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Rangers confirmed they had signed a pre-contract deal for Jack Simpson on Thursday, with the Scottish Premiership league leaders due to get their man to Glasgow in the summer.

The former England U21 international was the subject of interest from Steven Gerrard’s side several years ago.

With Connor Goldson’s future uncertain and Rangers short of options at the back following Nikola Katic’s injury, Gerrard will have been delighted to snap up Simpson by way of a Bosman move from Bournemouth.

After coming through the ranks at Dean Court, Simpson is fast approaching the prime of his career and fans will be hoping he can hit the ground running and play a crucial part in what could be their first title defence for many years next season, whilst he still has room to improve at the age of 24.

A quick look at the statistics suggest that while the Englishman has put in a solid shift at the back over the last few seasons, it is his ball distribution that could be of most benefit to his new employers.

Filip Helander and Leon Balogun have done a decent enough job at the back since the start of this season, but his range of passing could be a game-changer for Gerrard’s Gers.

At Bournemouth, Simpson has been averaging 39 passes per 90 minutes, which is a decent enough return, especially when you consider the fact that half of his appearances have come off the bench. Now, this is still some way off the likes of Helander (56.9) and Balogun (53.2), although it’s hard to draw direct comparisons as they are playing in different leagues with different levels of opposition.

However, Gerrard should be encouraged by Simpson’s highly competent range of passing, which should help to paint the full picture. Simpson has an average of 2.8 long balls per game this season, implying that he isn’t afraid to play long-range passes either in the air or on the ground to split defences and create opportunities for strikers to score goals in one-on-one situations with goalkeepers. For context, both Helander and Balogun have managed just 2.4 and 2.2 long balls in the Premiership respectively.

His former Cherries coach Carl Fletcher also believes he has the diversity to adapt to the rigorous demands of playing in the Scottish Premiership. He told BBC Sportsound: “He’s a very down to earth lad. He’s a really good lad and a good character, so I think whenever you have stepped outside of something you have always know there is always a degree of excitement and stepping out of your comfort zone, but I think it’s something he will adapt to no worries, going to Rangers and the size of the club.

“Players going into that environment there is always a transition period but I think Jack will take it in his stride and want to hit the ground running.”

Not only will Simpson, who was dubbed a “natural-born leader” by his former coach Tim Davis, be able to provide cover and competition for Goldson, Helander and Balogun, but he’ll also be able to offer an alternative threat from the back as well.

AND in other news, Rangers can sign perfect Brandon Barker replacement in Rochdale’s Kwadwo Baah…

West Ham United must hand Declan Rice the double-your-money contract thought to have been in the works earlier this season, amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.

What’s the word?

According to Ian McGarry, while speaking on The Transfer Window podcast, representatives of both the Anfield and Old Trafford outfits have opened talks with Rice’s agent over a potential summer move.

It is thought the Reds and Red Devils have expressed their interest in prising the 22-year-old away from the London Stadium and have requested that they stay informed of any updates regarding his situation.

Chelsea are also noted to no longer be entertaining the idea of signing the England international, as was expected following Frank Lampard’s sacking by the Stamford Bridge natives.

Lampard had been the driving force behind the Blues pursuing the midfielder last summer, but the south-west London side refused to pay West Ham’s £80m valuation with other club figures not as keen to re-sign a player they released as a teenager for such a significant fee.

Rice has since continued to shine with the Hammers as one of the first names on the teamsheet, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in all 24 Premier League fixtures this term.

What can West Ham do?

Moyes made it clear last month that he would not be letting Rice leave the London Stadium no matter who stood in the Chelsea dugout, as it would take an astronomical offer for West Ham to let the academy graduate leave.

“No matter who was the manager at Chelsea, or whoever came in, it would have been the same answer,” the Scot said, via quotes by the Mirror. “I said it right at the start and I’m only repeating myself – Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good.”

Now, it is David Sullivan, Karren Brady and David Gold’s turn to show Rice how much he means to West Ham if they are to keep the midfielder in east London beyond the end of the season amid Liverpool and Manchester United’s approaches to his agent.

It had been reported by The Sun in October that GSB were willing to double Rice’s wage to £120k-per-week following Chelsea’s interest, but he has remained on the same £60k-per-week terms penned in 2018.

Rice was supposed to earn a pay rise to signify his importance to the Hammers and has only established his presence more so in the coming months, with Aaron Cresswell and Tomas Soucek the only West Ham players to have also featured for all 2,160 minutes of Premier League action to date.

The 13-time international also wears the captain’s armband when Mark Noble is not on the field, has long been considered the natural successor to the veteran midfielder and is a player Moyes sees as the future of West Ham.

But that may not come true if Manchester United or Liverpool present offers in the summer that appeal to Rice, who may feel undervalued if GSB are not willing to make him the best-paid player at the London Stadium in line with his status on the pitch.

So, if Gold, Brady and Sullivan want to see Rice in claret and blue and not red next season, they must hand the Moyes favourite a double-your-money deal or accept the consequences.

AND in other news, West Ham weigh up free-agent deal for 28-y/o who flopped after a £16m Premier League move…

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s injury woes at Southampton have taken another turn for the worse as it has been confirmed that on-loan winger Takumi Minamino will miss the trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Monday night.

The Japanese international picked up a hamstring injury in the 3-0 defeat against Leeds United last time out, with Hasenhuttl citing the ‘slippery’ Elland Road pitch as the reason for the issue.

The 26-year-old has impressed since joining on loan from Liverpool in the January transfer window, having scored twice in his opening four appearances for the South Coast club.

Therefore, it comes as a big blow for Hasenhuttl that he won’t be available for the trip to Merseyside, especially with Moussa Djenepo, Che Adams and Nathan Redmond having all struggled to find the back of the net this season.

The former RB Salzburg man had taken some of the pressure off Danny Ings with his goals since joining but it now seems as if the Saints will be completely reliant on the former Liverpool man against Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Monday, especially with Adams so low on confidence in front of goal at the moment.

During his time with the Reds, with whom he earns £75k per week, Jurgen Klopp described Minamino as a “machine” after his performance against Ajax in the Champions League and the South Coast club will undoubtedly miss his attacking and defensive work rate against the Toffees.

With Stuart Armstrong also perhaps likely to move into central-midfield against Everton in the absence of Ibrahima Diallo and Oriol Romeu, it could potentially leave the Saints will very little attacking threat out wide, meaning Minamino will potentially be missed even more.

Fortunately, it seems as if the Japanese forward will make his return next week, with Hasenhuttl describing his injury as “not a big one” but he will undoubtedly be missed on Monday night.

AND, in other news… Better than Jankewitz: Saints made grave transfer error with £8m gem 

After falling to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, Leeds will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they take on West Ham at the London Stadium on Monday night.

Marcelo Bielsa made some key changes to his starting line-up for the loss against the Villans, most notably dropping Jack Harrison from his starting line-up, and playing Helder Costa.

But, the Portuguese man’s woeful display warrants him being dropped from the team against the Hammers, and in his place, Bielsa must bring Harrison right back into the fold.

Speaking earlier this season, Harrison’s former teammate at New York City, Frank Lampard, waxed lyrical about the winger’s talents, saying: “An absolutely lovely lad. I’ve got so much time for Jack. I keep in touch with him. I actually spoke to him the other day. The player he’s developed into at Leeds has been really, really impressive.

“I think he’s playing great football. He’s a threat, two feet, quick, runs, high intensity and he’s one of their major players in an attacking sense. I’m delighted for him and how his career has gone of, of course we’ll want to sort of nullify that tomorrow. His career has gone in a great direction, and it will continue too.”

That ability to play at high-intensity Bielsa will surely be wanting from his side tonight, especially after such a disappointing loss last time out to Aston Villa.

And, when asked if he expected Harrison to be brought back into the starting line-up for the game against West Ham, Noel Whelan said: “Absolutely. Look, people are given an open door to come in and take your opportunity as Helder Costa was. I felt he deserved the opportunity. However, I was very, very disappointed once again with his contribution from the start to the time he came off.

“He didn’t take his opportunity, he didn’t take that chance. That’s disappointing because you want to give the manager a headache. On the other side of it, he’s made the manager’s decision, very, very easy.”

After being dropped from the starting line-up against Villa, the £17m-rated Harrison will surely be desperate to prove to his manager why that should never happen again when Leeds take on the Hammers on Monday night.

Bielsa should absolutely give him the opportunity to do just that, and he could well turn out to be the most motivated, and fresh Harrison that Leeds have all season. And that could well be a game-changer.

Meanwhile, Bielsa should look to play this exciting talent more…

Lots of Arsenal fans have been discussing the club’s links with a move for Inter Milan wing-back Achraf Hakimi.

The Telegraph have reported about Hakimi, claiming that Arsenal have now been alerted to the Moroccan’s situation at Inter, with the club’s owners Suning Holdings Group possibly under pressure to sell a few Nerazzurri players to alleviate some financial burden.

The report added that Hector Bellerin has caught the attention of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, and Arsenal see Hakimi as a chance to replace the Spaniard.

Not just Arsenal, but Chelsea are also looking at Hakimi; and they believe that the former Real Madrid man can thrive in a more advanced role since Reece James is currently their long-term option for right wing-back under Thomas Tuchel.

Hakimi has impressed for Antonio Conte’s men this season, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring six goals as well as picking up six assists, proving to be a potent and creative presence in the final third.

As per WhoScored, he has been one of Inter’s standout performers all-round in 2020/21, with an average match rating of 7.0 from the website.

The news linking Arsenal with a move for Hakimi drew the attention of many Gunners fans, who made their opinion clear about potentially signing the 22-year-old:

What did Arsenal fans make of the news about Hakimi?

“Arsenal showing interest in Achraf Hakimi. YES PLEASE!”
Credit: @unclenabz
“Going from Bellerin to Hakimi would be the biggest 180 and system shock you’d ever see. Need him at Arsenal.”
Credit: @Naif63062887

“Would be a perfect signing imo. We’re managing our defense fairly well with Bellerin even. So with Hakimi in there who has actual ability in the attack we would look like a different breed. That being said, getting his signature seems like a farfetched dream.”Credit: @zinowor“I would take him any day.”Credit: @ezrandez“I’m in the minority of Arsenal fans who would be keen on Bellerin remaining first-choice RB next season, but if we’re showing interest in Hakimi, we would be crazy to not try and sign him, one of the few players that would justify replacing a fan favourite like Bellerin.”Credit: @dylanwalsh_

“I’d love him.”
Credit: @journalismbond

In other news, Arsenal have been linked with a move for a former PL defender – read more here.

Roy Hodgson has reportedly started planning for his summer transfer business, with Crystal Palace being linked to Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram.

According to The Mirror, the Eagles are interested in swooping for the 27-year-old on a free transfer in the summer with his contract set to expire at Bramall Lane.

There is currently a contract conundrum at Selhurst Park with midfielders James McArthur and James McCarthy both set to run down their deals but Lundstram is not the answer that Hodgson needs.

He had an excellent first season in the Premier League under Chris Wilder, scoring five goals and providing three assists, he was not able to continue that high level of performance this year.

In 23 appearances in the league this campaign, the £7.2m-rated midfielder is yet to score amidst a dreadful season for Sheffield United.

When compared to the potentially departing duo of McArthur and McCarthy, Lundstram is certainly no better.

According to WhoScored, Lundstram only averages 0.1 more key passes per game than the former, whilst averaging only marginally higher defensive numbers than the latter which for a team who has spent the majority of the season propping up the table, is not too inspiring.

One positive of his arrival, however, could be the lower wages that he would command in comparison. Currently earning £4k per week with the Blades, even an increase on that amount should save Palace money on the combined £105k per week wages that McCarthy and McArthur scoop at Selhurst Park.

Should the two depart though, it is doubtful that Lundstram would even be able to find his way into the Palace team immediately with the likes of Luka Milivojevic, Cheikhou Kouyate, Jairo Riedewald and even Nathan Ferguson all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Whilst Lundstram would by no means be a terrible signing, he is certainly no better than what the Eagles currently have, with his potential arrival indicating a somewhat of lack of ambition from Steve Parish and the club.

AND in more news, Read more on how key it is for Palace to tie down Patrick van Aanholt to a new contract…

Slavia Prague have torn into Glasgow Rangers following allegations of racial abuse directed towards Gers midfielder Glen Kamara.

Slavia slam Rangers after Kamara allegations

The Gers were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday after losing 2-0 to the Czech champions at Ibrox and 3-1 on aggregate.

The clash, though, was marred by a couple of unsavoury incidents. First, Kemar Roofe was sent off for an awful challenge on Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar, and there was then a coming together between Kamara and Ondrej Kudela. Towards the end of the match, Kudela leaned in towards Kamara to whisper something into his ear, and whatever he uttered outraged both the Finland international and his close-by teammate Bongani Zungu.

After the match, Steven Gerrard suggested Kamara had been racially abused (Sky Sports). This was not a view shared by Slavia at all, though, and they released a statement slamming the behaviour of the Ibrox outfit while also defending Kudela. They said (slavia.cz):

“Slavia resolutely denies the disgusting accusation of one of the team captains Ondřej Kúdela of racist behaviour. Already the founders of our club gave us crest with colours meaning “the purity of the idea of sports and fair contest where the rival is not our enemy, but respected opponent.” Today, Slavia is an international club based on respect for our opponents and mutual respect of all people and cultures.

“After one of the brutal fouls, Ondřej Kúdela spoke to one of the Rangers players. “I told him ‘You ******* guy’. It was said in emotions, but I absolutely deny there was anything racist in those words,” Kúdela stated.

“Slavia players faced an unprecedentedly malicious play from their opponents. They have never experienced such play in any game they participated in modern history of the European competitions. Many brutal tackles resulted in injuries of our players. Goalkeeper Ondřej Kolář was taken to hospital with ten stitches on his head.

“After the end of the game, the team was not allowed to enter the dressing room. Ondřej Kúdela was assaulted by player Kamara and hit with fists in the head when Rangers manager Steven Gerrard witnessed the incident. Even the UEFA representatives who were also present on the site of the incident were shocked by this behaviour.”

Bizarre statement

This is somewhat of a bizarre statement. The incident itself was clearly one that shook the Rangers players, and it would be hard to see Kamara retaliating in such a way if Kudela simply swore at him. It is a little demoralising to suggest the former Dundee man has lied without even wanting to look into the situation.

To then try and divert the attention towards an alleged incident after the match is quite shocking. This is an incident that was obviously not picked up by the television cameras, so only those who were present in the tunnel will know exactly what happened, but it seems unlikely that the Gers squad would do what has been claimed here.

Either way, a thorough investigation needs to be launched into all of the allegations.

In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.

Billy Dodds believes that Connor Goldson has been Glasgow Rangers’ Player of the Year.

Dodds backs Goldson for Player of the Year

The former Ibrox striker was speaking on BBC Sportsound (via Ibrox News)and was asked by presenter Richard Gordon whether Steven Davis has been the Gers’ best performer this campaign.

Dodds praised the Northern Ireland international but quickly moved on to discuss Goldson, saying:

“I think Connor Goldson has been incredible, Goldson for me is a stalwart who plays every game.

“He has been outstanding, we talked about the nine goals that they’ve lost, that’s just an incredible record at any level of football.”

Brilliant

At the age of 36, Davis has been an important player for Steven Gerrard this season, and it is no surprise to see the Gers offer him a new 12-month contract (rangers.co.uk) despite him fast approaching the end of his career. However, Goldson has been a rock on which the Gers’ success has been built.

After 33 games in the Premiership so far this term, the Gers have conceded just 10 goals (BBC), and Goldson has started every single one of those matches (Transfermarkt). He has also popped up with four goals in the league, including two in the first Old Firm derby of the season as the Gers won 2-0.

Without the £4.95m-valued former Brighton man, it is hard to believe that Gerrard’s side would have been quite this good. Perhaps Dodds is correct in picking him out as the best performer in the Ibrox ranks during a memorable 2020/21 season.

In other news, some Rangers fans hammered this man’s performance against Celtic.

According to a report by Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, dropping an enticing transfer claim on Twitter, he believes ‘Tottenham will look’ into signing VFB Stuttgart Nicolas Gonzalez this summer as a possible replacement for Gareth Bale.

Gonzalez, who has earned a stellar reputation this campaign following a fine 2020/2021 season, is apparently on Spurs’ radar as this claim emerges from the Sky reporter.

Gonzalez eyed by Tottenham

This comes as Bale looks set to return to Real Madrid upon the expiry of his season-long loan deal in north London, as admitted by the player himself during a candid interview whilst on international duty.

The 22-year-old winger, who Fabrizio Romano labelled an ‘amazing talent’, has scored six goals whilst assisting two others in 10 Bundesliga starts this season (WhoScored) – leaving little wonder why Spurs are allegedly keen.

Transfer Tavern take

According to Thomas, as he relays his report, Gonzalez isn’t the only name up for consideration either with Lille attacker Jonathan Bamba also being tracked by Daniel Levy and co.

Bale will eventually return to the Bernabeu as it stands but it is enticing that Spurs are already tracking possible replacements ahead of the summer window.

Time will tell whether Spurs land either of these names, however, it will be an interesting development to watch over.

In other news: Media applauded this ‘special’ Spurs player for his ‘colossal’ international display, find out more here.

Aston Villa have made two key appointments to their backroom staff, and it will surely have left Dean Smith buzzing.

What’s the story?

Villa are enjoying a superb season on the pitch in the Premier League thus far, finding themselves in the top half of the table and only five points behind seventh-placed Liverpool.

Now, it appears they are also taking steps to reinforcing things behind the scenes, with the news that a couple of new positions have been filled among the backroom staff.

As confirmed by the club’s official website: “Aston Villa have appointed Adam Henshall as the club’s new Head of Emerging Talents & Loans and Mile Jedinak as our new Loan Player Development Coach.

“Adam joins us from Doncaster Rovers and Mile is a well known face at Bodymoor Heath having helped the club win promotion to the Premier League two years ago.”

Dean Smith surely buzzing

While the two appointments may not seem like the most ground-breaking of news, there’s no doubting that Villa stand to reap rich rewards from it.

You only have to look at the club’s burgeoning academy to know that Villa have got a real talented crop of youngsters coming through at the same time, with the likes of Louie Barry and Aaron Ramsey a couple of those who are at the top of that list.

But for the duo, and the rest of the U23s and U18s, making sure the bridge between academy football and making it into the first-team at Villa Park will be the absolute key to ensuring Villa get the best out of them.

And one proven way of doing that is making sure they find some first-team football out on loan. That isn’t just as simple as shipping them out for a season wherever, and expecting things to work out.

A real thought process has to go into it, taking a load of factors into consideration, not least: the manager at the club, playing time, training facilities, tactical set-up and just the whole culture surrounding it.

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Get that wrong, and you risk setting back a young player’s career massively. By appointing both Henshall and Jedinak, Villa are taking the necessary steps to ensuring the whole process runs a lot more smoothly and has a greater chance of success.

It’s exactly why Christian Purslow’s major decisions should leave the Villa boss very content indeed.

Meanwhile, Villa could strike gold by signing this Championship sensation…