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Giovanni van Bronckhorst was unable to continue his 100% record in charge of Rangers as his side were held to a 1-1 draw on Thursday night.

The Gers ended their Europa League group with a draw against French outfit Lyon, finishing second and qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition.

Scott Wright handed Rangers the lead in the first half with a deflected effort from distance after excellent work from Glen Kamara down the left. However, an own goal from Calvin Bassey – as he diverted a cross into his own net – ensured that the points were shared on the night.

Let his manager down

One player who let the manager down badly on the night was centre-forward Kemar Roofe. He was handed the opportunity to start against the Ligue 1 side and failed to grasp his chance with both hands as he struggled throughout the match.

Whilst John Lundstram in midfield was able to show the Dutchman why he is deserving of more minutes in the team, Roofe may have played his way out of any more starts in the immediate future. The former Leeds man has scored six goals in six Premiership starts this term, but this latest display will not improve his chances of increasing those numbers.

Off the ball, he was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost three of his four aerial duels and five of his seven battles on the ground, whilst also committing four fouls and making just one tackle and zero interceptions. This shows that he was too weak in his individual duels against the Lyon defenders and was easily marked out of the game, having been unable to impose himself on the physical side of the contest.

He did not fare much better in possession. As per SofaScore, he failed to get an effort on target and did not create a single chance for one of his teammates. He also failed to complete a dribble or cross, whilst only finding another Rangers player with 56% of his attempted passes, completing a meagre 10 in total. He had just 25 touches of the ball, significantly fewer than goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin (66).

Therefore, the Jamaica striker let Van Bronckhorst down badly as he struggled with and without the ball against Lyon. It could suggest to the 43-year-old that he is not a player who can be relied upon in big games, which could work against Roofe as the season progresses and the matches become more important.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: “Exemplary” Rangers beast who won 88% duels finally took his chance…

Liverpool have been dealt a late injury setback ahead of their upcoming Champions League meeting with Benfica this evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dylan Terry, with the Independent journalist revealing in a recent article that, despite returning to training ahead of the Reds’ trip to Portugal, Nabby Keita remains a doubt for the quarter-final first-leg tie on Thursday night.

In his piece, Terry writes: “Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return for Klopp’s side after missing the win over Watford on Saturday. Curtis Jones and Joe Matip are set to be available, but Naby Keita remains a doubt. The rest of the Liverpool squad are all fit and ready for the game.”

Klopp will be gutted

While it is true that Keita has not exactly been a first-team regular at Anfield this season, the fact that the midfielder remains a doubt for the trip to Benfica is nevertheless sure to have left Jurgen Klopp gutted.

Indeed, despite having missed a host of games already this season due to injury, the £27m-rated dynamo has still managed to impress over his 15 Premier League outings, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.7 key passes, 0.7 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and winning 3.7 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns have seen the £130k-per-week Guinea international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Klopp’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, the news that the 27-year-old could well be set to miss out once again on Thursday evening is sure to have caused the German coach and his backroom staff a great deal of frustration – as it is clear that a fit and firing Keita is a fantastic option for Liverpool to be able to call upon.

AND in other news: Liverpool now plotting bid for “unplayable” £58m machine, it could be bye-bye Salah

Everton should ignore Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns over Tariq Lamptey and seal a deal for him after Paddy Kenny urged the Brighton & Hove Albion defender be signed instead of Norwich City’s Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, Kenny suggested Everton would be making a mistake by signing Aarons fresh off a Premier League promotion-clinching campaign.

The Toffees are reportedly exploring a deal to sign the Canaries product, who is keen on a move to Merseyside, but are reluctant to pay the £30m fee needed.

Everton chiefs are working to lower Norwich’s valuation but may struggle to drive a hard bargain after Daniel Farke’s side secured their return to the top-flight, and will rival Watford for the Championship title over the final games.

Lamptey has also been linked with a potential summer switch to Goodison Park with the Blues undeterred by the 20-year-old signing a new £40,000-per-week contract in January, although Ancelotti is thought to have concerns over his height at 5 ft 5.

Yet Kenny insists the Chelsea product would be the better option as Seamus Coleman’s long-term successor, as Aarons could be another miss rather than hit in the transfer market.

“They could be making a mistake,” the former Ireland international said. “He [Aarons] is a Championship player, he’s not Premier League at the moment. It is a lot of money to pay for a player who has just been promoted but has only played one season in the Premier League.

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“Lamptey could be the one, he’s a very good player. Everton are hit-and-miss – you don’t know what you’re going to get from them each week. They need to start getting a little bit more consistent. A right-back, you’d think, would be part of that.”

Should Everton sign Lamptey over Aarons?

Aarons would appear to be the favourite to occupy a place in Ancelotti’s plans next season with Everton rating the 21-year-old highly, and believing he can deliver a similar impact to that seen from Ben Godfrey since his arrival from Norwich in October.

That’s not to say Lamptey is out of the running entirely, as the Toffees also consider the electric Brighton full-back to be a ‘great talent’, but he most likely is second on the shortlist at best given Ancelotti’s supposed concerns and a similar £30m asking price.

A season-ending hamstring injury has also kept Lamptey out of action since December, to see that his sample size for the 2020/21 campaign is far less than Aarons’ having only played 11 games to the Canaries dynamo’s 44 appearances across all competitions so far.

Yet having more than four times the minutes on the pitch has only resulted in Aarons (3,898 minutes) offering one more assist than Lamptey (890) – who Neal Maupay claims “doesn’t have limits” – while being matched for goals scored with one each.

Lamptey also won 0.5 of his 1.5 aerial duels per Premier League appearance before being consigned to the treatment room, just shy of 5 ft 9 Coleman’s 0.6 from 1.5 over 11 outings, while 5 ft 10 Aarons has won 0.9 of 2.2 in the Championship after winning 0.6 of two in the top-flight last term, per WhoScored.

If Lamptey’s height is the only prevailing concern Ancelotti has, then Everton should ignore his concern and launch a pursuit with Brighton likely to demand as much to sell as Norwich are for Aarons, who Kenny seemingly fears is only a second-tier talent.

AND in other news, Everton have been told to pay £34.5m for a 23-year-old that Carlo Ancelotti would welcome at Goodison Park…

Manchester United have been linked with Pau Torres as a potential new signing this summer, and now Fabrizio Romano has dropped a fresh update on their pursuit for the player.

What’s the latest?

The Italian journalist and transfer insider took to his Twitter account to confirm the club’s pursuit of the Villarreal centre-back.

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Romano tweeted: “Pau Torres is attracting interest from top clubs again as his release clause will be valid this summer: €55/60m, available until the end of the market.

“Manchester United and Manchester City are both interested – Chelsea have also sent their scouts to follow him.”

Supporters will be excited

If the appointment of Erik ten Hag wasn’t enough to excite supporters of Man United, the opportunity being explored to improve the defensive system in the team will surely leave fans even more excited.

One of the biggest problems that have been identified at the club is the poor defensive play in the team, with the side conceding the most goals of the top eight in the league which has contributed to their struggles this season.

With that being said, the £50m Torres could be a huge breath of fresh air for the club, proving how influential he can be in the back-line for Unai Emery’s side, leading them to success.

Last season Villarreal won the Europa League with the 25-year-old playing a key role, and now the team have qualified for their first Champions League semi-final since 2006 which is an impressive achievement for Torres who has been an important part of the process playing every single game in the European competition.

The 6 f00t 2 star has tallied up impressive statistics this season in La Liga too, proving successful in 80% of his dribbles, winning the majority of his duels (67%), making 4.5 clearances on average per game and has a 94% pass accuracy in his own half, proving that he has an influential presence and is progressive on the ball.

The Red Devils have crashed out of every competition squandering their chances of winning a trophy, and their problems extend to the Premier League too as the side is struggling to qualify for the Champions League with just four games left to go, and six points adrift from the top four.

Acquiring a signing like Torres to improve the defence at Old Trafford could make a huge difference to the team next season and could put Manchester United in a better position to make progress in the league and cup competitions going forward.

AND in other news: Ten Hag now personally asks Man Utd to sign £111m “diamond”, major coup is inbound

For once, there is a beacon of light shining down upon Sunderland. They are trophy winners again and they are edging ever closer to that elusive promotion.

They have faced plenty of tests over the last few weeks, but none bigger than the one they’ll encounter on Saturday afternoon.

On the chalkboard

With seven wins from their last eight league games, the Mackems have generated some fantastic momentum.

That being said, they cannot seem to escape their injury nightmare. Bailey Wright and Jordan Willis are still out while they could be without both Aiden O’Brien and Jordan Jones when they play fellow promotion hopefuls Lincoln on Saturday.

Johnson specified this week than O’Brien would be one of the first to return but he didn’t give a time frame on his potential comeback. The forward has been out since limping off on the hour mark against Portsmouth ten days ago.

The solution

The manager chose to go with Jack Diamond ahead of the injured O’Brien and Jones against Accrington in midweek.

However, he was lumped off at half time after making just three passes of the ball. With that in mind, it would be rather surprising if Johnson selected him from the off again.

That means the 39-year-old should consider handing a first start in a Sunderland shirt to Ross Stewart.

The Scotsman was signed in the winter transfer window but arrived with an injury and thus, didn’t earn his debut until the win over Accrington.

He appeared on the bench in the EFL Trophy win at Wembley and then popped up with a debut goal on Wednesday. It capped off a wonderful week for a player who is continuing to impressing Johnson with his attitude.

The Black Cats didn’t spend much in January but Stewart did arrive for a fee. It was a gamble but it’s immediately paying dividends. Both player and manager have had to wait patiently but, as his soaring header a few days ago tells us, he’s more of a threat to the goal than Diamond.

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As such, this could be the time to unleash him for good. Like Wyke, he is a tall striker, and if you combine the pair they could wreak havoc on the Imps.

It’s not just his football that’s so impressive, however; it’s his relentless mentality. Stewart’s former manager Stuart Kettlewell once said: “He’s an intelligent guy, which is rare in football and he takes on messages well because he has a burning desire to reach the next level.”

Indeed, by helping the Black Cats to promotion, he could well reach that next level. Johnson has to give him the keys to Sunderland’s attack.

AND in other news, Forget Diamond: Johnson should unleash rarely-seen SAFC starlet with “clear ability”…

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy after the Reds were linked with a summer move for Italy winger Domenico Berardi.

Jurgen Klopp will be working hard on potential transfers in the coming weeks and months, as his side try and wrestle the Premier League title back from Manchester City.

Liverpool have already added centre-back Ibrahima Konate to their ranks, but the hope is that more new faces arrive during the transfer window.

One area the Reds could look to add depth in is attack, especially as the likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggled so much last season.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Sassuolo star Berardi, who is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Italy.

The Serie A side want £42million for the 26-year-old’s services, after he scored 17 goals in Serie A in 2020/21.

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Liverpool fans react to Berardi rumour

These Liverpool fans gave their thoughts on the news on Twitter, with negativity the order of the day.

“Lol. No”

Credit: @Gbemiga_A

“£42million????”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Wrong Sassuolo midfielder guys”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“Yeah when you look at that club he’s not the player you should be going for lol”

Credit: @1CraigFisher

“please no”

Credit: @AdamLFC27

“£42m for a bencher. Forget”

Credit: @NewHouse_NM

“He’s 27 soon makes no sense”

Credit: @lfcfelix_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a transfer update regarding a potential Reds target. Read more here.  

West Ham United are among the clubs who are keen on Merih Demiral this transfer window, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

JuveLive.it claim that Juventus are prepared to sell the Turkey international this summer and are hoping to receive in the region of €35m (£30m) for his signature.

It’s believed that the Irons have strong interest in Demiral but so do Premier League rivals Everton, so they could go head-to-head in their battle to secure him, although neither club is said to have made a concrete offer yet.

The 23-year-old endured a nightmare at Euro 2020 after his nation were knocked out of the group stages, losing all three of their matches against Italy, Wales and Switzerland.

Moyes’ next beast

It has been widely reported that Hammers boss David Moyes is seeking defensive reinforcements, which may not come as too much of a surprise as he has let Fabian Balbuena leave the club following the expiry of his contract, whilst Issa Diop is courting interest from AC Milan.

Going by Turkey’s performances this month, Demiral is probably not someone who the Scotsman should be targeting, but it shouldn’t be a slight on his qualities. After all, he’s still only 23 and that’s far from being at peak level for a centre-back.

Described as an “absolute beast” by football scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 3 colossus has proven to be a physically imposing presence throughout his career so far, averaging 2.8 aerial battles won per game, via WhoScored.

Furthermore, averages of 4.2 clearances, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 tackles show that he is well-rounded and has an exceptional ability to read the game and subsequently act on his instincts.

By comparison, this is as many interceptions as West Ham’s box-to-box midfielder Tomas Soucek in 2020/21, and a greater tackling average than Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson, so he would be in good company at the London Stadium.

Also lauded as a “natural leader” in the past, Demiral is someone who will give the team his all, something which Serie A expert Conor Clancy recently reiterated to Football FanCast in an exclusive interview.

He said of the Turkish defender: “He can pass the ball well and he’s a little bit old school as well so he’s more than happy to go into the trenches and he will go to war with a striker if he needs to, and I think he improves any team he goes into.”

Demiral is said to be in “similar stature” to former Premier League great Nemanja Vidic, so he should have no trouble in adapting to the conditions of top-flight English football, if that is to be believed.

If GSB are to keep Moyes happy, they need to secure him a new defensive beast, and the £26m-rated Juventus star is certainly an intriguing option on the above evidence.

AND in other news,  Moyes could seal West Ham bargain in “complete” 6 ft 4 monster, won’t cost GSB a penny…

Aston Villa must look to sign Watford winger Ismaila Sarr this summer amid Lee Hendrie’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Senegal international has been in fine form for the Hornets this season, bagging ten goals and providing a further nine assists, and Hendrie has suggested that he would be a great fit for Dean Smith’s Premier League side.

Speaking exclusively to This is Futbol, the 43-year-old said: “I think he’s a fabulous player, I really do. He’s a young man still learning his trade, very raw. I was a bit disappointed with him this season, at the start of the season.

“I felt that maybe he had possibly sulked at the situation that he wasn’t able to go to Liverpool or actually be back playing in the Premier League and he had to stay at Watford. And it took some time for the penny to drop and he is now in great form, scoring goals, creating.

“Yes, he’s a player that certainly brings that element of attack and forward threat. He’d certainly fit the bill for Dean Smith’s side because that’s the sort of formation he plays with, a sort of three with two wide men. So, yeah, he’d be a great addition to the football club.”

Game-changer for Dean Smith

Despite being part of a relegated Watford side last season, Sarr was one of the shining lights for the Hornets, scoring five goals and setting up a further six in 28 Premier League games, including a magical brace against Liverpool.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, his former teammate at Vicarage Road, waxed lyrical about Sarr’s abilities, telling RMC Sport (via talkSPORT): “I’ve told him as a joke that he’s a Champions League player, but I really think it’s because I know he has exceptional qualities. He’s not just quick, he’s incredible at finishing, he can find space, keep the ball and I hope he’ll go very far.”

His performances have also earned high praise from the likes of Gary Neville, who labelled him a “big, big talent” who is “special”, whilst his international compatriot Sadio Mane called him “rapid” and “very fast” when warning his teammate Andy Robertson of his abilities.

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Villa could really land a superb gem in the £18m-rated speedster.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has confirmed a major boost for Aston Villa…

Tottenham Hotspur are still on the hunt for a new manager but Paul Stewart, who won the FA Cup in 1991 with Spurs, has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he can’t see Mauricio Pochettino returning to the North London club.

Spurs legend, Graham Roberts, had claimed that Daniel Levy should be knocking on Pochettino’s door and asking him to come back despite only sacking the Argentine at Spurs in 2019.

There have been some outlandish reports recently that have suggested Pochettino is already under pressure at PSG after the Parisians were knocked out of the Champions League convincingly by Manchester City, and they will head into the final day of the Ligue 1 season one point behind Lille in the title race.

Pochettino managed to guide Tottenham to an unlikely Champions League final in 2019 but he was sacked just a few months after that feat was reached and when asked if he could see the South American returning to north London, Stewart told the The Transfer Tavern:

“No, no. At the minute we look miles away from a Champions League team so I get what Graham’s saying but for me he would just be working with the same players he had before and we just need fresh faces at the club.

“Whoever is the manager needs to be given time but unfortunately, time isn’t what managers get anymore in the Premier League. It’s the million-dollar question for owners, do you give a manager time?”

Despite reaching the Carabao Cup final, Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties as Tottenham’s manager and since Ryan Mason has taken over they have lost just once in the league.

Spurs appear to still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe as they head into their penultimate fixture of the season against Aston Villa, sitting sixth but just four points off Liverpool in fifth.

According to Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici is already eyeing his next transfer swoop as news emerges about AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Paratici era in full swing…

Following the conclusion of Tottenham’s summer transfer window, it’s safe to say that the new Paratici era is now in full swing.

Chairman Daniel Levy appointed the Italian transfer chief at the beginning of June with Paratici going on to oversee a plethora of incomings and outgoings at N17 – as well as the arrival of new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Now, despite the window literally just shutting, it appears that he has his eyes on another swoop for Spurs.

The Latest: News emerges on Kessie…

According to Calciomercato, Tottenham are ‘ready to make an offer’ of €8 million(£6.8m)-per-year to Kessie in January in order to sign him as a free agent next summer.

The Ivory Coast international has just one year left on his contract at the San Siro and clubs will be able to make personal January offers to land him for free later in 2022.

Milan are facing a battle to tie him down with a new deal as a result and it appears both Spurs and Paratici are intent on taking full advantage in the winter months.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Lauded as an ‘extraordinary’ player by sports writer and broadcaster Nicky Bandini to ESPN, landing Kessie on a free deal next summer would come as quite the coup given his £49.5 million Transfermarkt value.

The 44-cap star is arguably one of Milan’s most key players and extremely well-rounded – notching 13 goals and four assists despite being a natural defensive midfielder.

Still only 24-years-old and with plenty of sell-on value, it’s little wonder the Serie A giants are desperate to renew Kessie’s deal – but Tottenham and Paratici will be praying for exactly the opposite.

In other news: ‘Finished article’…Sky pundit in awe of Spurs starlet who’s an ‘improved version’ of Ndombele, find out more here.