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An update has emerged on Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun, regarding Steven Gerrard’s thoughts on the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Gers boss is be keen to keep Leon Balogun at the club beyond the end of the season.

The report states that Balogun is out of contract at the end of the campaign, but he has won over Gerrard’s trust and could be handed an extension.

Gerrard loves him

Ibrox chief Ross Wilson must make a key decision by offering Balogun a contract to remain at Ibrox beyond the end of the 2021/22 campaign. He must now allow the central defender to depart on a free transfer as he still has plenty to offer and could be a valuable player for Gerrard moving forward.

Whilst there is speculation circling around Gerrard’s own future at Rangers, he is still contracted to the club and we can only assume that he will be the head coach heading into next season as it stands. This is why signing Balogun to a new deal could be a shrewd move, as he is a player the ex-Liverpool man loves.

Earlier this year, Gerrard lauded the defender as he admitted that he wanted Balogun to sign a contract extension, which he later did. The manager said:

“Leon is someone we want to keep hold of. He knows that and he is performing so well.

“He signed a contract with an option of an extension and we want him to be here beyond this season.

“Leon knows he is wanted here. I think he’s enjoying it, he’s playing with a smile on his face.

This, along with the aforementioned report stating Gerrard’s trust in the £14k-per-week defender, shows that Balogun is loved by the manager and that is why he must be handed another extension by Wilson.

He has shown on the pitch this season that he still has quality to offer.

Balogun has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.20 in the Premiership and 7.25 in the Europa League, with Rangers keeping three clean sheets in his six league appearances.

This shows that he can still perform to a high standard for the Gers and Wilson must please Gerrard by getting the Nigerian international to put pen to paper.

AND in other news, Rangers may be set for big boost after Gers news, Gerrard will be elated…

Former Everton star Michael Ball has drooled over midfielder Abdoualye Doucoure, insisting that he has “everything”.

The French star has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign under the management of Rafael Benitez.

Doucoure has played in every Premier League game this term and has scored twice, while registering a total of four assists.

The former Watford star was also key for the Toffees last season, making 29 appearances in the top-flight.

Ball believes that he has developed into the club’s most important player and has pointed to the fact that they struggled to win games when he was not in the team last season.

Indeed, between March and May, Doucoure missed eight games through injury and Everton only won two of them; prior to that, they had won three in a row, including a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Ball said: “He was our key player last year. If Doucoure was missing, we struggled. He’s got everything you want from a midfielder. He’s got energy, he likes closing down, he likes cutting up the play.”

Doucoure has been with Everton since 2020 having been brought in by director of football Marcel Brands, and is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt; his contract expires in 2023.

Lee Ryder has criticised the display of Matt Ritchie as Newcastle United drew 2-2 at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Disappointing day

While the North East club did manage to pick up their first point of the season at St. James’ Park, ultimately it ended in disappointment as they went 2-1 up in injury time through Allan Saint-Maximin, before giving away a needless penalty with one of the last kicks of the game which was scored by James Ward-Prowse.

While there were some decent performances in the famous black-and-white stripes, others failed to impress heading into the international break.

The Latest: Ritchie criticised

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder was particularly critical of Ritchie, claiming that he ‘did not conjure up’ his usual supply line and was ‘unconvincing’ at wing-back.

The journalist gave the Scotland international a mere 5/10 overall rating for his performance, the joint-second worst out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch.

The Verdict: Justified

The criticism of Ritchie was certainly justified given his overall display, which was not convincing at all.

The 31-year-old lost out on five of his duels in the match, and also failed to record a single shot on goal or successful dribble (Sofascore).

He also failed to block any shots or make any interceptions or accurate crosses, and lost possession of the ball on no fewer than 14 separate occasions, the joint-third most out of any Magpies player (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, Ritchie will have to produce better performances if he is to stay in the team after the international break.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘in talks’ to sign here!

Manchester United have finally sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, following an embarrassing defeat 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon.

The speculation around Solskjaer and his managerial position has been the hottest topic in football for months, and now the Glazers have pulled the plug on the Norwegian.

In a short and sweet statement, Manchester United tweeted;

“Manchester United can confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as Manager.”

“Thank you for everything, Ole.”

The manager job at Manchester United has been talked about endlessly over the last few weeks, with several high profile names attached to the role at Old Trafford.

Brendan Rodgers, Erik Ten Hag, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane are just a few of the names that have been dropped on social media and by journalists over the last month or so, but there is still no confirmation on who will take over to manage the team Solskjaer has assembled.

One manager that has gone under the radar for the job is Sevilla manager, Julen Lopetegui, another name touted with the vacancy.

The Spanish manager has an impressive CV so far, managing Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and now managing Sevilla.

Lopetegui is most famously remembered for being sacked as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup in 2018, after accepting an offer to manage Real Madrid.

Since the controversy at Spain and a terrible run that led to his dismissal at Real Madrid, the 55-year-old manager has been rebuilding his reputation at Sevilla, finishing fourth in the Champions League in his first season and winning the Europa League in 2020.

An exciting review from Sevilla president Jose Castro explains why his smart thinking could be perfect for United:

“When we signed him, we were convinced he was the ideal coach for us. He has brought new ideas and theories, but above all, he is a very serious and hard-working guy. He is very methodical and studies very well for each game,” he said.

“Without a doubt, the players take strength from that. We hope to see that again in the ‘derbi’, such intensity in our team.”

The experienced coach has broken records at the club with a 62% win rate across his career, while his percentage at the Spanish club is the highest win percentage in the history of Sevilla FC, so he clearly has a winning mentality that he has instilled into his team and their performances.

Winning games is something Manchester United really need to start doing to stay in a conversation for the top four in the Premier League so he could be the man to dig the Glazers out of their managerial torment at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils currently have only five wins after twelve games, sitting seventh in the table and six points off fourth place West Ham. Thus, the sacking of Solskjaer has come at a time where Manchester United need to get a winning run of form going.

Manchester United will take on Villareal on Tuesday in the Champions League, with Darren Fletcher or Michael Carrick likely to lead the team out away from home, they will need to secure a win to qualify for the round of 16.

In other news: Harry Maguire was awful against Watford

Leeds United have learned that midfield target Lewis O’Brien is keen to join, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

The same publication claimed on Friday that ‘preliminary talks’ over a deal for the Huddersfield Town ace are underway.

O’Brien made 42 Championship appearances for the Terriers last season, scoring three goals and providing as many assists.

An all-round option, he averaged two tackles, one interception, 1.1 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per 90 minutes over the course of the campaign (via WhoScored).

O’Brien, Huddersfield’s Player of the Year in 2019/20, has been praised for his ‘incredible’ fitness levels and ‘never seems to get tired’.

The 22-year-old is into the final year of his deal, but the club have the option to extend it for a further 12 months. He’s valued at £2.7million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The Whites have reportedly been ‘given encouragement via third parties’ that the ‘ambitious’ O’Brien wants to play Premier League football under Marcelo Bielsa.

Now, though, ‘much will depend’ on whether Leeds are willing to meet Huddersfield’s demands.

O’Brien is apparently viewed as an alternative to Conor Gallagher, who opted to joined Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea.

The verdict

O’Brien would be a real asset to Leeds given his versatility – he’s been used as a central midfielder, no. 10, left-back and left midfielder – not to mention his aforementioned lung capacity, making him a perfect fit for Bielsa’s intense system.

You can understand why they missed out on Gallagher. Game-time would have been his priority when going out on loan, and there’s considerably less at competition at Palace.

O’Brien, by contrast, is eager to make the move, and the signs are that he ticks all the boxes as a plan-B.

In other news, a Serie A expert has delivered a major update on Leeds’ pursuit of Nahitan Nandez.

A significant update has emerged on Everton’s stance on Fabian Delph with just over a month to go in the transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are open to offers for the 31-year-old this summer as they attempt to trim the squad and offload fringe players.

They are prepared to sell the England international if a suitable bid arrives at their doorstep, whilst they could also cash in on Andre Gomes, Jonjoe Kenny and James Rodriguez.

Fans will love it

Many Everton fans will likely be buzzing with this news as it means that the midfield dud may finally be set to leave the club after a disappointing spell on Merseyside. He joined the Toffees for a reported £8.55m in 2019 and has struggled on and off the pitch over the past two years, with neither a goal nor an assist from a mere 30 appearances.

Since arriving at Goodison Park, Delph has incurred seven separate injuries – five in his first campaign and two in the 2020/21 season. This has caused him to miss a whopping 39 competitive matches for the club in just two seasons, highlighting his problems off the field as he has been unable to keep himself fit for a prolonged period of time.

Earlier this year, Carlo Ancelotti voiced his frustration at Delph’s injury situation, citing his lack of fitness as a reason for not being in the squad. He said:

“He’s not injured again, but he has a little problem and is not fit 100%.

“The fact he had a problem in the past we want to be sure to put him in.

“He was on the bench the game before and during training he had a contraction of his muscle, not a big problem but he’s not available for the [Fulham] game. Maybe Wednesday he will be.

“Of course, we are frustrated because I think he’s an important player with a lot of experience. He could help us with the fact, in this moment, as in the game against Tottenham, I only had two midfielders.”

Delph has not fared much better on the pitch. The 31-year-old averaged a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.49 across 16 Premier League appearances in his debut season for the club, before regressing to 6.29 last term in eight matches. This shows that, whenever he has been fit, his performances have not made up for his injury woes, which is why he has flopped at Everton since his move from Manchester City.

Therefore, Toffees fans will surely be delighted that Marcel Brands is now looking to cash in on the England international as he has not been able to add much value to the team. Hopefully, his sale would also generate more funds for Rafa Benitez in the transfer market to bolster the squad, as they would be clearing Delph’s wages off the bill.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Godfrey: Benitez must seal dream Everton deal for £124k-p/w “monster”…

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa could enjoy a surprisingly shrewd reunion with Andre Ayew amid Carlton Palmer’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Ghanaian is set to leave Championship side Swansea following the expiry of his contract this summer, and Palmer has suggested the Whites as a team who should be looking to explore signing him on a free transfer.

The former England defender told Football Transfer Tavern: “Swansea have only let him go because they didn’t get promoted and he’s their highest-paid player. 17 goals in the Championship, 16 goals the season before stands to reason that he will go up and score goals in the Premier League. If he weighs in with 10 or 12 goals for you, and you take him on a free, that could be some good business.”

Shrewd signing for Bielsa

While signing a 31-year-old on a free transfer is hardly something which is likely to get Leeds fans excited, it could be the type of smart move which ticks a lot of boxes for Bielsa.

Ayew himself has previously spoken about just how highly he rates the Whites manager and the kind of connection he has built up with the Argentine after their time together at Marseille. The Ghanaian said: “I appreciate Marcelo Bielsa enormously. He is an incredible manager. We had a very very strong relationship at Marseille. And there you have it. That’s all I can say.”

Despite his age, it appears that Ayew has lost none of his appetite, with Swansea boss Steve Cooper saying: “We know he has the ability, he can be as good as anyone in the league and he can play at a higher level.

“But the fact he is showing the commitment and work-rate he is, means it is rubbing off on everybody. It is certainly motivating me to see a player so committed to what we are doing.”

The 91-cap Ayew is someone has been dubbed as a “game-changer” by his former manager Slaven Bilic, while his Swansea teammate Yan Dhanda is also a huge fan, saying: “Andre is a goalscorer. He scores goals, and if you put the ball in the box nine times out of 10 Andre is going to be in the right position and he is going to score.”

With 17 goals in the Championship last season, and the ability to play through the middle and out wide, Ayew would represent an experienced option for Bielsa to add to his squad.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Given that the Whites manager already knows him from his time at Marseille, along with Ayew’s previous Premier League experience, this seems the kind of low-risk signing who could bring decent rewards for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Leeds are keen on signing this Premier League star…

West Ham United are close to sealing their second signing on deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt, a loan move for Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral is “90% done”.

“West Ham close to signing Czech international midfielder Alex Kral from Spartak Moscow. Told deal is 90% done. Loan with an option to buy.. some good business being done,” he tweeted.

The Czech Republic international is a player that David Moyes and the club have followed for quite some time, with the Scot even scouting him in person at Euro 2020.

“They have been following him since January but were shocked they get him in on loan and have moved quickly,” revealed 90min’s Graeme Bailey soon after these reports first emerged today.

Moyes masterclass

This late flurry of signings from Moyes and co is very encouraging indeed.

The 58-year-old has been crying out for some depth across his playing squad and he certainly seems to be getting exactly that – Kurt Zouma has bolstered the backline, they’ve found a Jesse Lingard replacement in Nikola Vlasic, and now they edge closer to a solid back-up to Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

An injury to either would leave Moyes with only retiring Mark Noble in the engine room and that’s the last thing they need heading into a Europa League campaign, in which they’ll soon be playing two times a week, minimum.

Interestingly, a move for Kral seemingly fell through earlier in the summer after his sub-par showing at Euro 2020, according to The Athletic, so to be able to sign him on loan to take a look at him first-hand, is certainly a wise and shrewd decision.

It means the east Londoners won’t have to commit a transfer fee, so it appears to be a low-risk signing all-round and one that is likely to leave many singing Moyes’ praises once again.

You only have to look at his deals for Soucek and Vladimir Coufal to know that he can spot a player when he sees one. Nobody would’ve known either player before they arrived at the London Stadium and now they’re two of the first names on the team sheet and easy fan favourites.

Similarly, it’s unlikely that many could’ve foreseen the vast impact that Lingard had on the squad, given his lack of game time prior to his loan move.

If Moyes and the Irons can get Kral in on loan before tonight’s deadline, then it’s merely another example of the Hammers’ boss working his magic in the transfer market.

It has to be considered yet another masterclass.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee: West Ham in talks with four players on Deadline Day

Celtic are in the middle of a hefty period of transition.

The Hoops are swaying away from the experienced heads of Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown to a younger variety of player.

It’s a policy that has already seen the Bhoys welcome Liam Shaw to the club in time for the manager’s appointment at Parkhead.

On the chalkboard

Celtic’s migration in transfer policy is a timely one with players like Karamoko Dembele breaking into the senior set-up. They are fortunate to have young Celtic defenders Stephen Welsh, Leo Hjelde and Adam Montgomery rising through the ranks too.

Montgomery and Welsh made their first-team breakthroughs this term but Hjelde is yet to earn senior minutes for the Hoops. Instead, he enjoyed a loan spell at Ross County in the back half the campaign, earning lofty comparisons to a certain Virgil van Dijk.

With those three players in mind, it would appear that Celtic’s future in defence looks like a solid one.

That said, the Bhoys are aiming to bolster their ranks by bringing another special young talent to Paradise, with Barcelona defender Mika Marmol catching their eye.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-ajer-howe-lampard-wilshere-gauld” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Celtic, Getafe and Mallorca have all enquired about his availability.

At the age of 19, Marmol is very much one for the future, and he’s a player who would be perfect for Howe and Celtic. Described as a “manager’s dream” by David Bravo of Barca Universal, he possesses all the modern-day qualities that any coaches would love in a defender.

Having progressed through the famous La Masia academy, he is adept at playing with the ball at his feet; an area where Hjelde has also shown encouraging signs.

This is important due to the large levels of possession Celtic enjoy per game, and because they’ve enjoyed great success with a ball-playing defender in their ranks such as Kristoffer Ajer. Coincidentally, they are both able to play in wide and central areas.

Capable of featuring at centre-back or left-back, Marmol offers great versatility and the ability to be a threat going forward.

Talking about the Spaniard’s strengths, Bravo added: “As a natural left-back, he continuously contributes to attack with his forward runs and, mostly, his pinpoint crosses. When he is in a static position, he’s able to raise his head, pick his target and deliver an exquisite cross with his delicate left foot.

“His biggest attribute is his positioning and reading of both offensive and defensive actions. His brain and positional intelligence is well above the average. His decision making is truly admirable, and this tends to be the difference-maker for footballers.”

When playing in the middle of defence, Marmol provides plenty of physical qualities, an area of his game where he has reportedly developed well this season.

An unknown quantity at senior level, this would be a shrewd addition from the Celtic hierarchy and it should play into the new manager’s hands nicely. The youngster’s playing style seems perfect for the 43-year-old.

AND in other news, Howe would be an instant hit if Celtic sign 45-goal bully who’s “impossible to beat”…

Eddie Howe will be thrilled that his team rotation paid off this afternoon at Carrow Road, with Newcastle United taking all three points from the game in an impressive performance that has put his side ninth in the Premier League table.

The Magpies took a comfortable 3-0 win from their visit to Norwich, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton finding the back of the net to secure their fourth win on the bounce to put them 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Howe’s men completely dominated in possession, with 55% of the ball over the 90 minutes, taking seven shots on target and completing over 500 passes in what was a masterclass in both an offensive and defensive regard from the North East outfit.

Despite the spotlight being firmly on the goal-scoring moments of the game, Dan Burn yet again provided a solid performance as the unsung hero worked hard to keep the clean sheet this afternoon.

The £19k-per-week titan said in an interview that he wanted to bring his “passion off the pitch, on to it” at his boyhood club, and he certainly delivered in today’s performance with a defensive showing he should be proud of.

The 6ft4 centre-back won 71% of his duels, made six clearances, four interceptions and one tackle, as well as completed 33 of his 40 passes in the clash, really getting stuck into the game and leading his line with a huge presence.

Burn was one of the signings acquired in January to improve the side and boost the chances of survival in the top flight this season, and to say he has been successful in being a part of that is an understatement with Newcastle winning eight, drawing one and losing just three games the defender has been involved in.

Newcastle have now climbed into the top half of the table and are surely safe from the relegation nightmare they had found themselves in earlier in the season, and with players like Burn joining the side the future is looking bright for the club.

AND in other news: NUFC plot £33m bid for “phenomenal” ace with “magical powers”, he’d get SJP rocking