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Steven Gerrard looks to have been handed a potential blow at Rangers ahead of next season, with Filip Helander having been linked with a move away from Ibrox in the past week.

According to Football Insider, both Aston Villa and Leicester City are considering a move for the 27-year-old centre-back, who has been at the heart of Gerrard’s defence alongside Conor Goldson for much of the season and has played a huge part in their title success.

The Swedish international has appeared in 21 of Rangers’ 33 top-flight fixtures so far this season, in which he has averaged an impressive 7.11 rating for his performances.

The Light Blues’ title win has been built on a strong defence, with Gerrard’s side having shipped just 10 goals in the top-flight so far this season, so to lose someone who has been an important part of that would undoubtedly be a huge blow to the 40-year-old ahead of the next campaign.

The former Bologna man reportedly earns £10k per week at Rangers, and given the additional funds that will be available to Rangers next season with Champions League revenue and hopefully the return of fans, Ross Wilson should ensure that the Ibrox outfit are not bullied into selling Helander for a low fee.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The centre-back is an international with Sweden and is a good age for a centre-back, yet Transfermarkt suggests that he is currently valued at just £1.8 million.

Considering Rangers paid around £3.5 million to Bologna to sign Helander, as well as his impressive form this season, you would hope that the champions would be aiming to receive at least £5 million should he make the move to the Premier League this summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″]

Gerrard clearly considers Helander a valuable member of his squad, describing him as a “leader” in 2019, so Wilson should do everything he can to keep hold of the Swede ahead of next season. If that’s not possible, then he must negotiate a reasonable fee if the player does have his heart set on a move down south.

And, in other news… Rangers could be set for huge summer profit on gem dubbed “the biggest steal of the century”

Everton defender Lucas Digne emerged as Carlo Ancelotti’s hero of Thursday evening’s 1-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion after delivering an outstanding box-to-box display.

The full-back was awarded his 18th start of the Premier League campaign at The Hawthorns as the Toffees sought to put the pressure on Liverpool and Chelsea, who faced one another at Anfield later in the night, in the race for Champions League qualification.

A goal from Richarlison midway through the second half was enough for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to secure their ninth away win of the top-flight season, with the Brazilian heading home his fourth goal in as many games from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s delivery.

No side has won away from home more often in the Premier League this term than Everton, who have played one game fewer on the road than Leicester City, who boast the most points on their travels with 31 from 14 fixtures to the Blues’ 29 from 13 matches.

Ancelotti can credit Digne with a key role in Everton’s win over Sam Allardyce’s relegation-threatened Baggies, with the £29.7m-rated full-back often intent on setting the pace for the Toffees to try and match.

Digne heavily dictated the flow of the game on the Blues’ left-hand channel, despite teammates frequently struggling to pick out the defender during either half.

Centre-back Michael Keane also deserved a wealth of praise for his performance at The Hawthorns, having kept a handle on West Brom forward Mbaye Diagne for a majority of the game, winning five of his six duels overall.

The England defender produced an exceptional performance as the lynchpin of Everton’s three-man centre-half line, soaking up the pressure to protect Jordan Pickford’s goal and coming on strongest in the closing stages.

Diagne did manage to find the back of the Toffees’ net in stoppage time after controlling a pass and firing home, but was correctly adjudged offside with a narrow margin of his boot beyond the last man when the initial delivery was made.

Keane also had strong support from Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey on either side in Everton’s three-man backline, with their pair offering their fair share defensively as the Goodison Park natives sought to protect their one-goal lead – the former won six tackles while the latter recorded four blocks and five clearances, per SofaScore.

Digne was the real hero for Ancelotti, though, as he took control of the left-hand channel to provide a threat at both ends of the field.

The 34-cap France international offered a joint game-high two key passes with Blues striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and West Brom midfielder Conor Gallagher, while attempting 57 total passes – only Andre Gomes (70) and Keane (61) played more for the visiting side, per WhoScored.

Digne also offered the second-most successful tackles by any player who featured, with three from four attempts to Holgate’s six from six. The full-back also made four clearances, a vast improvement on his average of one per game in the Premier League this season.

The ex-Barcelona defender additionally eclipsed his average 44.5 total passes and matched his average of 2.4 successful tackles and 1.4 key passes per game, per WhoScored.

He even won all five of his aerial duels and five of six ground contests to better his average 3.4 (50%) on the ground and 2.8 (71%) in the air, despite turning over possession 29 times – the most by any Everton player who started at The Hawthorns, per SofaScore.

Ancelotti will have been delighted with Digne’s performance having awarded the captain’s armband to the 27-year-old, who more than lived up to the challenge of leading the Toffees to victory.

AND in other news, Everton eye a £22.5m-rated speedster who is “hungry for success”…

Leeds must make a ruthless call on Helder Costa in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 27-year-old has really struggled to make an impact at Premier League level this season, playing fewer than 1,000 minutes of top-flight football and only managing two goals in the division.

Football Insider have now claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are willing to listen to offers for the winger this summer, and that the club’s hierarchy view him as someone who could be sold to raise funds for new signings.

The report added that the Whites do not expect to recoup the £15m they paid to sign him.

Orta must get rid

Responding to a question in The Athletic’s post-match Q&A after the Premier League clash against West Ham earlier this month, Phil Hay said: “You get the feeling that if changes are coming in the summer, those two (Costa and Tyler Roberts) will be at risk. The consistent impact isn’t there.”

Costa has come under intense criticism for his below-par performances, not least from former Leeds man Noel Whelan, who ripped into his display against Aston Villa.

Whelan said: “Costa was given his opportunity and once again he did not take it. We are talking about a £16m player here who did not effect the game in any way shape or form. He needs to show consistency. You need to make that position your own when your manager puts his trust in you from the start.

“I saw absolutely nothing from him against Aston Villa. Nothing suggested to me that he has given Marcelo Bielsa a headache with that performance.”

While “absolutely nothing” may seem like a strong stance to take, it’s a fairly accurate statement to make. As well as only scoring two league goals in 19 games, Costa actually ranks as the worst player in the entire Leeds squad to have started at least ten games this season.

Victor Orta must simply get rid of the £70,000-a-week earning Costa this summer, even if it means not getting their money back on the winger.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man stole the show vs Fulham; it wasn’t Bamford…

Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted that the club have decided to cut all ties with Reach PLC, who were in charge of putting together the club’s matchday programmes.

The Gers supporters do not have the best of relationships with Reach, who own outlets such as The Daily Record – the Ibrox outfit’s fans have had several issues with articles they have previously printed, and there has been a big movement away from mainstream media sources as fans look to get their news directly from the club or from supporter-run organisations.

There was already frustration that the club were working so closely with Reach (Rangers News), so the news that the partnership has been ended has gone down fantastically with the supporters.

The news was shared by Rangers Supporter Liaison Officer Greg Marshall on Twitter, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Absolutely delighted to hear this. Reach PLC as we all know are part the Daily Record group. They hate everything that Glasgow Rangers stands for. We should never ever be doing any business with this or any associated business cells.”

Credit: @Blabber08756401

“Excellent news.”

Credit: @rdonno1

“Best news in ages”

Credit: @WalterW31347418

“Excellent move on all fronts. Well done rangers.”

Credit: @craigmillar82

“Excellent news. Bin that lot and their associates. Keep it in house and maximise the profits.”

Credit: @Richard65272630

“Absolutely fantastic news! Thank you for listening to the fans.”

Credit: @Cosmos_Rangers

In other news, Rangers fans are far from happy with this pundit’s comments.

Nottingham Forest continued their good form in the Championship as of late, with a 1-0 victory away at Rotherham on Tuesday night.

Chris Hughton’s side took home all three points thanks to a goal from Ryan Yates in the second-half, but while the midfielder may take a lot of the headlines for his match-winning strike, it was Cyrus Christie who arguably his manager’s true hero.

The right-back, who arrived on loan from Fulham back in the summer, has been a permanent fixture for the club, playing the full 90 minutes in all but two Championship games this campaign.

And on Tuesday, he looked at his formidable best, being a really strong presence defensively, and getting forward time and time again to try and test the Rotherham back-line with his crossing.

As per Sofascore, he sent in four crosses on the night, which was the most of any player for Forest, while his total of 86 touches was by far a game-high – the man in second, Gaetan Bong, had just 57.

It was a testament to just how much of an influence Christie had on proceedings, with a lot of Forest’s good work on the night coming down the right flank as the full-back charged forward.

But it wasn’t just offensively that the £20k-a-week earning ace stood out, instead also sticking to his task defensively. He won an impressive ten duels, which again was the most of any Forest player, while he also put his body on the line by blocking two shots, another team-high.

After the game, Rotherham boss Paul Warne couldn’t help but express his admiration for Christie, saying: “‘Wowza, their right-back can run. What a game he had.”

Yates may have scored the match-winning goal, but it was Christie’s contributions that really stood out for Hughton.

Many Crystal Palace fans have been talking about an update linking their club with a move for Turkish star Ozan Tufan.

Journalist Sercan Hamzaoglu has recently reported that Palace are looking to make a ‘serious’ offer for Tufan and his agent has discussed terms of a potential offer with the player already. The journalist revealed that the Eagles will soon make an offer of around £10 million for the Fenerbahce midfielder and that the situation will become clearer in the next few days.

In recent days, other Premier League sides like Fulham and Everton have also been linked with the Turkish star. Not just in the Premier League but Tufan has also caught the attention of European clubs like Bayer Leverkusen. West Bromwich Albion have also been linked.

The 25-year-old has impressed for Fenerbahce this season as he’s contributed to seven goals in 14 league appearances. He is not just capable of playing in central midfield or attacking midfield as the former Bursaspor man can also play in a defensive midfield role roo. He is currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt.

Tufan did very well in the 2019/20 campaign too, contributing to 12 league goals in 33 games for Fener. The 25-year-old has previously been compared to former Manchester City and Barcelona star Yaya Toure too.

The update involving Tufan’s links to Palace was relayed on Twitter by Palace Xtra and many Eagles fans gave their opinion about it.

What did Palace fans make of these links with Ozan Tufan?

“Bruh someone tell Parish that’s the wrong Ozan.”

Credit: @CPFCNewsandTalk

“Chuck in Meyer to bring the costs down.”

Credit: @Jed_Die

“A 25 year old Turkish McArthur. Get it done.”

Credit: @ReeceJMT”Swear this is the new Babacar.”Credit: @jackstacpfc”Out of nowhere.”Credit: @Sumo08112″Not an outrageous fee for a player with the potential to replace Macca/McCarthy long-term. Fee likely to be between £10-15m.”Credit: @acjonesy1In other news, many Crystal Palace fans have been buzzing at links with a Championship ace – read more about it here.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be interested in Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, according to a report from Italian news outlet Calciomercato.

The impressive 23-year-old has emerged as one of the stars of Serie A, just 18 months after joining Antonio Conte’s side in a €49m (£45m) deal from Cagliari, where his former head coach Rolando Maran labelled him “extraordinary.”

And out of this world is exactly what he’s been.

Last season, the 18-cap Italian international scored four goals and provided eight assists in all competitions and he looks set to top that this term having already bagged three goals and nine assists at the half-way point, per Transfermarkt.

On Sunday night, he proved to be an influential presence once again as Inter defeated defending champions Juventus at the San Siro, which had The Athletic’s James Horncastle waxing lyrical over his creative ability.

Former Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi has also been blown away by him too, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport’s print edition on Tuesday (via Sempre Inter), he said:

“He is a warrior full of determination,” before adding: “I’ve never seen anyone improve like Barella.”

Indeed, Barella received the highest rating (8.5) of any player on that evening as he recorded three key passes, made 91% of his 57 passing attempts and enjoyed three successful dribbles on top of scoring and assisting in the 2-0 win, as per SofaScore.

His passing masterclass here was merely a recurring theme of the Italian’s season thus far, where he has proven to be a lethal threat higher up the pitch.

Only Alexis Sanchez and Marcelo Brozovic have averaged more key passes (1.6) per game than Barella (1.4) in the league this campaign, whilst the young box-to-box maestro is second for providing assists too, via WhoScored.

When you compare that to Spurs’ current options, you’ll soon see he’s clear of everyone bar Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

The Inter sensation has contributed towards more goals this PL season than Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn, Gareth Bale, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela combined.

Given how much Jose Mourinho has relied on his prolific duo for goals – they have bagged 73% of their 33 goals so far in the Premier League – adding a new dimension to their attack through Barella could be game-changing.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy really could take his club to a new level by sanctioning a move for Barella – just imagine the damage they could do with the 23-year-old playing alongside Son and Kane.

Earlier this week, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano told listeners on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast that Barella was “the best Italian midfielder at the minute,” which would put him above the likes of Chelsea star Jorginho, PSG’s Marco Veratti and even namesake Nicolo Zaniolo.

Also dubbed “world-class” by former USA international Jimmy Conrad, the £49.5m-rated monster really could transform Spurs from Europa League hopefuls into a side that wants to compete for the Premier League and reach another Champions League final.

AND in other news, Levy should cash in on £25m Spurs star who Dier hates training against… 

Sunderland really don’t have much to shout about at the moment.

Having sacked Phil Parkinson, they are now four league matches without a win. Consequently, the Black Cats are six points off the pace in League One.

However, are things about to get better?

What’s the word?

Owner Stewart Donald has been making immense strides to finally selling his majority stake in the club over the last few weeks.

Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus are believed to be in pole position to acquire the club, but Donald has work to do before they arrive.

That’s because they’re searching for Parkinson’s successor and also a new technical director, someone to lead their recruitment.

Former Sunderland man Stefan Schwarz has been linked but according to Football Insider, a different man is set to be given the newly opened role at the Stadium of Light.

That’s Birmingham City’s academy manager and coach, Kristjaan Speakman.

The 41-year-old has been with the Blues for 14 years and it’s thought that he’s now in advanced talks to join Sunderland as their sporting director. He had been lined up for a similar role in the Midlands before a U-turn on Speakman’s future was taken.

Fabulous record

This would be an absolutely wonderful appointment from Donald, one that could mark a triumphant end to his reign as the owner of Sunderland.

Why? Well, Speakman’s record at Birmingham is a fabulous one, and his work with the youth academy should be welcomed by Sunderland supporters who have seen their best young players come and go.

Whether it be Jordan Pickford, Sam Greenwood, Joel Asoro or Josh Maja, there have been a host of bright academy products leave in recent years.

Though, with the help of Speakman, the Black Cats could put an end to that unwanted hoodoo. During his time with Birmingham, the young coach has achieved great things.

Under his watch, the likes of Demarai Gray, Nathan Redmond, Jack Butland and Jude Bellingham all broke through. The final three, meanwhile, have also all played for England. Of course, they departed eventually but it’s a testament to the hard work Speakman did that they produced so many eye-catching players in such a short space of time.

Talking about the 41-year-old, Birmingham reporter Brian Dick said: “I think if Sunderland are after a youth pathway it could be a good move for them. Speakman was also keen on getting the Blues academy up to an academy one status.”

Birmingham academy coach Jack Kennedy added: “I feel he will improve the academy immensely (at Sunderland). His track record of bringing through players at BCFC was very impressive, and he would always look to have the right programmes for each individual for them to be successful.”

This is tremendous news for a club who have seen their academy become a second priority in recent years. Players have left in search of greener pastures and last season, their U23s failed to win, drawing once and losing 17 outings.

Kennedy also told Roker Report a little bit about Speakman: “Nationwide he is highly thought of, and has done many talks through player development project – the leading coaching provider which has coaches across the globe, and talks about his values and how he developed the culture at the club.”

This move from Donald can only be a positive one.

In other news, Sunderland have been linked with a former Championship manager…

Now that Leeds United have returned to the Premier League, the rumour mill surrounding their potential January business is working overtime. The Championship title winners have recently been linked to a move for Liverpool’s fringe striker Divock Origi by Football Insider pundit Kevin Phillips, after he has slipped drastically down the pecking order since the arrival of Diogo Jota.

Whilst Leeds already boast one of the most clinical strikers in the league, they are severely lacking creativity in other parts of the team. If they moved to sign Origi, he would not only pair up nicely with Patrick Bamford, but he would bring experience in abundance to pass on to the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Tyler Roberts.

Why Leeds should sign Origi from Liverpool

Marcelo Bielsa is stubborn when it comes to his starting lineups and seldom strays from his 4-1-4-1 formation. However, bringing in a talent like Origi would warrant a change in his tactics.

The striker has 29 caps for Belgium and has spent five years with Liverpool. In that time he has won the Premier League, Club World Cup, Super Cup and played a huge part in their sixth Champions League title in 2018.

This is experience that no money can buy and it will be invaluable to a side like Leeds who were out of the Premier League for 16 years before their recent promotion. Origi has made a total of 145 appearances for the Reds and has scored 35 goals (via Transfermarkt). He has come up against the toughest opponents and has been a part of Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity tactics, which could inject a new sense of creativity into Bielsa’s team.

His knowledge and experience would also help out the younger forwards who are vying for time in the senior Leeds squad. Plus, being valued at £14million, he wouldn’t cost Andrea Radrizzani too much to sign.

Liverpool will likely be looking to let the Belgian leave and would be happy to take anything in excess of the £10million they paid to sign him from Lille in 2015. Although Jurgen Klopp is a fan of the “outstanding” 25-year-old, he simply cannot find room for him in the squad.

In other news, Bielsa could bag three points following West Ham injury blow…

Three Standard Liege players have tested positive for Covid following their clash against Glasgow Rangers in midweek, it has been confirmed.

Liege hit with health blow

The ‘Gers travelled to Liege for their Europa League clash on Thursday and came away with a well-deserved 2-0 victory. However, the bad news is that three players have since tested positive for the virus.

Maxime Lestienne, Eden Shamir and Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba have been named as the unlucky trio, and the former even played against Steven Gerrard’s side on Thursday. As such, the Ibrox outfit face a nervous wait to find out whether any of their own players have been affected.

Nervous wait for Gerrard

Liege were in action against Club Brugge in the Belgian top flight last weekend and their opponents were also damaged by Covid issues within their squad. It seems that those problems have now been transferred to Liege, and it would not be unthinkable for the 54-time Scottish champions to be affected.

In the long-term this may not be too much of a danger for the players. After all, they are incredibly fit athletes who are not part of the most vulnerable group. However, it does mean that anyone who tests positive would be unavailable for two weeks as they would be forced to quarantine away from the rest of their teammates.

This is why Gerrard and Ross Wilson have put so much effort into building a squad – it is important to have alternative options when players aren’t available. Hopefully, though, this is just a scare rather than something which would become a serious problem at Ibrox.

In other news, this Rangers star has jumped above Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a UEFA ranking. Let us know what you think in the comments below!