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Glasgow Rangers reportedly have their eye on another manager as they consider what life could look like at Ibrox after Giovanni van Bronckhorst…

What’s the talk?

According to Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, the Light Blues are looking at their former assistant manager, under Steven Gerrard, Michael Beale as a potential replacement for the Dutch head coach.

The report claims that the Gers have him on their shortlist as they ponder a swoop for the Queens Park Rangers boss if they ever decide to sack van Bronckhorst.

There is no indication that they are imminently set to part ways with the former Feyenoord boss but it appears as though Ross Wilson is drawing up a shortlist in case that situation does arise in the coming months.

Dream upgrade

Wilson could land a dream upgrade on the current manager by appointing Beale, whether that is now or in the future, as he is a man who knows the club inside and out.

It has been less than a year since he left Rangers in November 2021 and this means that he would be familiar with most of the squad, including the likes of Allan McGregor, James Tavernier, Borna Barisic, Ryan Kent, and many more.

Beale was Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers for over three years and played a vital role in the title success in 2020/21 as the club won the Premiership ahead of Celtic. So influential was the now QPR boss, that Jermain Defoe dubbed him a “genius.”

He followed the ex-Liverpool midfielder to Aston Villa before moving into management in the summer to take over at Loftus Road.

Upon arriving at Loftus Road, the 42-year-old outlined the principles he wanted his team to have, saying: “I want us to be a front foot and high-intensity team, in and out of possession. I want Loftus Road to be a real cauldron for us – I’ve been to games here and I know just how much the fans can impact the team on the pitch.”

This suggests that he wants his teams to be attack-minded and QPR’s 20 goals in 14 Championship matches backs that up, with his side currently sitting fourth in the table after the London club finished 11th last term.

Their progression since Beale came in is impressive and shows that he is capable of getting a team to play attractive and high-intensity football whilst winning matches. Journalist Josh Bunting recently described him as tactically “immense” and claimed that he has “taken QPR up levels” since joining them.

He would, therefore, be somewhat of a perfect alternative. His connections inside the club, his pre-existing relationships with a lot of the squad, and his promising start to the season with QPR in England should be huge tick marks for the Rangers hierarchy.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has shared a four-word injury update on winger Lucas Moura, in a worry for the Lilywhites.

The Lowdown: Lucas’ injury woes…

The Brazilian has hardly featured for Spurs in the Premier League or any competition this season, playing just 12 top-flight minutes in total at the very start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Lucas is currently contending with a calf injury and has been sidelined since mid-August, having last appeared in a Lilywhites jersey against Chelsea nearly two months ago.

As he seeks to build upon his team’s top-four finish last season, Conte needs every option available given the wealth of talent at the disposal of Tottenham’s rivals.

The Latest: Conte shares four-word injury update…

Speaking to BT Sport on Saturday (via Spurs Web), the manager has now shared a four-word update on Lucas’ current condition.

He says that there is a worry surrounding the 30-year-old, who is apparently failing to recover properly, with no timeframe given on a potential return before the World Cup in Qatar next month.

When asked about the South American, Conte succinctly stated: ‘He is not recovering.’

Nice one, Son! Show your love for Heung-min Son with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

The Verdict: Setback for Spurs…

The forward can be an exciting option to call upon when available, so Spurs supporters could be gutted over this latest news.

As per WhoScored, Lucas averaged Tottenham’s highest rate of successful take-ons per 90 over the 2021/22 campaign with 1.6, which shows his massive ability when fit and firing.

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The very concerning aspect of this update is having no discernible estimation as to when he could return to the fold for Tottenham.

Fixtures are coming around very quickly in the build-up to the World Cup in seven weeks’ time, and as a result, injuries could quite possibly mount over the course of the congested calendar.

Aston Villa’s recent transfer activity has been rather solid, with the club managing to entice the likes of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos to the Midlands, two players who have the potential to improve the Villa starting XI significantly while also having the potential to make the club a profit if sold in the future.

It hasn’t always been like this though, with the summer of 2013 proving to be a particularly horrifying transfer window for the club.

Under the stewardship of Paul Lambert and coming off the back of a poor 15th place finish in the Premier League, Villa were going nowhere and fast. Summer arrivals included Leandro Bacuna, Jores Akore, and Aleksandar Tonev, hardly names to rejuvenate a Villa side who should really be aiming for a top-half finish.

There was one particular signing that Lambert had a major howler over, however, with the Scot signing a Serie A striker for £7m and who he hoped would provide competition for Christian Benteke…

Big blunder over Libor Kozak

The then 24-year-old had shown a glimpse of his talents at Lazio, scoring 22 goals for the club in 80 appearances, with 11 of those coming in the Europa League.

It was this scoring rate in Europe secondary competition that convinced Lambert to sign Kozak, with the manager saying:

“Libor has an incredible scoring record in the Europa League and showed proper potential in leading the line.”

What looked initially like a sound investment, soon turned into a nightmare for the Czech striker. He made just 22 appearances in all competitions during his four-year association with the club, netting a paltry four senior goals, which worked out at £1.75m per goal, a terrible return.

Tom Victor later described how he was “baffled” by Kozak’s career and with having a lot of potential, especially to impress on the European stage as he did at Lazio, it turned out to be a nightmare the moment he moved to the Premier League.

Now 33, Kozak is turning out for FC Slovacko in the Czech first top flight, even scoring in the Europa Conference League. Since leaving Villa in 2017, the striker has scored a grand total of 38 goals in five years.

He certainly had the opportunity to make an impression in the Premier League, but it turned out to be a move that will surely make the Villa faithful wince when they think of his name.

Celtic ended their previous Premiership season with more goals scored (92) than any other team in the division, and they have also scored more (12) than any other team in the league this time around in the early weeks of the campaign.

One man who helped towards seeing his side become the best attacking team in the division last term and has already helped them in front of goal in the new campaign is David Turnbull.

In 25 league appearances last season, the midfielder scored six times and provided five assists along the way.

Having appeared in all four of Celtic’s league games so far in the current campaign, the 23-year-old has supplied one assist for the Hoops, which came during their 2-0 win over Aberdeen.

While he hasn’t provided a goal contribution in his last three league appearances, the remaining days of the summer transfer window could give the Bhoys the opportunity to bring in a player with whom Ange Postecoglou could form a dangerous duo alongside Turnbull to help get the best out of him.

One man who has been mentioned with a move to Glasgow and who could do this job is Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.

With 232 Premier League appearances to his name, the Englishman has scored 29 goals and delivered 31 assists in the process, highlighting how useful he can be in front of goal, just like Turnbull.

Praised for his “tremendous” work ethic and attitude by former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, Barkley ended his loan spell at the club with the fourth-highest rate for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (4.41) in the squad, showing how capable he is of setting up goalscoring opportunities.

Bearing in mind how the current Celtic midfielder ended his previous league campaign with the highest average for key passes per game (3.2) out of any Hoops player to start more than three matches, having a duo of him and the Chelsea man in the same team would surely terrify many opposition defences.

Taking all this into account, if a deal to sign the Englishman is there to be done before the summer transfer window closes, Celtic should do all that they can to get him in their squad, as his attacking talent and experience of playing in Europe could give the Hoops a massive boost to their hopes of enjoying another successful season.

Everton are reportedly in line to make a surprise approach for Villarreal starlet Nicolas Jackson, with the Toffees in desperate need of attacking reinforcements.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Merseyside outfit are believed to have ‘set their sights on the 21-year-old this summer, with the player available for £27m owing to a release clause in his current deal.

The Senegalese forward – who can play all across the front line – is also said to be attracting the interest of fellow Premier League sides Fulham and Southampton, as per the report.

As for the Goodison outfit, the club are in need of new additions following the departure of talisman Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, while first-choice marksman Dominic Calvert-Lewin is currently sidelined with injury.

Solves Lampard’s problem

Adding a new centre-forward has then become a necessity with a just few weeks left until the transfer window closes, with manager Frank Lampard currently forced to deploy young Anthony Gordon in a makeshift role through the middle.

With only Salomon Rondon in reserve, the 21-year-old has had to assume that central berth in the early weeks of the season, although it is seemingly not a long-term, viable option moving forward – particularly with Newcastle United believed to be interested in the forward.

That fact has only enhanced the need to dip into the market, with Jackson potentially an attainable figure who would provide an exciting option to Lampard’s squad, without having to really break the bank.

The £900k-rated menace may have only made nine first-team appearances for his current side thus far since joining back in 2019, although he has started the new season in fine fettle, scoring in the recent 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in what was his first ever La Liga start.

Likened to Brazilian icon Neymar in his homeland, the youngster also has an impressive record for the Spanish side’s B team, having recorded 13 goal contributions in just 26 appearances thus far.

Labelled “imposing” by journalist David Timon, the one-time Mirandes loanee appears to have a bright future ahead of him, with Lampard set to be desperate to be in charge of his development over the next few years.

Managing to get the highly-rated talent through the door could well be the answer to the 44-year-old’s attacking problem.

West Ham United insider and reliable club source ExWHUemployee has now shared a potentially big Piotr Zielinski update involving the Irons’ head of recruitment Rob Newman.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

As the Premier League club continue to pursue targets like Eintracht Frankfurt defender Filip Kostic, it has also been reported that manager David Moyes has set his sights on Zielinski.

The Poland international has been subject to negotiations as the Hammers enter talks with Napoli over his possible signing this summer.

West Ham have already been quite active this summer, having sealed deals for Nayef Aguerd from Rennes, Flynn Downes from Swansea City and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris-Saint Germain.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee makes Zielinski claim…

Writing on his Patreon, ExWHUemployee claims that Newman is personally attempting to get the deal for Zielinski over the line and holds a determination to complete this signing.

The West Ham insider explained: “Zielinski comes highly recommended to the club and Newman is keen to get this deal over the line.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Having been called ‘exceptional’ and a ‘beautiful footballer’ by former Poland coach Paulo Sousa, the £106,000-per-week star would certainly come to the London Stadium with a glowing reputation.

Moyes is reportedly eager to upgrade his midfield options as ‘another priority’, and Zielinski may also come with plenty of experience on the biggest stages, having amassed 72 caps on the international front for Poland, who he has represented in three major tournaments.

West Ham’s negotiations to sign the 28-year-old will be an interesting topic before the transfer window closes on 1st September, and supporters may well be hopeful that Newman can pull off a move for the Napoli maestro.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper wants to sign Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Gibbs-White linked with Forest

The future of the 22-year-old has been a big talking point of late, with his current club offering him a new deal but the youngster unsure of what his next move should be.

Forest are one of the clubs who are thought to be in the conversation to sign Gibbs-White this summer, with the midfielder enjoying an excellent loan spell at Sheffield United last term.

It is a saga which could rumble on, but it seems clear that Cooper sees him as a primary target.

The Latest: Positive update emerges

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Jacques Talbot confirmed that the Forest manager wants to sign Gibbs-White ahead of the start of the new season, having worked with him at Swansea City.

The reporter stated:

“I think especially with Gibbs-White, there’s something there.

“And you look at Gibbs-White, and you look at his great relationship with Steve Cooper, who worked together at Swansea, and the player wants to move, and Steve Cooper wants to bring him in.”

The Verdict: Perfect Forest target

Gibbs-Whites could be a fantastic signing by Forest, possessing a huge amount of natural ability and waiting to explode as a regular for a Premier League side.

The 22-year-old’s technical ability and end product from midfield are assets that Cooper will believe can take his team up a gear – he scored 12 goals and chipped in with 10 assists in the Championship last season – and he would also represent a long-term acquisition at the City Ground.

The reports that Wolves are keen to keep hold of Gibbs-White say a lot about his quality, and Forest could be signing a gem of a player if they manage to get a deal over the line.

Rangers are seemingly closing in on their next summer signing as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looks to strengthen his attacking options at Ibrox ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

It was reported recently that the Teddy Bears had agreed a fee for striker Antonio Colak, who played a key role in knocking the Gers out of the Champions League last season.

The current PAOK striker hit a brace for ten-man Malmo during his loan spell with the Swedish giants.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke provided the latest on the potential signing, saying: “It looks like he’s got a decent goalscoring record in Greece and he is a Croatia international as well.

“Obviously, it’s a deal Rangers are working very hard to get over the line. They are just trying to conclude a deal with the Greek side.”

Supporters will be buzzing

There has been a lack of transfer business at Rangers so far this summer and supporters will no doubt be glad to hear that they are closing in on their second official signing, with John Souttar having already joined on a free transfer after agreeing a pre-contract deal to swap Hearts for Ibrox in January.

With Alfredo Morelos’ future at Ibrox still in doubt, signing a new striker should have been a priority for Van Bronckhorst this summer.

Considering Colak’s previous form in the Champions League, he could be the ideal man to bring in ahead of Rangers’ qualifying fixtures in that competition later this month.

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The Croatia international has enjoyed fairly prolific spells with the likes of HNK Rijeka (51 goals in 90 games) and Malmo (19 goals in 40 games) in the past. He clearly knows where the back of the net is and would likely fil his boots on a regular basis next season given the amount of chances that Rangers are likely to create.

Therefore, Gers fans will be hoping that their club can complete a deal for Colak as soon as possible, so that he can arrive promptly and have a pre-season at Ibrox before the new campaign starts.

In other news… Imagine him & Jack: Rangers could seal dream duo in deal for “diamond” £2m “enforcer”

Leeds United are believed to have made an offer for Paris Saint-Germain Arnaud Kalimuendo.

The Lowdown: Kalimuendo a bright talent

The 20-year-old is a big young attacking talent with a bright future ahead of him, outlining his quality during a two-year loan spell with Lens.

Kalimuendo scored 12 goals in 27 starts in Ligue 1 last season and coach Franck Haise has described him as the ‘prototype striker’ in the modern game, while European football expert Antonio Mango hailed him as a ‘superstar in the making’.

With Leeds in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer after the injury woes of Patrick Bamford last season, an exciting rumour has emerged.

The Latest: Leeds make offer

According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, the Whites have submitted an offer in the region of €20million (£17.1m) for Kalimuendo.

PSG are thought to be ‘amenable’ to a deal coming to fruition, not seeing him as a key man moving forward, but they want various clauses in the deal, including a buy-back option.

The report reaffirms that Raphinha ‘will leave’ and says the PSG gem is earmarked to help Jesse Marsch ‘reshape’ the attacking ranks at Thorp Arch.

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The Verdict: Snap him up

Kalimuendo could be a hugely exciting summer arrival at Elland Road, bringing much-needed firepower to the squad, as well as partly filling the void left by the outgoing Raphinha.

He can play both on the left-hand side and in a central role, with that versatility likely to appeal to Marsch, and he would also be a long-term acquisition who should only improve in the next three or four years.

Incredibly, the youngster ranks in the 99th percentile for forwards across Europe’s top leagues when it comes to pass success rate, showing impeccable composure in the final third for such a young player.

Kalimuendo also has four goals in 10 caps for France’s Under-21 side, further highlighting his potential, and Leeds should do all they can to bring him in, even if a buy-back clause isn’t ideal.

In other news, Leeds have stepped up their chase to sign a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Journalist Pasquale Guarro has made an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan star and defensive target Alessandro Bastoni.

The Lowdown: Bastoni top of Tottenham’s list…

After their summit in Italy last week, Spurs manager Antonio Conte and club chief Fabio Paratici have reportedly listed Bastoni among their top targets for the summer transfer window.

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A left-sided central defender is thought to be of serious interest to Conte, with the Nerazzurri ace said to be valued at around £50m.

Tottenham recently announced a £150m cash injection which will be used to back their manager and ensure that the Lilywhites can seriously compete for the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Latest: Conte making ‘personal commitment’ to sign Bastoni…

According to Guarro, reiterating the club’s interest in Bastoni ‘firmly’, Conte is apparently making a ‘personal commitment’ to seal the 23-year-old’s signing this summer.

The reporter explained (via Twitter): “I can reiterate this firmly: the #Tottenham is working on the hips for #Bastoni , Conte wants to transfer the left chain of the #Inter to London and is making a personal commitment.”

The Verdict: Promising claim…

There is little denying that Bastoni would seriously upgrade Tottenham’s back-three options and provide Conte with an injection of real class.

Widely tipped as Italy’s next generation defensive answer to legendary Azzurri figurehead Giorgio Chiellini, the 6 foot 2 star has also been called a ‘defensive genius’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy.

Already possessing a glowing reputation, chief Squawka writer Muhammad Butt has called Bastoni a ‘special’ player, which shows why Conte is very eager to bring the Italy international to north London.

If the Lilywhites can back the manager with the 23-year-old’s addition, it could certainly signal the start of a very promising summer.

In other news: Paratici eyeing Spurs move for ‘sensational’ £75m man who Guardiola called ‘quality’…find out more here