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Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will be hoping to use the January transfer window to bring in a few new faces to Ibrox in order to build a team that is capable of fully challenging Celtic for the Premiership title.

Last week, the Englishman discussed the club’s transfer business, saying: “We have spoken to two or three players.

“Our phone has not stopped. There is a lot of players interested in coming here. I have to make sure they are the right ones.”

Although no names were mentioned, it is positive news that the Gers are acting quickly, while former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson suggested that Beale will have his eyes on Lawrence Shankland this month.

Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (via the Daily Record) Ferguson discussed the 27-year-old:

“I think he’s been a brilliant signing for Hearts. He’s one that I’m sure Rangers will be keeping an eye on because goalscorers are hard to find. If [Alfredo] Morelos does go, you’ve got [Antonio] Colak and [Kemar] Roofe. Roofe for me is a really good player but there are injury concerns, so you need another striker.”

Roofe alternative

The ex-Rangers captain was spot on with his analysis of Roofe, a fantastic player but someone that spends far too much time on the treatment table.

Since joining in the summer of 2020, the 30-year-old has scored 34 goals in 75 matches for Rangers, a solid record considering that he has missed a total of 56 games for the club and his record could have been so much better.

With his injury issues, Beale will be keen on eyeing up an alternative and Shankland certainly fits the bill. His move back to Scotland with Hearts has been excellent and he has found his old goalscoring form again, after netting just five times for Belgian side Beerschot last season.

Indeed, this term he has already fired in 15 Premiership goals at a rate of one every 101 minutes, while taking 3.2 shots per match and even missing 11 big chances, proving that his goal tally may have been a great deal higher if his composure was slightly better.

During his whole senior career, he has beaten the goalkeeper 163 times with no player in Scotland finding the net more often this campaign than the Scot. His talents could be extremely useful for Beale should he bring the striker to Ibrox.

Joel Sked sang his praises, claiming Shankland to be “different class” just last month, and with Roofe’s injury problems combined with the fact that Alfredo Morelos could soon be leaving the club, bringing in another striker remains high on the list of priorities for Beale.

Aston Villa bounced back from their disappointing defeat to Stevenage in the FA Cup by beating Leeds United 2-1 in the Premier League on Friday night.

The Villans took the lead in the third minute as they brilliantly counterattacked from a Whites corner. Boubacar Kamara travelled half the length of the pitch and teed up Leon Bailey to cut inside and curl into the far top corner of Illan Meslier’s net to make it 1-0.

New signing Alex Moreno was then the hero just before half-time as he raced around on the cover to superbly block Rodrigo’s shot after the striker took the ball past Emiliano Martinez.

Villa’s Argentine goalkeeper then produced a moment of magic of his own as he spread himself to deny Jack Harrison from point-blank range after Luke Ayling played the ball across the six-yard box.

Emiliano Buendia eventually made it 2-0 in the 64th minute as excellent work from Bailey on the right forced Meslier into a parry straight into the path of the former Norwich man to head into an almost empty net.

Wilfried Gnonto’s brilliance down the left flank later allowed Patrick Bamford to smash in a goal with just under ten minutes left to play but Villa were able to hold on for all three points.

Whilst Bailey scored the opener and had a big hand in the second goal, the real hero for Unai Emery’s team on the night at Villa Park was defensive midfielder Kamara, who dominated the Whites.

The Frenchman put in an outstanding display in the middle of the park as he showcased his quality in and out of possession throughout the match.

As per Sofascore, the former Marseille machine won eight of his nine individual battles on the pitch (89%), whilst also making two blocks, two clearances and three tackles for his team to cut out opposition attacks.

This shows that he dominated the Leeds midfield and attack by winning the vast majority of his duels and putting his body on the line to stop Martinez from needing to make saves at times.

Kamara also played a key role for Villa in possession as he set up the opening goal for Bailey with his composed play on the counterattack and completed 81% of his attempted passes over the course of the 90 minutes.

Ahead of the match, FFC published an article explaining why the £150k-per-week midfielder deserved to start as he had the potential to dominate the game and make the difference, which is exactly how it turned out for Villa on the night.

Therefore, Kamara was the real hero for Emery and Villa due to the value he provided at both ends of the pitch from minute one until the final whistle, and he dominated the game in the middle of the park.

An update has emerged on Wolves’ on-loan striker Fabio Silva, which could see Julen Lopetegui repeat a mistake made by Bruno Lage during his time at Molineux.

Despite Wolves’ struggles in front of goal last season, Lage made the decision during the summer to send Silva out on loan to Anderlecht but found himself without a natural striker at the club after injuries to Raul Jimenez and new signing Sasa Kalajdzic.

While Diego Costa was brought in as a free agent, he has proven to be a panic signing as he has failed to contribute a single goal or assist in his 11 appearances thus far.

Considering Wolves spent £35.6m on Silva in 2020, fans would surely have preferred to see him given a consistent run in the side to aid his development, rather than trusting in a veteran forward who looks well past his best.

It was no surprise therefore that the Old Gold continued to look lost in front of goal, as while things are slowly improving under Lopetegui, the Midlands club are still comfortably the lowest scorers in the division.

Meanwhile, Silva has blossomed in Belgium, hitting 11 goals and four assists in 32 appearances for Anderlecht, which suggests that he may have boosted his confidence ahead of a potential return to Wolves.

Express and Star journalist Liam Keen has now reported that the 20-year-old could be on the move to a different side this month, which could be a mistake by Lopetegui considering his decent goalscoring form this campaign.

Keen said on Tuesday: “Breaking: Clubs from the top tiers of Spain, Italy and Holland have all made enquiries to take Fabio Silva on loan until the end of the season. He could leave Anderlecht this month.”

Lopetegui may have added Matheus Cunha to his ranks and welcomed Jimenez back from injury but Wolves have still struggled in front of goal, scoring just nine times in eight games under the Spanish manager.

Although Silva managed just four strikes and six assists in his 62 previous appearances for Wolves, this spell at Anderlecht has seen him become the main man and he will undoubtedly return to Molineux a better player.

Conor Coady was full of praise for the Portugal U21 international in 2022, saying:

“We know what he brings us. He’s a young lad who is working every single day. He’s been fantastic since he came in. He works so, so hard to improve and get better, and you see that now. We know when he comes into the team, he’ll do a job, and that’s what he’s doing at the minute.”

Therefore, the youngster could definitely have played a part in keeping Wolves up in the second half of the season, meaning it would be incredibly disappointing to see Lopetegui ship him out on loan again this month, potentially repeating the mistake made by Lage during the summer.

Newcastle United are enjoying a fantastic season with Eddie Howe’s squad smashing the expectations of supporters over the first half of the season at St James’ Park.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League after 19 outings with only one defeat tallied up so far and the team also recently progressed to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after beating Leicester City, teeing up the opportunity to bring a trophy and Champions League football to the North East by the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, Howe will be thrilled with the level his squad has competed at in such a short period of time since his arrival at the club just over a year ago when the side were battling relegation. However, if they are going to continue pushing for dominance in the Premier League they need to keep improving and investing in talent to build a squad with quality depth.

As a result, there will be an opportunity for Howe to bring in more new additions over this month and the summer transfer window and with Champions League qualification becoming an increasing reality for the Magpies as every fixture passes by, the club will be able to attract top talent should they manage to do so.

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Tyneside is Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves with the midfielder attracting attention from a number of Premier League clubs due to his consistent quality performances for the Midlands club.

Over 18 Premier League appearances so far this season, the 25-year-old – who was hailed “out of this world” by Tim Spiers – has proven himself to be a well-rounded midfielder.

Indeed, he has scored four goals and successfully completed 54% of his dribble attempts, as well as averaging 50.9 accurate passes, 2.1 shots on goal, 1.4 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 2.4 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per game, showcasing that he is both defensively sound and potent in attack too.

Howe could even land a huge Sean Longstaff upgrade with the potential £70m signing of the Portuguese sensation as Neves has outperformed the Newcastle ace in many attributes this season so far including pass completion rate (82.3% v 78.7%), goals scored (4 v 1), tackles and interceptions won (73 v 32), progressive passes (80 v 46), dribbles completed (46.7% v 9.1%) and ball recoveries (128 v 81).

There is no doubt that Longstaff has stepped up into a key role in the centre of the pitch for Newcastle this season following Jonjo Shelvey’s long-term injury issues, however, should the club qualify for the Champions League or European football in general ahead of next season, it is imperative that Dan Ashworth signs the highest quality players to compete on all fronts.

With that being said, the addition of Neves would be a major coup for the Magpies in their chase to dominate in both the Premier League and Europe in the future.

Newcastle United are believed to be stepping up their approach for Everton sensation, Anthony Gordon, with the Magpies yet to strengthen the first-team squad this month.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, sporting director Dan Ashworth is seemingly readying an offer for the 21-year-old before the end of the window, albeit with the Tynesiders set to face competition from free-spending Chelsea for the Englishman’s signature.

Writing on Twitter about that battle to land the young forward, the transfer insider revealed: “Chelsea rekindle Anthony Gordon interest as Newcastle prepare bid for Everton star.”

In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that Ashworth and co have ‘done their homework’ on the Liverpool-born starlet and are said to have been ‘pleased’ by the reports that they have garnered.

The report also goes on to add that the Toffees could well consider offers for the versatile attacker – who has been valued at around £30m plus – after failing to agree a contract extension, with the player’s existing deal set to expire in 2025.

‘Unbelievable’

It looks as if Eddie Howe’s side are hoping to finally secure a high-profile addition before the window is out, with the high-flying outfit’s only signing to date having been that of Australian teenager, Garang Kuol – who subsequently joined Scottish Premiership side Hearts on loan.

While the acquisition of Gordon may not be the glamour name that some Newcastle supporters will be craving, the England U21 international has certainly shown flashes of his quality in recent years after making the breakthrough into the first team at Goodison Park.

Tipped to become an “unbelievable player” in the near future by pundit Paddy Kenny, the £10k-per-week dynamo enjoyed a standout 2021/22 campaign to truly announce himself at senior level, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 35 Premier League games.

While it has proven a far more difficult season this time around both on an individual and collective basis, the 6-foot speedster still has three top-flight goals to his name thus far, with that a greater tally than fellow wingers, Allan Saint-Maximin (one) and Jacob Murphy (one) have achieved at St James’ Park.

Equally, it is perhaps unsurprising that Gordon has been unable to truly flourish on Merseyside amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding the club, with manager Frank Lampard having been sacked on Monday with the struggling outfit languishing in 19th in the table.

Freed from the shackles of the pressure that has been put on his young shoulders at his current side, it could well be the case that the “frightening” talent – as lauded by Kenny – could go on to be an unbelievable addition if he is to link up with Howe and co in the next week or so, as he would help to supplement an already rampant outfit.

With the Magpies having previously shown interest in the much-coveted asset during the summer, the aforementioned Ashworth can now finally get a deal done this time around.

West Ham have been linked with signing Roma winger Nicolo Zaniolo recently and the Italian could prove to be David Moyes’ own version of Marcus Rashford at the London Stadium.

According to Media Foot, the Hammers hold an interest in the wantaway Roma man, with Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth also said to be interested in signing the Italian forward this month.

Any deal for the 23-year-old is likely to cost around £35m, although Jose Mourinho’s side are said to be willing to agree to a loan with an obligation to buy, which could make negotiations easier to complete ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

The young winger has struggled for consistent form under the legendary Portuguese manager so far this campaign, managing just one goal in 13 Serie A appearances, averaging a disappointing 6.21 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, his previous performances in Italy suggest that a change of scenery could see West Ham unearth a top talent at the London Stadium, particularly if Zaniolo can live up to his obvious potential, with CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs lauding him as a “frightening talent” last year.

According to FBref, the most similar player to Zaniolo when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top leagues is Manchester United and England star, Marcus Rashford.

The two young wingers have recorded very similar stats this season with regard to shots per 90 (2.83 vs 2.73), key passes per 90 (0.81 vs 0.78) and shot-creating actions per 90 (2.73 vs 2.57).

WhoScored also suggests that both Zaniolo and Rashford like to cut inside, dribble and offer a counter-attacking threat, which emphasises that they are similar types of wide men.

Considering West Ham find themselves in a relegation battle this season and are one of the lowest scorers in the division, having a Rashford-esque player in the second half of the season could prove vital in helping Moyes keep the Hammers in the Premier League.

The United man has been phenomenal since the World Cup break, registering a whopping ten goals and two assists in his last 11 appearances in all competitions, so Moyes would surely be foolish to turn down a player so similar, even if he has struggled under Mourinho at Roma this season.

Therefore, with Zaniolo clearly vying for an exit before next week’s deadline, Moyes should definitely look at bringing the Italian to the London Stadium.

Liverpool are pushing for a move for Jude Bellingham this year, seemingly narrowing all avenues down to a singular channel in order to complete an acquisition that could represent a watershed moment for the club’s trajectory, and must now ensure the maestro’s name is secured.

In a saga that threatens to dominate the paper talk for the remainder of the campaign, Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham has been heavily touted with a move away from the Bundesliga this season, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid all vying for his signature alongside Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.

However, recent reports claim that Liverpool are indeed the frontrunners to land the gem, with Sky Sports Germany correspondent Florian Plettenberg tweeting to offer an update on the Merseyside outfit’s stance.

He said on Sunday: “LFC: As reported and now confirmed via #Klopp: Nothing will happen in this transfer window. Gakpo in January. Now full focus on top target Bellingham for summer!”

A leaf from Newcastle’s book…

The 19-year-old Bellingham , who is valued at €150m (£132m) by the Yellow Wall, according to Sky Sports Germany, has indeed emerged as a “generational talent” over the past few years – as hailed by Raphael Honigstein – having made 114 appearances and won the DFB Pokal for his outfit since arriving from boyhood club Birmingham City for £25m at just 17-years-old.

Roy Keane, a former pro who knows a thing or two about flourishing as an all-embracing midfielder at the zenith of the Premier League, remarked over Bellingham’s burgeoning rise.

“ He’s going to be a superstar that kid. We keep using the word but maturity, he plays like he’s played 100 times for England.

“I’ve not seen a young midfielder perform like that for years. His maturity, his decision making, which is huge for a midfielder, the kid has everything.”

And as per FBref, the “scary” talent, as once dubbed by Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, ranks among the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of goals and the top 12% for rate of assists.

Also within the top 3% for dribbles completed and 13% for progressive passes, it illustrates his transitional nature that would fortify the Anfield ranks and replenish a midfield devoid of energy and inspiration.

Liverpool’s pursuit of the £49k-per-week dynamo offers shades of Newcastle United’s acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes, who arrived at St. James’ Park for £40m in January 2021 to transcend the club’s fortunes and serve as the catalyst for a new, prosperous era.

Newcastle, who were facing the peril of relegation from the Premier League when the opulent owners took the reins, swiftly moved into action and secured the Brazilian engine to charge the resurgence, indeed to emphatic success.

His average match rating of 7.25 – as per Sofascore – over the latter stage of the campaign, was paramount to the shifting of momentum, threading the team together with five goals, an 86% pass success rate, 0.7 key passes and 2.3 tackles per game.

His dynamic level of brilliance is a perfect representation of Bellingham’s own arsenal, and among the abundant quality that lays dormant within Anfield at present, the 22-cap English virtuoso holds the key to unlocking the door.

Liverpool appear to be heaping emphasis on a transfer market manoeuvre for one of the global game’s most coveted young stars, and by completing a deal to spearhead the charge and provide a sheen unseen at the club, much like at Newcastle with Guimaraes, stability could not only be reinstated, but surpassed to new heights.

A summer move for N’Golo Kante ‘would be a huge risk’ for Liverpool, according to BBC radio pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future for Kante

The Premier League veteran will be out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the season, and having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms in west London, his future is up in the air.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the 31-year-old, who is currently set to become a free agent in five months’ time, as Jurgen Klopp looks to freshen up his midfield ranks ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the Frenchman has reportedly held talks over extending his stay with the Blues, with the two parties confident of reaching an agreement, and one observers believes that such a development would actually be of benefit to the Merseyside club.

The Latest: Robinson’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson urged Liverpool not to pursue a deal for Kante due to his unenviable injury record and high wages, with the midfielder currently earning £290,000 per week.

The former England goalkeeper said in relation to the Reds’ reported interest in the Chelsea man: “There would be a huge risk to signing Kante. They already have one injury-prone midfielder in Naby Keita. You cannot take on a player like Kante given his injury record. Yes, he is a free agent but he will demand a lot in wages.

“I suspect there is a lot of agent talk in this one. The player is coming to the end of his contract and is not playing week in, week out so his agent will be putting the feelers out.

“There is a whole lot of change going on at Chelsea. A lot of players have come in. Kante probably is going to leave at the end of the season but I question as to whether Liverpool should go for him.

“He is coming towards the end of his career and has injury problems. Liverpool do not need to be signing that kind of player. It would be no more than a stop-gap.”

The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Kante has been dubbed a ‘world class’ player by his former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, and as a one-time PFA Player of the Year his talent is undeniable, but we agree with Robinson that Liverpool would be well advised to avoid moving for him, even on a free transfer.

The Parisian has missed the majority of this season with a hamstring injury, and considering that at 31 he is now seen as an older, more experienced option, he could only become even more liable to sustaining fitness problems moving forward.

The Reds are believed to be targeting the likes of Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes to rejuvenate their midfield this summer, and it’s important that Klopp sticks with this strategy of approaching younger players who would shape the long-term future at Anfield, rather than moving for quick fixes.

Aston Villa endured a difficult afternoon on Saturday as they were beaten 4-2 by Leicester City at Villa Park in the Premier League and it was a rough match, in particular, for midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The French enforcer was caught on the ball in his own penalty area just moments after Ollie Watkins had given the hosts the lead and his error allowed James Maddison to make it 1-1.

Emi Martinez played the ball to Kamara under pressure from three Leicester players but the midfielder opted to dribble his way out of it instead of hitting a first-time pass out to the right side to bypass the opposition’s press, which allowed the Foxes to dispossess him and score.

It was an out-of-character mistake from the 2022 signing as it was his first error directly leading to a shot or goal in the Premier League this season.

The 23-year-old had been in excellent form leading up to the match. Kamara has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85, having made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst completing 84% of his attempted passes.

He has consistently won the ball back for the side, without being a liability in possession on the whole, and has caught the eye with his impressive displays in the middle of the park.

Whilst the Frenchman is only 23, football moves quickly and you never know what could happen in the next few years if he continues to produce excellent performances, or if the gem regresses, and this means that Unai Emery should have one eye on what life could look like after the midfielder.

With this in mind, the Spanish head coach could already have the long-term heir to Kamara at the club in the form of young defensive midfielder Tim Iroegbunam.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers in the Championship and has put in some excellent displays for the second-tier outfit.

On his since-deleted Twitter account, ex-QPR boss Michael Beale hailed him as a “super impressive” young man with a “bright future” and the gem’s form for the London club this term backs up the latter claim.

Iroegbunam has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 having made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 24 appearances in the Championship this season, whilst not making a single error directly leading to a shot or goal.

The England youth international also caught the eye in a start against Norwich in the Premier League in 2021/22 as the enforcer won five tackles and interceptions combined and completed 82% of his attempted passes – recording a Sofascore rating of 7.00.

Villa’s young gem is a combative midfielder who does not make errors on a regular basis and thus certainly has the potential to be the long-term heir to Kamara in the holding role.

However, it is down to the dynamo to continue to develop and improve to a point where he is able to consistently deliver the level of performance that was on show against the Canaries in the Premier League.

A worrying update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur central midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur after he was forced off the pitch against Leicester on Saturday.

What’s the latest on Rodrigo Bentancur’s injury?

According to the Daily Mail, the Uruguay international is facing a long spell out on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury during the 4-1 defeat to the Foxes.

The report claims that there are concerns that the midfielder has suffered a ‘serious’ blow to his knee and that the 25-year-old gem could be out of action for a significant period of time, although they are waiting for the swelling to go down before making a definitive call.

This comes after summer signing Yves Bissouma underwent surgery on his ankle and Antonio Conte is now facing the prospect of two of his frontline options in the middle of the park being out for a number of months.

It’s a major blow for Conte and Spurs

If the early prognosis on Benancur turns out to be accurate, then it would be a major blow for the Italian head coach as he has been terrific in the Premier League this season.

The ex-Juventus midfielder has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.21 across 18 appearances in the division and only Harry Kane (7.39) has averaged a higher score for Spurs, which suggests that the 25-year-old has been one of the team’s top performers so far this term.

In 15 starts, the dynamo has chipped in with five goals and two assists from midfield and has shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third by bursting forward from the middle of the park to punish the opposition and support the likes of Kane, Dejan Kulusevski, and Heung-min Son.

Along with his attacking work, Bentancur has averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per match and no Spurs player has completed more tackles per game (2.5) than the midfielder, which shows how important he has been to Conte’s side’s defensive play.

The gem has also won 53% of his duels and completed 66% of his attempted dribbles (1.2 per match) and this shows that the £75k-per-week talent can more than hold his own in physical contests in the Premier League.

Therefore, losing Bentancur for a number of months because of this knee injury would be a major blow for Tottenham and one that could cause big issues in their midfield, given Bissouma’s absence and the Uruguayan’s impact at both ends of the pitch this term – as illustrated by his aforementioned performance rating.