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Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie has been tipped to break into the first team at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Goalkeepers at Ibrox

Under both Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale this season Rangers have decided to rotate their goalkeeper between Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin, with the former’s contract at the club set to expire in the summer.

McGregor has appeared 23 times with McLaughlin featuring 16 times whilst third-choice goalkeeper McCrorie has yet to play despite 14 substitute appearances.

With the uncertainty surrounding the key number one jersey, the SPFL giants are expected to enter the market for potentially a new number one.

The Latest: Clifford’s comments

Speaking on The Rangers Review, journalist Stevie Clifford suggested that McCrorie could be in line to make his first start of the season against Partick Thistle in the Scottish FA Cup on the weekend but said a chance should come his way at the end of the campaign, saying:

“I think that Robby McCrorie will get the games after the split. I think that’s a perfect way – you’ve got an Old Firm in there, which will definitely happen, so you’ve got an Old Firm, you’ve also got potentially Aberdeen, the likes of Hibs, maybe Livi, so these are all big games.

“If Robby McCrorie comes in and does well in these five games, I think you might see him go from potentially third to second-choice.”

The Verdict: Get his chance?

With Rangers currently nine points behind runaway league leaders Celtic and destined to finish second with a 19-point gap to third placed Hearts currently, the end of the season when the league title is potentially out of sight seems a good chance for McCrorie.

Amid the rotation in between the sticks and Jonny McFarlane previously claiming Rangers should sign a new goalkeeper following McLaughlin’s errors in the SPFL win against Ross County last Saturday, it can only be a matter of time before McCrorie gets his chance.

He’s been with Rangers since the youth ranks and boasts SPFL experience through a loan spell at Livingston but has just two Gers appearances to his name to date, as Clifford said, even if he proves he’s capable of being number two next season, it could relieve Beale of a headache of potentially overhauling the keeping department.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford failed to be at his best as he suffered another frustrating night in the Whites midweek 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.

The Lowdown: Derby draw

Just days after Jesse Marsch was sacked from the Elland Road hotseat, his former side earned a draw against opponents who headed into the clash on the back of 13 straight home wins (BBC).

Italian star Wilfried Gnonto opened the scoring for the Whites inside 60 seconds to stun Manchester United, before Raphael Varane deflected Crysencio Summerville’s cross into his own net just after the restart.

The Red Devils battled back through goals from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho goals to salvage a draw, which was the very least managerless Leeds deserved in the hotly contested Premier League encounter.

The Latest: Cross’ ratings

LeedsLive’s Beren Cross delivered his player ratings after the game, which included a man-of-the-match 9/10 for Max Wober together with 8/10 ratings for fellow defenders Luke Ayling and Robin Koch alongside goalscorer Gnonto.

However, considering the result and the Whites’ performance, it was his lowly rating for Bamford that caught the eye, with the Englishman receiving the lowest rating of all the starters at 6/10.

He wrote: “Put himself about, but still not the game for him to shine. Ball did not stick to him and he had a hard time battling with the centre-backs.”

The Verdict: Still not at it

Taking back his role as the focal point for Leeds following the injury to Rodrigo, which sees the Spaniard out for two months (via Leeds United), Bamford was once again a shadow of his former self.

Despite picking up the assist for Gnonto’s opener in the opening minute – albeit a simple lay-off before the 19-year-old flashed home at David de Gea’s near post from 20 yards – that was as good of an involvement that the 29-year-old achieved all game.

Leeds’ No 9 failed to register a single shot in his 63 minutes on the field (via Sofascore) before he was replaced by the fresh legs of Georginio Rutter.

He lost possession a woeful 14 times from just 30 touches, leaving a pass accuracy of just 53% from a measly 10 completed passes – attempting fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier in both departments.

It was far from vintage from Bamford, but with Rutter’s involvement proving even less fruitful with just one accurate pass in 27 minutes, the Englishman may well keep his place.

Aston Villa are seemingly plotting to strengthen their attacking ranks before the end of the window, with manager Unai Emery having sanctioned the £15m exit of Danny Ings to West Ham United last week.

With the Englishman no longer at Villa Park, the goalscoring burden has been placed firmly on the shoulders of compatriot Ollie Watkins, albeit with the 27-year-old boasting a rather meagre return of just four goals in 19 Premier League games so far this season.

Although the former Brentford man has hit double figures in each of the last two top-flight seasons, the jury is out on whether he can truly deliver on a consistent basis for the Midlands outfit, having missed nine big chances so far this term – the joint-sixth most in the division.

This follows reports from during the summer window that claimed the England international was set to be moved on by former boss Steven Gerrard, having arguably not truly won over Villa supporters since his £28m arrival back in 2020.

As such, Emery could well find an upgrade on the £75k-per-week man in the form of Lille sensation, Jonathan David, with the Canadian international having been tipped for a move to the club during the previous window.

Transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now suggested that the 23-year-old could emerge as a possible target for the Villans before the window closes, with the club also said to be holding an interest in Lyon marksman, Moussa Dembele.

The respected source stated: “Jonathan David is another option but probably quite a more expensive one. He’s going to cost quite a lot of money, whereas Moussa Dembele won’t because of his contract situation and that’s what I imagine Villa will try and tap into now.”

As stated above, the signing of the Brooklyn-born “phenom” – as lauded by journalist Tony Marinaro – could prove rather costly with a fee of around €50m (£44m) having been mooted of late, although the youngster has seemingly warranted that price tag due to his explosive form in recent times.

Unlike the rather goal-shy Watkins, the former Genk ace has enjoyed a real hot streak in front of goal this season, with 12 goals in only 19 Ligue 1 games thus far, after previously netting 15 league goals in 38 games last season.

That ensures that he now has 45 goals in just 117 games in all competitions for the French outfit, after previously proving “clinical” during his time in Belgium, as per talent scout Jacek Kulig, with 37 goals in just 83 games for the Pro League side.

The 38-cap speedster also offers the ability to provide for his teammates having created five big chances so far this season and averaged 1.4 key passes per game in the league, while Watkins has only created one big chance and averages just 0.8 key passes per game.

That should indicate that it could well be David who is the ideal fit to lead Emery’s attack over the coming years, rather than persisting with the one-time Exeter City man.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to hold conversations over a potential move to bring the centre-back Piero Hincapie to north London in the summer.

What’s the latest?

Spurs are reportedly looking to bring in two new signings this month with a right wing-back and a forward believed to be their two areas for improvement.

However, there is a belief that the Lilywhites will look to bring in two new centre-backs in the summer having only brought in Clement Lenglet last summer.

One of the names believed to be on Fabio Paratici’s radar for the summer is the Bayer Leverkusen defender, Hincapie, who represented Ecuador in the Qatar World Cup.

And speaking on his latest Here We Go podcast, it seems as if Fabrizio Romano believes the north London club are looking to make a headstart on this summer’s deals:

“Also wanted to add on Tottenham that they will have some talks also for Piero Hincapie. The centre-back of Bayer Leverkusen, Ecuadorian player, very good player also appreciated by Italian clubs.

“But Tottenham will have some conversation now with the idea of signing him in the summer. So Hincapie is also on Tottenham’s list.”

Getting ahead of the competition

Although Spurs are believed to have an interest in the 21-year-old, it is apparent they are not the only ones with the Serie A leaders, Napoli, also credited with an interest in Hincapie.

The centre-back represented Ecuador during the recent World Cup and played every second of their three games in the group stages (via Transfermarkt).

However, he was at fault in their final game against Senegal which saw the Leverkusen defender gave away a penalty which allowed the African side to take the lead.

But it is apparent there is a lot of big expectations surrounding the young defender who has been dubbed as a “defensive sensation” by the journalist Ryan Taylor.

Hincapie has played a big role in Leverkusen’s season so far with 18 appearances to his name across both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

However, the three games he has missed may bring up a real concern about the 21-year-old’s lack of experience and discipline in the top leagues.

Despite being around halfway through the campaign, Hincapie has already served two suspensions in the Bundesliga and one in the Champions League.

However, potentially pairing him alongside the often-ill-disciplined Cristian Romero could be a recipe for disaster in the Spurs backline.

Romero has been able to rein in on the yellow cards he has picked up this season in comparison to last and it is apparent if Hincapie is to make the move to London he will have to follow suit.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is looking to stamp his authority on his squad after making a promising start to his tenure in the Midlands, and could move for an industrious midfielder this January…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, the Villans are considering a swoop for Juventus star Weston McKennie this month, amid reports of the player’s availability and the Old Lady’s financial difficulties. 

Meanwhile, InterLive.it claims that Emery is serious about completing the transfer, and will push to lodge a formal bid in the coming weeks.  

Should the pieces fall into place, it will take an offer of at least £22m, as quoted within the aforementioned report, to prise him away from Turin clutches but with Emery aspiring to craft a squad capable of challenging for a European spot and challenging for cup triumph, McKennie might well be enticed by the prospect.  

Bye-bye Dendoncker?

When Steven Gerrard was relieved of his duties as head coach earlier this season after just 11 months in charge, the Villa were gravely concerned about the threat of relegation despite a summer transfer window that saw the club part with roughly £62m. 

Since the distinguished Emery has taken the wheel, fortunes have swiftly changed and three wins have been taken from just five Premier League matches with the Spaniard in the dugout, preceded by a 4-0 drubbing over Brentford in the period preceding the new managerial arrival. 

These three victories account for half of the total three-point grabs the outfit have taken this term, and the winter transfer market now creates the opportunity to cement the newfound promising position.

By signing McKennie, once lauded as “extraordinary” by the German Bundesliga official website, a new sheen of control would be coated over Villa Park like glimmering lacquer. 

The 41-cap USMNT international is tenacious, composed and energetic; he has made 17 appearances for his club this season, scoring three goals – including two in the Champions League – and one assist from his central deployment.

And as per FBref, he ranks within the top 10% of midfielders for non-penalty goals this season, and the top 8% for progressive passes received and touches within the offensive box.

His direct offensive approach, combined with his industrious abilities as a box-to-box midfielder, would indeed give Emery an additional tool to wield, providing solid defensive cover and an attacking threat from behind the frontline.

He could be a stellar addition to the side, an upgrade on the likes of Leander Dendoncker, whose form has yo-yoed since his £13m arrival from Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer.

Dendoncker has recorded an average rating of 6.74 in the Premier League this season, starting on just five occasions; McKennie offers a more impressive 6.82, starting on ten occasions in a resurgent Juve team that currently perches in third place with six successive victories.

Once hailed as a “monster in the air” by CBS Sports reporter Wes Rucker, the 24-year-old machine would bolster the Villa Park centre and provide an all-encompassing presence to lift the club to new heights under the tutelage of the ambitious Emery.

Manchester United are believed to be plotting a move to sign Atletico Madrid sensation, Joao Felix, in the January transfer window, as the search for a new attacking recruit continues.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, the Red Devils are seemingly interested in signing the Portugal international next month, albeit with the 23-year-old’s reported €100m (£86m) asking price potentially set to prove ‘problematic’.

That being said, however, the report goes on to add that the Old Trafford outfit are considering making an offer of an initial loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.

This follows a previous report from Football Transfers’ Jacque Talbot who suggested that the former Benfica man’s “preference” is to join Erik ten Hag’s side, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also suggesting that the 28-cap gem is “available” in 2023, amid his current struggles in the Spanish capital.

Imagine him and Rashford

The fleet-footed “sensation” – as previously described by journalist Sacha Pisani – has endured a frustrating start to the campaign under Diego Simeone, having been restricted to just five La Liga starts thus far.

Even so, the £240k-per-week genius has still managed to rack up six goal involvements in the top flight so far this term, having provided 51 goals and assists in 129 games in total since his £113m switch from Lisbon.

While the 5 foot 11 gem has perhaps been unable to quite live up to that price tag – after previously scoring 20 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 games at his former club – his quality has only recently been illustrated on the World Cup stage, having sparkled for Fernando Santos’ side in Qatar.

Despite the eventual disappointment of crashing out to surprise package Morocco at the quarter-final stage, Felix had been a key figure for his country prior to that, notably producing a dazzling display in the 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland after laying on two assists from his left-wing berth.

Such a quality asset would no doubt help to bolster Ten Hag’s forward options, with the Viseu-born superstar potentially able to form a truly mouthwatering partnership with Marcus Rashford in the side, with the pair able to interchange off the left and through the middle.

The England ace – who netted three times for the Three Lions in Qatar – has looked a man reborn this season under the former Ajax boss, with the 25-year-old currently the club’s top scorer with eight goals in all competitions to date.

While still not prolific, the academy graduate has notably popped up with vital goals against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool having posed a truly menacing threat in behind with his sheer pace and finishing prowess.

That knack only recently saw him lauded by his manager, with the Dutchman stating: “From the first moment, I recognised huge potential. And now to get out the potential, I believe when Marcus’s positioning is on the back of the defending line, there is almost no better player in the world.

“There is Mbappe in this moment, a type like him. But when he (Rashford)’s getting in that position, he’s great and you see he’s really improved also out of possession.”

To have both Rashford and Felix – who scored against United when the two sides met in the Champions League last season – wreaking havoc in attack in that left channel would surely strengthen the club’s bid to secure a top-four berth, with the hope being that Ten Hag and co can wrap up what would be a real coup in the New Year.

A big claim has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and the Ibrox giants’ plans for the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that new Light Blues head coach Michael Beale will be given the opportunity to bring in players at the start of 2023 to build his squad after arriving to replace Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The reporter has stated that the boss has been sold a long-term project by the club and that starts with the Englishman’s first window at the beginning of next year.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Part of it is that Rangers have spelt out a promising future plan for him. He knows he’s going to be able to shape the first team and he will be able to have a big say on how the club is run too.

“I think they really see him as a big figurehead here and that is something that’s really exciting. The promise of funds in January comes as part of the package.”

Excitement for Beale

This update should leave the latest Gers manager excited as it indicates that he will have the money to make potential improvements to his side.

The Light Blues are currently nine points behind their bitter rivals in the Premiership table after 15 matches, and they finished bottom of their Champions League group, crashing out of Europe entirely, under Van Bronckhorst’s reign.

Rangers’ poor form domestically and in European competition suggests that Beale has inherited a team that is low on confidence and not performing at maximum capacity.

Therefore, bringing in a few fresh faces in January could be a welcome boost to the squad as signing new players, if they are of the requisite quality, would improve the competition within the squad – forcing current first-team stars to up their game or risk being dropped.

Van Bronckhorst brought in John Souttar, Tom Lawrence, Ridvan Yilmaz, Malik Tillman, Ben Davies, Antonio Colak and Rabbi Matondo in the summer transfer window but the club’s form in the Premiership indicates that they are yet to have the desired impact as a collective.

Beale may, therefore, want to bring in his own players to turn the season around and begin to close the gap between Rangers and Celtic in the Premiership table.

This is why he should be excited by Jones’ claim that Ross Wilson has promised funds for the January window, as it means that the 42-year-old coach will be able to identify his own targets to come in and make an impact during the second half of the season and beyond.

A report has shared that Everton do not plan to spend big in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Relegation-threatened again

When the Goodison Park outfit survived by the skin of their teeth last season, finishing just four points and two places above the relegation zone, the Toffees supporters would have hoped and expected that they would kick on this term.

Instead, they find themselves relegation-threatened again, sitting in 17th spot and just one point above the drop, and to give them the best possible chance of surviving again, they may need to think about investing in January.

The Latest: No ‘big’ expenditure

As per Football Insider, the Merseyside club are not planning to spend ‘big’ in January despite their position in the league table.

Owner Farhad Moshiri is not willing to underwrite another expensive winter window overhaul, after spending nearly £70m in the summer on the likes of Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil and Neal Maupay.

The Blues hierarchy believe that Frank Lampard was ‘well-backed’ in the summer, which suggests that spending will be at a minimum in January.

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The Verdict: Worrying

The fact that Everton do not intend to spend big in January will come as very worrying news to Toffees supporters.

Their league position suggests that they need more reinforcements to strengthen the quality of the squad, while recent injuries picked up by Tom Davies, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Yerry Mina suggest that they may struggle with depth as well going into the second part of the season.

Nonetheless, Moshiri may need to rethink his original plan, and dig deep into his pockets once again in order to help get the Blues out of trouble.

Leeds United and Victor Orta have enjoyed a great deal of success in the transfer market in recent years, with the £17m signing and subsequent £55m sale of Raphina and the £5m signing of the £34.5m-rated Illan Meslier undoubtedly being two of the club’s best additions in recent memory.

However, as is to be expected at every professional football club once in a while, not every incoming deal works out as hoped – something that can easily be said of the Whites’ £13m signing of Barcelona left-back Junior Firpo back in the summer of 2021.

Indeed, despite having only been at Leeds for a little over a year, the 26-year-old has already missed a whopping 23 games as a result of a series of knocks – with the defender having so far featured for Jesse Marsch’s side just twice in the current campaign due to a knee injury.

And, when the former Spain U21 international has been on the pitch, he has disappointed, averaging a disastrous SofaScore match rating of just 6.60 over 24 Premier League appearances last season – ranking him as the Whites’ seventh-worst performer – as well as averaging a calamitous 6.30 match rating this term – currently ranking him as Marsch’s worst player in the league.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why Orta was linked with a move to bring Empoli left-back Fabiano Parisi to Elland Road last summer, as the 21-year-old would very much appear to represent a huge upgrade on Firpo.

Indeed, over his 11 Serie A appearances this season, the £15.5m-rated talent has been in sensational form at the back, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.7 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 2.5 clearances and winning 7.1 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per game.

The Italy U21 international has also caught the eye going forwards, bagging one goal and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.2 key passes, playing 2.4 long balls and completing 1.5 dribbles per fixture.

These returns have seen the £3.1k-per-week defender who Alvaro Canibe dubbed “masterful” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Empoli’s second-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

So, considering Firpo’s struggles both on and off the pitch, coupled with Parisi’s undoubted ability and potential for future growth, the argument that Orta must bin the 26-year-old in favour of reigniting his interest in the Italian sensation is an extremely easy one to make.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has shown that he is prepared to throw young Glasgow Rangers players in at the deep end if he feels they are ready to feature for the first team at Ibrox.

He has not been shy to start Leon King in the Champions League this season and handed out Premiership opportunities to the likes of Alex Lowry and Adam Devine last term.

Another player who could burst into the Rangers senior squad in the future is 15-year-old full-back Jack Wylie, who has been making a name for himself in the academy this year.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has compared him to King and suggested that the manager must reassure the youngster that he will be given chances in order to keep him away from interested clubs.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s pretty similar to Leon King. Offering him a pathway to first in football is probably the way to try and keep the best young players that they’ve got in their group.

“They lost the young boy Rory Wilson to Aston Villa in the summer, which was a big blow after he scored lots of goals in the youth side as well.

“So I think Rangers will be desperate not to lose any more players down south. They want to keep hold of their best players if they can.”

Wylie’s performances for the Light Blues and Scotland at youth level have caught the eye of teams in the Premier League and the youngster is not able to sign a professional contract until his 16th birthday in January.

Speaking in his Caught Offside briefing video recently, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that the young gem is attracting interest south of the border. “I’m not too surprised to see big names like Arsenal and Leeds being linked with 15-year-old wonderkid Jack Wylie as he’s a top talent, but what’s the truth about his situation?

“There are four or five Premier League clubs that are following him, but it’s still too early to mention negotiations or advanced talks with Rangers. At the moment, I’m told is too early and Jack is focused on Rangers.”

The interest in his services is why it is crucial that van Bronckhorst sits down with Wylie and maps out a pathway for him to progress into the first team.

He needs to prove to the talented prospect that he will follow in the footsteps of King, Charlie McCann, Devine, and Lowry if he continues to catch the eye at youth level, to stop him from being tempted to make the move to the English top-flight.

Wylie, who was once described as a “sensation” by O’Rourke, is a Scotland U16 international and the Premier League clubs eyeing him up have seemingly been impressed by the full-back’s displays for club and country, which indicates that he has the potential to make the step up to the senior team in the future.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must do whatever it takes to reassure the gem that he will get opportunities at Ibrox to avoid another Billy Gilmour or Rory Wilson disaster.