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Gio van Bronckhorst was dealt a blow to his hopes of securing a major trophy for Rangers as his side lost 1-0 in their Europa League clash on Thursday.

The Gers now head into the second leg with a deficit to overturn and they remain six points behind their Glasgow arch-rivals in the Premiership table.

However, they are in the final of the Scottish Cup and are still in with a chance of winning three trophies in total before the end of the season.

Irrespective of how this campaign ends, Ross Wilson will surely be hard at work to improve Van Bronckhorst’s squad in the summer in an attempt to make sure that they are not trailing Celtic by so much in the title race next term.

In the January transfer window, the Gers were linked with a swoop for Ludogorets attacker Kiril Despodov, alongside Galatasaray and Olympiacos, and he is a player in whom the Ibrox sporting director must reignite his interest.

The 25-year-old has been in sublime form this season, with 10 goals and 18 assists in all competitions for his club, and he could be a fantastic signing for Rangers. Racking up 28 direct goal contributions is an incredible achievement by the flier, and it shows that he could solve a key issue for the Light Blues.

In the Premiership this season, no Gers winger has more than eight goals or seven assists. This suggests that Van Bronckhorst needs more firepower and creativity in the wide areas next season, and Despodov’s statistics suggest that he would be able to provide exactly that.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed him as “really impressive” for Bulgaria against Croatia during the most recent international break, claiming that the 25-year-old was “making the pitch as wide as possible and driving at the full-backs”. He scored his country’s goal in that 2-1 defeat, with Rangers’ Borna Barisic playing for Croatia, before he was sent off for two bookable offences.

In seven World Cup 2022 qualifiers, Despodov scored two goals and provided two assists whilst creating three ‘big chances’ for his teammates. He has been able to stand out at international level, to go along with his domestic form, which suggests that he could adapt to playing in Scotland, having already scored against a team with Barisic in it.

Therefore, Wilson must now attempt to snap up the winger at the end of this season, as the player has the potential to be an excellent and much-needed addition to the Rangers squad after proving himself for Ludogorets and Bulgaria.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McGregor: Rangers dud who lost possession 15 times let GvB down badly v Leipzig…

A significant Rangers update has emerged on Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s bid to keep Rory Wilson at Ibrox beyond this summer.

The Rangers starlet has been in phenomenal form this term but sadly, the Gers could be on the verge of a disaster with him.

What’s the talk?

According to The Daily Record, the Rangers academy striker has told the club that he will be leaving Glasgow at the end of the season.

The Gers want him to put pen to paper on professional terms to remain at Ibrox but he will now be heading south of the border and Ross Wilson will need to get as much out of the deal as he can – with the club entitled to training compensation.

That report claims that he has made his mind up and is now set to reunite with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa in the Premier League next term.

Van Bronckhorst will be livid

This update will surely leave the head coach livid as Wilson is a talented young prospect whose departure will come as a big blow to the club.

Rangers are on the verge of repeating the awful disaster that was Billy Gilmour’s exit from Glasgow back in the summer of 2017. Premier League side Chelsea snapped him up, at the age of 15, for a reported fee of £500k and he has made the step up to senior level in recent years.

He is currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt and has spent the season on loan with Norwich in the Premier League, after winning the Champions League with Chelsea last term. The midfielder has also been capped 12 times by Scotland at international level as he has shown that he has been able to adjust to playing at senior level.

His value has soared since leaving Rangers as a teenager and now he is worth an eight-figure sum and playing at the top level in England. Meanwhile, the Gers received an initial £500k for his services and have had to watch on from afar as their academy product has achieved success.

Rangers are now set to relive that nightmare with Wilson. By the end of March, the attacker was on 40 goals for the club in all competitions at youth level, which shows how impressive he has been for the academy and that he has big potential to make himself a star in the first team.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will now be livid that the 16-year-old wants to leave Glasgow and is on course to sign for Villa this summer as he will not be able to utilise his talents in the future. He may now have to watch the striker catch fire in England and wonder what could have been…

AND in other news, Rangers played an Ibrox blinder with £22k-pw “cornerstone” who’s like “Graeme Souness”…

Reports out of West Ham United have shared a major transfer update on the club’s pursuit of Burnley star Josh Brownhill this summer.

The Lowdown: West Ham set for busy summer…

GSB and head of recruitment Rob Newman may be set for a busy summer ahead as manager David Moyes reportedly sets his sights on signing a centre-back, midfielder and new forward (The Times).

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West Ham officials may grant their manager sufficient backing to seal these new Premier League additions, as per club insider Claret & Hugh, who recently claimed Moyes may be handed a £150 million kitty.

One man who has emerged as a real target for the Irons is Clarets star Brownhill amid his resurgence in form with the likes of Aston Villa, Everton, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham and Bournemouth also in hot pursuit (90min).

The Latest: West Ham in pole position…

However, according to a report from 90min, it is believed that West Ham are ‘seen as the favourites’ for Brownhill as they enter pole position for his signature.

This comes as Burnley, regardless of whether they avoid relegation, concede they may have to do a deal this summer.

The agreement, it is believed, would amount to around £15 million.

The Verdict: Make a bid?

As the Hammers line up a summer bid, according to this report, we believe £15m certainly isn’t a bad price for someone of Brownhill’s quality.

According to WhoScored, the 26-year-old stands out as a real all-rounder in Burnley’s squad and one of their crucial players – ranking among interim manager Mike Jackson’s top six performers.

In terms of tackles per 90, Brownhill is one of Burnley’s best three players in that regard, and the same can be said of interceptions.

Further forward, the Englishman’s key passes per 90 ratio is, again, one of the best out of Jackson’s squad.

These facts back just why Burnley pundits have called Brownhill a ‘magnificent player’, as exclaimed by podcaster and TurfCast founder Joe Redmond (Twitter).

Homegrown and a player who comes with many strengths, he could be a real asset for Moyes at West Ham.

In other news: Moyes in awe of £60m colossus who’s tormented West Ham before, now planning to sign him…find out more here.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has made an intriguing claim regarding the future of Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin. 

The lowdown: Lofty ambitions

The 25-year-old recently admitted in a revealing interview with Goal that he harbours ambitions of becoming a Ballon d’Or winner one day.

In the same conversation, the dazzling winger also opened up on his World Cup dream with France and touched upon the future at St James’ Park following the takeover from PCP Capital Partners.

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However, although the Frenchman’s personal targets likely mirror those of the club, the two parties may need to part ways…

The latest: ‘Not going to fit’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones suggested that selling Saint-Maximin could fund incomings into Eddie Howe’s squad amidst interest in the 25-year-old from elsewhere in the Premier League.

The journalist claimed of Howe’s transfer plans for the summer: “It’s really going to depend on who he can get out (for incoming transfers).

“People like Saint-Maximin are not going to fit in at the new Newcastle. Once the re-fit takes place, he needs to shift people like that out, see how he can replace them and the type of names and players that he can get into their position.”

The verdict: Huge call

Sanctioning the departure of the French entertainer would undoubtedly be the biggest calls that Howe will have made so far during his time in charge at Newcastle.

So far this season, Saint-Maximin has scored five times and provided four assists in 32 league outings, among the highest returns in the Magpies’ squad but perhaps below-par from a player who has been described as ‘unplayable’ by Toon icon Rob Lee.

Despite the lowly goal return from the 25-year-old, Howe would likely be looking to keep the flamboyant Frenchman in situ at St James’ Park and add more quality to the ranks around him to further improve Saint-Maximin’s output.

In other news, journalist reacts to NUFC starlet’s weekend heroics

Everton are renowned for their disastrous transfer decisions since Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club, spending over £500m and still finding themselves neck deep into a relegation battle but nothing will haunt Goodison Park more than the decision not to sign one particular superstar.

What’s the latest?

Brain King, who was the Scandinavian-based scout for the Toffees, has revealed to The Times that he arranged a trial for Erling Haaland back in 2016 but his efforts to get the player to Everton were rejected.

King recalls: “We could have had him for a compensation fee of £60,000.

“But the consensus was he was so young and so big that once he got older and other players got bigger too, he’d lose his effectiveness.

The report further states that Everton had a second chance a few months later to seal a deal for the youngster who was just 15 at the time, but the new head of recruitment, Steve Walsh, was refused backing for the £3.4 million transfer.”

Moshiri will be haunted forever

The decision not to sign the now 21-year-old will surely haunt Moshiri and the powers at the club forever, as the star striker has gone on to be one of if not the most promising prospect in world football, recently signing for Manchester City in a deal worth a reported £375k-per-week.

The £135m-rated superstar who was hailed a “cyborg” by journalist Alex Truica was eventually snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in 2020, where he has made his name and earned a hugely impressive reputation with his attacking output for the Bundesliga side.

Haaland has scored 86 goals and contributed 23 assists for Dortmund in 89 appearances, with a goal contribution every 66 minutes which is an astonishing output that would’ve surely put Everton in a much better position than they would be in now had they taken the chance on the young ace.

In the Bundesliga this season, the Leeds born striker is the third top goal scorer, ranking fifth for pass completion into the box, shots on target and goal conversion in the entire league, again proving that the lack of effectiveness Everton were worried about was a huge howler by the club.

There is no doubt that supporters of the club will wonder what could have been had they have signed the Norway international all those years ago and where the club could have been now with Haaland deployed in their forward line.

However, for Moshiri it’s just another mistake on a long list of transfer decisions gone wrong.

AND in other news: Everton plotting bid for £9.9m-rated “monster”, he’s miles better than Holgate

Celtic may have had a disappointing time in Europe this season but they still managed to secure the Premiership title in Ange Postecoglou’s debut campaign in charge of the Bhoys.

In their 38 league games, the Parkhead club won 29, drew six and lost just three along the way, scoring 92 goals and conceding a mere 22 in the process.

Now that the season has ended and preparations for 2022/23 will commence in the coming weeks, it’s likely that the 56-year-old will want to see his side go as far as they can in every competition in which they’re involved.

Looking ahead to the upcoming transfer window, it seems as though a clue has emerged at Lennoxtown over Celtic’s plans in terms of potential incomings.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Kieran Devlin for The Athletic, the Hoops could see several new players coming to Parkhead this summer.

He said: “The club’s three initial priority targets this summer — working on the assumption that Jota and [Cameron] Carter-Vickers sign permanently — were a right-winger, a left-back and a ball-playing centre-back, and Postecoglou wants another midfielder too.

“If neither Carter-Vickers nor Jota make their stays permanent, then another winger and centre-back will need targeting. That would be between four and six new signings.”

Taking into account how incredibly busy the Hoops were behind the scenes during the previous summer transfer window in terms of bringing new players in and cashing in on others, this will surely fill a lot of Celtic fans with confidence that history can repeat itself this summer.

Also, having signed the likes of Liel Abada, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi last year, who have gone on to score a combined 35 league goals between them, it shows just how astute the scouting and recruitment staff is at the club.

Devlin’s report should be music to the ears of many Celtic fans hoping to see their club strengthen the squad and potentially get their hands on more silverware next season.

While the futures of Carter-Vickers and Jota will undoubtedly be near the top of Celtic’s priority list in terms of initial transfer business, the fact that the club have now said goodbye to Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic will also need to be taken into account when considering what areas of the squad they need to strengthen.

In other news: Better than Forrest: Celtic must seal deal for “special” 19 y/o, he’s their next hero

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could see Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar join the north London club this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte’s ambition…

The Lilywhites’ recent announcement of a £150m capital increase will go some way in helping to match the 52-year-old’s ambition in the transfer market.

The big development could well assist Spurs in backing their manager whilst ensuring that he is satisfied and has everything he feels is needed to compete at the top level of his first full Premier League season in charge in N17.

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According to The Telegraph, as Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici gears up for a meeting in Italy with Conte, there is a list of big potential targets to discuss, including the likes Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus.

As per Spanish sources, it now appears that there are even more names who could join Spurs this summer.

The Latest: Report makes Skriniar claim…

According to a recent report in the Spanish media, Inter colossus Skriniar could be one of the ‘new faces’ of Conte’s team as he ‘demands’ six signings to ‘stay at Tottenham’.

The report added that everything is in Paratici’s hands as the sporting director is tasked with appeasing Spurs’ head coach in the summer transfer market.

The Verdict: Make the move?

A left-sided central defender is thought to be high on Conte’s agenda, and while the likes of Bremer and Bastoni are the most heavily linked, we think it is no surprise to see Skriniar’s name reappearing.

Having been linked with Tottenham before, the Slovakia international is arguably one of Serie A’s most colossal stars at the back – even being described as ‘one of the best in the world’ defensively by Sweden international Albin Ekdal.

However, the bone of contention to any possible move for Skriniar could be his price tag, with his Transfermarkt valuation suggesting that he could cost upwards of around £58.5m.

That being said, as the 27-year-old enters the final year of his San Siro deal, perhaps Paratici can negotiate down that estimate significantly.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for ‘superstar’ eyeing a sensational transfer to Tottenham, find out more here

Everton boss Frank Lampard could ‘use his contacts’ to send a ‘big message’ and bring Armando Broja to Goodison Park.

The Lowdown: Interest in Broja

According to a report by GOAL, Premier League sides West Ham and Newcastle, along with Serie A clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli, are all in the race to secure the Albania international’s signature.

The 20-year-old made 32 top-flight appearances whilst on loan at Southampton this season, and Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl made it clear that he wanted to keep hold of the talented striker.

However, a recent farewell message on Instagram suggests that Broja will not be heading back to St Mary’s next season.

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The Latest: ‘Big message’

Whilst there has been other Premier League interest in Broja, transfer insider Dean Jones thinks Everton should be the club to go all out for the youngster, believing Lampard could send a ‘big message’.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“I’m not sure West Ham have got the interest that they had at one point, so I don’t think there’s the competition level there for Broja anymore.

“Lampard obviously can use his contacts to get into Broja early, speak to him himself, and just try and convince him that Everton is a club that’s going to be in transition but in a good way. That’s going to be the big message that they send out.”

The Verdict: Strong signing

With the ongoing financial fair play situation at Goodison, Lampard may be forced into selling one of Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin (via 90min).

If the England international were to go, Broja could be a strong replacement due to his similar profile. Coming in at 6 foot 3, the Albanian ranks in the 86th percentile for aerials won when compared with positional peers across Europe (via FB Ref).

Therefore, if Lampard can use his contacts at Chelsea to get a deal over the line, the man dubbed ‘athletic and powerful’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig could be a very good signing for Everton.

In other news: Everton: Oleksandr Zinchenko touted for Toffees move

Glasgow Rangers insider The 4th Official has provided an update on the Gers’ pursuit of FC Sochi forward Mateo Cassierra.

The lowdown: On the move

Amidst turmoil in Russia, Colombian attacker Cassierra has recently spoken out about a desire to find a new club prior to the 2022/23 season, citing a pre-existing relationship with Ramgers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the process.

This followed links with the 25-year-old former Ajax man as Van Bronckhorst attempts to supplement the Ibrox squad after the departure of Cedric Itten to Young Boys.

Now, an informed insider has shed more light on the potential of the Colombian youth international arriving in Glasgow…

The latest: ‘I was told…’

Taking to Twitter, The 4th Official, a respected podcaster who actually broke the GvB news way back in November, confirmed Rangers are amongst multiple suitors for Cassierra.

They Tweeted: “When pressed on how close the move is in reality, I was told that the player has several options but Rangers is where Cassierra wants to move.

“But, Rangers would not be paying anywhere close to £8.5m for the striker.”

The verdict: Star signing

Having made the switch from Portuguese Primeira Liga side Belenenses SAD in 2021, Cassierra scored 14 times and provided six assists in just 22 Russian top-flight outings this term – including a recent hat-trick against Dynamo Moscow. He earned a superb 7.29 Sofascore rating whilst finding the target with 1.4 shots on average per game in the process.

Standing at 6 foot 1 and possessing a strong variety of key attributes that make him the ideal frontman for Van Bronckhorst’s target man led system, it’s evident to see why the Dutch boss would be keen to sign the man praised for his ‘excellent’ form in Portugal by journalist Jamie Farr.

Despite the obvious need for support for Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos, particularly evident at the end of the season, out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), the mooted £8.5million asking price for Cassierra is somewhat farfetched and the Rangers hierarchy would be wise to stand their ground on achieving a reduced fee.

In other news: Rangers: Pete O’Rourke drops Aaron Ramsey claim

Newcastle United target Sven Botman has the ‘unanimous’ approval of key figures behind the scenes at St. James’ Park, according to The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope.Â

The lowdown

Amanda Staveley claimed earlier this year that Lille centre-back Botman ‘desperately wanted’ to join Newcastle in January.

The Magpies submitted ‘multiple offers’ but the Ligue 1 outfit simply refused to negotiate a winter sale (via The Athletic).

Eddie Howe did manage to add Dan Burn to his ranks in January but he would still like to sign another centre-back in the coming weeks.

Botman, under contract at Lille until June 2025, is valued at £27million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

North-East football correspondent Hope writes that the Botman deal is ‘one they’d like to do’ during the summer transfer window.

Unlike some other players on Newcastle’s shortlist, he says, the Dutchman has total backing from Magpies chiefs.

All at Newcastle have said ‘yes’ to the pursuit, and now it remains to be seen if they can pull it off.

The verdict

Botman has attracted some rave reviews.

The director of his agency has billed him a ‘golden boy’ who has shown ‘extraordinary courage’, while compatriot Jaap Stam has backed him to become ‘one of the best centre-backs in Europe’

But the problem for Newcastle is that the player’s preference may be to join newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan.

Italian journalist Daniele Longo worryingly claims that Botman has made a move to the San Siro his ‘absolute priority’.

In other news, this journalist is buzzing over an NUFC transfer link.