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Glasgow Rangers have been tipped to sell George Edmundson after his latest snub by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the word?

Derby County secured the Rangers central defender on loan for the remainder of the campaign after he fell out of favour with Gerrard after being banned by the SFA for breaching COVID-19 rules with Jordan Jones.

Edmundson, whose contract with the Scottish giants is set to expire in 2023, has featured just once for the Gers in the 2020/21 campaign, having made 16 appearances across all competitions for the club in the previous season.

New signing Jack Simpson has been given the squad number previously worn by Edmundson, which has cast doubts about his future at the club.

Despite Gerrard hinting he has left the door open for Edmundson to resurrect his Rangers career, he has since been shipped out on loan to Pride Park for the rest of the season and pundit Frank McAvennie believes that the centre-back is out of the picture because he’s lost the belief of the manager.

“I would think so,” he told Football Insider when asked if Edmundson will be concerned that Simpson has been handed the number 4 shirt.

“You never keep your squad number anyway when you go out on loan so I wouldn’t look too much into that.

“I don’t think he’ll get back in, to be honest, they’ll be moving him on and especially after winning the league, they’ll be looking for a bit more quality.”

Long road back to Ibrox

Connor Goldson is currently the undisputed first-choice centre-back at Ibrox, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander the other two battling to bag a spot alongside the Englishman, which has left Edmundson as the odd man out.

The 23-year-old was signed by Rangers for around £700,000 from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal in 2019. Since then, he has shown flashes of brilliance, including an impressive league debut against Hamilton at Ibrox but has struggled to put together a string of decent performances. His latest show of indiscipline has hardly helped his case, either.

Unfortunately, his numbers also pale in comparison to those of his more experienced teammates. A lowly WhoScored rating of 5.52 sees him ranked the worst player out of the entire Rangers squad, although this can also be partly attributed to his lack of game time.

Edmundson had long been billed as one to watch for the future, with his old coach Nicky Law senior previously singing the praises of his former charge.

However, whether Rangers will decide to retain his services in the summer is another matter entirely and it’s looking like they will move him on.

AND in other Rangers news, Cedric Itten didn’t make the most of Alfredo Morelos’ absence against Kilmarnock…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has rubbished reports suggesting that Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek could leave Old Trafford on loan in January.

Van de Beek has been out of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side for the vast majority of the season despite a much-heralded arrival in a £40m deal from Ajax last summer.

The 23-year-old has had to endure a stop-start campaign to life at Old Trafford, having started just two of United’s 21 Premier League games this season, with just one goal and an assist in 23 appearances across all competitions.

The Dutchman was reportedly subject to loan enquiries from unnamed clubs but the Red Devils turned those down and opted to ensure that Van de Beek will spend the rest of the season at the Theatre of Dreams.

Inter Milan are one such potential suitor who have previously considered a loan move for the Dutch international but Palmer dismissed the recent claims and believes he will have to be patient.

He told FFC:

“He needs to be playing but I can’t see United letting him out on loan, not in the position they’re in. They’re going for the league title, they’re going for the FA Cup, he’s got to bide his time, the team is playing well now.

“His time will come. It’s simple, they’re going to need the players over the course of this season, so he’s just got to bide his time.

“If he’s a top player, he will get in the team, but the way they’re playing at the moment, he’s just got to be patient.”

With Inter Milan among the interested parties, there are still questions over whether they would be able to afford his colossal wages as Van de Beek, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, currently earns more than the likes of Ashley Young and Milan Skriniar.

Indeed, according to reports, the Dutchman currently earns around £120,000-per-week at Old Trafford. However, if Inter are serious about their title ambitions, signing a player of Van de Beek’s calibre would be a step in the right direction.

But to all intents and purposes, it seems the Red Devils are reluctant to sanction such a move, particularly as a lack of depth has cost Solskjaer’s side in the past.

Most importantly, however, it appears that Van de Beek doesn’t seem to be too keen on a potential move himself. Therefore, it’s hard to imagine a move being completed before the transfer window closes tomorrow.

AND in other news, Manchester United ace Edinson Cavani let Solskjaer down in Arsenal draw…

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard could leave the club this summer because the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has not put any money into the club for an “awfully long time.”

Edouard to leave?

This is what football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said, in light of the 22-year-old switching his agent and with his asking price lowered by the Bhoys.

Real Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Edouard on the back of interest from Arsenal who are keen to sign him in 2021.

Speaking with Football Insider, Maguire believes Desmond is looking for a self-sustainable model and Edouard’s sale will help balance the books.

“If you take a look at Celtic, the owners haven’t put any money into the club for an awfully long time,” he said. “So to a large extent, Celtic have been self-sufficient financially.

“Now, if that’s going to be the case, they are losing money on a week-by-week basis, and the only way you can cover those losses is through player sales. Dembele, Tierney, other players of that standard, they’ve been clever in selling in recent years.

“If the owner (billionaire Desmond is the majority shareholder) doesn’t want to put any money in, there’s no alternative but to sell someone like Odsonne Edouard.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will be understandably a huge blow for Celtic, especially after everything that Edouard has helped Neil Lennon’s side achieve over the past three years.

Since his loan move from Ligue 1 giants in 2017 and his permanent transfer a year later, Edouard has gone on to score 72 goals from 151 appearances and clocked up over 10,000 minutes of game time (TransferMarkt).

Time will reveal how developments at the club unfold from now until the end of the season, in what has been a wretched campaign from start to finish.

In other news, Peter Lawwell hit with further scathing amid Celtic’s Dubai fallout.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Carlton Palmer has said that Christian Benteke could be a fantastic signing for West Bromwich Albion.

Benteke could be useful

The Baggies have been linked with a move for the Belgium international (The Express and Star), who has scored three times in 11 matches for Crystal Palace in the Premier League so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Palmer believes that Sam Allardyce is right to target the 30-year-old. He said:

“Benteke is one of those strikers, he’s only scored three goals this season but he brings a lot more to the table and maybe in West Brom’s situation, where they’re battling, he can put in a shift up front, he is good at holding the ball up and he’s good at heading the ball at both ends of the pitch. Benteke might be a player who could be useful to West Brom, to help them stay in the league.”

Interesting option

While Benteke has not had the best time of it in recent years – he has just ten Premier League goals since the 2016/2017 campaign – he is still a striker with a fantastic pedigree. He has 75 goals in the top flight to his name despite that disappointing run, and his record this term has shown flashes of the ability that once saw him earn a £32.5m to Liverpool (BBC).

Currently valued at £8.1m (Transfermarkt), Allardyce has confirmed that Benteke is on his radar (Sky Sports). He actually managed the striker during his time at Selhurst Park, so he is someone he is at least familiar with. As West Brom look to stay among the elite, Benteke could provide a boost to the side’s attacking options.

In other news, West Brom fans were delighted by this Champions League giants’ struggles.

When it comes to Scott Brown, what do you think of?

Natural aggression is certainly one attribute. The Scot is a titanic midfielder, someone capable of upsetting players and throwing in the tackle. He is also a leader of men, a stalwart who has taken Celtic to ridiculous heights in recent years.

However, his best years are now arguably behind him. At the age of 35, that’s certainly not a bad thing, but in terms of the club’s aspirations for the future, they must start looking for replacements.

In Ismaila Soro, they have finally found a midfielder capable of dislodging him. A big reason for their six-game unbeaten streak in the last month was because of the Ivorian, but that hasn’t dissuaded Nick Hammond considering external options.

One such target in the transfer window is Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson. According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops are trying to sign him on a pre-contract.

Initial contact has been made to land the 25-year-old and he could arrive on a free transfer in the summer when his contract in England expires.

A defensive midfielder by trade, there isn’t a player in world football who would be more perfect to succeed Brown at Celtic.

Like the skipper, Pearson has relentless aggression and isn’t afraid to get stuck in. Unfortunately, it’s a reputation that’s earned him the tag of “brainless” from some PNE supporters.

That may sound harsh, but when you consider his disciplinary record you have to question his mentality. He’s picked up 80 yellow cards in his career, amassing 14 cautions in three successive seasons for Preston.

It’s an absurd record, but fortunately, he is attempting to work on that tally. He’s reiterated his desire in the past, saying: “I don’t like missing games and when you miss them and the team does well it is frustrating and from my own personal point when you miss three games it takes you a while to get going again and you never get that consistent of a run of games. I have probably played 10 games in a row once and we went on a good run so I want to stay on the pitch.”

Clearly, he has been improving things. Pearson has only picked up one yellow card so far this term and if he can iron out that side of his game, he’d be an astute capture for the Bhoys.

If he can’t, then Neil Lennon’s side could be in further bother.

AND in other news, Forget Laxalt: Celtic must swoop for 21 y/o who makes defenders do “very silly things”…

Perhaps the time is really up for Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s been said?

The 24-year-old continues to be snubbed by Jose Mourinho – for the ninth time in the Premier League this season, the two-time former PFA Young Player of the Year was completely omitted from their matchday squad as Spurs defeated arch-rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Indeed, Alli has only played 66 minutes in the English top-flight this term, and just 333 minutes in all competitions. Even despite his two goals and one assist in the Europa League, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he isn’t in their plans anymore.

Former England midfielder Carlton Palmer alluded to this during an exclusive interview with Football FanCast last week, he said:

“If [Mourinho] can’t get him to do what he wants him to do, he’ll let him go. He will let him go. He’s not afraid to do that.”

Time to go?

It’s strange to believe that even Tanguy Ndombele, who was frequently in and out of the side last season under the Portuguese, is actually ahead of Alli in the pecking order.

The £46.8m-rated dynamo, who earns around £150k-per-week in N17, has seen a meteoric drop in his career as he also finds himself out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the summer’s European Championships.

Once lauded as a “freak of a talent” who could one day eclipse the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, it is really no surprise to see that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy wants to keep hold of him at all costs.

But if the tough negotiator wants to make any money on him in the near future, then the January transfer window may be the only good opportunity to cash in on him, so he ought to consider a U-turn this month.

As each game passes by, it’s just becoming clearer and clearer that there is no future for Alli under Mourinho; it would certainly be a waste to continue to let him burn a hole in Levy’s own pocket.

The funds generated could well help bolster their backline having missed out on Milan Skriniar during the summer.

AND in other news, Spurs swoop for “extraordinary” £45m beast like Dembele could complete Mourinho’s midfield…

Celtic’s turbulent season has seen them linked with several players ahead of the January transfer window. From defenders, to new attacking options, Neil Lennon is determined to bolster his squad and rectify his mistakes which has seen him and the Bhoys fall drastically away from this term’s title chance.

Their victory in the Scottish Cup to secure an historic ‘quadruple treble’ has been the boss’ saving grace but his future at the club is still in something of a grey area. If he can pull off a successful transfer window ahead of the new season, he could save his job.

But that’s not to say he should approach the January transfer window with all guns blazing. Celtic cannot afford to just throw money at players that aren’t going to benefit the team. This is the case with recently linked Benjamin Siegrist of Dundee United, as per the Daily Record.

Why Celtic must avoid Siegrist

Whilst the Hoops have indeed been struggling defensively this season, signing another goalkeeper is not the way to go. Peter Lawwell only just recently splashed out on Vasilis Barkas during the summer window and he has since been ousted from the team.

Both Scott Bain and academy graduate Conor Hazard have usurped the new recruit after he failed to impress Lennon in between the sticks. According to Transfermarkt, the Greek shot-stopper has conceded 18 goals in 17 appearances across all competitions for the Hoops. He has been selected by Lennon just once in their last five Premiership matches after falling drastically down the pecking order.

However, reported target Siegrist’s numbers are worse than this. The 28-year-old shipped 21 goals in 18 appearances for Dundee and has an extremely poor 43.5% passing accuracy for this season, as per WhoScored.

Siegrist’s low £1,500 per week wage might be attractive for Lawwell, but the answer to fixing Celtic’s inconsistent form does not lie in recruiting a fourth senior goalkeeper.

In other news, Odsonne Edouard was disappointing yet again vs Ross County…

Che Adams produced a disappointing display as Southampton threw away a 2-0 lead in their 3-2 loss against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Goals from Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse had given Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side a 2-0 lead going into half-time but a poor second-half display allowed United back into the game, with Edinson Cavani’s late winner snatching all three points for the Red Devils.

One man who will be disappointed with his performance will be Adams, as the former Sheffield United man produced an ineffectual display.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a 6.5 rating on Sunday, with only Jannik Vestergaard, Kyle Walker-Peters and Alex McCarthy scoring lower.

During his time on the pitch, the striker had just 40 touches of the ball but was unable to use it effectively, with only 19/24 of his passes finding a Southampton shirt, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 79%, meaning he completed fewer passes than Saints ‘keeper McCarthy.

The Englishman was unable to register a single shot on target during the 90 minutes and he never really threatened the Manchester United defence.

Adams also lost possession 13 times during the game and came out second-best in a lot of his duels during the game, winning just four of 12 ground duels, whilst he was only successful in two of his six aerial duels, resulting in an overall success rate of 33%

Unfortunately for the Saints, with Danny Ings still sidelined through injury, the pressure has been on Adams to replace the former Liverpool man’s goals in recent weeks, and whilst he has notched three times in the top-flight so far this season, today was clearly not his day.

After he scored in Southampton’s 2-0 win against Newcastle United earlier this season, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the young striker, saying:

“He’s a role model for the time we went through – from zero to hero at the moment” (per Daily Echo)

However, today, Adams was more like his old self than the rejuvenated player we saw post-lockdown.

However, his performance against United was far from good enough and he will need to do a lot better in the Saints’ next game against Brighton, in order to repay the faith shown in him by Hasenhuttl.

If you’re a Newcastle fan who’s been sitting through games this season without giving into the urge of falling asleep or tearing your hair out, then fair play.

Make no mistake about it, the Magpies have been a bore to watch, almost too afraid to launch attacks in fear of getting a nosebleed. It’s no surprise that they rank bottom for both shots on goal and shots on target in the Premier League. That’s not to mention the fact they seem allergic to wanting to hold possession too, ranking third-worst in that.

Steve Bruce’s side are desperate for some excitement and energy to lift spirits, and even without fans being able to make their voices heard inside St James’ Park, the discontentment is growing immeasurably with each passing on-pitch disappointment.

The Newcastle boss however, could change the mood with a bold selection call. Namely, the introduction of summer signing Rodrigo Vilca.

The Peruvian arrived from Deportivo Municipal, and has been featuring for the Magpies’ U23s side, playing fives times. Speaking back when the club had confirmed his arrival, Chris Hogg, Newcastle United’s lead player development coach for the U23s​, said: “We’re delighted to have Rodrigo here. He’s an exciting attacking player, and we’ll be hoping to see that attacking ability. We’ll be looking to give him the opportunity to improve with us and be a part of Newcastle United’s future.”

It might be very early to bring him in, especially given that he has only played a handful of times for the reserves. But the first-team are absolutely crying out for someone to bring something new to the side, an unpredictability that gets fans off their sofas.

Capable of playing off the right or just behind the striker, Vilca can just help Bruce change things up a bit. The Magpies are aimlessly drifting at the moment, and the manager’s reluctance to freshen things up both in terms of personnel and tactics is holding them back. Unleashing their 21-year-old summer arrival could hold the key to fixing that.

With the news that Southampton striker Danny Ings has been ruled out of Friday’s game, Newcastle’s chances of clinching a second successive victory in the Premier League has undoubtedly gone up.

The England international has been the Saints’ talisman for a few seasons now, finishing just behind Leicester’s Jamie Vardy in the Golden Boot race last season, and starting the current campaign on fire too, netting five goals in eight games across all competitions.

So the fact Ings won’t be a part of the Southampton side that takes on Newcastle on Friday night is a major boost for Steve Bruce. But whilst that has gone in their favour, they could go even further on their path to clinching a victory by stopping one of the striker’s in-form teammates: James Ward-Prowse.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, the midfielder has been a vital part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season, playing the full 90 minutes in each of their opening seven league games, wearing the armband for six of them.

His last two matches have been particularly impressive, netting in a 2-0 win over Everton a couple of weeks ago, before bagging a brace and providing an assist in Southampton’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.

The England international offers the kind of unique threat that you don’t see much of in the Premier League anymore, namely a dead-ball specialist who is currently right up there with the very best of them across Europe.

He struck two perfect free-kicks in that win over Villa, and his teammate, Jannik Vestergaard, couldn’t help but admire his talents after the game. The central defender said: “I think the second goal was even more impressive than the first he did. It was so close to the goal, to get it up and over the wall, there are not many football players that can do that. It was very impressive.”

And adding to that, his manager was equally keen on praising him. Hasenhuttl said: “It’s no coincidence he is our captain, he’s our role model for what we stand for – he’s an unbelievable fighter for the team. When he gets a chance around the box he is unbelievable. On free kicks he is amazing and he is getting better.”

On Friday, it goes without saying that Newcastle absolutely must avoid giving away cheap free-kicks in and around the box, and limiting the number of corners they allow can also go a long way to stopping the Saints.

Ings may not be there, but Ward-Prowse will be, and it’s up to the Magpies to stop him.