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Rangers should reignite their interest in Muhamed Besic after his release by Everton this week, as he could be an excellent addition to Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox next season.

The Gers were heavily linked with the Bosnia-Herzegovina international last summer as Gerrard looked to bolster his midfield options but he remained with the Toffees, where he failed to make a single appearance during the 2020/21 campaign.

It was no surprise when the Merseyside outfit released him earlier this week, meaning that he will be a free agent this summer and will be in need of a new club.

Besic is still only 28 so he should still have a few years left playing at a high level, and he could add some excellent depth in Gerrard’s side next season as they look to retain the Premiership title and compete in the Champions League.

The defensive midfielder has plenty of experience in the Premier League, having made 46 appearances in the English top flight with Everton and Sheffield United (on loan), whilst he has also impressed on loan with Middlesbrough in the Championship.

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Besic may have first caught the eye of Everton when he produced a fine performance for Bosnia- Herzegovina in the 2014 World Cup in a game against Argentina, where he was tasked with marking Lionel Messi and did such a good job that he was dubbed “Messi’s shadow”.

He joined the Toffees that summer and was a regular in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season but steadily lost his regular place in their starting XI during his time at the club.

However, if he can produce the form he has regularly shown for his country if he goes to Rangers, where he would surely be afforded more regular first team opportunities than he was given at Everton, then he could be a worthwhile addition to Gerrard’s squad this summer should he make the move north.

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Given that he is a free agent and has seemingly been admired by the Liverpool legend in the past judging by the previous transfer rumours, perhaps it would not be a surprise to see him end up at Ibrox ahead of next season if Ross Wilson does get the nod to bring him in.

In other news… Gerrard may already have his Davis heir at Rangers in never-before-seen “mountain”

BBC Scotland pundit Marvin Bartley has been full of praise for the performance of Celtic forward Jota over the weekend. 

The lowdown: Celtic one step closer

The Hoops took another significant stride toward the Premiership title with a 2-0 victory over Ross County at Victoria Park on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are now six points clear at the top of the table with four matches remaining after an opening goal from Kyogo Furuhashi and a late strike from Jota sealed the points in Dingwall.

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After the match, there were plenty of plaudits for the Portuguese ace in particular…

The latest: Bartley praises Jota

Speaking to BBC Sportscene (April 24, 19:31), Bartley was full of praise for the display of the 23-year-old on loan from Benfica.

The Livingston defender gushed: “His all-around game is absolutely brilliant. If you’re a Celtic fan you want him signed up as soon as possible. He’s a striker’s dream, isn’t he? If you go in the right areas, he’ll find you. His head is up all the time.

“He can play left, he can play right, he’s pro-active, he’s constantly on the move. He’s got that belief he can go past anyone.”

The verdict: Top-drawer display from Jota

This was a performance right out of the top drawer from Jota as the Portugal under-21 starlet took his tally for the season to 11 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Overall, the youngster earned a standout 8.90 rating for his display, which contained four key passes and two further big chances created, along with the goal and assist (Sofascore).

Performances such as this will only further increase the clamour for the club to pay the reported £6m required to make the loan sensation a Celtic player on a permanent basis over the summer.

In other news, an expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Sheffield United’s board were against the signing of Rhian Brewster.

Brewster was signed under former Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder for big money, joining from Liverpool in a £23.5m deal last year.

However, the 21-year-old striker has really struggled in the Premier League this season, failing to score a goal all campaign.

Ultimately, it is a transfer that has simply not worked out yet, and Palmer is convinced the signing is one that the Sheffield United higher-ups were never fully on board with.

On Brewster, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday player told TT:

“The striker I believe that they signed from Liverpool, I think the board were against him [Wilder] bringing him in. He hasn’t really hit the ground running.

“But, you know, on another day that could have worked out. Now they’ve been relegated, that could work out for him. He could score shedloads in that division.”

Brewster was in prolific form during his last spell in the Championship, scoring 11 goals in 22 appearances for Swansea City back in the 2019/20 season.

Bearing that in mind, the England U21 international could still come good for the Blades and help fire them back up to the Premier League.

Lots of Sunderland fans have been left blasting the performance of Lynden Gooch in their 6-0 defeat away at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

It was a dismal day for the Stadium of Light faithful in their race to get promoted from League One, and while the defenders were truly awful in trying to keep the ball out of the net, the attackers were equally as poor going forward.

None more so than Gooch, who failed to record a single shot on goal or key pass, and was inaccurate in three of his attempted crosses and long balls (SofaScore).

The winger also gave the ball away on no fewer than on 21 separate occasions in total, the most out of any player on the pitch, in what was a disappointing game for him and the whole team.

Sunderland fans blast Gooch

These SAFC supporters were left blasting his display on Twitter, with one Black Cat even going as far as to claim that he is an ‘imposter’:

“100% convinced Gooch is a imposter”

Credit: @freddiesafc27

“Lynden Gooch plays every week, surely the “management team” can see he’s simply not good enough, it doesn’t matter who we face or any other excuses he’s simply not a good footballer.”

Credit: @jfoster3_

“Gooch has to be dropped now”

Credit: @woodylad83

“They were all atrocious. Gooch just stood out. LJ’s tactics aren’t working either.”

Credit: @Lauren_McLeish

“Leave Lynden Gooch in Bolton”

Credit: @mackemroy66

“Never want to see Gooch in a Sunderland kit again”

Credit: @omiddsafc

In other news, find out what transfer update has Black Cats buzzing here!

This has been a promising start to Celtic’s season, with the Hoops moving through European qualification and sitting level on points with their fiercest rivals in the league.

The Hoops may not stand a chance of reaching the Champions League group stage this term but there is still plenty to be positive about since Ange Postecoglou walked through the door.

From an offensive point of view, the Bhoys have warmed Parkhead with some phenomenal displays. A return of 13 goals in their last three games tells the story of a team who have excelled with new signings Kyogo Furuashi and Liel Abada in their ranks.

However, with Odsonne Edouard still seeking an exit, they will need a replacement to fill his goal-laden boots.

Celtic have considered OH Leuven forward Thomas Henry, who racked up 21 goals last season, ranking him as the second-highest scorer in the Belgian top-flight.

He has netted 45 times for the club in total following two remarkable campaigns in front of goal and, as a result, he is now on the verge of a whopping £7m move.

A fresh challenge beckons for the Frenchman, and if he arrives at Parkhead, he could be the club’s new Chris Sutton, just with a bit of extra pace thrown in.

Sutton was a wonderful servant to the Glasgow club, finding the net on 63 occasions in the Premiership.

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Many of those goals came with his ruthless heading ability, swatting opponents to one side as he bullied defenders with titanic physicality.

Writing in the Independent, journalist Ryan Baldi once said: “With a strong leap, well-developed neck muscles and precise timing, Sutton’s aerial abilities made him a constant threat in the opposition’s penalty area. And the remarkable range from which he could land powerful headers on target brought him solace in one of the most difficult periods of his career.”

That’s an area where Thomas is also adept. Although he possesses the ability to run in behind, it’s his immense physical power which makes him such a difficult player for opponents to handle.

The 26-year-old competes in 15.2 attacking duels per 90 minutes, winning 42% of them. That puts the French forward in the 96th percentile for that statistic among players in a similar league.

He also battles 7.3 aerial duels per 90, prevailing in 45%. Once again, that’s one of the best tallies out there, with Thomas ranking in the 95th percentile for duels off the ground.

Described as a player who can “cause havoc” by Lokeren manager Karel Fraeye, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Henry could be exactly like Sutton at Celtic.

AND in other news, Forget Turnbull: “Majestic” £16k-p/w “ballet dancer” was Celtic’s true hero yesterday…

Norwich City are reportedly interested in signing Bordeaux winger Mehdi Zerkane this summer, as Daniel Farke looks to strengthen his squad.

The Lowdown: Additions needed for PL return

The Canaries have sealed a return back to the Premier League, with Farke’s side clinching title glory in the Championship and playing superb football along the way.

Despite this, there is no denying that reinforcements are needed, in order for Norwich to avoid relegation this time around.

The Latest: Norwich interested in Zerkane

According to La Gazette du Fennec [via Eastern Daily Press], Norwich are eyeing up a move for Zerkane, who has made 26 appearances for Bordeaux in Ligue 1 this season.

The 21-year-old recently made his debut for Algeria and it is believed that the French would consider an offer for the £1.8million-rated attacker.

The Verdict: An exciting option

Admittedly, Zerkane has only registered one goal and assist apiece in the league this season, but he is a young player with clear potential, enjoying an 84.9 percent pass completion rate.

His statistics are actually eerily similar to rising Canaries starlet Adam Idah – Zerkane manages 0.6 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, while Idah musters 0.8 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.6 dribbles.

This all suggests he would fit into Norwich’s fast-paced, ball-playing style and his long-term potential means he is someone Farke could build into a top player.

That being said, more established players are required if the Canaries are to remain in the Premier League, with youngsters not enough to take them up another level.

In other news, Norwich have reportedly entered the race to sign a centre-back this summer. Find out who it is here.

Former Tottenham captain Graham Roberts has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Daniel Levy made a huge mistake in failing to sign Jack Grealish.

With Villa facing another season in the Championship back in the summer of 2018, Mauricio Pochettino was keen on bringing the highly-rated midfielder to Spurs.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham bid £25m for Grealish’s services, which came after Levy launched an opening-bid of around £3m and Josh Onomah as he simply wasn’t willing to pay the £40m asking-price for the Championship player.

Onomah ended up joining Villa on loan for the season, but Grealish stayed at his boyhood club and has since gone on to become of one the Premier League’s top attacking players, which is why he’s now on Manchester City’s radar for a reported £100m fee.

Following his impressive form for England at the Euro’s, which included an assist for Harry Kane, a partnership Spurs fans could have been blessed with in recent seasons, Levy’s high-profile error in not signing Grealish is looking worse with every passing week.

And given Grealish’s rise to the top, Roberts looked back on an opportunity missed for Tottenham:

“He was going to give Onomah and £3m, something like that. Aston Villa were in trouble, it was a mistake.

“And Harry coming out the other day saying that when he plays with Jack Grealish and trains with him, he plays some good balls to him.”

Manchester City fans want to sign Denis Zakaria after they were linked with a move for the central midfielder.

The Citizens have made a strong start to the new campaign as they sit third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Chelsea (Sky Sports). They have cruised through their Champions League group stage games so far and are still in the League Cup (mancity.com).

All of this has been done with only one recognised striker in Gabriel Jesus but, instead of adding a new forward to his squad, it seems Pep Guardiola is interested in strengthening the midfield with Zakaria

Calciomercato say the Citizens are ready to challenge Jose Mourinho’s Roma for the £24.3m-valued Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder (Transfermarkt), who will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Zakaria news below

“He’s literally free and he’s be a back up Rodri he won’t play that many games. This is a steal”

Credit: @trevsenpai

“I would love this move”

Credit: @ManCitizen06

“Good”

Credit: @MosesOnduso5

“Yasss”

Credit: @pipkvn

“Think he would be a good signing tbh . Perfect Rodri backup”

Credit: @TwoPhonesJones3

“Gr8 backup to Rodri and would be free. Makes perfect sense”

Credit: @King_Kevin100

In other news, Man City fans are far from happy with this managerial news.

An update has emerged on Leeds transfer target Javi Galan regarding his price tag at Huesca. 

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet AS, as transcribed by Sport Witness, Leeds and Sevilla have both made enquiries to Huesca regarding a potential deal for the left-back. The report claims that the defender is expected to depart from the club following their relegation from La Liga, with the Whites one of the teams interested in signing him.

Galan has one year left on his contract at Huesca and their relegation to the second tier has presented Leeds with an opportunity to sign him for €4m (£3.4m) due to a clause in his deal allowing him to leave for a set fee upon demotion.

Bielsa will love him

Leeds signed Junior Firpo from Barcelona last month in a £13m deal and the club could land the perfect competition for him in the form of Galan. Marcelo Bielsa had no natural left-backs in his squad last season, with Ezgjan Alioski and Stuart Dallas both playing out of position there throughout the campaign. This means that the Argentine coach could love having two specialist left-back options in his squad in Firpo and Galan.

The pair could fight it out for the starting position and spur each other on to keep improving and working hard in training. This would alleviate the potential of Firpo becoming too comfortable with his position in the team, as he would know that Galan is pushing for his place in the XI, and that could create healthy competition for places within Bielsa’s squad.

Galan was highly praised on the La Liga Lowdown, as he was labelled an unstoppable full-back capable of hurting teams with his pace down the flank.

Contributor Ruairidh Barlow noted: “One of those invaluable full-backs who can cover an entire flank alone, he essentially provides a numerical advantage for his team.

“According to fbref.com, Galán ranks top in tackles won, second for crosses into the penalty area and second for players dribbled past. As football has realised in recent years, it’s hard to negate a full-back arriving at pace. So far Galán himself has proved just that; unstoppable.”

His statistics in La Liga were outstanding for a player who was in a relegated team. He averaged a sensational WhoScored rating of 7.16 in 37 appearances for Huesca. The 26-year-old made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game in the league, showing off his impressive defensive qualities in the full-back role.

Therefore, Bielsa could love coaching the Spaniard at Leeds as he combines pace with the ability to work hard defensively and win challenges at the back. At £3.4m, he could prove to be an absolute bargain, especially given that Leeds had to spend £13m to sign Firpo, who averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.54 for Barcelona in the same division.

AND in other news, Leeds must act swiftly to land £13.5m-rated magician, he’d be an upgrade on Klich…

Southampton fans loved on-loan striker Armando Broja’s late goal during Albania’s 1-0 victory over Hungary during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

During the summer, Broja was one of six new faces to walk through the doors of St. Mary’s Stadium. The 19-year-old spent last season on loan from Chelsea at Vitesse Arnhem and impressed, scoring 11 goals in 35 matches (Transfermarkt). While he has not yet played for the Saints in this latest temporary spell away from Stamford Bridge, he is highly-rated and should soon get his chance.

He has proven his ability while playing with Albania. With just a few minutes left on the clock, Broja fired in against Hungary to give his country a vital few points. It was well-taken, too, with the teenager beating the goalkeeper with a well-hit effort.

The Saints fans were absolutely delighted with their new man’s goal, and they took to social media platform to share their excitement about the striker.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the goal from Broja below

“This lad is a real handful, look forward to seeing more of him in a #SaintsFC shirt”

Credit: @jase1962

“Unbelievable scenes.”

Credit: @MikeyWalt35

“Lovely stuff”

Credit: @JordanPoole13

“He’s going straight to the top”

Credit: @TeeZ3D

“A belter – and a manager looking spookily like Sven.”

Credit: @justinaminute

“quality that”

Credit: @Milan_sfc04

In other news, Southampton snubbed a late approach for this man during the transfer window.