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Giovanni van Bronckhorst is closing in on his first transfer window at Ibrox in charge of Rangers as January is just around the corner.

The Dutch head coach joined the club in November and has not yet had the opportunity to bring in players of his own to stamp his identity on the playing squad.

Whilst it can be easy to get wrapped up in transfer rumours and get excited about the endless possibilities that come with a new signing, what must be remembered is that with every incoming comes with it the chance of a current player leaving.

Brutally axe

One Rangers dud who may find themselves on the chopping block next month is rotation forward Scott Wright, who has found game time hard to come by this season.

The Gers are reportedly interested in signing Icelandic winger Albert Gudmundsson. According to The Telegraph, the Scottish giants may look to snap him up on a pre-contract deal in January as his contract at AZ Alkmaar expires in the summer, with Celtic also said to be battling for his signature.

This means that Rangers could bring him in for £0 at the end of the campaign and his arrival could spell the end of Wright’s time at Ibrox.

The Scot has played 11 times for the club this term and only started three games in the Premiership, scoring one goal and providing zero assists as an attacker. In the Europa League, he has made three appearances and scored one goal – starting one match – whilst creating one chance in that time.

Gudmundsson, meanwhile, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 12 Eredivisie starts for Alkmaar this season. This comes after he managed seven goals and four assists in 25 league starts in the 2020/21 campaign, showing that he has the ability to both score and create goals.

AZ technical director Max Huiberts previously explained what type of player the beast is. The chief said: “Albert is a creative, technically skilled and fast player who has proven that he can play in different positions in the attack.”

Therefore, the signing of Gudmundsson could leave the £5.6k-per-week dud, Wright, being brutally axed from Rangers by van Bronckhorst. The Scottish youth international has not shown enough this season to prove that he can be an important player for the club and bringing another player in who plays in his position could leave him with no choice but to leave if he wants regular game time.

AND in other news, Big boost: Boxing Day selection update emerges that’ll leave Rangers fans buzzing…

Ange Postetcoglou’s Celtic side head into Sunday’s Premiership fixture off the back of arguably their best performance of the season, with the Bhoys comfortably seeing off their Glasgow rivals 3-0 in Wednesday’s Old Firm clash.

As such, spirits will undoubtedly have been high within the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown this week, with the match against Graham Alexander’s Motherwell, coupled with the Gers’ challenging test against third-placed Hearts, very much bringing with it the potential of Celtic moving clear at the top of the Premiership standings.

With Postecoglou recently revealing that the returning Tom Rogic – as well as Daizen Maeda – will be available for selection on Sunday, despite suggestions that the Australian might require a rest after his involvement with his national team, it would seem a wise move for the Bhoys boss to unleash the 29-year-old from the off at Fir Park, as the sight of the attacking midfielder will give Motherwell nightmares.

Postecoglou must unleash Rogic

Indeed, the £1.35m-rated Rogic has always been something of a thorn in the side of Motherwell, with the Aussie having scored five goals and provided his teammates with five assists over his 18 appearances against the Steelmen, including an extremely well-taken winner in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over today’s opponents back in December.

Furthermore, the £15k-per-week midfielder has also been in impressive form over his further 17 Premiership fixtures so far this season, scoring three goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates. These metrics have seen the 29-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, considering that the player who Postecoglou dubbed “important” has something of a penchant for making his mark against Motherwell, in addition to his fine form thus far in the current campaign, the Celtic coach simply must unleash the attacking midfielder today, as he could well be a game-changer for the Bhoys.

In other news – Forget Dembele: Postecoglou must now unleash “generational” Celtic prodigy who has “no fear”

Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Manchester United’s array of attacking players is the reason for Donny van de Beek’s lack of opportunities.

The Dutch midfielder arrived in a £35m deal from Ajax last summer but has been reduced to a bit-part role by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Van de Beek has featured 32 times in all competitions for the Red Devils, but having played under 1,200 minutes, is averaging just 37 minutes every match.

10 of his 12 starts for United have come in the cups and Europe, and you have to go back to early December for his most recent in the Premier League.

Solskjaer has been favouring the likes of Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay in the midfield roles, with the in-form pair Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes occupying the central attacking spots.

It means that the former Ajax star has been reduced to mainly substitute appearances following his move to Old Trafford, giving him little opportunity to impress.

And whilst Gillespie believes he’s better than some of those playing ahead of him, he knows exactly why the 24-year-old is struggling for regular action.

He told Football FanCast:

“For me he’s a better footballer than Fred, and Matic, McTominay, he is a more gifted footballer, but in terms of that holding role and what they do for the side, he just isn’t that.

“So, trying to find a place for him further forward, you’ve got Rashford, Fernandes, Pogba and Greenwood, it’s really difficult.”

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will look to bring in some wide attacking players in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: A summer of change?

Villa have enjoyed a productive season overall, with the new manager slotting in nicely after replacing Dean Smith, even though results haven’t always been impressive.

Gerrard may well be seeking to continuously evolve his squad in terms of quality and depth, and it would be a surprise if some new faces didn’t arrive in the summer.

Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet have already been sent out on loan and the 41-year-old may feel that both need to be sold permanently at the end of the season if they have no future under him.

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The Latest: Gerrard eyeing up summer signings

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that signing at least one winger would be a key area of focus for Gerrard in the summer market, especially if they decide to offload El Ghazi and Trezeguet for good. The journalist said:

“Villa are probably going to lose a couple of wingers in the summer with El Ghazi out on loan at Everton and Trezeguet out on loan in Turkey.

“So, that’s two wingers who the club will most likely look to move on. So, it’s going to be an area that Steven Gerrard will be looking to strengthen as well.”

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The Verdict: Key area to target

The wide attacking positions certainly appear to be among Villa’s weakest areas of the pitch currently, with Gerrard lacking truly top-class options there who can consistently producing match-winning moments.

Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia have only scored three goals between them in 46 Premier League appearances combined this term, which simply isn’t a good enough return.

Liverpool and Manchester City are poster boys for having hugely productive wide players (think Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez), and while Gerrard clearly wouldn’t expect signings of that calibre, it would be ideal for Villa to bring in wide options who could be more prolific than the current crop.

In other news, a source has shared a key Villa transfer update. Read more here.

Some Manchester United fans have been left to slam some early team news ahead of their home game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday evening.

As per French news outlet L’Equipe, the former AS Monaco man ‘should not’ be able to play against Graham Potter’s team after an injury that he suffered to his knee while on international duty with France against Kazakhstan.

The publication also claims that it is ‘not guaranteed’ that he will play any part in their first leg in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Granada either.

While Martial has not been very prolific so far in the 2020/21 term, scoring a mere seven goals in 36 games in total over all competitions (‘man of the match’ display in their 2-0 away win over Manchester City in the Premier League in March.

Manchester United fans on Martial update

These Red Devils slammed the update on Martial after it was shared on Twitter, with one member of the Old Trafford faithful even going as far as to claim that it was ‘stupid’:

“Advantage Brighton and Granada”

Credit: @MysticalMartial

“We’re finished”

Credit: @ZoldyckArixn

“Wow this is stupid”

Credit: @SiyawaJr

“Advantage Brighton”

Credit: @UtdAbbas

“At this rate, we are behind in the race for top 4.”

Credit: @techguy1016

“I hate this game”

Credit: @Rafiudabosss

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano update has left MUFC fans fuming here!

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Emiliano Marcondes to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Express, who claim that Valerian Ismael is keen to add more firepower to his Albion side in the summer transfer window, with the out of contract Brentford attacking midfielder thought to be a target of the 45-year-old.

It is reported that Ismael had been considering a move the former Denmark U21 international in his time at Barnsley, with the Frenchman believed to have retained his interest following his move to Albion.

Ismael must move

Having joined Brentford from FC Nordsjaelland back in January of 2018, Marcondes went on to feature 97 times for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring seven goals and laying on 13 assists for his teammates.

Last season, the £2.52m-rated man once again impressed over his 31 Championship appearances for the Bees, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating three big chances, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £12k-per-week 26-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.75, playing a huge part in Brentford going on to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

As such, with Ismael undoubtedly hoping to build a side in the summer transfer window that is capable of going on to secure an immediate return to the top flight of English football next season, the addition of a player Frank dubbed a “fantastic” talent would appear to provide the Baggies with a huge boost to their chances of going on to achieve this feat.

Furthermore, with the attacking midfielder being available on a free transfer, he would also represent something of a bargain signing for the club, something that will allow Ismael to bring in a greater number of his transfer targets this summer – leading us to believe the Frenchman should do all he can to get a deal over the line for Marcondes.

In other news: West Brom dealt transfer blow over “confident” £8k-p/w machine, Ismael will be gutted

Some West Ham United fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Felipe Anderson.

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Lazio are ‘progressing’ in talks to sign the Brazilian, adding that personal terms are ‘already agreed’.

Anderson was shipped out on loan to FC Porto in the 2020/21 season but never really made an impact, playing a mere 10 games across all competitions and supplying just one assist (Transfermarkt).

His best season in east London was his debut campaign in 2018/19, scoring a respectable 10 goals and supplying a further five assists from the wing (Transfermarkt), and with David Moyes’ team now in the Europa League, they will need a bigger squad to cope with the extra workload which awaits.

Anderson could be an ideal squad player for West Ham to have, and it seems that some Hammers are furious that the club could be letting him go.

West Ham fans on Anderson transfer update

These Irons supporters fumed as Romano’s update was shared on Twitter:

“Embarrassing.”

Credit: @_ghzst

“NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @raphtweetr

“Pathetic.”

Credit: @The_BoleynBoys

“Smh”

Credit: @JayWHU

“Sigh we’re so stupid”

Credit: @KlDSSEEGH0STS

“We suck”

Credit: @Pfinch215

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ striker West Ham are eyeing!

Frank McAvennie has urged Southampton man Mohamed Elyounoussi to move permanently to Celtic as he has no future at St. Mary’s.

Elyounoussi should leave Saints

Elyounoussi has spent this campaign and the last on loan at Parkhead from the Saints, managing 24 goals and 13 assists in 62 matches (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie believes he must leave the south-coast outfit permanently. He said:

“He had an outstanding weekend and scored great goals. I had my doubts about him but he’s shown what he can do.

“He blows hot and cold but he brings Celtic a better balance when he’s out on the left. He comes in and scores goals but by and large he gives you width. 

“There’s no doubting he’s a good player, it just depends how much Southampton want for him or if they’d give us another loan because he obviously won’t get a game for Southampton. 

“He’s happy at Celtic and another loan deal won’t bust the bank. I’m not sure he has a future at Southampton. 

“He enjoys it up here and if the money was right I’d keep him, he proved that he’s worth it at the weekend. I’d take a chance on him.”

Worth a risk

Elyounoussi signed for Southampton in 2018, but failed to score or provide an assist in 18 matches before being loaned out to the Bhoys. With 102 career goals to his name, it is clear he has plenty of ability, but for whatever reason it didn’t work out for him initially with the Saints.

Ralph Hasenhuttl recently revealed Southampton will only be able to sign players for £10m or less this summer (via Sky Sports), indicating he will have to work with a small budget. As such, it may be worth the Austrian boss giving Elyounoussi another chance to show what he can do.

In other news, Southampton fans slam this man’s comments.

West Ham United are set to face competition over one of their reported transfer targets…

What’s the word?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Irons will battle Premier League rivals Aston Villa for the signature of West Brom sensation Matheus Pereira this summer.

They aren’t the only two clubs who are keen on him either, with unnamed Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga sides also mentioned.

The 25-year-old playmaker is under contract at The Hawthorns until 2024, having signed to £30,000-per-week terms in the summer, and he is thought to be valued by the Baggies at around €25m (£22.5m).

Best since Payet?

Having been lauded as a “genius” with previously unseen technical ability by his former Nurnberg coach Nate Weiss, the Brazilian attacking midfielder was one of the few shining lights in West Brom’s dismal season.

Indeed, the Baggies relied heavily on his creative exploits, as he provided 48.5% of all their goals scored (11 goals, six assists) in the Premier League this term. Only Spurs were as reliant on Harry Kane, by comparison.

After one particularly encouraging display earlier in the season, Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas waxed lyrical about his qualities, saying: “He’s been a top player for them. He had a slow start in the Premier League – I think that’s been a big part of the reason why West Brom all of a sudden look like they can score goals.

“He’s just silky. When he’s on it, he’s just got that lovely left-foot, [he tucked] his penalty away, the delivery into the box for set-pieces was brilliant, and he wanted to showcase his skills.”

The Hammers have had plenty of fantastic midfielders over the years, their current first-choice duo of Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice featuring among that list, but for a while they have lacked the sort of engima who has fans on the edge of their seats – perhaps since Dimitri Payet left.

The Frenchman could spark something out of nothing and is arguably the most talented player the east London club have had, at least in the modern era. As wonderful as Soucek is, he’s just not that type of sensation.

In just 48 appearances, Payet delivered 11 goals and 18 assists, and it probably could’ve been so much more. Even after his exit, no West Ham player could match his chances created since the 2015 season, which speaks volumes.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-and-the-latest-gossip-gsb-moyes-striker-future-signings” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Pereira is cut from the same cloth, having averaged 1.8 key passes per game this season, to build on a return of 2.8 key passes per game in the Championship last term, via WhoScored.

Valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, GSB could certainly excite the Irons faithful on their return to the London Stadium next season if they were to land the Baggies maestro this summer.

He could be a fine addition to build on what has been a fantastic season for West Ham.

AND in other news, West Ham insider delivers MAJOR David Moyes update that’ll delight fans…

Following West Ham United’s solid 2-0 victory away to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday evening, the club have dropped a celebratory four-word message which has many supporters talking.

David Moyes’ men began their Europa League in brilliant fashion as they comfortably swept aside the Croatian champions.

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Michail Antonio opened the scoring for West Ham when he pounced on a wayward back pass and slotted into an empty net for 1-0, putting his side in total control of the encounter.

The Hammers never looked like giving up their lead and midfield star Declan Rice soon gave supporters more to celebrate, bursting through the middle and scoring a fantastic solo goal.

Following West Ham’s memorable night at the Stadion Maksimir, the club dropped a four-word message for fans on Twitter, simply reading: “What a night, Hammers!”.

In response, Irons supporters relived the excitement of their first Europa League victory of the group stage as they put their stamp on the competition already.

Find all of their best reactions from social media down below.

West Ham fans erupt as club drop post-Zagreb message

“Beautiful”

Credit: @nph73

“We’re actually massive”

Credit: @banham23

“Coyi!”

Credit: @WHUFC592

“Biggest club in London”

Credit: @CNSG35

“Need Moyes content to be on overdrive tonight. How on Earth he’s turned us into a force from utter ruins still blows my mind.”

Credit: @okeefe_92

“Love it”

Credit: @DanWheelerSport

“Europe, we have arrived!”

Credit: @becky_cox1994

In other news: ‘Gonna get the Benrahma treatment’…West Ham fans slam ‘worst player’ vs Zagreb, find out more here.