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Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is just weeks away from his first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants.

He may want to dip into the market to bring in one or two players of his own to bolster his squad and ensure that they are fully prepared to see out the second half of the season and clinch as many trophies as possible.

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Glasgow is Heerenveen gem Joey Veerman, who is reportedly of interest to the Gers heading into next month.

Brutally axe

He only joined the club in the summer from Sheffield United, but midfielder John Lundstram could find himself on the chopping block if a deal for Veerman is completed.

Van Bronckhorst already has a plethora of options in the middle of the park and the addition of another one in January could result in someone losing their place in the squad. That does not mean that they will need to be sold or that their future at Ibrox is completely over, but simple maths dictates that Veerman taking up a position in the XI or bench will force a player to watch on from the stands.

Lundstram has not had the best of times since moving from Brammall Lane earlier this year and his form this season has not been good enough to warrant a regular spot in the starting team.

Earlier this season, Kris Boyd blasted him after an error against Dundee United in a Premiership match, telling Sky Sports:

“John Lundstram switches off for the goal and I know it’s early days, but he’s got a lot to improve on.

“We’ve seen big names come here and struggle in the past and he’s going to have to up his game.”

The dud has only started seven games in the league and has averaged an unimpressive 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game, winning only 2.3 duels per match. This shows that he is not a guaranteed starter getting minutes week-in-week-out, potentially putting his place under threat.

Therefore, signing the £6.3m-rated Dutchman, Veerman, could lead to van Bronckhorst brutally axing Lundstram from his matchday squads unless he is able to show, consistently, that he is good enough to make a big impact for the side.

The likes of Juninho Bacuna, Steven Davis, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield are also vying for the starting XI and competition could be fierce if another body is added to the mix.

AND in other news, Gvb could solve big Rangers issue at Ibrox by unleashing “clinical” 21-goal teen…

Leeds United are battling fellow Premier League side West Ham in the race to sign Anderlecht midfielder Josh Cullen this summer.

What’s the story?

According to TEAMtalk, Jesse Marsch’s side are in contention with a number of other clubs including the Hammers in the chase to land the 25-year-old, with the Republic of Ireland international’s deal currently expiring in the summer of 2023.

Leeds’ successor to Klich

With Mateusz Klich soon to turn 32 in just a couple of months time, it’s high-time Leeds consider slowly easing the Poland international out of the first-team picture and bringing in a more youthful and dynamic star in the middle of the park.

And in Cullen, they could find someone who fits that exact bill of being hard-working, and extremely durable, just like Klich.

Speaking just last year, Anderlecht boss Vincent Kompany said: “He is never called the Man of the Match, but he is the most popular in the squad. Those who admire him the most for his work are his teammates. He has only one thing in mind: the team. His own person comes after, in the background. If the team wins, it’s because he did a lot of jobs that the others couldn’t do.

“An anecdote: against Genk, he hit his head and they put a bandage on him. As I know he is of Irish descent and tough as iron, I slapped him on his bandage and said with a laugh: ‘Are you okay? Come on, run then, and stop making excuses.’ The same against Charleroi: he took a big tackle on the ankle, but I knew he would continue, even if his leg was cut in half.”

Klich has much of the same never-say-die attitude characteristics, but his form over the past 12 months or so has certainly come under question amid the Whites’ return to the Premier League.

Speaking just last summer after a particularly anonymous display in a 2-0 defeat against Brighton, former Leeds man Noel Whelan questioned where things had gone wrong for the midfielder.

He said: “What is wrong with him at the minute? I don’t know. He is not the same player he was a year ago though. It is quite bizarre. I’m struggling to get my head round how his form has dipped so badly.

“It is another reason why we need to go into the market this summer. We need more offensive midfielders. Klich’s performance against Brighton was the perfect example why. He is so ineffective in the midfield. He did not run past the defence, he hardly touched the ball, he did not make anything happen.”

While Cullen has been less used as a dynamic goal-scoring midfielder in his time at Anderlecht – he’s yet to score this season – his time in West Ham’s U23s and with Charlton indicate he has got the ability to break into the box and deliver a genuine end product.

He managed eight goals and seven assists in 38 U23s games, while his 66 appearances for Charlton saw him come up with ten total goal contributions.

The 12-cap machine could well be the ideal successor to Klich in the Leeds engine room.

AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”

Everton will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace last time out when they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their Premier League clash this evening.

A spirited 2-1 victory over Arsenal ended the Toffees’ eight-game winless run, but they failed to build on that over the weekend as the usual dose of disappointment soon returned.

It’s been a hugely underwhelming campaign for Rafa Benitez’s charges so far, with injuries playing a significant part in their recent run of disappointing results and performances.

The likes of Richarlison, Allan and Andros Townsend have joined Dominic Calvet-Lewin, Yerry Mina and Tom Davies on the treatment table, leaving Everton extremely short of options throughout the pitch.

As a result, Benitez is likely to call upon his more experienced stars to get him through this tough period, and one of those who is expected to be relied upon is Fabian Delph.

After arriving on Merseyside back in July 2019, the former England international has failed to showcase his best form on a consistent basis for the Blues.

Fitness woes have hampered Delph’s ability to affect games in an Everton shirt, but he regularly did so at Manchester City, becoming a key player for Pep Guardiola throughout their title-winning 2017/18 campaign.

The £92k-per-week earner illustrated his versatility by filling in at left-back for the Citizens, earning praise for his consistency and reliability despite the difficult circumstances.

“It is not easy when you play in different positions, but he has,” said Guardiola. “There is always room for the team to improve, but Fabian is always a banker for us – and the other players know it.”

And now Benitez must call upon Delph’s leadership qualities, ability to adapt, and track record of stepping up to the mark when called upon.

With so many first-team players unavailable, Everton will need to grind out positive results over the coming weeks even if they’re unable to play to the best of their ability, and having someone as resilient as Delph on their side will help them do exactly that. He may just lead a mini-revival at Goodison too.

And, in other news…Another setback: Rafa confirms injury blow pre-Chelsea, Everton fans surely devastated

Leeds United could soon have another teenage goal machine on their hands…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, the Yorkshire side are among a number of Premier League teams taking a keen interest in Rangers prodigy Rory Wilson, who is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Europe.

Both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Newcastle United are also thought to be monitoring his progress with scouts from City and United watching him in action for Scotland U17s this week, where he bagged two goals against the Czech Republic.

He has featured for the Gers’ youth team in both the Lowland League and in the UEFA Youth League.

Any club that signs him will have to pay compensation, likely to be in the region of £300k, as per the report.

Forget Gelhardt

The Whites have a track record in signing young, promising starlets, especially those of an attacking persuasion and Wilson could be the next to follow in the footsteps of Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt.

Much like the latter, there seems to be plenty of hype surrounding the Rangers gem, who has bagged an astounding 40 goals for the Scottish club this campaign.

Scotland has recently become a hotbed for young talent for some of Europe’s biggest clubs – Celtic youngster Ben Doak is the latest name to head south after clinching a move to Liverpool, whilst the likes of Calvin Ramsey and Kerr Smith have attracted interest in recent windows.

What bolsters Leeds’ chances of adding this goalscoring talent to their youth squad is the fact that Wilson has reportedly rejected Rangers’ offers of his first professional contract – in a bid to follow Billy Gilmour into the Premier League.

You’d imagine that his arrival would put competition at Gelhardt’s door, especially as he has struggled to start matches despite the injuries to Patrick Bamford.

Even though he’s bagged two goals from the bench in 13 appearances this season, the former Wigan prospect has been restricted to two starts, neither of which have come under new manager Jesse Marsch, who didn’t even introduce him during their 3-2 win over Wolves before the international break.

Wilson is clearly a very talented youngster with bags of potential and the Yorkshire giants must ensure they win the race to sign him, rather than letting one of their rivals get a boost towards their future.

For six figures, it’s a low-risk bargain with the potential of high rewards.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano reveals fresh Raphinha development…

A promising update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Lille centre-back Sven Botman in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Whilst linking to an article from his colleague Simon Jones, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has provided an update on the situation, tweeting: “Newcastle remain in contact with Lille over defender Sven Botman.”

This comes after The Athletic reported earlier this week that the deal is all but dead and the defender is poised to remain in France until the end of the season.

Excitement for Eddie Howe

This news will surely leave Eddie Howe feeling excited, as it leaves the door open for Newcastle to sign Botman before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month. It shows that the Magpies have not given up on a move for the 22-year-old just yet and are continuing to attempt to change Lille’s stance in order to bring in the centre-back.

Howe will be delighted with this, as the Dutchman could be an excellent addition to his squad in an area where the Magpies are in desperate need of strengthening. Only Norwich (44), who have played an extra game, have conceded more goals than Newcastle (42) in the Premier League this season, so they could need to resolve their defensive issues before they start to think about avoiding relegation.

Federico Fernandez’s SofaScore rating of 6.77 leads the Newcastle squad in terms of centre-backs this season, whereas Botman has averaged a score of 7.02 for Lille in Ligue 1. The former Ajax man also helped his side to win the league title whilst keeping 20 clean sheets in the French top division last term, showing that he can be a part of a successful defence.

This shows that the youngster could come in and improve the team in the short-term by putting in consistently high-quality performances, if he is able to translate his form from France over to England. He could also have a significant impact in the long-term, as he has plenty of potential left in him at the age of just 22.

Howe could get excited about this possible deal as he could have the opportunity to work with Botman on the training pitch in order to help him develop his game. The former Bournemouth boss could enjoy watching the Dutchman improve as a player over time, whilst also enjoying his displays on the pitch in the shorter-term.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

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West Ham United midfielder Edimilson Fernandes is currently on loan at Fiorentina, having seemed surplus to requirements by Manuel Pellegrini ahead of this season.

The 22-year-old has made 48 appearances for West Ham, whilst he has been a regular for Fiorentina this term, scoring twice in 21 Serie A games.

Fernandes was on the scoresheet in Fiorentina’s 4-1 win over SPAL on Sunday night, which led to a number of West Ham fans discussing the midfielder.

One particular Twitter account claimed that the Hammers should recall Fernandes, which led to an interesting debate.

It would be fair to say that the majority were struggling to agree, however, when it comes to the Switzerland international.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Indeed, there were those calling for the midfielder to return, but others feel that he has already proved that he is not good enough to turn out for the Hammers on a regular basis.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham supporters can be seen below:

Fabrizio Romano has delivered an encouraging update on Harry Kane’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The renowned Italian transfer expert dropped a fresh behind-the-scenes claim about the 28-year-old on a recent episode of his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week.

“I want to say that Harry Kane, now with Antonio Conte, is super happy, he’s super happy,” he revealed.

“A lot of rumours, but I don’t see him leaving in January – let’s see what happens in the summer. But the relationship with Conte is very good, they feel each other as important for the future of the project.

“So Harry Kane knows that if Tottenham will be back for Champions League football, Antonio Conte is the man to do it. And Harry Kane knows that now with this manager, this is the plan for Tottenham: to win and to be back in Champions League football.

“And Antonio Conte loves Harry Kane, as he always says in public and he told him in private many times, ‘you will be my striker’. So this is the message from Conte and he wants Kane to stay for the future.”

His form must return

The England international was at the centre of one of the summer transfer window’s biggest sagas as a move to Premier League champions Manchester City looked to be on the cards following Euro 2020.

However, the switch failed to materialise and Kane has just not looked the same since.

He has found the net just twice in the Premier League this season, with six of his nine goals across other competitions coming against lowly opposition in the Europa Conference League.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kane has been linked with an exit once again heading into next month as reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid are keen, whilst Pep Guardiola retains interest from the summer.

But that has been refuted by Romano in his claims above and that should delight the Spurs boss heading into a crucial second half of the season.

The Italian head coach must get his leading striker firing on all cylinders once again and it is hugely encouraging to learn that the Englishman is actually “super happy” at the club, so surely the form will follow if his mind is in the right place now.

Spurs have a genuine shot at making the top four this season as the north London outfit occupy seventh place, just five points adrift of the benchmark with three games in hand.

Elsewhere, Conte’s side have advanced into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, so there’s once again a real chance at ending their barren run without silverware.

The 52-year-old needs Kane, so this latest behind-the-scenes development should leave him, and the Lilywhites faithful, absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Forget Bergwijn: £36m-rated Spurs “monster” with 76 touches ran the show vs West Ham…

Crystal Palace have not made any signings to improve their squad over the January transfer window, but they could still be in a position to do some business this month with just under a week to go.

It has now been revealed that they could make a last attempt to sign a player they have been strongly linked to.

What’s the word?

Journalist, Sami Mokbel, believes that there is still a chance that Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah could become a Crystal Palace player.

Mokbel told GIVEMESPORT:

“Yes, they’re keen on signing Eddie Nketiah, for sure. It’s a deal Palace are definitely interested in.”

Crystal Palace have been linked to the Gunners star for months, with rumours circulating that the move could happen this month, but nothing yet has materialised, especially since Mikel Arteta spoke out to quash the chances by claiming that Nketiah would stay at the club.

However, his contract ends at the North London club this summer.

A perfect fit

The 22-year-old striker was named as a player the club has been interested in “for a number of years let alone months” by Roy Hodgson earlier this month, and it’s not hard to see why he continues to be touted with a move across London.

That’s thanks to Patrick Vieira’s progress in developing younger players, something we have already seen this season with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard thriving under the Frenchman.

Gallagher has already been involved in ten Premier League goals this term while Edouard has nine involvements himself.

Thus, Nketiah is the perfect fit for Vieira’s youth revolution that he began in the summer transfer window by bringing in a number of younger players to fill positions in the team, and the additions have proven to make a positive impact on the side.

However, when you look at Palace’s season so far they have gained over almost as many draws as they have wins, so adding a striker with potential who can add goals to inspire more victories for the side could make a real difference in their pursuit of another top half finish this season.

The £9m-rated forward, Nketiah, who has scored five goals in 11 appearances, could be the answer.

The Eagles have lost three of their last five Premier League games, and Vieira will surely be hoping that the club can come back after the winter break and get back to consistent form by securing more points and climbing the table during the last few months of the season.

In other news: Vieira could be close to signing Aaron Ramsey

Newcastle United are still in with a chance of landing Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Kaveh Solhekol, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing on a recent episode of The Transfer Show that, despite Monchi recently suggesting that the Magpies’ move for the centre-back was all but over, there is actually the slim possibility of PIF managing to strike a deal for the 28-year-old this month.

Speaking about Newcastle’s interest in Diego Carlos, Solhekol said: “Sevilla [are] playing hardball. They don’t want to sell him to Newcastle for less than €45m, we’ve been told. It looked like that deal was not going to happen.

“The Sevilla sporting director, Monchi, came out yesterday and said: ‘It’s not happening. We saw their offer, it’s not enough. The player is going to stay with us. There isn’t enough time for us to sign a replacement.’

“But, I was told earlier this morning that there is still a small, small chance that this could happen. Somebody involved in the deal said: “Don’t say it’s impossible, don’t say it’s finished. The window is still open, so there is a possibility.’

“I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up because I still think it’s unlikely that it will happen, but, behind the scenes, people are still working to try and make it happen.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a defender Diego Carlos quite clearly is, should Solhekol’s latest update regarding Newcastle’s interest in the Brazil international prove to be correct, the St. James’ Park faithful will be buzzing.

Indeed, over his 21 LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £40.5m-rated centre-back has been in remarkable form for Sevilla, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets and scoring two goals, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, one tackle, 3.6 clearances, 60.3 passes and winning 63% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £40k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Julen Lopetegui’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football – a highly impressive feat considering the 28-year-old is part of a side currently sitting just four points off first place in the league table.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, should a deal remain on the table for Carlos prior to the closure of the transfer window on Monday evening, PIF must do all they can to bring the centre-back into the club – as his signing would undoubtedly provide the Magpies’ survival chances this season with a substantial boost.

In other news: Luke Edwards drops major update on late Newcastle transfers, PIF finally mean business

Wolves are exceeding expectations in their Premier League campaign this season, especially after so many injury issues with key players being sidelined over various stages of the season so far.

With Raul Jimenez returning from injury over the summer it was a great boost for the team, especially after he scored the winning goal at the weekend. However, Pedro Neto, Jonny Otto and Yerson Mosquera are still out with no set date for return.

One player has come into the side this season and had an incredible impact on the side’s current form in the Premier League, and could now sign a long term deal with the club.

What’s the word?

Wolverhampton Wanderers journalist, Tim Spiers, took to Twitter in response to a fan account suggesting that the club is cash strapped by focusing on Hwang Hee-chan’s potential move to Molineux, explaining that the Midlands outfit wanted to complete a deal.

He tweeted; “Cash strapped? Nope, no idea where that comes from. Can certainly sign Hwang in January if they agree an advanced deal with Leipzig. They seem pretty keen to do it.”

Wolves seem confident that they can sign Hwang and can land him for £13m thanks to an option to buy, an exciting piece of news for everyone at Molineux.

Fans will be buzzing…

It’s easy to see why supporters would be enthralled by this news as Hwang has been an unstoppable force for Wolves this season and has impressed a number of people in the football industry, including teammate Raul Jimenez who he has formed a partnership for the side.

“It’s good for us that he has set up quickly,” Jimenez said.“It’s good to know that he’s comfortable with the team. It’s on loan now but he gives everything to the club like he has a permanent deal with us. It’s good to have him.”The loan player from RB Leipzig has settled in quickly, netting four goals in ten appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, and is now on the radar of many Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, who are reportedly interested in stealing the signature of the South Korean star.Hwang has been a fan favourite since he arrived at the club this summer, thanks to his hard work and dedication to the forward line, building a fantastic attacking partnership with Jimenez.Fans have been taking to Twitter to praise the forward;One fan tweeted; “Renato and Hwang. UCL football soon!”Another got excited about the potential permanent signing, tweeting; “Rightfully so, he has been incredible for us and as a new signing whose still trine understand the ropes of EPL and a new team.”With Wolves keen to land him properly next year, the club’s faithful followers will surely be buzzing at what’s to come.Lage will be hoping he can continue his run of form against Norwich City this weekend, where Hwang will be expected to start and could secure some more important goals for the side to continue their top half dominance in the league.In other news: Wolves handed huge injury boost ahead of Norwich clash