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Ibrox giants Rangers are reportedly closing in on their first signing of the upcoming transfer window as Giovanni van Bronckhorst already gets to work…

What’s the talk?

According to DH Les Sports, the Gers are in ‘notable’ talks to sign Zulte Waregem defensive midfielder Abdoulaye Sissako this summer.

The report claims that the Belgian outfit want to extend his contract by another year but the player is keen to leave and is now engaging in discussions with the Scottish giants as he looks to make the switch to Glasgow.

Gio will surely be buzzing

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that Ross Wilson is already hard at work at trying to improve the Dutchman’s squad heading into next season. Despite there being plenty still to play for this term, the Gers chief is making calls and planning ahead to ensure that business is done as quickly as possible once the window opens.

This will, hopefully, give Rangers the best chance of having a successful summer as it will prevent them from rushing around at the end of August and panic-buying players. Van Bronckhorst will, therefore, be delighted with the proactive approach from his sporting director.

He will also be buzzing with the prospect of a promising addition to the team. Sissako has made 2.5 tackles and interceptions and won 4.4 duels per game for Waregem, whilst also completing 81% of his passes. This suggests that he is reliable in possession and is a battler in the middle of the park as he attempts to win the ball back on a regular basis.

The gem has been capped 14 times by France at U19 level and racked up 58 matches in the top-flight of Belgian football, after playing 36 matches in Ligue 2 for Auxerre. This shows that he has a wealth of experience at a decent standard of football.

At the age of 23, he also has the potential to improve as a player. Van Bronckhorst can get excited by the prospect of working with the Frenchman to develop his game over the course of the season, and future campaigns, whilst having him compete with the likes of James Sands, Ryan Jack and John Lundstram for a spot in the starting XI.

He appears on course to be the club’s first signing of the summer window and van Bronckhorst will surely be delighted if that is the case…

AND in other news, Body blow: Van Bronckhorst now set for huge Rangers disaster over £27k-p/w “rock”…

Whilst Rangers’ 1-1 draw on Wednesday evening will have been frustrating for Steven Gerrard after the hosts’ late equaliser, the 40-year-old manager will no doubt be delighted that he was able to welcome back captain James Tavernier after his lengthy injury.

The 29-year-old had been sidelined since February with a knee injury but made his return to the squad in Rangers’ 2-0 win against their Old Firm rivals in the Scottish Cup at the weekend.

Despite Nathan Patterson’s superb performances of late, Gerrard opted to drop the 19-year-old for the trip to face St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday, although the former Newcastle United man really struggled to repay his manager’s faith.

As per SofaScore, the right-back would earn a disappointing 6.4/10 rating for his performance against Callum Davidson’s side, with only Cedric Itten rated lower (6.3) of the Rangers players who featured in the game.

During his 62 minutes on the pitch, Tavernier would contribute just one tackle and one interception, whilst he was dribbled past on two occasions, which suggests that he wasn’t really up to speed.

For context, the defender has averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Premiership so far this season, which emphasises that he was below par on Wednesday evening.

Tavernier would also complete just 20/34 of his passes on the night, resulting in a less than impressive 59% success rate, which again is far below the 79.4% he has averaged so far this season.

The “unbelievable” Rangers captain has been so dangerous going forward this season, with 11 goals and nine assists in the top-flight alone, but he clearly wasn’t at his best against the Saints, as none of his four crosses were accurate, whilst he managed to lose possession on 21 occasions.

Although it was Jack Simpson who gave away the penalty late on, it was arguably Tavernier who struggled to perform the most against Davidson’s side, as he was clearly nowhere near his usual high standards.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Hopefully, it is just a matter of him regaining match fitness, otherwise, he may soon find himself behind Patterson in the pecking order at Ibrox.

And, in other news… Allen masterclass: “Terrific” Rangers beast has seen his value rise 275% since Ibrox switch

Leeds have been handed a major boost in their chase for PSV Eindhoven starlet Noni Madueke.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already put out feelers for the England under021 international over a potential summer move.

The Daily Mail have now claimed that the winger is valued at around £15m, although the Whites are likely to face competition from the likes of Leicester and AC Milan.

Bielsa’s new Raphinha

When this Premier League campaign is fully said and done, there’s no questioning that Raphinha will be right up there with the signings of the season. The Brazilian has been an absolute revelation at Elland Road, managing six goals and six assists in the top flight and bringing that famed Samba flair to these shores.

In Madueke, Leeds could find someone who is incredibly similar with his explosiveness, skills and a wand of a left foot.

Former England under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd hailed his ability, saying: “He’s a powerhouse of a player, technically very good, left-footed and likes to come in off the side of the pitch, off the right and go and link.

“He’s got a goal in him, he’s very creative. He’s got a massive smile, a lovely kid. The lads have taken to him, as they would because he’s a good player, he has that respect for what he’s done at PSV.”

Meanwhile, former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte raved about about the England teenager to Dutch radio station Omroep Brabant last year, declaring (via Goal): “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions. That’s what PSV needs.”

Given his reported cost of £15m – virtually nothing in the modern market and especially when you consider the usual premium for buying English players – and with the competition beginning to intensify, it’s imperative that Andrea Radrizzani acts now to get his man.

Meanwhile, Leeds must offload this “complete liability”…

West Ham United have been dealt a huge setback in their bid to secure a deal to bring Mohamed Bayo to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing on Twitter that Clermont Foot will not be sanctioning the sale of the centre-forward this month, as the French club require the 23-year-old’s services in their battle to avoid relegation from Ligue 1.

Previous reports had claimed that Clermont were demanding a figure in the region of €20m (£17m) in order to part with the Guinea international this month, with a number of English clubs – including West Ham – believed to have made contact with the French outfit regarding a deal for the striker.

However, according to Nixon’s latest update, a move for the player now appears to be off the table in January, with the journalist stating: “West Ham. Brighton. Southampton. Won’t get striker Bayo from Clermont this season. Now needed to avoid relegation.”

Moyes will be fuming

Considering just how impressive Bayo has been in France this season, and with West Ham desperately lacking any real strength in depth at centre-forward, the news that Clermont are no longer considering cashing in on the 23-year-old this month is sure to have left David Moyes fuming.

Indeed, over his 17 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, the £9m-rated forward has been in remarkable form, having already scored nine goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his team-mates, as well as taking 2.3 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £5.2k-per-week hitman average a superb SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as his club’s second-best performer in the French top flight, while his nine goals rank him as the joint-seventh highest scorer in the division overall.

As such, when taking into account that Moyes only has the injury-prone Michail Antonio as an option at centre-forward, Bayo would very much have seemed to be a welcome addition to the 58-year-old’s attacking arsenal at the London Stadium.

However, following Nixon’s latest update, it would now look as if the Scot will need to turn his attention elsewhere in the transfer market in his bid to secure attacking reinforcements, something which will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the West Ham manager.

In other news: Transfer insider reveals West Ham have “looked at” signing £25m beast, fans surely buzzing

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore must clinch a bargain deal for St Johnstone left-back Scott Tanser this summer and forget about Adam Reach.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Wednesday are one of the clubs interested in signing the 26-year-old this summer. The full-back is set to become a free agent at the end of the month as his contract with the Scottish Premiership side is due to expire.

Doncaster and Shrewsbury are also said to be keen on him, whilst St Johnstone are still holding out hope that the defender will commit to staying at the club by signing a contract extension. However, the report does not state whether Tanser is considering a new deal with the Saints, and he appears set to leave the club on July 1st.

Earlier this year, St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson called Tanser “tremendous” and praised his attitude after a game. He told FourFourTwo: “Scott Tanser, who I thought was tremendous, again could be disappointed (to be left out at Hampden) but what an attitude he showed.”

Forget Reach

Reach is out of contract at the end of the month and looks poised to depart from Hillsborough on a free transfer after playing in 44 of Sheffield Wednesday’s 46 Championship matches.

Tanser could prove to be an upgrade on the versatile defender and prove a bargain addition to Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday squad ahead of the 2021/22 League One campaign.

The manager primarily deployed a system featuring three central defenders and two wing-backs, with Reach operating as the left wing-back in his Championship side. In 10 starts as a left wing-back, he averaged a respectable WhoScored rating of 6.78, failing to score a goal or provide an assist in those matches.

Tanser started 17 games in the same wing-back role for St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership this season, averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.08 and scoring twice.

This suggests that he could be a discernible upgrade on Reach. The £360,000-rated St Johnstone full-back is also two years younger than the Owls defender, which could mean that he has the potential to get even better and surpass the departing Sheffield Wednesday man by a greater margin.

Moore could have the chance to coach him into becoming an even better defender and make him a crucial part of his squad as they attempt to secure promotion back to the Championship, whilst signing him for nothing. Therefore, the Wednesday boss could improve his starting XI without spending a single penny on transfer fees, which is all the more significant given reports of cost-cutting measures at the club.

AND in other news, Moore must ruthlessly axe £22k-p/w SWFC beast, Chansiri will be relieved

Ashley Preece has dropped a major update on Aston Villa’s plans for Jacob Ramsey.

What’s the story?

With 22 appearances to his name in the Premier League last season, the 20-year-old certainly established himself as an emerging part of Dean Smith’s first-team squad at Villa Park.

And now, responding to a question about what the plans are for the 5 foot 9 Ramsey next season and whether a loan move could be possible, The Birmingham Mail’s Preece said: “Villa will look at both options. Smith rates him highly. It was his first year playing PL football last season, let’s not forget that and he’ll be much better now for 21/22. I think he’ll stay and will look to improve considerably once again.”

Villa fans will be elated

While Ramsey may not have gotten himself on the score-sheet or even provided an assist in his game-time in the top-flight last season, the fact he’s come through the academy and is “one of their own” automatically makes him someone who Villa fans will be desperately rooting for.

With his ability to play as a number ten, more deeper as a central midfielder, and even out wide on the right like he did against Manchester City, the 20-year-old’s versatility is a real useful tool for Smith.

It was quite telling that the Villa boss was more than happy to throw Ramsey on in difficult circumstances against the Premier League’s big teams, and even start him on occasion too.

Villa fans have already voiced their delight about Ramsey when he signed his new contract earlier this year, and tipped him to do even greater things.

And so, news that he’s likely to stay at Villa Park next season will surely have them buzzing.

Meanwhile, Villa could sign a dream Buendia teammate in this star…

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s interest in Rotherham midfielder Matt Crooks.

What’s the talk?

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, the Black Cats are set to challenge Ipswich for the signing of Crooks, who is heading into the final 12 months of his contract with the Yorkshire club, and the Suffolk club are said to have identified him as a key target.

The report claims that Lee Johnson is also keen on the 27-year-old, whilst Championship duo Peterborough and Derby are looking at him as well.

Fans would love him

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman must act swiftly to get a deal done for Crooks following this update.

With Ipswich in pole position for his signature, the Wearsiders are currently lagging behind in the race for his services and need to get a move on or they will face missing out on the player. However, if the Black Cats make their approach now and work with urgency to strike a deal with Rotherham, then they could swoop in for him ahead of Ipswich.

Crooks could be an excellent addition to Johnson’s side after his impressive displays for Rotherham in the Championship last season. Back in November 2020, Millers boss Paul Warne called the midfielder “influential”, although he admitted that speculation over his future was potentially affecting some of his performances.

He told The Star: “I don’t know how many of my players are absolutely 100 per cent but I think Crooksy sticks out because he was so influential over the last couple of years.

“If (Mohamed) Salah doesn’t play well for Liverpool everyone notices. With Crooksy, he is getting more like the player we want him to be.

“Has the transfer rumour and anything else that has gone on in his life affected him? Maybe. But that is just an excuse. It might not have.”

The £1,900-per-week beast produced an impressive tally of six goals and three assists for Rotherham in the Championship despite their relegation last term. He was able to chip in with a respectable amount of goals whilst his team struggled at the wrong end of the table, which suggests that he is good enough to compete in the second tier and that he could thrive for Sunderland in League One.

This is why Black Cats fans would surely be all over this deal as the club could be signing a proven player who can come in and have an instant impact on the team with his goals from midfield. Instead of taking a gamble on a player from a lower league or overseas club, the Wearsiders would be gaining someone who has already shown his class at a higher standard of football in this country.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has offered transfer advice to Newcastle’s new owners…

What’s the talk?

The ex-England international believes that the Magpies should swoop for Norwich City right-back Max Aarons to bolster their defensive options.

Ferdinand has urged PIF to target talented English youngsters, naming Aarons and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as examples.

Speaking on Vibe with Five, via the Gazette, he said:

“I’d be going mad for young, English talent. The best young, English talent.

“Max Aarons, the right-back at Norwich, Under-21 player. Conor Gallagher, straight in there. Get him in there. They’re two names, straight away, young kids who I’d say they’re coming into Newcastle. I want young, English talent.”

Long-standing problem

PIF could solve a long-standing problem at St. James’ Park by taking Ferdinand’s advice and snapping up the £19.8m-rated Aarons up from Carrow Road in January.

Newcastle have struggled in the right-back position for a number of years now, with the likes of Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth failing to impress under Steve Bruce.

Manquillo has played in four full Premier League seasons for the Magpies and never averaged a WhoScored rating higher than 6.59, which shows how uninspiring the Spaniard’s time at the club has been.

Krafth, meanwhile, averaged a rating of 6.47 last season after managing 6.30 in his debut campaign for the club, as he has managed to perform to a lower standard than Manquillo. The last time a Newcastle right-back achieved a higher score than 6.59 over the course of a season was DeAndre Yedlin all the way back in the 2017/18 campaign, as he hit a rating of 6.75.

Yedlin earned a 7.05 during the 2016/17 campaign but that was back in the Championship, hardly a fair barometer. As for Daryl Janmaat, he earned a 6.85 in 2015/16 which has to be considered fairly average.

Therefore, bringing in Aarons could help to fix that problem. The England U21 international has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.70 in the top-flight this season, despite his side still searching for their first win. However, most importantly, he has the potential to improve at the age of 21, which could make him a better option than both Manquillo and Krafth.

Last season, Canaries boss Daniel Farke hailed that Aarons whilst acknowledging that he is performing in the present at the same time. The review typified why he could become their most eye-catching right-back for the best part of six years. He said: 

“In my eyes he is not the young Max Aarons, he is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future. I know he has been labelled as one of the best young players in this league. Well I told him we can reject this label now because he is no longer one of the best young players, he is one of the best players.

“When you are close to 100 appearances you are already an experienced lad. He is so young and he has to improve, and he will, but what he has done in the past two years is amazing. I cannot praise him enough.”

This suggests that his average performance rating of 6.70 could rise significantly in the future if he is able to fulfil the potential his current manager believes he has. Therefore, he could end up being Newcastle’s first-choice right-back for a number of years, given his young age and scope for development, and solve their issue in that area of the pitch.

It is now down to PIF to listen to Ferdinand’s advice and make a move for the gem in the January window or next summer.

AND in other news, Deal offered: PIF making moves to seal first NUFC transfer, fans must be buzzing…

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Matthew Hoppe.

As per American journalist Grant Wahl, the Schalke striker is drawing interest from the Goodison Park faithful as well as Arsenal, after impressing in the Gold Cup with the USA.

He claims that it is ‘looking likely’ that he will leave the Bundesliga club after the tournament finishes.

Described as a player with ‘real quality’ by manager Dimitrios Grammozis back in March, Hoppe scored six goals and made one assist in 22 matches in the German top flight in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

He has also been likened to Robert Lewandowski with regards to his playing style, and at just 20 years of age, has a lot of potential that could be fulfilled at the Toffees, should they end up following up their reported interest.

Everton fans on Hoppe transfer update

These Blues supporters were left buzzing as the transfer update on Hoppe was shared across Twitter:

“Please @Everton pleeeeease”

Credit: @ParrettGost

“Yes please”

Credit: @NealEmbry

“Is a decent young player. I know it’s Germany but I think he could be a star in the Premier League given time swear.”

Credit: @sipatto1982

“Cool”

Credit: @joshwilbert1

“I would take Hoppe at Everton any day”

Credit: @whoisparadox

“Up the Toffees”

Credit: @DerekDevereaux

In other news, find out what club update has Evertonians buzzing here!

Fulham have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Matt Grimes to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Marco Silva’s side have seen a second bid, believed to be in the region of £2.5m, for the Swansea City central midfielder rejected.

The report goes on to state that, at present, it appears unclear whether the Cottagers will return with a third offer for the 26-year-old in the coming days, while also suggesting that Fulham will be aware the Swans are in a difficult position regarding the former England U21 international, as he has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Liberty Stadium.

Silva will be gutted

Following Fabrizio Romano’s claim that Andre Zambo Anguissa looks set to join Napoli in the coming hours, the fact that Fulham have seen their offer rejected for a player who could well be Silva’s replacement for the Cameroon international is sure to have left the Portuguese manager gutted.

It is easy to see why Silva seems to be so keen on the Swansea City captain, as the 26-year-old would very much appear to make a fantastic addition to his Fulham side, something his form from last season illustrates perfectly.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances for the Swans last term, the £6.3m-rated man scored two goals, provided three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The man Steve Cooper dubbed an “excellent” player also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels in each league fixture.

These returns saw the £10k-per-week midfielder earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as his side’s fifth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear to see that a deal for Grimes would be a fantastic transfer for Fulham to get over the line this summer, particularly following the news that Anguissa could be on his way out of west London by the end of the day.

However, with Swansea standing firm on their demands for the 26-year-old at present, Silva will have to weigh up whether or not he can afford to go back with an improved offer for the central midfielder in the coming days.

In other news: Get him gone: Silva must ruthlessly axe Fulham’s “valuable” £24k-p/w Jokanovic flop