier League's TV rights go on sale, creating an auction scenario where broadcast outlets will bid for the right to show fixtures live and exclusively on their own channels.

As per The Guardian, the English top-flight television rights commencing from 2025/26 are up for grabs and the Premier League could be set for a boost in revenue once the tendering process concludes, with the number of live games set to be screened per campaign going up from 200 to 270, with all 2 p.m. Sunday kick-offs to become available for purchase for the first time in the league's history.

The Premier League's current TV deal is said to be worth in the region of £5 billion, which is a figure that the division's governing body has faith will improve with the increase in live fixtures shown and the prospective length of a new agreement.

Nevertheless, controversy still exists as kick-off times are regularly predicated towards a live television audience rather than the match-going supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country to support their respective clubs.

Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea are no different in this respect, following the decision by the Premier League to move the Blues' clash against Wolves at Molinuex to a Christmas Eve kick-off for TV coverage.

Kieran Maguire delivers Chelsea fixture change verdict

In a classy gesture, Chelsea have confirmed that any fans who purchase a ticket for the match will also be able to access free coach travel to and from Molineux in light of the 1 p.m. kick-off potentially leaving fans stranded so close to Christmas Day.

Despite this, The Chelsea Supporters Trust have labelled the move to reschedule the fixture as "totally unacceptable" and have called for a reversal of the decision.

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has indicated that the Premier League is showing "contempt" for match-going supporters, including those Chelsea fans who will travel to Molineux during the festive period.

"Broadcast revenue equates to 60 percent of all income for the Premier League. Therefore, keeping the broadcasters sweet is essential for the Premier League, especially at a point in time when negotiations are taking place for the next cycle of domestic deals, which will be in place from 2024 onwards.

"So I think the Christmas Eve fixture is further evidence that as far as club owners and the Premier League as an institution is concerned, fans are there to be monetised, patronised and provide an atmospheric backdrop at matches. The interests and welfare of fans themselves are of very little concern to the Premier League. I think this is indicative of the contempt in which a key stakeholder to the game, football fans, are held by the decision-makers."

Ilkay Gundogan’s TV presenter wife has lauded her husband’s “treble mentality” following his scathing assessment of Barcelona’s Champions League exit.

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• German midfielder pointed fingers of blame
• Disappointed to crash out of Europe
• Partner has saluted his desire to be the best

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Manchester City captain Gundogan – who claimed Premier League, FA Cup and European titles last season – did not hold back when casting a rueful eye over Barca’s 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain that saw them dumped out of continental competition at the quarter-final stage.

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  Gundogan appeared to point fingers of blame at Ronald Araujo, following his costly red card, while also questioning Joao Cancelo for conceding a penalty and Robert Lewandowski for failing to get tight enough when Vitinha put PSG 2-1 up on the night.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There has been criticism of Gundogan’s post-match interview in Catalunya, and across social media, while Jules Kounde and Sergi Roberto are among those to have posted messages pointing out that Barca “win and we lose as a team” and “achieve together”.

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• WHAT SARA GUNDOGAN SAID

  Sara Gundogan has now spoken out in defence of her partner, saying in a message of her own that featured an image of her husband hoisting the Champions League trophy aloft as City skipper: “This man is a hard working guy and his football opinions are about improving and he is giving everything to this team. His mentality is a treble mentality.”

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A "world-class" Manchester United ace's future at the club has been in doubt, and a big update has now been provided from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Man United transfer news

The Red Devils have had a very up-and-down season to date, with results actually proving to be better than performances, following four wins in their last five Premier League outings that has got them back into the top-four picture.

In fairness, some of the displays haven't been helped by constant injury problems at Old Trafford, and while Erik ten Hag shouldn't be blameless when it comes to the team's struggles, not having a host of key players can be used as a valid excuse by the Dutchman.

When the January transfer window opens, it could be that United look to add some quality to their squad, especially with so many important figures absent at the moment. The defence could be bolstered, for example, and highly-rated Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio has been linked with a move to the Red Devils.

On the flip side, there is always the risk that certain players could move on midway through the season, should they look for a fresh challenge and see their head turned by a move elsewhere.

Casemiro's Man Utd future

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Casemiro is unlikely to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window, despite interest from Saudi Arabia:

"Casemiro has been a name – like many others such as Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min – on a list of possible targets for 2024.

"But the indication at this point is that he wouldn't like to jump ship from Manchester United mid-season. The Saudi clubs, I think, will be looking for that type of profile in the summer rather than January."

Casemiro is one of many United players out injured currently, and while he has arguably looked like a faded force when he has played this season, losing him in January would still be considered a negative at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian is a born winner who still has plenty to bring to this Red Devils side, and Casemiro has scored four goals this season, showing what he can offer in the final third, as well as continuing to provide quality and work ethic in midfield.

This is someone who has been hailed as a "world-class" player by former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, and at 31 years of age, he still has some years left in the tank.

It may be that Casemiro decides to leave United at the end of his season, but allowing him to move on in January makes very little sense, at a time when Tan Hag is already scrambling around to have as many squad options as possible.

The hope is that the Brazilian midfielder returns from injury a more refreshed individual than the jaded player on show earlier in the season, proving to be an instrumental figure in the second half of the campaign.

Gary Neville has launched a fresh attack on Mark Clattenburg and accused him of acting "like a Navy SEAL" for Nottingham Forest.

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• Neville continues his scathing attack on Calltenburg
• Will not be commentating during Forest vs Man City
• Sky Sports puts him on Tottenham match duty

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Forest's insinuation that VAR official Stuart Attwell, whom they referred to as a "Luton fan," had been biased while officiating their defeat to Everton prompted Neville to liken their behaviour to that of a "mafia gang". The public condemnation by Neville reportedly led Forest to consider legal action against him for his comments.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, Neville has refused to back down and has now attacked their referee analyst Mark Clattenburg over his role at the club. He called for Clattenburg's resignation at the weekend, citing concerns over his involvement in the controversial tweet and the team's poor performance since he was appointed in his new role.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  Speaking on thepodcast, Neville said: "You’ve got Clattenburg almost like a Navy Seal in the director’s box crawling along to the CEO [whispering]. The reason I asked him to resign was because if he actually saw that Luton tweet that went out, he actually has to distance himself from it or he’s part of it. If he’s part of that, I’m like ‘wow’. The second part of it is it’s football, right. If you’re the leader of that football club, since Mark Clattenburg came in, in the last 10 games they’ve won one match. In the 10 games before, they won four."

  Neville suggested that Forest should get over their obsession with referees and focus on their performances on the pitch.

  “You never give football players or employees a get-out excuse ever," he added.

  "He’s given them an excuse to not win. Now that might sound crazy, but when you put that negativity in, Neco Williams, he’s probably a really good player, he’s coming out on Sunday and he’s talking about referees. They’re all consumed about referees, and they’ve given themselves an excuse, everyone’s against us. It’s not working for them this strategy of the way in which it’s going. What they need to do is switch their mentality completely and forget about referees. Get Clattenburg out the director’s box so the camera stops going on him and concentrate on football, because they’re going to go down if they’re not careful.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Neville will not be working as a pundit during Forest's clash against Manchester City on Sunday and has instead been allocated to the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. Neville revealed that he had been sent a text by a Forest fan that read: "I’m just asking whether you’re at the Nottingham Forest and Man City game. I’m asking for 27,000 friends.”

  The former defender then went on to confirm: "I rang Sky up and said I need the North London derby on Sunday! No. I am at the North London derby, by the way.”

Glasgow Rangers will return to the domestic fold this weekend high on confidence following a sparkling start to life under Philippe Clement.

They face Aberdeen in the Premiership in what is a dress rehearsal for the League Cup final next month and after the Dons suffered a recent 6-0 defeat to Celtic, they will be hurting.

This could play into the Light Blues' favour however, as they will be able to inflict more misery onto the north-east side and gain the upper hand heading into the cup final.

With 12 games to come before the winter break, Clement will need to be smart and utilise his squad to its full potential, rotating players wherever possible to conserve energy.

If the Gers can make it through to the other side having claimed a trophy, secured progression in the Europa League and remained in touching distance with Celtic, the Belgian will endear himself further to the Ibrox faithful.

After this hectic spell, he can start to concentrate on the January transfer window and there is no doubt he will have his eye on a signing or two in order to rejuvenate a weary squad.

Rangers transfer news – Ben Godfrey

With the window fast approaching, the rumour mill begins to circle, and the Gers have been linked with a few names already.

Most notably Godfrey, who is finding playing time hard to come by this season, making only two appearances for the senior side.

According to 90min at the start of November, the Light Blues were showing interest in the centre-back, although they face stiff competition from both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in their pursuit of the Everton defender.

Clement could have received a boost regarding a potential move, however, as the 25-year-old was recently demoted to the U21 side for the match against Athletic Bilbao, and it fuels rumours that he looks set to leave the Goodison Park outfit in the winter window.

With the Toffees suffering a ten point deduction in the Premier League and potential financial difficulties, this could play right into the hands of Rangers, who may be able to land Godfrey for a cut-price deal.

The Ibrox side already have five centre-backs in the senior squad, yet this could all change in the next few weeks.

Leon Balogun has just a few months left on his current contract and he will surely say his goodbyes come May. This could suggest Godfrey would be the perfect heir to the Nigerian.

Leon Balogun’s season in numbers

The 35-year-old spent two years in Glasgow between 2020 and 2022, winning the Premiership title and a Scottish Cup along with reaching a European final, yet he was released at the end of his second season.

Michael Beale decided to bring him back prior to the current campaign and his calming presence has allowed him to thrive whenever he has played.

Before Clement arrived, Balogun had made just two starts across all competitions, but the former Club Brugge boss appears to trust him more than Beale.

He isn’t part of the European squad, yet the defender has started three of Clement’s five domestic matches and he has impressed in the top flight.

In his most recent appearance against Livingston, Balogun was a colossus at the back, winning 13 out of his 15 total duels along with making four clearances and three interceptions as the club eased to a 2-0 victory.

The Nigerian is approaching the end of his career, and it looks like he will be in Glasgow for just 12 months during his current stint, hence Clement eyeing up a defender or two.

Godfrey may not be at his best right now, but he has proven Premier League and international experience and, with the right manager, he could regain his form.

Ben Godfrey’s career statistics

Although he made his professional debut with York City, Godfrey really came to prominence during his spell at Norwich City between 2016 and 2020.

During that time, he made 78 appearances for the Canaries and helped them secure promotion to the Premier League by winning the 2018/19 Championship title.

The Englishman played all but eight league matches for Norwich in the top flight and this led to attention from Everton, who signed him for a fee in the region of £25m in 2020.

During his debut campaign with the Toffees, Godfrey was impressive, ranking in the top six across the squad for accurate passes per game, while ranking in the top five for clearances and interceptions per game, suggesting that he fitted into the side with relative ease.

Former professional boxer Tony Bellew even lavished praise on the player, lauding him as “immense” and a “revelation” for his performances in the Premier League.

Gareth Southgate even gave him his England debut at the end of his maiden season in Liverpool, as Godfrey played against Austria and Romania prior to Euro 2020, although he didn’t make the eventual tournament squad.

His career has been in a downward spiral since then. Since the beginning of the 2021/22 season, Godfrey has made just 44 appearances for Everton in all competitions.

His two appearances this term combined with the fact he turned out for the youth side recently indicate that Sean Dyche doesn’t have much trust in him and his future clearly lies away from Merseyside.

Davies ditched for "immense" titan in Rangers' dream XI after January

Clement could delve into the transfer market for a signing or two in January

By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 22, 2023

This is good news for Rangers, who could make their swoop in the coming weeks. Clement will be desperate to land a player or two during the January transfer window and Godfrey could be an ideal signing.

Low on confidence and lacking in minutes, the Belgian could revive him following a dismal start to the 2023/24 season and bring him back to the player who gained two caps for England just over two years ago.

With Balogun not expected to have his contract renewed, there will be a space for another defender come next summer, yet the Light Blues can get ahead of the curve by launching a move for the 6 foot gem in the coming weeks.