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A major Rangers transfer development has emerged on Ibrox gem Joe Aribo…

What’s the talk?

Reporter Tom Barclay has revealed that one Premier League club is not eyeing up a move for the Nigerian international midfielder.

Crystal Palace have been linked with a swoop for the Gers midfielder and Barclay has now allayed any fears in Glasgow that Aribo will be on his way to Selhurst Park.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “It makes sense and I can see why they are being linked with midfielders because of Gallagher leaving in the summer.

“But, from what I’m told, I’m not sure that is the case.”

Gio will be elated

This news will surely leave Gio van Bronckhorst feeling elated as Aribo is a key player for him in Glasgow and he will want him to stay at the club.

In the Premiership this season, the midfielder has eight goals and five assists in 32 outings as he has averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.10. This comes after he managed seven goals and four assists in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign for the Gers.

His form last term led to his former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa heaping praise on him, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

These comments highlight how rare of a talent Aribo is and why it would be difficult for van Bronckhorst to replace him with a similar player. As Konsa explained, the Nigerian’s blend of physical stature and technical ability makes him unplayable on his day as he has the strength to hold off defenders whilst also having the skill to produce quality in the final third.

His aforementioned statistics in the Scottish top-flight prove that he can put deliver on a regular basis at the top end of the pitch and that is why he is such a key player for the head coach. The Dutchman will not want to lose him and that is why he will be buzzing with Barclay’s claim that Palace are not eyeing him up as one of their top targets, as it stands.

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

Amid the intense fall out after the Premier League ‘top six’ proposed to breakaway from UEFA and join a European Super League, with those plans since being suspended, many Irons fans have adored an official club message from West Ham United. 

Plans to join a European Super League, with Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs having originally joined as founding members, were then scuppered as the English top flight sides announced one by one they’ll be discontinuing their involvement.

Chelsea and City appeared to be the first clubs aiming to bow out of the ESL plans, with the latter officially confirming it first, which then caused a domino effect as each team out of the big six formally announced their withdrawal.

Amid the huge story, West Ham United posted a message to their supporters (via Twitter) – simply stating: “Let’s get back to focusing on what’s important and stand together to show that there is No Room For Racism.”

Flocking to this official club tweet, many Irons were over the moon with their club and understandably so given this extremely important issue.

Find all of their verdicts and reaction down below, where fans are delighted the Irons have taken the opportunity to use the publicity around the failed Super League in order to promote an absolutely vital message.

West Ham fans adore official club message

“What is going on this club is taking dubs and JLingz doesn’t have a goal involvement. Well done fellas”

Credit: @whuchr

“WERE MASSIVEEEE”

Credit: @td_ldn

“amazing”

Credit: @Ollyhx1

“Incredible

I love my club”

Credit: @OpulentCockney

“This is my club I really love you”

Credit: @SPOTLEW

“MY CLUB”

Credit: @ScoutSoucek

“Massive W”

Credit: @CorbetJon

“MY CLUUUUUUUUBBBBBB”

Credit: @whujoe

 In other news: West Ham in line to land this powerhouse, find out more here.

Daniel Levy edged closer to finding his next Tottenham manager this week.

After suffering quick blows in his pursuit of RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who opted to join Bayern Munich in the summer instead, and Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, who doesn’t want to leave the Champions League-bound Foxes, Spurs are set to hold talks with another mooted target.

Reporting in The Guardian, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that the north Londoners will speak to Ajax’s Erik ten Hag in the coming days and the 51-year-old is keen to hear what the Lilywhites hierarchy has to offer.

A fresh update emerged on Friday which saw the Dutch boss sign a one-year extension with the Eredivisie champions but according to Romano, he has not turned down Spurs, and it was always their intention to make that decision, presumably to increase his value if any team is to prise him away.

The Dutchman has earned an impressive reputation at the Eredivisie giants, where they are on the cusp of clinching the league title once again. Since his appointment in December 2017, he has accrued a phenomenal win rate of 73%.

Ten Hag learned the bulk of his trade under Pep Guardiola when the pair were at Bayern Munich, with the former Twente centre-back taking charge of the ‘B’ team.

“I learned a lot from Guardiola,” Ten Hag said in February 2019. “His philosophy is sensational, what he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with Manchester City, that attacking and attractive style sees him win a lot. It’s this structure that I’ve tried to implement with Ajax.”

At Ajax, the “exciting” manager has tinkered between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 system in a similar vein to Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs. “When it comes to Ten Hag’s favoured style of play, the Cruyffian influence is unavoidable,” claimed Will Magee for iNews. “There is a reason that his approach has been dubbed ‘Total Football 2.0’.”

This brand of football has allowed many a young talent to thrive, including the likes of Frenkie de Jong, who swapped Amsterdam for Barcelona in a £65m deal, and Donny van de Beek, who is now at Spurs’ top-flight rivals Manchester United.

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With an average squad age of just 24 at Ajax, it’s clear that Ten Hag is the perfect candidate if Levy is wanting to see the next crop of academy stars make it into the big time. This could be a game-changer for Oliver Skipp, perhaps more than any other Spurs prodigy.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a successful loan spell at runaway Championship leaders Norwich City, where he has played in every single league game and earned serious praise.

Speaking to Sky Sports, his current Canaries teammate Kenny McLean said: “He makes my job a hell of a lot easier, I’ll tell you that. He’s been outstanding all season and we’re lucky to have him to be honest. For this level, he’s very outstanding and he’s got a huge career ahead of him.”

Norwich manager Daniel Farke has dubbed him everything ranging from “perfect” to being a “top player and also a top character.”

It’s widely thought that Skipp can become a real leader in Spurs’ midfield in the next few years. Jose Mourinho touted him for a huge role back in the summer, saying: “I see this kid being one day a future captain here by his character, by his personality.”

Therefore, appointing a coach like Ten Hag could be game-changing for his chances of achieving just that. He should be buzzing amid these latest developments, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Spurs should fear Jose Mourinho 2.0 amid worrying Jorge Mendes claims…

West Ham United remain interested in a deal to bring Layvin Kurzawa to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side remain in the race for the Paris Saint-Germain left-back this month, although the 29-year-old is not believed to be near the top of the 58-year-old’s list of targets in the current market.

The report goes on to state that the likes of Lazio, Inter Milan and Napoli are all also interested in a move for the France international, while Chelsea are believed to have rejected the chance to sign the former AS Monaco defender.

He’d be a huge upgrade

While Kurzawa may not be high on Moyes’ list of priorities in the January window, with the Irons manager prioritising the signing of a centre-back and centre-forward this month, considering the experience and ability the signing of the 29-year-old would bring to the left of the Hammers’ backline, it would appear highly advisable for the boss to indeed make a move for the PSG defender this month.

While it is true that the £8.1m-rated man has struggled to hold down a starting spot in the PSG side in recent seasons, he has nevertheless demonstrated previously that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can be an extremely useful player for a side challenging at the top of the league table.

Indeed, over his 19 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign following a £22.5m move from AS Monaco back in 2015, the £89k-per-week left-back scored four goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

The defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position that season, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 3.3 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 43.4 passes and winning 7.2 duels per fixture – with a success rate of 62%.

These returns saw the player who labelled himself as a little “crazy” earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.49, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the entirety of the French top-flight that year.

As such, should Moyes be able to help Kurzawa refind this form following a potential switch to West Ham this winter, the 29-year-old would not only appear to be a huge upgrade on Arthur Masuaku, but he could well push the Hammers’ first-choice left-back, Aaron Cresswell, for his starting spot at the London Stadium.

In other news: Moyes must now launch WHU bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” as key transfer twist emerges

Former Sunderland player Kevin Phillips has backed star midfielder Luke O’Nien to sign a new contract with the club and fans should be delighted by this news.

What’s the talk?

Football Insider have claimed that Preston North End, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Luton Town are all tracking O’Nien’s situation closely and are prepared to pounce if he becomes available. He is out of contract at the end of the month and Sunderland have offered the midfielder a new deal to stay at the club.

Former Sunderland striker Phillips believes that “loyal” O’Nien will commit his future to the club this month and reject the chance to move to the Championship. The retired forward has claimed that O’Nien loves Sunderland and will stay if he is offered a reasonable contract. He told Football Insider:

“I think he will stay, to be honest, I think he loves Sunderland.

“He seems like a real loyal guy. As I know well, they’re very hard to find and if someone is coming in with a better offer and the chance of playing in the Championship then it’s hard to turn down, but it’s clear that he does like the club.”

“If they want to keep O’Nien they’re going to have to offer him a decent contract, but not to the point where they’re being held to ransom, so it’s getting that balancing act right.

“But I think if you offer him a good, decent contract, then he would stay.”

Fans should be delighted

Sunderland fans should be delighted by this news for multiple reasons. For starters, it is great to hear that Phillips truly believes O’Nien loves Sunderland. As the former striker has explained, loyalty can be found few and far between in the modern game and it is heartwarming to read that O’Nien could show his love for the club by signing a contract extension this summer instead of leaving on a free transfer to move to a higher division.

Fans should love to see passion on and off the pitch. Who wants to see players solely motivated by money and greed? Players like O’Nien, who thrive on the emotion and love of the game, are lovely to watch and, hopefully, he will be able to showcase his passion in front of the supporters next season if he stays at Sunderland and fans are back inside the grounds.

O’Nien’s footballing ability is another reason the fans should be happy to read this news. Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady, who both contributed directly to 20 goals or more, were the only players in the Sunderland squad to average a higher WhoScored rating than O’Nien in League One.

The £4k-per-week ace thrived in multiple positions on the pitch, playing at right-back, in midfield and at centre-back throughout the campaign, averaging an impressive score of 6.95. This shows his importance to the Sunderland side and why keeping him at the club could be a huge boost and a positive for the fans to enjoy.

And in other news; Sunderland fans will be fuming at this update from the Black Cats…

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has hinted that Ange Postecoglou isn’t having the final say on Celtic’s transfer dealings.

The Lowdown: A summer rebuild ahead?

Postecoglou touched down in Glasgow on Wednesday and appears to have a busy month before his first competitive game in charge against FC Midtjylland next month.

The likes of Diego Laxalt, Jonjoe Kenny and Mohamed Elyounoussi have all returned to their parent clubs following their loan spells, while Kristoffer Ajer, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard have all been linked with summer exits.

That could leave Postecoglou needing multiple bodies through the door over the coming weeks, but Nixon feels he may not be identifying targets at Celtic Park.

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The Latest: Nixon’s tweet

Nixon was asked for any Celtic updates by a Hoops fan on Twitter on Wednesday.

A conversation then led to Nixon, who writes for The Sun, hinting that Postecoglou won’t be picking out Hoops targets.

“Managers don’t pick players any more…”

This message followed a comment that the club currently have ‘nobody’ to pick players, perhaps implying the vacant Director of Football role needs to be filled.

The Verdict: Who would be if Postecoglou wasn’t?

Celtic are yet to appoint a DoF, with talks with Fergal Harkin failing to materialise in a Parkhead switch.

New CEO Dominic McKay met Postecoglou in Glasgow yesterday, so if the new boss isn’t making transfer calls, as Nixon has hinted, it could have to be McKay until a DoF arrives.

However, you’d expect Postecoglou will be having plenty of input in possible additions, and he’ll need plenty of signings relatively quickly, should several Hoops players depart.

Mat Ryan is one player who Postecoglou knows well and Celtic are thought to be preparing a package for the goalkeeper, so the 55-year-old may well have asked the Hoops board to make a move for the Aussie.

In other news: Hoops register interest in South American ace, find out more here. 

Leicester City are preparing a bid to bring Philippe Coutinho to the King Power Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Brendan Rodgers’ side are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Barcelona forward, with the 48-year-old thought to be keen on a reunion with the Brazil international.

It is then reported that the Foxes, along with Arsenal and Everton, have moved to recruit the 29-year-old on either a permanent or temporary basis, with the Spanish giants believed to be more than willing to sanction Coutinho’s departure this summer.

 Fans should be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Coutinho has not enjoyed the best football of his career in recent seasons, with the attacking midfielder having not featured for Barca since December due to a knee injury, considering how impressive the Brazilian was under the leadership of Rodgers at Liverpool, fans of Leicester should be buzzing at the possibility of landing the £27m-rated man this summer.

Indeed, over his 112 appearances under the Northern Irishman – the greatest number of games Coutinho has ever featured for a manager – the 29-year-old scored 17 goals and provided 23 assists for his teammates.

Arguably his best season under the 48-year-old came in 2013/14, when the £383k-per-week man scored five goals and registered seven assists over his 33 Premier League appearances, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making two key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Roberto Firmino dubbed a “magician” earn a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 7.44, ranking him as the Reds’ fifth-best performer in the league that season, playing a huge role in the club’s dramatic title race with Manchester City.

As such, while his wages are astronomically high, if Leicester can negotiate a deal to lower his salary either with Barcelona or the player himself, as well as being confident that Coutinho could go on to replicate his previous form under Rodgers, it would be an extremely difficult argument to make that he would not be a fantastic signing for the Champions League hopefuls.

And, with Mundo Deportivo suggesting that the Foxes are in the process of lining up a move for the 29-year-old this summer, seeing the Brazilian in action at the King Power on a regular basis next season may not be that distant of a possibility.

In other news: Imagine him & Barnes: LCFC could complete their attack with “great talent” for £34m

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien isn’t expected to make his return from injury this month, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s hopes

The 28-year-old hasn’t featured for the Hoops in 2021 after suffering an injury when blocking a shot against Dundee United last December.

Ange Postecoglou revealed towards the end of September that he was hoping Jullien would be back in training at the beginning of October.

However, that hasn’t come to fruition, and it seems as if Celtic supporters will have to wait longer to see the defender in action.

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The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Sunday evening where Frank McAvennie was giving his thoughts on the French defender and his return.

Within the report, they shared information from a Celtic source, who claimed that Jullien isn’t expected to return before the end of the month.

The Verdict: Frustration

If Jullien returned to training at the beginning of the month, who knows, he may have featured for the first time under Postecoglou before October came to an end.

Celtic still have five fixtures to play before November comes around, so it is frustrating that the wait to see the centre-back will continue beyond Halloween.

Hopefully the 28-year-old will make his return before the year is out and can establish himself as first choice at the back once again, just like he was before that fateful injury.

In other news: Former Celtic player thinks Ange may land ‘exciting’ ace in cut-price deal who has the same agency as Ronaldo

Aston Villa appear to have made an exciting transfer breakthrough in their bid to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are eyeing up a swoop for the Jamaican winger this summer as they look to bring in some new faces ahead of the start of the Premier League campaign next month.

Football Insider have now claimed that Villa have agreed personal terms with Bailey, with the 23-year-old set for a significant pay rise if a deal goes through.

The report added that “Villa may need to break their transfer record for that to happen”.

Fans will be buzzing

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the Express and Star’s Luke Hatfield said: “Villa will be very confident in themselves with any bid that they go in with. I don’t think there’s any bid that they put down where they think, ‘We’re not going to get this player.’

“I imagine they’re very confident with the bid which they’re going to try and put in. I don’t know whether they’ve put in a bid already, there’s some reports saying they have, some reports saying they’re considering one.

“But he’s clearly a player they like and they’ll be confident in trying to bring him to Villa Park.”

The £31.5m-rated Bailey enjoyed an outstanding 2020/21 campaign in the Bundesliga, bagging an impressive 15 goals and providing another 11 assists to boot. That was one goal more than Ollie Watkins, the centre-forward who was Villa’s top Premier League scorer last term, indicating just how much of a threat the Leverkusen gem could add to Smith’s armoury.

News that Villa have reached an agreement with Bailey’s camp over contract terms ahead of a possible move is another big step towards securing the Jamaican ahead of the new Premier League season.

Villa fans must be absolutely buzzing with this latest development over one of their club’s exciting transfer targets.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed some exciting Aston Villa transfer news…

West Brom are interested in making a late-summer move for Oostende centre-back Jack Hendry, according to a report which emerged on Saturday.

The Lowdown: West Brom make flying start

The Baggies enjoyed a memorable win on Saturday night, beating Peterborough United 1-0 thanks to Semi Ajayi’s last-gasp strike.

The victory means Valerien Ismael’s side are second in the Championship table with four wins and a draw in their opening five matches.

The Latest: Hendry linked with move

West Brom’s squad looks strong currently, but they are reportedly keen on strengthening it further, with The Daily Mail claiming they are interested in signing Hendry.

Oostende are thought to be willing to sell the Scotland international, having only just snapped him up from Celtic, in order to make a quick profit.

Burnley, Southampton, Sheffield United and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors, however, so the Baggies could have a battle on their hands to sign the defender.

The Verdict: Ideal late signing

Hendry could be an ideal man to come in right at the end of the transfer window. He is described as ‘quick, technically good and strong in the air’, and would surely enhance West Brom’s chances of promotion further, having won the Belgian top flight’s player of the season crown last term.

At 6 foot 5, he is a towering presence at the heart of the defence, while seven caps for Scotland proves that he is capable of playing at a high level.

At 26, he is also at a good point in his career and could provide competition for the likes of Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea.

In other news, one player has been tipped to make a permanent move to West Brom. Find out who it is here.