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Glasgow Rangers should ‘not trust’ manager Michael Beale, according to former Scottish Premiership professional Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Beale takes charge

The Light Blues confirmed the 42-year-old as their new boss last week, taking over at Ibrox from Giovanni van Bronckhorst following his sacking in November.

The Bromley-born coach had previously been in talks to join Wolves but turned down a move to Molineux and reaffirmed his commitment to QPR, a loyalty that was quickly broken after accepting the job north of the border.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admitted that he’s not pleased by what he’s seen of Beale since his arrival and isn’t convinced that he is the right man for the job.

“I do not trust the guy.

“That is the first thing I would do, not trust him. Good coaches do not make good managers.

“From what I hear he is one of the best coaches out there. But as a manager, you have got all the weight of the world on your shoulders. This is his first managerial job. He was in the door 15 minutes at QPR.

“When you are coach and you are pals with the players, you can’t do that as a manager. Players are going to expect that again and he will have to be distant from them. This might not go down too well.

“If he does not like pressure he has gone to the wrong place.“

The Verdict: Results matter most

Rangers may be fearful that Beale could walk away in the same manner that he left Loftus Road should a better opportunity arise, but it’s the performances and results on the pitch that matter most, and if that situation arises it likely means those things are going their way.

The Scottish giants have sometimes found it hard to play on the front foot, but with the former Hoops man’s preferred formation being a 4-3-3 attacking system, this should instil some prolific intent in the final third.

Beale has also shown impressive consistency and success having guided QPR into the playoff places in an extremely competitive league before his departure, so turning form around should be the only immediate focus at hand.

Leeds United are reportedly keen on signing Valencia defender Jesus Vazquez on loan.

The Lowdown: Vazquez linked with Leeds

The 19-year-old has progressed through Valencia’s academy and has made 22 senior appearances for his current employers. Vazquez is primarily a left-back but can also line out as a left midfielder or a left winger if required.

Valued at €5m (£4.3m) by Transfermarkt, Vazquez’s current Valencia contract runs until 2025, but it seems as if a potential temporary exit could be on the cards in the New Year.

The Latest: Loan rumour

The Boot Room relayed an update from a Spanish outlet regarding Leeds and Vazquez on Wednesday.

They claimed that the Whites want to bring the Spaniard – who has a €40m (£34.5m) release clause – to Elland Road on loan, adding that Vazquez has changed agents in anticipation of a potential move.

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The Verdict: Interesting…

Jesse Marsch has used centre-back Pascal Struijk at left-back this season, with Junior Firpo missing the majority of the season through injury.

Therefore, you can see why the Whites are looking at a possible left-back recruit, which could then allow Struijk to return to his more natural role.

However, Vazquez isn’t exactly an established first-team player, so it would be a surprise if he is seen as the solution at left-back.

Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro is another left-back who has been linked with a move to Yorkshire, so the Portugal international appears to be a better immediate option for Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani to consider at this moment in time.

Everton target Boulaye Dia ‘doesn’t score enough goals’ to make the move to the Premier League, according to journalist Ed Aarons.

The Lowdown: World Cup standout

The Senegalese starlet has recently been at the World Cup having represented Aliou Cisse’s nation, where he grabbed one goal in four starts before getting knocked out in the last 16 by England.

The 26-year-old is currently out on loan at Salernitana from Villarreal but has been linked with a switch to Goodison Park once his spell ends, with a fee in the region of £17m required to secure his services.

The Latest: Aarons’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, however, Aarons claimed that Dia hasn’t been prolific enough in the final third to prove himself as a centre-forward, regardless of other areas of his game being strong.

“Dia has been good at coming deep and linking the play a little bit more. He links it up well, he’s pretty strong.

“He’s a bit of a threat in front of goal but he doesn’t score enough goals. In his career he’s not scored enough, that’s one thing he can improve on. But his link-up play has been very impressive.”

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The Verdict: Bit harsh?

Everton’s target has been dubbed a ‘handful’ for defenders by journalist Dean Jones, and looking at his numbers, claims that he’s not effective in the final third may be a little harsh.

The Oyonnax native already has eight contributions to his name this season (six goals and two assists) in just 14 appearances (Transfermarkt).

The Toffees have collectively only netted 11 times this campaign, which shows the significant impact Dia could have up top, so while he may not have the most prolific career record, he would surely be an upgrade on the struggling Neal Maupay.

Leeds United have emerged as surprise candidates to swoop for a fierce Premier League rival’s player…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to 90min, who note the Whites’ interest in Manchester United outcast Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Signed for £50m in 2019, the English full-back has struggled for game-time since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure 13 months ago, with Diogo Dalot having now secured his spot in the team under Erik ten Hag.

That could prompt the 25-year-old to leave Old Trafford, with Elland Road among a number of potential destinations as Victor Orta shows an interest. Despite Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly leading the chase, Crystal Palace and West Ham United are also believed to be monitoring the situation.

Better than Kristensen?

This move may seem somewhat confusing by Leeds given the summer signing of Rasmus Kristensen, but the Denmark international has hardly made the position his own despite displacing Luke Ayling.

Offering little going forward, it remains to be seen whether the summer arrival is defensively sound enough to warrant a lack of attacking impetus. He is yet to score and has made just one assist so far this season.

His average output of 1.8 interceptions, 2.9 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game has merited his respectable 6.97 rating from Sofascore.

However, in Wan-Bissaka, Leeds would be gaining a player about whom Wes Brown said: “Defensively, in one-on-ones, he’s definitely one of the best I’ve ever seen”.

In what was the 25-year-old’s best full season for the Red Devils since moving to the club, the 2020/21 campaign saw him record an impressive 7.14 rating, with an average of 1.8 interceptions, 2.6 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game (via Sofascore).

He paired this with 0.9 key passes per game, somewhat condemning the myth that he is ineffective going forward. He was also successful in 57% of his dribbles in that campaign.

Wan-Bissaka also had his then-manager Solskjaer revelling in a derby win against Manchester City three years ago, as the former United boss said: “Aaron is playing against…it’s [Raheem] Sterling out there, it’s [Riyad] Mahrez out there, it’s [Kevin] De Bruyne out there. And they just don’t go past him. Absolutely top class, top notch.”

With a run in the team and a show of faith, there is a wonderful defender in Wan-Bissaka just waiting to be unleashed.

Likely weighed down by the burden of his transfer fee, at Selhurst Park as a youngster he was allowed to flourish in an environment devoid of the pressure which comes with playing at Old Trafford.

A move to Yorkshire could remove the shackles, although for the potential cost that it might incur, it remains to be seen whether he would be a significant improvement on Kristensen.

The return to competitive action is within touching distance for Manchester United, with boss Erik ten Hag completing preparations for the fourth-round Carabao Cup tie against Championship leaders Burnley.

It will mark the Red Devils’ last games since the start of November – before the pausing of the campaign to pave the way for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – when prodigious starlet Alejandro Garnacho clinched a huge victory over Fulham with a deft burst of pace in the dying embers to give United all three points and maintain the pursuit of Champions League football.

The impending clash versus Burnley will also be the first tie without Cristiano Ronaldo on the books, who terminated his contract with the club by mutual consent at the end of November, following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Naturally, the Theatre of Dreams has since been host to a plethora of transfer rumours demanding the replacement of the legendary talisman, but boss Erik ten Hag might yet have one home remedy to ail the offensive woes in the shape of Anthony Martial, who must grasp his forthcoming opportunity.

Forget Ronaldo

Ronaldo’s feats are not to be sniffed at, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scoring 145 goals and serving 64 assists across 346 displays for United over two stints. 

However, time waits for no man, and the 37-year-old sensation has suffered the toll of the twilight years in professional football recently; upon the appointment of Ten Hag, Ronaldo’s relationship with the club deteriorated, and indeed erupted last month.

For all his plunder, the 196-cap Portugal international – holding the world record for most international goals with 118 – managed to clinch just three strikes from 16 appearances this term, actually being outscored by teammate Martial.

The 27-year-old Martial, who endured a miserable loan spell with Sevilla, scoring just one goal from 12 outings, during the latter half of last season, has displayed promising signs over the first phase of the current campaign, scoring four goals and assisting two more from just seven appearances, starting only three times.

Having exhibited such promise at the maiden stage of his Red Devils career, signing from AS Monaco for £36m in 2015 and scoring 18 goals and ten assists across 53 showing for his English outfit, the ace has failed to build on the hype.

But now there is a glorious chance to assume the role of talisman at the club, and prove to a new manager with a compelling philosophy that he can be a “Ferrari” – as once hailed by Owen Hargreaves – once more.

With the Burnley fixture looming and several first-team stars likely to miss out following the conclusion of the World Cup, Martial has the opportunity to dazzle, and demonstrate his calibre to his manager, who will be beginning to get a taste of what the striker can offer to his team.

There will need to be a level of consistency and cutting edge that has evaded Martial for several seasons now, but he has placed a foundation to build on with stellar work earlier this term, and now he has the chance to flourish once again.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be bitterly disappointed following the recent news of the club’s major transfer target of 2022, Cody Gakpo, falling into enemy territory.

Indeed, the Premier League giants have touted PSV Eindhoven’s Gakpo since the summer, when the 23-year-old revealed to The Times that he had discussed a prospective move with Ten Hag.

And more recently, following the player’s three-goal haul at the World Cup in Qatar, publications such as The Mirror have illustrated the Red Devils’ January transfer plans, laid to waste by Liverpool’s swift action.

In order to shake off the disappointment, United must turn to another supreme attacking option: Victor Osimhen.

The Napoli phenom was regarded as an option for the club by the Manchester Evening News, albeit with the opinion that a summer move might be more realistic for Napoli’s brilliant striker.

Another source also proclaimed that the 23-cap Nigerian is the “prime” target to place into the Theatre of Dreams, and an increase in intrigue will likely be ramped up over the coming weeks.

Time to forget Gakpo

Having scored 13 goals and assisted 17 more from just 24 appearances for PSV this year, Gakpo is undoubtedly a name that United supporters will rue the sound of for years to come, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds clinching the forward’s signature for an initial £35m this week.

Journalist Mina Rzouki heralded the Nigerian sensation as a “machine”, also lauding him for being the “heart and soul” of a Napoli side that are eight points clear at the top of the Italian Serie A table and came first in a Champions League group consisting of Liverpool, AFC Ajax and Rangers.

His exploits have left him among the premier forwards on the globe at present, with his ten goals and three assists from 14 outings affirming the calibre of his talismanic aura, leading transfer insider Dean Jones to state he would be an “unbelievable signing” to GIVEMESPORT.

And the 24-year-old, while he doesn’t quite possess the same level of creative flair that the Dutch Gakpo brings, offers a deadly clinical edge, an ability to burst from danger to devastation, wreaking havoc on helpless defences with his fine finishing and fearsome physicality.

As per FBref, Osimhen ranks within the top 3% of forwards for rate of non-penalty goals, and the top 2% for total shots, while in the top 12% for touches in the attacking penalty area – a relentless and tenacious forward presence; a Red Devil in the box.

And with the departure of 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who terminated his contract by mutual consent following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, that central focal point in attack is the area that needs attention.

The £91k-per-week Osimhen is one of Europe’s most in-form and touted forwards, and having signed for his current club for a reported $96m (£79.6m), it would take a mammoth bid to prise him away from the clutches of Blues boss Luciano Spalletti.

It might indeed be that Ten Hag has to wait until summer, but there are not many around to boast the same level of sheer excellence on the football pitch, and Old Trafford would be wise to bide its time and pounce when the moment comes.

Liverpool are continuing their negotiations with Roberto Firmino over a new contract at Anfield, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

The Lowdown: Firmino’s contract situation

The Reds attacker is currently in the final year of his deal at the Merseyside club, meaning that unless he puts pen to paper on a new one, he’ll be leaving Anfield as a free agent at the end of this season.

However, it was reported earlier this month that the Reds have been in talks with the 31-year-old over the possibility of him signing a new one or two-year deal at the club.

Now though, some extra behind-the-scenes details have emerged on the matter.

The Latest: Romano’s Firmino update

In a recent Twitter post, Romano shared an update on the contract situation surrounding Firmino, starting by relaying recent comments from Jurgen Klopp on the matter, who confirmed he wants the forward to stay.

“Negotiations are ongoing on [a] potential short-term deal, but Firmino has to decide his future as Liverpool idea is very clear.”

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The Verdict: Firmino should sign

Taking into account what Klopp had to say about him during his latest press conference, it’s clear that the Liverpool boss still sees him as a vital player in his squad.

Bearing in mind how the Brazilian has scored seven goals and delivered three assists in 13 league appearances this season, his attacking talent has been vital for the team.

In addition to that, the veteran currently has the highest percentage of shots on target (60.6%) in the squad, highlighting how clinical he is in front of goal.

With Romano revealing that Firmino has yet to decide whether he wants to continue with Liverpool or not, we feel that he should sign a new deal with the club given how highly thought of he is at Anfield.

Leeds United remain interested in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore during the summer transfer window, according to a recent report.

The Lowdown: Leeds eye up Traore

The Whites have shown interest in the Spaniard in the recent past, with Jesse Marsch seeing him as someone who could add a new threat to his attack at Elland Road.

Traore has scored twice for Wolves this season and made 15 Premier League appearances to date, but his future may well lie away from Molineux.

The 26-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of the campaign, and while he could end up staying put in the Black Country, nothing has been agreed so far.

The Latest: Leeds still interested

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are ‘still very keen’ on the idea of signing Traore this summer and are ready to rival Tottenham for his signature.

Victor Orta signed the winger during his time at Middlesbrough and clearly rates him highly, and the player himself likes the idea of remaining in the Premier League.

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The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Traore is an extremely dangerous player because of the incredible pace that he boasts – Jurgen Klopp has described him as ‘unplayable’ before in that regard – so the idea of him marauding along the flank for Leeds is certainly exciting.

That being said, he has often been criticised for a lack of end product, with just 13 goals in 172 Wolves appearances a testament to his profligacy in the final third.

At 26, though, it can be argued that Traore could become more polished in the coming years, and he could ultimately become an effective squad player for a Leeds side arguably missing genuine pace in wide areas.

Manchester United could reportedly be ready to make a move for Everton goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, with the England international having yet to agree fresh terms with the Toffees.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Red Devils – as well as Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur – have been ‘alerted’ to the 28-year-old’s situation at Goodison Park, with the former Sunderland ace currently in a ‘row’ over pay.

The report suggests that the 50-cap sensation – who has just 18 months left on his existing deal on Merseyside – has informed his current side that he wishes to stay at the club, although is said to be demanding a greater wage increase than what Frank Lampard and co are offering.

That has piqued the interest of both United and Spurs, with the two parties said to be open to doubling the stopper’s reported £100k-per-week wage in order to secure his services.

‘Outstanding’ at Old Trafford

The goalkeeping situation remains a point of concern for manager Erik ten Hag, with long-serving asset David de Gea having just a matter of months left on his current contract, while Dean Henderson – who is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest – may well have burned his bridges with his parent club following his incendiary interview during the summer.

With it yet to be seen just who will be the long-term first-choice pick at Old Trafford – with Jack Butland having only joined on a six-month loan deal last week – turning to Pickford could well be an ideal solution for United.

The 6 foot 1 ace has been something of a “hero” for Everton in recent years – according to Sam Allardyce – having also been dubbed “outstanding” by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson after helping to steer his side away from relegation at the end of last season.

The £18m-rated menace notably kept 117 saves in the top flight last term – the sixth-most in the division – while he has also continued that rich vein of form this time around, with his tally of 68 saves only bettered by Brentford’s David Raya.

That quality was evident in the recent FA Cup meeting at the Theatre of Dreams, with Pickford having made a ‘number of important saves’ to keep his side in the game, as per 90min’s Jamie Spencer, despite eventually ending up on the losing side.

A key facet of his game also has been the Washington-born star’s quality on the ball, with that showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 8% in Europe among those in his position for passes longer than 40 yards, allowing him to pose a “threat” to the opposition, as per German counterpart, Manuel Neuer.

A reliable figure at international level – having now featured at two World Cups and at the European Championship under Gareth Southgate – the one-time Preston North End loanee clearly has the ability to thrive on the elite stage.

That should well make him an attractive prospect for Ten Hag, with Pickford seemingly one outstanding candidate to become United’s long-term fit between the sticks.

Manchester United produced a stunning comeback to defeat Manchester City 2-1 and continue their rich vein of form under Erik ten Hag in what could be a big statement of intent from the Dutchman.

United matched their rivals during an uninspiring first half, with Marcus Rashford coming close on a couple of occasions to opening the scoring. However, a few players were miles off the pace, especially Anthony Martial, who took just 14 touches before being substituted at half-time.

City moved through the gears during the second half and Jack Grealish netted just moments after appearing from the substitutes’ bench to give the visitors a deserved lead.

United were faltering and it looked as if, even though they had won six matches on the bounce since the post-World Cup resumption, Ten Hag still had a massive job on his hands to get close to Pep Guardiola’s men.

Christian Eriksen – who has been so important for the Old Trafford giants this term – struggled during the match, completing only 16 passes while playing just behind Martial.

The Danish “genius” – as dubbed by Statman Dave last year, took just 28 touches of the ball, gave away possession ten times and lost all four of his duels this afternoon. He was given a lowly Sofascore rating of 6.4/10 and Ten Hag eventually withdrew him after 71 minutes, replacing the 30-year-old with Alejandro Garnacho.

He could’ve let the manager down badly if he remained on the pitch, but just seven minutes later, Bruno Fernandes scored a controversial equaliser – with a clearly offside Rashford deemed to not have impacted the play – before the Englishman poked home the winner following excellent work from Garnacho down the left wing.

The balance of the team obviously changed following Eriksen’s withdrawal and the victory lifts United into third place in the Premier League table, just a point behind City as Ten Hag continues his revolution in Manchester, and this result will live long in the memory of Red Devils supporters.

This wasn’t Eriksen’s finest performance for United, although his substitution turned out to be one of the Dutchman’s best decisions during the match. Otherwise, the game could have ended up with a rather different result.