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Glasgow Rangers looked to lower the average age of their playing squad in the recent summer transfer window, with plenty of movement in and out of Ibrox.

The Light Blues, firstly, allowed Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, and Borna Barisic to depart at the end of their respective contracts.

Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also sanctioned the exits of Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Ben Davies, either permanently or on loan.

Those exits freed up space for the Gers to bring in players to bolster the squad, with the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Robin Propper, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes coming through the door, albeit Cortes was on loan during the second half of last term.

This took the squad from an average age of 26.2 in the 2023/24 campaign to 25.2 this season, which suggests that Clement and Koppen did good work to bring down the age of the group.

The Light Blues now have a younger squad that is full of players with the potential to develop and grow in value, and they have recently been urged to go and sign another young player – Lyall Cameron.

Rangers told to sign Lyall Cameron

Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel, former Rangers ace Andy Halliday recently told the Gers to “go and sign” Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.

The retired Scottish defender has urged both the Light Blues and Glasgow rivals Celtic to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old dynamo in the upcoming transfer windows.

Halliday referenced Luke McCowan, who joined the Hoops from Dundee in the summer, and described his move as a ‘no-brainer’, and said that Cameron should be the next player to make the same transfer to one of the big teams in Scotland.

However, the pundit did add that the youngster may not be someone who makes an immediate and big impact at Ibrox, or Parkhead, but that he could arrive as a fantastic squad option for Clement to consider.

McCowan produced ten goals and five assists in 37 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but is more experienced than Cameron – at the age of 26.

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The current Dundee star turned 22 on Thursday and would arrive at Ibrox as a youngster with plenty of potential to develop and improve over the years to come, which could make him a dream for Connor Barron.

Connor Barron's start to life at Rangers

The Scotland U21 international joined Rangers in the summer transfer window after his contract with Aberdeen expired at the end of last season, with the Dons due a yet-to-be-agreed compensation.

He has already emerged as a key player in the engine room for Clement, starting six of his seven appearances in the Premiership so far, and has caught the eye with his displays.

The 22-year-old, like Cameron, is a young talent who still has plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player during his time in Glasgow, which means that the pair could improve alongside each other over the years to come.

Barron has provided a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield for Clement in the Premiership so far this season, completing 91% of his attempted passes.

However, the Scottish youngster has struggled to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, despite his efficiency in possession.

Appearances

7

Goals

0

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.9

Ball recoveries per game

3.7

As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star has yet to contribute with a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created in the top-flight.

He has, though, averaged 5.6 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for the Scottish giants, which shows that he is adept at winning possession back for his side on a consistent basis.

Barron is excellent at breaking up opposition attacks and then keeping play ticking for his team with simple passes, hence his high pass completion rate, and that is another reason why Cameron would be a dream for him, as he has the quality on the ball to complement his compatriot.

Why Rangers should sign Lyall Cameron

The 22-year-old Dundee star is a central midfielder who likes to push forward to make things happen, with goals and assists, at the top end of the pitch.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Cameron contributed with an eye-catching 14 goals and five assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, to help his team to secure promotion from the Championship.

The Scotland U21 international, who was lauded as “terrific” by Gary Bowyer, followed that up with five goals in 28 appearances in the regular season in the Premiership last season for Dundee, in his first year at the top level.

These statistics show that the young whiz, who Rangers have been told to go and sign in the January transfer window, has the potential to offer a solid threat as a goalscorer from a central midfield position. Whereas, Barron has only scored two goals in the Premiership since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Appearances

7

Sofascore rating

7.19

Goals

0

Key passes per game

2.1

Big chances created

2

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, Cameron has yet to showcase his goalscoring ability for Dundee this season but has been in fantastic form as a creator of goals.

Only James Tavernier (2.6) has created more chances per game within the Rangers squad than the 22-year-old star’s 2.1 key passes per match in the Premiership this season, whilst no Gers player has registered more than two assists.

This suggests that Cameron would come in and be one of the biggest creative threats in Clement’s squad, if he can carry that form over to Ibrox.

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Therefore, the SPFL dynamo could be a dream partner for Barron in midfield because he can offer a threat as a scorer and a creator, which the current Gers ace does not, and they can both develop and improve alongside each other at 22 years old.

A European giant have been keeping a close eye on a Tottenham Hotspur star who they are obsessed with, and are ready to make a substantial offer to sign him in January or next summer, according to one report.

Tottenham stars in demand

Ange Postecoglou’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, their fourth loss of the Premier League season, on Sunday. It means that they have suffered as many defeats as they have wins, leaving them eighth in the Premier League as it stands and looking like longshots to finish in the top four, a spot that would guarantee Champions League football in north London next season.

Despite this, Tottenham’s stars are in demand across Europe. Cristian Romero is thought to be on the radar of Real Madrid as they look to bolster their backline, a defence that suffered a 4-0 humiliation against Barcelona in their most recent home El Clásico.

Their search has also seen them eye up Micky van De Ven, who has impressed since arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium from Wolfsburg and looks ready to play Champions League football.

Meanwhile, Los Blancos have also been credited with an interest in Pedro Porro, alongside former club Manchester City, with Spurs keen to extract a club record fee for a defender to let him leave.

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Elsewhere, bit-part trio Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray and Richarlison have all been linked with moves away in what could be a major overhaul at the club, though Gray would only depart on loan after arriving for £35m in the most recent transfer window, while any other departures would need to be replaced in the transfer market.

AC Milan chief "obsessed" with Spurs ace

That comes as reports in Italy have linked Milan with a shock move to sign Tottenham standout star Dejan Kulusevski as early as January.

The Swedish ace has been rejuvenated as a central midfielder this season, having spent much of his career on the right wing. His performances have been impressive alongside James Maddison in the Spurs engine room, and his skillset combined with physical attributes have led to him being described as the “most unique player” in the Premier League by content creator James Allcott.

Dejan Kulusevski’s 24/25 Premier League season

Appearances

9

Goals and Assists

3

Progressive passes per 90

5.87

Pass Accuracy %

85.5%

Tackles and interceptions per 90

1.87

Now, Juve Live [Via Sport Witness] report that Milan senior advisor and Kulusevski’s compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic is “obsessed” with the midfielder, and is keen to lure him to San Siro.

He reportedly sees him as a perfect replacement to Rafael Leao, whose future is “uncertain”, and the club are ready to make their move as early as the January transfer window, though that would likely depend on the future of Leao.

It is added that Milan would be willing to pay up to 50m euros (£42m) to sign the Spurs man, a fee that would likely be rejected by Tottenham as far too low given his recent form.

With the Swede under contract at Tottenham until 2028, a sale seems very unlikely unless an offer too good to refuse came in, something that Milan’s would not represent. However, should he continue to impress this season in his new role, other clubs may well join the hunt for the Spurs man.

Tottenham Hotspur have been sent a warning that Napoli and former Spurs boss Antonio Conte are “ready” to move for an “outstanding” starlet in Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Spurs prepare for tough test against Aston Villa

Following on from their uplifting 2-1 win over Man City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, which was much-needed after their slump to lowly Crystal Palace last weekend, the Lilywhites take on high-flying Aston Villa in another very tough test.

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Unai Emery’s side have lost just once all season so far, a defeat to Premier League title-chasing Arsenal back in August, and appear on course to be sure-fire contenders for a place in the top four yet again.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Man City vs Tottenham

November 23

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Spurs, meanwhile, have endured a very mixed start to the campaign under Postecoglou – winning four, losing four and drawing one of their opening eight top-flight matches as the Australian aims to galvanize a consistent winning run from his side.

Timo Werner’s been singled out for criticism amid his lacklustre form, but the German scored his first goal in all competitions since March by opening the scoring against Man City in midweek.

The 28-year-old will be hoping to build upon that strike by regaining full form, amid reports that Werner is likely to return to RB Leipzig at the end of his loan spell as things stand, with Spurs edging towards not taking up the option to sign him permanently.

While the likes of Dejan Kulusevski have seriously impressed, with the Swede arguably showcasing his best-ever run of form in a Lilywhites jersey right now, other members of the squad like Werner haven’t been able to help Tottenham’s cause as much.

Summer signing Archie Gray could be loaned out by Spurs in January, as intermediaries apparently tell Postecoglou’s side that many clubs in the Premier League and Championship are considering winter approaches for the teenager (GiveMeSport).

Gray has struggled for game time in the top flight, and those within the club apparently believe they have a decision to make in regard to loaning him out (GiveMeSport).

Tottenham warned that Napoli are "ready" to move for Dragusin

Another player who’s been forced to play more of a bit-part role in the squad is January signing Radu Dragusin.

Dragusin is attracting interest from Serie A, as per other reports, and it is believed that Napoli are seriously keen on the “outstanding” 22-year-old. That is according to journalist Paolo Paganini, who told Rai 2 (via CalcioNapoli) that Napoli are ready to move for Dragusin in January – sending a warning to Tottenham.

“Be careful because Napoli is ready to make a double move in January,” said Paganini.

“One is Dorgu from Lecce, and the other is Dragusin from the Premier League. Be careful because Raspadori can leave, but [Aurelio] De Laurentiis will hardly give him to Juventus. Atalanta also like him.”

Letting the Romania international leave could be a head-scratching decision, considering Spurs’ congested fixture calendar, and the consensus in England is that Tottenham have no interest in selling or loaning Dragusin mid-season.

Glasgow Rangers had to settle for a draw in Greece on Thursday evening in their Europa League clash with Olympiacos, relying on Cyriel Dessers to score the equaliser during the second half.

Philippe Clement’s men sit in tenth position in the table, although they still have to play Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in their remaining four fixtures.

At this moment, Europe is considered an afterthought, especially given how poorly the Ibrox side has performed domestically.

Dessers was back on the scoresheet for the second time in five days after his goal against Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final.

Could this be a sign of a resurgence?

Cyriel Dessers' stats against Olympiacos

Danilo was not registered in the European squad, so Dessers was chosen to start against the Greek side.

In true Dessers fashion, he missed two big chances before finally finding the back of the net. The first chance he was through on goal with only the keeper to beat, but fluffed his lines, while the second saw him fire a shot straight at Konstantinos Tzolakis after a cutback from Vaclav Cerny.

He did manage four shots in total during the clash, looking a lot livelier than he had been in recent weeks, while also winning four of his seven aerial duels and being fouled twice.

Goals

1

Touches

36

Big chances missed

2

Possession lost

17

Aerial duels (won)

7 (4)

Total shots

4

Hamza Igamane replaced him with five minutes to go, giving the youngster some precious minutes.

A few other players stood out, none more so than Cerny, who shone on the right flank for the Light Blues.

Vaclav Cerny’s game in numbers vs Olympiacos

A few weeks ago, Cerny was being targeted by a section of the Ibrox support after a few poor displays, which included him missing an open goal in the tie against Lyon.

A month later, the Czech winger has netted five goals and grabbed three assists in his last six matches, showcasing incredible resilience.

Against the Greek side, Cerny not only grabbed the assist for Dessers goal, but he also made five key passes, created two big chances and succeeded with five dribbles from an impressive eight attempts down the right wing.

He looked a menace throughout and if he can maintain this sort of form in the coming weeks, the Gers might just get back to their best domestically.

The winger did lose possession 14 times, but this was the only downside to a display which will further bolster his confidence, no doubt about that.

With a clash against Hearts coming up on Sunday, Clement simply has to keep Cerny in the starting XI, as securing all three points could give the manager some breathing space ahead of the international break next week.

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A draw against the Europa Conference League winners isn’t a bad result by any stretch of the imagination, but the Light Blues will need to take points off either Spurs or Man United to have a chance of making the knockout stages.

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Ipswich Town are already plotting to replace a summer signing with a “huge talent” from the lower leagues, according to a new report.

The Tractor Boys picked up their first win of the Premier League season on Sunday as they pulled off a surprise 2-1 win away at Tottenham Hotspur. Those first three points of the season have removed a huge burden, and Kieran McKenna will hope that can help his side can kick on for the rest of the campaign.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 13, 2024 Jack Clarke’s future at Ipswich in doubt

Jack Clarke was one of many arrivals at Portman Road during the summer transfer window, but already his future has been thrown into doubt. It hasn’t been the best of starts for the 23-year-old, as he’s yet to score for his new side, with his only contribution going forward being an assist in the draw against Aston Villa back in September, and he has only started three of the nine league games he has played in.

This situation has led to Leicester City keeping an eye on Clarke and weighing up whether to make a move for him. The winger signed a contract until the summer of 2029, so Ipswich will be in no rush to sell him for cheap, but the Foxes are monitoring Clarke and have a long transfer plan in mind.

Clarke cannot play for another club this season, as he played for Sunderland before joining Ipswich. Therefore, Leicester plan to wait until the summer before making an attempt for Clarke. It will be down to Ipswich to decide what to do when that time comes, but the Tractor Boys already have their eye on a potential replacement.

Ipswich could replace Jack Clarke with Kwame Poku

According to TBR Football, Ipswich Town are keeping an eye on Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku and his situation at the League One club. The 23-year-old has been a Posh player since joining them in August 2021 from Colchester United, where he had scored six goals in 75 games in all competitions.

Poku, who was described as a “huge talent” by former Colchester boss John McGreal in 2020, has been mightily impressive for Peterborough this season, scoring 10 goals in 15 league appearances, three of which came on Saturday, as he bagged a hat trick against Cambridge United. He also has five assists to his name, making him a key contributor for the Posh going forward.

As things stand, Poku is set to become a free agent next summer, and he has interest from teams such as Ipswich, Southampton, Burnley, and Millwall. Meanwhile, Rangers had scouts present for Peterborough’s game on Saturday, as they wanted to watch him live in action.

Apps

133

Goals

28

Assists

29

Peterborough are keen to tie Poku down to a new contract as they try to avoid losing their star man on a free transfer, but his arrival at Portman Road could see Ipswich let Clarke leave, as Poku will be fighting for a place in the starting XI with the form he is showing.

Manchester United have been handed a massive boost as it has emerged that one of Europe’s elite is ready to turn down Barcelona in order to join Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford in the upcoming transfer windows.

Amorim takes charge at Manchester United

Amorim’s first game in charge of Manchester United took just 81 seconds to ignite as Marcus Rashford put his side ahead against Premier League new-boys Ipswich Town.

However, it was all downhill from there as Omari Hutchinson grabbed a deserved equaliser for the hosts on the stroke of half time before a low-key second half saw Ipswich edge the better chances and left Manchester United forced to settle for a point in East Anglia.

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There were immediately clear issues for Amorim to solve, with Rashford chosen to start as a striker but offering little except the goal, while Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were both introduced from the bench in the second half to little effect.

Elsewhere, Diogo Dalot looked uncomfortable in his new wing-back role, while Bruno Fernandes was also sidelined for much of the game on the right hand side of attack.

“I know it is frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games,” Amorim explained after the game. “We are going to suffer for a long period. We will try to win games but this will take time.”

While tactics are likely to improve the Red Devils, part of the changes at the club will come in the transfer market, and United have been handed a boost in that regard.

Man Utd favourite destination for in-demand star

That comes as it has been claimed that Viktor Gyokeres is ready to turn down interest from Barcelona to reunite with Amorim at Old Trafford next summer, should the Red Devils opt to move for him.

The Swedish striker is among the hottest properties in world football, having scored 33 goals already this season across all competitions and caught the eye of several clubs including Arsenal and Barcelona.

It was under Amorim that he really found his feet among Europe’s elite marksmen, and he is now keen to repay that faith by reuniting with his former boss at Old Trafford.

Appearances

68

Goals

66

Assists

23

Minutes per goal/assist

64.1

That is according to The Sun, who claim that “Gyokeres has his heart set on a move to the Premier League and a reunion with ex-boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United”, meaning that he will turn down any Barcelona approaches.

Gyokeres could certainly arrive as the undisputed no.1 striker at Old Trafford, despite Amorim’s experiment with Rashford against Ipswich, and his ability to both hold the ball up and find the back of the net with astonishing regularity could help turn the Red Devils into genuine top four contenders and more.

He is thought to be available for just £63m next summer, despite having a €100m (£84m) release clause written into his Sporting contract, thanks to a gentleman’s agreement between the club and player.

A proven goalscorer who has thrived under Amorim and wants to move to Old Trafford, is this the most obvious transfer for the Red Devils?

Celtic return to Parkhead this afternoon as they prepare to welcome Hibernian to Glasgow in their 15th match of the Scottish Premiership campaign.

The Hoops are seven points clear at the top of the table after they beat second-placed Aberdeen 1-0 on Wednesday night, thanks to a goal from Reo Hatate.

Brendan Rodgers’ side, albeit with a game in hand, would have only been one point ahead of the Dons if they had lost that game away from home during the week, which is why it was crucial to pick up all three points.

Hatate secured all three points for the Scottish giants with a fantastic finish after Greg Taylor lifted it over the opposition’s defence to send the Japan international through in the box.

The Hoops must continue to perform in the Premiership, however, to ensure that they maintain the gap between themselves and Rangers and Aberdeen.

This means that this clash with Hibernian at Parkhead this afternoon remains an important game, despite their healthy advantage over their rivals, and Rodgers could make some changes to his starting XI after a few players struggled against the Dons.

Celtic's worst performers against Aberdeen

Firstly, left-back Alex Valle endured an incredibly frustrating 45 minutes of action after being selected to start at left-back, before being hauled off at half-time by the manager.

The Spanish defender, who is on a season-long loan from Barcelona, lost eight of his 11 duels, failed with all five of his attempted dribbles, and lost the ball a staggering 16 times in just one half.

This shows that Valle was incredibly wasteful in possession and a lightweight off the ball, as the Aberdeen players found it far too easy to

get the better of him in physical contests.

Centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi was another player whose performance left plenty to be desired. He played the first 66 minutes of the game and lost 100% (1/1) of his duels, whilst only completing five of his nine passes.

The Japan international ended his time on the pitch with zero shots on goal and zero chances created for his teammates, although he was hardly helped by the midfielders behind him.

Minutes

66

Shots on target

0

Big chances created

0

Dribbles completed

0

Pass accuracy

79%

As you can see in the table above, Paulo Bernardo also played the first 66 minutes of the match after being selected in midfield alongside Callum McGregor and Hatate.

The summer signing from Benfica, after his loan spell at Parkhead in the 2023/24 campaign, failed to offer much in the way of quality in possession for the Hoops, with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created to help Kyogo, Nicolas Kuhn, and Daizen Maeda.

After his struggles in possession against Aberdeen, Rodgers should ruthlessly bin him from the starting line-up against Hibernian, despite his other quality displays this term.

Paulo Bernardo's performances this season

The central midfielder has started seven of his 13 appearances in the Premiership so far this term, which shows that the head coach has dipped him in and out of the XI at times.

Bernardo has failed to nail down a regular place in the line-up in the top-flight and that may be because of performances like the one against Aberdeen, which should now see him dropped for today’s match.

The 22-year-old maestro has, however, provided plenty of moments of attacking quality throughout the Premiership season so far, and is far from a poor player with nothing to offer.

Appearances

13

Starts

7

Goals

2

Big chances created

4

Assists

2

Key passes per game

1.8

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo has produced six goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just seven starts in the league this season, which is a more than respectable return at the top end of the pitch.

He has also made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game and won 59% of his duels in the division, which shows that the former Benfica starlet can hold his own out of possession.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Despite his solid performances on the whole in the Premiership, his showing against Aberdeen should see him ruthlessly dropped in favour of Scottish whiz Luke McCowan.

Why Luke McCowan should start

The former Dundee whiz should come back into the starting line-up after he was harshly left out of the team by Rodgers after his sensational showing against Ross County.

Celtic brought McCowan in from Dundee on a permanent deal on deadline day and the left-footed wizard has provided a fantastic rotation option for the Northern Irish boss.

He arrived as a proven Premiership performer, with ten goals and five assists in the division in the 2023/24 campaign, and has hit the ground running at Parkhead.

McCowan, for Celtic and Dundee combined, has scored five goals and provided four assists in 13 appearances and six starts in the top-flight this season, which shows that he can offer quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Hoops.

The 26-year-old star’s best performance in a Celtic shirt came in his last start for the club against Ross County at Parkhead last weekend, as he starred in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the highlights above, the former Dundee man was directly involved in three of the five first half goals, with one goal and three assists for the Scottish giants.

McCowan, who was described as a “game winner” by Marvin Bartley, can offer a threat as a finisher whilst also having the ability to create chances for his teammates from open play and from set-pieces, as evidenced by his performance against Ross County.

However, he was dropped for the 1-0 win over Aberdeen and came off the bench to create two chances and one ‘big chance’ for his side in just 24 minutes on the pitch.

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Therefore, Rodgers should ditch Bernardo, who struggled against the Dons, to unleash McCowan from the start after a superb showing against Ross County and a bright cameo on Wednesday night.

Whilst Gary O’Neil has managed to keep hold of his position for the time being, Wolverhampton Wanderers now reportedly hold a real interest in appointing one particular Championship manager to replace him.

O'Neil remains under pressure at Wolves

Although many saw the West Ham game as the last chance for O’Neil to save his Wolves job, the Telegraph’s John Percy has since reported that the manager currently retains the backing of those in charge at Molineux and will be given the chance to turn his side’s disappointing form around before being supported with January signings.

That said, previous reports suggest that the Midlands club have at least been looking at other options, with names such as David Moyes and Graham Potter mentioned in recent weeks, only for neither to complete moves into the Wolves technical area.

Now, the Premier League strugglers could decide to look towards a familiar face should they decide to part ways with O’Neil. According to Molineux News, Wolves now have a real interest in replacing O’Neil with Rob Edwards, who made 111 appearances for the club as a player from 2004 to 2008.

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Edwards certainly knows what it would mean to keep Wolves in the Premier League, but that’s not to say it wouldn’t be a risky move. The Luton Town boss is currently facing struggles of his own since dropping down to the Championship with the Hatters last season. Among the favourites for promotion at the start of the season, Luton currently sit as low as 15th and just five points adrift of the dropzone in disappointing fashion.

Wolves should avoid risk of appointing "insane" Edwards

As much as the narrative behind a former player returning to the dugout to take Wolves to survival may appeal to those in the Midlands, Edwards already has one relegation on his CV and there’s no guarantee that he would perform better than the more experienced O’Neil, especially given Luton’s recent form.

Of course, had the links emerged last season when Edwards was at the centre of praise, then the risk may have been worthwhile. But Wolves can’t afford to take a gamble in their current position with Premier League safety on the line.

That said, there may still come a day when Edwards steps back into Premier League management, having received such high praise from Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp last season.

The former Reds boss told reporters as relayed by Luton Today: “The job Rob is doing there is insane. I’m not sure it’s really respected enough that a team with the amount of points they had in the beginning of the season making such a footballing development, I’m not sure I saw that before.

“When you saw the Man United game, it was an incredible game of Luton. Yes, they lost it, but it was an incredible game. They increased possession periods during the season in a really crazy way. Good players, obviously top, top coached.”

Everton are now one of several clubs keeping close tabs on a chance-creating monster ahead of the upcoming transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Everton aiming for Premier League survival

A hard-fought draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium moved Everton ever so slightly closer to Premier League survival, which is the ultimate aim for Sean Dyche’s side this season.

The Toffees kept Arsenal out to move three points clear of the relegation zone, with a game in hand on those below them, with that game in hand being the Merseyside derby.

Though they are the second-lowest scorers in the division, Everton have also boasted a mean defence in recent weeks, keeping four clean sheets in their last five games – the outlier being a 4-0 thrashing by Manchester United.

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Taking it further back, they have conceded just seven goals in their last 10 games, with four of those coming against the Red Devils, and are slowly but surely pulling away from the relegation zone. That is the ultimate goal given off-the-pitch distractions, with the Toffees set to move into a new stadium next season and in the final stages of a takeover by the Friedkin Group, who are expected to be in place by January.

They will inherit a squad that arguably requires significant surgery before the new campaign, with the club currently set to lose as many as eight players for nothing next summer including the likes of Ashley Young and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

There is almost certain to be a major overhaul, therefore, and now the Toffees may have found a new target.

Everton eyeing Championship star

That comes according to Football League World, who report that Everton are one of several clubs keeping a close eye on Watford creative star Giorgi Chakvetadze.

The Georgian international attacker has enjoyed an excellent season to date, and is a key reason behind Tom Cleverley’s side finding themselves on the cusp of the play off places.

Though he has just four assists to his name this campaign, he has created the most chances in the division, providing 11 more passes that led to shots than anyone else across England’s second tier.

Most shot creating actions (24/25 Championship)

Giorgi Chakvetadze (Watford)

105

Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough)

94

Jack Rudoni (Coventry City)

84

Alfie Doughty (Luton Town)

77

Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday)

77

Teammate Daniel Bachmann was full of praise for the diminutive forward after their 1-0 win over Oxford United in November, telling Sky Sports “the way he dribbles with the ball is just phenomenal.”

Now, he has reportedly caught the eye of Everton, as well as Premier League rivals Leicester City and Wolves, though all three are “wary of the high price tag” he could fetch midseason.

It was reported in October that “the Hornets would demand £20million for the Georgian’s signature”, and his performances since have only seen that value rise. As a result, it is claimed that “the price tag they demand could well put off Premier League sides in January”.

However, a summer move could be more plausible, especially if Watford fail to secure promotion to the Premier League, while Everton will need signings to fill out their squad following what seems set to be a mass exodus on Merseyside.

Liverpool were supposed to collapse when Jurgen Klopp left. Like a house of cards. Rivals wanted the Reds cast back into the depths of mediocrity after their prosperous period. Liverpool had had their heyday, and it was time for some new blood to challenge indomitable Manchester City.

How wrong they were. To be fair, Liverpool’s own fanbase has been flummoxed by the ridiculous football being played under Arne Slot’s management. Four points clear at the pole of the Premier League at Christmas – and with a game in hand too.

Tottenham Hotspur have been hailed for their entertaining football. Ange Postecoglou knows how to raise the volume from the dugout. The problem for those of a Spurs persuasion is he doesn’t really control which area of the crowd that noise will come from.

Liverpool pounced on Tottenham’s chaos and won 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. It was beautiful, beguiling, brilliant. The forwards were in full swing.

Mohamed Salah was the main man – no surprises there – but Luis Diaz returned to Premier League form brilliantly with a two-goal performance down N17.

Luis Diaz's striking success

Diaz, 27, assumed the centre-forward spot at Tottenham with Diogo Jota being managed after a long injury and Darwin Nunez’s inconsistency convincing Slot that he needed to be benched.

Diaz isn’t a natural striker but his movements and trickiness make him a slippery customer with Cody Gakpo and Salah flanking. If you can only say one thing for Slot, you’d have to praise his tactical brilliance.

As per Sofascore, Diaz complemented his two-goal return with two key passes and success in his one attempted dribble. He’s dynamic and difficult to defend against, but not the solution at number nine in the long run.

Liverpool eyeing new forward

Liverpool will need to consider a new striker in several months, for Nunez has only scored four goals across 22 outings in 2024/25 and Jota, as stated, cannot be trusted on the fitness front.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

As per Football Insider, FSG have found their dream solution in Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro. The 23-year-old has been excellent since arriving on the south coast in 2023 and is also catching Arsenal’s eye.

Liverpool’s recruitment team are understood to have discussed Joao Pedro in recent transfer conversations, and it may well be that he is right at the top of the shopping list, with a bid now being plotted.

However, the Seagulls are no pushovers and will look to collect £60m for their talisman’s departure, but on the basis of the evidence, his arrival would be worth the financial blow.

Why Joao Pedro could be better than Luis Diaz

Diaz is wonderfully electric, but the problem with his energy is that it can’t be channelled into something fluent and even. Instead, it’s bumpy and slanted, leaving Liverpool with a world-class talent prone to lapses.

Before his north London brace, the Colombian had gone three months – ten fixtures – since a top-flight goal, but then with 11 strikes from 23 matches across all competitions, he’s hardly flattering to deceive.

Even so, Brighton’s South American star has the quality to take his place when the time comes. Indeed, Diaz’s tentative contract discussions with Liverpool over a new contract have reportedly provided no fruit so far, with the respective parties believed to have ‘disagreements’.

Barcelona are long-time admirers and it feels like next summer could be the perfect time to cash in while the 27-year-old’s stock is high.

Joao Pedro must be his replacement, already a potent force. As per FBref, Joao Pedro ranks among the top 11% of Premier League forwards this season for goals scored, the top 16% for assists and the top 12% for aerial battles won per 90, emphasising not only his potency but his physicality too.

He’s scored four goals and assisted three more from just 11 Premier League games (nine starts). Last season, he notched 20 strikes from 44 matches across all competitions, impressing after his £30m transfer from Watford.

Diaz is a showman, one of the league’s great entertainers, but Pedro also carries that special something that raises roofs. He has recently been described as a “really magical” player by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard.

Matches (starts)

16 (11)

11 (9)

Goals

7

4

Assists

2

3

Touches*

32.9

40.1

Shots (on target)

1.9 (0.9)

1.6 (0.6)

Pass completion

86%

76%

Key passes*

1.3

1.2

Dribble (success)*

1.3 (47%)

1.3 (47%)

Tackles + interceptions*

1.0

1.1

Total duels (won)*

3.3 (38%)

5.0 (52%)

The fact is that Pedro is already producing performances that carry underlying data that outdoes that of Diaz. Liverpool’s winger slash forward doesn’t actually produce the highest output concerning his ball-carrying and ball-playing, hitting a similar vein of creativity and failing to match Brighton’s man in terms of combativeness and defensive strength.

Let’s not forget that the Brighton attacker is only 23, and while he would cost a pretty penny to bring to Anfield, Liverpool would be investing in a talent capable of hitting stratospheric heights across the seasons to come.

Ultimately, Liverpool are going to need to address their problem at number nine, with Nunez unable to prove his composure and clinical edge thus far and Diaz probably not the long-term solution.

Diaz is a first-rate player, but he’s prone to blips and is most naturally effective as a left winger anyway.

In Pedro, Liverpool would secure an upgrade in the striker’s seat while bolstering their left flank too, given that the Brazilian has played ample football on the wing.

Slot has taken Klopp’s gifted group of players and sharpened them to a fine attacking point. Brighton’s main man would only go from strength to strength on Merseyside, and FSG need to make it happen.

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