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Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale could be set to face an exodus of first-team players from Ibrox unless he and Ross Wilson act fast to tie them down to long-term deals.

The likes of Ryan Jack, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent are out of contract at the end of the campaign and are valuable assets for the club who can’t allowed to be let go for nothing.

Others such as Steven Davis, Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield may be released come the end of the campaign, which would lower the wage budget and give Beale the chance to fill his squad with younger talent.

The majority of decisions seem fairly straightforward, but with Filip Helander also out of contract, that could give Beale the biggest headache in terms of whether or not to offer him a new deal.

Will Filip Helander be offered a new contract by Rangers?

The latest update on the Swedish centre-back from Football Insider claims that he is not expected to play for Rangers again, especially following Beale’s announcement that the 29-year-old will miss another three months of the campaign.

He hasn’t featured at all this term due to an injury he suffered at the tail end of 2021/22, and with the player earning £14k-per-week, it represents a colossal waste of money for someone who is now unlikely to play until next season.

It marks a low point for the Swede, who was amongst the club’s finest players when he was fully fit, and he formed an excellent duo with Connor Goldson when the Ibrox giants strolled to the Premiership title two years ago.

In that season, Helander received a Sofascore rating of 7.1/10 across 22 appearances, averaging 63.4 touches per game while making 1.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances and 0.7 interceptions per match.

He won an impressive seven duels per game at a success rate of 68% and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game, displaying his physical presence and keeping 13 clean sheets during his 22 matches.

This led to interest from Premier League club Aston Villa last year as Steven Gerrard looked to reunite with the player, yet his latest injury woes would make a transfer to the English top flight now seem unlikely.

Beale has described the Swede as a “big asset to Rangers”, but following the recent injury update, Helander’s four-year association with the club appears to be over.

However, despite missing 109 matches for the Light Blues, his performances during the title-winning season will surely be remembered well by the Ibrox faithful.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke says that Benfica defensive midfielder Florentino Luis would ‘be a real marquee signing’ for Everton this summer.

The Lowdown: Everton interest

As per Portuguese news outlet Record, Everton sent scouts to watch Luis play in Benfica’s 2-0 win away at Club Brugge in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.

They are interested in a move this summer, but Benfica do not want to entertain any talks at this moment in time.

The Latest: ‘Marquee signing’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke says that Luis would ‘be a real marquee signing’ at Goodison Park, but he is protected by a ‘huge’ release clause of €120m (£105m):

“He would be a big signing if they could get him. He’s got a huge release clause at Benfica, so I don’t think Everton will be getting anywhere near that, but Florentino Luis has had a really good season for Benfica.

“His stats are right up there with the best defensive midfielders in Europe so, if Everton were able to pull off this signing, he would be a real marquee signing because there are a number of top clubs across Europe monitoring his situation as well.”

The Verdict: Difficult

This would be a very difficult deal to do for the Merseysiders, especially given top European clubs will want him this summer, and any move would rely on them staying up in the Premier League.

Luis currently boasts the most interceptions in both the Portuguese top flight and Champions League, and has been nicknamed the ‘Portuguese Octopus’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Joao Tralhao, who coached him in Benfica’s youth ranks, has hailed him as an ‘exceptional talent’, and says that he has a ‘very similar’ profile to Manchester United’s recent Carabao Cup winner Casemiro.

Nonetheless, this deal seems like one too far for the Toffees, unless they can finish the season impressively and really whittle down that price tag.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has slammed the club’s decision to bench Harry Kane in their shock FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United.

What happened to Spurs in the FA Cup?

Antonio Conte’s side may have lost their biggest chance at silverware this season as they were dumped out in the fifth round by the Championship side, with Spurs also trailing in their Champions League tie with AC Milan.

Cristian Stellini led the team in Conte’s absence as a result of illness and made a lot of changes for their trip to Bramall Lane, which included starting Richarlison upfront instead of Kane, and Spurs were poor as they were eliminated.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Redknapp criticised the decision to rotate Kane in what was an important game in their long-awaited hunt for silverware.

“I looked at his face last night as he walked off the pitch and he looked very low, he must have thought, ‘my god what’s going on here?’

“You know, he’s on the bench. he didn’t start the game. You’re taking a gamble right now. Top four, yeah it’s important, but winning a trophy is everything really, they should have really gone for it last night. Harry should be starting the game surely, you want to go all the way in that competition.”

Should Spurs have prioritised the FA Cup?

Given that just four of the remaining eight sides in the FA Cup are from the Premier League, and that Sheffield United were draw against Blackburn Rovers in the quarter-finals, this was a huge missed opportunity for Spurs.

They have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal already eliminated, they could have had a huge shot at glory if they progressed to the next round.

Spurs’ route to Wembley looked clear, and in a season where they have been largely disappointing whilst competing for a top-four place, FA Cup victory will have been excellent for the club and their fans.

The decision to bench Kane backfired particularly because of Richarlison’s poor performance. The Brazilian failed to register a single shot on target and lost possession 12 times as per SofaScore.

Given how long it has been since Spurs tasted success, rotating so heavily for the FA Cup was the wrong decision and it has come back to bite them.

Tony Scott believes that Sean Dyche must make formation and personnel changes at Everton, otherwise, relegation will become a reality.

The Lowdown: Relegation is looming

Everton are certainly one of the favourites to go down this season as they sit inside the bottom three, have shipped six goals in their last two games without scoring a single one and their star striker can’t stay fit.

Sean Dyche decided to end the game against Arsenal with five defenders on the pitch which certainly doesn’t scream optimism or hope from the manager heading into the final few months of the season.

Since taking over at Goodison Park, Dyche has opted against starting the club’s top scorer Demarai Gray and their £27 million defender Yerry Mina, both of whom have just been sitting on the bench.

The Latest: Dyche has to make changes

While speaking on the All Together Now podcast Scott has urged Dyche to make some changes quickly, otherwise, Everton will be heading for the Championship.

He said: (2:00) “I’m teaching six-year-olds how to play football now, if I said to them we’re going to have a load of defenders and one striker upfront who can’t score a goal, even them at six years of age would go, Tony, we’re not going to score a goal here, what are you doing?

“That’s at this level, at the Premier League level I get the cards he’s been dealt with are absolutely brutal, no difference from Benitez and Lampard but if we’re going to play this way, we’re down.

“He’s got to think outside the box, he’s got to play Demarai Gray upfront. Let’s have a look at a few things he could change Yerry Mina is our best defender in my opinion, he’s been sat on the bench for the last three weeks, Demarai Gray is our best attacker and leading goalscorer, he’s been sat on the bench for the last three weeks, Michael Keane’s come in and we’re conceding four already.

“There’s some things that could help him, I’m not saying it’s going to make everything rosy again, far from it, but he can help himself by tweaking these little things because if he carries on playing this way, Greg, we’re down, we could be down before Easter and we have to change it quickly.”

The Verdict: Everton must try something different

It is quite bizarre that Dyche seems unwilling to hand Everton’s top scorer, Gray, a start in the Premier League, especially when the only two goals the Toffees have netted under the English boss have come from defenders.

Also, for Dyche to hand Michael Keane his first Premier League start of the season away to Arsenal and keep someone such as Mina on the bench is just yet another strange decision that is costing Everton immensely.

If Everton are to stand a fighting chance of avoiding their first relegation out of the Premier League then Dyche must surely be looking to his more skilled and accomplished players to make a difference and not leaving them to rot on the bench.

Over the previous few years, Glasgow Rangers have had their fair share of loan moves. Some work out fantastically well (Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi) while others, well, best not to discuss them too much (Dalcio and Umar Sadiq).

However, Malik Tillman has proven to be arguably one of the Ibrox side’s greatest temporary signings in recent years, with his raw talent and penchant for churning up moments of magic, endearing him to the Rangers support this term.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst dubbed the £13k-per-week gem as an “epic talent” and he has displayed his potential so far during his spell.

The American has scored nine goals and grabbed a further five assists this season whilst on loan from Bayern Munich, and there is no doubt that Michael Beale would want to sign him permanently, yet the fee could be an issue.

The Light Blues do have the first option on the player should the Bundesliga giants decide to sell, yet this would cost £5m and this could represent a decent sized chunk of Beale’s budget, while he may already have the ideal replacement – Hagi.

Could Ianis Hagi replace Malik Tillman at Rangers?

The Romanian started life at Ibrox in the same way as Tillman, on loan. He took to Rangers with ease, almost immortalising himself immediately with one of the finest European comebacks by the Gers in recent years, scoring twice against Braga in the Europa League to secure a 3-2 victory at Ibrox in 2020.

His loan move was made permanent at the end of that season, with the club agreeing to a £3m fee with Belgian side Genk and it proved to be an inspired move by then-boss, Steven Gerrard.

He played an integral part in the club winning their first Premiership title in a decade during 2020/2021, scoring six goals and grabbing nine assists while Gerrard described him as an “absolute dream to work with”, as he displayed his importance to the side that season.

The 6 foot dynamo is currently recovering from a long-term injury, which kept him out for almost a year, but once the 24-year-old gets back to his best, there is no doubt he can replace the American.

Hagi mainly operates just behind the centre-forward in an attacking midfield role – much like Tillman – however, he can also play on either wing if required.

The likelihood is, Tillman will return to Munich in the summer. Beale won’t have to splash the cash on a replacement, however, with the Romanian ready to spring back into action next term and show everyone exactly what they have been missing.

Arsenal have the perfect chance to secure their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 this season, with the Gunners sitting pretty at the top of the table, five points clear of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has managed to develop his side over the last couple of seasons and his persistence has paid off, while his signings in the transfer market have also been excellent, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard certainly adding something extra.

The Spaniard appears to be looking towards the future too, with the ultimate aim of building a dynasty that could dominate English football. With this in mind, the north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Lille midfielder, Carlos Baleba.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season and the Ligue 1 side will be looking at a fee of around £30m for any team hoping to secure his signature and this could well turn out to be a bargain.

If Arteta does manage to sign Baleba, the 40-year-old could uncover his answer to a hugely influential figure in the club's history – Patrick Vieira.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

Vieira arrived at Arsenal as a young fresh-faced midfielder from the continent having impressed in his first few first-team appearances for AC Milan and Wenger saw enough talent to land the promising youngster for just £3.5m in 1996, subsequently turning him into one of the finest players in Europe.

Baleba has limitless potential and his Lille teammate Remy Cabella recently lauded the teen sensation, saying: "He's a monster, his big strength is power. On the ball, he has incredible strength (…). I think it's very, very hard to stop him."

He already appears to be embodying the qualities that Vieira had in abundance, a powerful runner who could create plenty of chances for his teammates, along with a stubborn defensive ability.

Indeed, this season, the Cameroonian has won ten tackles and 72.7% of his challenges while generating 2.62 shot-creating actions per match and completing 83.9% of his attempted passes this season in only 12 appearances.

Arsenal have been missing a player in Vieira’s mould for the previous 15 years and although there is no guarantee Baleba could hit the same heights, his potential combined with the chance to develop further under Arteta, there could be plenty of scope for the 19-year-old to turn into one of the finest talents in the country.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Leeds United part-owners 49ers Enterprises may have saved the club from relegation by not selling Jack Harrison this winter.

What's the latest on Jack Harrison and Leeds?

As things stand, the Whites are in a bit of a scrap to avoid dropping out of the Premier League at the end of the season. Indeed, they sit 14th in the division but just two points above the bottom three.

Thankfully for Leeds, they have managed to pick up a vital four points from their last two league games before the international break, which has helped lift them up the table.

English winger Harrison was crucial in both matches, scoring and assisting in the draw against Brighton, while also netting in the most recent win over Wolves.

Of course, though, he was close to joining Leicester City in January, even travelling on deadline day for a medical, only for the deal to fall through.

Now while talking about the player on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones has revealed that it was the "guys from San Francisco" who opted against the sale.

He explained: "It went right to the wire, that move, and, you know, it obviously fell through it last minute, Leeds pulled the plug.

"I think it was the guys from San Francisco, that obviously half-own Leeds, [that] decided not to go through with that one. They wanted to keep him and it's turned out to be a decision that might actually end up keeping them in the Premier League."

Will Jack Harrison keep Leeds from relegation?

As things stand, Andrea Radrizzani still has a majority shareholding in Leeds but 49ers Enterprises – the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers and minority shareholder at Elland Road – have the option to fully buy Radrizzani out in January 2024 for around £500m (via The Athletic).

Despite not having full ownership, it sounds as though the 49ers still have quite some say in key decisions if it was indeed their end that wanted Harrison to stay in Yorkshire.

And as it turns out, it looks like that may well be a brilliant call due to his pivotal role in helping Javi Gracia and his side pick up some important points in recent weeks.

And had he been at Leicester instead, he may well have been helping a direct rival in the relegation fight, with the Foxes just one point behind the Whites.

What's more, it has been reported recently by Football Insider, that Leeds are potentially set to hand the Englishman a new deal with his current terms set to expire in the summer of 2024.

And so, by the sounds of it, the club's owners are pretty content to have not sold Harrison when the offer was on the table.

The dramatic exit of Tottenham Hotspurs manager Antonio Conte has created a flurry of activity. From the club's perspective, they still want to secure a qualification spot, a job that has been thrust upon assistant coach Cristian Stellini. They will also want to make sure players are physically and psychologically ready for the battle that lies ahead. And amid all that, they must select, vet, and hire a new manager. The fans are worried if Stellini will be able to take Spurs to the Champions League final, the media is speculating on who will replace Conte and those in the running are polishing their Cvs. Stellini will be fighting for a good place come the end of the season as this could put him in the running as well.

Possible Candidates

There have been several names thrown about for Conte’s replacement, some names like Pochettino make sense and others do not so much. Believe it or not, there are odds, yes betting odds, just like sports betting on who is likely to be the next. Tottenham assistant stands a better chance than Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

Marco Silva

The current Fulham manager has had an incredible season his team is currently ninth in the league with 39 points, he was the manager behind Fulham's promotion to the Champions League last year. He blazed a trail through last season, beating Chelsea 1 -0 and then playing to a draw. He has a lot going for him at the Cottagers and might be reluctant to leave or he may want to leave while still on a high. We cannot dispute he would be a great fit at Spurs.

Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason stepped up after Jose Mourinho’s departure and led the team to a final seventh-place finish, Conte promoted him to first-team coach alongside Cristiani Stellini. They had some great games among them three consecutive wins, he has a positive attitude and gets on well with the players, especially as a former player himself. He could have an impactful contribution to the team if Spurs management were to give him a chance

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino seems to be the favourite candidate amongst fans, he’s also the ‘tried and tested’ option which makes it easier for the players, support staff, and everyone at Spurs. During his previous tenure, he led the Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019, and before that, they made it to qualifications. He had such a good record at Paris Saint-Germain as well as winning the French Cup and Ligue 1 title, we think the French were too hasty in giving him the boot. There have been rumours that he is eyeing the Real Madrid job, so Spurs shouldn’t put all its hopes in the Mauricio basket.

Lastly

There are other contenders such as Luis Enrique and Thomas Tuchel that the media has speculated about. So far it's been mum from Tottenham Spurs, we are assuming they want to finish off the season well before making any life-altering announcements. The sacking of Conte has rocked the boat enough as it is.

Image Source: Pixabay

Leeds United have enjoyed some wonderful talent over the years, with their illustrious history so often bringing in some of the best talent there is to offer.

However, due to their well-known financial issues that unsurprisingly fell apart at the turn of the century, clubs capitalised on their precarious position as they slumped into the Championship.

Whilst this marked a dark time in their history, they would continue to lose their top assets in the years that followed but could no longer attribute it to their finances. It had to be external factors, or, in the case of Kasper Schmeichel, a lack of faith from the staff to the fans.

His stint in Yorkshire was short and unsavoury, but the goalkeeper he would go onto become perhaps left them somewhat regretful of that decision. Especially given the current struggles of Illan Meslier, who has been floundering between the sticks for Jesse Marsch and now Javi Gracia

Were they given the choice, fans would surely swallow their pride to accept a prime version of the former Leicester City keeper in place of the Frenchman, who has disappointed of late.

Why did Kasper Schmeichel leave Leeds?

Speaking on his failed tenure in Yorkshire, Schmeichel was upfront about the reasons behind his exit:

"I remember about three weeks after joining Leeds thinking, ‘What have I done?!’

“It was just the wrong club for me at that time. It was very clear, very early on that it was the wrong club for me. It was a club where I was not accepted and with my father’s history, it was evident among the fans that they did not approve of that.

“I just didn’t feel welcome at all at the club, by the whole club, that’s the manager as well. He didn’t give me any kind of confidence."

Referenced within this claim, Simon Grayson's side at the time had won promotion from League One but retained ambitions of a Premier League return. It was clear he deemed the 36-year-old surplus to requirements in his quest.

Considering the role he would later play in the Foxes' infamous acquisition of the Premier League and FA Cup, the former Leeds player was made to rue this mistake, as journalist Saddick Adams has since branded the goalkeeping stalwart a "legend".

Across his 284 appearances in the league, he would keep 82 clean sheets, and in his final season for the club he would maintain a 6.93 average rating, underpinned by 3.5 saves per game at a 69% success rate and a 70% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.

When compared with Meslier from this campaign, who himself has only managed a 6.89 rating, it is clear to see where he falls short of Schmeichel. His three saves per game at a 65% success rate marks a drop-off, whilst his passing accuracy sits at an abysmal 55%, via Sofascore.

What also counts against the 23-year-old is how prone to blunders he is, with his recent gaffe against Everton an important one in the battle for safety.

Ex-striker Glenn Murray even lambasted the youngster, telling BBC’s Final Score: "Wow, Leeds fans need to look away when it comes to their goalkeeper tonight because this is terrible goalkeeping."

In a period when they need security from their goalkeeper, there is no doubt that Schmeichel in his prime would offer that in spades when compared to the often unreliable Meslier.

Sir Alex Ferguson rarely had a transfer howler at Manchester United, especially during his first decade and a half which was littered with success.

Of course, there were the odd one or two players that were signed that couldn’t live up to expectations and flopped massively, including the likes of Jordi Cruyff, Massimo Taibi and William Prunier.

In the summer of 2001, Fergie made arguably his most expensive mistake at United by signing Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio for a then British record transfer fee of £28.1m and Fergie praised the midfielder upon his arrival, saying: "What we have done is bring in a really top player, one of the best players in the world. He is world-class – a fantastic footballer.”

Unfortunately, he would never live up to the fee and go down as one of Fergie’s worst signings in terms of impact on the pitch.

How did Juan Sebastian Veron perform at Manchester United?

The Argentinian midfielder was one of the finest players in his position on the continent, impressing during a stint in Serie A with Parma and Lazio, winning a league title, UEFA Cup and two Coppa Italia’s and having also represented Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, he was looked upon to take United to the next level.

He scored five times and grabbed six assists during his first campaign, however, United ended the season trophyless for the first time since 1998, losing the Premier League title to Arsenal.

His second term saw his goal contributions increase from 11 to 14 and Fergie led the Red Devils to another league title, but Veron couldn’t quite settle in Manchester and rarely displayed the form that led to the club signing him in the first place.

His regular midfield partner, Paul Scholes, claimed that he and Veron couldn’t play together, saying: "Yeah, me and Veron were a disaster.” And it was evident that the 72-cap international simply couldn’t cut it in the Premier League.

Despite winning the title in 2002/2003, United could perhaps have hit greater heights had Veron brought his Serie A form to the club and the 11 goals he scored across two seasons cost the Old Trafford side £2.5m per strike, a colossal amount to waste.

Veron was soon offloaded to Chelsea in 2003 before he enjoyed somewhat of a career resurgence at Inter Milan and Estudiantes, winning numerous trophies and even playing at the 2010 World Cup.

There is no doubt he was a sensational player, but he couldn’t quite get used to the rigours of English football.