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Glasgow Rangers are close to completing the signing of Nicolas Raskin, according to reports on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ pursuit of Raskin

The Ibrox giants have been linked with a move for the 21-year-old since last summer, with the Premiership club said to be locked in talks with Standard Liege at the end of August. However, no agreement was reached, as the Light Blues wanted the Belgian club to lower their expectations about the size of the bid.

In recent days, it has emerged that Rangers are ‘serious’ about signing the midfielder ‘in the next few days’, and the deal is now believed to be edging towards completion.

The Latest: Deal close…

According to a report from Glasgow Live, Rangers boss Michael Beale is close to bringing in the 21-year-old, who could be available on a cut-price deal, given that his contract expires at the end of the season.

The Light Blues’ manager has been keen to bolster his midfield options this month, with the report also claiming that Todd Cantwell is set to be unveiled as a Rangers player next week after a deal was agreed with Norwich.

The Verdict: Make it happen

Journalist Bob Faesen has hailed Raskin as ‘technically gifted’, while he also praised the 21-year-old’s versatility, stating that he is able to ‘play in every position in the middle of the park’.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Belgian has not featured further forward than central midfield, playing in a more defensive role on five occasions. He has still managed to display his playmaking talents, though, weighing in with four assists in the Jupiler Pro League.

With Steven Davis on the treatment table for the remainder of the season, Rangers could do with another option in the midfield engine room. Raskin would be a viable long-term replacement for the Northern Ireland veteran, capable of offering attacking contributions but also able to chip in defensively when necessary.

He has notably averaged 3.3 tackles per game this season, which far outstrips the averages of every Rangers player in that regard, so Beale needs to try and make this deal happen before the transfer window closes in nine days’ time.

Arsenal are one of several teams keeping tabs on Youssoufa Moukoko’s situation at Borussia Dortmund…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who claim that the Bundesliga outfit are struggling to tie the 18-year-old down to a new contract, meaning he is increasingly likely to leave in the summer.

It’s thought that the teenage forward is after a deal worth €200k-per-week (£176k) but Dortmund have offered around half of that in what would be similar terms to summer signing Karem Adeyemi.

Moukoko’s agents are also after a release clause – just as the club did with Erling Haaland – but the two parties aren’t close on reaching a number.

As such, Chelsea and Newcastle United have held talks with his representatives, whilst the Gunners and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, along with Liverpool and Manchester United, are all keeping a close eye on the situation, as per the report.

A big Nketiah upgrade

Whether this situation could open up a move before the January 31st deadline remains to be seen but in Moukoko, Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar could find a serious upgrade to Eddie Nketiah.

The Hale End graduate has been in fine form in 2023, scoring four goals in four starts since manager Mikel Arteta lost his key man Gabriel Jesus to a long-term injury but that shouldn’t stop the club from adding further quality to the frontline.

The 23-year-old has bagged 30 goals across 115 appearances for his boyhood club, which isn’t really a talismanic record, though to his credit, he has rarely started.

However, still in his teens, Moukoko has already been capped by Germany at senior level and has found the net 11 times in 59 outings. Similar to Nketiah, the 18-year-old has been an absolute goal-machine at youth level, having produced 127 goals and 26 assists in just 84 appearances in all competitions for BVB at youth level.

Compared to Samuel Eto’o by Bundesliga.com, the German sensation has also been lauded by the aforementioned Haaland, once a teammate of his.

“Moukoko’s much better than I was at his age,” he said. “I’ve never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life. The advantage for him is that he’s already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne.”

Also dubbed a “massive talent” by journalist Richard Cusack, Moukoko has actually been likened to Arsenal’s current frontman in terms of statistical profile by FBref, as well as ex-Gunners star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Dortmund wonderkid also ranks inside the top 6% for non-penalty expected goals and the top 7% for assists per 90, when compared to fellow strikers across Europe’s leading five divisions, which is pretty good going for an 18-year-old. Nketiah, meanwhile, sits back in the top 17% and 79% for the same statistics.

As such, Edu could well find Arteta a real star of the future in Moukoko, seeing as he appears to be a far greater talent than his in-form bagsman, so whether it’s now or in the summer, Arsenal should look to sign him at all costs.

AND in other news, Arsenal can bag bargain Mudryk alternative in £10m “phenomenon” who’s “a Messi clone”…

Newcastle United have reportedly submitted a ‘very big offer’ for Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy ahead of a possible January move.

The Lowdown: Newcastle looking at January signings

The Magpies may be excelling at the moment but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be putting their new-found financial power to good use and trying to upgrade the squad even further.

Eddie Howe will be aware that he needs to keep improving his squad if they are to finish in the top four, with a few sprinklings of quality potentially making all the difference.

While Newcastle have been linked with numerous attacking additions, a rumour regarding a defender has also emerged.

The Latest: Offer submitted for Mendy

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Newcastle have actually ‘already submitted a very big offer‘ to Real Madrid for the services of left-back Mendy.

The Magpies are ‘very interested’ in acquiring the Frenchman’s signature, having tracked his progress ‘for a little while’.

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The Verdict: Immediate left-back upgrade

Mendy could be a fantastic signing by Newcastle in January, coming in as a clear upgrade on Dan Burn, even though he is doing a brilliant job in an unconventional role.

The 27-year-old has made 12 starts in La Liga for Madrid this season, and won the Champions League last term, and he would provide more natural attacking quality than Burn, currently creating one chance per game for Real.

It is signings like these that could help Newcastle reach that next level and snapping up someone who has played regularly for one of Europe’s biggest clubs would feel like a major coup, if Madrid are willing to sell.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke has described the possibility of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha leaving Selhurst Park for nothing as a ‘huge blow’.

The Lowdown: New terms snubbed

The 30-year-old is over seven years into his second stint with Palace and has taken his appearance tally to 443, scoring 89 goals and registering 73 assists in total.

Zaha’s contract is up in the summer, though, and recent reports have suggested that the Ivorian has ‘rejected multiple offers’ to extend his stay at Palace, with Tottenham ‘keen’ on his services.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to The Transfer Tavern regarding Zaha, O’Rourke labelled the forward as Palace’s ‘talisman’ and said that a free transfer departure in the summer ‘would be a huge blow’ for the Eagles.

“He’s been their talisman for quite a few years now. Maybe he feels he wants a new challenge. If he does leave on a free transfer in the summer, it would be a huge blow and big boots to fill for Crystal Palace.”

The Verdict: Cash in?

January could well be the final chance Palace have to receive any money for Zaha, so Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman may look into a potential sale in the New Year.

Zaha is currently valued at €32m (£27.8m) by Transfermarkt, so you’d expect that the Eagles may still receive an eight-figure fee over the coming weeks.

Patrick Vieira would need a new marquee attacker to come in for Zaha in the winter window should he depart, so the club could be in for a busy start to 2023.

While West Bromwich Albion are currently benefitting from the tactical tweaks of new manager Carlos Corberan, the Midlands outfit have struggled somewhat this season up front, with Steve Bruce arguably losing his job because of this lack of proficiency.

Both Karlan Grant and Brandon Thomas-Asante have only mustered three Championship goals each this season, and his January signing Daryl Dike has only managed to feature four times over the last year due to his various injuries.

That could perhaps have left fans of the Midlands outfit dreaming of their best strikers of old, who could have helped fire them to a place in the table higher than their current 21st position.

Of the last decade, it can only be Romelu Lukaku who first springs to mind, given how electric he was during his stint.

Signed by Steve Clarke on loan, the Belgian marksman would notch 17 Premier League goals and assist a further seven as he helped the Baggies earn a top-half finish.

To finish 17th the season following would only serve to exacerbate his importance at the Hawthorns.

He would go on to join Everton and later Manchester United, where he scored a further 129, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s best strikers in recent history and an “animal” in the eyes of former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Whilst his exploits have arguably been missed ever since he left the Midlands, his recent performance in the World Cup will have fans feeling slightly less jealous of his absence.

Having entered the tournament clearly unfit, he was brought on for his side in their crunch group game against Croatia.

With the score level at 0-0, he was handed the second half to hopefully fire an uninspired Red Devils into the round of 16.

However, what occurred was frankly unprecedented.

Lukaku would miss an astounding four big chances, earning an expected goals of 1.73 without scoring once, via Sofascore.

Not only this, but he was also wasteful in the creation of opportunities, recording just a 63% pass accuracy among his miserable 15 touches.

His misses saw the scoreline remain unchanged, resulting in Belgium’s embarrassing exit from the World Cup.

Alan Shearer was quick to jump to his defence whilst live on the BBC, but did admit: “He was nowhere near ready”. He continued: “He’s only played 31 minutes since August, Gary, so he’s clearly no way near fit and that showed. It can’t all be put down to him, that elimination.”

Despite this, West Brom fans would have been watching and thinking with that kind of finishing, even they wouldn’t take him back.

Manchester United officials have watched Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong on multiple occasions, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Frimpong linked with Man United

Hailed as a ‘special player’ by his manager Xabi Alonso, Frimpong has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks. The 21-year-old can also play further forward or as a left-back, with reports suggesting that the Red Devils could make a winter move.

Chelsea are also looking at a potential move for the Netherlands international, who will be representing his country at the World Cup.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano said that United could do with a new right-back and that they are ‘following’ Frimpong.

The transfer expert added that Red Devils scouts have watched the player on multiple occasions but said that a transfer could be complicated due to Leverkusen’s current stance.

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Romano stated: “They need probably a new right-back. As an opportunity on the market, Jeremie Frimpong is one of the players they are following.

“They have sent their scouts multiple times to follow him, but Bayer Leverkusen will try to keep the player until the end of the season, so it’s not going to be an easy one.”

The Verdict: Wan-Bissaka replacement?

It seems as if Aaron Wan-Bissaka isn’t fancied by Erik ten Hag, with the full-back playing just four minutes of action during the current campaign.

He has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace, and should an exit materialise, United may need to add to their right-back ranks in order to have alternatives to Diogo Dalot.

Frimpong has gone from strength to strength since leaving Celtic for Leverkusen and now holds a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of €25m (£21.9m), so he could be the ideal addition at Old Trafford due to his versatility and scope to improve even further over the coming years.

This season is shaping up to be another dismal one for Leeds United with Jesse Marsch becoming sick of the sight of losing.

After beating Chelsea back in August, this season was supposed to be different for the Yorkshire club but it has not worked out that way.

Patrick Bamford has had his injury problems again and it looks as though the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in the same window has done them few favours.

They were eight matches without a win before facing Liverpool on Saturday night but Marsch’s men responded to their critics emphatically by beating the Reds on their own patch.

That simply doesn’t happen to Jurgen Klopp’s team but Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville were both on form to take three points back to Elland road.

For the Dutchman, it was undoubtedly the best moment of his career to date and he will now be hoping to emulate the aforementioned Raphinha.

His arrival on the scene has been timely and is rather coincidental with recent claims suggesting Leeds’ chase of Summerville’s compatriot, Cody Gakpo, is essentially dead in the water with the Dutch menace now one of the most feared players on the continent.

Indeed, the PSV star has had a staggering season so far that has seen him register a jaw-dropping 13 goals and 16 assists in 22 outings.

Form like that will likely take him to the world’s elite but Victor Orta could rescue Marsch’s side by identifying a suitable alternative.

One suggestion of late has been that of Noah Okafor with recent reports claiming Leeds are one of the teams taking an interest in the RB Salzburg forward.

The 22-year-old is a dynamic talent and would be a superb addition to the Leeds ranks, particularly if he can follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland, a man who like Okafor has torn the Austrian Bundesliga to shreds.

There is plenty in common between the two, much more than just the Austrian club, with Marsch having managed them both in his coaching career.

The current Salzburg livewire has made a real name for himself and it’s in 2022/23 that he’s begun to become more of a household name.

He has found the net on nine occasions this season with 1/3 of those strikes coming in the Champions League.

Those three goals have ensured that only Haaland has scored more in Europe’s elite competition for the Red Bull club.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian powerhouse is the only other player at an Austrian club, besides Okafor to score on each of the first three matchdays of a Champions League campaign.

Clearly blessed with immense talent, both players were scouted by the great Christoph Freund, a layer that adds further substance to the comparison at hand.

In the words of talent scout, Jacek Kulig, the young forward is “simply phenomenal” and as a consequence, it might not be long before he’s settling down in Leeds.

Such an eventuality, however, will likely fall by the wayside unless Orta can lure him away from other prying eyes.

Interest in Okafor is high and with a World Cup around the corner he looks set to take Qatar by storm. The Switzerland international is already in “crazy form” in the words of Kulig and with two goals in eight caps, he’s hit the ground running positively for his nation.

Many already know his name but he could truly announce himself on the world stage over the winter as he looks to put himself in the shop window ahead of January by enjoying a ‘crazy’ tournament.

Leeds, however, will hope that he doesn’t impress too much and their pursuit, as it did with Gakpo, doesn’t become impossible.

The attacker is one of the finest young talents in the game but Leeds could be a happy stepping stone for the Swiss. After all, Marsch has shown recently that he’s willing to trust in youth – just ask Summerville.

Okafor should also be comforted by the fact that he already has a relationship with the American manager. He was his coach at Salzburg when he arrived and under the 48-year-old’s tutelage, the bustling attacker scored ten times in 44 outings.

There is so much to like about the 6 foot 1 striker and Haaland is already a shining example that investing in those plying their trade in Austria is a wise idea. Over to you, Orta.

West Ham United are eyeing a swoop for Partick Thistle starlet Aiden McGinlay, according to The Daily Record (via Claret & Hugh).

The Lowdown: Hammers’ academy

The Irons are on the lookout for fresh talent to add to their dwindling youth academy after a number of their most promising players left this summer in search of opportunities elsewhere.

The most prominent recent departure was Sonny Perkins, who rejected signing a professional deal with the east London club, opting to join Leeds United instead.

The 18-year-old netted ten goals in 20 Premier League 2 games last season, for which he was rewarded with three senior appearances across the Premier League and Europa League.

The Latest: Interest in McGinlay

According to a report by The Daily Record, as relayed by Claret & Hugh, West Ham are interested in signing Partick Thistle youngster McGinlay.

It is claimed the Hammers have been impressed by the midfielder after witnessing a number of strong performances for Partick’s youth sides, which included the Scotsman scoring twice against Livingston for their U16s.

The Irons are planning a follow-up scouting mission of the Scottish wonderkid, which will allow them to come to a finalised decision.

Partick have established themselves as one of the top academies in Scotland as of recent times, with the likes of 16-year-old Cammy Cooper having been pinched by Premiership giants Rangers.

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The Verdict: West Ham’s youth talent

Whilst West Ham’s obvious candidate as the most recognisable graduate from the Academy of Football is current captain Declan Rice, Ben Johnson was the only other youth product on the bench for the Hammers against Fulham on Sunday.

Therefore, having invested huge amounts of money in the transfer market this summer, the Irons will now be looking to develop their youth academy as a means of bringing through some of football’s biggest stars – without having to spend massive money on inflated transfer fees.

The likes of Liverpool have developed an approach of luring some of football’s best young talents to their club before they sign a professional deal with their boyhood team, and if West Ham are able to replicate a similar approach, we may see many more academy products playing for the first team.

Celtic are believed to already be turning their attention towards the January market, despite manager Ange Postecoglou having only just secured nine major deals in what was an extensive summer of recruitment.

Recent reports have suggested that the Parkhead outfit have identified highly-rated 18-year-old, Oscar Gloukh as a potential target in the winter window, with the Scottish champions anticipating potential departures should their key men impress at the upcoming World Cup.

The likes of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley could be in action for Japan and Denmark, respectively in Qatar – albeit with the latter man yet to earn a senior call-up – with a string of strong performances likely to only further catch the attention of potential suitors.

Turning to the Maccabi Tel Aviv starlet could well see Postecoglou and co land yet another relatively unknown gem, with the versatile midfielder likely to cost in the region of £8m – albeit with his current deal set to expire in 2024.

Although his current side will likely be reticent to part ways with such an exciting talent, Maccabi owner Mitchell Goldhar has hinted at a potential exit in the near future, only recently stating: “Gloukh is one of the best players who grew up here in our academy. He has abilities that remind us of the greatest of them all. He will continue with us a little longer. Maybe in January or at most in the summer he will progress.”

Landing the teenager would also come with the added bonus of frustrating the Hoops’ Old Firm foes Rangers, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side having been heavily linked with a move for the emerging prospect throughout the summer.

The Israel U21 international has warranted such interest as a result of his sparkling form in his homeland of late, despite having only made his senior debut back in March, scoring six goals and laying on four assists in just 19 games since then.

The eye-catching “wonderkid” – as dubbed by Gers podcaster Andy Barnett – has been in particularly impressive form in the early weeks of the current campaign, having scored three goals and laid on four assists in just five league games.

Should Gloukh be snapped up by the Glasgow side in the near future, the hope will be that he can emulate the impact of compatriot Liel Abada at Celtic Park, with the latter man having sparkled since his £3.5m arrival from Maccabi Petah Tikva last year.

The 20-year-old has scored 21 goals and laid on 12 assists in just 61 games across all fronts for the Scottish Premiership side to date, having enjoyed a particularly profitable debut campaign last time out in which he provided 26 goal contributions.

That strong attacking output has continued in the current campaign as the £6.75m-rated ace has scored six goals in just seven league games thus far, including a hat-trick in the 9-0 thrashing of Dundee United last month.

While the forward had arrived in Scotland with more experience than his fellow countryman will have – making 76 appearances for his former club – he has shown that it can be a smooth transition to life at Parkhead from Israel.

There will no doubt be hefty interest in Gloukh’s signature, yet the indication is that he could well mirror Abada in becoming a future Hoops star.

Crystal Palace warded off summer interest in Wilfried Zaha with a price tag well above £25m, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

The Eagles only actually sold one player in the summer transfer window, allowing Christian Benteke to join MLS outfit DC United for almost £5m – every other departure was a free transfer or a loan exit (Transfermarkt).

However, there were suitors for Zaha too, with Tottenham Hotspur looking into a move in the final days of the transfer window (via The Athletic).

Significantly, the Ivorian is into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, so as it stands, he’ll be walking away on a free transfer next summer.

The latest

Jones had previously told GiveMeSport that Palace valued Zaha in the £25m-£30m bracket, but has now claimed that they demanded ‘a lot more’ for the winger.

He revealed to the outlet: “I was told that actually, teams were put off by the prices quoted to them, and even with the contract situation at the moment, they wanted a lot more than that. So, we’ll have to wait and see if anything happens at Crystal Palace.”

The verdict

Have Palace made the right call here?

The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam expects the club to make further attempts to persuade Zaha to sign a new deal, but isn’t sure if they’ll be successful. That’s because, at the age of 29, the forward may believe that this is his ‘greatest opportunity’ to play European football.

If he does leave for nothing, there may be those who criticise Palace for foregoing a potential £25m windfall, but equally, key decision-makers at Selhurst Park may believe that one more season of having the 29-year-old in south London is even more valuable.

Indeed, Zaha has begun the new campaign in electric form with four goals in his first five matches, including one at Anfield against Liverpool and a double in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa.