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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has revealed Glasgow Rangers have closed the Old Firm revenue gap by a huge £48m.

The Lowdown: Rangers could be in for CL finance boost

Last term, the Gers won the Premiership title for the first time in 10 years, a huge achievement for the club from a sporting point of view.

However, financially, it could be even bigger, as their success means they will enter the Champions League in the third qualifying round – they are therefore just two rounds away from the lucrative group stages on the competition.

The Latest: Maguire provides update

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has revealed the Gers have closed the gap to Celtic in terms of revenue by £48m, and could even overtake their fierce city rivals provided they do well in Europe. He said:

“The revenue gap was £59million between the two and now it’s decreased to £11m. That was without Rangers playing in the Champions League.

“They need just one good season where they are more successful in Europe. If they are in the Champions League and Celtic are in the Europa League, for example.

“We are reaching an intersection point if Rangers are successful in the preliminary rounds.”

The Verdict: The right direction

As has been well-documented, the Gers have had their finance difficulties this century. In 2012, they went into administration (BBC) and, as a result, they were demoted to the fourth tier of the Scottish footballing pyramid. It has taken them a long time to get back to where they belong.

Now, though, things are on the up. Success domestically is a building block for positive European runs. If the Gers do reach the Champions League group stages and Celtic fail to do so, that could put them in a very strong position for a good few years to come.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid as this video emerged.

Following their Europa League qualification, West Ham are going to need to bolster their squad next season in a bid to compete on two fronts, and that’s exactly what former Newcastle defender Steve Howey expects to happen.

Avoiding defeat in their final-day meeting with Southampton was enough for David Moyes’ team to secure sixth, a place above London rivals Tottenham and a spot in the group stages of the Europa League.

The Hammers failed to reach the groups in their only previous times in the competition, but on this occasion, sixth place proved enough to book their place.

Should West Ham progress in the knockout stages, they could face up to 15 matches, but only if they reach the final.

But with the Hammers facing more than 50 matches next season, the most since they fell at the third qualifying stage in 2015-2016, Moyes is going to need a be a busy man in the summer window.

And Howey believes that whilst West Ham need quality in their squad, quantity will be equally as important, and he has also tipped them to make £100,000-a-week man Jesse Lingard their main signing of the summer.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“They might get a marquee signing like Jesse Lingard then players that will be excellent for the squad, players that can anytime come in and do a solid job.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they did quite a bit of work this summer.”

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Arsenal ace Emile Smith Rowe in recent days.

And, as to be expected, a number of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to the transfer news on social media.

According to Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, Villa hold an interest in the 20-year-old while his new deal with the Gunners is yet to be tied up.

Smith Rowe established himself as a regular in Mikel Arteta’s side in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, making 33 senior appearances in all competitions.

His current contract at the Emirates runs until 2023, and it seems as if Villa are looking at the attacking midfielder as a possible summer addition.

McGrath adds that Villa have also considered Norwich’s Emi Buendia, but Smith Rowe appears to be a new name on the club’s summer wishlist.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday evening. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing Smith Rowe as ‘class’.

“After what Arsenal fans have been saying about Grealish, this would be absolutely hilarious get him in”Credit: @tomlxnee”INJECT IT”Credit: @TheChillVillan”no way…”Credit: @M10Packed”This would be hilarious for so many reasons.”Credit: @JonahB90″oh my god”Credit: @fokkos2″LOOOOOOOOOOL”Credit: @1874adam

In other news: Villa considering shock move for Burnley striker, find out more here. 

Sheffield Wednesday are hoping to have their transfer embargo lifted this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson, who claimed in a post on Twitter that the Owls are looking to have their embargo lifted prior to the summer transfer window opening on June 9th.

Howson also revealed in a recent Q&A session on Yorkshire Live that Darren Moore’s side are “quietly confident” of being successful with the application for the removal of their ban.

Positive news

After what has been an extremely disappointing campaign that fans of Sheffield Wednesday have had to endure, with their side finishing rock bottom of the Championship table, the news that the club believes they will be able to sign players in the summer transfer window is a positive update indeed.

With Dejphon Chansiri confirming that Darren Moore will be the man in charge of the Owls next season, the 47-year-old being able to actively recruit his targets in order to give Wednesday the best possible chance of promotion from League One is undoubtedly a good thing.

And, with no less than 18 contracted Wednesday players who have deals expiring this summer, many of whom are on extremely costly wages, Moore looks set to have something of a blank canvas at Hillsborough this summer, allowing him to mould the squad into one in his own image.

So, while the recent disappointment of relegation will no doubt still be hanging over the Owls fanbase, Howson’s claim that the club looks likely to be able to bring in fresh faces in the upcoming transfer window is something that will surely leave them buzzing – as this is very much the first step in getting their club back on track ahead of their campaign in the third tier of English football.

In other news: Sheffield Wednesday ace reveals “massive boost” that will surely delight Owls fans – opinion

Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe has been a lengthy and drawn-out affair.

The Hoops were thought to be in advanced negotiations with the 43-year-old at the beginning of April but a number of sticking points have emerged in their chase since.

Howe doesn’t want to move to Parkhead or into any other job before the summer while they’ve also had to wait until Bournemouth’s season finished.

The Englishman managed the Cherries over two spells and wanted to bring a number of their coaching staff to Paradise with him.

Their campaign has now come to a conclusion so a deal could begin to accelerate in the coming days.

Though, if it continues to stall then Celtic chiefs should consider Frank Lampard for the vacant position.

Lampard lost his job with Chelsea back in January and has had a number of offers to return to management since. He’s caught the eye of the Bhoys and despite a deal for Howe being on the table, they are reportedly still keen on the 42-year-old.

Crucial for the Hoops is that he possesses Champions League and European experience, something he can easily one-up on Howe.

Celtic are in dire need of appointing someone used to the rigorous demands of continental football and league football.

Howe has managed in the Championship where the fixture list is pretty gruelling in itself but the travel demands aren’t quite as tough.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Lampard, however, is familiar with the mentality and attitude needed to flourish on two stages at the same time.

Having left Brendan Rodgers “really impressed”, he’s received the seal of approval from a former manager at Parkhead. Vitally, though, he’d offer the club a manager adept at working with young players.

Celtic are stuck in a transition period at the moment where they need to move away from older statesmen like Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths, and instead move towards the next generation.

Karamoko Dembele and Adam Montgomery made more of a breakthrough towards the back end of the season and could profit from a manager like Lampard.

He mentored Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount at Derby and then Chelsea as the pair rose to prominence. Lampard helped progress Reece James towards being a candidate for England’s squad at the upcoming European Championships and finally gave Tammy Abraham a chance to thrive at Stamford Bridge.

Last season, meanwhile, the former England international fielded the fourth-youngest squad in the entire Premier League with an average age of 24.3.

If anyone is finally going to extract more from Dembele and the club’s reserve side, it’s Lampard.

Combine his mentorship with the fact Celtic can register a reserve team in the Lowland League and a pathway suddenly begins to emerge at Lennoxtown.

That’s something that was very rarely the case under Neil Lennon.

Therefore, if Howe’s move does fall by the wayside, they certainly have an attractive alternative lined up.

AND in other news, £10m beast granted work permit ahead of possible Celtic move, he’d be great for Howe…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Raphinha will be fit to face Liverpool on Monday night, as the midfielder has had plenty of time to train at Thorp Arch this week.

The Whites face one of their most intriguing games of the season on Monday night, as the Premier League champions head to Elland Road.

The 2020/21 campaign hasn’t panned out the way many expected for the Reds, but they remain a top class side who have won their last three league matches.

Leeds will need to be somewhere close to their best in order to pick up a positive result, meaning key players being available is vital.

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Raphinha tipped to start against Liverpool

Raphinha left the pitch injured in stoppage time in the stunning 2-1 win away to Manchester City, making him a doubt for the game, but Whelan told Football Insider that he believes the Brazilian will start, claiming that he will have been light training all week at Thorp Arch:

“I am expecting him to shake it off. I mean, these are the games that big players love to play in. He has had a good week of recovery time and treatment. He has probably done light training, I would imagine, as well.

“I cannot, for the life of me, think of a game that he would rather play in. A Monday night game against Liverpool, the champions of the Premier League.

“It’s a game where he wants to go out there and prove himself again.”

Transfer Tavern take

Raphinha has arguably been Leeds’ Player of the Year, scoring six goals and registering the same number of assists in the league, as well as catching the eye with his dribbling skills and unpredictable nature.

The 24-year-old being passed fit would be a major positive for Bielsa, allowing him to cause Andy Robertson problems, with the Scot not at his best this season.

The threat that Raphinha poses could also make the left-back hesitant to go forward, especially with no Virgil van Dijk around to cover him, therefore costing Liverpool an attacking threat as well.

In other news, a former Premier League defender has explained why he thinks one Leeds player is ‘lucky’. Read more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Daniel Pinder, editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, has claimed that Milot Rashica would be a massive upgrade on what Aston Villa already have in the final third after Football Insider reported they could reignite a move for him.

It was reported last summer that Villa had agreed to meet Rashica’s £20.5 million release clause, however the deal was scuppered when the 24-year old asked for his £40,000 per week wages to be doubled.

Aston Villa have struggled for creativity in the final third during Jack Grealish’s time on the sidelines with Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore not being consistent enough as they have just 13 goals between them in the Premier League this season.

Speaking on how Rashica would be an improvement on what Vill already have and how playing with someone like Grealish would help Rashica, Pinder told FFC:

“He is a versatile player who can play anywhere across the front three as he has done for Werder Bremen, and I think he would be a huge upgrade on Trezeguet and El Ghazi.

“At a team like Villa where he would have the likes of Grealish and John McGinn, I think he could do well and excel.”

Rashica has been a steady performer at Bremen since joining in 2017, with a record of 26 goals and 19 assists in 95 games for the Bundesliga outfit.

The Kosovo international has also been linked with fellow Premier League sides, Leeds United and Southampton recently.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle for the signature of long-time target Marcel Sabitzer this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, Spurs are among three Premier League teams chasing the 27-year-old RB Leipzig captain ahead of the transfer window re-opening, with Manchester United and Liverpool also keen.

Sabitzer’s contract will expire in 2022, so the Bundesliga outfit are reluctant to lose him for nothing and want around €42m (£36m).

It’s also claimed that Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the Austria international, whilst the report suggests that there is a “75% chance” he joins Spurs after this current campaign.

Imagine him & Kane

This is the sort of signing which should excite Harry Kane for more reasons than one. A lot has been made about his future at Spurs, considering he is desperate to add silverware to an already glistening career.

“Look, I try to stay out of that speculation as much as possible. I’m fully focused on doing the job on the pitch from now until the end of the summer, and then we’ll see where we go from there,” said the England captain to Sky Sports last week.

The arrival of Sabitzer would not only lower the expectations on his shoulders but also put them one step closer to ending that long wait for a trophy.

Jose Mourinho has relied heavily on Kane’s exploits this season. He has directly accounted for 30 of their 49 league goals – that’s a whopping 61% of all Premier League goals either scored or assisted by the 27-year-old.

Only one other Spurs player has hit double figures in the league Heung-min Son, so the north Londoners could certainly do with finding another source of goals and that’s why Sabitzer fits the bill immensely.

The Leipzig skipper has previously been lauded as a “goal threat” by current boss Julian Nagelsmann and his numbers reinforce that. After providing 16 goals and 11 assists during the 2019/20 campaign, he has followed it up with seven goals and six assists this term, via Transfermarkt.

Imagine that sort of influence tucked in behind the free-scoring Spurs sensation.

Sabitzer’s outstanding ability from set-pieces has even drawn comparisons to David Beckham and perhaps could help fill that sort of void, which was left behind by Christian Eriksen last year.

Then there are his leadership capabilities, which would certainly help ease the pressure off Kane to deliver.

His former head coach Ralf Rangnick waxed lyrical about him last season, telling Kicker (via BuLi News): “He has clearly changed for the better and has become a leader. The way he has developed his personality is remarkable. I’ve only rarely experienced something similar.”

Furthermore, the midfield dynamo has previously been dubbed “perfect for Jose Mourinho” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, so in some ways, it’s no surprise that there’s a 75% chance he’ll make the swap to north London this summer.

Daniel Levy absolutely should sanction this deal, even if it’s taking a £36m wedge out of his back pocket. He, Kane and Son could spearhead Spurs back into contention for the big prizes.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit slams Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez

Tottenham Hotspur have held ‘concrete discussions’ with Jerome Boateng ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Germany…

What’s the word?

They claim that the north London outfit are interested in signing the 32-year-old centre-back, with his contract set to expire at Bayern Munich at the end of the current campaign.

The 2014 World Cup winner has also been linked to Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund as well as Barcelona, but both of these destinations are played down in the report, meaning that Spurs are surely the frontrunners to secure him.

Boateng is currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, although he will not cost Daniel Levy a penny in terms of transfer fees, but his reported £210,000-a-week wages could prove to be a stumbling block.

Free solution?

Despite having the joint fifth-best defensive record in the Premier League, it has been a sorry season at the back for Spurs, with individual errors a worrying and defining trend. Jose Mourinho has chopped and changed his backline constantly – against Manchester United on Sunday, the Portuguese selected his 16th different defensive combination.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to learn that Spurs have made the arrival of a central defensive leader their top priority when the transfer market reopens in the summer. That’s according to football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, who also claims ‘there has been a clear lack of cohesion at times in the backline and leadership.’

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-recent-gossip” title=”Read this week’s Spurs news, latest transfer rumours and more!]

This is where Boateng could provide an intriguing solution, especially as someone with his experience is available for free. The 32-year-old colossus has played 356 matches for Bayern, winning eight Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues and many a domestic cup.

No one in the current Spurs defence can match his illustrious career, which is why Levy should act quick to snap him up and at his age, he should still have a lot to give.

In addition to that, current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once lauded him “like a quarterback” for the way he would dictate games from central defence before adding that he had “developed into a world-class player,” as per Bundesliga.com.

The quarterback is the leader of the team and almost like a manager on the pitch in American football, so you’d have to imagine this would fit the requirements for the current Spurs vacancy.

Boateng was nearly a Tottenham player back in 2007 as he was offered the chance to join the north London outfit alongside his brother Kevin-Prince, but he turned them down for a move to Hamburg.

The 1.9m-tall (6 foot 3) ace still sits amongst Bayern’s most consistent performers, even despite the lack of a contract extension.

No other player at the Allianz Arena manages more clearances (2.1) per game, showing he’s still quick to snuff out the danger whilst a passing accuracy of 87.7% from an average of 69.4 passes per league outing merely emphasises his quarterback-like ability, per WhoScored.

If Levy wants to give Mourinho a fair crack at resolving his defensive nightmare, then a swoop for Boateng makes the world of sense. It’s time to right this glaring issue.

AND in other news, Spurs regular drops another clanger against Man Utd, Mourinho should now be hugely concerned… 

Alasdair Gold could only slam the display of Serge Aurier as Tottenham Hotspur lost 3-0 away at Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League, with the journalist dropping his player ratings after the match.

The bad result after extra time meant that Spurs went out of the competition after winning the first leg 2-0 at home, with plenty of players to point the finger at in the North London club’s dressing room.

Gold was particularly critical of the performance of Aurier, who was given a torrid time down his side by Mislav Orsic, who ended up scoring a quite sublime hat-trick for the Croatian outfit.

Writing in his latest player ratings piece for football.london, the journalist claimed that Aurier ‘struggled’ down his flank and gave Orsic ‘so much time and space’ to score his first goal.

Gold also pointed out that the former Paris Saint Germain man was ‘sloppy’ in attack as well, as he let Orsic breeze past him to complete his treble, giving him a mere 3/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch along with Dele Alli.

Aurier struggled all night

As Gold points out, Aurier struggled to deal with Orsic, and his overall game was not the best at all for such an experienced player.

The Ivory Coast international lost out on three of his duels and also failed to block any shots or make any key passes in the match, while also losing possession of the ball no fewer than on 20 separate occasions, the fourth-most out of any Lilywhites player (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, he will have to perform much better than that if Jose Mourinho is going to keep him in the side in the longer term.

In other news, find out which global star Daniel Levy will be offered a chance to sign here!