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Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard must give Glenn Middleton his time to shine at the Govan stadium amid reports Leeds United remain interested in Ryan Kent.

What’s the word?

Former England international Danny Mills claims Rangers could insert a colossal new release clause into Kent’s contract as they are prepared to increase his wages in an attempt to convince him to stay at the club.

The Light Blues remain locked in negotiations with the £3.1m-rated winger’s representatives as his current contract will run out in 2023 and they are keen to offer him a contract extension with new and improved terms.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills said: “Their value will definitely be going up because of their performances in the Europa League.

“Ryan Kent’s release clause previously was £20million and he has a fantastic season do they have the right to say ‘hold on, he’s now worth £30million or £40million’.

“They’ll be lots of negotiations going round with how the deal works and what their valuation is now.”

But, whilst it remains to be seen if Leeds will return for their long-term target in January, such an offer somewhere in that region might prove to be too tempting to ignore. If this is indeed the case, Gerrard must give Middleton the time to shine more often.

Time to shine

The 20-year-old has become something of a forgotten man in recent times, having burst on to the scene as a fresh-faced teenager, but failed to impress during two unsuccessful loan spells at Hibernian and Bradford last season.

He has been hampered by injuries so far this season whilst he has largely been starved of opportunities due to Kent’s emergence on the left wing.

Gerrard has given the current Scotland U21 international just 35 minutes of first-team football so far this season, whilst he has been omitted from the Europa League squad, and has yet to feature in the Scottish Premiership so far.

But, whilst we said just this last month that Rangers should get rid of the versatile player in January, we may have been just a tad too hasty.

The Ibrox boss believes Middleton can still have a part to play as the Gers seek to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season after he was handed a surprise recall as he replaced Borna Barisic at left-back during the 4-0 victory over Falkirk in the Betfred Cup.

When asked about his future, Gerrard offered some words of encouragement, saying: “Glenn has been on loan and had injuries but he has been back within the group for four or five weeks now.

“He has been working hard and playing for an opportunity.

“We think he can do left-back, left-wingback or left-wing and it was a strong cameo from him.”

In 29 games for the Gers, the youngster has scored five goals and supplied five assists in all competitions, including scoring a sensational screamer against Spartak Moscow in the Europa League.

Middleton clearly left quite the lasting impression after his brief cameo against Falkirk, so Gerrard must give the young Scotsman more opportunities to prove himself on a regular basis, rather than handing him a few minutes here and there as this will only serve to hinder his development as a player.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard may regret his decision to axe Jermain Defoe from the Europa League squad…

Nuno Santo never usually has too many selection dilemmas.

After all, this is a man who in 166 of his 168 Wolves matches, has stuck with a formation that sees three centre-backs operate.

Furthermore, he is used to working with a small squad.

In each of the last two seasons, his side used the fewest number of players in the entire Premier League – 21. It’s a similar story this term too, with the Old Gold utilising just 20 players – the third-fewest of any top-flight team.

So, why after all this time, does he finally have a big problem in his squad? Well, that’s because he’s suddenly changed the formation, deviating away from his tried and trusted three or five at the back system.

Against Southampton, Nuno moved to four defenders and after drawing with the Saints, he used the same formation versus Arsenal. The result this time was a win, and they did it without one of their star players – Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese started against the Saints but at the Emirates Stadium, Nuno proved that he doesn’t necessarily need Neves in his side. Against one of the better teams in the division, it was impressive, but it’s also brought about an issue. How does he get back into the starting XI?

Of course, the midfielder is a class above, described as someone who “blew everybody’s mind,” when he first arrived in English football.

Though, with Daniel Podence’s performance in a number 10 role against Arsenal, it’s meant that playing three deeper midfielders of Neves, Dendoncker and Moutinho like there was against Southampton isn’t needed.

Podence was electrifying as he found the back of the net and performed four dribbles, tormenting the Gunners backline. Dropping him, therefore, would be a controversial decision.

It’s also tough to drop Dendoncker. He hit the woodwork in north London and dominated the middle of the park by winning five aerial duels.

Consequently, it’s difficult to see how Neves works his way back into the team.

The £45m-rated star has usually been one of the first names on the team sheet but now he’ll have to work hard to guarantee his place.

This could become a real headache for Nuno.

In other news, Wolves missed out on their IDEAL Adama Traore successor last summer… 

Glasgow Rangers reportedly had a £2.7m bid for Steven Gerrard’s long-term target Sekou Gassama rejected by Real Valladolid in the summer.

What was the story?

According to a report from Tuttomercatoweb, Rangers were interested in signing the striker from Real Valladolid but a move never materialised.

Valladolid signed the 25-year-old from UD Almeira at the start of the year, although he immediately left on loan for CF Fuenlabrada until June.

Following a subsequent report from AS Diario (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that the Gers made a move for Gassama but their attempts were ultimately in vain as they were rebuffed by the Spanish La Liga side.

In the end, Ross Wilson signed Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe on four-year-deals for undisclosed fees instead. Since then, Gassama has returned to Fuenlabrada, where he can’t seem to stop scoring at the moment, with five goals in his last three league appearances.

Missed a trick

Whilst Alfredo Morelos has been in impressive form, as the “superb” Colombia international recently broke Ally McCoist’s longstanding European goal record, you can’t help but feel that a player with the Senegalese’s predatory instincts inside the box would have been a useful option for Gerrard to have at his disposal.

As per SofaScore, Gassama is averaging 1.6 shots per game in La Liga 2 this term, and it’s fair to say that he could’ve been able to hit the ground running, given his excellent return for Fuenlabrada so far this season, as he has shown that he can score goals consistently at a decent level of the game.

The one-time Senegal U20 international has scored five goals in eight games in the Spanish second tier this season, via Transfermarkt. To put that into context, that’s more than Itten has managed to score for Rangers in all competitions combined so far.

Meanwhile, Morelos continues to be linked with an Ibrox exit, whilst Rangers outcast Greg Stewart and Jermain Defoe’s contracts will run out in 2021, which could create room in the squad for a new centre-forward.

Whether or not Wilson will return for Gassama in the future remains to be seen but the maestro knows how to find the back of the net, that’s for sure, as 24 goals in 84 games is a pretty impressive return in his club career so far.

AND in other news, Watch out Arfield: Bongani Zungu sends timely reminder to Steven Gerrard with South Africa display…

Glasgow Rangers showed they are early favourites to win the Scottish Premiership title as Steven Gerrard’s side beat Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday.

Celtic were comprehensively outplayed from start to finish as the Light Blues cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory over their arch-rivals on their home turf which sent them four points clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than Neil Lennon’s men.

A brace from Connor Goldson helped his side claim the spoils in the first Old Firm derby of the season but the Rangers boss will be well aware that there is still a long way to go between now and the end of the season.

The Gers won at Celtic Park last December but their title challenge crumbled before their very eyes after the winter break. Gerrard’s side dropped eight points in five games which left the Bhoys with a ten-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership last season.

History has a habit of repeating itself and as Celtic still have a game in hand and were without first-team regular starters Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie at the weekend, the Light Blues must already start to think about the next three points that are on offer.

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack admitted his side received a reality check last term and vowed that they will not allow such an opportunity slip through their grasp once again. He said: “It’s always a great feeling to win a derby match, the boys are delighted.

“I thought we did very well, but it’s just another three points, a step to where we want to get to.

“The challenge is to put demands on ourselves to keep improving. It’s a big win but it doesn’t stop here. If we want to get to where we want to be then this is only the start.”

TGers registered another clean sheet when Celtic didn’t even manage a single shot on target throughout the entire game. Gerrard’s side have now only conceded three goals in eleven league games, four less than their arch-rivals who have a game in-hand.

Former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan believes the Light Blues “look a lot more defensively sound.” He told Football Insider: “Steven Gerrard has changed that mental strength in that group of defensive players now, that’s what he’s been looking for.

“We’ve seen it from the start of the season, we’ve seen defensively they work hard, they look assured, they’re a lot more gritty at the back, they look a lot more defensively sound.

“That is where they were looking to strengthen and get better and they definitely have with their record this season in Europe and in the league.”

However, Rangers really cannot afford to slip up again and stutter for the second year running after beating their biggest rivals in their own backyard. To lose such a lead once may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both would be carelessness.

Let’s face it, Gers fans shouldn’t get too carried away. If there’s one thing for sure, the title race is far from over just yet.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers’ Glen Kamara dominates midfield battle in Old Firm derby…

Leeds United have been chasing Ben White for the entirety of the ongoing summer transfer window. Of course, the young defender has been an incredible asset for Marcelo Bielsa during their push for Premier League football so this doesn’t exactly come as a big surprise.

But it also means that Brighton and Hove Albion are unwilling to part with their jewel and have already turned down three offers from the Whites. Now, as it seems, Bielsa is slowly but surely coming to the realisation that White remains a distant dream he simply can’t acquire.

There are, however, alternatives on the table. According to a printed version of Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Leeds United are among the teams mentioned as interested in Torino’s defender, Lyanco.

The likes of PSV Eindhoven and Bologna are also seemingly in the race and Sporting CP have even tabled their first bid to the Italian outfit. This was reported by Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) as the newspaper reveals they offered around €6m (£5.3m) + 50% of the next transfer but that wasn’t good enough.

Torino apparently want around €12m (£10.7m) + €3m (£2.7m) in bonuses for a total of £13.4m. This would then be the figure Leeds would have to table as well if they really want to land the 23-year-old defender.

The Brazilian seems to be in high demand and Bielsa will have to roll up his sleeves to get him.

Verdict

Lyanco is obviously not White but he could be a cheaper alternative to the Brighton defender. Of course, the Brazilian can still surprise everyone with his quality and since Leeds do want some defensive reinforcements, he could indeed be the answer they are looking for.

Their chase of White has now seemingly hit a dead end with the Seagulls refusing to part ways with their prized asset.

Chelsea have made a number of players available on the transfer market this summer, including senior left-back Marcos Alonso. 

Frank Lampard is looking to completely revamp his team as he leads them into what promises to be a thrilling 2020/21 season. FCInterNews have reported that both Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are eyeing up a potential move for the Spaniard (via Sport Witness).

Chelsea are eager to bolster their backline as well as their options in goal. Last campaign saw them concede the most goals out of the top 10 in the Premier League, with a worrying 54. However, Lampard has acknowledged these issues and wants to make the appropriate changes, starting with a left-back and a goalkeeper.

Ben Chilwell is one of the club’s main priorities this transfer window, with talks ongoing over whether they will land a deal for the England international. However, Leicester aren’t willing to let him go on the cheap and reportedly value him higher than record outgoing Harry Maguire, who joined Manchester United for a staggering £80m last year (via BBC Sport).

The report claims that Chelsea will only recruit a new left-back if either Alonso or Emerson Palmieri leave the club this summer. Fortunately for the Blues, they may be in luck as Emerson could depart for Inter Milan in the coming weeks.

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), the two parties have agreed on a five-year contract but no transfer fee has been decided. However, a move could be likely, with the Italian defender appearing just 16 times in the Premier League last term (via Transfermarkt).

If Alonso is also moved on in this transfer window, Lampard will be free in his mission to sign Chilwell. With Roman Abramovich providing a £120m budget, the Blues certainly have enough in the bank to tempt Leicester into selling their left-back.

Would you sell Marcos Alonso in order to sign Ben Chilwell? Join the discussion in the comments below…

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope may have just missed out on the Premier League Golden Glove in 2019/20, his 15 clean sheets one short of Manchester City’s Ederson, but that hasn’t stopped Chelsea from taking a rather keen interest in the England international (as per 90min.com).

Just as he made his country’s World Cup squad two years ago, fellow ‘keeper Tom Heaton also earned a major tournament call-up as a Clarets player when he was selected by Roy Hodgson for the Three Lions’ Euro 2016 squad.

Burnley haven’t always had such glittering luck with the goalkeeping position, though. In 2008, Owen Coyle landed Peruvian number one Diego Penny from Coronel Bolognesi in his homeland and was thrown straight into the team on the opening day of the Championship season, when the Clarets travelled to Sheffield Wednesday.

Burnley’s signing of Diego Penny went wrong from the start

Inside the first five minutes of his debut in England, he conceded twice and Burnley were hammered 4-1 at Hillsborough (as per BBC). Despite Coyle being hugely determined to land the giant goalkeeper, who is just under two metres tall, he was benched for the next game and did not make another appearance all season, with Brian Jensen instead the Clarets’ number one as they ended the campaign with a first promotion to the Premier League.

To Penny’s credit, though, he did not kick up a fuss, instead proving to be a very popular figure away from the football pitch with his Turf Moor team-mates (as per The Athletic). His patience paid off as he was given a couple of League Cup appearances in 2009/10, a 2-1 extra time win over Hartlepool and a 3-2 defeat to Barnsley. Four goal conceded in two games against lower-league opposition wasn’t the strongest case to make in terms of displacing Jensen.

The Peruvian can always claim to be a Premier League player, though, replacing ‘The Beast’ after the Clarets’ first choice went off injured against Wigan in October 2009. It was 1-1 when Penny took to the pitch…and 3-1 to the Latics at full-time (as per The Athletic).

The end of Diego Penny’s time at Burnley

Coyle’s contentious departure for Bolton midway through that season and the subsequent appointment of Brian Laws proved a fateful moment in the giant goalkeeper’s career in Lancashire. The new manager signed Lee Grant and banished Penny to train with the reserve team (as per The Athletic).

That was the trigger for the Peruvian to call time on his stay at Burnley, returning home to join Juan Aurich in August 2010 on a free transfer. In two years at Turf Moor, he only made four appearances, failed to keep a clean sheet and conceded nine goals (as per TransferMarkt).

Penny’s attitude may have been commendable – he even managed to be circumspect about his treatment from Laws – but on the rare occasions that he got his chance, he wasn’t able to make the most of it, hence a low-key departure after two underwhelming years in England.

Burnley fans, do you feel that Penny simply wasn’t good enough for the Clarets? Have your say by commenting below!

Name: Kai Havertz

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Date of Birth: 11 June 1999

Position: Attacking midfielder

KAI HAVERTZ – HIS CAREER SO FAR

By now, everyone is already aware of who Kai Havertz is and what he can do. But it’s also easy to forget we’re still talking about a 21-year-old youngster who has his whole career ahead of him. And so far, he’s only been a part of a single club, advancing through the ranks to eventually step onto the biggest stage for Bayer Leverkusen’s seniors in the Bundesliga.

Of course, before becoming a fully-fledged professional, Havertz was part of amateur side Alemannia Mariadorf and then a second division side Alemannia Aachen after that. Eventually, aged 11, he was snatched up by Bayer Leverkusen and never looked back ever since. The youngster’s game time was limited throughout 2013/14 and in 2014/15 he would already start shining, bagging seven goals and two assists across 23 games for the U17 side in the U17 Bundesliga West.

The season after that, Havertz exploded, registering 18 goals in another stellar campaign and it was there and then Bayer Leverkusen knew he couldn’t be kept in the youth squads anymore. Following 53 games in which he scored 26 goals and assisted further three, the youngster was moved up to the seniors to make his grand bow, becoming the club’s then youngest-ever debutant in the Bundesliga.

Needless to say, brilliance followed soon afterwards and another record was broken when he netted his first goal for the team, becoming their youngster-ever goalscorer and then the youngest player to reach 50 and 100 league games in the German top flight. Everyone knew Havertz was going to be special and so far, he’s been proving them right.

Now, he can already boast with a total of 148 games played for the senior team, scoring 45 and assisting 31, often carrying the team even when they’re struggling. Of course, he is not all about the final product and the kid can be the cog to push his teammates forward. For that reason, it doesn’t surprise to see him courted by the biggest of teams in Europe.

The 21-year-old could be in for a huge transfer in the immediate future.

TRANSFER LATEST

It goes without saying that being such a highly developed young prospect comes with lots of benefits and one such benefit is the constant interest from the biggest European clubs. There have been multiple transfer rumours connecting Havertz with a switch to Chelsea as Frank Lampard looks to add another deadly piece to his exciting jigsaw.

Further transfer news suggested the Blues will, however, have to wait until after Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League run even though it was initially suggested the deal could be struck before that.

That’s basically the latest Bayer Leverkusen news to come out on the topic of Kai Havertz but with the transfer window now open and ready for action, we can expect all sorts of new updates almost on a daily basis.

PLAYER PROFILE

Havertz is an extremely dynamic player that loves to roam the final third. Generally, however, his position on the pitch can best be described as a no.10 or an attacking midfielder. He loves to position himself in those areas behind the striker where he’s allowed the creative freedom to directly influence play.

And it helps that this ensures he is always close to the action and close to the box. Havertz is a good dribbler and has a keen eye for a pass. Looking at his skill set, it’s easy to see why teams often put an emphasis on stopping him progress by tight man-marking or completely cutting off his supply.

He’s often been described as a player who can essentially do everything, plays well with both feet and has drawn comparisons with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack. Not bad players to be compared to at all.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Tottenham were close to signing him but revealed that Daniel Levy was reluctant to meet Sporting Libson’s valuation.

Fernandes moved to Old Trafford for £47m in January, a figure which eventually rose to £68m. It is fair to say the 25-year-old has been a total revelation ever since, as he has scored two goals and supplied three assists in only five Premier League appearances. He is currently valued at £43m via Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Portuguese midfielder revealed that things might have been very different if former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had got his way last summer. Taking part in a fan Q&A on Instagram (as relayed by The Metro), Fernandes said: “The first club that was close to signing me was Tottenham with (Mauricio) Pochettino.

“But I don’t know, maybe they thought the amount Sporting wanted was too much so in that moment Sporting decided they don’t want to sell.

“Tottenham came in the summer but Manchester (United) was in January. Maybe Tottenham came again in January, but when I knew Manchester was interested I just wanted to talk to Manchester.”

Pochettino was unceremoniously sacked in November after five years in charge of the club. After their Champions League final heartbreak last year, Spurs made a disappointing start to the season and were 14th in the Premier League when he left north London (BBC).

Club legend Harry Redknapp was adamant at the time that players had under-performed. He told Sky Sports News: “They’ve got him the sack, at the end of the day. They haven’t performed well enough, that’s why he’s lost his job. If they all loved him so much, perhaps they should have done a bit better for him.”

Before he arrived in England, Fernandes had bagged 63 goals and provided 52 assists in 137 games for the Green and Whites (Transfermarkt). As it stands, he has made a huge difference on the pitch for the Red Devils. Indeed, he has also bagged a goal and an assist in three games in the Europa League, taking 3.7 shots per game and making three key passes on average (via WhoScored).

In comparison, Tottenham’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele has registered two goals but has produced fewer assists than the Portugal international in the Premier League, despite the fact he has made more appearances this season. Moreover, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are unbeaten since Fernandes’ arrival.

Given his performances so far, it is hard to argue that Fernandes wouldn’t have had a similar impact if he had joined Tottenham instead.

Tottenham fans, do you regret missing out on Bruno Fernandes? Let us know by commenting below!

The 2019-20 Premier League season has been a difficult one for West Ham after a summer that promised so much.

The signings of Sebastian Haller and Pablo Fornals suggested that the team could take another step under the management of Manuel Pellegrini, but after a strong start to the season their results deteriorated and the Chilean was sacked in December.

Former boss David Moyes was then brought in for his second spell as manager and after a win in his first Premier League match, things have not improved too much.

With nine matches still to play this season, the Hammers are only just clear of the bottom three, with goal difference the only thing separating them from the relegation zone.

Moyes’ side get back into action with a tough fixture against Wolves and with that in mind, we have had a look back over the season so far and some of the standout statistics…

Struggles at home

London Stadium has not quite yet captured the fever pitch atmosphere that was so evident at Upton Park and their home form has been a big weakness so far this season.

From 14 matches, West Ham have picked up just 15 points and with seven defeats and only four wins, improvement at London Stadium will be a big priority.

Leaky at the back

Despite having some well-regarded players at the back, including the highly sought after Issa Diop, the Hammers have conceded far too many goals this season.

From their 29 matches, West Ham have seen their defence breached on 50 occasions, with only Norwich City, Aston Villa and Southampton conceding more often.

New year, same problems

After a win in his first match as boss on New Year’s Day, Moyes has seen his side pick up just one Premier League win since.

Having said that, his side have faced the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester City in that time and will hope that a slightly easier run of fixtures could see them make a move up the table.

Inconsistent Haller

The Hammers spent plenty of money to bring Haller to the club over the summer and while he has impressed in bursts, they are yet to see his very best form.

With seven goals and one assist, he is tied for joint-25th in the top goalscorers charts and will want to climb that list if he can.

Shot shy

With the likes of Felipe Anderson, Haller, Fornals and Manuel Lanzini in their side, West Ham have definitely under-performed in an attacking sense this season.

On average, the Hammers have managed just 10.4 shots-per-game, which places them joint-15th in the league overall and way off Manchester City in first, who average 19.4-per-game.

Aerial strength

One thing that Haller has certainly brought to the side is an aerial ability, with the striker averaging 7.6 aerial duels won-per-match this season.

The team rank well overall, too, with West Ham fourth overall in the league with an average of 22.5 successful aerial duels-per-match.