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According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, Glasgow Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for Rochdale winger Kwadwo Baah.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard has got Rangers miles ahead of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race and is looking at January additions to keep them there.

And it could see him trump Premier League club West Ham and European giants Bayern Munich and Juventus to the signing of the talented English teenager, according to The Athletic.

Baah has enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Spotland Stadium, with three goals and two assists to show for his seven starts from 13 appearances in League One.

But if Rangers want to organise a smash and grab they will have to act quickly before the transfer window closes this week.

Better than Brandon Barker?

Whilst the ever-reliable Ryan Kent is a shoe-in on the left wing, Gerrard has struggled to settle for a designated backup option behind the former Liverpool man. On the right-hand side, Rangers fans have borne witness to some remarkable players over the years, including Brian Laudrup, Dado Prso and of course Andrei Kanchelskis.

Kent aside, the same can’t really be said for the opposite flank, as until recently Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been the two battling to bag the substitute spot, although there are still questions over each. Jones is set to sign for Sunderland on loan until the end of the season while Barker has barely played since the start of the season.

It’s fair to say that Baah would be a significant upgrade on Barker and could in turn be seen as one for the future having impressed for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side so far this season. According to WhoScored, the 18-year-old’s attacking stats are already superior to Barker’s in almost every area this season.

He is currently averaging more key passes and dribbles per match and is fouled more times than the 24-year-old. Although Barker takes more shots, Baah has scored more goals (3) this season.

Rochdale boss Barry-Murphy recently hailed the “special talent” after he sparked a five-goal rout of League One strugglers Wigan.

If Gerrard is looking for suitable replacements on the left wing, then Baah would make a fine addition to the Rangers squad.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Rob Lee reacts to Rangers transfer interest in Billy Gilmour…

According to the PA news agency (via BT Sport), Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Gustavo Hamer.

Gers eye Hamer

£1.8m-valued Hamer (Transfermarkt) made the move to Coventry from Dutch side PEC Zwolle just last summer.

Now, after having impressed for the Sky Blues so far this campaign, he has attracted the attention of the Ibrox outfit. The report says Hamer is one eyed for the future by Steven Gerrard and co.

Class act

Signed for £1.5m last summer (BBC), Hamer has been a revelation upon Coventry’s return to the Championship. Despite playing leads the way in their squad in both departments. He has also made more key passes per game than any other Coventry player (WhoScored).

Following Coventry’s 2-1 win over Millwall at the start of 2021, Ali Maxwell called Hamer a “class act” (EFL on Quest via Coventry Live). The Gers are in fantastic form so far this campaign as they lead the Premiership by 21 points. However, the likes of Scott Arfield and Steven Davis are well into their thirties – the latter is actually 36 – and are not representative of the club’s future. 23-year-old Hamer, therefore, could be exactly what the 54-time Scottish champions need beyond this campaign.

In other news, Rangers fans slam this rival player’s comments.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak in recent months, and whilst the Reds opted against bringing in him during the summer, a recent update on the Turkish international could lead them to sign him in next month’s window.

What’s the word?

According to Tuttosport newspaper (via Milan Live), the Bundesliga side are in dire straits this season and have therefore lowered their asking price for Kabak to just €15 million (£13.77 million).

The Reds are, of course, without the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the foreseeable future, so whilst Fabinho and Joel Matip have done a superb job at centre-back in recent weeks, surely the club wouldn’t turn down this opportunity to sign Kabak at such a cut-price fee?

The 20-year-old has earned a lot of plaudits for his performances in the Bundesliga in recent seasons, having already made 46 appearances in the German top-flight in his career.

Worldly-wise…

During his time with Stuggart, the defender earned the praise of sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger, who said:

“It’s incredible how worldly-wise he is for his age. It’s astonishing. I see him every day and am amazed at how mature he is. He wants to know everything; he wants to learn German right away and understand everything. That’s the kind of attitude we need. He’s already a role model, despite his age.”

The Bundesliga website also compared the youngster’s style of play and ability to read the game to Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos, so it seems as if the Reds would be getting a very talented player should they sign Kabak in January.

Considering he is currently valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, to sign him for around £14 million in January would surely represent good business from the Merseyside club, especially if he can go some way towards easing the current defensive injury crisis at the club.

Even more so when he has a release clause of €45m (£40m), as per Bild (via BuliNews).

At 20-years-old, there’s no reason why Kabak couldn’t go on to have a long successful career at Liverpool, and perhaps he could be the man to replace Van Dijk in the long-term.

And, in other news… Liverpool handed huge transfer blow on “unbelievable talent”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has spoken about Liverpool’s chances of signing PSG striker Kylian Mbappe.

The Reds have been linked with a move for the French wonderkid, with rumours intensifying as a result of Liverpool’s Nike deal they signed earlier this year.

The young striker has established himself as one of the brightest young talents in European football in recent years, having moved to PSG from AS Monaco in a £165.7 million deal in 2018 after spending the previous season on loan.

Now rated at £162 million, Mbappe has been prolific in his time with Les Parisiens, with 103 goals and 59 assists to his name, in just 140 appearances for the club.

He has also been in sensational form this season, having contributed 11 goals and five assists in 11 appearances in Ligue 1, resulting in a superb average rating of 8.06.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about Liverpool’s chances of signing Mbappe when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast…

“Why not? The Premier League is the most marketable league in the world. If you’re a top player, at some point you want to have played in the Premier League. So, why not?”

Palmer seems to suggest that Mbappe will want to Premier League at some point in the future, so why shouldn’t that be with the Reds?

After all, PSG have won seven out of eight of the last league titles, so it could definitely be argued that the French league isn’t much challenge for the prolific forward, and he must try his hand in another top league if he wants to be appreciated as one of the best players in world football.

Of course, Mbappe has already won the World Cup with France but is yet to taste European success with PSG, so if they are unable to win the Champions League again this season, it would perhaps not be a surprise to see him depart the club.

Whilst it would cost Liverpool a huge amount of money to sign the striker, he could be a top striker with the Merseyside club for the next 10-15 years and would perhaps take the Reds to another level, so maybe we will see Liverpool try and sign Mbappe at some point in the near future.

And, in other news… Klopp must sanction January exit for LFC liability with “a taste for the big games”

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the latest transfer news around the club which suggests James McCarthy could be leaving.

According to TEAMtalk, and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, Scottish giants Celtic are ready to offer the midfielder a contract in January in the hope of persuading him to make the move.

With Scottish midfielder James McArthur near to end of his career as he is now 33, it seems quite risky to let the Irishman leave unless an immediate replacement is brought in.

McCarthy’s exit would mean Palace could lack serious depth in midfield, and the news has seen fans desperate for the ‘key’ man to stay, while others ponder if he is indeed replaceable.

It is easy to see why supporters feel this way too – he has managed 2.2 tackles, one interception and 1.4 clearances per game this campaign, so he is vital to protecting the defence (WhoScored).

With his contract expiring in the summer, there is a real possibility that he could leave on a free, so the club need to act fast if they want to keep him, or at the very least secure a fee for his services.

Here is what Palace fans said following the news around McCarthy:

In other Palace news, have a read of a bizarre statistic about the club which fans aren’t happy with here!

Leeds United gave an incredible account of themselves over the weekend as they held Manchester City to a draw at Elland Road.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been amongst the best teams in the world over the past few seasons, and United made life very hard for them on Saturday.

One of the brightest sparks from that game was undoubtedly Ian Poveda.

The winger came on at half-time and he immediately had the beating of Benjamin Mendy, completing two dribbles, drawing two fouls and playing one key pass.

The 20-year-old’s showing earned him a lot of praise, with former United star Danny Mills describing him as ‘really sharp’.

Unfortunately, it now seems as though he’s going to slip down the pecking order at Elland Road after the £17m deadline day signing of Raphinha.

Poveda was already second-choice on the right wing behind Helder Costa, and now he may now find first-team minutes incredibly hard to come by after Raphinha’s arrival, because you don’t sign someone for £17m to leave them rotting on the bench.

Unfortunately, Poveda isn’t likely to take too kindly to this decision as he has a history of kicking off over things like this.

The Athletic have reported on multiple occasions that he was annoyed by Pep Guardiola’s decision to move him back to the Under-23s after a short spell with the first-team, before eventually deciding to find a new club due to this treatment unsettling him.

Poveda wasn’t happy playing second fiddle to Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling at the Etihad, three players who have all picked up either PFA Player of the Year or Young Player of the Year awards in recent times.

Costa and Raphinha aren’t on the same level as the likes of Mahrez and Sterling, yet Poveda is likely to be asked to deputise behind them for the remainder of the season.

Marcelo Bielsa needs to make sure he caters for Poveda’s needs, whether that’s continuing to offer him substitute appearances, rotating him in cup games or even playing him in a different position, because the youngster’s acrimonious Man City exit indicates that he could easily become unsettled if his role at the club is reduced.

If Bielsa doesn’t strike the right balance and Poveda becomes unhappy that would be an unforgivable error because he looks ready to be an absolute star at Elland Road for years to come.

Chelsea are set to give West Ham United a clear path to sign Antonio Rudiger on loan with reports the Stamford Bridge outfit could block a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the word?

According to Goal, Chelsea are loath to sanction a deal for Rudiger to join Spurs for the 2020/21 campaign as they envisage they will be competing with their London rivals for league positions and silverware this season.

Tottenham would have been the ideal destination from Rudiger’s perspective, as the 32-cap defender is noted to favour remaining in the capital and be playing for a side who are competing in Europe.

Rudiger’s immediate future at Stamford Bridge is in serious doubt on Deadline Day with the German out of favour under Frank Lampard, having made just one appearance on the bench and failing to make any subsequent matchday squads this term.

The 27-year-old has attracted an array of potential suitors this summer in Spurs, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, AS Roma and West Ham, although interest in the Italian capital has since cooled with the Giallorossi nearing an agreement with Manchester United for Chris Smalling.

Inter will only move for Rudiger if Milan Skriniar leaves the San Siro, too, while Chelsea potentially blocking the £36m-rated centre-half from joining Spurs could leave the Irons with a clear path to strike a deal given his intentions to remain in London.

Chelsea’s “best” defender

West Ham’s hopes of signing Rudiger will not be fulfilled purely on Chelsea potentially blocking the defender from joining Spurs given his aspirations of playing in Europe this season, but the Blues’ stance will come as a major boost for manager David Moyes.

The Irons will also have to contend with AC Milan and PSG as both are said to be pushing for a loan deal, but coming out on top could see David Gold and David Sullivan land who Arsenal icon Martin Keown considers to be Chelsea’s best current defender.

“We’re asked to analyse now in this job, to look at the detail; have a look at Chelsea’s line,” Keown told talkSPORT host Jim White last month.

“I’ve spent hours watching, their defence is a joke, it’s a disgrace! [Thiago] Silva’s come in, maybe he’ll resolve that, but I think Rudiger is actually their best defender.”

Rudiger started 19 of his 20 Premier League appearances last season after overcoming an early groin injury, in which SofaScore data shows he averaged a whopping 84.4 touches, 64.8 accurate passes, won 4.8 duels, made 1.4 tackles, 2.8 clearances and was dribbled past just 0.5 times a game.

To now be cast aside will leave Rudiger with the sense of having a point to prove ahead of his return to Chelsea next summer, something Moyes can tap into as he strives to better West Ham’s record as the fifth-worst defence from the top-flight last term.

AND in other news, West Ham United are considering a late move to sign a Premier League player who recorded just 0.8 key balls a game in 2019/20.

Tanguy Ndombele’s future at Tottenham Hotspur has taken another twist, as Spurs insist that he is not for sale despite interest from Inter Milan.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, as per @TheSpursExpress, who claims that the 23-year-old will not be leaving north London this summer.

Rarely a day goes by without the six-cap French international being linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he has attracted attention from Inter, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, among others.

The young Frenchman has endured a difficult time in the Premier League after arriving for a club record £55m fee from Lyon last year. Ndombele made just 17 starts for Spurs last season in all competitions, so it’s perhaps hardly surprising that he wants to leave north London.

However, it is understood that Daniel Levy is not prepared to sell a player in whom he has invested so much money, as the chairman is convinced he will eventually come good. Levy has even gone so far as to slap a £63m asking price on his head to ward off any potential suitors.

The 23-year-old scored two goals and supplied two assists in the top flight last term and hardly featured at all after the restart, making just knee injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Ndombele has shown flashes of brilliance in the Champions League so Spurs should stay patient as they may reap the rewards later on in his career. Time is still on his side but Mourinho must get the best out of a player who was once considered one of Europe’s hottest prospects.

However, Ndombele also has areas he needs to address, as he must fix his fitness issues sooner rather than later. He has all the attributes to be a major asset for Mourinho’s side, although he now needs to show that he remains committed to the cause.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sell Ndombele in the summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Philippe Coutinho is ‘considering’ a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur firmly in the race to sign the Barcelona star in the summer, reports say.

Coutinho has been cast aside by Quique Setien, as he lost his place to Antoine Griezmann, and he has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich.

According to Sport, as cited by The Sun, his agent Kia Joorabchian has been holding talks with Premier League clubs ‘for weeks’ as he plots his return to England.

The report claims Coutinho has rejected an offer from Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta’s side will not be able to afford his wages.

On the other hand, Spurs have been given a major boost in the transfer market, as the fact that they have qualified for the Europa League has enabled them to make a move for the former Liverpool forward in the summer.

However, they will face stiff competition from Leicester City, who find themselves in the same boat.

While Coutinho has failed to find the form he enjoyed at Anfield, he could add that extra layer of quality to Jose Mourinho’s side.

Despite his struggles, the Brazilian has actually earned a higher WhoScored rating than the club’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Moussa Sissoko this season.

The Lilywhites looked devoid of options at times throughout the season, as they struggled to score goals during Harry Kane’s lengthy absence.

Failing to replace Christian Eriksen after he left for Inter Milan has been a real problem, although the Portuguese has paired Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks together to great effect. Nevertheless, Mourinho still wants to sign a new playmaker to add to his attacking options this summer.

Recent reports revealed Barca are prepared to pay a portion of his salary for him to leave the club this year. However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy may baulk at his hefty wages, which are reportedly worth more than £200,000-a-week, and Mourinho may have to turn his attentions elsewhere.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Coutinho in the summer? Let us know down below!

Tottenham haven’t had the best of times as of late, but they finally had something to cheer on Sunday as they secured a precious win over their bitter rivals Arsenal, beating them 2-1 courtesy of goals from Heung-min Son and Toby Alderweireld.

While a win over the Gunners is always cause for celebration for Spurs supporters, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the white half of north London.

Indeed, the fanbase still had some grievances to air, namely about the performance of Serge Aurier.

Spurs’ 2017 signing had a day to forget, his pass accuracy was barely above 80 per cent, and of the five crosses he attempted, not a single one of them found their desired target.

On top of that, he had more unsuccessful touches than any other Tottenham player, so you can understand exactly where these complaints are coming from.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Tottenham have been able to call right-back their problem position.

Last season it seemed as though Spurs supporters’ favourite activity was to bash Kieran Trippier, but some fans thought Aurier was that bad on Sunday that they actually started to miss the Atletico Madrid man.