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Glasgow Rangers have produced a number of talented players in their academy in recent years, and Michael Beale has a plethora of options to call upon from the B team this season.

The likes of Adam Devine, Alex Lowry and Leon King have all played first-team minutes after graduating from the youth setup this term, and they will be looking to follow in the footsteps of players like Allan McGregor and Nathan Patterson, among others who successfully made the transition from academy to first-team.

However, Beale could have had another talented prospect to call upon at Ibrox if the Premiership club had not allowed winger Malcolm Ebiowei to leave in 2021.

Where is Malcolm Ebiowei now?

The forward spent around 18 months in the U18 side at Rangers after joining on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2020, before departing to join Derby County in England for nothing in September 2021.

He hit the ground running for the Rams by scoring seven goals in seven matches for their U18s and worked his way into the first-team setup at Pride Park. He then made 16 senior appearances and chipped in with one goal and two assists from out wide, which attracted attention from clubs higher up the pyramid in England.

Derby coach Justin Walker hailed the teenager’s quality in 2021/22, saying: “I think he has been a breath of fresh air. You can see how much the fans have warmed to him, he gets people out of their seats. He has got that little bit of X-factor, if you like, that creativity we have lacked at times in the final third.”

Ebiowei’s contract at Derby expired in the summer of 2022, and Premier League outfit Crystal Palace swooped to sign the talented teenager on a free transfer.

The wizard made an instant impression at Selhurst Park by scoring twice in three U21 outings, and Patrick Vieira drafted the dynamo into his first-team squad. That resulted in Ebiowei playing five senior matches for the Eagles in the first half of this season – including three games in the top flight of English football – before he joined Hull on loan in January.

Ebiowei has showcased his quality at both Derby and Palace, and Rangers fans may be wondering what the magician could have achieved had he remained at Ibrox.

The exciting teenager, who plays off the right, could have formed a frightening wing partnership with Ryan Kent, having shown at youth level that he has the quality to score goals on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, the current Light Blues star, who predominantly plays off the left, is a proven performer in Scotland, with 33 goals and 55 assists in 209 Rangers appearances in all competitions.

The former Liverpool man has the ability to deliver goals and assists from out wide, and Ebiowei’s form at youth level indicates that the young maestro could have grown to have a similar impact on the opposite flank for Rangers.

Therefore, the Light Blues dropped the ball by allowing the teenage English gem to leave in 2021, as Kent and the now-Palace attacker could have struck up an exciting wing partnership at Ibrox.

Fulham have made contact with Sheffield United over Sander Berge and are now in talks to sign the midfielder this week, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Midfield priority

Marco Silva is believed to have made the midfield a priority position to strengthen this month, and it sounds like the Norwegian has been identified as an ideal target.

The Blades talisman’s contract at Bramall Lane isn’t set to expire until June 2024, but with the Yorkshire outfit currently under financial restrictions, they could be tempted to cash in before the Tuesday deadline.

The Latest: Fulham make contact over Berge

According to 90min, Fulham have ‘reached out’ to Sheffield United to enquire about a potential deal for Berge worth up to £20m. The Cottagers are ‘keen to take advantage’ of his club’s transfer embargo but are set to face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United, who are also exploring a move.

Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed claims that talks are being held with several potential suitors.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Berge has been dubbed an ‘orchestrator’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and Fulham completing a deal for him before the deadline tomorrow night is a no-brainer of a decision to make.

The Adidas-sponsored player already has seven goal contributions to his name this season and currently ranks in the 95th percentile for dribbles completed per 90 minutes among positional peers in what FBref term ‘Men’s Next 8 Competitions’ over the past 12 months.

Standing at 6 foot 5, Berge would also be able to add a different dimension to the midfield with his height, making him an ideal reinforcement in the middle of the park at Craven Cottage.

West Ham have been linked with Stoke City defender Harry Souttar recently and his potential arrival at the London Stadium could see the Hammers repeat their 2017 masterclass of Marko Arnautovic.

According to the Daily Record, West Ham, Wolves and Leicester City are all keen on signing the 24-year-old after his standout performances for Australia at the World Cup in Qatar, with the Potters reportedly valuing the defender at £25m.

The former Fleetwood loanee had been sidelined with a long-term ACL injury for much of 2022 but recovered in time to join up with Graham Arnold’s side in Qatar, and would play a huge part in the Socceroos reaching the round of 16, before their defeat against eventual winners Argentina.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell was full of praise for the young defender after he helped Australia to a vital 1-0 win over Tunisia in the group stages.

Campbell said: “Big Harry Souttar. An absolute monster of a defender. Huge, quick, can head it and is also fairly comfortable on the ball.”

West Ham’s last signing from Stoke City also proved to be something of a monster, with Arnautovic winning the hearts of West Ham fans and the hatred of opposition supporters during his time at the club.

He would join in a club-record deal in 2017, incidentally also for £25m, and would go on to make 66 appearances for the Hammers, contributing an impressive 22 goals and 12 assists.

The Austrian forward wasn’t short of critics but he is one of few strikers to join West Ham to impress in recent seasons and given he hit double figures in the league in both seasons he had at the club, David Moyes would surely love a player of his quality now, given their current struggles in front of goal.

Although Arnautovic and Souttar are obviously very different players in terms of their position, both are extremely physical players, with the defender standing at an impressive 6 foot 6, which also makes him a huge threat from set pieces.

Considering eye-catching additions from Europe such as Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta are yet to really justify their fees, Moyes might be better going for a player well-accustomed to the physicality of English football by signing Souttar this month, as he could be the ideal man to have at the back in any relegation scrap this season.

Leeds United chief Victor Orta could transform Jesse Marsch’s attack with a cunning double swoop this month…

What’s the word?

According to The Express journalist Ryan Taylor, the Yorkshire giants are one of the teams to have bid for Angers SCO attacking midfielder Azzedine Ounahi.

“I know they put in a bid for around about £17.5 million,” he told GIVEMESPORT before revealing that the likes of Napoli, Marseille and Almeira were also keen to sign him before the January 31st deadline.

It comes after Foot Mercato first revealed that the Whites had submitted an offer, though his current £10k-per-week deal isn’t set to expire until 2026 and that – combined with his sensational exploits at the World Cup in Qatar – puts the Ligue 1 side in a very strong negotiating position.

Some reports in Italy suggest he’d be available for €25m (£22m).

Imagine Ouhani and Rutter

If Orta were to stun the rest of Europe by landing Ouhani, then he could well hand Marsch some much-needed impetus in the final third, where the American has struggled with injuries – namely to top talisman Patrick Bamford and summer signing Luis Sinisterra – and inconsistencies.

The Moroccan, 22, is an “elegant” and industrious midfielder capable of making things happen in transition, having been lauded as a “little protege” by Corentin Bouchard, his former assistant manager at Avranches.

“He is a beautiful player, an elegant player, the kind of player people go to the stadium to see. I just hope he continues to amaze everyone,” he further claimed to Sky Sports.

Indeed, Ounahi ranks inside the top 1% of all midfielders across Europe’s top five divisions for successful dribbles per 90 (2.48) and has similar statistical traits to that of FC Barcelona duo Frenkie de Jong and Gavi, according to FBref’s model.

He could, therefore, be an ideal addition to the engine room on top of mooted striker target Georginio Rutter, who has emerged as a likely signing in the coming days, with Sky in Germany revealing that Leeds were closing in on a club-record £35.3m deal for him.

The France U21 international is a versatile attacker capable of playing through the middle and out on the left. Whilst his returns of two goals from 15 appearances in the Bundesliga this campaign aren’t anything to shout about, he did deliver 13 goal contributions for Hoffenheim last term in what was a breakthrough season.

Rutter is described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a “complete striker” and a “clinical finisher” with “blistering pace,” which bodes well for his chances of being a success for both Leeds and in the Premier League, whilst journalist Joe Donnohue has also waxed lyrical about the 20-year-old.

“He’s physical, beats players 1-v-1, packs a punch with his shooting but equally, is unpolished and as with any transfer above a certain threshold, a calculated risk. That said, think his profile is the type of addition Leeds need in their forward line.”

Both Ounahi and Rutter would be worthy additions this month, so Orta must do all he can to secure the pair of them as on the above evidence, they would clearly add tenfold to Marsch’s struggling side.

Leeds could well form one hell of an exciting duo for years to come by signing both the Angers midfielder and the Hoffenheim striker before the deadline on January 31st.

AND in other news, Forget Firpo: Leeds’ “desperately poor” 104-touch dud was an “absolute joke” vs Cardiff…

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans for life beyond World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, NSWE have identified Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as a potential replacement for the Argentina international.

The report claims that the club could swoop to sign the former Sunderland shot-stopper this month if Martinez ends up sealing a big-money exit from Villa Park.

It is stated that Pickford’s current contract standoff with the Toffees has alerted interested parties and Chelsea could rival Unai Emery’s side to his signature.

First disaster

Villa boss Emery would endure his first transfer disaster in charge of the club if he greenlights a move to sign Pickford in the event of Martinez leaving this month.

The £100k-per-week stopper was once criticised as a “liability” by pundit Jamie Smith and his statistics back that up. Since joining Everton in the summer of 2017, Pickford has conceded 3.0 more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to let in from the quality of shots against him in the Premier League.

These statistics indicate that Smith was right to describe him as a liability as he is underperforming as a shot-stopper and is letting his defence down by allowing too many shots to beat him.

Martinez, meanwhile, has saved 2.9 more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to since the start of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign with Arsenal.

The Argentine monster also ranks in the 99th percentile among his positional peers for the percentage of crosses stopped over the last 365 days in Europe’s top five leagues, cutting out 11.2% of the crosses into his box.

Pickford, on the other hand, is in the 22nd percentile by stopping 3.9% of crosses in the top flight over the last year, which suggests that he is considerably worse at commanding his area in comparison to the Villa man.

Couple that with the stark contrast in their shot-stopping quality in the Premier League and it appears as though the signing of Pickford would be a disaster for Villa as he would be a major downgrade on Martinez between the sticks.

Emery must do everything in his power to convince the current number one to remain at Villa Park. However, if he does depart then the Spaniard, alongside NSWE, must identify an alternative target to Pickford by finding a goalkeeper who is not significantly underperforming in key areas.

West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal is ‘frustrated’ behind-the-scenes with club owners GSBK now making a decision on his future, say Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Coufal shunned?

The Czech Republic international, who seriously impressed under manager David Moyes during his debut 2020/2021 Premier League campaign, has been a bit-part figure this season.

As West Ham seemingly battle to avoid relegation at this moment in time, the east Londoners have started Coufal in just under half of their top fight matches.

The 30-year-old’s decline under Moyes is stark given Coufal’s past form earned him a new and improved Hammers contract, all whilst becoming a real club favourite.

The Latest: Sky Sports share Coufal exit news…

As per Sky Sports, there has been some news on the right-back’s future at West Ham.

Writing via their transfer blog (15:22, December 14), Coufal is committed to the club but grows ‘increasingly frustrated at his limited playing time’.

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It’s added that Bayer Leverkusen and two unnamed English clubs are keen on signing the defender with GSBK making a transfer decision.

West Ham will apparently look at concrete offers for Coufal but are reluctant to let him leave just yet with their mounting injury problems.

The Verdict: Don’t sell…

The Irons are right to be reluctant over selling the player in January given a real defensive shortage right now, with Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd’s problems harming the depth in the middle while Aaron Cresswell has also been dealing with a hamstring issue.

Called a ‘top full-back’ and someone who still has a lot to offer by former England international Paul Robinson, we believe West Ham are best served waiting until the summer to make any calls.

Chelsea have entered pole position to sign marquee RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Boehly era in full swing…

The Premier League giants have already made waves in the transfer market under American business tycoon Todd Boehly as manager Graham Potter also looks set to be backed to the hilt.

Chelsea spent £241m in the summer, yet reports suggest that the Blues are well and truly on the lookout for more signings to enhance Potter’s squad.

It is reported that they are even on the verge of signing Vasco de Gama starlet Andrey Santos ahead of both Barcelona and Paris-Saint Germain, and it appears that they have also entered pole position for Gvardiol.

The Latest: Chelsea first for Gvardiol…

According to reporter Ignazio Genuardi, Chelsea are ‘in the lead’ to sign the Croatia international. It is believed that the Stamford Bridge hold an advantage over fellow interested party PSG.

Genuardi explained: “In the event of failure of the negotiations concerning Skriniar (Inter Milan), the #PSG notably keeps in touch about the Croatian #Gvardiol ( #Leipzig ), but the competition promises to be tougher (Chelsea in the lead). The former Dinamo Zagreb player had already been targeted last summer.”

The Verdict: Do it?

Reports earlier this year claimed that the 20-year-old Croatian could cost as much as £80m to prise away from Germany. However, if the opinions of Bundesliga experts are anything to go by, Gvardiol could be worth the investment.

Forbes’ Bundesliga writer Manuel Veth claims that the player is a ‘beast’ and ‘one of the most talented’ defenders in European football.

In this case, the price Chelsea would be paying is for sheer quality and potential.

The Athletic’s Everton correspondent Patrick Boyland has revealed that both Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye are ‘back in training’ after concerns over their fitness.

The Lowdown: Fitness concerns

The midfield duo were among those not in the squad for the Toffees’ 4-1 loss at Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in midweek, after they both came off in the 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester City in the Premier League last weekend.

Frank Lampard confirmed after the match that the pair had fitness issues, but hoped that they would be able to train ahead of their latest trip to the Cherries, who they face in the top flight on Saturday afternoon.

The Latest: Back in training

Taking to Twitter on Friday morning, Boyland has shared that both Onana and Gueye have returned to Everton training after concerns over the duo’s fitness earlier in the week.

The journalist succinctly tweeted: “Onana & Gueye both back in training.”

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The Verdict: Double boost

Having both Onana and Gueye back training and with the squad is no doubt a big boost for Lampard ahead of Everton’s second trip to the Vitality Stadium in a week.

The duo have been mainstays in the middle of the park for the Toffees in the league and rank highly among their team-mates for average tackles, interceptions and passes per match (WhoScored).

The Toffees will likely need both of them fully fit and ready to play if they are to redeem themselves tomorrow against their south coast opponents after the disappointing result in midweek.

A big injury update has emerged on Sunderland striker Ellis Simms ahead of the club’s clash with Luton in the Championship…

What’s the latest?

The on-loan Everton centre-forward was back out on the pitch with the team for the open training session at the Stadium of Light, according to the Sunderland Echo.

It is claimed that the attacker was spotted with his teammates as he steps up his recovery from an injury that has kept him out of action since the 3-0 win over Reading early on in Tony Mowbray’s reign.

The Black Cats boss recently claimed that Simms would be available to face Luton at the weekend if he could train this week and this latest update suggests that he is on track to do just that.

Mowbray also refused to rule out the possibility of the forward starting the game, saying: “We’ve spoken a lot with Ellis and player welfare will always be at the forefront. We need him back but the right thing to do is to go through with the processes. If he gets through a full week of training then he could be ready to make the bench or even a start knowing that he won’t then complete 90 minutes.”

Delight for the gaffer

Sunderland’s head coach should be delighted by this latest development as it suggests that Simms is on course to be available to return to action at the weekend.

The Black Cats have lost three of their last four Championship matches and have failed to score in three of the seven games since the striker suffered an injury against Reading.

Simms’ return could be a big boost for the club as he was one of the top performers prior to his knock. Only Ross Stewart (7.66) has averaged a higher SofaScore rating than the Englishman (7.08), whilst Aji Alese and Alex Pritchard are the only other players with a higher rating than 6.98.

He has scored three goals and created two big chances for his teammates in eight Championship appearances for Sunderland and this shows that he has the quality to make a big impact in the final third.

The gem has shown that he can score goals and create opportunities for others at this level, which is why his return could be a significant boost to Mowbray’s side as they have struggled in front of goal since his injury. Failing to score in three of their last seven matches is far from ideal and Simms coming back could improve their chances of scoring.

Therefore, the manager should be delighted by the striker’s return to fitness and will be hoping that he is fit enough to start on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur return to action with a lunchtime cracker as they go head-to-head with arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby.

Both teams find themselves at the top of the Premier League standings with the Gunners holding a one-point advantage in first place, so we’re surely in for an exciting encounter indeed.

Antonio Conte has plenty of decisions to make in terms of team selection, particularly as the bulk of his squad have just returned from international duty.

Unlike more recent campaigns, Arsenal pose a far greater threat this term and the Italian must be wary of the firepower available at Mikel Arteta’s disposal.

The likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli could have a field day if Spurs’ backline aren’t on their ‘A game’ this afternoon.

A whopping 77% of Tottenham’s play comes from their own third or the heart of the pitch, which is a worry as Arsenal are the opposite, playing 77% of their game in the middle and in the opposition’s third, this means that Conte is likely to set-up in a counter-attack manner.

This could leave Emerson Royal exposed at right wing-back as his display against a much weaker outfit in Sporting CP a few weeks ago was pretty shocking.

‘ Same old story with his attacking bluntness and at the back he was beaten in the air with Kane for Paulinho’s header and then Gomes skipped past with a nutmeg far too easily,’ wrote football.london reporter Alasdair Gold in his post-match column.

The Brazilian has been something of a liability for Spurs at times this season, particularly in defence, where he gives up one foul per game, which is tied for the second-most within the squad. He also makes the seventh fewest interceptions, via WhoScored.

Signed in a £26m deal from FC Barcelona last summer, the 23-year-old’s time in north London has certainly divided opinion.

“He’s obviously not loved by a lot of Spurs fans,” recently claimed The Sun journalist Tom Barclay to GIVEMESPORT, whilst The Times revealed in January that Conte wasn’t convinced by his options in the role and wanted an upgrade – they went onto sign Djed Spence in the summer.

BBC Match of the Day presenter Craig Mitch also stated that Emerson “will cost this team massively this season” earlier in the month, with BT Sport pundit Peter Crouch lambasting his defending in that aforementioned Champions League defeat as “very poor” (via the Express).

As such, Conte must make the brutal decision to axe the Brazil international from his starting XI for the north London derby today. The liability’s presence on the pitch could well cost them against the Gunners in what is arguably their biggest games of the season so far.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt injury worry ahead of Arsenal…