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Rangers have been linked with a move for Liverpool striker Divock Origi recently, and the Belgian could be a superb addition to Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox this summer.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Rangers are one of a number of sides including Southampton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham who are monitoring Origi’s situation at Anfield, with Liverpool seemingly keen to cash in on the striker after a less than impressive season with Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The arrival of Diogo Jota limited the 26-year-old’s game time with the Reds, as he managed just two starts in the Premier League last season, and failed to find the back of the net in any of his appearances in all competitions, so it is no surprise that he is being touted with a move away.

The £10.8m-rated forward could prove to be an affordable option for Rangers due to his contract being set to expire at the end of next season, whilst Gerrard’s obvious connection with Liverpool suggests that he would be able to negotiate a good deal for the former Lille man.

Would Origi be a good signing for Rangers?

Although Rangers are already well-stocked in the attacking department, Origi could add some serious quality to Gerrard’s front line, and would be an eye-catching replacement for Alfredo Morelos should he depart Ibrox this summer.

Whilst Origi has managed just 35 goals in 157 appearances for Liverpool thus far, he has very rarely been trusted with a starting spot, and has shown glimpses of his ability with notable braces against Everton and Barcelona at Anfield.

If he were to join Rangers, you feel that he could easily rediscover his goalscoring touch playing against objectively weaker opposition, whilst he would also bring some Champions League experience to Ibrox ahead of Rangers’ return to the elite club competition next season.

After his goals against Everton in the 2019/20 campaign, Phil Neville was full of praise for Origi, saying:

“He’s got a taste for the big games. He has made big contributions in big games.”

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He has also been lauded as a “monster” by former Belgium teammate Vincent Kompany. “He is very gifted and talented,” he said. “Technically, he’s a monster. More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy.”

A big-game player is something Rangers could definitely do with next season if they are to end their hoodoo in Scottish cup competitions and progress in the Champions League, so Ross Wilson should definitely look at the possibility of bringing Origi to Ibrox this summer.

He could well be the perfect successor to Morelos, if he were to leave.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge transfer boost with 23 y/o gem who “rarely makes mistakes”

Celtic ‘are looking’ to loan out Osaze Urhoghide during the January transfer window, according to Joe Crann for The Scotsman. 

The lowdown: Urhoghide limited

Urhoghide was the first signing of the Ange Postecoglou era at Celtic, penning a four-year deal after his contract at Sheffield Wednesday expired (via Sky Sports).

However, he was limited to a solitary appearance prior to the winter break, and that came in a Europa League dead-rubber against Real Betis.

The right-back produced an all-action performance against the La Liga outfit, winning five tackles, prevailing in nine out of 15 duels, completing two dribbles and creating a chance (via SofaScore).

The latest: Celtic plan loan move

‘(I) understand that the club have turned down approaches to sign Osaze Urhoghide on a permanent basis,’ Crann said on Twitter.

However, the Hoops do intend to let him leave Parkhead on a temporary basis.

There’s interest in the 21-year-old from ‘clubs in the SPFL and English Championship’.

The verdict: Great decision

Opportunities have been hard to come by for Urhoghide, but he very much looks to remain part of Celtic’s long-term plans.

And no wonder, based on a ‘fantastic debut’ against Betis that Football Scotland’s Euan Robertson rated eight out of 10.

If he can impress on loan further down the SPFL or in the English second tier, he’ll return to Lennoxtown for pre-season with his prospects of a greater squad role significantly boosted.

Listing him for loan is a smart move from the Hoops, and a permanent deal should absolutely be out of the question given how little we’ve seen of his abilities so far.

In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor is in awe of this transfer business.

Everton have been rather active in the transfer window over the past few years when it comes to bringing new players to the Merseyside club.

At times, the Toffees have spent significant sums of money on players such as Ben Godfrey, Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean to name a few.

The previous summer transfer window was a different story for the club as they were impacted by Financial Fair Play rules, resulting in them only signing Demarai Gray for a relatively low fee of £1.7m.

Looking ahead to the next summer window, it seems as though the Goodison Park outfit may once again be in danger of being troubled by their financial issues, this time in a much more potentially damaging regard.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown had this to say about the future of Everton duo Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

He said: “It’s inevitable that one of them goes because the financial position the club finds itself in is so dire that they know they have to sell someone to generate some revenue.”

Bad news for Lampard

Having scored a combined total of nine Premier League goals between them this season, it’s safe to say that the duo are two of Everton’s key attacking figures.

The attackers also make up two of Everton’ three highest-rated outfield players currently at the club in terms of their overall performances according to WhoScored.

Also, with the pair being worth a combined fee of £82.8m, they are the club’s two most valuable players, showing why Brown thinks selling one of them could help the Toffees financially.

However, given how vital they both are on the pitch for the Merseyside club, selling either of them anytime soon would be a disaster for Frank Lampard and the fans.

While this could be an issue for the Toffees by the time the upcoming summer transfer window opens for business, their main concern at the moment will surely be on doing all they can to stay in the division.

Moving forward, the best thing that Everton can do is to win as many points as they can from their remaining league games.

Once they potentially manage to do that, the focus can then shift onto their summer business.

In terms of what the financial situation at the Merseyside club will look like at that point, it should be their top priority to keep hold of both Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

In other news: Lampard can now axe “desperate” flop as EFC plot bid for “exceptional” £37k-p/w dynamo

As per The Evening Standard, an update has emerged involving Manchester City defender Nathan Ake and West Ham’s plans for January.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defensive crisis…

After injuries to both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, the Irons have been left short of options at the back, with manager David Moyes having just Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal.

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This has prompted the club to look at their options in the transfer market, with the likes of James Tarkowski and Nathaniel Phillips already linked.

The Championship could also be a source for Moyes as West Ham have reportedly sent scouts to watch QPR defender Rob Dickie, Middlesbrough mainstay Dael Fry and Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly (90min).

The Latest: West Ham weigh Ake loan bid…

As per The Evening Standard, Moyes is personally keen on signing a left-footed centre-half as West Ham weigh up a January loan bid for Ake.

The Netherlands international, who has been featuring more often for City this season, is now on the Irons’ agenda amid their injury woes, and Moyes wants a player of the 26-year-old’s ilk to bring balance to the back four.

The Verdict: Right move?

Described as ‘underrated’ by international teammate and Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, bypassing Ake’s £28.8m valuation (Transfermarkt) and bringing him in on a temporary basis would be an astute bit of business from West Ham’s perspective.

However, City boss Pep Guardiola could arguably wish to keep the 26-year-old at Eastlands for the time being, with his squad having suffered from player availability emergencies as of late. For instance, centre-back Aymeric Laporte missed the trip to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night with a minor knock, so Guardiola may want Ake around for cover.

While it would be a hard move to pull off, especially mid-season, there is little arguing that Ake would improve West Ham’s defence, with Guardiola himself recently calling the Dutchman ‘focused’, ‘intelligent’ and a ‘joy to have’ (mancity.com).

In other news: West Ham could now back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign 6 foot 3 powerhouse in January, find out more here.

Journalist Steve Madeley has laid into West Brom midfielder Alex Mowatt’s ineffective performance in his side’s 4-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Baggies humbled at Forest

Steve Bruce’s side made the trip to the City Ground on Monday evening, looking to pick up a rare positive result in an increasingly disappointing season.

The Baggies were thumped by their promotion-chasing opponents, however, trailing 3-0 at half-time, not helped by Darnell Furlong’s red card.

Forest added a fourth goal after the break, with the defeat leaving Bruce’s languishing 12th in the Championship table and effectively ending their playoff chances.

The Latest: Madeley critical of Mowatt

Mowatt had a bad evening, with Sofascore noting that his total of 23 touches was comfortably fewer than goalkeeper David Button managed (43), and Madeley took to Twitter to criticise his efforts:

“Molumby on for Mowatt, who has had a poor night.”

The Verdict: Can this season end?

After such confidence at the start of the season, when Valerien Ismael arriving as manager and automatic promotion expected by many, this has turned into a dismal campaign.

Mowatt perhaps sums it all up, also coming in with big expectations but not matching the hype, providing just six direct goal involvements and often frustrating fans.

For West Brom to be 12th in the league with the squad they have is simply not good enough and there must be question marks over Bruce’s future moving forward.

The right decisions need to be made in the summer, in terms of the manager and playing personnel, ensuring the Baggies produce a far stronger campaign next time around.

In other news, West Brom have been backed to sign a Premier League midfielder. Read more here.

Ange Postecoglou’s reign as Celtic manager has been a bizarre affair with the Hoops appearing to take one step back every time they attempt to move forward.

The Bhoys had won their last five matches in all competitions until they took on Livingston on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the word?

With Celtic stuttering in their bid to reclaim their dominance on Scottish football, it’s become apparent that Postecoglou could do with some new acquisitions in the January market.

The Australian claimed a few months ago that he would like to target the Japanese market again after the successful signing of Kyogo Furuhashi and recent reports suggest he’s set to do exactly that.

The Times claimed that Celtic were chasing Daizen Maeda of Yokohama Marinos, the team that Postecoglou managed before arriving in Glasgow.

Kieran Devlin of The Athletic has since revealed that links to the 24-year-old should be believed.

During a Q&A he said: “They are credible (links to Maeda), yes. Unless something dramatic happens that will need addressing.”

Imagine him & Jota

The idea of signing the Japan international should be music to the ears of Celtic supporters who will no doubt be delighted at the idea of signing such a rampant goal threat.

Postecoglou has had mixed success with his offensive acquisitions since penning terms in Scotland, bringing Kyogo and Jota to the club.

The former has scored ten times in just 16 outings while the latter has seriously caught the eye with eight goal involvements in 12 appearances for the Hoops.

However, deals for Liel Abada and Giorgos Giakoumakis have been less successful. The Greek striker has found the net just once and missed a terrible penalty against Livi on Saturday. As for Abada, his form has dwindled and he now has only one strike in his last seven Premiership games.

With that in mind, signing someone who could be an upgrade on those two players would be extremely handy.

Maeda is a winger by trade and thus, the idea of him and Jota running dominantly down each flank is one that should enthral and captivate supporters.

He has scored 18 goals in Japan this term which is a sizeable tally for someone who has only played through the middle on seven occasions.

A player with that kind of record should excite fans inside the groand judging by the way Kyogo has settled in at Parkhead, fans will be hoping for more of the same here.

AND in other news, Less touches than Hart: Celtic dud who made just 5 passes all game badly let Ange down…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left slamming the display of Connor Goldson in their 2-2 draw at home to Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

The central defender put John Lundstram into trouble with an early pass, which eventually led to Steven Gerrard’s team conceding the first goal at Ibrox, courtesy of Christian Ramirez.

It was certainly not his best night, as he lost out on four of his duels, failed to block any shots on his goal, and also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions in the match, the fifth-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Goldson’s contract at the Light Blues is up in the summer, and if he continues putting in performances like these, the the Teddy Bears may want to think twice about offering him a new one, potentially tempting the club to cash in this January.

Rangers fans on Goldson display

These Gers slammed his performance on Twitter, with one RFC supporter even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘nightmare’:

“The mindset of Goldson to even contemplate playing that pass to Lundstram never mind actually doing it is worrying.”

Credit: @ThreeLoyal

“Who is giving a lift to Connor Goldson? I am up for it could be doing with a couple of days away”

Credit: @scottgraham89

“Goldson has been a nightmare yet again tonight.”

Credit: @StegsoSteven

“Connor Goldson should be dropped immediately when Helander is available”

Credit: @joshsmith1872

“That should be Goldson and Tav’s last game in a Rangers shirt”

Credit: @5G_Rfc

“Goldson and Tav were very poor tonight”

Credit: @enakssor

In other news, find out whose first half display was slammed here!

An update has emerged on Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, regarding Manchester City’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Fichajes, Manchester City are lining up a swoop for Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips at the end of the season as a potential Fernandinho replacement.

The report claims that Pep Guardiola has asked the club to secure a deal for the England international, who is said to be valued at around £25.6m (€30m).

Fans would love it

Txiki Begiristain must work hard to reach an agreement with Leeds to sign Phillips next summer as he would be a solid addition to Guardiola’s midfield options. The Spanish head coach directly recommending the player also suggests that he has faith that Phillips would be able to come in and make the step up from Leeds, which should give supporters the belief that it would be a shrewd piece of business.

City fans would love it if this deal went through as Phillips has seemingly been identified by Guardiola and he could be an excellent addition to the squad. He has proven himself for Leeds in the Premier League and for England at the international level, recently winning BT England Player of the Year for his efforts for his country.

Former Liverpool player Danny Murphy hailed the 25-year-old as unbelievable and backed him to play in an advanced midfield position. He told TalkSport, via FanBanter:

“To play one season in the Premier League and then build up your international experience while you’re doing that… it’s hard enough adapting just to play in the Premier League.

“I was probably two years at Liverpool before I started even becoming used to and started playing regularly and actually thinking I’m worthy. He’s gone into the Premier League comfortable and confident, he’s just adjusted so easily.

“He’s just taken it all in his stride: unbelievable. Temperament, fitness, quality.

“And I actually think although Leeds play him in that holding role, I like him a bit further ahead with the insurance with someone behind him.”

This highlights the quality the £36m-rated beast has, as he has been able to adapt to playing regular international football for England alongside delivering excellent performances for Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa.

He played seven games at the European Championships and averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.82, making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Therefore, City fans would be delighted with his arrival. He has shown that he can compete in the Premier League and at a major international tournament, suggesting that he has the potential to make the step up to City.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Rodri: Man City can seal perfect midfield by signing Pep’s £80m target…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has delivered an injury update on Ibrox defender Borna Barisic after their 2-0 victory on Wednesday evening.

What’s the story?

The Gers came out with all three points from their clash against St Johnstone thanks to goals from Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, but the one big concern surrounded Barisic, who was forced off with just over ten minutes remaining.

However, speaking in his post-match press conference following the game, Van Bronckhorst was quick to play down any suggestions of a serious problem with the left-back.

He said: “He’s okay. He was just not feeling well. He’s not injured.”

Huge boost

Make no mistake about it, Van Bronckhorst’s update on Barisic is a welcome relief and huge boost to the Gers in the midst of a busy festive schedule.

The Ibrox side are back in action in a couple of days when they take on Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, before hosting St Mirren at home on Boxing day.

After being out with injury for three games in late October and early November, Barisic has come back into the side and started the previous five matches for the Gers, helping them keep an impressive four clean sheets in that time.

Former Rangers full-back Steven Smith has previously waxed lyrical about the Croatian, saying: “When you have got him on one side and the numbers that Tavernier is producing on the other side, I think when people tell you the numbers it is scary. You are talking about forward players and strikers not even reaching those numbers so the two of them have been outstanding.”

While Barisic has yet to net at all this season, there’s no questioning that when on song, he’s one of the most effective full-backs in the league, and Van Bronckhorst’s update on him should have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, this Rangers star was outstanding vs St Johnstone…

New Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will be looking to kick off his tenure at the club with an opening day victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Former England boss Roy Hodgson departed the south London outfit following four relatively successful years with the Eagles, and Vieira has wasted no time in making his mark on the playing squad.

Several ageing campaigners have left Selhurst Park on free transfers, while multiple young and exciting acquisitions have taken their place.

It’s an exciting new era for the capital club, but one full of unknowns as they head into what could be a tricky transitional period.

Vieira will be unable to call upon long-term absentees Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson for the short trip from south to west London, and the Frenchman confirmed that Luka Milivojevic and Michael Olise will join the pair on the sidelines.

“Luka is not going to be with us against Chelsea. He’s been missing the last couple of days of training for personal reasons,” Vieira revealed in Friday’s press conference.

When asked about the fitness of summer signing Olise, the former Nice manager replied: “Michael is feeling better. In the next two weeks he will be starting to do some work on the field.”

However, one new arrival in line for his debut is centre-back Joachim Anderson, with Vieira confirming that the Denmark international will be part of the matchday squad.

“We’re going to do our last training this afternoon. He will be part of the squad, yes,” he concluded.

With that in mind, here’s how Football Fan Cast thinks Vieira will line up his side for the tricky trip to Stamford Bridge…

The ever-dependable Vicente Guaita will resume his residency between the sticks for Palace this afternoon, keeping former England international Jack Butland on the bench.

Ahead of the Spaniard, both Marc Guehi and Andersen are set to make their debuts following their arrivals from Chelsea and Lyon respectively. They’ll be flanked by 21-year-old academy graduate Tyrik Mitchell and the experienced Joel Ward at full-back.

In midfield, Jairo Riedewald will provide the base to Palace’s engine room in Milivojevic’s absence, while loanee Conor Gallagher is ineligible to feature against his parent club. That means Jeffrey Schlupp and Cheikhou Kouyate should feature from the off.

Talisman Wilfried Zaha remains at his boyhood club despite openly expressing his desire to seek pastures new and should be partnered by Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew in the front three.

That lineup will see Vieira make four changes from the last starting XI Hodgson selected against Liverpool on the closing day of 2020/21, highlighting the new chapter beginning in south London.

In other news… Imagine him and Gallagher: Parish must sanction Palace swoop for £10m monster