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Steven Gerrard looks to have been handed a potential blow ahead of next season at Ibrox, with Lazio reportedly eyeing a move for Rangers star Ianis Hagi this summer.

According to reports from Italy, the Biancocelesti are keen on signing the Romanian international this summer as they look to amend their goalscoring issues in Serie A.

The report added that a bid of €10m (£8.6m) would be enough to prise the 22-year-old away from Ibrox this summer, and it would surely be a big blow for Gerrard if Hagi were to depart.

Rangers initially signed the attacking midfielder on loan from Belgian side Genk in January of the 2019/20 season and he contributed three goals and two assists for Gerrard’s side in all competitions, which was clearly enough to convince the 40-year-old to make the transfer a permanent one last summer.

He has continued to impress this season, with seven goals and 12 assists to his name in all competitions, so he has clearly become an important player at Ibrox despite being just 22.

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Gerrard was full of praise for Hagi after his double against Braga in the Europa League last season, saying: “Ianis is an outstanding talent and that stage was made for him.”

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that the former Liverpool captain will be desperate to keep the youngster in his squad ahead of next season, when Rangers will be looking to give a strong account of themselves in the Champions League, as well as attempting to retain the Premiership title they won so impressively this term.

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Considering Hagi’s contract isn’t set to expire until 2024, you would hope that Rangers would be able to demand a hefty fee should Lazio make an official approach this summer. However, if the Romanian international is keen on a move to Italy, there may be little that Rangers can do to stand in his way.

And, in other news… Gerrard may already have his McGregor replacement in teen wonderkid training with the first team

It may be five years since Aston Villa sold Adama Traore to Middlesbrough, but there can surely be no questioning that the Midlands club got the wrong end of the bargain.

It was Roberto Di Matteo who was in charge at Villa Park when the decision was made to let Traore go, with Albert Adomah arriving in the opposition direction instead.

At the time, Di Matteo seemed to be thrilled with the club’s business, saying: “Albert is a player I’m really happy to have brought to the club and like others he knows what is required to win promotion from the Championship. He is an attacking player who creates goals and I’m confident he will be an impressive addition to the group.”

But since then, it’s Traore who’s really had the last laugh.

Now, a five-cap Spain international, the 25-year-old has firmly established himself as a Premier League star, and has kept that X-factor that really made him stand out as a youngster.

As per Whoscored, his average of 4.2 dribbles per game in the top-flight this season ranks him as the most prolific dribbler in the division, while he also ranks in the top six for earning the most fouls per match too (2.2).

Dubbed as “unplayable” by Jurgen Klopp following an impressive display against his Liverpool side, Traore also has a fan in Graeme Souness, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: “He is now not only a winger anymore, he keeps the ball, holds the ball and sets up goals, obviously. That makes it so difficult, each ball you lose is 100 per cent a counter-attack and half a goal.”

CIES now value him at a whopping £35m, and that’s a testament to just how much he has grown since leaving Villa Park, with the Spaniard now very much a key part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side at Wolves – he’s now played well over 100 times for the Molineux based club.

Given how much he has progressed over the years since his departure, Villa must surely look back at Traore’s exit back in 2016 as one they got completely wrong.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa played a blinder in signing this star… 

Manchester City will be looking to extend their winning run and take a huge step towards the title by beating Manchester United at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side have now won 21 games in a row in all competitions after beating Wolves 4-1 in their last fixture and the Citizens are currently 12 points clear of second-placed Leicester City, having played a game less than the Foxes.

Therefore, victory in the derby on Sunday would be another big result for Guardiola’s side in their hopes of securing the title this season, as if their current form continues, it is difficult to see any team catching them.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Manchester United, with three changes from the team that started against Wolves…

Ederson keeps his place in goal and will be looking to pick up another clean sheet, having conceded rare goals against West Ham and Wolves in the last two fixtures.

There’s one change in defence, as John Stones returns to resume his partnership with Ruben Dias at the back, with the pair having been superb so far this season.

Ilkay Gundogan is likely to return in midfield alongside Rodri after being rested for the game against Wolves, which allows Kevin De Bruyne more freedom to go forward.

Phil Foden also comes back into the side having not started either game against West Ham and Wolves, which moves Raheem Sterling up front in place of Gabriel Jesus, who despite his brace against Wolves, was again guilty of missing big chances.

Riyad Mahrez drops to the bench as a result, with Bernardo Silva moving to the right-wing as the Algerian’s replacement, however, the “special” former Leicester man, who earns £120k per week at City, can definitely be relied upon to make a difference from the bench if required.

And, in other news… Forget Zinchenko: Man City can sign their dream Mendy successor in £34.4m gem

Since signing in January, Willian Jose has had a torrid time in the Midlands. Wolves look no better with him leading the line, and it looks increasingly unlikely they’ll sign him permanently.

Jose was an eye-catching arrival. The Spaniard has proven pedigree in La Liga but he has struggled in the Premier League. He hasn’t scored in a Wolves shirt, registering just 19 touches in the area during 11 hours of football.

In that time frame, he’s had just ten shots at goal; clearly he is not the Raul Jimenez replacement Wolves were so desperately seeking.

Fabio Silva has hardly provided much either. The Portuguese was signed for big money last summer, £35.6m in fact, and has scored just twice in the top-flight.

Jimenez is still to return but you sense that Wolves could do with some added firepower when the transfer window opens.

One player they could target is Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker has been sublime this season in the Championship and as such, is attracting the eyes of not only the Old Gold but also Arsenal, Leicester and Leeds United.

The Bees have slapped a £30m price tag on his head and you can understand why. Toney has been exhilarating this term, bagging 27 goals in just 35 matches following his arrival from Peterborough.

Toney is also creative. The forward has registered nine assists in the second tier this term, proving to be a complete all-round player.

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It’s hard to deny that he isn’t better than Jose at this moment in time. Everything the Wolves target touches seemingly turns to gold while everything Jose touches goes awry.

Signing the Brentford striker, therefore, could be game-changing. He knows where the back of the net is and has pace in abundance.

He would also arrive with glowing appraisals. Before signing for the London outfit, Posh owner Barry Fry commented: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

Those sentiments are also felt by Brentford manager Thomas Frank: “Ivan is a special, special player,” he said.

£30m would be a lot to pay, but as Shi proved with the arrival of Silva last summer, he is willing to pay up. Considering how lethal Toney has been, he’d definitely be worth the investment.

AND in other news, “The first thing I’d say to him” – Exclusive: Wolves icon Bull offers Fabio Silva unusual advice…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy after it was confirmed Willie Collum will be the referee for the Old Firm derby next weekend.

The Gers’ status as Premiership champions was confirmed after Celtic drew 0-0 with Dundee United last Sunday. As such, the derby next weekend is something of a dead rubber – the Ibrox outfit obviously can’t be caught and Celtic are all but guaranteed to finish a distant second.

However, the 55-time Scottish champions have a chance of going the campaign unbeaten (Sky Sports), and every Old Firm clash is a tense affair. As such, the decision to appoint Willie Collum as the referee for the clash has not gone down too well with the fans. The Gers have had issues with the official in the past (The Daily Record).

The news was shared on Twitter by Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Collum news below

“Definitely a red for Alfie”

Credit: @jamesreid77

“Good thing 55 is in the bag already then”

Credit: @PhilipMansfiel2

“Collum, Clancy and Connor? Who’s the other linesman Lennon??”

Credit: @GrantRfc89

“Looks like they are pulling out all the stops to stop the invincibles”

Credit: @MrBigBertie1

“The 4 officials are just like letting 4 home supporters in to the game……”

Credit: @KelmanPeter

“Along with Kevin clancy fourth official. Morelos sent off for turning up Rangers asked to play another keeper as the rumours Allan McGreggor has wands for fingers are true. Gerrard sent off for winning 55”

Credit: @NOTELINYI

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Sky Sports news.

Leeds United’s decision to sell Kasper Schmeichel to Leicester back in the summer of 2011 must surely go down as one of the biggest blunders in the club’s recent history.

Reports claimed that Leeds sold Schmeichel for less than £1m, with then boss Simon Grayson making it clear that the call to sell the Denmark international was one that was in the “best interests” of the Whites, and that it was the “right deal for the club”.

It was suggested by the manager himself that the goalkeeping position was an area he wanted to strengthen that summer, and wanted to sign another senior shot-stopper to follow in the footsteps of Paul Rachubka’s arrival from Blackpool.

Speaking after a move to the Foxes was confirmed, Schmeichel let it be known that the decision for him to leave Elland Road was taken out of his hands, and that it was well and truly against his wishes.

He said at the time: “I want to put on record that I have never asked to leave the Leeds United, nor did I reject an offer for a new contract, since one was never put to me. I was enjoying being a Leeds United player and was looking forward to winning promotion this season with the club.

“I have spoken to the manager Simon Grayson and he has made it clear to me, that, in spite of having played well for him, this is something he believes is a good deal for Leeds United. I have been put in a very difficult situation and will spend some time considering my options for my future.”

Since then, Schmeichel of course has developed into a Premier League stalwart, having earned promotion to the top-flight with Leicester and being part of that now historic side that clinched the title against all odds in 2016.

The big Dane has also picked up 60 senior caps for his country, while he was even named by FIFA as one of the three finalists for the world’s best goalkeeper award back in 2018.

Considering that Leeds pocketed less than a £1m – absolute peanuts both in today’s market and even back in 2011 – it’s surely a shocking call that the Whites must still regret even to this day given how Schmeichel has progressed at the King Power Stadium.

Leeds just weren’t able to see the kind of potential in Schmeichel that Leicester did, and it’s the Foxes who have benefitted the most.

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Deivid ficou satisfeito com a exibição do Cruzeiro na vitória sobre o Tricordiano, na noite deste sábado (20), pela quarta rodada do Campeonato Mineiro. O treinador, porém, se decepcionou com os minutos finais de seus comandados e, na entrevista coletiva concedida na Arena do Jacaré, em Sete Lagoas, não escondeu o sentimento.

– Uns 85 minutos (foram bons), mas nos últimos cinco minutos não conseguimos controlar o jogo e tivemos uma pressão desnecessária. Estou chateado pelos cinco minutos que tivemos, começamos a finalizar mais e tivemos mais chances – comentou.

O técnico crê que a Raposa convenceu pela primeira vez nesta temporada e destaca que o fato de o placar ser magro foi preponderante para a imprensa criticar a exibição.

– Se você colocar, não convenceu, porque venceu por 1 a 0. Se fossem dois, três, você diria que está de bom tamanho. A equipe está evoluindo. Estou chateado pelos últimos cinco minutos que jogamos. Perdemos a situação por não ter controle do jogo.

Not that they’d like to admit it, but if Glasgow Rangers do intend to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window, then Steven Gerrard simply must prioritise his options out wide.

Ianis Hagi has established himself as a regular starter in the Scottish Premiership but both Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements. Gerrard should count his blessings that the transfer market is still open, for the time being at least.

Reports have emerged over the past week that Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sheffield Wednesday winger Adam Reach, whose contract will run out in the summer.

The Lancashire Telegraph recently revealed that Reach is free to talk to foreign clubs and thus, Rangers and their Old Firm rivals Celtic are closely monitoring his situation.

It’s been claimed Steven Gerrard’s side ‘may make a move for the 27-year-old who was bought for £5milllion from Middlesbrough in 2016.’

As per the Bosman ruling, he could move to a new club without costing a penny if he agrees a pre-contract deal with either club north of the border.

Wilson masterclass

With Reach nearing the end of his contract, it goes without saying that this could be yet another fine example of a masterclass from Ross Wilson – who played a central role in Southampton’s player trading – if he can snap up the 27-year-old.

There’s no doubt he’d take to Scottish football like a duck to water as he’s arguably one of the most versatile players in the English Championship.

Capable of playing out wide, upfront, in the midfield or even at left-back, his versatility not only means that he is a manager’s dream as he can play in a number of positions at short notice, but he’d also be a significant upgrade on the likes of Barker and Jones in the final third.

Previously described as “fantastic” by former Owls manager Jos Luhukay, he has a host of different qualities that could be game-changing for the Gers.

Perhaps most importantly, he’s better in almost every area than the hapless Rangers duo.

Reach has made 22 Championship appearances so far this season and has two goals and two assists to show for his 18 starts, despite playing in virtually every position besides centre-back, right-back and between the sticks. That’s one more goal contribution than Barker and Jones have managed between them, let alone by themselves, via Transfermarkt.

On top of this, the former Middlesbrough man makes just shy of one tackle and one interception per game, which shows that he isn’t afraid to get stuck in and contribute defensively as well. The same can’t be said for Barker and Jones, who have barely averaged one tackle between them this season, via WhoScored, and typically shy away from tracking back and breaking up attacks.

It’s clear that Reach would be an upgrade on the two Rangers outcasts, who are still yet to feature for the first-team this year.

With Rangers lacking genuine cover on the wings and Gerrard’s playing style revolving around the width on the outside channels, it’s fair to say that signing the experienced Reach could prove to be invaluable as they bid to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

The chastening 3-2 defeat to St. Mirren shows Rangers can’t afford to rest on their laurels in the transfer market. Therefore, snapping up Reach for a cut-price deal should be at the top of the list of Wilson’s priorities. He’s already proven he’s one of the best in the English second division and should settle into life in the Scottish Premiership.

Should they stall too long, there’s no doubt there’ll be other clubs waiting in the wings.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for on-loan Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi…

Arsenal’s woes continued this evening after they slumped to an eighth defeat in the Premier League.

The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Everton at Goodison Park as pressure continues to mount on under-fire boss Mikel Arteta.

They fell behind to an early Rob Holding own goal as the visiting centre-back, and skipper for the night, had the ball bounce off him from a Dominic Calvert-Lewin flick-on.

Nicolas Pepe responded just after the half-hour mark with a strike from the penalty spot, but Yerry Mina nabbed the winner on the stroke of half-time, defeating the diminutive Ivorian winger to a header from a corner.

Once again, many of Arsenal’s biggest stars underperformed on the night – journalist Charles Watts at football.london accused Willian of ‘simply not trying’ during the break, but there was perhaps an even more anonymous player in the shape of David Luiz.

He is arguably the most experienced player in this Gunners’ XI and he badly let his manager down. You could tell from his body language that he just wasn’t bothered on his return to the side.

Calvert-Lewin left him for dead to practically score the opener, so the fault must lie with him rather than Holding.

Per SofaScore, the 33-year-old veteran failed to win a single duel in the 90 minutes he was on the pitch. Luiz also lost possession eight times and made only 25% of eight long balls.

Wasteful.

The fact that he was a mere passenger was summed up by his failure to record a single interception or tackle from 93 touches of the ball. In reality, the Brazilian was only there to pass out from the back.

Luiz was graded a four out of ten by football.london in their post-match ratings. They wrote:

“The Brazilian simply had no idea where Dominic Calvert-Lewin was for the opening goal and perhaps could have done more to go to the ball for the second.

“He is in the team, however, for his passing ability and given how much possession Arsenal had in the second period you would have hoped David Luiz could do more.”

The £100k-per-week star must be doing so much more to justify such extortionate wages in north London. Arteta ought to axe him ahead of Gabriel’s return.

AND in other news, KSE can land the Gunners a huge BARGAIN in January with swoop for “revelation”… 

MatériaMais Notícias

Ainda longe da Barra Funda, o uruguaio Diego Lugano já mexe com o cotidiano dos jogadores do São Paulo. Prova disso foi a entrevista coletiva do lateral-direito Bruno nesta terça-feira, após o treino. O jogador confessou que está ansioso pela chegada do beque – prevista para às 20h desta terça – e acredita que “El Diós” tem tudo para assumir a liderança do grupo e ajudar dentro e fora de campo.

– Essa foi uma notícia muito boa.Como saíram grandes ídolos e líderes, que chamavam a responsabilidade, que se precisasse xingar, xingava, acho muito importante a vinda dele, estou ansioso para conversar, para que ele possa treinar com a gente. Chegando esse ídolo, estamos no caminho certo – afirmou e logo agregou.

-Pela história dele, pela qualidade, esse grupo não tem vaidade. Todos vão acolher o Lugano, vai nos ajudar muito com essa liderança, vai assumir essa postura.

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E a vinda de Lugano vai colocar mais espanhol na rotina de treinos do São Paulo. Com o colombiano Wilder, o chileno Mena e o argentino Centurión, além dos também argentinos Edgardo Bauza, técnico, o auxiliar José Dileu e o preparador físico Bruno Militano. Assim, o idioma hispânico tem ganhado cada dia mais espaço.

– A gente fala o portunhol, né? (Risos). Às vezes o professor fala muito rápido, mas o Milton (Cruz) está sempre do lado para ajudar – completou.

E é com essa mistura que o Tricolor se prepara para a primeira fase da Libertadores da América. A estreia da equipe na competição está marcada para o dia 3 de fevereiro, contra o César Vallejo.

– Osestrangeiros podem ajudar na Libertadores muito. Tem muito a contribuir, não só no falar dentro de campo, mas entender também. Além disso, tem o espírito, que é muito importante – concluiu.