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Rangers have been linked with Alhassan Yusuf recently, and if he were to join Steven Gerrard’s side this summer, he could help to unleash Joe Aribo at Ibrox next season.

What’s the word?

According to Score Nigeria, Rangers have contacted IFK Goteborg about potentially signing the 20-year-old, who has earned a lot of plaudits for his performances in the Allsvenskan, winning the league’s Young Player of the Year award in the 2018/19 season.

The £1.35m-rated Nigerian appears to be an all-action, energetic defensive midfielder in the mould of N’Golo Kante, with his ability to press and play as a ball-winner praised by Goteborg’s chief scout Olle Sultan last year.

He said of Yusuf: “I have believed in him very much all the time. He has learned on the way to becoming less naive. The touch is very nice and he is always so oriented and has such control on the ball. The press game is good and he is aggressive. When he eventually gets a little more power, he will be a good ball winner as well. In addition, he is a great guy who flows into the group nicely.

“A ball winner and game genius in one. There’s a bit to learn, that’s it, but he can really be great.”

Could Yusuf unleash Aribo?

Aribo enjoyed arguably his best season in a Rangers shirt in 2020/21, with eight goals and seven assists in all competitions, but you still feel that there is a potential for him to reach double digits from midfield by pushing further into the attack.

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The Nigeria international was usually deployed in midfield alongside Glen Kamara and Steven Davis last season and whilst the Northern Irishman was excellent throughout the campaign and deservedly earned a new one-year deal, Yusuf would give Rangers some more youthful exuberance in a holding midfield role, which could allow Aribo more freedom to get forward and be creative.

The “exceptional” 24-year-old – as hailed by Nigerian football legend Viktor Ikpeba – could even move into an attacking midfield position permanently if Gerrard switches to a 4-2-3-1 rather than a 4-3-3. With Yusuf completing a midfield duo with the similarly energetic Kamara or Ryan Jack, that should contain enough defensive nous to maintain Rangers’ control of games and excellent clean sheet record, duly allowing Aribo to operate further forward and do damage in the final third.

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Therefore, Wilson should definitely consider a move for Yusuf this summer, as he seems to have a lot of potential and could be a great low-cost option for Rangers.

In other news… Rangers must stand firm on “top-class” Ibrox beast, Gerrard needs him 

Many Sunderland fans were left slamming the display of Tom Flanagan in their 3-3 draw away at Wycombe Wanderers in League One at Saturday lunchtime.

It was a great game between two promotion hopefuls, as Ross Stewart inspired the visitors to a point, but it could well have been more had Joe Jacobson not equalised deep into injury time.

Nonetheless, Flanagan would have been disappointed with his own individual performance having conceded three goals, and he also struggled in general, losing out on five of his duels, while he recorded fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Anthony Patterson (SofaScore).

He also gave possession away on no fewer than on 15 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any of his teammates, on a day that he will want to forget quickly.

Sunderland fans slam Flanagan

These Black Cats slammed his performance on Twitter, with one SAFC supporter even going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’:

“I’m currently on my knees for Hoffman and Wright back I can’t cope watching Patterson and Flanagan”

Credit: @RyanC2408

“Please can we sack off Tom Flanagan man. He’s woeful.”

Credit: @mbalfour15

“Flanagan was awful!”

Credit: @smallbone66

“Doyle and Flanagan both embarrassing today. Pathetic”

Credit: @redman_aiden

“Tom Flanagan having a nightmare today.”

Credit: @SpeakSAFC

“Flanagan has been poor today, lucky there.”

Credit: @sniff91

In other news, find out why Kevin Phillips thinks Sunderland were robbed here!

Celtic have seen numerous players make the move to Parkhead over recent years before making returns to their parent clubs.

One figure that had spent some time with the Hoops before becoming a regular squad player for his club is winger Mohamed Elyounoussi.

The Norwegian joined Celtic on loan from Premier League club Southampton in the 2019 summer transfer window.

In 22 appearances across all competitions in the 2019/20 season, the winger scored seven goals and provided six assists.

The 2020/21 season then saw the 27-year-old rack up 17 goals and eight assists in 45 appearances as a much more regular figure in the team.

Since returning to Southampton, things haven’t been as fruitful for the 27-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Having played in 24 league games, Elyounoussi has only managed to find the back of the net on four occasions and provide just one assist in the process.

To highlight his lack of impact on the pitch going forward, out of the 40 shots at goal he’s had in the Premier League, only 16 of them have been on target.

As well as being nutmegged on three occasions, the attacker has lost 51 aerial duels compared to the 32 that he’s won, showing how much of a lightweight he can be.

In addition to his lack of regular goal contributions, which is something that Ralph Hasenhuttl would have been hoping to see from the winger after his time with Celtic, his overall performances haven’t been too eye-catching either.

According to WhoScored, the former Hoops loan signing is the tenth highest-rated player in Southampton’s squad with a rather uninspiring overall rating of 6.67.

Labelled as a “disappointment” during his time with the Bhoys by Chris Sutton, this is also what he has arguably been in England this season as well.

Back in June 2019 shortly before he joined Celtic, Transfermarkt rated the Norway international’s market value at £13.5m, whereas it now stands at £9m, highlighting a drop of £4.5m.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Celtic and Ange Postecoglou hit the jackpot by not looking to secure a permanent move for the Saints dud.

In other news: Ange handed huge boost as early Old Firm team news emerges, it’s great for Celtic

Steven Gerrard has enjoyed a successful start to his reign as Aston Villa manager. So much so that the 41-year-old has been nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month for November after wins against Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Despite an impressive second-half performance from Villa, the former Rangers boss suffered his first defeat since replacing Dean Smith in the Villa Park dugout as they lost 2-1 to Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

Next up, they host a Leicester City side that has certainly looked under par this season and currently sit three points above their Midlands rivals in tenth.

Brendan Rogers’ men have shown a particularly weak underbelly, conceding 25 goals in 14 Premier League games, a factor that Villa will look to exploit.

Gerrard will need his entire frontline fit and firing if they are to get a result against City, but there’s one man in particular who could prove the difference for the Villans: Emi Buendia.

You only have to go as far back as Wednesday night to see that Brendan Rodgers’ side seriously struggle to deal with crosses in the box. In their 2-2 draw against Southampton, both goals conceded came from crosses not dealt with, a well-worked set-piece and a ball in from the right flank.

This is where Buendia can shine on Sunday. The Argentine hasn’t had the best start to life at Villa Park since his £34.56m move from Norwich City, scoring and assisting just once in the Premier League. However, with fellow wide man Leon Bailey injured, the 24-year-old is almost certain to start.

According to SofaScore, Buendia has created just three big chances in 12 games and only averages 0.3 shots on target a match; this must change.

Granted, prior to Gerrard’s arrival, the entire Villa team looked toothless, losing five consecutive league games before the 41-year-old replaced his fellow countryman, Dean Smith, in the dugout.

The former Rangers boss has instilled an easy on the eye, attacking system in a short space of time, one that will surely benefit the £31.5m-rated man.

Last month, ex-Villa striker Darren Bent admitted that he was “still unconvinced by” after the 24-year-old’s slow start to life in the top-flight after a stellar season with Norwich in the Championship last term.

However, upon his departure from Carrow Road, the winger was labelled by then-Norwich manager Daniel Farke “outstanding”, which certainly was the case at the time.

Buendia was the second tiers best player on route to the Canaries title-winning campaign, scoring 15 goals and registering 17 assists in 39 appearances.

The talent is undoubtedly there, it just needs to be unleashed and a strong showing against the Foxes on Sunday afternoon could prove the trick. Judging by his attacking talents, he could terrify Rodgers and co.

Taking to Twitter, Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis has broken some West Ham United transfer news involving RC Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

In perhaps the worst-kept secret of the January transfer window, Irons manager David Moyes and new transfer chief Rob Newman have their eyes firmly placed on bringing in a new striker alongside other additions.

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There have been plenty of names linked with a move to east London, including Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa and Blackburn’s Ben Brereton-Diaz, with Moyes and Newman seemingly looking under every rock.

The latter has been tasked with assisting West Ham in the transfer market after leaving his role of chief scout at Manchester City, coming with a big reputation from his time at Eastlands (The Athletic).

As of yet, the head of recruitment has been unsuccessful in clinching any West Ham deals, but he has now set his sights on a new target.

The Latest: Newman eyeing Ajorque…

According to French journalist Denis, West Ham and by extension Newman have set their sights on Strasbourg’s in-form talisman Ajorque amid their drawn-out search for centre-forward options.

The journalist explained on Twitter: “Looking for a 9 for many months, West Ham is interested in Ludovic Ajorque, the Strasbourg serial scorer, current 2nd top scorer in L1 with 10 goals.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Reliable West Ham insider ExWHUemployee recently claimed that the Irons were looking for talent in Ligue 1, with the French top flight potentially becoming a solution for Newman (West Ham Way).

It is therefore no surprise to see another name from France linked with a move to West Ham, but going by his numbers, Ajorque could be a shrewd option.

Alongside his impressive strike rate this season, the 27-year-old has notched an impressive total of 79 senior career goals and is an imposing threat going forward.

Compared to West Ham’s current squad, the towering 6 foot 5 striker has averaged a colossal 3.7 aerial duels won per 90 over 17 league starts – far more than any Irons player this season (WhoScored).

An aerial threat and proven in front of goal, it’s little wonder the Hammers and Newman now hold an interest in Ajorque.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman also moves to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Things have been looking increasingly on the up for Celtic under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou in recent weeks at Parkhead, with the Hoops securing their first two away wins of the league season in their last couple of outings, as well as clinching a much-needed three points in Europe on Tuesday.

This impressive run would continue when St. Johnstone visited Parkhead on Saturday, with Celtic putting on an extremely dominant performance in the 2-0 win over the Lions – boasting 79% possession of the ball, completing 731 passes and creating three big chances.

Indeed, these are statistics that would suggest Ange-ball is finally beginning to pay dividends for the Bhoys, while the performance of Callum McGregor on Saturday afternoon highlights his importance within the 56-year-old manager’s system.

126 touches

After something of a shaky start to life under Postecoglou towards the beginning of the current campaign, McGregor has started to turn in consistently impressive performances in the heart of the Celtic midfield in recent weeks – with his performance against St. Johnstone being one of his best of the season so far.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £6.3m-rated man enjoyed 126 touches of the ball, made 105 passes, attempted six long balls, completed one dribble and made two key passes.

The £20k-per-week central midfielder also won three of his five duels, made two tackles, two clearances and took four shots at the St. Johnstone goal.

These returns saw the player who Postecoglou dubbed “outstanding” earlier this season, earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5, his joint second-highest rating received so far this season.

As such, if McGregor can maintain, or even improve on, this level of performance going forwards, Celtic will undoubtedly be in with a shout of reclaiming their Scottish Premiership crown come the end of the season – something that looks increasingly likely, with the Bhoys now just one point behind the league leaders.

In other news: Kyogo 2.0: Celtic nearing exciting deal for 18-goal machine, Postecoglou will love him

Celtic have been dealt a huge injury blow regarding Karamoko Dembele ahead of their upcoming Premiership fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on his Instagram account (via Daily Record), the 18-year-old winger – who has been sidelined since Celtic’s pre-season tour of Wales – revealed that he has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, having to undergo surgery on an ankle fracture, which will keep him out of action until at least the turn of the year.

Regarding his injury, the England under-18 international said: “Unfortunately I’ve had some problems with the healing process of my ankle fracture, so I’ve had to get surgery done. Back on the field soon!”

Fans will be gutted

Considering the sheer amount of potential Dembele seems to possess, the news that he looks set to remain sidelined until at least 2022 is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful gutted.

Indeed, the £225k-rated teenager had started to feature more regularly for the Bhoys towards the back end of last season, playing in three of the club’s last four fixtures of the 2020/21 Premiership season, in which the winger scored his first senior goal for the club in a 4-0 drubbing of St Johnstone.

Prior to his injury, Dembele was also heavily involved in Celtic’s pre-season fixtures, featuring in both the 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic – a game in which the 18-year-old opened the scoring for the Hoops – and the 0-0 draw with Bristol City.

However, following his recent update, it now looks as if the teenage forward will not only miss Saturday’s visit of St Johnstone but also many more fixtures before he makes his return to first team action. That will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Ange Postecoglou, who had admitted that he was looking forward to working with the youngster upon his arrival at Celtic this summer.

In other news: Ange makes approach for tough-tackling £3.2m sensation, Celtic fans will be buzzing

Aston Villa target Todd Cantwell could seek a move away from Norwich City if their form does not drastically improve by the turn of the year, according to Dean Windass.

The Canaries are back in the Premier League after sealing an immediate return thanks to clinching the Championship title last season.

But they have made an underwhelming start to the new campaign and suffered back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City.

The setback comes after seeing talisman Emiliano Buendia depart the club in favour of a club-record switch to Aston Villa despite playing a vital role in Norwich’s rise to the top flight.

It has looked as though Villa could return to Carrow Road for another of their key players, with Cantwell on boss Dean Smith’s radar.

While a move has failed to materialise so far, Windass believes Villa could look to seal a deal for the 23-year-old winger if Norwich are still struggling when the January transfer window opens.

The former Premier League striker exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “It’s one of those situations where you’ll know where Norwich will be by January. You’ll know whether they’re going to be in a relegation battle or sitting pretty in mid-table.

“I think January will be the only time that he will move if Norwich slump like they did in the Premier League before.”

Lots of Everton fans have been left reacting to some more transfer news that has emerged on Lucas Digne.

Reports this week linked the France international with a move to Italy, and now Fichajes report that Diego Simeone is interested in signing the left-back for Atletico Madrid, after Digne reportedly had a row with Rafa Benitez, which saw him dropped for their 2-1 win at home to Arsenal on Monday night.

Admittedly, Digne has not performed to the best that he can this season so far, recording no assists in the Premier League this season compared to the seven that he made last term (WhoScored).

However, he remains the Goodison Park faithful’s only senior left-back available in the squad, and so Benitez looks to have a big decision to make in the January transfer window.

Nonetheless, given the sheer number of assists that he has supplied for the Merseyside club since signing, it may be time to patch things up.

Everton fans on Digne transfer news

These Toffees supporters seemed split as the exit rumour was shared on Twitter:

“Says everything the level of club that would be looking at him. Rafa is mad.”

Credit: @followeverton

“Benitez actually gonna sell our only recognised LB mid-season”

Credit: @Tom_A72

“Brilliant 3 better teams monitoring him, well that’s him gone in the summer. Another masterstroke thanks Rafa, born genius”

Credit: @kevin84734358

“28 – his game is better going forward than defending and injuries and knocks catching up with him – sell.”

Credit: @chr509740634

“Digne for Trippier I’ll be happy”

Credit: @zMxstyy

“I still like Digne. Been a great signing for us all those years but if we got £40 million for him I hope we’re all over it. That’s the type of money we need to rebuild and to send FFP away”

Credit: @bluetom_tom

In other news, find out whose return ahead of Crystal Palace has Blues fuming here!

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United supporters have been in full voice after club insider ExWHUemployee’s update on exciting youngster Conor Coventry.

Coventry, who has impressed for West Ham throughout pre-season, has been tipped by a section of fans to be the Hammers’ next breakthrough academy star after Declan Rice.

Some comparisons to the England international have even been made, and given this is club legend Mark Noble’s last season in Claret and Blue, the 21-year-old could be useful to reinforce the defensive midfield position.

Manager David Moyes is fighting on the Europa League front as well as domestically for the 2021/2022 season but only has Rice and Tomas Soucek as natural options to sit in front of the back four.

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ExWHUemployee (via Hammers Updates), bringing news on Coventry’s position, now claims that the starlet could in fact be allowed to go out on loan to Peterborough United.

Indeed, The Posh have submitted an offer for the midfield man and it is believed that West Ham are prepared to accept it – with the final decision resting on Coventry himself.

Discounting Manuel Lanzini, who has been utilised as a makeshift deep-lying playmaker by Moyes, it’s little wonder supporters believe Coventry should stay and fight for a senior spot this season given their lack of depth.

As a result, many fans are simply baffled that West Ham and GSB are prepared to let Coventry move away.

Find all of their best verdicts, in response to Hammers Updates who shared the news, down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Coventry update

“This is ridiculous. He needs to stay. We are terrible at transfers and he is more than ready”

Credit: @westhamhour

“This is madness”

Credit: @AndyWHU1987

“This will be utter madness if we send him out on loan. Screams of what we did to Josh Cullen last year”

Credit: @JH_Journalism

“Nah this club is actually dusted omds”

Credit: @Jackcoyi

“This can’t happen with how painfully thin our squad is right now.”

Credit: @tosman30

“Incomprehensible”

Credit: @LiamMalone12

“This would be the most dumb transfer we have sanctioned in a long time.

And that’s really saying something.”

Credit: @njp6439

“Grady last season, Conor this….our owners really do enjoy taking a swipe at the fans don’t they.”

Credit: @rustyk1971

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘What we’ve been asking for’…West Ham fans flock to official club post, find out more here.