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Rangers’ transfer budget in the January transfer window might not be enough to facilitate an overhaul, according to Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ situation

Michael Beale’s side currently sit nine points behind leaders Celtic at the top of the SPFL after they were unable to hang onto three points in the Old Firm Derby on Monday.

Their league position and question marks over the squad have left the club in a predicament where they will surely have to allow Beale to make wholesale changes to close the gap to their Glasgow rivals.

The Latest: Walker’s concerns

It seems that the Gers will be in a situation where they will have to wait until the summer to overhaul the squad according to Walker, who questioned on The Go Radio Football Show Podcast, what Rangers actually had the finances available to do this month.

(51:31) “I don’t know what money Rangers have available because every former Rangers player I speak to says that the squad needs an overhaul or transformation, you know, some big numbers coming in, some real options and that costs a bit of money and I’m not sure how much Rangers have to spend.”

The Verdict: Summer the priority

Despite their current position and Beale’s form in charge which saw them only drop the first points of his reign against Celtic, considerable backing in January looks unlikely.

Alongside the potentially cash-strapped approach to the window, Rangers have key issues with both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos’ contracts to attend to, as well as the future of Malik Tillman who is set to also leave the club at the end of the season.

The summer gives a chance for those three crucial players’ futures to be sorted out and therefore give a bigger scope on where the priorities of an upcoming window lay.

The return of Ianis Hagi from injury potentially by the end of February at the latest, according to GlasgowLive, leaves spending potentially beyond their means to close a nine-point gap to a side that have only dropped five all season, surely not something the Gers will approve.

Chelsea are on the verge of completing their third winter signing as Todd Boehly looks to make the requisite moves to return to prominence, despite the opening of the transfer market still over a week away. 

What’s the word?

Having reportedly all-but signed Christopher Nkunku in a lucrative £63m deal from RB Leipzig last week, and clinching a deal for David Datro Fofana from Molde, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now tweeted that the Blues have won the race for touted starlet Andrey Santos, relaying the exclusive news from Brazilian reporter Lucas Pedrosa. 

He said: “Chelsea are now closing in on Andrey Santos deal. Brazilian midfielder born in 2004 is expected to join the club from Vasco da Gama — here we go soon!

“Personal terms are almost agreed, deal at final stages.”

Last month, French outlet Le10 Sport wrote that Chelsea boss Graham Potter was homing in on a €15m (£13m) deal for the 18-year-old, and now the club look set to secure their man, despite interest from the likes of FC Barcelona and Newcastle United to the signing. 

Ramires 2.0

The signing of Santos signifies a crystal-clear plan at Stamford Bridge, with an evident onus on targeting the globe’s most prodigious young stars and luring them to west London, opening the dam for a continual torrent of talent at Boehly’s disposal. 

Playing a crucial role in Vasco de Gama’s promotion-winning 2022 campaign in the Brazilian Serie B, Santos scored eight goals from 33 league appearances, playing a crucial part despite his inexperience.

And Sofascore recorded his performances at an impressive 7.13 in the division, where he averaged 1.4 shots per game and created four big chances, completing 78% of his passes from his all-encompassing midfield role.

From a defensive standpoint, Santos chipped in with 2.9 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per outing, winning 60% of his total duels and demonstrating an aptitude for rebuffing and quelling opposing forward surges. 

His dynamism from the heart of the team bears semblance to former Blues maestro Ramires, with Santos’ compatriot playing an important role for the club across his six-year spell in the Premier League.

Making 251 appearances for Chelsea, the 35-year-old Brazilian scored 34 goals and 25 assists and often proved to be a shining light for his side, a ubiquitous and effective presence. 

Winning the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup with the Blues, Ramires revelled in an illustrious career at Stamford Bridge, flourishing with his robust, tenacious approach.

And now Santos, who has earned the nickname “the Brazilian Busquets” offers all the attributes to flourish as a successful pivot in the Premier League, and now the pieces have indeed fallen into place for just that.

Brazilian icon Juninho once claimed that the teenage sensation is a “monster”, continuing to say: “Technically, he’s way above the others. He’s not going to be better than me, he’s going to be much better than me. He is a much more complete player. At 18, I didn’t play half as much as he does, I’m not ashamed to say that.”

With such high praise bolstered by a move to Chelsea, a promising future indeed lies ahead for his precocious youth, and he could soon prosper in blue colours.

Former Everton striker and Kevin Campbell claims that his old club could hire Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou to replace Frank Lampard.

The Lowdown: Top target

As per journalist Alan Nixon, the 57-year-old is ‘top of the wish list’ for the Goodison Park outfit, should they decide to part company with Lampard.

Former Leeds United coach Marcelo Bielsa has recently been linked with the job on Merseyside, with Lampard a man under pressure after a run of results which has seen his team win just one of their last eight games across all competitions, slumping to a worrying 17th place in the Premier League table.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell claims that Lampard is still the right man for the job at Everton, but given the ‘remarkable’ work that Postecoglou has done at Celtic, the ex-Toffees striker has not ruled out the Aussie potentially replacing the 44-year-old:

The Sky Sports pundit said: “I think Lampard is the man for the job right now. But who knows? He could be sacked next week.

“What Postecoglou has done at Celtic has been remarkable. He came with a resume that no one really knew too much about, as a wildcard – and he’s made a real difference.

“Could I see him taking that to Everton? Potentially.

“He’s got his own style and his own methods both on the pitch and in the transfer market. Why wouldn’t that work at Everton?”

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The Verdict: Now is the best time…

If Everton are to change their manager, now is the best time to do it.

There is now a break for the World Cup, during which a new manager could come in and put his stamp on the club, getting tactics ready for when players return from the tournament, and holding training sessions for those who aren’t in Qatar ahead of the league season resuming.

Postecoglou has been linked with managerial jobs at Wolves and Leeds recently, showing that some of Everton’s Premier League rivals feel that he has the capabilities of managing in the top flight.

The 57-year-old wrestled the Scottish Premiership title back off bitter rivals Rangers in his first season in charge at Parkhead, and his team are dominating the division once again in 2022/23.

Only time will tell whether he is ready to take a Premier League job at a club as big as Everton, but they will not know unless they give him a chance.

The Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has shared that Newcastle United ‘do not intend to spend big’ on any player in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Great start

The St James’ Park outfit have made a great start to the Premier League season, sitting pretty in third place in the table.

Given the financial backing by the owners in the summer, when the Magpies had a net spend of £122.4m and brought in Alexander Isak as a club-record signing, they could look to go again in January in order to cement their chances of finishing in one of the Champions League places by the end of the campaign.

The Latest: No intention to go ‘big’

Taking to Twitter, Edwards has shared that Newcastle ‘do not intend to spend big’ on players in January, but that could potentially change after their trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in December.

He tweeted: “The word coming out of #nufc at the moment is they do not intend to spend big in January on anyone but could high league position and a trip to Saudi Arabia in December change that?”

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The Verdict: Go the extra mile…

While Newcastle are in such a healthy league position, they should be looking to go the extra mile and get one or two more big players into St James’ Park in January.

Money should not be too much of an issue given PIF’s wealth, so they could essentially cherry-pick who they would like from the players who are attainable.

The Magpies’ long-term ambitions will be to eventually play in the Champions League regularly, but the financial backing for some of the ‘big six’ clubs may mean that this will take longer than they perhaps anticipate.

With the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool falling behind at the moment, this season presents a glorious opportunity for the Magpies to finish in the top four, and a couple of big-money signings in January could help them massively in that regard.

Tottenham Hotspur emerged triumphant in a heated North London derby, held for the first time no foreign soil, defeating Arsenal 1-0 at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. The highly anticipated friendly turned into a showcase for Pape Matar Sarr, who delivered a moment of brilliance to settle the contest in Spurs' favour.

• Spurs beat Arsenal in a pre-season friendly
• Sarr scored a sensational winner
• Took aim at their fierce rivals on social media

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  While the goal was celebrated by the Tottenham camp, it wasn’t without controversy. Arsenal players immediately protested the referee's decision to let play continue after Richarlison’s challenge. They argued that the Brazilian forward had committed a foul in winning the ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly, but the official, Lau Fong Hei, remained unmoved and allowed the goal to stand.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Though the fixture may have been billed as a pre-season friendly, Tottenham's victory came with silverware, providing the club with more than just bragging rights. Spurs took full advantage of the occasion, lifting the trophy and taking to social media to revel in their success.

• WHAT TOTTENHAM SAID

  Tottenham’s media team wasted no time in mocking their local rivals with one post captioned, “Another one for the trophy cabinet,” clearly aimed at Arsenal’s well-documented struggles to add to their honours in recent years.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The jibe struck a nerve, as Tottenham, often on the receiving end of jokes about their own silverware drought, have started to turn the narrative. Having gone nearly 17 years without a major honour, Spurs ended their barren run last season under Ange Postecoglou by winning the Europa League final against Manchester United.

  With Tottenham lifting two pieces of silverware in a matter of months, Arsenal have now become the ‘top six’ club with the longest ongoing wait for a major trophy. Their most recent triumph dates back to the 2019-2020 season when manager Mikel Arteta guided them to an FA Cup win in his debut campaign.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to Elland Road in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Simon Phillips, with the journalist revealing in a recent post on his Substack that the Whites are one of a number of Premier League clubs monitoring the situation of the Juventus midfielder ahead of launching a potential move for the 24-year-old in the winter market.

Phillips goes on to state that the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also interested in a move for the USA international – who it is reported Massimiliano Allegri would be happy to part with in January.

Klich upgrade

Considering just how impressive McKennie has been for Juventus in recent seasons, coupled with Mateusz Klich very much appearing to be coming towards the end of his career at Elland Road, it is not difficult to understand why Victor Orta would be interested in a move to bring the American to LS11 in the winter window.

Indeed, with the 24-year-old boasting incredibly impressive positional versatility – being able to operate from defensive, central, attacking, left and right midfield – it is clear to see how useful an asset the 34-cap international would be in Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad.

The £43.5m-rated talent is also clearly an exceptionally talented player, with FBref ranking McKennie in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 14% for non-penalty xG, the top 8% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 33% for shots over the last 365 days – proving his effectiveness in the final third.

Furthermore, the £54k-per-week ace also ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders for clearances per 90, as well as the top 6% for blocks, the top 11% for interceptions, the top 11% for aerial duels won and the top 16% for tackles over the past 12 months – demonstrating McKennie’s extremely impressive work-rate in a defensive capacity.

And, with the 32-year-old Klich seeing both his game time and performance levels drop in the current campaign – being yet to start a Premier League fixture in 2022/23, as well as averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.56 over his nine league outings – it would very much appear as if Leeds could do with an upgrade on the Poland international in the not too distant future.

As such, a move for the USA star who David Wagner dubbed “outstanding” this winter would tick a lot of boxes for the Whites, although, considering the sheer amount of interest in McKennie, Orta must act quickly if Leeds are to have any chance of bringing the 24-year-old to Elland Road.

Celtic’s hierarchy have been told to tie manager Ange Postecoglou down ‘for a long time’ amid interest from the Premier League. 

The lowdown

Postecoglou’s contract at Parkhead is currently due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.

The Australian, who took over in the summer of 2021, is thought to be on a rolling deal with the Hoops.

According to The Telegraph, Brighton have expressed an interest in Postecoglou following the departure of Graham Potter, but learned that the 57-year-old wants to stay put for now.

The latest

Reacting to the exit links in a chat with Football Insider, Alan Hutton told Celtic to push for a long-term agreement with Postecoglou in light of his ‘remarkable’ achievements at the club.

He has been highly impressed by the manner in which the boss has implemented his philosophy, and feels it’s inevitable more Premier League teams will be too.

“If I was the hierarchy at Celtic I’d want to tie him down for a long time,” Hutton, now a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, said.

“What he’s done since he’s come through the door at the club is quite remarkable to be quite honest.

“Not just the turnaround in playing staff but the playing style and everybody has bought into that. Some of the football they have played is incredible.

“Not just the Old Firm game but against Real Madrid, the European champions, they played the exact same way and they were unlucky they just ran out of a bit of steam.

“If it was me, I would definitely want to tie him down. I can understand why teams like Brighton are looking at him because he’s done a remarkable job since he’s come in to Celtic.”

The verdict

Celtic need to be wary. Postecoglou’s name will surely pop up in connection with other managerial vacancies south of the border.

Leicester City, for instance, are struggling badly, with just one point on the board after six games. If they decide to sack Brendan Rodgers, then might they turn to Postecoglou?

With one Scottish Premiership title under already his belt, and another potentially in the offing after Celtic opened up an early five-point advantage, he deserves better than a one-year rolling deal.

Newcastle United are reportedly in the race to sign Olympiakos midfielder Mady Camara, although will face competition from another Premier League club for his signature.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies – as well as Leicester City – are eyeing a move for the 25-year-old before the window slams shut, with both clubs said to be keen on signing a new defensive midfielder this summer.

The report suggests that the Greek outfit could be forced to cash in on the Guinea international, having missed out on progression to the Champions League group stage after slipping up in qualifying last month.

The 21-cap gem has spent the past four seasons with his current side after joining from Ajaccio back in 2018, although his future is somewhat uncertain with just under two years remaining on his existing deal.

Fill Shelvey void

While the Foxes are likely looking for a new midfield addition amid doubts regarding reported Arsenal target Youri Tielemans, for those at Newcastle a new recruit has become a necessity following the injury sustained by Jonjo Shelvey in pre-season.

The Englishman is facing an extended period on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, with the 30-year-old unlikely to feature again until after the World Cup – effectively ruling him out of the first half of the season.

With manager Eddie Howe having also sanctioned the loan departure of Isaac Hayden to Norwich City earlier in the window, the Tynesiders have been left distinctly short of options in the centre of the park.

In need of someone to fill the void, the addition of Camara could well be an ideal solution, with the £9.9m-rated machine having impressed at his current side of late, scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists in 181 games in all competitions from his central midfield berth.

Also comfortable in a more defensive-minded berth, the 6 foot ace particularly caught the eye in last season’s Europa League campaign, averaging 1.8 tackles and 0.8 clearances per game from his eight outings in the competition.

Lauded as a “tremendous” talent by journalist Konstantinos Lianos, the £11k-per-week titan could well help to plug a hole in Howe’s side were he to be signed before the window closes, with Wednesday’s narrow victory over Tranmere Rovers perhaps proving that more quality depth is needed for the northeast side, if they are to enjoy a successful season.

While Camara – who has also been labelled a “quality player” by Linos – may not be the high-profile addition that some supporters are craving, his capture could prove integral ahead of another long and gruelling campaign in which resources will seemingly be stretched to the full.

Therefore, he could be the exact man that Dan Ashworth needs to bring to the club before deadline day next week.

Everton have had a busy few weeks in terms of new signings, with five players joining the squad at Goodison Park, but they may now be starting to offload a few of the current squad as an update is revealed by a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist and former Everton communications director Alan Myers, Dele Alli could be on his way out of the club before the transfer window closes on 1st September.

Myers tweeted: “As reported Dele Alli is in talks with @Besiktas over a move to Turkey, could be a loan or permanent move depending on how talks progress”.

When asked for the reason as to why the former Tottenham star was looking for an exit, the reporter claimed: “I think he wants to play more football”.

It’s the right move

With Frank Lampard keen to improve his squad this summer to avoid another relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League, it’s the right move for the club to offload players who can’t cut it, and Alli hasn’t shown so far that he is much of a prospect for the future at Goodison Park.

He joined the Merseyside club on the same day as Lampard himself on transfer deadline day in January but has been unable to make his mark on the team so far, accruing just 13 appearances averaging out at a mere 27 minutes apiece, with no goals or assists to show for it.

The 26-year-old flop joined Everton in a deal worth £40m after struggling to secure a starting spot at Spurs under Antonio Conte. It looks as if his current boss doesn’t favour the attacking midfielder either due to his lack of inclusion in the team, even though Everton had one of the worst injury crises in the Premier League last season.

Lampard recently spoke out following Alli’s performance in pre-season against Blackpool as he netted a brace against the Championship side (via Liverpool Echo), saying: “They are goals I want to see from him. It was a trademark of his as he broke through at Tottenham for a number of seasons, and we all know what has happened in between.

“But, if he is going to get back to the best of what we want from him he has to arrive into those areas and score those kind of goals. He also has to work on his general play and be part of the team and understand what we are trying to do. I saw some good things there.”

Since the start of the new season, Alli – who was branded “shocking” by Jamie O’Hara after Spurs’ defeat to NS Mura last autumn – has again not been favoured, playing just 19 minutes of football over the first two Premier League games.

With that in mind, it seeems clear that the 26-year-old is not prominent in Lampard’s plans this season, so a move away from Everton could be highly beneficial and the best outcome for both the player and the club.

Manchester United could finally be about to close out a long-term negotiation…

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, the Red Devils are plotting one final attempt to pry Frenkie de Jong from a stubborn Barcelona.

A transfer saga that has dominated the summer could be set to come to a close, as United will reportedly end their pursuit should this last attempt fail.

With Barcelona desperate for any financial boost, they will be hoping the Dutchman accepts the huge wage packet being prepared for him.

Imagine him and Eriksen

At last, this lengthy transfer saga seems set to come to a close, for better or for worse. Whether they get their man or lose out at least Erik ten Hag can finally move on either forming the team around de Jong or finding an alternative.

If this huge financial package is to tempt the Dutchman, the partnership he could strike with other new signing Christian Eriksen could be frightening for the rest of the Premier League.

Both silky and creative forces, the Barcelona midfielder could offer an element of added security, and his press-resistant tendencies suggest that he could break the lines and then feed the Denmark international in dangerous pockets of space.

He ranked in the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, and with a 90.1% pass completion rate, he fits the mould of the perfect midfielder that United have been crying out for.

Reportedly rated at €85m (£71m) by a financially struggling Barcelona, it seems that this particular hurdle has already been surmounted, as United move straight onto wage negotiations.

Dubbed “sensational” by journalist Joel Rabinowitz following his demolition of the Real Madrid midfield as an Ajax player, he knew the big things that were to come.

If this kind of ability was to be placed beside Eriksen, who last season for Brentford averaged a 7.54 SofaScore rating and ranked in the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions, could make for a perfectly balanced midfield.

If a player like Scott McTominay, or even Lisandro Martinez was to play just behind them as the midfield enforcer, this could quickly become one of the better Premier League midfields.

De Jong and Eriksen are a partnership that just makes sense, and the Red Devils just need to get the deal over the line now, with one last push.

AND, in other news: Man United have “genuine” interest in signing £25m “phenomenon”, forget about de Jong.