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When Rangers signed James Tavernier from Wigan Athletic for around £250k in 2015, few would have predicted that he would go on to captain Steven Gerrard’s side to an emphatic title success nearly six years later, but bringing him to Ibrox now looks to have been a masterstroke.

The Englishman joined on a three-year deal in 2015, along with Martyn Waghorn, with Rangers reportedly paying £250k for the right-back’s services.

Since then, he has gone on to make 284 appearances for the club, in which he has contributed a hugely impressive 63 goals and 89 assists, helping to fire Rangers back into the top-flight, before being a huge part of their title success this season.

In 29 league appearances this season, the former Newcastle United man has contributed 11 goals and nine assists, resulting in a superb 7.76 average rating, which comfortably ranks him as Gerrard’s best performer in the Premiership so far this campaign.

His performances have reportedly seen him attract the interest of Premier League side West Ham, which has unsurprisingly seen his value with the Ibrox-outfit increase even more.

During his time in Scotland, Tavernier’s market value has slowly increased, although his impressive performances this season have seen his value shoot up to £7.2 million, according to Transfermarkt.

This currently ranks him as Rangers’ joint-second most valuable player alongside Ryan Kent, with Alfredo Morelos top of the tree.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Therefore, when you consider just how cheap Rangers were able to sign Tavernier for in 2015, you could certainly argue that they unearthed a gem, as the right-back has become a hugely important member of this side, particularly under Gerrard in recent seasons.

The Liverpool legend was full of praise for his captain earlier in the campaign, saying:

“When he goes through the gears, he is unstoppable, and we have seen that, or flashes of that so far this season – I think he is really close to being at his best.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″]

Therefore, Gerrard is clearly a big fan of the right-back and he will be delighted that Rangers were able to bring him in for so cheap back in 2015, as his performances in recent seasons surely mean that he will go down as a legend with the Gers.

And, in other news… Forget Boupendza: Wilson can save millions with swoop for 28 y/o international 

Leicester City’s upcoming clash against Burnley appears pivotal in the future of Cengiz Under.

With Harvey Barnes set to be injured for an extended period, the Turk now has a golden opportunity to establish himself in the Foxes’ starting XI and earn a permanent move to the club, something he has expressed his desire to do.

Since joining the club from AS Roma in the summer, the £20.7m-valued winger has found opportunities hard to come by in the Premier League, making just one start.

Upon securing a deal for Under, it was reported that the Foxes held an option to make the deal permanent should he impress sufficiently.

Since then, he has scored twice and provided three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions – form that is not exactly sparkling.

Amidst reports that the Foxes are facing less competition for the signature of Florian Thauvin, Under’s selection, or indeed lack thereof against Burnley on Wednesday, could provide clues as to the Foxes’ transfer business in the summer.

Should he start on the bench as he has done in each of the previous eight Premier League games, it would suggest that Brendan Rodgers is not fully convinced and that he may have already decided to send Under back to his parent club come the conclusion of the season.

Without the purchase of Under, Leicester may reignite their interest in Marseille star Thauvin or FC Porto midfielder Otavio – or indeed, they could even target someone completely different.

With both Thauvin and Otavio available on free transfers come July, signing either of them could then have a positive impact on the available funds that the Foxes would have for the upcoming transfer window.

This, in turn, would have a direct consequence on their ability to spend on other positions in their squad, which again could prove key as they potentially embark on another European campaign.

It goes to show then that whilst an appearance or performance at Turf Moor may not seem all too important on the face of things, it is quite the opposite for Cengiz Under and Leicester on Wednesday.

AND in other news, the Foxes have been linked with a bizarre move for Sporting CP Head Coach Ruben Amorim.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed footage of Gers’ centre-back, Connor Goldson, looking ahead to the club’s Europa League tie on Thursday evening.

In the footage, Goldson discussed Rangers’ recent Scottish Premiership title win, suggesting that celebrating a championship in March is a strange feeling as there is still a great deal of the season left to play.

On a related note, when asked whether it was difficult to focus on the fixture against SK Slavia Prague this Thursday following the euphoria of celebrating the title last weekend, the defender admitted that he and his side did enjoy the celebrations, but claimed that they are now fully focused on the upcoming European tie.

However, after Rangers relayed the footage on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many stating their worries about the team’s performance on Thursday, while others commented on Goldson’s rather tired-looking demeanour.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Connor Goldson?

“Squad are looking absolutely knackered. If we win on Thursday that is the result of the season.”

@NYCRFC

“Not sure the team is going to be fit for Thursday.”

@ross_acg_gibson

“He’s going to be playing half-cut.”

@RFCBenB

“Wow man, tomorrow will be some watch. Big man’s still plastered.”

@cammyashwood_

“Not holding out much hope for Thursday. Him and Gerrard sound done in.”

@Dotsy1978

“Big man looks like he’s only just come off it. Thursday is going to be some watch.”

@rhysmgale

In other news: some Rangers fans slammed this politician’s comments – find out more here!

Manchester United prevented Liverpool from recapturing first place in the Premier League with a goalless draw at Anfield on Sunday.

The result extended the Red Devils’ unbeaten league run to 12 games stretching all the way back to the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, but after winning three of their previous four, their momentum has somewhat stalled.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remain three points clear of the Reds at the top of the table but it was a game that utterly failed to live up to the pre-match hype and build-up.

However, their remarkable turnaround in form after a difficult start to the season has since led to some, including club legend Paul Scholes, proclaiming them as worthy title challengers and, in that regard, this was a significant milestone, as they kept a clean sheet against a side that have scored the highest amount of goals this season so far.

It was a game dominated by the defences that ultimately came down to one kick. Paul Pogba came closest to securing a vital three points from close range, only to be denied by the outstretched arms of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson in the dying stages of the game. Perhaps his late miss could prove costly in the title race as the two teams find themselves separated by a mere three points.

Apart from that, the Frenchman will have done himself no harm whatsoever with his latest display, earning the following review from The Manchester Evening News: ‘an unusual choice on the right-hand side but performed respectably. Was never going to boss the game in that role but almost won it.’

Everything Pogba does either on the pitch or off it brings attention; attention which brings scrutiny when the focus should be on Harry Maguire instead – for all the right reasons.

The club captain was a colossal at the back for Solskjaer’s side in his 17th top-flight appearance of the season.

Having arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester City for a world record fee for a defender in 2019, the England international hasn’t had the easiest of starts at the Theatre of Dreams but he’s finally starting to look the part at United, and slowly but surely, he’s living up to his colossal price tag.

Solskjaer has struggled to find a defensive partner for Maguire, who earns around £189,000-per-week at Old Trafford, with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly battling to bag the spot and there are still question marks over both. However, the club legend’s decision to start Lindelof alongside the captain paid off almost immediately.

Maguire blocked more shots (5) and made more clearances (6) than any other player on the pitch, showing he put up a strong fight in the defence as he largely neutralised Liverpool’s attack, as per SofaScore.

The 27-year-old won every battle there was to win at the back, winning five from five duels overall (100%), and it was a dominant performance from the skipper. His control at the back and on the ball set the tone for the rest of the match as he took 53 touches of the ball and tried to spray long balls (4) over the top, the second-highest amount out of any United player, which shows he was a useful asset in attack as well.

Such was his level of dominance that Jurgen Klopp’s side only managed three shots on target from a whopping 17 attempts as they resorted to several hopeful potshots.

It’s the kind of performance that United fans have recently come to expect from the club captain, and there’s no doubting the fact that Solskjaer will be delighted with his defensive shift.

AND in other news, Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice…

One minute everyone is talking about who should replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and now it’s Roy Hodgson’s turn under the microscope.

What’s the word?

Hodgson, who is the oldest man to ever manage in the Premier League, has recently admitted he is “undecided” over his Crystal Palace future.

The former England manager is currently into his fourth season in charge at Crystal Palace since he was appointed in September 2017.

But the 73-year-old’s contract at Selhurst Park is due to expire this summer which has cast doubts about his long-term future at the club.

So with that in mind, it’s about time Steve Parish started searching for a potential replacement, and he may not have to look very far at all, with reports from The Athletic last summer claiming that Burnley manager Sean Dyche is someone who is admired by those at Palace.

Dyche is Hodgson’s heir-in-waiting

Some Palace fans have been crying out for the 49-year-old to replace Hodgson reports initially surfaced for the first time linking him to Selhurst Park last year.

Former Grimsby Town manager Michael Jolley, who learned the tricks of the trade under Dyche at Turf Moor, recently described his former boss as an “extremely intelligent” manager in an interview with Coaches Voice.

If Parish can persuade him to jump ship to Selhurst Park, he could almost completely transform the club’s fortunes. It goes without saying that he has performed something close to a miracle with the Clarets, often overachieving with very little in terms of resources, but he has also developed a system that has proven to be very hard for other teams to break down.

By the numbers, Burnley have conceded just 28 goals this season, the same amount as fifth-placed West Ham, which is nearly ten fewer than Hodgson’s side themselves (37). Think Liverpool, Arsenal and Wolves – these are just some of the scalps the Clarets have claimed in this campaign alone.

Setting his side up in his preferred 4-4-2 formation, Dyche’s side are prepared to put the hard graft in to frustrate and deny opponents, as they remain compact, sit back comfortably and defend in numbers. Hardly revolutionary, but doubly effective.

But that doesn’t quite paint the full picture. In terms of statistics, they aren’t necessarily a possession-based side, but have shown signs they have started to adapt to the ever-changing Premier League by controlling the ball and building up play from the back.

For instance, defensive midfielder Ashley Westwood averages 52.6 passes per 90. By comparison, that’s more than the likes of Jairo Riedewald and Patrick van Aanholt, the latter of which tops the Palace charts with 49.9 passes respectively.

However, Dyche does look well settled at Burnley, with the new board clearly keen to give him their full backing. But Dyche is arguably one of the most underrated managers in the game and if Parish can bring him to Palace, he could improve the team’s defensive frailities.

It’s exactly why the Eagles should revive last summer’s interest in the Burnley boss and seriously consider him as Hodgson’s heir.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson should unleash Jean-Philippe Mateta against Leeds United…

Many Manchester United fans have flocked to Twitter to slate Donny van de Beek over his performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Everton on Wednesday evening. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in for some criticism for his sporadic use of the Dutchman, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax for £35m in the summer transfer window, but he handed him a start in Wednesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final clash. 

You could argue that he didn’t make the most of that chance to impress, however, as Van de Beek was hooked after 67 minutes, with WhoScored giving him the lowest match rating of any Red Devils player to have started this game (6.38).

So, what did these Manchester United fans have to say about Van de Beek’s performance versus Everton?

It would certainly seem as though the summer signing failed to impress many fans of his club via Wednesday’s performance, judging by the criticism he’s been receiving from some Red Devils fans on Twitter.

“Donny van de beek has been bad . Only united player who has been bad”

Credit: @nad_man89

“Van De Beek is poor player…

Just flicks and nicks…

No understanding with Bruno Pogba….”

Credit: @drpalashagrawal

“van de beek is terrible off the ball, frustrating”

Credit: @realistian10

“Why the hell have bought van de beek,total rubbish”

Credit: @cathearn14

“Van De Beek is useless get lingard on”

Credit: @tomdolan__

“Van De beek was awful. Just another passion and work rate merchant. Did we sign that guy because he’s better or will give us similar energy like Grealish or was it just because he’s CHEAP.”

Credit: @Edehpeter17

“Like why did we buy him when we could have saved the money, put it towards the 90m we did offer for Sancho and had him instead? Yeah. He’d a good player, but a weird fit, not seemingly loved by the manager, and is a rotation option.”

Credit: @Real_Matt_Dubya

In other news, some Manchester United fans were critical of Solskjaer’s decision to start Dan James in their recent clash with Leeds United.

Steve Bruce risks making a transfer error in the January window with a move by Newcastle United to sign SSC Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam.

What’s the word?

According to Le Buteur, the Magpies have approached Ghoulam’s agent to request a potential half-season loan for the Algerian, who finds himself as the third-choice option at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona under Gennaro Gattuso.

Newcastle are seen to be targeting the 29-year-old as Bruce strives to strengthen his backline amid a difficult campaign, with United now only seven points clear of the relegation zone and having played more games than two of the sides below them in the table.

It is believed that there is a strong chance in Ghoulam leaving Napoli in the winter market with interest growing in the Premier League, where Chelsea are also said to be convinced by the £4.5m-rated left-back’s potential benefits.

Ghoulam has only featured for 406 minutes across all competitions so far this season, with one start in seven Serie A outings, two in four Europa League appearances and one in the Coppa Italia against second-tier FC Empoli.

Newcastle must think again

Newcastle must urge Bruce to think again before pursuing a deal for Ghoulam to join the Toon on loan in the January transfer window, as the 29-year-old is an outcast at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for a reason.

Gattuso stated earlier in the campaign that he is not afraid to upset Ghoulam’s agent, Jorge Mendes, by overlooking the left-back, after instructing the Algerian to watch Napoli’s 1-0 win against Bologna in November from the stands.

The Italy icon decided to punish Ghoulam and teammate Mario Rui by forcing them to travel to Bologna without including either in his matchday squad as he felt the pair had been lazy in training.

“They stayed in the stands, because they were jogging around in training yesterday. I brought them along anyway because it’s too easy to just let them stay home and watch it on the couch.” Gattuso told Sky Sport, via quotes by Football-Italia.

Napoli’s Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli added: “They weren’t concentrated or sharp enough in the final training session, so he made this decision. He saw they weren’t entirely on their toes and made this choice.”

Bruce would no doubt be reluctant to use his limited resources to sign a player who may not be as committed to the cause as Newcastle need, therefore must seriously reconsider a deal for Ghoulam who has not played regularly for Napoli since the 2016/17 season.

His rare outings in the Serie A this term would suggest Ghoulam may not be an upgrade on any of the players Bruce has already called on to play at left-back in the Premier League this season, anyway.

Jamal Lewis has been offering on average 1.8 successful tackles per game since his summer move from Norwich City, enough to rank first ahead of Paul Dummett (1.0) and Matt Ritchie (0.8) at St. James’ Park, per WhoScored, and ahead of Ghoulam (0.6) for his Italian top-flight exploits.

All Lewis (0.6), Dummett (1.5) and Ritchie (0.8) have also offered a greater number of interceptions than Ghoulam (0.3) to show Bruce they can break up play far better, and provide far more clearances with 1.7, 3 and 3.5 respectively to the Algerian’s 0.1 to show they would be better-placed to clear the Magpies’ line.

Lewis (0.6) and Dummett (0.5) are also offering a higher amount of successful dribbles to Ritchie (0) and Ghoulam (0), who are struggling to bring play forward on the ground, while Lewis (0.8) and Ritchie (1.5) are providing more key passes to the Napoli outcast (0.6) to show their box-to-box threat in the North East.

Bruce may feel Newcastle need more depth at left-back in the January window, but a move for Ghoulam would likely fail to offer the Toon chief an upgrade on his current options at either end of the field.

AND in other news, forget Ryan Fraser: a £46k-p/w Newcastle man who lost 63% duels seriously betrayed Steve Bruce vs Sheffield United.

Marcelo Bielsa has delivered very promising news regarding the injury status of Leeds fan favourite Kalvin Phillips. The midfielder has been sidelined with a shoulder injury but in the manager’s latest batch of fitness updates, he admitted that “it’s probable” that the England international will be available this weekend.

Whilst Bielsa stressed that he “can’t guarantee it”, there’s still a good chance Phillips will be one of the names on the team sheet to face Arsenal. If he is, it will be a huge boost for the Whites.

Leeds have been without the midfield man since their narrow loss to Wolves last month. The club placed a six week recovery period on the situation, which fans have been waiting anxiously to be over. Bielsa’s side have won just one of their three matches played without Phillips – their most recent results have both been 4-1 defeats to Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively.

Mateusz Klich has played perhaps a more defensive role than he would usually prefer to cover the absence of his teammate. Rodrigo is also sidelined, which seriously limited Leeds’ options going forward. But with Phillips potentially able to start the match agains the Gunners, the Whites can regroup and hope to get back to winning ways.

The £50,000 per week powerhouse has started every Premier League he has been fit this season and has already wowed a lot of people with his performances. Noel Whelan recently heaped praise on the “absolutely immense” Phillips and admitted that all clubs need someone of the 24-year-old’s calibre in their set up (on Sporting Life Football podcast, cited by The Boot Room).

Only two points currently separate Leeds and Arsenal, so this will be a very cagey affair as neither side can afford to come away with a loss. The Whites have slipped a little in their returning Premier League season but their earlier results prove they can turn it around. A win against the Gunners will put them in great stride to rediscover their form and the boost of Phillips will surely lift spirits on camp too.

In other news, Leeds-linked Steven Gerrard could put Elland Road back on the map…

One of the sagas of Leeds United’s summer transfer window looks set to resurface ahead of January…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Udinese have slapped a €30m (£27m) price tag on their coveted midfield sensation Rodrigo De Paul in anticipation for the upcoming transfer window.

They also claim that Inter Milan have entered the race to sign him as a potential replacement for their outcast, Christian Eriksen.

Earlier in the week, JuveLive covered a story noting the Serie A champions’ interest but suggest that it was indeed the Yorkshireman that were closest to signing him, offering that aforementioned figure, which was not enough to tempt Udinese into a sale then.

Victor Orta may well reignite the speculation next month if they really were that keen on landing him.

Forget De Paul

But ultimately, the Whites may no longer need his services thanks to the form of one Marcelo Bielsa favourite.

If De Paul was signed, then the player at most risk was always going to be Mateusz Klich as the pair are strikingly similar but with the Polish engima standing out as one of Leeds’ players of the season thus far, a move for the £27m Udinese man must be avoided.

The 30-year-old has started all ten of their Premier League matches this season, delivering two goals and three assists whilst also averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.8 key passes, 1.2 shots and 2.8 long balls per game, via WhoScored.

Industrious, to say the least.

On the contrary, Udinese have struggled immensely in the Italian top-flight as they find themselves in 13th place, just four points above the drop zone. Not even De Paul’s influence has helped their cause this term.

Orta splashed the cash in the summer and were still yet to even see one of the players he signed in Diego Llorente, so it may be wise to hold back pulling the trigger on the Argentine.

It would be a pretty pointless move considering the exploits of Klich – we know how much he’s adored by Bielsa as he started 45 of 46 matches on their way to clinching the Championship title.

The Whites chief claimed just last week that the 2018 arrival “can play in all the best teams in the world” whilst back in February, he said: “He cannot do better. Klich is a player with very, very much skills physically.”

Perhaps some of that money could be gifted to the €15m (£13.5m) dynamo in the form of a contract extension, he certainly deserves more than the £45k-per-week he’s currently on, especially when the likes of Gjanni Alioski (£55k-per-week), Tyler Roberts (£47k-per-week) and Helder Costa (£70k-per-week) are earning considerably more.

Who needs Rodrigo De Paul when you have the “intelligent” Mateusz Klich?

AND in other news,ÂExclusive: Marlon Harewood claims Leeds must recruit in this area in January…

Arsenal icon Paul Merson has set out the blueprint David Moyes will need to utilise on Sunday for West Ham United to “hurt” Tottenham Hotspur.

The Irons visit their London rivals this weekend looking to build on commanding victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City, knowing that a win will move the claret and blue side above Jose Mourinho’s Spurs in the Premier League standings.

Tottenham have endured a mixed campaign to date, having started the season with defeat at home to Everton before entering the October international break after hitting Manchester United for six at Old Trafford.

Mourinho will be confident that his side can claim their first set of successive league wins this term against West Ham, who have won just one of the last six meetings between the two London outfits and lost on four occasions.

Merson, however, is not totally convinced that Tottenham will have things go all their own way this weekend, as the 52-year-old pundit believes Moyes can set the Hammers up to make Sunday’s clash a real contest.

“It suits West Ham when they can sit back and counter-attack,” Merson said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (October 17, 13:50). “What I worry about is when they play at the London Stadium against bottom-half teams and they’ve got to go out and take the game to them.

“They start getting picked off. When they can work from a base, they are a very, very good team. I think they will make it hard for Tottenham. I think they’ve got players who can majorly, majorly hurt you.”

West Ham’s 3-0 win away to Leicester last time out was a perfect example of the Irons using a strong base to hit sides on the counter to devastating effect, with the likes of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen using their pace to stretch the field and the Foxes’ backline.

The Hammers’ defence also wonderfully nullified their host’s offensive weapons to the point Lukasz Fabianski was left a mere passenger of the result, with Leicester unable to register a single shot on target at their own stadium.

West Ham were physically, technically and tactically the superior side at the King Power, intimidating Leicester into a tame display whilst being weak at the back. Antonio’s fast thinking and quick footwork also ensured Moyes’ men overpowered Brendan Rodgers’, reacting best to the situation with a quick-free quick before heading in low Aaron Cresswell’s cross.

Leicester tried to respond but could find no way through the Irons’ brick wall, and replicating this against Tottenham may be enough for Moyes to see Merson’s prediction come true in West Ham hurting Spurs on Sunday.

Tottenham have been one of the best defensive units in the Premier League so far this season, so creating chances could otherwise be hard for West Ham, with Mourinho’s rigid tactics restricting opposing sides to the least open play goals (one) through their first four fixtures.

AND in other news, a £27m-rated West Ham man must utilise the east London outfit’s transfer failings to his advantage.