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Paul Robinson has claimed that Glasgow Rangers will now be able to keep Ryan Kent away from the clutches of Leeds United.

The Lowdown: Leeds interest

Leeds United have previously been linked with a move for Kent, although the summer window is now shut.

However, after they announced the signing of Dan James from Manchester United on Transfer Deadline Day, it is not clear whether they would still revisit their interest in the Englishman in January.

The Latest: Robinson on Kent

Speaking to Football Insider, former Whites and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper now pundit Robinson has claimed that any potential move for Kent to his old team is now dead and buried after the arrival of James to Elland Road:

“I always knew it would be a difficult one for Leeds to pull off.

“Rangers under Gerrard are a different prospect to what they were, they have the potential to compete and fight on all fronts.

“Leeds would probably have been priced out of a move. Now Dan James has come I think that one is dead in the water.

“He hasn’t started the season particularly well. Now with the window shut hopefully that gives him some stability and he can turn that form around.”

The Verdict: Keep

The Ibrox faithful must look to keep hold of their best players for as long as possible, and Kent is certainly one of them.

Described as ‘fantastic’ by former Light Blues right-back Alan Hutton, the winger scored an impressive 13 goals and supplied a further 15 assists in 52 games in total across all competitions across the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, he still has potential to develop even more at just 24 years of age, and will only get better under the management of Steven Gerrard.

Thus, the Gers need to stand firm with a huge valuation, in case Leeds do end up revisiting their interest despite James’ signing.

In other news, find out what reason has been given why Cedric Itten left here!

Celtic may have signed 12 new first-team players during the course of the summer but Ange Postecoglou’s squad is already depleted down to its barebones.

The Hoops have suffered a number of injury blows over the last few weeks with Kyogo Furuhashi now ruled out for over a month.

Giorgos Giakoumakis is also missing due to a lack of fitness and now Greg Taylor will have to undergo surgery on a shoulder problem.

Liel Abada will be absent from the game with Real Betis on Thursday evening due to religious reasons but Postecoglou has now been rocked with another big setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the manager admitted that Callum McGregor would miss the encounter in Spain, citing a “knock.”

It remains to be seen how long the skipper will be out for but in a game of this magnitude, he will be a massive miss for Celtic for a whole host of reasons.

First and foremost, Postecoglou is likely to be gutted because he loses his captain and the man who really sets the tone in the middle of the park.

Though, McGregor’s influence extends far beyond his leadership qualities.

He has experience at international level and has performed admirably in big games over the last few months.

The midfielder scored for Scotland against Croatia at the European Championships, found the net against Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifiers and also shone for his country in a remarkable win over Austria during the last international break.

McGregor has been nothing short of exceptional this season and his ability to disrupt the play would have been crucial against Betis.

The Spanish side may sit ninth in La Liga but they have enjoyed the third-highest average (61.5%) for possession in the league.

No player in Celtic’s midfield has managed more tackles – 1.4 per game – than McGregor this term which only exacerbates the blow at hand.

Postecoglou will be able to choose from Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy as his replacements but the latter is yet to start a game for Celtic since signing in the summer.

Consequently, he may not last the entire game in Seville this evening.

AND in other news, Desmond could land dream McKay successor at Celtic in “respected” 58 y/o CEO…

Having won their first Premier League title in 30 years and sixth Champions League trophy during Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Liverpool, it’s safe to say they have a plethora of talented players in their squad.

One figure, in particular, that we feel is deserving of much praise at Anfield is Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, who was the only Reds player to start every Premier League game last season, proving just how vital he was for Klopp’s side.

Since joining the Merseyside club from Championship club Hull City back in the 2017 summer transfer window, Robertson has gone on to make 184 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in which he has managed to score five goals and provide 38 assists along the way.

So far this season, Robertson, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £50k-per-week according to Spotrac, has made seven appearances for the Reds across all competitions, providing one assist that came during the club’s 3-3 draw against Brentford in the Premier League.

In terms of his market value, Robertson’s value stood at £9m according to Transfermarkt back in January 2018, whereas now it stands at £58.5m, highlighting a quite meteoric rise at Anfield.

Taking all of this into account, we feel that Liverpool’s signing of Robertson has been one of their best pieces of transfer business since Klopp’s arrival in 2015.

He has become one of the most outstanding full-backs on the planet, contributing as many as 38 assists during his time in Merseyside, 12 of which came in their Premier League-winning campaign.

Looking at his latest performance for Liverpool during their recent 2-2 draw against Manchester City at Anfield, Robertson once again proved how important he is for the team, particularly from a defensive point of view.

The 27-year-old won every duel he was involved in, made five clearances, three interceptions, two tackles and blocked one shot, ultimately earning himself a solid overall match rating of 7.1/10, higher than the likes of Diogo Jota, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk according to SofaScore.

Moving forward, we see no reason why Robertson won’t continue to be a regular starter for Liverpool this season unless Klopp feels the need to rest him for whatever reason, with Kostas Tsimikas coming in as he did during their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, or a potential injury keeps him out of action.

In other news: FSG currently face one of their biggest Liverpool dilemmas, they must act soon – opinion 

If you look at the table, things don’t exactly look good for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Old Gold have lost both of their first matches under Bruno Lage and are yet to score a goal.

On the chalkboard

Heading into the summer, it became apparent that Wolves needed far more bodies in their first-team ranks.

This all came down to planning, something Nuno Santo claimed needed to be improved before he left for Tottenham.

However, that message doesn’t appear to have got through to the club’s ownership.

They are again staring at a situation where their squad is slim and they’re already paying the price. Lage said last week that the first-team group currently consisted of just 15 players due to injuries. Consequently, Wolves need more depth, and they need it quickly.

They have always been keen to strengthen options available to coaches in the academy but it’s time they put senior matters first.

The solution

One area where Wolves lack genuine rotation options is in the final third. Adama Traore and Trincao are the only viable choices on the flanks at the moment with Pedro Neto now ruled out until February.

The Portuguese attacker broke his knee cap towards the back end of last term, dealing the club a harsh blow considering he won their Player of the Season award for 2021/22.

With that in mind, signing another body would be a good idea. According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Wolves have joined the race to sign Ademola Lookman.

They are battling to sign the 23-year-old with Crystal Palace, but his parent club RB Leipzig are intent on a permanent deal for the winger.

Lookman has never really discovered true consistency but he showed in glimpses for Fulham last term that he’s got the quality necessary to thrive in the Premier League.

Some of his actions in the final third were supreme as he found himself involved in eight goals. For context, only Neto contributed to more top-flight strikes in the entire Wolves team.

Hailed as a player with “unbelievable quality” by his former boss Scott Parker, he had a tendency to put in some electrifying displays at Craven Cottage.

The £9.9m-rated gem played 1.8 key passes per match and was successful with 2.4 dribbles a game.

In terms of those already at Molineux, only Neto managed more key passes and only Traore provided more dribbles. On that final piece of evidence, he’d be a top drawer replacement if the latter leaves.

Traore has been linked with a mega £40m move to Tottenham and given Wolves’ financial constraints, there’s every chance that proposal will be accepted by the hierarchy.

If that does go through, then Lage must do his best to lure Lookman to the Midlands in the final week of the window.

His dribbling and speed might not be on the same destructive level as the Spaniard’s but he’s still very dangerous.

AND in other news, Wolves could finally replace Jota by signing “explosive” £34m “powerhouse”…

Celtic are interested in Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Foster’s love for Parkhead

Foster, who has been with Watford since 2018, has less than 12 months left on his Vicarage Road deal.

The 38-year-old, on £33,000-a-week in London, recently shared his love for Parkhead.

He described Celtic Park as ‘the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in my life’, with Foster featuring for Manchester United in a 1-1 draw back in 2008.

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The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports, cited by Football Daily, shared an update live on TV on Thursday regarding potential Tottenham outgoings.

They mentioned Celtic’s interest in Joe Hart before saying the Hoops ‘also have an interest’ in Foster.

It appears as if it’ll be one of the other out of Hart and Foster, with Ange Postecoglou already having Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain, Conor Hazard and Ross Doohan on the books.

The Verdict: Foster or Hart?

Foster and Hart hardly featured for their respective clubs in 2021 but both have over 300 games of Premier League experience under their belt.

Hart is four years Foster’s junior, so perhaps favouring a deal for the Spurs man would be a shrewd option.

It seems as if Celtic don’t want to pay a fee for Hart, though, so Foster could be an alternative target if those negotiations fall through.

Either way, it is clear Postecoglou is desperate for an old head in between the sticks – it has certainly served arch-rivals Rangers well with Allan McGregor.

In other news: ‘Celtic are finally closing in’ – Devlin’s transfer post on ace with ‘excellent final ball’. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the performance of John Lundstram during their Champions League third qualifying round clash with Malmo.

Having won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years last season, the Gers have put themselves in a position to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League. They faced Malmo in the third qualifying round first leg on Tuesday but were beaten 2-1. Had it not been for a last-minute deflected strike from Steven Davis, the result would have been even worse.

Lundstram, who signed for the club on a free transfer from Sheffield United this summer (rangers.co.uk), was included in the starting line-up, but he struggled to deal with the fitness of his opponents in the middle of the park.

Some journalists covering the match did not spare the 27-year-old in their player ratings. The Daily Record’s David McCarthy gave him a five, writing that he “didn’t have the powerful influence his manager would have hoped for”. Mark McDougall of Glasgow Live issued Lundstram with a lowly four and opined: “Made his first start and had a really poor night. Was constantly caught in possession and made poor decisions in his passing. Not a great start when it comes to competitive games.”

Many Gers fans were not happy either with what they saw from the 27-year-old. These fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the former Everton youngster’s night in Sweden, with one Bear even describing it as “criminal”.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Lundstram’s display

“Davis tried hard, Arfield and Lundstram miles off the pace”

Credit: @Cammy26_2

“Lundstram was a massive letdown, heard so much good stuff about him but he was as good as a player short tonight.”

Credit: @MitzisLapdog

“Lundstram was too negative when he had the ball. No chance both will start next week.”

Credit: @budgie1234567

“Lundstram’s passing was woeful, Kent was poor again. Definitely missed Morelos no control in the midfield. Better performance needed at Ibrox”

Credit: @Daniel11Thain

“Lundstram with one of the worst performances from a Rangers player I’ve ever seen in Europe.”

Credit: @CedricItten

“Lundstram sleeping at the first then turning his back on the shot, criminal.”

Credit: @BookerChattings

In other news, many Rangers fans have been reacting to this man’s imminent departure.

Kurt Zouma is one step closer to becoming a West Ham United player…

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, the Chelsea centre-back is expected to undergo a medical within the next day or two and it comes after a €30m (£26m) fee was agreed for the 26-year-old.

“The club now believe that they can get the medical completed within the next 24-48 hours,” he told ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon page.

“There are a few steps to go plus obvious medical. The deal is now more advanced than the [Nikola] Milenkovic one ever was. Let’s hope we finally get an outfield deal over the line. As soon as I hear it’s complete, I will post.

“I have been told that not only does [David] Moyes feel he is securing his number one target, a top-quality centre back but also a very good lad who will settle into the changing room superbly and be part of the great team spirit that has been created.”

Imminent arrival

Much of the London Stadium faithful have been crying out for West Ham to sign Zouma this summer.

When reports first emerged linking the Irons to the France international, many could not contain their excitement – for example, one supporter claimed “what a signing” it would be, whilst another suggested it was a “big upgrade” on Craig Dawson, as relayed by Hammers.News.

This is hugely understandable as Moyes let Fabian Balbuena run down his contract at the end of last season, so there’s a place in the squad for the 26-year-old.

He’ll surely slot right in given his experience.

Zouma has played over 200 times across the Premier League and in Europe, and last season, none of Moyes’ current options – Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Dawson – could match his impressive returns.

Via WhoScored, the £28.8m-rated colossus won a whopping 3.6 aerial duels per game and only three other centre-backs in the whole league were better with the ball at his feet, having averaged a 90.6% passing accuracy.

Premier League legend John Terry also once hailed him a “beast of a player”, which is a huge glowing endorsement on his ability, and if that doesn’t provide further encouragement to why the Hammers are receiving a top-quality player, then nothing will.

The Irons faithful are surely buzzing by this latest development from Ex as it means Zouma is very close to becoming a West Ham player.

AND in other news, talkSPORT’s Jim White drops huge West Ham transfer claim…

Derby County have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring new signings to Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by John Percy, with The Telegraph journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that the EFL are now allowing Wayne Rooney to make five additions to his Derby squad in the summer transfer window.

Percy continues by stating that, with the club still operating under a transfer embargo, these signings must currently be free agents, with the club only being able to offer each potential signing a 12-month contract, or, if the target is available on a loan deal, the maximum length of their temporary stay at Pride Park is six months.

In his tweet, the journalist stated: “Wayne Rooney is now able to sign up to 5 players, but is still restricted to free agents on 12-month contracts or 6-month loans under the EFL’s transfer embargo.”

Fans surely buzzing

While Derby are by no means out of the woods yet regarding their off-field issues, the fact that Rooney has been allowed to make a number of additions to his squad this summer is certainly a step in the right direction for the club, and one that is sure to have left fans of the Rams buzzing.

Indeed, with Derby currently only having 14 contracted players in their first-team squad, should the EFL have not allowed the 35-year-old to bring in any additions this summer, the Rams would have found it extremely difficult to field a side of decent enough quality to play in the Championship next season.

However, with the potential arrival of five new signings, this would take Derby’s squad size to 19, enough to fill a starting XI and seven substitute players on the bench.

As such, the fact that Rooney will, at the very least, be able to submit a squad to play in the Championship next season is undeniably a positive step for the Rams, with the club’s future having appeared incredibly uncertain just a matter of days ago.

Having said that, the former Manchester United man will nevertheless be hoping that the EFL will allow him to bring in further additions to his side before the transfer window slams shut at the end of August, in order to provide the 35-year-old with the best possible chance of beating the drop with the Rams next season.

In other news: Imagine him & Lawrence: Rooney must sanction Derby swoop for “special” £3.7k-p/w beast

Rafa Benitez might not have received the warmest of welcomes from Everton fans in Merseyside but there are no doubting his credentials.

The new Toffees boss has won multiple league crowns and boasts a Champions League title. In the words of Farhad Moshiri; “Rafa is a proven winner with huge experience.”

What’s the word?

The 61-year-old must now use that experience to extract the most from the ongoing transfer window.

The Toffees are slightly behind their rivals in pursuit of various targets but there is still plenty of time left to improve the squad.

One player they could sign is a striker currently thriving at Euro 2020; Haris Seferovic.

Reports this week (via Sport Witness) claimed that both Everton and Wolves made approaches to Benfica pre-tournament regarding his availability.

Seferovic’s value was only €15m (£13m) but after his eye-catching performances for Switzerland, Benfica are now searching for a fee of €30m (£26m).

Bye-bye DCL?

If Everton are in the market for Seferovic then it could mean the end for Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park.

The England forward has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Real Madrid in recent months with his future in Merseyside unclear.

Calvert-Lewin enjoyed the best campaign of his career in 2020/21, finding the back of the net on 21 occasions.

He was in tremendous form and used his tall frame to bully defenders. The archetypal target man, the Everton striker won a mighty 4.7 aerial duels per game in the Premier League last season.

However, that’s precisely why it would make little sense for Seferovic to arrive unless Calvert-Lewin headed for pastures new.

It’s wise for Benitez and co to think of contingency plans but they could be playing with fire here.

Seferovic is a ruthless goalscorer, finding the net 26 times last term which took his tally for Benfica to 69 strikes.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

However, he is a particularly inconsistent player. During Switzerland’s first game of Euro 2020, he was described as “awful” by Swiss football expert Craig King.

Though, in classic Seferovic style, he has defied his doubters. The 29-year-old has scored three times at the tournament, strikes that included a brace against France as Switzerland knocked them out in stunning circumstances.

Another target man, the attacker used his body brilliantly to score two headers by getting between the French central defenders. Ally McCoist waxed lyrical about his qualities on commentary, dubbing him “superb” for the way he rose the highest for the opener on Monday evening.

Heading into the transfer window, Benitez doesn’t particularly need another striker. Though, the landscape will completely change if Calvert-Lewin has his head turned.

Seferovic needs to be on standby in case that eventuality occurs. He isn’t as imperious in the air as the Everton star but his 2.1 aerial duels won per match showcase he can lead the line with authority and purpose.

AND in other news, Rafa can win over Everton fans by signing £13m beast who was “thrilling” at Euro 2020…

Everton’s summer hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.

They lost Carlo Ancelotti before the window had even opened and then their long hunt for a new manager meant they were left trailing behind in the player market.

On the chalkboard

In terms of the playing staff, the Toffees could be struck with a few mighty blows.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the subject of interest from both Manchester United and Real Madrid while James Rodriguez could depart after just a year on Merseyside.

Marcel Brands concluded a phenomenal deal for the Colombian a year ago when they welcomed the creative maestro to Goodison Park on a free transfer.

His first campaign in English football was injury-hit but he still contributed to ten goals in the Premier League.

AC Milan are believed to be interested in the attacker with Rodriguez’s agent, Mino Raiola, meeting with the Italian club.

If he does walk through the exit door, it will leave Everton with a lack of quality in the final third.

The solution

Everton were linked with a move for Mikkel Damsgaard over the weekend and if he joins the Toffees, he’d be a wonderful replacement for James.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

Like Rodriguez, the Danish sensation is capable of playing in central areas but also on the flanks.

Similarly, he has now shone at a major international tournament. The Everton star gained fame for lighting up the 2014 World Cup with Colombia when he finished the competition as the top scorer.

Damsgaard hasn’t found the net as regularly but as Denmark reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, he was often the beating heart of everything positive they did in the final third.

The Sampdoria forward scored twice, including a wonderful free-kick against England and registered an assist.

Described as “magical” by TV2’s Martin Mikkelsen, the vibrant baby faced Dane has an enormous future in the game.

Crucial in replacing James are creative and technical attributes. Fortunately, the 15-goal Damsgaard has that in abundance.

He recorded 1.2 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game during this year’s European Championships. In comparison to James’ stats from last term, he managed 1.7 key passes and 1.5 dribbles an outing.

Damsgaard has the ability to run a defence ragged but also pick up tidy pockets of space right on the edge of the area.

With that in mind, he’d be the ideal replacement for Rodriguez this summer. Rafa Benitez must ensure his side are at the front of the queue for the youngster’s signature.

AND in other news, Benitez can axe Everton “liability” by signing 6 ft 4 giant who’s “performed miracles”…