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A Glasgow Rangers source has dropped a transfer update involving George Edmundson.

The Lowdown: Edmundson not in Gerrard’s plans

Edmundson is a player that is clearly not in the plans of Steven Gerrard, having only played in two games under the Gers manager before being shipped out on loan to Derby County in the January transfer window (Transfermarkt).

The six-foot-two central defender did not do too badly in the EFL Championship, winning no fewer than 6.1 of his duels per game, while also averaging 3.5 clearances and 1.4 tackles per game (Sofascore).

The Latest: Bids made

As per Football Insider, the Ibrox faithful have rejected multiple bids from English teams for Edmundson, and a Rangers source has shared that clubs in England are keen on taking advantage of him slipping down the pecking order.

It looks likely that he will end up leaving Ibrox in the summer window, given that he does not seem to be in Gerrard’s plans, and the Gers may end up accepting a bid for Edmundson assuming that more come in.

The Verdict: Sell Edmundson

The writing may already be on the wall, but Rangers should be looking to sell Edmundson in this window for as much money as possible.

At 23 years of age, they could demand a decent fee, and then could use those funds to help invest in other positions that are needed ahead of trying to defend their Scottish Premiership title.

Derby could be one to benefit from a permanent move given his performances for the Rams, and as Edmundson got a lot more game time at Pride Park, it is a move that the Englishman would likely be happy with, perhaps creating a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

In other news, find out what big update has Gers buzzing here!

Talks are underway between Leeds and Manchester City over the permanent signing of winger Jack Harrison.

That’s according to Jeremy Cross, the Daily Star’s Chief Sports Writer.

The lowdown

Harrison has spent the last three seasons on loan at Leeds, who contractually have the first option to buy.

The 24-year-old has made 35 appearances in their first season back in the top flight. With a game still to play, he’s on a commendable tally of eight goals and eight assists.

No English midfielder has been directly involved in more goals in the Premier League this season.

Harrison starred in the 4-0 win at Burnley last weekend, scoring Leeds’ second goal before teeing-up a late brace for substitute Rodrigo.

BT Sport pundit Peter Crouch said Harrison had had a ‘fantastic’ season and had ‘to be in with a shout’ of featuring in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, while Chris Coleman reckons he would be a ‘joy to play with’ if you were a full-back.

The latest

According to Cross, Bielsa is said to be ‘desperate’ to keep Harrison and Leeds are looking to tie him down.

Cross reports that a £15million fee has already been agreed between the two parties with talks now officially underway to secure Harrison’s future in Yorkshire.

The verdict

Rightly, this looks to be Leeds’ first priority: secure Harrison’s future and then focus on the areas that need upgrading.

The Englishman has gone from strength to strength this season and at only 24, could make a huge contribution going forward.

£15million could be regarded as a snip for a player ranked as the club’s sixth-best performer this term.

In other news, a pundit has weighed in on the future of Illan Meslier. 

According to a report by ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur could now be offered the chance to sign Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham in a player-plus-cash offer for Harry Kane this summer.

The Lowdown: Kane exit saga waging on

After Sky Sports broke the news of Kane and his reiterated desire to leave Tottenham, a plethora of clubs both domestically and abroad have been touted with a possible move.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are said to be watching closely in the Premier League, while Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain have also been tipped as suitors from abroad.

The 27-year-old also spoke candidly over his future to Gary Neville recently and appeared to send a clear message to chairman Daniel Levy, pleading for a sit-down with the Lilywhites chairman (The Overlap).

The Latest: Abraham could be offered to Tottenham

Swap deals have even been touted as a potential solution to bring down Levy’s stunning £150m asking price for Kane, as also mooted by ESPN.

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Football Insider recently claimed that Manchester United could even offer both Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial in exchange for Kane.

Bringing a development, ESPN have now touted another player-plus-cash proposal – this time from London rivals Chelsea. They claim that the Blues could table Abraham as a makeweight to bring down Levy’s price tag for Kane.

Chelsea are apparently mindful that Spurs will be looking to rebuild if they agree on a sale for the 27-year-old and they believe that Abraham would offer sufficient appeal. The forward is also valued at around £40m, a figure based on his form prior to the global pandemic when he found the net on 15 occasions between between August 2019 and March 2020.

The Verdict: Avoid…

Reports of United’s willingness to offer Lingard and Martial for Kane certainly come as far more enticing than this ESPN development.

It’s evident that Abraham has proved himself in the Premier League, having bagged 21 goals in 37 Premier League starts since the beginning of 2019/20 (WhoScored), but he isn’t quite on the Spurs striker’s level.

Also, the 23-year-old’s last Premier League goal came in December, with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel often leaving him out the squad (Transfermarkt).

Despite recent events, former Scotland boss Alex McLeish is adamant that Abraham is still a ‘phenomenal player’, as he told Football Insider in March, but we still believe that Spurs must avoid this deal.

In other news: Manager dubbed ‘one of the best coaches in Europe’ now ‘listening’ to Spurs offer, find out more here.

West Ham United are said to be one of the teams keen on signing Yves Bissouma ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Star, who have claimed that the Irons have made inquiries to Brighton and Hove Albion over the potential of signing their star midfielder.

However, it is thought that Premier League rivals Arsenal are leading the race to secure his signature, whilst Everon and Spurs are also mooted with interest.

The 24-year-old has two years still to run on his Seagulls contract and is thought to be valued at around £30m.

Dream Rice replacement

A new central midfielder likely won’t be top of David Moyes’ priorities given that he so desperately needs attacking options, in particular an alternative to the injury-prone Michail Antonio, but things could quickly change.

The Hammers are on the verge of achieving something extraordinary in qualifying for the Champions League but even despite that, Declan Rice’s future continues to be shrouded in mystery.

According to the Mirror, Manchester United are eyeing him up as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba at Old Trafford, whilst Moyes did reveal that he would consider any huge bids that come forward for his talismanic midfielder.

Bissouma would be an ideal successor, should West Ham lose out on the 22-year-old, who has been hailed as the “future captain” of the club. Rice would evidently leave some pretty big boots to fill but the Mali international has been a rare bright spark in Brighton’s poor campaign.

In terms of reading the game and possessing the ability to thwart the opposition, the former Lille man stacks up well to Moyes’ current options, averaging more tackles per game (2.8) than Rice (1.9) and Tomas Soucek (1.9).

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Whilst in terms of interceptions, Bissouma (1.7 per game) is ahead of the Czech midfielder (1.6) and only just behind Rice (two). He also offers a little more going forward than the England international too.

As per WhoScored, the Seagulls powerhouse likes to drift forward with the ball, averaging 1.5 dribbles (vs Rice’s 0.9) and also likes to have a pop at goal, just like Soucek (1.6), having averaged 1.2 attempts per game this term.

Bissouma’s ex-teammate at the Amex Stadium, Dale Stephens, waxed lyrical about his ability to local reporters in 2019. He said: “He’s got the ability of perhaps a winger playing in central midfield with the way he can go past players. His feet are incredible and I’m sure he’s going to get better and better. He’s got everything you need to be a top player.”

Whilst his former manager Chris Hughton, now in charge of Nottingham Forest, dubbed him a “wonderful talent” to The Argus (via Goal). Gary Lineker lauded him as an “exceptional footballer” and Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher believes teams will be queueing up to bid for him this summer.

The praise is endless.

With a similar playing style to Yaya Toure, there are certainly comparisons to be had with Rice and if Moyes were to lose such a big talent, then GSB should look no further than Bissouma as the man to replace him.

If they do choose to sell Rice this summer, GSB must look to beat Arsenal to Bissouma’s signature and provide Moyes with a suitable successor.

AND in other news, 5 key passes, 4 shots: West Ham’s £18m-rated “team player” fired Moyes a huge message…

Leeds United attacker Tyler Roberts has been linked with a summer move to Newcastle United, with his future at Elland Road up in the air.

The Lowdown: Handy squad player

The Whites have enjoyed an excellent season back in the Premier League, with Marcelo Bielsa easily ensuring that they remain in the top flight for 2021/22.

Roberts has proven to be a handy squad player, making 14 starts in the league and 25 appearances overall in the competition, registering two assists.

The Latest: Newcastle keen on Roberts

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are ‘monitoring’ Roberts’ current situation, with his current deal expiring at the end of next season.

It is claimed that Leeds have offered the 22-year-old a new contract, but that hasn’t stopped the Magpies from potentially lining up a move for the Wales international.

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The Verdict: Keep hold of attacker

While Roberts may not necessarily be an indispensable figure at Elland Road, he is an exciting young player with 13 international caps, hence Leeds’ offer of a new deal.

Bielsa needs to plan for the future and the Welshman can be a big part of that, maturing over time and becoming a more complete footballer.

Allowing him to leave this summer would be a risk, given his possible ceiling – his former manager Tony Pulis believes he has ‘got everything’ as a player – so Leeds should ignore any interest coming his way.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be eyeing up another left-back his summer – find out who it is here.

Frank McAvennie has claimed that Celtic will axe Mohamed Elyounoussi in their Scottish Premiership game at home to Livingston, a decision he thinks is the wrong one.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Hoops striker thinks that the man on loan from Southampton will make way for James Forrest, but insists that it should be Ryan Christie to be dropped instead:

“You look at him [Forrest] and you think ‘people were having a go at him last year’.

“He keeps the width and that’s so important to the way Celtic play, Ryan Christie always comes in and Mohamed Elyounoussi on the other side, he cuts in.

“You need to have that width and it’s just a shame that we’ve missed him all season, he’s such a good player. 

“Good luck to him, I hope he stays fit. We’re going to need him at Ibrox, that’s for sure.

“Because Elyounoussi is on loan he’ll be the one to miss out against Livingston but it should be Ryan, he’s not played well. 

“Callum McGregor could do with a rest but it doesn’t matter who you leave out of that midfield, you’ve got to start Forrest.”

Celtic should start Elyounoussi

It would be a mistake from John Kennedy to drop Elyounoussi for the match against Livingston, even if Rangers have already won the SPFL title.

The Norway international is the Celts’ second-top scorer in the league at Parkhead with eight goals, and also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of shots per game (2.1) (Whoscored).

The fact that he has an added eye for goal from midfield eases the pressure off of Odsonne Edouard, and is a useful asset to have to try and break down what could turn out to be a very stern Livingston team.

Tom English, who is the Chief sports writer for BBC Scotland, claimed that the 26-year-old is a ‘dangerous’ player back in November, and he is certainly a weapon that the Bhoys must use to their disposal to break down Livingston.

 In other news, find out who Celtic may be offered in a swap deal for Edouard here!

Former Sheffield United striker Marcus Bent has told The Transfer Tavern that John Terry ought to consider taking the vacant job at Bramall Lane.

The ex-Chelsea defender has been touted as a candidate for the job, with Chris Wilder having left earlier this season.

The Daily Mirror reported earlier this month that the Blades have placed Terry on a shortlist of potential appointments as they look to find a replacement for Wilder.

The 40-year-old is currently working with Aston Villa as Dean Smith’s assistant and Sheffield United are said to be attracted by the experience he has gained at Villa Park.

Barring a genuine miracle, it is inevitable that the club will be playing in the Championship next season – they have 14 points to their name and are currently 18 points off safety with just seven games of the season remaining.

And Bent believes that Terry would enjoy the challenge of bringing the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Speaking exclusively to TIF, the former striker, who had two spells at Bramall Lane as a player, said: “For John to go in, in the Championship, I think that’d be good for John.

“Not being as experienced a manager as a player that he is, but I think the respect for John would be massive if he did go in there.”

Still, Bent is wary of whether or not Terry would be given the requisite funds to improve the squad, and wonders whether there will be an exodus of players looking to retain their personal top-flight status.

He added: “Will he have money to spend? Will there be players going out from Sheffield United? There’s some good players at Sheffield United, I’m quite bemused, I’m quite sad about that because last year they were doing so well.

“Whether the whole squad gets depleted and moves to other teams, I’m not too sure, I don’t know about the contract situations, but John going in there would be a good move for him, especially at Sheffield United, because they’re a very big club, within Sheffield, to go and learn his career as a manager there.”

Roy Keane was interviewed by the Celtic board earlier this week and is now the clear frontrunner for the vacant managerial position.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who have been informed by a Hoops source that the former Celtic midfielder is very keen to take the job.

Keane yet to agree Celtic deal

Celtic are thought to be willing to put aside concerns over his 10-year managerial absence and are instead looking at his three recent spells as assistant manager at Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, along with his Parkhead connections.

However, the report goes on to add that terms between the two parties are yet to be agreed.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if Celtic have stepped up their search for a new manager in recent days, which, to us, is quite a surprise.

Reports had suggested previously that the club would wait until a director of football was in place before landing a new boss.

A deal for Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin was reported as ‘90% done’ last weekend, however, nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Perhaps a deal for Harkin is now 99% done, with Keane now in the box seat to take over from Neil Lennon.

In other news: Report shares who Keane’s number two could be after Wednesday news, find out more here. 

As confirmed and shared by Manchester City on Twitter, the upcoming Carabao Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley has been approved as an official test event for the return of fans, allowing 8,000 supporters to attend. 

It’s been over a year since Sky Blues were permitted to watch their side in action firsthand, with City fans even missing out on a proper goodbye to club legend David Silva at the end of last season.

After confirming the news, Manchester City have now released a statement that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has given the green light for supporters to return in a test event. This will allow 8,000 fans to attend the final against Spurs later this month and a portion of the tickets will be made available to City.

Following this news, many Sky Blues fans have gone wild on social media, with some potentially getting to watch Pep Guardiola’s side aim to continue their domination of the tournament at Wembley.

It’s little wonder one supporter called it ‘great news’ – find some of the best verdicts down below.

Man City fans go wild for Carabao Cup news

“Great news”

Credit: @joekearney96

“Finally”

Credit: @CityLife433

“Lets goooo”

Credit: @Albelbeisi1

“wwwwww”

Credit: @Thebigkun

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @Rodridiculous

“suiiii”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“Oh my god no way”

Credit: @rkmcr6

In other news: Man City fans also weren’t impressed with this star against Leicester, find out more here.

It would be fair to say that since his summer move to Liverpool, Thiago Alcantara has received plenty of criticism.

Particularly in the Premier League, the Spaniard has seemingly struggled to get up to speed with the English game and the demands of the reigning champions.

However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth against RB Leipzig in Budapest on Wednesday evening.

As Liverpool secured their place in the competition’s quarter-finals with a 4-0 aggregate success, 29-year-old Thiago quietly turned in an extremely impressive showing.

Partnered with Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum in the centre of the park, the £43.2m-rated former Bayern Munich man was instrumental in limiting the German side throughout the clash.

According to WhoScored, he contributed six tackles, which was more than any other player on the pitch. He also managed one interception and two clearances.

These defensive contributions were key as they helped silence RB Leipzig’s supremely talented midfield trio of Marcel Sabitzer, Kevin Kampl and Dani Olmo.

Thiago wasn’t quite finished there though as he also got involved in the attacking side of the game too, having one shot on target, making one key pass and also completing a dribble.

He was also extremely reliable on the ball, having only been dispossessed once throughout the 90 minutes, an extremely impressive count considering that he was firmly involved in the battle arena of midfield.

Reds’ manager Jurgen Klopp was also supremely impressed with Thiago’s showing throughout the game, labelling criticism directed the Spaniard’s way in the first-half of the campaign as “rubbish” as a result.

Considering his somewhat slow start to life at Anfield, Thiago’s display against Leipzig was the type of all-action performance that Liverpool, and the player himself, needed to justify his place in the side.

Klopp has continued to keep faith in Thiago and last night, the Spaniard repaid that faith. If he can replicate that in the league, he will be well on the way to banishing his critics for good.

AND in more news, the Reds must make a move for PSV Eindhoven’s Donyell Malen…