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Rangers being without several key figures for Celtic’s crucial Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox is a big boost for Ange Postecoglou’s side, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Huge game at Ibrox

On Sunday afternoon, all focus will be on the potentially season-defining clash, as the Hoops visit their most bitter rivals.

Games between the pair are always hugely important of course, but this one has extra significance, with Postecoglou’s side just three points clear in the title race.

It is a match that could be decided by fine margins and injuries could be key, injury doubts surrounding key Gers trio Aaron Ramsey, Fashion Sakala and Alfredo Morelos, with the latter now definitely confirmed as out.

The Latest: Journalist on Celtic boost

Speaking to Give Me Sport after hearing the news, O’Rourke claimed that it is impossible to deny that Celtic would be boosted by the absence of key Ibrox stars:

“When key players are missing, it’s always a lift to the opposition when they see the teamsheet, so it does give you a lift in that respect.”

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The Verdict: Undoubted positive

This is an undoubted positive for the Hoops ahead of arguably the most hotly-anticipated Scottish Premiership clash in years, with so much on the line at Ibrox.

Despite this, it is still imperative that Postecoglou and his players focus on their own game, however, knowing that destiny is still in their hands and victory would arguably put one hand on the trophy.

Morelos’ absence is arguably the biggest plus point for Celtic, as even though he has not always thrived in the derby the Colombia international is still the Light Blues’ top scorer this term.

In other news, two Celtic players could start against Rangers. Find out who they are here.

Frank Lampard and Everton must do everything in their power to keep Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park, with interest said to be high this summer.

What’s the latest?

The Everton striker has been heavily linked with a move to Mikel Arteta’s resurged Arsenal side, with reports suggesting that Calvert-Lewin could in fact leave in the summer to help the Merseyside club with the £373m losses suffered over the last few seasons.

The rules surrounding financial fair play allow for maximum combined losses of £105m over three years, with Everton looking as though they will be forced to sell one of their big-name players in order to comply with FFP.

Former Tottenham and Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has suggested that the 25-year-old England forward would be better placed at West Ham United:

“I think for Calvert-Lewin, West Ham. They need another centre-forward, they cross the ball.”

Though Bent also added that Everton would have to lower their reported asking price of £60m if they wanted to attract viable suitors for the 25-year-old.

“If Everton ask for £60m no one’s buying him for that.” When prompted on Calvert-Lewin’s worth, Bent said: “£35m-£40m”

No DCL, No Party

With the pressures of FFP surrounding them, Everton will need to offload one of either Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison in order to relieve some pressure and reach a more confident position when it comes to balancing their books.

Of course, if the Toffees are to suffer relegation to the Championship this season, both would likely depart.

Having featured just 11 times for Everton this season, scoring on just three occasions, Calvert-Lewin’s goals have been a big miss for the Toffees and it is no coincidence that the Merseyside blues find themselves in the precarious position of 17th, having played their fair share of games without the star man.

It’s easy to forget that the £72k-per-week forward netted a solid 16 Premier League goals just last season and 13 the season prior, which showcases how big a disaster it would be to lose him permanently.

Calvert-Lewin has been a big miss for the Toffees and his importance has been evidenced this season, as Lampard’s side are battling to avoid what would be a catastrophic relegation to the second-tier.

The Toffees faithful will be hoping that Calvert-Lewin can return to his goalscoring ways before the end of the season.

In other news – Forget Keane: “Embarrassing” Everton dud who lost 100% duels let Lampard down…

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Bradford City announced on Friday that striker Alex Jones has joined Cambridge United on loan for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign.

Jones joined Bradford from Birmingham City in 2017 and has scored 10 times in 30 appearances for his current club in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The 24-year-old has actually only made two League One appearances this term though, with his last coming against Coventry City at the end of October.

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…

Injuries have harmed Jones since arriving at Bradford, but it still seems strange that the club are allowing him to leave considering their problems.

Indeed, Bradford are currently 23rd in League One and were thumped 4-0 by Southend United last weekend.

The Bradford fans have been on social media offering their views on the loan, which is Jones’ third following previous spells at Grimsby Town and Port Vale.

And it would be fair to say that there was a mixed reaction from the supporters overall.

Indeed, whilst some believe that it was the right time to allow Jones to leave, others are finding it difficult to understand why the decision has been made with Bradford facing the possibility of dropping into League Two for the 2019/20 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

According to The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur and manager Antonio Conte have set their sights on another target as news emerges on Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Lowdown: Tottenham working…

As the final hurdle of this year’s January transfer window approaches, Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici is intensifying talks for key targets after missing out on both Adama Traore and Luiz Diaz to Barcelona and Liverpool respectively.

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Little time remains to significantly bolster Conte’s squad and give Tottenham a better chance of finishing the 2021/2022 season on a high.

There are even some fears that the 52-year-old could walk if Spurs don’t strengthen sufficiently as both Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy seek to back the Italian mid-season.

The Latest: Tottenham preparing Luiz bid…

New targets appear to be emerging on a regular basis as The Mail now share news on yet another in Brazilian midfield ace Luiz.

The Villans regular is now allegedly the subject of intense interest from Spurs with both Conte and Paratici now ‘preparing a £32m bid’ for the player.

Luiz has just 18 months left on his current deal, prompting Tottenham’s interest as the club could be forced to contemplate a significant offer.

The Verdict: Ideal target?

Strengthening in midfield is one of Conte’s four main goals for this transfer window and we believe signing the 23-year-old could come as a real statement of intent.

He’s attracted praise from Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who branded his former youngster as a ‘strong’ and ‘clever’ player, meanwhile journalist Gregg Evans has even more rave reviews.

Speaking on The Athletic’s 1874 podcast, via This is Futbol, the Villa reporter lauded Luiz as ‘an absolute joy to watch’, ‘fantastic player’ and ‘absolute star’ – summing up the South American’s form at Villa Park over these last few seasons.

At £32m, taking into account his fairly young age also, Luiz could be an absolute steal in the long-term.

In other news: Spurs now preparing another marquee bid for ‘special’ forward, find out more here.

Everton made five new signings in the winter transfer window, with Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli joining the squad on Deadline Day alongside the new manager Frank Lampard, however, both signings haven’t worked out the way they planned.

Alli has been anonymous for Everton only playing just 169 minutes since he joined over 3 months ago, whereas van de Beek has been given slightly more opportunity to prove himself in the team playing 430 minutes in six appearances.

However, on that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan said after they signed that they were the “runts of the litter” at Manchester United and Tottenham.

The £34m van de Beek is on loan from Man United following a problematic time at Old Trafford with only four Premier League starts for his parent club, and was given a lifeline at Goodison Park to prove his worth, but has failed to make a significant impact.

Van de Beek has not scored or assisted in the game time he has tallied up with the Toffees so far from his position in the centre of the pitch, with his most impactful performance coming in his full debut in a 3-0 win over Leeds United.

According to SofaScore, the 25-year-old made four tackles, one interception, one key pass and was successful in three out of four of his aerial duels over his 90 minutes played which led to Lampard hailing his signing “great”. Sadly, he has not since been able to emulate this performance.

One of the most notable Everton displays since the Toffees boss joined the club was the 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month, where van de Beek put in a shocking performance losing the majority of his duels and proving unsuccessful in 100% of his crosses leading to Lampard benching the midfielder in the 59th minute.

Since then the Man Utd loanee, who was labelled “not that good” by Marco van Basten and “anonymous” by writer Peter Guy, has missed out on the last four fixtures following a thigh injury, and with the team securing a victory this weekend following Fabian Delph’s return to the side, it would be interesting if he even makes it back into the team against Leicester City a week on Wednesday.

Everton have a number of midfielders in the squad with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan, Delph and Andre Gomes to name a few, so with reports mounting that the club want to sign the Dutch maestro permanently, it seems like a pointless venture and a waste of money when you factor in his mediocre impact.

With the Dutchman’s former coach Erik ten Hag expected to become the next United manager, it would be more likely that he parts ways with the Merseyside club and takes his chances at getting back into the team at Old Trafford.

Lampard should certainly see it as a blessing in disguise as Everton needs to tighten their belt financially.

In other news: Lampard must brutally axe £19.8m-rated Everton “freak” who’s an “utter waste of time”

West Ham have approached Aston Villa over a move for centre-back Kortney Hause, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: El Ghazi interest

The 26-year-old isn’t the first Villa player with whom the Hammers have been linked during the January transfer window. David Moyes is also thought to be keen on signing Anwar El Ghazi, with the Irons manager viewing the Dutchman as a versatile attacking option at the London Stadium.

Villa are willing to part ways with the Netherlands international and would prefer a permanent sale, and it now seems as if Hause is also a player of interest.

The Latest: Source shares Hause update

Football Insider, who were informed by a West Ham source, shared a story on Saturday morning regarding Hause.

They claimed that the Hammers have approached Villa over a possible deal, but Steven Gerrard’s side have the option to extend the defender’s stay in the Midlands by a further 12 months.

The report added that, should Villa activate the clause, it would enable them to secure a significantly higher fee for Hause, with his manager open to moving him on if the club can bring in a replacement.

The Verdict: New addition needed first

Villa recently lost Axel Tuanzebe’s services after he cut short his season-long loan spell to join Italian side Napoli. That has left Gerrard with Hause, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa as first team options in the centre of defence, so Villa certainly need one and possibly two additions at the back if they are to part ways with the 26-year-old.

The £25,000-a-week earner, who journalist Pat Rowe called a defender who ‘dominates players’, made his first start under Gerrard in the recent 2-1 defeat to Brentford, with a number of fans criticising his performance that day.

Incomings are needed at Villa Park before possibly letting Hause leave, but it seems as if a move to the capital could have legs, making it a transfer rumour to watch.

In other news: ‘Heartbroken’ – Many Villa fans react to Gregg Evans’ big transfer development

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now following Brazilian youngster Antony as Giovanni van Bronckhorst targets his first signing of the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy summer?

In his first summer transfer window at Ibrox, van Bronckhorst will want to put his own stamp on the squad, and so there should be expected to be plenty of incomings and outgoings before the new season starts.

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The Teddy Bears have recently been linked with a loan move for Billy Gilmour, but the likes of Alex Lowry, Joe Aribo and Filip Helander are reportedly attracting interest from the Premier League.

The Latest: Rangers following

As per A Bola, the Light Blues, as well as Basel, are now following young forward Antony ahead of a potential move in the summer.

Described as an ‘offensive weapon’, the Gers have ‘collected some notes’ on the versatile talent as they look to start their business straight away.

The Verdict: Exciting

It certainly is exciting for the supporters that the club seem to be looking at summer recruitment already, despite the season not being over.

A Brazilian who is just 20 years of age, Antony is an interesting albeit relatively unknown prospect, having scored two goals while on loan at Arouca in the Portuguese top flight from Corinthians.

Capable of playing virtually anywhere in the attack, from second striker to both wings, RFC will be hoping to add more depth to the squad once the window officially opens, and perhaps the young South American could be a good start.

In other news, find out what ‘disappointing’ Rangers update has now emerged here!

A major update has emerged on Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s attempts to bring a new forward to Ibrox this month…

What’s the talk?

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, via VoetbalKrant, the Gers are set to miss out on a deal for winger Andreas Skov Olsen.

The report claims that the Scottish giants placed a £4.1m (€5m) bid for his services before Club Brugge came in with an offer of £5.8m (€7m) to oust them, with the winger now poised to join the Belgian club as an agreement is close with the Serie A outfit.

Infuriation for Van Bronckhorst

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely be left infuriated by this latest update, as it suggests that the club will not be able to bring in Olsen this month.

The Dane could have been a fantastic addition to the squad and the Dutchman will be gutted that he will not be able to work with the 22-year-old in Glasgow. Olsen has shown enough at senior level to suggest that he would have been able to make an impact in the short term, and he is at an age where he could have the potential to improve even further in the future.

He has already played 70 times for Bologna in Serie A, which shows that he has a solid bank of experience in a top European league. In those games, he has racked up three goals and five assists, with two assists in 18 matches this term as he tests himself against the likes of Juventus, Inter, Milan and Atalanta.

The forward has also shown promise for Denmark at international level, with five goals and three assists in 10 World Cup qualifiers. This suggests that he presently has the ability to arrive at Ibrox and make an impact on the first team this season, which is why Van Bronckhorst will be infuriated by the club missing out on his signature, as he would be deprived of a player who could strengthen his side immediately.

At the age of 22, Olsen has scope for further improvement and could increase his value down the line. This means that Rangers could be about to miss out on a forward who would have offered a short-term and long-term benefit to the club on and off the pitch.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can jettison Rangers liability in swoop for “phenomenal” 18y/o with a “big future”…

Sky Sports News have revealed what they know about Leeds United’s pursuit of RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson.

The Lowdown: Leeds making moves

The Whites have taken their time when it comes to making moves in the January transfer window, but it seems as if Victor Orta and co are finally acting on possible midfield additions.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Stejskal, the Whites have had a £15m offer rejected for Aaronson and are intent on signing him before the end of the month.

The Mirror’s David Anderson has also revealed that Leeds have made a bid for another unnamed player, with Orta ‘busy’ working on incomings.

The Latest: Sky Sports News claim

Sky Sports News shared details of Leeds’ interest in Aaronson on Tuesday evening.

In their Transfer Centre blog (18/01, 20:33), they revealed that talks have been held over a possible move, however, they didn’t make any mention of a £15m bid an hour on from Stejskal’s claim.

They also added:

“Sky Sports News has been told that Philadelphia Union would be due a significant percentage of any transfer fee for Aaronson.”

That news could perhaps be the reason behind Salzburg’s rejection of the opening bid, with a bigger fee needed to tempt them when a chunk of it will go straight to the MLS outfit.

The Verdict: Needed

Marcelo Bielsa is yet to make a permanent midfield signing at Elland Road but now appears to be the right time with options limited.

Aaronson is primarily an attacking midfielder, something Leeds don’t have at this moment in time. He also has experience at the highest level for both club and country, and at the age of 21, you’d expect his current £10.8m Transfermarkt valuation will only increase.

Therefore, a winter window transfer could be a smart one in both the short and long term, so hopefully, Orta can get a deal over the line over the line in the next two weeks.

In other news: ‘Big signing’ – Sky Sports man reacts as Leeds now eye second midfielder after Aaronson. 

Everton haven’t had much to shout about throughout their latest Premier League season, having won just eight of the 30 games that they’ve played.

They have only scored 33 goals along the way and conceded 52, with far from ideal tallies for either metric.

Even though there are still some critical games left to play for the Toffees until the season ends and the summer transfer window opens, it seems as though an update has emerged which will have everyone at Finch Farm concerned.

What’s the news?

According to a recent tweet from an Italian journalist, Richarlison’s new agent Frank Trimboli will look to secure a move away from Everton for the Brazilian in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Since arriving at Goodison Park back in 2018 in a deal worth a reported £50m, the Brazilian has gone on to make 145 appearances across all competitions for the Toffees. In that time, the 24-year-old has scored 49 goals and provided 13 assists along the way, showing just how important he is to the team in the final third of the pitch.

Fans will be sweating

With 23 league appearances made in the current campaign, the Brazilian has provided more goal contributions than any other Everton player, with six goals and four assists to his name.

In addition to his incredibly useful goals and assists, Richarlison’s overall performances have earned him a season rating of 6.87/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in Frank Lampard’s squad.

To highlight how much of a nuisance the Brazil international is for opponents, no other Everton player has enjoyed as many touches in the attacking penalty area (110) or drawn as many fouls (65) as Richarlison.

Taking all this into account, having the attacker’s agent reportedly looking to move him out of the Merseyside club in the summer will be a massive issue for the Toffees, especially if they end up waving goodbye to him when the transfer window opens.

This could surely have a number of Everton supporters sweating, and given how they will already be worried about whether or not their team will avoid relegation, it will only be another concern for them in this difficult period for the club.

In other news: Everton must launch move for “outstanding” 25-year-old “Wolverine” as insider claim emerges