All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers have seen many players make the move to Ibrox on loan deals over the years, with some only staying temporarily at the Gers and others eventually joining on permanent deals.

Looking back down the years, it seems as though Rangers were on the hunt for one potential loan signing that could have become one of the club’s best-ever players in Glasgow.

According to former Rangers boss Alex McLeish, his assistant coach at Ibrox Jan Wouters was searching for a ball-playing midfielder in 2004 to come in to replace Barry Ferguson after he left for Blackburn Rovers.

Speaking further on the matter, McLeish said: “Jan Wouters phoned Henk ten Cate, who was [Frank] Rijkaard’s assistant at Barcelona. Jan asked if there was anybody we could get and was told about a young kid called [Andres] Iniesta.

“He was only 18 at the time. We asked if we could bring him to Scotland and were told that they would try and make some hay at Barcelona and get him over to us. They said Iniesta needed to get some action.”

“The Monday after Jan had made the call, Iniesta was moved into the first team. When Henk ten Cate got back to us, we asked about Iniesta and were told: ‘He’s in the first team squad now’.”

During his time in Barcelona’s first-team, the Spaniard racked up 57 goals and 138 assists in 674 appearances across all competitions, winning a plethora of domestic and European titles as well as various individual awards and international titles.

In the summer of 2018, the midfield maestro left his boyhood club for a new challenge in Japan with Vissel Kobe, where he has scored 25 goals and provided 23 assists in 108 appearances.

Overall, the Barcelona legend, who has been described as being a “complete” footballer by Vicente del Bosque as well as being “like Harry Potter” in terms of his creative abilities on the pitch by Luis Enrique, has a total of 243 goals and assists to his name throughout his senior playing career.

Having become one of the most-decorated players for club and country, it’s safe to say that McLeish and the club as a whole had a howler over not being able to secure Iniesta’s signature before Barcelona decided to keep hold of him.

In other news: Huge boost: Rangers handed major Old Firm injury lift, GvB will be thrilled

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos will both be ‘missing’ for Glasgow Rangers on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Hagi timeframe

Van Bronckhorst revealed back in February that Hagi will likely even miss the start of next season, as well as the rest of this, after suffering a damaging knee injury.

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Of course, that timeframe could be shortened if the Romania international is able to speed up his recovery through rehab, but for now he will be ruled out for the foreseeable future, and he won’t be the only one missing on Sunday.

The Latest: Early team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their Old Firm clash against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, van Bronckhorst confirmed that both Morelos and Hagi will be ‘missing’.

The Dutch manager thinks that the striker will be out for at least a ‘couple of weeks’, after he was spotted on crutches at Glasgow Airport.

The Verdict: Double blow

Of course, it is a double blow for the Teddy Bears that they will be without two of their key players in what looks to be their biggest game of the league campaign so far.

Both Hagi and Morelos rank in the top seven performers for the Light Blues in the league this term, while the latter is their top scorer with 11 goals and has also contributed seven assists (WhoScored).

Hagi is more of a creative influence, having ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes, crosses and through balls per game (WhoScored), and both of them can form a formidable partnership when they are on song.

In other news, find out who Frank McAvennie thinks ‘will start’ for Gers here!

Southampton supporters have been pretty satisfied in the last few days after seeing their side extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to three games on Tuesday.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men went into their encounter with fellow strugglers Crystal Palace off the back of beating Leicester City and Everton in their preceding two matches, results which moved the Saints out of the division’s bottom three. Yet the South Coast outfit were unable to keep their winning streak going in only drawing 1-1 with Roy Hodgson’s side, with James Ward-Prowse’s effort cancelling out Wilfried Zaha’s opener to earn the hosts a share of the spoils.

Thus, there have been many satisfied Southampton fans up and down the country in recent times, although several may well be looking back at the January transfer window with an element of disappointment, what with the club unable to land a replacement for right back Cedric Soares.

The Portugal international made the move to Italian giants Inter Milan during the January window, thus leaving the Saints somewhat short of cover in that area of the field, only for manager Hasenhuttl to fail to bring a replacement to St Mary’s.

And failing to solve that glaring problem, given it now leaves the vastly inexperienced Yan Valery as the main option in that department, could seriously cost Southampton as they battle to avoid Premier League relegation.

Ultimately, while Cedric wasn’t quite as effective down the Saints right-hand-side during his final 12 months at the club, the Portuguese ace had proven to be a solid and relatively dependable option at right back – after all, he was a regular under Ronald Koeman, Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrino, and indeed Mark Hughes.

And with over 100 Premier League appearances to his name during his time on the South Coast, the 27-year-old seemed to represent the ideal player and professional needed to aid the club in their battle against relegation – going through it last season may have also rubbed off on this Southampton team.

Significantly though, his departure to the Italian giants has left the Saints short of options in that area of the field, as while Valery has been the main man at right back since Hasenhuttl’s appointment, his inexperience, alongside the lack of genuine alternatives, represents a huge gamble made by the Southampton manager.

Yes, 19-year-old has done reasonably well since coming into the team at the start of December, but his red card in their victory over Leicester City was an indication that relying on the young defender could prove problematic as the season wears on – ultimately, being the main man in that position brings with it a lot of pressure.

And that is why failing to land a replacement for Cedric appears to be something of a mistake from Hasenhuttl, as while he may not have felt the 27-year-old was the right man for his team, his exit has left his side short in that area of the field – and placing all the emphasis on 19-year-old Valery is certainly a risk.

As such, failing to solve that glaring issue he has in the right back department could prove very costly to the Saints as the season progresses.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Having signed Hayao Kawabe earlier in the month, only for him to be loaned back out, followed by the arrival of Chiquinho who recently played in an U23s game, Wolves have not done much to fully strengthen Bruno Lage’s senior squad just yet.

With only a few days to go until the January transfer window closes, it seems as though the fans can forget about one reported target making his way to Molineux for the time being.

What’s the latest?

In a recent transfer report from the Birmingham Mail, journalist Alex Dicken had this to say about the possibility of Wolves signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, who has been previously linked with a move to Molineux.

“Wolves have added another winger to Lage’s squad in the form of Chiquinho, but the club are still light in defence and midfield.

“As mentioned above, a new centre-back signing before Monday is now unlikely, and there have been very few genuine links to midfielders other than Renato Sanches.

“The Sanches ship seems to have sailed, meaning Lage might have to muddle through with Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Leander Dendoncker and rookie Bruno Jordao – although the latter could still be loaned out.”

Shi is heading for a big mistake

With 182 senior club appearances under his belt across all competitions, Sanches has had spells in his home country with Benfica, a short stint in the Premier League with Swansea City as well as time in Germany with Bayern Munich before joining Lille.

This highlights the experience the 24-year-old has while playing with some big clubs and having some knowledge of what it’s like to play in England’s top division, which shows why it would be disappointing, particularly for Lage to not have the Portuguese international in his squad for the remainder of the season.

While it may be enough for Wolves to see out the rest of the season with the trio of Neves, Moutinho and Dendoncker as their main senior central-midfielders if they avoid getting injured, thinking on a long-term basis, it could be a big mistake for Jeff Shi to not bring the former Swansea man in when the summer transfer window opens.

With Moutinho’s contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign and previous transfer rumours linking Neves with a move away from the club, bringing in Sanches as a fairly young but experienced midfield option should be at the top of Wolves’ priority list.

So, while the ship may have sailed this month to bring him to Molineux according to Dicken, Wolves should definitely do all they can to get him in the summer.

In other news: Talks on: Fabrizio Romano drops big Wolves transfer update, Lage surely sweating – opinion

Newcastle United have suffered a setback in their hopes of appointing Brighton’s Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director.

What’s the story?

Journalist Craig Hope revealed: “As it stands, Ashworth – who resigned as Brighton’s technical director in February – will be made to see out his notice period, meaning it is likely to be November before he arrives at St James’ Park.

“We understand there is frustration on Newcastle’s part that they have been unable to reach a compromise and install the man who will oversee the club’s restructuring.

“However, the Saudi-backed owners – led in the UK by Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi – will not pay what they believe to be inflated prices, be that for players or staff.”

Blow for Howe

After enjoying a relatively successful January transfer window, one which saw the likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes arrive in high-profile deals, getting off to a good start in the summer would have been something Howe was hoping for.

Instead, the delay in getting a deal for Ashworth over the line threatens to cloud some of their potential work in the transfer market, particularly with the kind of valuable input the Brighton man could have provided with all his experience.

Indeed, according to Hope, it’s the Magpies boss who might once again be tasked with playing a bigger role in the recruitment process, adding: “Head coach Eddie Howe is prepared to fill some of the void in Ashworth’s absence, primarily when it comes to recruitment, as he did during a successful January window.”

Given the exhaustive list of targets that have been linked with a move to St James’ Park since the arrival of the new owners, having a streamlined process where people with experience and knowledge are walking in the right corridors of power during the summer window will be key.

Ashworth’s absence in such a crucial period of the Magpies’ history when they no doubt plan on taking that next step in the Premier League is sure to be a big blow for Howe and one that might leave the club’s supporters worried.

AND in other news – Sold for just £100k, now a 2-time title winner: NUFC flop has delivered huge payback

Leeds United will only be able to make loan signings in the January transfer window, according to claims made by a Thorp Arch source.

The Lowdown: Signings needed in January

The Whites could badly do with reinforcements this month in order to ease the current injury problems and ensure that a Premier League relegation battle isn’t on the cards.

Leeds have had to make do without pivotal figures such as Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, but they are just a small sample of the players currently unavailable to Marcelo Bielsa.

Despite additions being needed, a new update doesn’t sound too positive for the Elland Road faithful.

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The Latest: Worrying claim emerges

According to Football Insider, a Leeds source has informed them that the Whites will only be able to make loan signings in January due to Financial Fair Play constraints.

The message has been ‘made clear’ by club chiefs to Bielsa, who must now weigh up whether or not he is happy to only bring in players on a temporary basis until the end of the season.

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The Verdict: Are panic signings required?

The downside to signing players on loan is that it brings little stability and rhythm to the squad in the long-term, only alleviating a problem for a short period.

Bielsa must work out if he thinks Leeds can get by without any new faces, with injury problems potentially easing in the coming weeks and perhaps allowing them to pull clear of danger.

A loan-to-buy option for a player could also be shrewd business, allowing the Whites to possibly snap up a player permanently in the summer, assuming he does well at Elland Road in the meantime. Someone like Cagliari midfielder and long-time target Nahitan Nandez could be perfect in that respect, considering the Serie A side are reportedly happy to see him leave.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly been boosted in their pursuit of one player. Find out who it is here.

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is considering an offer from Crystal Palace, according to The Times.

The Lowdown: January offers

The Eagles were after Nketiah’s services during the January window and made two bids for the striker.

However, as we know, the 22-year-old remained at the Emirates and has continued to play second fiddle to Alexandre Lacazette in recent months.

Nketiah has been handed rare starts in the Gunners’ last two Premier League fixtures due to Lacazette’s absence and scored twice in a 4-2 win over Chelsea on Wednesday.

The Latest: Palace offer

The forward is out of contract in a matter of months, and according to The Times, is now considering offers from Palace and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Arsenal haven’t given up hope of Nketiah signing a new deal, but the striker knows that Mikel Arteta is planning on bringing in at least one forward in the summer.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Nketiah, who Arteta labelled as ‘extraordinary’, showed his quality in front of goal in the week, and still just 22 years of age, a free transfer to Selhurst Park could be an inspired piece of business from Patrick Vieira, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman.

He has contributed to eight goals in just 784 minutes of action this season and can play anywhere across a front three, so clearly has ability and versatility which could prove useful if afforded more opportunities.

Reports in recent months have claimed that Christian Benteke could be on the way out this summer, so Nketiah may well be the perfect replacement for the Belgian in Vieira’s exciting young side.

In other news: Freedman now stepping up Palace move for ‘phenomenal’ left-footed star.

A number of West Ham fans have panicked at the latest transfer news linking Jarrod Bowen with a move to Liverpool.

According to The Athletic (relayed by Anfield Watch), Liverpool have continued to monitor Bowen’s progress since their interest last summer.

It has been revealed that Bowen is represented by the same PLG agency as Liverpool full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

In 22 Premier league appearances this season, Bowen has netted six times and has produced nine assists. This illustrates just how important the 25-year-old is to the Hammers, supported by his average Premier League match rating topping West Ham’s squad.

These West Ham fans panic at the Bowen transfer news

Anfield Watch relayed the Bowen transfer news reported by The Athletic on their Twitter account. West Ham Transfers proceeded to share their opinion on the matter, claiming that: “I have a feeling this’ll be our last season with Bowen.”

This sparked a number of Hammers fans to flood the comments with their reactions, with many fans reacting to the prospect of the Englishman’s departure.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“Said it before, don’t really see Liverpool meeting the ludicrous price we’ll put on his head. All depends on how Kretinsky wants to run the club by summer, but 60m+ for a Mo Salah backup is mental for a traditionally sell to buy club”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Fail to secure European football for next year and we could be in a bad place for sure. Fail to show any ambition to strengthen and doubly so. Plenty of time left in this window and season to head off potential trouble though.”

Credit: @GrazaWhu

“No European footy next year and we will lose Rice and Bowen defo. Areola will probs be on his way out too. Krals leaving already by the looks of it. Noble retires. I only see a downwards trend from here. Same old West Ham”

Credit: @HR_whuFC

“If we don’t improve our squad then I fear that he won’t be the only one.”

Credit: @neil_mccarthy

“Probably, let’s enjoy while he still with us”

Credit: @manelsaurio

“If he tries to chest it in from 1 yard again, we’ll have him for a few more seasons. It’ll be a shame to see him go. He’d be a bench warmer for LFC”

Credit: @mb7468

Even though Sunderland have the best-attacking record in League One at the moment with 51 goals scored in 26 games, it seems as though the club have their eye on signing a player that could boost their attacking strength even more, which would surely please Lee Johnson.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Johnson is “keen” on signing Peterborough United striker Jonson Clarke-Harris this month.

Crook also added that a potential transfer fee “could be an issue” with the journalist claiming that “it could be more than £6m” to sign the centre-forward.

Johnson would be thrilled

After spending some time at Peterborough earlier in his career, Clarke-Harris returned to the club back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Bristol Rovers.

In 45 League One appearances for Peterborough last season, the 27-year-old managed to score a total of 31 goals, showing that he is more than capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis and why he could be a vital player for Sunderland as they look to win promotion back to the Championship.

Overall, the striker has racked up a total of 72 goals in 199 appearances in the third division, which could be why Johnson is keen to bring Clarke-Harris to the Stadium of Light and help his side end the season on a high note.

Having played 55 games under Johnson during their time at Oldham Athletic, there is a clear affection there from the Sunderland boss for Clarke-Harris and he’d surely love to work with him again. After all, he previously described the attacker as being a “real threat,” and thus, he could be an instant hit in the northeast if he makes the move there this month and adds some goals to his career tally.

In addition to this, with Nathan Broadhead being recently ruled out for three months after picking up a hamstring injury, this could pave the way for the Posh forward to come into the team straight away if Johnson manages to get his wish of having the player in his squad once again.

Moving forward, if a swoop for the Englishman is financially viable for the Wearside club, they should definitely approach Peterborough this month to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for him and see if he would be willing to take the chance of potentially taking Sunderland back to the second tier.

In other news: Johnson must land SAFC deal for “sensational” £450k-rated beast, he’s “some finisher”…

Ruben Loftus-Cheek wants to fight for his place at Chelsea amid interest from Everton and a number of other clubs, The Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba reports.

The lowdown

Loftus-Cheek scored his first Chelsea goal in three years on Sunday as the Blues beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Wembley to secure a place in the FA Cup final.

The central midfielder came off the bench to replace an injured Mateo Kovacic, making his 32nd appearance of the season. He’s started 13 games across all competitions, playing just over 1,700 minutes in total.

Transfermarkt value the 25-year-old, who has two years left on his £150,000-per-week contract, at £18million.

BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand has described Loftus-Cheek as a ‘fantastic specimen’ and likened him to ‘Yaya Toure’ when he ‘gets in full pelt’.

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The latest

Kajumba writes that Loftus-Cheek hopes to remain at Stamford Bridge and ‘kick on’ after regaining confidence.

Clubs such as Everton, along with West Ham and Jose Mourinho’s Roma, have been keeping tabs on the Englishman.

Frank Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell have weighed up making a move in the summer transfer window and offering him the chance to play more regular football.

The verdict

All hope is not lost yet for Everton. This is Loftus-Cheek’s plan for the moment, but that could change before the start of next season. He could yet be pushed further down the pecking order, with Conor Gallagher due to return from a successful loan spell at Palace.

Gallagher has notched an impressive eight goals and five assists and also earned a call-up to the England squad last month. If Loftus-Cheek faces even more competition, then perhaps his stance on moving away will change.

Plus, Lampard will surely be well-placed to capitalise if Chelsea do look to arrange a transfer. The 43-year-old is the club’s record goalscorer and tapped into that relationship to sign Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori on loan when he was manager at Derby County.

In other news, Paul Brown has dropped a worrying EFC exit claim.