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Wolves youngster Dion Sanderson is ‘close’ to sealing a loan move to the Championship until the end of the season, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Sanderson not needed at Wolves

The 22-year-old has already been out on loan this season, spending time at Birmingham City and making 14 starts for Lee Bowyer’s side. He was recalled by Wolves earlier this month, and while Bruno Lage may have seen him as a squad option, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

A fresh update suggests that the defender will be making a swift return to the Championship, with a loan move to QPR seemingly in the offing.

The Latest: Sanderson set for QPR loan

Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, Spiers confirmed that Sanderson is on the verge of joining QPR, who sit fourth in the table after an impressive season which has seen them pushing for promotion to the top flight

The Athletic journalist outlined: “Dion Sanderson is close to joining promotion-chasing QPR on loan (they’re fourth, two points off second). Told Sheffield United came in with a late loan offer but it’s looking like QPR for the 22-year-old.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move for Sanderson

It makes perfect sense for Sanderson to be loaned out again, rather than struggling for minutes at Wolves and seeing his development stunted. He has been hailed as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ player by Sunderland Lee Johnson during a previous loan spell at the Stadium of Light, highlighting his pedigree whenever he is given a chance at senior level.

The young defender may have a long-term future at Molineux, but for the time being it is hard to see him ousting the likes of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss from the starting line-up. Indeed, the 22-year-old did not feature in any of Wolves’ three matches since he was recalled from Birmingham, and that was even with Saiss gone to the Africa Cup of Nations.

With QPR pushing for promotion to the Premier League, it would be a great opportunity for Sanderson to test himself in a pressurised situation, looking to make his mark in west London – and indeed on his parent club.

In other news, a journalist has talked up Wolves making a move for one player. Find out who it is here.

A teasing update has emerged on Rangers and their efforts to fast track John Souttar’s arrival at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Edinburgh News journalist Barry Anderson has claimed that the Gers are working to agree a deal to sign the centre-back this month.

He Tweeted: “Rangers’ talks with Hearts over John Souttar are progressing but no transfer agreed yet. Seems a matter of time. Will be surprised if he plays for #HMFC again. Not involved at Auchinleck Talbot today.”

Excitement

This teasing claim will surely get Rangers fans excited as it suggests that the club are well on their way to bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month. Whilst Gio van Bronckhorst can rest easy with the knowledge that he is guaranteed to come in the summer, it could be a major boost in the short term to have him arrive six months earlier.

Bringing the central defender to Glasgow this month could improve the Gers’ chances of achieving success domestically and in Europe as he could be an upgrade to the starting XI.

Souttar has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.44 across his 19 Premiership starts. He has won 70% of his individual duels and made 4.3 clearances per game, showing off his defensive quality at this level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once hailed the defender as one of the best in the division, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

Meanwhile, no Rangers player outside of James Tavernier (7.80) has managed a higher rating than Souttar in the league. Connor Goldson’s score of 7.15 is the highest of any centre-back in the squad, suggesting that the Hearts man has been head and shoulders above any of van Bronckhorst’s current options.

Therefore, bringing the 25-year-old in this month could be a huge move by Ross Wilson and the Dutch head coach and fans will surely be excited by the prospect of him lining up for the club this season. That is why they will be delighted with this latest update on the pursuit by Anderson.

AND in other news, Major development emerges in “groundbreaking” Rangers move, GvB will be buzzing…

David Ornstein has now dropped some big Everton managerial news involving both Frank Lampard and Vitor Pereira.

The Lowdown: Two candidates left?

The Goodison Park club’s hunt for a new permanent manager after the departure of Rafael Benitez now seems to be down to just two candidates – Lampard and Pereira.

It was reported by Sky Sports earlier this week that an announcement would be made within the next couple of days and that Pereira was the favourite for the job, but Lampard was still a possibility.

The Latest: Ornstein update

As per The Athletic journalist Ornstein, the final decision on who to appoint has not yet been made by Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, although it looks as if Lampard is very much back in the frame after some backlash concerning Pereira’s potential appointment.

Ornstein tweeted: “Amid a mixed reaction reaction to reports of Vitor Pereira’s potential appointment as Everton boss, understand a final decision has yet to be made by #EFC owner Farhad Moshiri and Frank Lampard is still very much in contention for the job.”

The Verdict: Lampard in

Some Everton fans already made their feelings known to the board that they want Lampard over Pereira, so given the previous controversies over hiring Benitez due to his Liverpool connections, they should now get who they want.

Crucially, Lampard has experience of managing in English football before with both Derby County and Chelsea, while Pereira has not worked in this country, and inside knowledge of the Premier League should always be valued.

At Chelsea, the 43-year-old started off pretty well too, guiding the Blues to automatic Champions League qualification in his first season despite a transfer ban; and with the Toffees also having some Financial Fair Play (FFP) problems of their own, he would appear to be the ideal choice.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Evertonians buzzing

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Premier League rivals Norwich City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, with Bruno Lage’s men looking to go far in the competition.

The West Midlands side have enjoyed a strong first half of the Premier League campaign and sit eighth in the top-flight table whilst the Canaries are one point clear of the relegation zone.

Having beaten Championship outfit Sheffield United 3-0 with a very strong side in the previous round, we expect no different this time around. Here is how Football FanCast expects Wolves to line up on Saturday.

The main change from Wolves’ last game, a 2-1 league win at Brentford, is in between the sticks as John Ruddy gets his fourth first-team appearance of the season, replacing first-choice Jose Sa as he did in the previous round.

There is also a change in defence, as Marcal replaces 23-year-old Toti Gomes. The Portuguese defender has made two Premier League appearances so far, winning both games, but must be managed efficiently and giving Marcal a chance shouldn’t cause any complications.

In terms of midfield and wing-backs, the only change is in shape as a 3-5-2 shifts to a 3-4-3 with Joao Moutinho dropping out. The midfielder is 35 and therefore has to also be managed properly in order to continue performing at the high level he has been in the league all season.

Daniel Podence and Fabio Silva keep their places whilst Francisco Trincao comes in on the left-wing. The 22-year-old certainly has potential, with Match of the Day pundit Gary Lineker labelling the Barcelona loanee as a “very promising young player” on his Twitter account after an impressive performance against Manchester United earlier this season.

However, the £19.8m-rated Portuguese winger’s spell at Molineux hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far, with the 22-year-old still yet to score in the league whilst scoring his sole goal in an EFL Cup win over Nottingham Forest.

Striker Raul Jimenez is expected to be available after returning from international duty with Mexico, however, it seems unlikely that he’ll be fit to start and therefore 19-year-old Fabio Silva will have another opportunity to impress his manager.

In other news: Alex Crook drops “interesting” Wolves transfer claim which will surely have fans sweating

Andrew Dickson was among those to criticise the performance of Rangers’ on-loan winger Amad Diallo on Sunday. 

The lowdown

In the final days of the January transfer window, Rangers brought in Diallo on loan from Manchester United until the end of the campaign.

It took him just five minutes to open his account for the club on his debut against Ross County last month, but he was hooked at half-time in the subsequent Old Firm derby as the Gers went 3-0 down in the first 45 minutes against their fiercest rivals.

He has only played a total of 22 minutes in their four games since, including a 17-minute cameo off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Dundee United on Sunday.

Diallo spurned a glorious opportunity to snatch three points for Rangers after Joe Aribo’s equaliser at Tannadice, going alone and hitting the post when he could have squared to Fashion Sakala.

The latest

On Twitter, Dickson questioned Diallo’s commitment after the loanee allegedly backed out of a tackle he ought to have won, saying: “Can only assume United want to toughen Diallo up, hence they sent him to Scotland. Backing out of a challenge you’re favourite to win (then not bothering because you think you’re offside when you’re not) never sits well with Rangers fans, really poor from a player of his profile.”

Similarly, BBC Sportsound pundit Derek Ferguson said that the Ivorian looked ‘half-hearted’ after he came on.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell added of the 19-year-old: “He’s clearly got the ability but the question is always whether they are ready to contribute when they haven’t been out on loan before. It looked like the speed of the game and the physicality of it overwhelmed him when he came on but you’d back him to finish that chance – however it was very poor not to square the ball for an easy tap in.”

The verdict

If Diallo was hoping to regain his starting spot by impressing as a substitute, then he may be left disappointed.

In addition to missing the big chance, he failed to complete any of his four dribbles and lost 100% of his duels. That contributed to a SofaScore rating of 6.0/10, the second lowest of any player who featured from either side.

This was a risky signing for Rangers because, while the teenager is clearly talented (as evidenced by 43 goals and 28 assists at youth level), he had only made 14 senior career appearances before moving to Ibrox. Perhaps moments like the late chance at Tannadice illustrate his inexperience.

In other news, this Rangers player is ‘quite happy’ at the club despite uncertainty over his contract

The future of Leeds United winger Raphinha appears to be increasingly uncertain.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Pete O’Rourke, with the journalist revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, following Marcelo Bielsa’s sacking as the Leeds manager, speculation surrounding the Brazil international’s future is only likely to increase – with the 25-year-old recently reported to have rejected the opportunity to open new contract talks at Elland Road, in the midst of interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool.

Speaking about the forward’s future, O’Rourke said: “I think, going forward, there is going to be a lot of speculation with regards to Raphinha’s future.”

Meanwhile, after the winger was withdrawn at half-time in the 3-0 loss to Everton, before being left out of Bielsa’s starting XI in the 4-2 defeat to Manchester United, Frank McAvennie stated his belief to Football Insider that the Argentine’s decision to leave Raphinha out of his lineup was a baffling one – before suggesting that the Brazilian could leave at any moment.

Regarding the attacker’s situation, the former Premier League centre-forward said: “I really don’t get it, it’s crazy to me. Raphinha is a player who can score goals in any game, with Bamford not there why would you not play him?

“He’s a game-changer. For me, even when he’s not scoring the Leeds fans are on their feet because they think something is going to happen. He absolutely destroyed West Ham when I watched that game. The boys didn’t know how to handle him.

“Bielsa has to sort that out as soon as possible. Why would you risk upsetting him? Teams want him, we know that. He could agree a move at any time, don’t annoy him.”

Marsch must avoid Raphinha disaster

Considering just how impressive Raphinha has been since his £17m switch to Elland Road back in October 2020, should Marsch go on to lose the services of the winger in the summer transfer window, so soon after the American manager joined the club, it would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for the 48-year-old.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances last season, the £36m-rated attacker was in astonishing form for the Whites, bagging six goals, registering nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player Illan Meslier dubbed “unbelievable” and Bielsa labelled “dangerous” earn a quite remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Leeds’ second-best player in the top flight – of those to play five or more Premier League fixtures.

The £63k-per-week forward has continued this form over his 24 league outings in the current campaign, having scored nine goals, provided two assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.1 key passes per fixture.

These metrics have seen the Brazilian average a SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as the Whites’ third-best performer in the division.

As such, while it is true that Marsch tends not to operate with traditional wingers, it is nevertheless clear to see that losing the services of Raphinha during his first summer as the Leeds United manager would come as a huge blow to the American, leading us to believe that the new coach must do everything in his power to convince Raphinha that there is a very important role for him within the new-look Leeds team.

In other news: Imagine him & Marsch: Orta must deliver £11m “goal threat” at Leeds, he’s a “leader”

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has claimed that the club are monitoring Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Phillips a doubt for Thursday

Phillips, who Gareth Southgate labelled ‘excellent’, has been missing for the Whites since December due to a hamstring problem.

The 26-year-old appears to be closing in on a return, though, with Villa set to travel to Elland Road on Thursday for their rearranged Premier League clash.

It seems as if Phillips may just miss out on featuring under Jesse Marsch that night, with Leeds only two points clear of the relegation zone with 11 games left to play.

The Latest: Phillips links with Villa

Preece shared a story on Birmingham Live on Monday, looking at a number of Villa-related topics.

When it came to the search for a new defensive midfielder, the reporter claimed that Villa are now monitoring Phillips with a view to a possible swoop due to Leeds’ precarious Premier League position.

The Verdict: Villa can pile the pressure on

It seems as if Villa may only stand a chance of signing Phillips if the Whites suffer relegation, so Steven Gerrard’s side can put the pressure on by taking three points from Yorkshire.

You’d expect that the 26-year-old could be available for a cut-price fee if Leeds drop down to the Championship, and it looks as if he’ll have to watch on from afar once again on Thursday.

He may already be aware of Villa’s continued interest, and with Gerrard seeking a new defensive midfielder, the England Player of the Year for 2021 could be the perfect fit for the 41-year-old.

In other news: Villa now set to share details of ‘devastating’ injury to ‘brilliant’ player; Gregg Evans gutted

Sky Sports have provided an on-air update regarding the future of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

The Lowdown: Exits galore

Pogba is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season and looks likely to leave the club ahead of Erik ten hag’s arrival.

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The French midfielder could follow Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani out the exit door, and the 29-year-old may have already played his last game in a United shirt.

Ralf Rangnick admitted last week that an injury Pogba picked up against Liverpool looks likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season, and an update on his future has now emerged.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports presenter Mike Wedderburn shared more news on Pogba on Tuesday, saying:

‘We at Sky Sports News have been told that his final choice will be a football decision and Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Juventus are all interested.

‘Staying in the Premier League has not been ruled out either. There has been no new offer from Manchester United since last summer.’

The Verdict: Interesting

Sky Sports also added that a possible wage he’ll pick up in Europe wouldn’t match the offer he had from the Red Devils last summer.

He may now be regretting the decision to snub a new United deal in 2021, which could have given him the opportunity to play a key role under new manager Erik ten Hag next season in a major Old Trafford rebuild.

It looks as if a departure is inevitable over the coming months though, so it will be interesting to see where the central midfielder ends up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. He may not be short of offers but it seems they won’t be as big as the one United made last year.

In other news: Man Utd now leading race to sign ‘absolute beast’ in club-record deal following Ten Hag request. 

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has cast doubt over the availability of a number of key players for the Premier League meeting with Newcastle United. 

The lowdown: No room for manoeuvre

The Reds are once again involved in a neck and neck title race with Manchester City that could see the two clubs repeat their exploits from 2019/20 and win all their remaining games with just one point separating the sides.

It’s Liverpool’s turn to set the tone for match-day 35’s round of fixtures as City awaits the result before they face Leeds United at Elland Road.

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Fresh off the back of signing a new deal that will see Jurgen Klopp remain at Anfield until 2026, the German manager has admitted that there are some fitness concerns ahead of the trip to St James’ Park…

The latest: Firmino out

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, as relayed by the Liverpool Echo, the 54-year-old confirmed Roberto Firmino will miss the trip to the North East.

“It’s not a serious injury but it takes now a little bit longer than we all thought. We will have to find a way of getting him back.”

Klopp also suggested both Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones are doubtful, having suffered from illness this week, albeit the former returned to training on Thursday.

The verdict: No risks required

Given the options currently at the German’s disposal, there is no need for an unnecessary risk on any player that could jeopardise fitness for what looks set to be a tantalising run-in.

At present, the Reds have Diogo Jota, Divock Origi and Sadio Mane all fit, firing and available and ready to play centrally of a front three against an in-form Newcastle. Lesser seen forward Takumi Minamino could also be viewed as a viable option from the substitutes bench were alternatives to be required.

With an FA Cup final, four more monumental Premier League clashes and potentially a UEFA Champions League final still to come, getting Firmino – who was hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Joe Cole – back to full fitness following this protracted foot issue is more important than rushing the Brazilian back now.

Furthermore, Jones and Tsimikas have made a combined 45 appearances this term, primarily in domestic cup competitions and would likely be amongst the substitutes at full tilt for this fixture.

In other news, reliable journalist confirms Liverpool interest in Ligue 1 star. Read more here.

Alex McLeish has now dropped a Glasgow Rangers transfer claim involving Josh McPake.

The Lowdown: McPake free to leave Rangers

As per Football Insider, a source from Ibrox has revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst and co have now given the ‘green light’ for the 20-year-old to leave in the summer, as he is ‘surplus to requirements’.

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They have personally ‘told’ McPake that he can go after his loan spell at Tranmere Rovers ends this season.

The Latest: McLeish reacts to McPake latest

Speaking to Football Insider, former Light Blues manager McLeish has given his reaction to the news, claiming that Rangers should be looking to sell players like McPake who do not quite make the grade.

The 63-year-old said: “If they can generate some big money for these sorts of players they feel are not up to the required level, then why not?

“That’s good business. Chelsea have done it over a vast number of years.

“Chelsea have got these players in and later on down the line, they’ve secured big fees for them – and there are plenty of other clubs who have done the same. Why not Rangers?

“It really does take a lot to play at the Scottish Premiership level for Rangers. The demands it comes with are massive, and you can’t always get it right.

“There won’t always be players coming off the conveyor belt, but if there’s a method of raising big money for players who can’t make the grade – then it’s a no-brainer.”

The Verdict: Sell

Having been sent out on loan no fewer than five times by the Gers over the course of his fledgling career so far, it is now time for both McPake and the Ibrox club to part ways for good.

He has only managed one senior Gers appearance, which came in a Europa League qualifier in July 2019, and at 20 years of age, he needs to move on from the club once and for all in order to enjoy more regular first-team football.

It is a shame for the player, who came through the youth ranks at Rangers and was sufficiently regarded to be given a new deal just last year, but this summer feels like the perfect time to let McPake go, so long as the club can get a decent fee for him.

In other news, these were Rangers’ three worst players against RB Leipzig