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Rangers could lose ‘a lot of experience’ this summer, with Allan McGregor, Connor Goldson and Steven Davis all poised to leave. 

That’s according to Jordan Campbell, the club’s correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

As it stands, the trio will all be out of contract come 31 May. McGregor and Davis have both had two spells at Ibrox and now boast 421 and 333 appearances respectively for the club.

They’re also heavily decorated – the former has won 12 trophies at Ibrox in addition to the Player of the Year award in 2020/21, while the latter has won seven (and been named POTY twice).

Goldson, meanwhile, joined from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2018 and has featured 198 times.

The Englishman was a huge part of the squad that ended Celtic’s run of nine consecutive titles last season.

The latest

Campbell writes that McGregor, Goldson and Davis are ‘set to leave at the end of their contracts’.

He does, however, adopt a more optimistic tone on Leon Balogun and Scott Arfield, whose deals are both up at the end of the season too.

The hope is that securing extensions for those two ‘would offer some continuity’.

The verdict

McGregor, aged 40, and Davis, 37, are very much veterans. That’s reflected in their sub-£1million Transfermarkt valuations of £450,000 and £900,000.

Even if they were to stay, you’d imagine they’d only be signing a short-term extension, with retirement on the horizon.

But £7.2million-rated Goldson is yet to turn 30, and is seemingly on his way out during his prime years. Indeed, he’s attracting interest from the likes of West Ham United in the English Premier League.

He may not have claim to legendary status like the other two, but you could argue his departure will hurt the most.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has some information for Rangers fans.

Aston Villa are still thought to be interested in signing River Plate star Julian Alvarez.

Total Villa relayed the rumours on social media on Tuesday lunchtime, which unsurprisingly caught the eyes of numerous Villa supporters.

The Midlanders were heavily linked with a swoop for the Argentine attacker over the summer and his stock has risen massively following his displays during the current campaign.

Capable of playing on the wing or in a central role, the 21-year-old has scored 16 times and registered eight assists in just 17 Liga Profesional matches, which has led to the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Tottenham all expressing their interest.

Villa are one of 10 clubs across Europe who are keen on Alvarez’s services ahead of the January transfer window, and a number of fans want to see the club revisit their interest in the forward, who has a £21m release clause which can be triggered in the New Year.

Villa fans react

Total Villa on Twitter shared the latest regarding Alvarez, and here is what some Villa fans had to say in reply, with one labelling him a ‘superstar’ and others imploring the club’s NSWE ownership to try and win the race for his signature.

“Now this is a signing I can get behind!!”

Credit: @ConanLinds

“That kid looks more and more like a superstar. Will be a very expensive signing for a big European team. Funny he was singled out as a Villa target over a year ago.”

Credit: @daviddjuphammar

“Don’t get me excited”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“Please!!!”

Credit: @TheVillaDecree

“We’d have to get rid of either Trez or Ghazi for him but would be amazing”

Credit: @Jamie_UTV

“We should’ve signed him in the summer”

Credit: @_Fabian73153

In other news: Premier League side now lining-up January move for ‘unplayable’ £45k p/w Aston Villa ace

Rangers are back in Premiership action today with a home clash against Dundee in their latest push for the league title.

Looking beyond today’s match, it seems as though the club have been handed a fresh injury boost which will surely have a lot of fans buzzing.

What’s the news?

Speaking ahead of the clash against Dundee this afternoon, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that Leon Balogun will train with the squad on Sunday after missing their two previous league games and should be back ‘soon’.

The 33-year-old defender has played 18 games across all competitions so far this season, which shows just how important he is for the team and why having him back in training again will be such a big positive for the Gers.

Averaging 3.3 clearances, 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the league this term along with winning 64% of his duels, Balogun’s overall league performances have earned him a season rating of 7.06/10, making him Rangers’ fifth-highest rated player in 2021/22 according to WhoScored.

Since joining the club in 2020 on a free transfer from Wigan Athletic, the defender – who is currently valued at £720k by Transfermarkt – has made 46 appearances for Rangers across all competitions, with one goal and three assists to his name for the club.

Moving forward, if Rangers can secure a win today and then have the Nigerian back to full fitness and staying fit for the rest of the season, it could give the team a great chance of securing the title once again in 2022.

Looking even further down the line, with Balogun’s current contract at Ibrox set to expire at the end of the season, it’ll be intriguing to see whether or not the club decide to offer him a new deal to keep him in their squad for a little bit longer.

Taking into account his performances this season and his evident defensive abilities, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were to offer him a new contract.

In other news: “We understand”: Journalist drops major Rangers transfer update which will leave fans fuming…

A number of Wolves supporters have been hailing their players after a club post showed them receiving their booster jab on Monday.

Wanderers picked up a solid 0-0 draw at home to Champions League holders Chelsea on Sunday afternoon as their resolute form continues. That result followed the 1-0 win away to Brighton last week, leaving Wolves sitting eighth in the Premier League currently and dreaming of European football next season.

Away from the field of play, Bruno Lage and his players have been leading by example, with the club’s official Twitter channel sharing photos of them all receiving their booster jab as an extra layer of protection against the global pandemic.

The manager had recently stated that every member of the squad was keen to get the job, with Wolves having one of the best vaccination uptake rates of any Premier League club (Daily Mail).

It is great to see at a time when all footballers are being urged to get vaccinated, helping to ensure that the Premier League schedule continues as normal for as long as possible amid a spate of recent postponements.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375704”]

Wolves fans hail players

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to hail the players for getting their booster jabs.

“My club – leading by example!!!”

Credit: @Kingwolf84

“Leading the way”

Credit: @TheKevinLeslie

“Well done Wolves”

Credit: @cassie2195

“I love my team”

Credit: @carlos_alpuche_

“Top, top Football Club WWFC. COYW”

Credit: @Philip_wwfc

“Leading by example. Well done”

Credit: @kerry337

In other news, some Wolves fans have been reacting to a Tim Spiers tweet. Read more here.

Mark Douglas has dropped an inside claim from sources from the potential takeover of Newcastle United regarding Mike Ashley.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the journalist has claimed that takeover sources have indicated that there would have to be a readiness from the chief executive of Sports Direct to lower his original asking price, or at least structure a deal, in a way which takes into account the big financial hit the club would take if they were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League at the end of this season.

The Tynesiders are now under serious threat of going down after an embarrassing 3-0 loss at the hands of relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday night, meaning that they currently sit a mere two points outside of the drop zone in the league table after 29 games played (BBC Sport).

Is potential Newcastle takeover off if relegated?

One would seriously have to question whether the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) would consider coming back onto the table if Newcastle found themselves in the Championship.

The Magpies would certainly become a less attractive project in that scenario, and there is a question mark left on how much money Ashley would be willing to sell them for.

Nonetheless, Newcastle will now be prioritising staying up and then deal with any further takeover talk at the end of the season.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on Rafa Benitez and the takeover consortium!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has tipped Amad Diallo to win a starting position at Manchester United.

Diallo, who joined Manchester United from Atalanta for £37m back in January, stole the headlines in the first leg of the Red Devils’ last-16 tie against AC Milan in the Europa League, coming off the bench to score a fantastic header.

The 18-year-old has barely seen any action since then, but Palmer is confident supporters will see more of him next season.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Diallo, the ex-England international said:

“Listen, he’s a talent. They paid a lot of money for him, so they’ve not bought him to be sitting in the reserves or sitting on the bench. There’s a lot of football that’s played in the season. Man United will finish second, so they’ll be in the Champions League, so there’ll be a lot of football to be played. So, yeah, they’ll be looking to get him more starts and more appearances, but he’s 18. He’s got time on his side.”

Diallo’s cameo in that 1-1 draw with Stefano Pioli’s side at Old Trafford was certainly a bright one. Still, it is not that much of a surprise to see him outside of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI at present.

The Norwegian coach is currently blessed with a host of quality attacking options, giving Diallo a lot of competition. This season, Solskjaer has been able to call upon the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.

The former Cardiff City manager also has the speedy Dan James available to him, with the Welsh winger starting to pick up a bit of form, managing to grab a couple of Premier League goals for himself last month.

Manchester United appear to be leading the likes of Tottenham in the race to sign Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Man Utd interest in Nunez

Described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, the Uruguayan appears to be a man in demand this summer following his starring campaign in Portugal.

The 22-year-old has scored a whopping 33 goals in 39 games, impressing as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger.

The Uruguay international was linked with a big-money move to Manchester last week, and a fresh update has now emerged in their pursuit of a possible club-record deal.

The Latest: United leading the way for Nunez

Sport Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Nunez on Tuesday. They claimed that 22-year-old could link up with super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is set to meet with ‘several English clubs’ regarding the Benfica forward.

United are thought to be ‘in the lead’ following an ‘express request’ from new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Verdict: Huge

Cristiano Ronaldo looks likely to be the only senior centre-forward available to Ten Hag when he arrives, with Edinson Cavani set to depart Old Trafford over the coming months.

Therefore, bringing in an exciting young attacker who has been prolific this season in numerous positions seems to be a smart move going forward.

Benfica want €130m for Nunez, which equates to around £109m and would make him the most expensive United signing of all time ahead of Paul Pogba, but it could prove to be the perfect one for Ten Hag in what the Red Devils are hoping will be a new era for the club.

In other news: Ten Hag now wants Man Utd chiefs to sign ‘superstar’ attacker for free

Many Wolverhampton Wanderers fans were delighted with striker Willian Jose during his side’s Premier League tie against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The 29-year-old recently moved to Molineux on loan until the end of the 2020/21 campaign, with an option to buy for £22m in the summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo gave him his first start on Saturday down in South London as Wolves looked to right the wrongs from their recent slump in form, and he showed moments of brilliance from the start.

His movement and his awareness to find a pass was picked out by some fans, particularly early on during the game as the Brazilian attempted to find his feet in the Premier League.

With this in mind, supporters were delighted with Willian Jose’s performance and are looking forward to future matches to see if he can improve further.

Willian Jose is the talk of Wolverhampton

“Jose looks like he is going to be a little bit naughty”

Credit: @katie_lwwfc

“It’s only been 6 minutes but I already love Willian Jose. Great positioning, already causing some problems. Trust in Nuno.”

Credit: @eddieniedorf

“Willian Jose’s movement already looks top-notch”

Credit: @Blakey_Mitchell

“Willian Jose is the real deal. First time watching him. He’s HUNGRY. #wolves”

Credit: @ORFJOE

“Willian Jose looks decent so far”

Credit: @eager_harry

“I really like Willian Jose already”

Credit: @wwfchay

In other news, Ex-referee commented on crucial incident during Wolves’ draw against Chelsea.

For one last time, West Brom lineup for a Premier League fixture as they head to Leeds United later this evening.

The Baggies’ relegation back to the Championship was confirmed over two weeks ago and since then, they have been edged out in close affairs against Liverpool and West Ham.

It also marks the final time that Sam Allardyce will lead Albion out after it was announced that the 66-year-old would be leaving his post at the end of the season.

He – and West Brom – could go out with a bang by shocking Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who themselves have enjoyed an incredible maiden campaign in the big time.

Big Sam could also do the club a massive favour by opting to start those that should be around next season in the second flight. There is little point in playing those that are either out of contract or are here on a temporary basis.

Whoever the next manager is, he could well be looking on during this encounter, so it would benefit the Midlands side tenfold if those players were to feature.

Karlan Grant is one of those names. He has quickly gone from £12m summer signing to a forgotten man at the Hawthorns.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-brom-news-manager-gossip-transfer-rumours-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Brom news, transfer rumours, managerial gossip and more!”]

Once described as a “ruthless in front of goal” by former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley and “natural goalscorer” by Charlton coach Jason Euell in interviews with The Athletic, the 23-year-old marksman has found life tough at the top level.

In 20 appearances, Grant has found the net just once, though he hasn’t started a game since early February and has only played a total of 1,125 minutes all season, as per Transfermarkt.

When joining last summer, the £8m-rated forward signed a long-term six-year £30k-per-week contract, so he’s certainly going to be a part of their long-term future and will surely play a major role in getting the Baggies back up.

His record in the Championship is rather respectable, after all, it’s such a record that led to Slaven Bilic pulling the trigger on his signature.

In a poor Terriers side, Grant found the net 19 times during 2019/20, which was more than Albion’s forward options in the very same division, which is why he must be given a look-in today.

Mbaye Diagne has only scored three goals since arriving in January and is surely not going to stick around for another season in the Championship, so it would benefit everyone if someone like Grant were to start instead.

Given he’s barely featured much in 2021, he could be a secret weapon, playing with a massive chip on his shoulder and that could subsequently hurt Leeds.

Big Sam can go out on a bang if he unleashes the forgotten beast today.

AND in other news, Dowling can revive West Brom by hiring 53 y/o “messiah” who Klopp dubbed “exceptional”…

Wolves’ plans for this summer were thrown into disarray last week when Nuno Santo announced he’d be leaving Molineux behind.

It was a surprising reveal but it comes at a time where the club are at a crossroads.

They aren’t quite good enough to challenge the big boys in the Premier League but they’re a lot better than those sides heading for relegation.

The issue for Nuno, it seemed, was that he wasn’t going to be backed in the transfer window this summer.

After a rift with Jeff Shi, he took his leave and will now leave the club permanently after their clash with Manchester United last Sunday.

Who becomes the next head coach remains to be seen. Jorge Mendes clients Bruno Lage and Paulo Fonseca have been linked but so has Sabri Lamouchi.

The 49-year-old had an incredibly mixed spell with Nottingham Forest and after receiving the sack back in October, he now coaches Al-Duhail in Qatar.

Lamouchi initially had a phenomenal impact at Forest. In 2018/19, Martin O’Neill finished in 9th place but the Frenchman improved on that and guided them to 7th, just two goals away from a place in the play-offs.

It was a season that earned calls for him to be named the Championship Manager of the Season.

Known for playing with relentless speed on the counter-attack, his brand of football is similar to how Nuno operated at Wolves. The Old Gold enjoyed playing in this manner against some of the bigger sides in the division, sitting back and then hitting their defence with a ruthless breakaway.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-rumours-and-news-soumare-dias-dembele-marques-nuno-santo” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer rumours and news!”]

There are further similarities between the two but unfortunately, they’re ones that don’t bode well.

After collapsing spectacularly towards the end of 2019/20, Nottingham Forest failed to win any of their last ten games with Lamouchi at the helm. That included their opening four matches of the current season as he was given the boot with Forrest sitting 22nd.

Lamouchi became stubborn and like Nuno, lacked a plan B and an extra cutting edge to inspire Forest.

Talking about their abject form last year, Danny Gabbidon said on Sky Sports (via Nottingham Post): “I’m looking at what they do when they have the ball, I can’t see what they’re trying to do.

“They move the ball too slowly, there’s not enough runners in behind, for me too many players wanting to come to the ball. I just can’t see the game plan when they’re in possession of the football.”

Forest had a bad habit of starting games slowly and then when they went behind, lacked the nous and system to be able to turn their fortunes around.

They scored just six goals during his final ten games in the dugout, a record that doesn’t bode well for a Wolves team hoping to be more attacking and assertive.

Nuno revealed at the beginning of the season that his team were going to try and be more dominant and attacking but that simply didn’t pay off. They ultimately ended the campaign in 13th; the worst finish they’ve had since being promoted.

Whether you’re happy to see the Portuguese depart or not, he should not be replaced by Lamouchi.

Shi would only be condemning Wolves to more mediocrity by hiring him. The Molineux outfit need someone more attacking and flexible tactically; not someone without a plan B.

AND in other news, Fosun can revive Wolves by hiring “brave” 48 y/o Mendes client who wowed Guardiola…