All posts by h716a5.icu

Rangers youngster Bailey Rice is beginning to receive a lot of interest from a number of clubs across Europe, including Spanish giants Real Madrid.

What clubs are interested in signing Bailey Rice?

Reports have suggested the likes of Newcastle United and the two Manchester giants are believed to be holding an interest in from the Premier League.

However, it is apparent the interest is not only coming from the United Kingdom with the likes of Porto, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund also monitoring the 16-year-old.

Rice only made the move to Ibrox last summer having signed from Motherwell after beating their city rivals to the signing of the midfielder.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has provided some insight into the level of interest in the youngster ahead of the summer:

"Michael Beale likes him a lot. He was signed from Motherwell last summer when he turned down Man City at the time, but yeah, a lot of clubs looking at him, including Real Madrid.

"I think when some good 16-year-olds come up, I think clubs know about them pretty quickly. And obviously, everyone south of the border knows about him as well. But an interesting one this guy – Bailey Rice, a defensive midfielder for Rangers. If someone comes calling, as we know with Rangers and the financial situation in Scottish football, it will be very hard for them to turn down a good offer."

Why do clubs want to sign Rice already?

Although there are said to be a number of clubs looking at Rice ahead of the summer, it seems Rangers were not the only club with him on their radar last summer.

Indeed, Bailey has claimed the current Premier League champions, Manchester City, were looking at the midfielder as an option to bring into their youth setup.

Having snapped Rice up over the summer, the 16-year-old has continued to impress in the Rangers youth side which has seen him catch the eye of Michael Beale.

Along with making 13 appearances in the Lowland League, Rice has played in the UEFA Youth League six times this season against the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax's youth sides (via Transfermarkt).

And it is these games which saw the 16-year-old handed his senior debut by Beale just last month in Rangers' convincing away win against Livingston.

Granted, the youngster was only on the pitch for two minutes, however, it is more of an indication as to the trajectory he could be in line for over the coming years, having already caught the attention and earned the trust of Beale.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see where he feels his future may be best spent.

If a club like Real Madrid were to come in for him, it could be an opportunity too big to turn down, however, it does seem as if he could potentially be able to make an impression on the Rangers side over the coming years.

ESPN pundit Stewart Robson has torn into Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson, claiming that the forward has been letting his side down during their run of inconsistent form.

What's going on with Callum Wilson at Newcastle?

The striker was an unused substitute as Newcastle recorded a crucial victory away at Nottingham Forest on Friday night, and his replacement, Alexander Isak, was the Player of the Match with a match-winning brace.

Wilson has scored just one goal since the World Cup and has now found himself on the bench in recent weeks, with Eddie Howe opting to start his record signing up front.

Speaking on ESPN, Robson has praised Howe's decision to bring Isak in for Wilson, claiming that the ex-Bournemouth striker was letting his side down as Newcastle went through a tough run which saw them fail to win five league games in a row.

He said: "They're back to playing to somewhere near their best, and the manager's made a good decision to get Isak back in the side.

"He was easing him back by playing him in the second half of games. Callum Wilson was having a really poor time at centre-forward, I thought all their build-up play was good and Callum Wilson was letting them down, to a certain degree.

"But they look to be back to where they were maybe a month or so ago before their poor run. They played at pace, they got crosses into the box, Isak led the line really well. It was a good performance from Newcastle and they deserved to win by more than just the odd goal."

Has Eddie Howe dropped Callum Wilson for good?

The England international has been a good servant for Newcastle, scoring 27 times in 70 appearances, but in this current setup, he is now second-choice behind the in-form Isak.

At 31, Wilson may struggle to regain his place should Isak stay fit and Howe continues with the one-striker formation that he has used all season.

Isak's ability on the ball is proving useful, and this has been a big difference between the 23-year-old and Wilson. Isak ranks in the top 10% of strikers in Europe's top competitions over the last year for successful take-ons, blocks and attacking penalty area touches (as per FBref), significantly ahead of Wilson on all three metrics.

If Isak maintains his fitness, we think it is tough to see Wilson surpassing him in Eddie Howe's plans, and given his poor recent form, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to find the level of performance he displayed at the start of the season.

Arsenal suffered the agony of penalty defeat against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League, falling at the final hurdle of a comprehensively enthralling two-legged affair.

The Gunners have been unambiguous in their calibre and character under Mikel Arteta’s wing this season, casting the cobwebs aside after narrowly missing out on top-four last term and continuing a meteoric burgeoning growth.

Topping the Premier League table, five points ahead of holding champions Manchester City, Arteta has crafted a formidable and iron-clad unit out of a withered crop, and while the onus unequivocally lies with the success in the domestic league, the opportunity to enter the latter stage of the Europa League and glean continental silverware for the first time in the north London outfit’s history would have been tantalising to say the least.

But it wasn’t to be, and the Gunners now hold one route to glory this term following Gabriel Martinelli’s agonising saved penalty, leaving the Emirates faithful silenced.

The Brazilian winger has been a revelation this season, making increments to his feats over the past few years after signing for the club from his homeland outfit for just £6m in 2019, and actually forged a respectable performance against the Leões, but would come up short when it matter most.

He was very much unlike his team-mate Fabio Vieira, who must hang his head after an abject display that proved detrimental to his club’s prospects of qualification.

How did Vieira play vs Sporting?

Signing Porto for £34m in the summer, the Portuguese playmaker has found minutes hard to come by amid the oozing quality stemming from the bulk of the first-team fold, transformative and innovative in their exploits.

Having flourished in his homeland last year, scoring seven goals and supplying 16 assists, Vieira earned a move to the Emirates and the tag of one of Europe’s most prodigious talents; since his arrival in London, the 22-year-old has plundered only two goals and six assists from 28 outings.

The ace has only made two starts in the English top flight, and has found the majority of his endeavours in the Europa League, providing a looping assist for William Saliba in the reverse fixture against Sporting.

But in the home tie, the £45k-per-week maestro was nullified by the robustness of his opponents, recording a lowly match rating of just 6.0, as per Sofascore, winning just one of his 11 duels (9%) and failing with each of his three dribble attempts, picking up a yellow card to emphasise his woes.

Branded “utterly terrible” by writer Kelvin Kerete, Vieira has not only wasted his opportunity but failed to provide the vigorous nature that could have swayed the odds in the home side’s favour.

With Arsenal’s sole focus now on achieving Premier League glory and lifting the iconic trophy for the first time in almost two decades, Arteta will be brutal in his team selection, giving the imperative nature of each remaining competitive clash.

And if Vieira wanted to stake his claim for further starts to add to his scant two, he failed miserably, proving to be the Londoner’s true villain and party pooper on the night.

Arsenal are 'pushing' for the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt star Jesper Lindstrom as his club prepare for the player's exit, according to reports.

Arsenal targeting Lindstrom…

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta have been linked with a move for the Denmark international over the last few months with Lindstrom even commenting on the rumours last year. Frankfurt's midfield gem, speaking to the press, claimed in 2022 that he is 'insanely happy' to be mentioned as a target for Arsenal as the English footballing titans chase domestic glory.

Currently leading the Premier League title race ahead of Man City, few could've envisaged their dominance after Arteta lost out on top four place to arch rivals Spurs last season.

However, as the north Londoners seek to end their long wait for a league crown, sporting director Edu and Arsenal chiefs have allegedly got to work on transfer targets for next season. Lindstrom is still set to be one of them as journalist Patrick Berger, a chief reporter for Sports 1, outlines their real interest in the 23-year-old.

He relays news that Arsenal are one of the English clubs 'pushing' to sign Lindstrom this summer, and while the other three are unnamed, it appears Frankfurt are growing more and more resigned to losing their midfielder.

Berger explained on Twitter:

"Arsenal FC among the English clubs pushing to sign Jesper Lindstrøm. Eintracht Frankfurt already preparing for the departure of the 23yo midfielder. Price tag: €30m. With #AFC three other UK clubs in the race, sources telling us."

Should Arsenal sign Lindstrom?

The exciting player has starred for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season, ranking among the German side's top six best players by average match rating per 90 (WhoScored). Versatile and able to play across midfield, Lindstrom has seven goals and two assists to his name under Oliver Glanser this season and boasts some impressive attacking stats.

Indeed, only their star striker Randal Kolo Muani has averaged a higher rate of attempts at goal per 90 – backing how much of a threat Lindstrom can be in front of goal. Meanwhile, Lindstrom has also racked up their second-highest rate of completed take-ons per 90 in the final third – with all the signs pointing towards a potentially exciting player.

Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his defence.

What’s the latest on Levi Colwill to Liverpool?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Anfield side are big admirers of Colwill and will be closely watching developments this summer ahead of a potential move.

The centre-back was valued at £20m as recently as last summer and with a contract that runs until 2025, Liverpool may have to splash the cash in order to sign him this summer.

Brighton and Hove Albion, who currently have him on loan, could be set to make a bid for the player, while the Blues may also offer a new and improved contract to the youngster in order to fend off any suitors.

Could Liverpool sign Levi Colwill?

Klopp will be keen to add to his defensive ranks come the summer window and Colwill would be a solid addition, especially considering his form whilst on loan at Brighton this term.

Indeed, across eight Premier League matches this term, Colwill has averaged 70.4 touches per game, proving he is extremely comfortable on the ball at this level, while making one interception and 1.9 clearances each game.

Over time, he could form a wonderful partnership with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence. The Dutchman has been in splendid form again this term despite the Anfield side underperforming as a whole, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.1/10 for his league displays.

Although he will be 32 this year, Van Dijk could be the ideal mentor for Colwill and the duo are also statistically similar. Colwill and Van Dijk rank in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues for aerials won and passes completed, while ranking in the top 25% for progressive passes, meaning they are extremely strong in the air and love to start attacks from the back.

The Englishman was once dubbed “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and although he hasn’t played in as many games as he would have liked this term, when he has featured, the 20-year-old has impressed and shown maturity beyond his years.

Klopp appears to be looking ahead to the future with an interest in Colwill and despite Van Dijk’s advancing years, the duo could create a partnership that could form the cornerstone of a new era at the club.

The summer transfer window can't come quick enough for the German, especially after the underwhelming nature of 2022/2023 which promised so much back in August.

Referee Kevin Clancy and his VAR team may have made a huge mistake in the most recent Celtic game after not awarding a possible penalty.

What’s the latest on VAR and Celtic?

There was plenty of drama to talk about in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend as the Bhoys played host to their most bitter rivals Rangers.

The home side managed to come away with all three points in a thrilling encounter that finished 3-2 in Celtic’s favour thanks to two goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and one from Jota, despite James Tavernier’s brace.

The away team did actually have the ball in the net first when Alfredo Morelos fired in from a corner, but this goal was controversially ruled out for a foul on Alistair Johnston.

But while that decision went against Rangers, another big call went against Ange Postecoglou and co later on in the game. Indeed, as seen in this footage shared on Twitter, Celtic were pretty unlucky not to get a penalty for a possible foul on Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Was it a foul on Celtic’s Oh Hyeon-gyu​​​​?

As you can see in the clip above, Oh races into the box and is then clumsily brought to the ground as John Souttar appears to give him a bit of a shove in the back.

Whenever you put your palm on a player to push him down in the box, you always run the risk of giving away a penalty and the Rangers man can count himself fairly fortunate it wasn’t spotted by referee Clancy and VAR didn’t intervene either.

With Connor Goldson out of the Old Firm, Souttar was actually making his first start for the Teddy Bears in eight months, so perhaps it’s understandable if he was a little rusty with this challenge – and that lack of regular minutes certainly could be blamed for his poor pass that allowed Jota in to score Celtic’s third of the game.

In the end, the Bhoys didn’t need to rely on a penalty to get themselves a win that keeps them 12 points clear at the very top of the SPFL table.

Had Rangers successfully fought their way back into the match, however, this controversial moment – which happened with about ten minutes left to play – could have been an even bigger talking point this week.

Manchester United are prepared to sell defender Eric Bailly this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Man United news involving Bailly?

Bailly has been on the books at Old Trafford since 2016 after joining from Villarreal. Since then, the centre-back has made 113 appearances for the Red Devils, picking up £31.2m in wages across his seven-year stay.

The Ivory Coast international was sent out on loan to Ligue 1 side Marseille over the summer, where he has featured 19 times in all competitions. The 29-year-old has missed parts of the season through injury and suspension, and it looks as if a return to Carrington is on the cards this summer, however, it could be a short stay.

Romano took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share an update on Bailly’s future. He said that Marseille are not planning to make the player’s loan move permanent, with the Red Devils set to be ‘available on the market’.

“Understand Olympique Marseille will not trigger the buy option to sign Eric Bailly on permanent deal — he will return to Manchester United.

“Been told Bailly will be available on the market as Man United are prepared to let him go.”

It could be a summer clear-out at Man United…

Bailly doesn’t appear to be in Erik ten Hag’s long-term plans, so selling the defender with a year remaining on his Old Trafford deal appears to make sense for all involved.

The centre-back’s Transfermarkt valuation has dropped from a career-high €35m in 2018 to just €8m, showing that he appears to be past his prime, and his loan spell in France hasn’t exactly been a success either as he has started just four Ligue 1 fixtures.

Bailly may not be the only defender to depart, though, with Ten Hag also approving possible sales for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. That would leave United fairly short of centre-back options, so Old Trafford chiefs will seemingly need to bring in a new defender. One player who has been heavily linked with a move is AS Monaco’s Axel Disasi.

The Red Devils are reportedly in pole position to sign the 25-year-old ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City and could cost £40m. Doing just that may well see the France international rival the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane heading into the 2023/24 season, with long servants Bailly, Maguire and Lindelof all possibly moving on.

Manchester City are thought to be leading Real Madrid in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, according to ESPN.

What’s the latest Man City news on Bellingham?

Bellingham appears to be a man in real demand heading into the summer window, with City seemingly real admirers of the England international. Reports back in February claimed that those at the Etihad Stadium were starting talks over a move for the 19-year-old and were thought to be the frontrunners at the time.

Since then, there has been speculation of a midfielder leaving Manchester over the coming months, with Ilkay Gundogan reportedly having his heart set on joining Barcelona.

Bellingham and Florian Wirtz have been marked as potential replacements for Gundogan, and it looks as if there is a positive feeling around the Etihad at a move for the former of the two Bundesliga midfielders.

ESPN shared an update regarding Bellingham’s situation in the last 48 hours after it emerged that Premier League rivals Liverpool had backed away from a transfer.

They stated that City are leading the race for the player and are ‘growing increasingly confident’ they can get a deal done. Dortmund haven’t given up hope of keeping the Englishman for a further 12 months, with any move away likely to cost more than £130m, which would be a club record at the Etihad.

Haaland to help Man City sign Bellingham?

City have reaped the rewards of signing a star player from Borussia Dortmund last summer in Erling Haaland, with the striker scoring an incredible 45 times in 39 games so far this season.

The 22-year-old knows Bellingham well following his time at Dortmund, and there had been speculation that he has told the midfielder to join City, so he could be in his former teammates' ear once again over the coming months.

A new central midfielder is seemingly needed in Pep Guardiola’s squad, especially as City would be without a central midfielder if Gundogan departs this summer. They have a number of defensive and attacking midfielders, so Bellingham, primarily a central midfielder, could be an excellent addition in both the short and long term.

Described as a “superstar” by Roy Keane, Bellingham appears to have everything in his game, contributing to 17 goals this season and topping Dortmund’s charts for match rating and tackles made per 90, as per WhoScored. It could set back City a record transfer fee, but it looks as if they are keen and confident of winning the race.

A season of notable highs for Newcastle United reached a new peak on Sunday afternoon, with Eddie Howe's men taking a giant stride toward securing a Champions League berth after hitting Tottenham Hotspur for six at St James' Park.

That scintillating showing from the Magpies was merely a further indication of the remarkable revival that the club have enjoyed since the change in ownership back in October 2021, with the arrival of the PIF regime having revitalised an undoubted sleeping giant.

Among the many successes that the new owners have enjoyed during their time at the helm – namely appointing Eddie Howe as manager – one notable blinder that they appear to have pulled off is the signing of Sven Botman, with the Dutchman having been a "colossal" presence at the back of late, according to journalist Josh Bunting.

As Bunting also noted earlier in the campaign, the former Lille ace has made a "huge difference" since his £35m arrival last summer, having formed part of a backline that has shipped just 25 Premier League goals this season.

That rock-solid record is a far cry from the club's woes amid their fight against relegation last season, with the Tynesiders having conceded 62 goals in the league alone in that 2021/22 campaign – further proof of Botman's impact.

With the Dutchman having now even tipped to go on to become one of the top-flight's greatest-ever defenders, as per Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, it is clear to see that Newcastle truly did strike gold with the signing of the 23-year-old.

How much is Sven Botman worth?

Now a leading presence for the northeast side, the 6 foot 4 powerhouse has come a long way since his early days at Ajax, having seen his valuation soar over the past few years.

As per Football Transfers, the towering asset was said to be valued at as little as £3m during his time on loan at Heerenveen back in 2019, although his valuation is now as high as £41m, marking an increase of roughly 1,266% in the space of four years.

It would appear that the centre-back's asking price will only rise even further such has been his "incredible impact" on the team, as per pundit Leon Osman, albeit with the St James' Park outfit unlikely to be contemplating an exit any time soon.

Having fought off rival interest from AC Milan in order to sign Botman, the emerging sensation is now rewarding the club's faith with his dominant defensive displays, having helped to keep ten clean sheets in his 29 league outings, while also winning a solid 66% of his total duels in the time.

With the £90k-per-week giant looking like a player that both Newcastle and Howe can rely on for years to come, PIF's £35m investment will only go on to appear even more astute in future.

Chelsea are battling Manchester United for the signing of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Could Onana leave Inter Milan this summer?

The Blues struggles this season have been well-documented, with the west Londoners currently sitting in the bottom-half of the Premier League in early May – something that seemed unfathomable at the start of the season. There have been various reasons for Chelsea issues, from managers underperforming to individuals also not pulling their weight on the pitch, and the goalkeeping situation certainly hasn't helped.

Both Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy have fallen short of the standards they have set in the past and it could be that the club look to sign an upgrade once the summer window arrives. One player who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge is Onana, who was once at Ajax, reaching the Champions League semi-finals with them back in 2019.

He is now at Inter Milan and is preparing for another big European semi-final against AC Milan, having made 21 appearances in Serie A this season, as well as 10 in the Champions League itself. He is contracted to his current club until 2027, but a new update suggests that he may be prised away long before then.

Are Chelsea in the race to sign Onana?

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Inter are actually willing to sell Onana this season, with Guglielmo Vicario viewed as his replacement. Chelsea and United are both thought to be keen on acquiring the Cameroonian's signature, with the 27-year-old "in the sights" of the two Premier League clubs.

Inter want to "monetise" the situation and get as much for the player as possible at this point in his career – they only "intend to start" the bidding at €50m (£43.8m).

Onana could be a strong signing by Chelsea in the summer, with the 34-cap Cameroon international someone who has a wealth of experience at the top level now, but is also young enough to stay there for many years to come. He has been lauded as "excellent" and "brilliant" by fellow Serie A 'keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the recent past and his pedigree in the Champions League speaks for itself.

Granted, the fact that Inter are so willing to sell may raise some concern from Blues supporters, but the fact that he has been a key man for a team about to embark on a Champions League semi-final, having done so for Ajax as well, shows that he is player of high quality.