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Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are reportedly not pursuing a deal for Norwegian striker Erik Botheim, despite the recent speculation regarding a possible move to Ibrox for the 22-year-old.

What’s the word?

As per BBC journalist Fraser Fletcher, the Rangers are not believed to be interested in signing the Oslo-born gem this summer, amid reports that they were set to make an offer for the former Bodo/Glimt marksman.

Writing on Twitter, the insider stated: “I have new information that makes it clear that there is nothing in the Erik Botheim to Rangers rumours.”

The player is set to be available for free in the current window after terminating his contract with Russian outfit Krasnador due to the nation’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, having only joined the club in the winter.

Supporters will hate it

That latest update will no doubt leave supporters fuming, particularly having seen a deal teased in recent days, with the Gers seemingly set to miss out on the chance to sign such a promising free agent who would have helped bolster the squad.

Manager van Bronckhorst is seemingly in need of new forward additions this summer having seen Cedric Itten join Swiss side BSC Young Boys on a permanent deal, while Colombian talisman Alfredo Morelos is also facing an uncertain future with just 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Adding Botheim would undoubtedly have helped to ease those fears, with the £3.6m-rated ace having proven himself a prolific presence in front of goal in recent times, notably netting 22 goals and providing ten assists in just 46 games for Bodo/Glimt last year.

That tally included four goals and four assists in just six games in last season’s Europa Conference League, the youngster notably providing five goal contributions in the devastating 6-1 win over eventual champions AS Roma in October.

That form unsurprisingly saw the 5 foot 11 monster record a remarkable 7.57 average match rating in the competition, as per SofaScore, with the “complete forward” – as he has been dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – clearly a promising and exciting prospect.

While his lack of game time in 2022 would have been a concern to those at Ibrox – having seen his contract initially suspended back in March – the evidence would suggest that the club are set to make a huge mistake if they opt against pursuing a deal.

Supporters may not forgive the Rangers hierarchy if an adequate alternative is not found prior to the start of next season.

AND in other news, “Rangers will…”: Jordan Campbell drops big transfer update, supporters will be livid…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to land their second deal of the summer transfer window after signing Matt Targett.

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed that the Magpies are leading the race for Sven Botman and should find out what the player wants to do before next week.

He Tweeted: “On Botman nothing has fundamentally changed in last few days but as reported. NUFC believe they’re in pole position. We should finally get a decision this week. Until it’s done it’s not done etc. Howe returns from holiday soon. Ashworth watched player last night for Holland U21s.”

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson then added: “NUFC hoping to reach end game with Sven Botman deal this week after defender signs off from international duty. Looks like they’ve beaten off competition from AC Milan. Suggestions of PSG interest noted – but not regarded as a concern…”

Eddie Howe will love it

The Magpies’ head coach will love these updates on the club’s attempts to land the Lille enforcer for several reasons.

Firstly, he will be buzzing with the claim that a decision is now on the way. Having a final call from the player by the end of the week will either allow Newcastle to wrap the deal up quickly and in time for pre-season or give them over two months to find an alternative centre-back target.

He will also be delighted with the suggestion that the club have managed to beat AC Milan and PSG to the player, if they are now able to get this over the line. Both of those teams will be competing in the Champions League next season after winning their respective leagues.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have no European football on offer and it remains to be seen what targets Howe will set in terms of a realistic finish in the Premier League in 2022/23.

This means that they are set to land Botman in spite of having less to offer from a footballing point of view, which will delight Howe as it would show that the defender has faith in the long-term project at the club.

At the age of 22, the Dutchman is a player who can develop alongside the team in the years to come and be a part of the journey to, hopefully, securing Champions League football in the future.

AND in other news, NUFC can find their own Paqueta in deal for “glorious” £64m gem with “no weaknesses”…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Merih Demiral in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Turkish journalist Osman Cengiz has claimed that the Magpies have tabled a £21m (€25m) offer for the centre-back as PIF aim to strike a deal for the Old Lady gem.

He Tweeted: “Merih Demiral #PremierLeague, whose contract continues with #Juventus and who completed last season on loan in #Atalanta, from their team, Newcastle United, has applied. #Newcastle sacrificed 25 million euros for Turkish defender Merih Demiral!”

Huge Fabian Schar upgrade

By landing the Juventus defender, the club would be bringing in a player who would be a huge upgrade on Schar at the back.

In the Nations League, the Swiss enforcer has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.1 for his country. He has also averaged a score of roughly 6.77 across the last two Premier League campaigns combined, which shows that he has been a solid – if not outstanding – performer for the club.

Demiral, meanwhile, has averaged a rating of 7.5 in the Nations League for Turkey, showing that he has caught the eye with his displays at international level whilst Schar has struggled in this break.

Domestically, the 24-year-old has averaged a rating of 6.91 or higher in each of his four seasons in the Serie A, playing for Sassuolo, Juventus and Atalanta.

Turkish-football.com founder Emre Sarigul previously lauded the machine, saying: “The Turkish international towers above most players, is physical, strong in the air and surprisingly technical with the ball for such a big man. He is a natural leader and cool under pressure.”

He has also been described as an “absolute beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and Sarigul’s comments and the defender’s statistics in the Italian top-flight back that up.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Demiral won an outstanding 69% of his aerial battles and has never won less than 67% over the course of a season – winning 80% in 2019/20. This shows that he is a physically dominant centre-back who is able to get the better of his opponent in the air the majority of the time.

Schar, meanwhile, lost 51% of his overall duels and only won 52% of his aerial battles in 2021/22 for Newcastle, which suggests that the Juventus man would be a major upgrade in terms of his ability to win headers.

The aforementioned ratings of the players in their respective leagues also suggests that Demiral would be the better option, whilst the Turkey international is also six years younger and has the potential to improve in the future – making him an excellent signing in the short and long-term.

AND in other news, NUFC can find their own Paqueta in deal for “glorious” £64m gem with “no weaknesses”…

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video interview with Chris Cowlin, the Italian journalist revealed that, as of Monday, Fabio Paratici is yet to submit a formal offer to Inter Milan concerning a move for the centre-back, meaning that – despite a number of reports to the contrary – there are currently no ongoing negotiations between Tottenham and the Serie A side.

The transfer insider went on to reveal that Antonio Conte is a huge admirer of the 23-year-old, with the Italian believed to be extremely keen to bring his compatriot to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, however, the journalist then reaffirmed that Spurs have not yet made an official move for the defender.

Concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Romano said: “For sure, Tottenham are exploring this possibility, Alessandro Bastoni is a player who Conte loves. So for sure, he is a player who is on Tottenham’s list and he would be a perfect signing for Tottenham. But as of now, what I’m told, Inter are still waiting to see if there will be an official proposal.

“So the two clubs, as of today, are not in negotiations. Inter are still waiting to see what will happen, what kind of proposal will be made for Bastoni. The expectation of Inter fans is that they hope that Alessandro will not leave, but I think it depends on the proposal. I think his agent was pretty clear a few days ago. They are waiting to see how much Tottenham want to spend on him.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While Romano’s claim that Paratici has not yet submitted an offer for Bastoni may come as a surprise to the Spurs faithful, the journalist’s further suggestion that as long as Tottenham meet the centre-back’s asking price a deal for the 23-year-old will be done is sure to have left supporters buzzing.

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Considering just how impressive the £60m-rated defender was over the course of Conte’s two-year stint in the Nerazzurri dugout, the prospect of the youngster once again linking up with the 52-year-old at Spurs is certainly an incredibly exciting one.

Indeed, over his 33 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, Bastoni played a key role in Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign, helping his side keep 14 clean sheets, registering three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 61.5 passes, 1.2 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 3.8 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

These returns saw the £85k-per-week talent earn a quite remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Conte’s fifth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

As such, with the 23-year-old very much looking to be a perfect fit for Conte’s backline, Romano’s update suggesting that all Paratici has to do is meet Inter’s £54m asking price in order to get a deal over the line is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the north London side – particularly the Italian head coach.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs’ own Rakitic as Paratici now plots bid for “unreal” £75m target

West Bromwich Albion saw one of their main attacking talents wave goodbye to the Midlands club during the previous summer transfer window.

After scoring 20 goals and delivering 26 assists in 77 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, Matheus Pereira joined Saudi club Al-Hilal back in August.

In his absence, West Brom struggled to make themselves a feared attacking side throughout the recent Championship campaign.

With 46 games played, the Baggies found the net just 52 times, which is fewer goals than a significant number of clubs that finished below them in the league table.

In addition to this, the Midlands club ended the campaign with the lowest percentage of shots on target (29.1%) in the entire league.

This certainly suggests that the team suffered from not having Pereira in their ranks as a capable attacking option.

Now that this uninspiring season has come to a close, the upcoming summer transfer window can provide Steve Bruce with the chance to strengthen his side and give them a better chance of winning promotion back to the Premier League.

One attacking figure that the Baggies have been linked with recently that could be a suitable and much-needed replacement for the departed Brazilian is Derby County winger Tom Lawrence.

Having played in 264 Championship games throughout his career, the 28-year-old has scored 50 goals and delivered 50 assists along the way.

With 38 appearances under his belt for Derby in this latest season, the Welshman found the net 11 times and provided five assists whilst playing in numerous attacking positions.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player in Wayne Rooney’s squad managed to equal the number of shots (101) or shots on target (38) that Lawrence made.

To put that into perspective, only Karlan Grant (108) had more shots at goal than the £27k-per-week Rams star in West Brom’s ranks.

Praised for his “inspirational” form this season by journalist Jake Barker, Lawrence ultimately couldn’t help his side achieve their goal of staying in the Championship at the end of what had been a difficult campaign for the Rams.

With the winger out of contract at the end of the month, securing a deal for him should be near the top of West Brom’s priority list as he could be the exact sort of attacking spark they need in their side to forget about Pereira and become a deadlier team.

In other news: Imagine him & Mowatt: Bruce can form scary WBA duo by signing “magnificent” 46 G/A ace

Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker has been full of praise for Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, claiming that the Australian has ‘surpassed any expectations’ that he had coming into this season.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s outstanding achievements

The 56-year-old was appointed as the new Hoops boss last summer when he joined from Yokohama F. Marinos, and it’s fair to say that he has achieved more than even he probably thought possible during his first campaign in charge, having got his hands on both the Premiership and League Cup trophies.

The Australian also guided Celtic to an astonishing 32-game unbeaten run in the league and has been renowned for his success during his two transfer windows so far, bringing in the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Josip Juranovic and Joe Hart.

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The Latest: Walker’s high praise for Postecoglou

In an interview with Glasgow Live, Walker hailed Postecoglou and admitted that the Celtic manager has done more for the club than the Sky pundit or the rest of his family could have ever imagined.

The former Bhoys striker said of the 56-year-old: “He finished the season by going 32 games unbeaten in the league and I never thought I’d be saying that when you look at what he had to bring in and the turnover in the squad.

“You look at his success in the transfer market. It’s hard to find any of his signings who haven’t made an impact. The turnaround has been extraordinary.

“I have six brothers and they all go to Celtic home games. We had a chat at the start of the season about what would be deemed a success.

“It was decided success would be if Ange could get that 25-point gap down to single figures, if Celtic could beat Rangers at least once and if they were going along to Celtic Park every week enjoying what they were seeing.

“If you got that, you’d let it go in the first season if the title wasn’t to be, but Postecoglou has way surpassed any expectations.”

The Verdict: Fair comment

Walker’s remarks about the job that Postecoglou has done at Celtic are quite fair, particularly in terms of his transfer record and the overhaul of Rangers’ utter superiority from last year.

Of the eight highest-rated current Hoops players this season according to Sofascore, six were signed by the incumbent manager, a sure sign that he is able to detect quality in the transfer market.

Also, as Walker mentioned, Celtic finished 25 points behind their arch-rivals last term. One year is all it has taken Postecoglou to not only bridge that gap but finish six points clear of the Gers this time around, an astonishing 31-point swing in less than 12 months.

In other news… a former Hoops manager has backed two Celtic stars to be perfect replacements for Tom Rogic

Gio van Bronckhorst ended the 2021/22 campaign on a high as Rangers won the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park on Saturday.

The Gers missed out on the Premiership title by four points to their arch-rivals and lost in the final of the Europa League but were able to sign off the season with a trophy, the Dutchman’s first in charge of the Glasgow giants.

Although they will be disappointed to miss out on the league and European titles, it was an impressive debut year at the helm on the whole for the retired full-back.

He led the team to a Europa League final and won the Scottish Cup and will now be looking ahead to next season with an eye on winning the Premiership back off the Hoops.

Some of his success can be put down to Ross Wilson’s work in the market last summer as the sporting director bolstered the squad with fresh additions. He brought in John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala on free transfers, and both played big roles throughout the campaign.

The latter was brought in as a versatile forward option and ended the season with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

However, things could have been different in that area of the pitch, as The Chronicle reported just over a year ago that Rangers had made enquiries over a potential deal to sign Jacob Murphy from Newcastle United.

The winger, who joined the Magpies in a £12m deal from Norwich in 2017, was a target for the Glasgow giants before they landed Sakala, but he ended up staying on Tyneside instead of making the switch to Scotland.

Now that the season is finished, it is clear that Rangers avoided a disaster in missing out on a deal for the English attacker. The 27-year-old has endured a rough year with Newcastle, where he has struggled for form and game-time under both Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe.

Murphy has also been embroiled in controversy in the past. Arsenal legend Martin Keown previously accused the forward of diving in a Premier League match, saying: “It’s so wrong. The referee needs to punish that. It’s simulation. It’s annoying. He is trying to gain an advantage. He is trying to cheat the referee.”

Do Rangers want players who attempt to ‘cheat the referee’, as Keown put it?

Certainly not when their statistics are also off-putting. Murphy managed just 13 starts in the top-flight for the Toon and averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.68. He found the the net once, whilst missing four ‘big chances’, and only created 0.6 chances per game as he managed a mere two assists.

As a result of his poor form, his value has plummeted to £3.6m on Transfermarkt. This is a whopping £8.4m drop from the £12m that they paid for him initially and proves that he has been unable to live up to the hype in black and white.

His statistics do not suggest that he would have been a better signing for Rangers than Sakala, and that is why the club avoided a big blunder with Murphy last summer.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson plotting Rangers swoop for 16 y/o “teen talent”, GvB will be buzzing…

Sheffield Wednesday youngster Ryan Galvin can emerge as a key player for the Owls next season, according to reliable journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Playoff disappointment for Owls

Darren Moore’s side will be playing League One football again next season, following their playoff semi-final elimination at the hands of Sunderland.

It was disappointing not to seal immediate promotion back to the Championship and it could be that wholesale changes are made during the summer transfer window.

Galvin was loaned out to Gloucester City between last summer and January and he has made two first-team appearances for Wednesday, both of which came in the FA Cup in 2020/21.

The Latest: Galvin backed to shine

Speaking in a Q&A for The Yorkshire Examiner on Friday, Howson tipped Galvin to make the grade at Hillsborough, shining in a 3-5-2 system:

“I am a big fan of Ryan Galvin. I think he is a very talented player and Wednesday don’t have an abundance of left-sided players on their books.”Should Moore stick with the 3-5-2 system, Galvin is tailor-made for the wing back role. He needs to come back in pre-season and prove to Moore he deserves to be part of his long-term plans. It feels like it is now or never for Galvin in his Wednesday career.”

The Verdict: One for the future

It is important that Wednesday eventually move on from the likes of Barry Bannan, Sam Hutchinson and Liam Palmer, all of whom have been wonderful servants but are now in their 30s, with long-term planning key.

Galvin is someone who should be viewed as both one for the future and also a player who could make an impact from next season, having been hailed as ‘stunning’ by the fans in the past.

The youngster could come in as an understudy to Marvin Johnson at left wing-back, proving to be a handy squad player and becoming a regular over time.

In other news, a Sheffield Wednesday transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a move to sign Tom Lawrence on a free transfer in the summer.

The Lowdown: Lampard favourite

The 28-year-old is a player that Frank Lampard knows very well from his time in charge at Derby County.

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The winger did not miss a game in the Championship under the current Toffees manager when he was available, scoring seven goals and providing a further five assists in 39 matches across all competitions in the 2018/19 season (Transfermarkt).

Lawrence heaped praise on Lampard during the 43-year-old’s time at Pride Park, and it is clear that the two have a very good relationship.

The Latest: Everton interest in Lawrence

As per The Daily Mail, Everton are among a number of clubs who are interested in signing Lawrence for free this summer, given that he will be out of contract.

Leeds United, Fulham, Burnley, Norwich City, Watford and Anderlecht are also thought to be keen, amid question marks over whether he would want to play in League One given Derby’s relegation this year.

The Verdict: Smart signing

Given that he would be signing on a free transfer, and that Lampard knows him well, Lawrence would certainly be a smart signing by the Merseyside club.

Dubbed ‘magnificent’ by his current boss and former Everton player Wayne Rooney earlier this season after two goals in an impressive performance against promotion hopefuls Sheffield United, the Wales international managed 11 strikes and five assists in the Championship for the relegated Rams (Transfermarkt).

As their captain, Lawrence also possesses leadership qualities that would be useful in a dressing room which has also been under threat of relegation, and at 28 years of age, this summer presents the perfect time for Everton to snap him up.

In other news, Everton are now battling with Liverpool to sign this predator

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Copper must sign “sensational” defender Joris Gnagnon on a free transfer this summer. The Frenchman is currently without a club after being released from Saint-Etienne recently.

Forest were linked (via Nottingham Forest News) with him back in 2019 when they were managed by Sabri Lamouchi, who tried to convince the player to move to The City Ground when he was at Sevilla.

It hasn’t worked out for him since, and after being released from the Spanish club last year, he joined Saint-Etienne where he spent this season. There is a talent in there somewhere and the fact he’s available for free has got to make this even more appealing for Cooper and his staff.

He could come into the club and provide great competition for the defenders currently at Forest, and bring with him top-flight experience which could be needed should they secure promotion to the Premier League.

Gnagnon has made 19 appearances in Ligue 1 this season with his now former side battling to remain in the division.

One of the players he would be competing with if he moved would be Joe Worrall. The English defender has been pivotal to Forest’s promotion push having played 39 of their games in the league this season and is a favourite with the fans.

It would be hard to displace him given his impressive performances, however, we think that Gnagnon is a better defender and can offer Forest even more.

His statistics defensively are more striking, with Saint-Etienne winning possession of the ball 90 times this season as a result of a tackle made by Gnagnon. That compares to just 42 times for Forest and Worrall.

He also excels when passing the ball with an impressive pass completion percentage of 90% compared to the Englishman on 77%.

Although it may have not worked out for him at his past two clubs, this is a transfer with very low risk that Forest should be seriously considering. With no transfer fee involved, even if it didn’t go well, the club wouldn’t be massively out of pocket.

He was being paid £29k per week when he was at Sevilla and probably would be willing to take a pay cut to secure a move. Cooper must swoop for Gnagnon now before he’s snapped up by someone else.

IN other news: Sold after 1 appearance: Forest had a big disaster over £6.3m-rated “top talent”…