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Rangers have received a boost in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Xavi Simons with the news from L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) that he is yet to sign a new contract. 

The lowdown

A report from Spanish outlet AS (via Glasgow Times) shortly before the turn of the year claimed that Rangers were leading the race for Simons, having opened talks with his agent Mino Raiola. The teenager, who joined PSG from Barcelona in the summer of 2019, is out of contract at the end of the current season.

Simons, who can play as an attacking midfielder, right winger and centre forward, has made four senior appearances for PSG, including two Coupe de France outings in the past month. He has also twice made the bench in Ligue 1 this season without getting any minutes.

The latest

The report from L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) claimed that PSG are at risk of losing Simons on a free transfer in the summer, having apparently become frustrated at the lack of first team opportunities afforded to him in the French capital.

Before he signs a new deal in Paris, the player wants guarantees that he will either be allowed to leave on loan for the remainder of the campaign or be properly integrated into the senior setup.

The verdict

This is a huge update from a Rangers perspective. It raises the genuine possibility that Simons will leave the Parc des Princes, and the Scottish champions appear to be at the front of the queue.

It would be some signing for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side. The Daily Record’s Robbie Copeland has written that the 18-year-old is ‘possibly the most exciting name Rangers have been linked with’; while another sports journalist in Maxi Angelo has raved about the teenager’s ‘spectacular’ showings in the UEFA Youth League after he produced three goals and six assists in the group stage of the tournament.

Even if the £1.6m-rated gem does sign a new deal at PSG, all hope may not be lost. If Simons gets his loan wish, he could still end up at Rangers on a temporary basis.

In other news, many Rangers fans flock to this double exit claim

Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn is attracting interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by SoccerNews (via Sport Witness), Erik ten Hag suggested that he would be willing to make a move for the 24-year-old forward in the upcoming winter market, as well as revealing that he is currently exploring the possibility of securing a deal for the Netherlands international.

When discussing Ajax’s January transfer business, the 51-year-old said: “I may repeat myself, but we want to improve. If there is an option for that, we will investigate it. Whether we also investigate Bergwijn’s situation? We investigate everything. We are professionals.”

Levy must axe Bergwijn

While it is undeniable that Bergwijn is a player who can produce a moment of magic for Spurs, such as his incredible debut goal against Manchester City, whether or not the forward has proven worth his £27m transfer fee is another – much more debatable – matter entirely.

Indeed, over his 21 Premier League appearances – only 13 of which came as starts – during his first full season in north London, the £26m-rated winger scored just one goal, registered three assists and created no big chances for his teammates, as well as taking just 0.7 shots and making a mere 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Nuno Espirito Santo dubbed a “unique” talent earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.56, ranking him as Spurs’ worst performer in the top flight.

Things have not improved much for the £73k-per-week winger this term, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.70 over his six league fixtures, as well as being awarded just three minutes of first-team football since Antonio Conte’s arrival at the club.

Indeed, it has been reported that the Italian is far from the 24-year-old’s biggest fan, with Dutch journalist Mike Verweij even claiming that Conte has spoken just “two words” to Bergwijn during his short time at the club.

As such, with Bergwijn’s resale value still likely to be relatively high, it would seem a wise move for Daniel Levy to cash in on the forward this winter. As it seems unlikely that the Dutchman will become an important part of Conte’s first-team squad at Spurs, his hefty weekly wage could easily be put to better use by the 52-year-old in January.

In other news: Paratici can seal Conte’s dream Spurs signing in 6 ft 1 beast he dubbed “outstanding”

Cameron Carter-Vickers has said that ‘discussions are to be had’ with Celtic at the end of the season as he considers his future. 

The lowdown

Celtic signed the American on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window. The deal included an option to buy for just shy of £6m but, according to the Daily Record, the fee would exceed £10m once add-ons are applied.

The Hoops have never paid an eight-figure transfer fee, with £9.27m recruit Odsonne Edouard still their record signing.

Carter-Vickers has been heavily involved since he made the move to Glasgow, starting 13 out of a possible 14 Premiership games as well as five Europa League group stage matches.

The latest

Carter-Vickers has said that he is ‘enjoying’ life at Celtic but insisted that he’s yet to make up his mind on where he wants to be long-term. The American also pointed out that parent club Spurs would have a significant say on where will be playing next season.

“I am enjoying playing out there,” he said on talkSPORT, as quoted by Glasgow Evening Times. “It is all going well.

“I think it is a little bit too early to say. It is not purely down to me as well. Obviously, discussions are to be had at the end of the season.”

The verdict

It would feel like a significant boost if Celtic were able to land Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal. With an average WhoScored rating of 7.43/10, he has been one of their top five performers this season.

He has also been showered with his praise by none other than Kenny Dalglish, who called him an ‘excellent professional’ who boasts an ‘exemplary’ attitude.

The £10m fee would be a huge commitment, but his £22,000-per-week wages should be affordable at least. Hopefully club and player can persuade Tottenham that a permanent move to Glasgow would be the best thing for him.

In other news, read the latest on Reo Hatate

Aston Villa could capitalise on VfB Stuttgart’s need for funds in their pursuit of left-back Borna Sosa, according to German outlet Bild. 

The lowdown

The report cites ‘English transfer experts’ who claim that Steven Gerrard wants to sign Sosa in January.

Sosa has played 1,060 out of a possible 1,080 minutes in the Bundesliga so far this season.

He’s averaged 1.9 key passes, 1.4 clearances and 1.1 dribbles per game (via WhoScored).

For context, no Villa player is creating more than 1.6 chances per 90 this term.

The Croatian set-piece specialist has operated as a defensive midfielder or a left winger on 10 occasions in 2021/22, highlighting his versatility.

The latest

Journalist Ursula Vielberg writes that Stuttgart will be forced to sell players ‘in the future’ to address the effects of the pandemic.

Since it began, they’re said to have lost as much as €80million (about £67.1million).

That’s not to say Sosa will be sold for far less than he’s worth, though. He still has four years left on his deal.

The report adds that Stuttgart have yet to receive a formal approach from Villa. At this stage, it just looks to be interest.

The verdict

Sosa actually gave some insight into his own strengths and weaknesses in an interview with the official Bundesliga website.

He picked out his shooting, passing, set pieces and pace – he claimed he’s been the fastest player at all of his clubs – as his headline attributes.

But he also confessed that he could improve defensively, having focused on his attacking output as he came through the ranks.

His tally of 14 assists in 50 Bundesliga matches immediately catches the eye, but that possible weakness if something for Villa to consider before they greenlight a move.

In other news, Steven Gerrard has set his sights on this Champions League star.

A big claim has been made regarding Newcastle United’s plans to make crucial behind-the-scenes appointments…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has claimed that the club are expecting a wealth of options to emerge as candidates to take over as CEO at St James’ Park. The Magpies will look to make an appointment in that position before moving on to the director of football.

He tweeted: “Word from NUFC last week was that CEO will probably come before DoF. They’re expecting to be inundated with applications for CEO position. DoF they are working through their targets, Michael Emenalo being one.”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this big claim from Hope regarding the CEO role. The club’s belief that they will be ‘inundated’ with candidates will leave fans buzzing as it suggests that they could bring in a quality operator to run proceedings and make big decisions.

From pure mathematics, the Magpies are more likely to find a brilliant option to take the job if they are brimming with candidates in comparison to if they had minimal interest in the role. Therefore, supporters may take solace in the fact that they are expecting a plethora of names to be in the mix, as it could lead to a successful appointment further down the line.

This is a crucial decision as that person would then be making huge decisions for the club on a daily basis, and fans will surely want the best possible candidate for the job. This could include a call on who the new director of football will be, which could be a gigantic move by the club, given that the successful candidate will be in control of football operations on Tyneside.

We previously published an article explaining why Michael Emenalo could be a good choice. However, it could come down to whoever the new CEO prefers, and that is why the initial appointment of one is massive for PIF as it could then impact where they go from a footballing perspective.

This is why Magpies fans will surely be delighted to read that they are preparing for a vast array of candidates to apply for the job, as it could give Amanda Staveley a great problem to deal with – picking the best one to lead Newcastle forward.

AND in other news, Big blow: David Ornstein drops behind-the-scenes NUFC claim that’ll infuriate fans…

Celtic sanctioning the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi in the January transfer window would be a disaster for Ange Postecoglou.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Stuart Hodge, with the journalist stating his belief in an interview with GIVEMESPORT that, with Southampton reportedly interested in signing the centre-forward in the January transfer window, should the Hoops cash in on the 26-year-old, it would represent a clear lack of ambition from the Parkhead side.

Speaking about the interest in Kyogo, Hodge said: “If they sell Kyogo Furuhashi after six months, then, I’m not saying it’s going to lead to protest because you never know, but it would be the most telling nail in the coffin of the lack of ambition that Celtic now have – if they were to do that.”

Fans would be fuming

Considering just how impressive the £4.86m summer signing has been for Celtic so far this season, should the club indeed decide to sell the Japan international in the winter market, it would undoubtedly be a decision that would leave fans of the club fuming – as Hodge suggests.

Indeed, over his six Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £1.8m-rated man has already found the back of the net four times, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

However, it is not only in the league where Kyogo has been prolific in front of goal, as the centre-forward has also scored three goals over four Europa League qualifying fixtures, bagged one goal over two appearances in the Europa League proper and netted one goal in one appearance in the Scottish League Cup – taking his total haul for the season to nine goals in 13 games.

As such, it is easy to see why Hodge believes that selling the striker in January would represent a lack of ambition on the part of Celtic, as it very much appears as if the 26-year-old possesses the ability to fire Celtic back to glory in the current campaign.

In other news: 61 game-changing actions prove Ange is finally living up to his biggest Celtic promise

Jota would face a ‘big challenge’ in Tom Rogic’s position but watching him there could be ‘exciting’ for Celtic supporters, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The lowdown

Rogic faces at least two weeks on the sidelines after he was forced off with a hamstring injury in Celtic’s midweek victory over Hibernian (via The Daily Record).

It’s certainly a blow for Ange Postecoglou given that his compatriot has featured in every Scottish Premiership game so far.

SL Benfica loanee Jota has predominantly been used as a left winger in Postecoglou’s 4-3-3 since arriving at Celtic Park.

But Postecoglou suggested in his pre-match press conference ahead of Celtic’s clash with Livingston that the Portuguese ‘has the capabilities’ to slot into the midfield three in Rogic’s place, and Devlin has now also hinted at that ‘interesting’ change.

The latest

In The Athletic’s matchday discussion, Devlin admitted Postecoglou’s comments caught him by surprise, but that Jota could find joy ‘driving at defences’.

“Yeah it’s an interesting possibility, certainly an option I hadn’t considered before his comments,” he wrote.

“It’d be a big challenge for his defensive recovery, but it’d be exciting seeing him picking the ball up in the middle and driving at defences, and the space that might open up.”

The verdict

There’s also a possibility Callum McGregor shifts into Rogic’s position, with Postecoglou noting that he has played there before.

That would probably be the lower-risk, more sensible move given that, according to Transfermarkt, Jota has only been deployed centrally 14 times in his career, and even then it was a second striker or a centre forward.

You don’t want to spurn the chance to go above Rangers, for 24 hours at least, by upsetting the balance of the team, so we feel Jota should remain on the flank.

In other news, Kevin Campbell reacts to this Celtic transfer link. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been criticising the performance of Joe Aribo in their 2-1 win at home to Hibernian on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a red card given to Ryan Porteus after just half an hour after Kevin Nisbet had given the visitors an early lead at Ibrox, it took until the 78th minute before Alfredo Morelos struck the winner to give Steven Gerrard’s men all three points.

While there were some good performances for the Light Blues, Aribo seemed to struggle throughout the game. He lost out on eight of his duels, the most of any of his teammates, while he also failed to record a single shot on goal or key pass, losing possession on 15 separate occasions in the match (Sofascore).

Rangers fans on Aribo’s performance

These Gers supporters on Twitter slammed the 25-year-old’s performance against Hibs, with one fan even going as far as to claim that the Nigeria international is a ‘waste of a jersey’:

“Kamara, Hagi and Aribo shouldn’t be near the team the now. 3 are far too slow, though Kamara is a player.”

Credit: @bg724

“Aribo and Hagi. Not remotely interested”

Credit: @martinsuth90

“Hagi, Wright and Aribo have all been anonymous”

Credit: @SY97Ger

“Aribo can’t even make a simple pass”

Credit: @Davidjmae12345

“25 mins in. No shots on target. Defence a shambles again. Midfield creating nothing again. Aribo…waste of a jersey.”

Credit: @55andcounting55

“Joe Aribo has a good game every 10 games”

Credit: @michaelc_1872

In other news, find out which Ranger player’s display was praised by numerous fans

Kieran Devlin has offered some insight on Giorgos Giakoumakis, revealing it is still a ‘real struggle’ behind the scenes at Celtic. 

The lowdown

Giakoumakis joined Celtic on Deadline Day as a replacement for Crystal Palace-bound Odsonne Edouard.

The 2020/21 Eredivisie top scorer cost the Hoops £2.25million, but has only played 16 minutes since his arrival in Glasgow.

His solitary appearance came as a substitute in the emphatic Europa League defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen last month.

The lack of action can be put down to his compromised pre-season, his consequent rustiness in training and a calf injury he suffered while warming up for cup tie against Raith Rovers.

But ahead of Celtic’s trip to Motherwell on Saturday afternoon, manager Ange Postecoglou says the Greek international is ‘ready’.

The latest

Devlin was asked by a supporter in The Athletic’s matchday discussion whether Giakoumakis is likely to come off the bench against Motherwell.

“Potentially,” he replied, “it’s been a real struggle for him to get to match fitness though, apparently.”

The verdict

Given how long it’s taken Giakoumakis to build up to this point, it would be a surprise to see him thrown straight into the starting line-up. Postecoglou will probably go with Kyogo Furuhashi or Albian Ajeti from the off instead.

Celtic fans will no doubt be hankering for a glimpse of their summer signing, but the club would be wise to exercise even more patience. Managing Giakoumakis’ load carefully now could pay dividends when the decisive part of the season comes.

In other news, a key update has emerged after months of Celtic transfer links.

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes Steven Gerrard is not convinced by Jack Simpson, following his Europa League axing.

The Lowdown: Simpson left out of squad

Simpson arrived from Bournemouth in the summer – he agreed the move earlier in the year – and will have been hoping to play a part in the Gers’ Europa League campaign.

That won’t be the case, however, with the 24-year-old excluded from his side’s squad, having also only appeared once in the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Latest: McLeish discusses axing

It is a tough one to take for Simpson, but speaking to Football Insider, McLeish claimed there may be something that has left Gerrard unconvinced about his new signing:

“We spoke about Jack when he came. I felt at that time he hadn’t had a lot of experience at Bournemouth.

“Then we saw him in an Old Firm game, there was some good stuff there, he showed the potential.

“But there’s obviously something that Steven’s not particularly, I’m not saying liking, but thinking that he’s not ready to go ahead of the guys who are already ahead and in position.

“You do have to make sacrifices. Some of them will have people thinking: ‘Oh well, what are we doing buying these players? We’re not putting them in the squad.’ You get that kind of feedback.

“I would say Stevie will probably want to prioritise in some other positions and make sure that they’re covered. He will know he’s well covered in the defensive side.

“It will be a disappointment to Simpson. He has to see what he can do to try and get ahead of the other guys.”

The Verdict: Tough call, but fair

Simpson will no doubt be bitterly disappointed to miss out, but in fairness, it is hard to argue with McLeish’s stance on the matter.

Rangers have a plethora of defensive options in their Europa League squad and the manager may have felt the need to focus on beefing up other areas instead of including Simpson as well.

The hope is perhaps that this may earn the defender more minutes in the league, however, allowing Gerrard to rotate as his new man adjusts to life at Ibrox.

In other news, one Rangers player is likely to miss their upcoming fixtures. Find out who it is here.