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Rangers will look to continue their unbeaten start to life under Gio van Bronckhorst as they prepare for Premiership action on Saturday.

The Gers face off against Ross County away from home in a lunchtime kick-off this weekend as they look to maintain or extend their lead at the top of the table, depending on how their Glasgow rivals get on in their match at 3pm.

Scott Arfield scored the only goal of the game as Rangers beat Livingston 1-0 in their last outing on Wednesday night, leaving them on 55 points after 22 games and four points clear of their nearest rivals.

Unleash him

One player who must be unleashed from the start on Saturday is new signing Amad Diallo. The youngster joined on loan from Manchester United this week and Van Bronckhorst has already confirmed that he is available for selection.

He said in Friday morning’s press conference: “Diallo will also be in the squad for tomorrow.

“Diallo is a young player who wants to play games, we are bringing him to our club to add value to our team. Like any other player in the squad, he has to perform to play but I am full of confidence that he will deliver.”

Instead of using him off the bench, the Dutchman must throw him in from the start in order to axe Scott Wright from the starting XI. The ex-Aberdeen man was poor against Livingston as he regularly wasted the ball in the final third, completing 0% of his dribbles and 25% of his attempted crosses.

Diallo coming in could allow Van Bronckhorst to drop Wright for this match against Ross County, with the Ivorian having the potential to be a game-changer for the Gers – that is why he must start.

Former Manchester United winger Dan James previously lauded his then-teammate as “unbelievable”, while Papu Gomez, another who played alongside the 19-year-old, once compared him to a current PSG forward, saying: “There are defenders in the first team that sometimes cannot stop him. To stop him in training, we have to kick him! He plays like Messi.”

This highlights the technical quality of the £28k-per-week Ibrox gem, which is backed up by his exceptional record at youth level. He scored six goals and provided four assists in just five games for United’s under-23s, having managed 37 goals and 24 assists in 96 appearances for Atalanta’s youth teams.

Diallo also scored once and produced one assist in nine first-team matches for the Red Devils, showing promise at the top level. This suggests that he has the potential to come in at Rangers and be a big player for Van Bronckhorst, and that could start with him being named in the starting XI against Ross County on Saturday…

AND in other news, Rangers could find Kent 2.0 with “intelligent” maestro who has a G/A every 0.95 games…

As per Daily Mirror reporter Darren Lewis, eight Tottenham players are now safe from Antonio Conte’s axe after ‘impressing’ him behind the scenes.

The Lowdown: Conte sends stern message…

After Tottenham’s humiliating 2-1 defeat to Slovenian minnows NS Mura in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, adding to their European woes in recent years, Conte sent a stern message.

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The Italian, seeking to guide Spurs back to the summit of European football over two years after Mauricio Pochettino’s Champions League final run, explained that he is assessing his squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Speaking to the press, Conte lifted the lid on how he is currently making ‘evaluations’ over how deserves to be at Tottenham.

“We need players with the right mentality and with the quality, players that deserve to play for Tottenham and aspire to be competitive, to fight for this shirt, to win something,” said the former Inter boss.

“I’m making my evaluations and then I’ll speak with the club.”

The Latest: Eight players safe…

Writing for The Mirror, reporter Lewis has revealed that eight more players are safe from his looming axe, but most ‘if not all’ of the others squad members are fighting for their futures at the club.

He explains that Sergio Reguilon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Lucas Moura, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp have all ‘impressed’ Conte behind the scenes – with Ryan Sessegnon also expected to be given more chances despite his red card in midweek.

The Verdict: Interesting claim…

Most of these names, like Reguilon, Dier, Lucas, Hojbjerg, Tanganga and Skipp have all arguably impressed at some point this season, leaving little surprise Conte favours them.

However, one surprise names in this list is arguably Davies, mainly because he has attracted real criticism for some of his displays this season.

Perhaps the Wales international’s experience, plus versatility as both a left-back and left-sided centre-back, has landed him in good stead with Conte.

As this interesting claim emerges, Spurs fans will be watching on eagerly to see if this crop of players become mainstays under their new manager.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist drops exciting transfer claim with ‘biggest offer’ on the table, find out more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly targeting four moves in the January transfer window – for Jesse Lingard, Harry Winks, Ross Barkley and Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Premier League experience needed

With the St James’ Park outfit currently in a relegation scrap, they need to prioritise bringing in players in January who know the Premier League well and therefore would have the quality that it takes to keep them in the division..

Lingard, Winks and Barkley are all currently playing in the top flight with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea respectively, while Trippier has also played for Spurs as well as Burnley.

Therefore, it is no surprise at all to see the Magpies targeting these kinds of players in order to help them in their fight against relegation.

The Latest: Targets revealed

Writing in his latest piece for The Telegraph, Luke Edwards has revealed that Lingard, Winks, Barkley and Trippier are all targets for Newcastle next month.

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Whether they would be able to bring them all in is another question, but what is clear is that they are targeting players with experience of playing in the Premier League.

The Verdict: All-in

Newcastle need all the help they can get, so going all-in with all four of these players would be a smart move.

Eddie Howe will know all of the players well having managed in the top flight before with Bournemouth, in particular Trippier, with whom he has a great relationship from their mutual time at Burnley, and thus would know how to get the best out of him.

Barkley is a player that Callum Wilson especially admires, dubbing him ‘unbelievable’ and ‘unreal’, and one with whom he would like to play, on The Super 6 podcast (via The Chronicle) earlier this year. He may well get his wish if the Magpies can get these deals over the line next month.

In other news, find out who Mohammed bin Salman is also eyeing for NUFC

Aston Villa will consider signing a new midfielder during the January window following the injury to Marvelous Nakamba.

That’s according to reliable reporter Gregg Evans, which as to be expected, had a number of supporters talking on social media.

Nakamba had been a regular under new manager Steven Gerrard, however, the Zimbabwe international suffered a knee injury against Liverpool on the weekend and missed the win over Norwich City on Tuesday.

His 2021/22 season may well be over as a result, and Villa now look set to act with the 27-year-old sidelined by considering a midfield addition in the winter window.

Evans didn’t name-check any possible targets but did appear to rule out a move for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, who was wanted at Villa Park over the summer but ended up signing a new contract at St Mary’s.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Evans’ claim on Tuesday evening. This is what these fans had to say in reply, with a few name-checking Rangers’ Glen Kamara and another sharing their ‘love’ regarding the update.

“Glen Kamara incoming”

Credit: @villaparkpod

“No messing around”

Credit: @tomavfcyates

“Love it”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“Villa just buying all the midfielders now what’s going on”

Credit: @Thedolphin2

“Kamara or Doucoure cheers”

Credit: @_AVFCOlly

“KAMARAAAAAAAAAA COME TO MEEEEEEEE”

Credit: @DG_Villa1

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’ – Lots of Villa fans flock to John Percy’s exit rumour

Southampton have been linked with a move for Slavia Prague striker Jan Kuchta recently and, if he were to join Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, it could be bad news for 22-year-old Dan N’Lundulu.

The south coast club are reportedly eyeing the 24-year-old ahead of the summer after his impressive performances with the Czech side so far this season, with 11 goals and five assists to his name in just 17 league appearances.

He has also been a big part of their impressive run in the Europa League, which saw them progress to the quarter-finals after a 3-1 win aggregate win over Rangers recently, with Kuchta boasting two goals and two assists in eight appearances in that competition.

The former Czech Republic under-21 international only joined Slavia Prague from Slovan Liberec last summer but has seen his value on Transfermarkt soar after a superb debut season; and considering the number of Premier League sides said to be interested in him, it would not be a surprise to see him depart this summer.

Should he make the move to St Mary’s, you worry that it could all but end N’Lundulu’s chances of making it as a regular under Hasenhuttl.

The 22-year-old has made just one start for the Saints in his career thus far, which came in the 2-0 win against Shrewsbury Town earlier in the season, when he also scored his first professional goal.

However, he has been afforded very few chances in the Premier League, with just 12 substitute appearances totalling 98 minutes to his name this season, despite Danny Ings’ injury problems and Che Adams’ indifferent form.

He has also fallen behind Nathan Tella in the pecking order in Hasenhuttl’s side and, although he has five goals in eight Premier League 2 appearances this season, N’Lundulu is 22 and should be playing regular senior football at this point in his career.

Although Hasenhuttl has praised him in the past and is clearly a big fan of the striker, his efforts are not being rewarded with chances in the first team.

Therefore, if Kuchta arrives in the summer, it is likely only going to decrease N’Lundulu’s chances of becoming a regular at Southampton and it could be the catalyst for him departing the south coast club without ever really having a chance to impress.

And, in other news… Forget Ings: Southampton should hand new deal to £13.5m-rated beast

According to Bristol Live, Southampton are said to be interested in Bristol City goalkeeper Daniel Bentley.

Saints eye Bentley

The Saints are believed to have been scouting three Robins players in Bentley, Antoine Semenyo and Tyreeq Bakinson.

However, Ralph Hasenhuttl is interested in the former in particular as he reviews his goalkeeping options ahead of next season.

Cheap option

Valued at £3.6m (Transfermarkt), Bentley would likely be a cheap option for the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit. That, though, does not mean he would be a poor purchase for the club. He has been close to an ever-present for Bristol City this season, appearing in 36 of their 38 matches in the Championship. Despite a couple of recent mistakes, he has still been reliable between the sticks for much of the campaign, and he was labelled as “incredible” by Dean Holden earlier this term (via sportsmole.co.uk).

At the moment, Hasenhuttl appears to be undecided on his goalkeepers. In recent weeks, he has chopped and changed between Fraser Forster and Alex McCarthy, even though the former’s time on the south coast appeared to be up after spending last season on loan at Celtic. Could Bentley be the man to resolve the boss’ dilemma? That remains to be seen. Southampton, though, could do an awful lot worse than the 27-year-old shot-stopper.

In other news, Sevilla eye this Southampton ace.

Aston Villa are on course to seal the permanent signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that a source has revealed that Villa are in advanced talks to sign Olsen on a permanent deal from AS Roma – the 32-year-old shot-stopper who has been at the Premier League side on loan since January.

With just over a year left on his Roma contract, Gerrard could secure the services of Olsen on the cheap and he would provide solid cover for Emiliano Martinez next season.

Robin Olsen would provide excellent cover at Villa

During the first half of the campaign, Olsen was plying his trade at Sheffield United in the Championship, turning out 17 times for the Blades whilst only keeping one clean sheet.

This didn’t stop player John Egan from boosting the £13k-per-week keeper’s confidence, stating in the media that the Swede had a “big presence” and that they “were lucky to have him”.

Massive praise for someone who often let in too many goals during his tenure in the Championship. However, his international experience plus his age could well prove to make him a huge coup for Gerrard and Johan Lange.

Despite not making a first-team appearance for the side since his arrival, he has obviously impressed Steven Gerrard and the coaching staff. The Swede does have prior experience in the top flight, however, featuring for Everton on 11 occasions in the 2020-2021 season.

With further progress needed to show the board that he is moving in the right direction; Gerrard will be aiming to utilise his funds carefully and not squander vital cash on poor signings.

European football must be the aim and that is why the board went all out to secure his services from Rangers in November. The former England captain faces a huge summer ahead.

AND in other news: Gerrard now plotting AVFC bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon”, he’s better than Phillips

Southampton take on Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, hoping to secure their place in the fourth round, where a trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal awaits.

After the original game was postponed due to an outbreak of the virus in Shrewsbury’s squad, both sides will be relieved to be able to play the game on Tuesday night at St Mary’s.

Unfortunately for the South Coast club, they are going through something of an injury crisis right now, with a number of key first-teamers currently sidelined, meaning that the Austrian manager will likely have to turn to his youth players in order to find a way past the League One side.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Saints to line up against Shrewsbury, with eight changes from the starting team that lost against Leicester…

Fraser Forster’s performance against Liverpool in the Premier League recently was impressive, so Hasenhuttl should hand him the start in goal ahead of Alex McCarthy.

In defence, only Jack Stephens keeps his place and he partners 19-year-old Allan Tchaptchet at centre-back, as he is rewarded with a first-team debut after featuring on the bench in recent fixtures.

Yan Valery replaces Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back, whilst Jake Vokins comes in for Ryan Bertrand, with both first-choice full-backs perhaps deserving of a rest.

There are two changes in midfield, as 20-year-0ld winger Will Ferry also makes his debut on the left-hand side, with Hasenhuttl extremely low on options in that position after the injuries to Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond.

James Ward-Prowse is another to be rested, after playing every minute in the Premier League so far, which allows for a third debutant in Kgaogelo Chauke, who starts alongside Ibrahima Diallo in central midfield.

Finally, Shane Long and Dan N’Lundulu come in for Theo Walcott and Che Adams up front and hopefully, those two will be enough for Hasenhuttl’s side to see off the League One strugglers.

And, in other news… Southampton will surely rue not signing £18m beast who “makes scoring goals look so easy”

Speaking to the press, via football.london, Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Ryan Mason has shared that winger Gareth Bale is a ‘question mark’ to start against Aston Villa this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Bale playing regularly…

After signing on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid last summer, Bale spent the first half of this season barely featuring – with the winger starting just four Premier League games by December 20 (Transfermarkt).

However, the turn of the new year has seen Bale feature far more regularly and has even become a mainstay in the eleven under Mason.

Indeed, Bale has started the last four English top flight matches for Spurs and put on a dazzling display against Sheffield United recently with a hat trick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He was also one of Spurs’ highest-rated players (7.6) during their last outing against Wolves (SofaScore).

The Latest: Mason says Bale is now a ‘question mark’

Speaking to the press, when asked if the 31-year-old can start another game so soon, Mason explained:

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“I am not sure,” (via football.london).

“Gareth was probably the best I have seen him all season at the weekend. He was sharp, he was running at players, he has that confidence back of playing in repetitive games and he feels confident in his body. He also knows his body. He is a question mark for tomorrow.

“We are not sure whether or not he is going to be ready. It is down to the player, he is experienced enough. We’ll see.

“Like it was with Serge, if a player doesn’t feel 100 per cent, I don’t feel confident enough, we have enough players ready, enough players competing, that want to play. If a player doesn’t feel 100 per cent and it is not right then he won’t play.”

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs?

As Mason explains his doubts over whether Bale will be able to start, supporters will be hoping he is indeed fit enough given they’re still in the hunt for a Europa League place.

Indeed, the attacker has impressed in has last few outings and Spurs could use every ounce of quality available against a stubborn Villa side this afternoon.

Lauded as an ‘exceptional player’ by Mason, Lilywhites supporters will surely be hoping he will play some sort of part today.

In other news: 45 y/o manager now open to joining Spurs, find out more here.

Leeds United are reportedly confident of signing Stade Brest defender Romain Perraud this summer, as they look to bring in a new left-back.

The Lowdown: New left-back required

Marcelo Bielsa will likely be eyeing up a number of new signing in the coming months, but left-back is an area that definitely requires an addition.

With Ezgjan Alioski set to move on to pastures new, there are a lack of options there for Leeds, with a host of players linked with a move to Elland Road.

Perraud is one of those players, having impressed in Ligue One this season, scoring three goals and registering seven assists for Brest.

The Latest: Perraud could join Leeds

According to Football Insider, Leeds are ‘confident’ of getting their man in the summer, with a source claiming that “encouraging talks” have taken place.

It is also stated that Bielsa is keen on signing on a midfielder and a striker, in order to bolster his squad.

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The Verdict: Ideal addition for Whites

Perraud could be a great signing for Leeds, with his aforementioned quality in the final third likely to appeal to the attack-minded Bielsa.

His seven assists would rank Perraud third in the Whites squad this term, behind only Raphinha and Jack Harrison, with his overall ten goal contributions putting him level with Leeds’ player of the season, Stuart Dallas.

He has also averaged 1.7 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the league this season, however, showing that he can excel defensively, too.

At 23, Perraud would also represent a long-term acquisition – someone who could shine at left-back for many years to come, rather than a stop-gap option like the previously linked Patrick van Aanholt, who is 30 years of age.

In other news, Leeds have been boosted in their efforts to sign an exciting creative player this summer. Read more here.