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Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes that Rangers defender Connor Goldson could sign for Aston Villa in January, as per GIVEMESPORT.

Unsurprisingly, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to a possible winter move for the centre-back on social media.

Gerrard left Ibrox for Villa Park last month and was linked with a move for Goldson, whose £27,000-a-week contract with the Scottish giants expires at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old is thought to be ‘dreaming’ of a Premier League move, with a £2m fee involving Villa being touted. NSWE have promised Gerrard a huge January transfer kitty, and when asked about the Villa manager’s transfer plans, O’Rourke said:

“One of the names in the frame would be Connor Goldson, who is yet to sign a new deal at Rangers. “I think his contract is up in the summer, so Villa might be able to get him for relatively cheap in January.”

Villa fans react

Total Villa shared O’Rourke’s comments via Twitter and here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many not exactly keen on a transfer to go through, possibly due to the fact that the club already has four on the books, or that Goldson is relatively unproven at Premier League level.

Indeed, one supporter dismissed him as a “carthorse”, given that the 29-year-old hasn’t always excelled for Rangers.

“My dayysss, Hause is clear”

Credit: @AvfcRoyal

“Are you willing us to get relegated? Total carthorse, nowhere near as good as the 4 CBs at Villa.”

Credit: @Cuchullain2505

“No”

Credit: @JxmesAVFC

“He is a CB, is he really better/as good as Konsa and Mings? If not, no point signing him”

Credit: @markwalker1985

“Don’t want any of these Scottish league players, substandard”

Credit: @waynipoos1

“No thanks”

Credit: @CharlieAEG

In other news: ‘On my knees’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as Lange makes ‘bold’ January transfer bid

Arsenal are set to reignite their interest in Houssem Aouar this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sun, who claim the Lyon midfielder is likely to cost as little as £20m after they failed to qualify for the Champions League, a year on after the Gunners were priced out of a move due to their £55m demands.

It is thought that the club’s hierarchy is preparing to offer a £100k-per-week to finally lure the Frenchman to the Emirates Stadium.

Aouar is not involved with France at Euro 2020 which could make negotiations easier to complete, whilst the North London outfit are said to be leading the race to secure him as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his creative options.

Bye-bye Willian?

In recent months, it has been reported that the Gunners’ boss would like to offload several players in order to raise finances to bolster his playing squad, so it’s no surprise to see names like Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi linked with exits.

Another flop that seems to be heading for the door is Willian, just a year on from his free transfer from local rivals Chelsea.

“Willian is leaving the club, I want to confirm that Willian is leaving the club,” claimed Fabrizo Romano on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast last month. “There is nothing going on with other English clubs, but he’s leaving the club, so 100 per cent, Willian is going to leave.”

He has been nothing short of a disaster, especially considering his £192k-per-week salary. As the third-highest earner at the club, the veteran only provided one goal and five assists in the Premier League.The 32-year-old’s departure could pave the way for Arsenal to fully send for Aouar this summer. Even more so if they are to offer him six-figure wages a week. Willian will leave behind a lot of funds to do so.Aouar was the saga of the summer before Thomas Partey emerged as a more likely signing and after another impressive campaign, it’s time for Edu Gaspar to finally pull the trigger.As per Transfermarkt, the 5 foot 9 playmaker registered eight goals and four assists across all competitions, which is substantially more than any of the Gunners’ midfield options during 2020/21.With Martin Odegaard back at Real Madrid and Mesut Ozil long gone, Arteta does need a new creative midfielder who can help unlock many a Premier League defence next season – failure to do that could see them miss out on Europe once again.Smarter Scout describe the midfielder as a “prolific dribbler,” “skilful,” and a “very good finisher” and that’s not just backed up by his goal returns but also by the fact he averaged 2.3 shots, 1.5 dribbles and 1.3 key passes each outing last season.Valued at £36m by CIES, Aouar has also been lauded as “special” and as a player that “has a lot of talent,” so it’s no surprise to see former Premier League star David Ginola claim that he’s the “type of player Arsenal fans would love” to Sky Sports.For a fee of just £20m, Edu and Arteta would be fools to not swoop for the “exceptional talent” this summer. They must complete this move this time around.

AND in other news, Forget Odegaard: Arsenal must land £60m-rated “special talent”, Arteta’s a “huge fan”…

Manchester City have been linked with Leeds United winger Raphinha recently and if he were to arrive at the Etihad this summer, it would be bad news for Raheem Sterling in terms of future under Pep Guardiola.

According to Italian football journalist Gianluigi Loncari, City have joined the race to sign the Brazilian this summer, with Manchester United and Liverpool also keen on prising him away from Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The former Stade Rennais man has enjoyed a superb debut campaign with the Elland Road outfit, contributing six goals and six assists in 26 Premier League appearances, averaging an excellent 7.17 rating for his performances.

Whilst he has only got better throughout the season, the same cannot be said of Sterling, who after a bright start has quickly fallen down the pecking order.

So much so, that the Spanish manager is reportedly willing to sell the England international this summer in order to raise funds, and if Raphinha were to arrive then he may well be forced out at the Etihad.

After a magnificent run of form in January and February, where he hit five goals and two assists in just seven games, his form has fallen off a cliff, with no goals and just one assist in 11 City appearances since then.

Considering the 26-year-old is one of City’s biggest earners, reportedly taking home £300k per week, and he is arguably behind the likes of Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres in the pecking order at City at the moment, perhaps Guardiola should be looking to move him on.

Certainly, with the number of wingers already available to the Spanish manager, if Raphinha were to arrive at City this summer it would surely mean that one departs, and Sterling is looking like the most likely candidate at present.

Raphinha has been one of the shining lights in an impressive season for Leeds this season and looks destined for a career at the top, with Noel Whelan dubbing him “sensational” earlier in the season after a first Premier League goal against Everton.

Therefore, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely look at bringing Raphina to the Etihad, even if it means bringing an end to Sterling’s City career.

And, in other news… Man City signing “world-class” 27-goal beast is surely bad news for “fantastic” gem

Carlton Palmer has slammed the West Brom board for allowing Sam Johnstone to leave the club as a free agent. 

The lowdown: Johnstone attracting interest

A report from the Daily Mail has claimed that the 29-year-old goalkeeper is a target for Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Southampton this summer.

Set to become a free agent in July (Transfermarkt), Johnstone seems certain to end a four-year permanent spell at The Hawthorns at the end of the current campaign. Indeed, Steve Bruce has acknowledged that the ‘keeper will be on his way out of Albion once the season ends.

The anti-climactic ending to Johnstone’s West Brom career has been criticised by one former England international…

The latest: Palmer criticises West Brom

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Palmer – who works as a pundit for the BBC – has slammed the club’s decision to allow the England ace to leave for nothing.

He fumed: “They’re going to lose Sam Johnstone on a free, which is crazy business. Why not let Sam Johnstone go last season if you’re not going to get him to sign a new contract? Why not let him go and get £10m-£12m for him rather than let him go on a free, it’s just crazy.”

The verdict: Bang on the money

Whilst keeping the three-cap England goalkeeper was perceived as a positive having suffered relegation last year, without the prospect of an instant return to the top flight it now appears to be a major oversight from the West Brom hierarchy.

Last summer, West Ham saw a reported £10m bid for the stopper rejected by the Midlands club, money which would now go a long way towards funding a much-needed squad overhaul.

Moreover, Bruce may need to replace Johnstone as first-choice at The Hawthorns, with neither David Button nor Alex Palmer seemingly up to the task based on the concession of 20 goals in their 10 combined Albion appearances so far this season.

In other news, West Brom have been backed to sign a Premier League midfielder. Read more here.

2021 is the year of mass change for Celtic. They are currently without a manager and soon, they will be replacing their CEO as well.

Neil Lennon is no longer at the club while Peter Lawwell is set to retire in a few months time, being replaced by Dominic McKay. However, new faces at Parkhead won’t stop there.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Celtic are closing in on the appointment of Fergal Harkin as their brand new director of football.

Sources have told the outlet that a deal to bring the Irishman to Parkhead is 90% done.

He has spent 11 years within the Manchester City recruitment team but Celtic have been trying to lure him to Glasgow over the last few months.

This comes with the club making landmark attempts to restructure and modernise their hierarchy.

Nick Hammond is currently head of football operations but he looks set to leave his post with a new director of football role being created.

Harkin is set to be followed through the door by a new chief scout and a plethora of analysts.

Desmond will be buzzing

Even if Celtic are yet to hire a new manager, this will come as major news for supporters and indeed for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

He has been desperate to revamp the hierarchy and this would be the first step in doing so.

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Harkin has a brilliant reputation too, one that could help solve one of the biggest underlying issues at the football club right now.

The 44-year-old is currently Man City’s partnerships manager and has been described as a bit of a transfer guru for the work he’s done.

He also has a large role in looking after the young players that walk through the exit door on loan at City.

The department, which he heads up, includes two video analysts, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a physiotherapist and a strength and conditioning coach.

He has helped develop talents like City first-teamer Oleksandr Zinchenko while he’s also guided both Olivier Ntcham and Patrick Roberts, two players who have featured in the famous green and white over recent years.

With this in mind, he could help stem the tide in terms of young players leaving Parkhead. Cameron Harper has already joined New York Red Bulls while Armstrong Oko-Flex and Karamoko Dembele are out of contract at the end of the season.

With a bit of extra care and love from a figure like Harkin, younger players may see a more vibrant future for themselves in Glasgow. This has the potential to be a great appointment from Desmond.

AND in other news, Better than Christie: Celtic made error selling “quick” Rodgers gem with 65 key passes…

Celtic are considering a move for Manchester City centre-back Ko Itakura as their summer recruitment drive intensifies [Daily Record].

The Lowdown: Celtic get set for 2021/22

Moving towards 2021-22, new manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to acquire the quality of player necessary to put the Hoops back on a stable footing, domestically and in Europe.

Thus far, Celtic have completed two transfer signings this summer in the form of former Scunthorpe United striker Joey Dawson and ex-Sheffield Wednesday teenager Liam Shaw.

However, the Bhoys now could be poised to complete their first senior signing under Postecoglou following recent reports.

The Latest: Celts considering move for Itakura

Celtic are said to be considering a move for Itakura, who spent 2020/21 on loan at Eredivisie side FC Groningen [Daily Record]. He is said to be high up on a list of targets on which the Hoops recruitment team is currently working.

Postecoglou possesses a familiarity with the Japan international due to his own time spent in the country with Yokohama F Marinos and their connections with the City Football Group [Daily Record].

The Verdict: Itakura would be a great addition

Standing at 1.86m (6 foot 1), Itakura would make an excellent addition to the Celtic roster for next season. In 2020/21, he was ever present during his loan spell in the Netherlands, making 36 appearances and registering two goal contributions, with one goal and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Perhaps most excitingly for Celtic supporters is his range of qualities as a footballer. Primarily a defender, the Yokohama native has a keen eye for bringing the ball out of defence and can also operate as a holding midfielder.

Demonstrating his defensive prowess, he made a commendable 4.2 clearances per game last season, the second-best total in the FC Groningen squad [WhoScored].

With Postecoglou needing players to come in and make an immediate impact in 2021/22, Itakura is most certainly a signing that Celtic should be looking to pursue heavily.

In other news, this Celtic loanee is linked with a further stint away from Parkhead.

Recent reports have claimed that Connor Goldson is set to sign a new deal at Rangers despite interest from West Ham, which would be a huge boost for Steven Gerrard at Ibrox this summer.

According to Football Insider, the 28-year-old will sign a new contract at Rangers before the transfer window shuts after negotiations stalled in April, although David Moyes’ side are still said to be keen on the former Brighton defender.

Goldson was in superb form for Gerrard’s side last season, playing every single minute in the Premiership, contributing four goals and two assists in the top flight. He was a huge part of the incredible defensive effort which saw the Bears concede just 13 goals in 38 league matches, helping Gerrard’s side register an unbeaten season as they comfortably won the title.

It is no surprise that he is attracting interest from the Premier League, and with his current contract set to expire at the end of next season, Rangers may well have been forced to cash in on the centre-back this summer had they failed to agree on a new deal.

Fortunately for Rangers fans and Gerrard, it now seems as if the 28-year-old’s future lies at Ibrox, where he will likely be a key player once again next season as they look to defend their Premiership title whilst also competing in the Champions League.

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Since joining from Brighton in 2018, Goldson has gone on to make 162 appearances for Rangers, so it is clear that he is a hugely important member of Gerrard’s squad, and it is undoubtedly good news that he looks set to extend his stay for a few more years.

The 41-year-old manager is clearly a big fan of the powerful centre-back, as he was full of praise for him last season, saying: “Connor has been an absolute mountain for this team, a true warrior.

“He’s had a lot of stick over the years, wrongly in my opinion. But he’s continued to improve and has been one of our most consistent players. I wasn’t too happy with the backline in Belgium on Thursday but if you look at the big picture, Goldson has been absolutely immense.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, if the £6.75m-rated defender does indeed sign a new deal in the coming weeks, then it will come as a massive boost to Gerrard.

In other news… Gerrard dealt huge Rangers transfer blow over “top player”, fans will be fuming

Many Aston Villa fans have flocked to an update on Ross Barkley that was relayed on Twitter by journalist Ashley Preece.

Preece recently wrote an article about Barkley and his situation at Villa and the journalist shared it on Twitter.

The article from Preece called for more support for Barkley, saying that his confidence has taken a dent over the last few months at Villa and instead of constant abuse, the England international deserves more support from the fans.

The 27-year-old has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, contributing to five goals as well. His campaign was disrupted by a hamstring injury – his last start for Villa came back in late February against Leicester (as per Transfermarkt).

As many as 13 Villa players have picked up better average match ratings than him, which shows that his loan stint at the club hasn’t exactly gone to plan, but also that the general standard at Villa Park now is just extremely high.

Preece’s tweet about Barkley drew the attention of many Villa fans, who made their views clear about the midfielder.

What do Villa fans make of Barkley’s situation?

“I think it would be difficult to criticise him if his work rate was high but coming on as a sub late in second half and ambling around like he did really isnt up to scratch. He has to help himself too, being a passenger and not creating chances isn’t going to boost his confidence.”

Credit: @GVillans

“Best of luck to him but can’t have passengers like that at Villa. We’ve worked hard to rid the club of players who lack the desire and work ethic but are happy to pickup vast sums of cash each week – let’s learn from our previous mistakes.”Credit: @GV18271″Ash, I agree that players need backing and support. He has lost confidence and we all know how that feels. But the bare minimum is hard work and dedication, yet he is showing nothing. He has done absolutely nothing to show the fans he wants to make it right. Its his own doing IMO.”Credit: @Chrsmo”There is no doubt that the lad has plenty of ability, but the bear minimum is hard work and one example he should be following is Trezeguet he gets plenty of stick from our fans, but never for his lack of work rate.”Credit: @WayneDawkins2″There’s out of form and there’s lack of effort and that’s simply not on. Even our worst performers look like they care, Barkley doesn’t and I think he’s burned too many bridges now.”Credit: @brummyste”Sorry Ashley I disagree he should practice in someone else’s time not waste ours and at a huge cost to the club. Hard lesson learnt back to Chelsea please. Onwards and upwards.”Credit: @LG23392173In other news, Villa source lifts lid on huge offer expected for ‘brilliant’ £22.5m-rated AVFC star – report

According to a report by Italian journalist Ciro Venerato, speaking to Kiss Kiss Napoli (via Calcio Napoli 24), Gli Azzurri boss Gennaro Gattuso has now been placed on the managerial candidate list for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Italian job…

Another day, another new name emerges from Italy linked with the Tottenham managerial vacancy.

The likes of Maurizio Sarri and Gian Piero Gasperini have previously been linked with the Spurs job, as well as Simone Inzaghi and even six-time title winner Massimiliano Allegri.

Sources closer to home, however, dismiss these reports touting Spurs with the possible appointment of an Italian coach (football.london) – with the media in England and Italy still at odds as they drop conflicting claims.

The Latest: Gattuso emerges as new Spurs candidate

Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss (via Calcio Napoli 24), journalist Venerato has dropped a rather bold claim and thrown Gattuso’s hat into the Spurs managerial ring.

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The former AC Milan legend took over from Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of Napoli back in late 2019, but continued speculation mounts over his future at the Stadio San Paolo.

Venerato now believes that the 43-year-old is yet another Italian being eyed by Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy.

The journalist also explains that Levy is a huge admirer of the World Cup winner and has even scouted him personally.

“Lazio and Juventus are on Gattuso, but the news of the day is that Tottenham have put Gattuso on the list of candidates for the next coach,” stated the reporter.

“The English club has been dealing with Conte over the last month, but they also like Gattuso.

“Tottenham president Daniel Levy has seen many Napoli matches and has watched Gattuso closely.

“He was impressed by the quality of the game and the quality of the ideas, seeing the matches against Roma and Milan.”

The Verdict: Bold claim…

When it comes to managers from Serie A being linked to Spurs, Gattuso arguably stands out as fitting most into the mould of Tottenham’s reportedly ideal manager.

Former Milan sporting director, Massimiliano Mirabelli, also lauded the coach as ‘very underrated’ and an ‘innovator’ when speaking to Italian television channel 7 Gold (via Be Soccer).

And it is claimed by the press that Spurs are looking for someone ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ (The Daily Mail), with Gattuso certainly falling into those categories.

One major caveat, though, could be his style.

The former international’s 4-3-3 formation at Napoli is said to be a more defensive version of ‘Sarri-ball’ and this contradicts what Spurs are apparently looking for on the pitch.

Tottenham are allegedly searching for an attack-minded tactician to take the reins in north London (The Guardian), with Gattuso debatably not fitting this label.

However, given the noise surrounding Gattuso’s future, we’re surprised he hasn’t been linked until now.

In other news: Spurs could now be offered this £250,000-per-week star for Kane, find out more here.

Having seen his Sheffield United side start their 2021/22 Championship campaign in rather disastrous fashion, with the Blades picking up just two points over their opening five fixtures of the season, Slavisa Jokanovic will now be sleeping much more soundly after securing United’s first win in the second tier.

And what a win it was, with two goals each from Iliman Ndiaye and Ben Osborn and further strikes by John Fleck and Morgan Gibbs-White sealing a resounding 6-2 victory against the recently promoted Peterborough United.

The latter of the Sheffield United goalscorers, Gibbs-White, particularly impressed, with the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee proving in the fixture that he more than has the ability to play a key role in Jokanovic’s push for promotion this season.

Key figure

Indeed, over the course of his 77 minutes on the pitch against Peterborough, it would have been difficult for the 21-year-old to turn in a more impressive display on his debut for the Blades, with the central midfielder scoring one goal, registering one assist and making one key pass.

The £6.3m-rated man also completed 100% of his attempted crosses and his attempted longs balls, won 67% of his duels, drew two fouls and made one tackle.

These returns saw the England U21 international earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 8.4, ranking him as the fifth-best player from either side to feature in the match.

And, with John Lundstram having left the Blades for Glasgow Rangers this summer, there was very much a hole that needed filling in the United midfield, something that, as long as he can maintain his level of performance against Posh over the course of the season, Gibbs-White appears more than capable of filling.

They might not directly be a similar type of players but after his departure, it was a huge void and loss to the Blades. Gibbs-White, however, has made them forget about the now Gers midfielder.

However, not only does the man Chris Basham dubbed a “powerful” player have the ability to plug a gap for Jokanovic, he could well go on to prove the catalyst to fire his new side up the Championship table, and potentially all the way back to the Premier League.

In other news: Jokanovic must avoid January transfer disaster as reports emerge on SUFC “leader”