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Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard’s hopes of snapping up Jacob Murphy have been dealt a huge blow, with recent reports revealing Newcastle United are prepared to offer the former Norwich City star a new deal.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, Steve Bruce wants Murphy to remain at St James’ Park to stay and fight for a place in the starting line-up, having ruled out a loan exit for the winger amid interest from Rangers in the summer.

It’s claimed that the club want to give the Englishman a new and improved contract to fend off interest from elsewhere, with Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Stoke City in the race to sign him in the winter transfer window.

So Rangers chief Ross Wilson must act swiftly if Gerrard is to finally get his long-term target in January.

Major blow?

Murphy himself was thought to be keen on a move to the 54-time Scottish champions, yet now looks set to extend his stay in Tyneside for the foreseeable future. But there is still time for the 25-year-old, who currently earns wages worth £25,000-per-week, to sign a pre-contract agreement to join the Gers on a permanent basis next summer.

Wilson signed forwards Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe on four-year-deals for undisclosed fees in the summer to bolster the firepower at Gerrard’s disposal. Whilst Roofe has been in such fine form, as he has even started on the right wing in recent weeks, it’s fair to say that Itten has been unable to hit the ground running, with a tally of just two goals in total to his name.

The ever-reliable Ryan Kent is one of the first names on the team sheet but if there’s one area the Gers urgently need to improve, it’s the opposite flank, as both Brandon Barker and Ianis Hagi have struggled for consistency at times so far this season. And that’s without even mentioning Jordan Jones, who is deemed surplus to requirements having been suspended by the Light Blues after breaching COVID rules.

Once lauded as a “fantastic” beast by former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan, in five appearances in the Premier League this season, Murphy has scored one goal, whilst he is averaging 1.2 shots and 2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, both Barker and Jones are managing fewer than one dribble per game in the Scottish Premiership, as per WhoScored, which implies that the former England U21 international would be an immediate upgrade on both Barker and Jones at Ibrox.

Given his age, he still has plenty of time left to continue his development as a player, whilst his strengths lie in his strong finishing and being able to take set-pieces. He’s certainly not just a pacey winger, his versatility could add some much-needed depth to the squad, as he can play on either wing. We’d love to see him don the light blue, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson could land Glasgow Rangers the ideal Steven Davis replacement in John Lundstram…

As per Foot Mercato, Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is a priority for Fiorentina.

The Colombia international has long been linked with a move to Lille, with whom he is said to have agreed personal terms.

However, there has been little movement on that front recently, and as such, the Serie A outfit are said to be eyeing a deal. If La Viola want to sign him, though, they must first sell – the Ibrox outfit still want €20m (£18.2m) for the 24-year-old.

The list of who doesn’t want Morelos is now almost shorter than who does. That may be a slight exaggeration, but the number of sides who want him appears to be on the rise with each passing day. Yet here we are, with less than a month left of the transfer window and, other than Lille’s £16m bid, which Les Dogues’ president Gerard Lopez confirmed, there appears to have been no other concrete approach.

Like many of the other options, Fiorentina would be an interesting option – the likes of Franck Ribery and Federico Chiesa would likely provide fantastic service for the former HJK Helsinki man. For the Gers and Steven Gerrard, though, the speculation is likely becoming tiresome. It is about time this saga is concluded once and for all.

Let us know what you think below!

It is the end of an era for Emiliano Martinez as it was confirmed that the goalkeeper will leave Arsenal in a reported £16m move to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa as he looks to play football consistently.

It will be a sad time for all associated with the club to see him go as he has been contracted to the Gunners for 10 years. However, before last season, had only made six appearances in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt.

Therefore, when he finally got his chance and duly received glowing praise for his performances, his patience was rewarded and his passion for the badge was evident in his reaction immediately after the FA Cup final win over Chelsea last month.

The 28-year-old posted an emotional farewell video on

/CFK0JwsnC9f/”>Instragram with the caption, ‘Gracias ❤️ Thank you @arsenal’.

The video highlights how much the club has meant to Martinez and it will surely warm the hearts of Arsenal supporters everywhere as he prepares to embark on a new chapter of his career.

Hopefully the goalkeeper continues to impress at Villa like he has for the Gunners, to whom he has given tremendous service over the past decade.

Arsenal fans, did you get emotional at Martinez’s farewell video? Comment below with your views!

Chelsea are on track to secure their spot in the Champions League next season as they head into another matchday on the road.

The Blues visit Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United this evening and will be looking for nothing less than three points to boost their chances of a top four finish. However, the Blades are also fighting for a spot in Europe and will be desperate for a win on home soil.

One man who could be the key to unlock United’s defence is Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman has been in superb form since the restart and looks set to continue his impressive run.

During the winter, Giroud was dropped in favour of Tammy Abraham, but since the England international has been sidelined due to injury, the 33-year-old has stepped up. Even with Abraham back to full fitness, Giroud has been Frank Lampard’s first choice up front.

With the addition of Timo Werner, the fight for the centre-forward spot is heating up and it seems that the France international is determined to be considered by Lampard once the Germany striker arrives. Giroud has scored three goals in his last five appearances, taking his overall tally to six across all competitions this campaign (via Transfermarkt).

With an important match looming at Bramall Lane, it’s unlikely that Lampard will want to change the current successful attacking dynamic. The £6.3m-valued forward will see this as another opportunity to add to his scoring portfolio this season and boost his chances of game-time next term.

How do you think Chelsea’s match against Sheffield United will fare out? Have your say in the comments below…

Sunderland’s League One rivals Shrewsbury Town are no longer interested in making a move for striker Will Grigg.

After moving to the Stadium of Light in January 2019, the former Wigan Athletic striker has had the spotlight firmly on him, seeing his move much documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.

Featuring regularly for the Black Cats through the 2019/2020 season, Grigg’s form took a nosedive, with just one goal and one assist to his name last term.

Reports claimed earlier this summer that Sunderland were willing to listen to offers for Grigg, who is valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt, and Shrewsbury Town were reportedly keen.

The Northern Echo, however, have now said that Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts is now looking elsewhere to improve his attacking options, having seemingly given up on trying to land Grigg.

The report added that Sunderland officials have received a number of inquiries about the Northern Ireland international but are yet to have a bid presented to them.

Sunderland manager Parkinson will seek to address his attacking options this summer and it remains to be seen if Grigg will stay at the club for next season.

Grigg’s future at the Stadium of Light remains in doubt and it seems highly doubtful if he is the right man to take the club forward and push for an automatic promotion place, given his horrendous fortunes in front of goal in recent months.

If the striker remains with the Wearside club, a drastic change in form will be needed to appease those fans who may have doubts over the current squad.

Do you think Grigg will remain at Sunderland next season? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Liverpool were easily dispatched in the League Cup on Tuesday.

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The Reds, of course, were forced to field an XI full of their academy players due to their Club World Cup commitments. As such, it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see them be on the end of a 5-0 defeat from Aston Villa, but there were still some positives to take from the game – they had more shots and also amassed 58% possession.

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Jurgen Klopp, of course, is clearly prioritising the inter-continental tournament in Qatar given that the entire first-team squad has travelled to the Middle East. That, though, as well as the the team that was put out against Dean Smith’s men, has angered talkSPORT pundit Andy Goldstein. He has said that the former Borussia Dortmund manager has shown “disrespect” to the English competition.

Calling all Premier League experts: Who do these unique statistics belong to? Find out below….

That seems to be a hard judgement, but what do our writers think? We asked four of them to give us their verdicts.

Matt Dawson

“I think a lot has been made about nothing in this situation. Both competitions are utterly pointless and if anyone should take the blame for Liverpool’s young XI on Tuesday evening, it should be the organisers of the Carabao Cup. To put a team in a position where they have to field a side like that seems baffling, but the FIFA Club World Cup, as poor as the standard is, is arguably a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“To have the opportunity of adding that kind of silverware to your cabinet is far more appealing than a tournament sponsored by an energy drink. Given the circumstances, Klopp has made the right decision. However, at the same time, I can’t help but feel as though the Reds could have taken a few more younger players to Qatar and left some fringe members at home – for example, Adam Lallana or Xherdan Shaqiri. Liverpool didn’t disrespect the competition, they merely did what had to be done.”

Domagoj Kostanjsak

“I feel like this move by Klopp shouldn’t be seen as disrespectful. It’s not his fault that the schedule is so congested and if he is truly to compete on all fronts, priorities have to be set. Of course, it’s not every day that you can play in the Club World Cup and you could argue that makes it a bit more prestigious of a crown to potentially grab, despite being quite miserable in terms of the competition quality as a whole. But the same could be said for the Cup, just without the prestige that Club World Cup arguably carries. For me, Klopp has made the right call.”

Viji Jeevathayalan

“Make no mistake about it, Jurgen Klopp has made the best of a ridiculous situation. Liverpool have effectively been punished for simply being good at what they do. The footballing power-brokers needed to have shown some much-needed foresight in respect to planning, and the fact the Reds took the stance of fielding a youth team in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night is entirely understandable. Irrespective of what people think about the status and quality of the League Cup or the Club World Cup, the Reds deserved to have a fair crack at the whip at both competitions.

“Instead, they were left in a position where they had to make a tough decision on what to prioritise. And after having sealed his first trophy as Liverpool manager with the Champions League last season, it was little surprise to see Klopp look to go all out for the Club World Cup. Rather than criticising him for a situation that wasn’t of his own making, we should all be thanking the Reds boss for having the courage to stand up and take on the decision-makers. Klopp was in the right, and we should applaud him.”

Kealan Hughes

“At this moment in time there is no better man to trust than Jurgen Klopp if you’re a Liverpool fan. The Reds have done superbly well to compete on all fronts this term and if they make history by lifting the Club World Cup then that will be a great achievement. It will also be a more memorable victory considering Liverpool have never won this competition before, whereas they have lifted the League Cup a record eight times, and they will have the opportunity to compete in it once again next season.

“The club’s sole priority should be the Premier League considering the brilliant chance they have to win the league after years without, and even though the Club World Cup is a distraction in that regard, they may as well do their all to win it since it only takes two victories to win it.”

In other news, this Liverpool man impressed for the Reds against Aston Villa.

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has given a fresh injury update on Florian Lejeune as he spoke in his press conference (via ChronicleLive) ahead of the Tyneside club’s Premier League clash against Eddie Howe’s AFC Bournemouth side this evening.

As per the outlet, the coach said that the defender has “picked up a nasty thigh injury” from when the Magpies played Hull City in a friendly game behind closed doors last month in preparation for the 2019/20 season to restart.

Bruce’s team won that match, 2-0 with Lejeune incidentally getting himself on the scoresheet alongside Allan Saint-Maximin (as per Vavel).

Nevertheless, the central defender could potentially be out for the rest of the campaign, which would be a blow to the Toon – in his six Premier League matches this season, Lejeune has won four duels per game and also averaged 2.2 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, according to Sofascore.

He may not have start every upcoming match, but the 29-year old could be a useful player to have on the bench if one of Newcastle’s centre-backs gets injured, or even tactically if Bruce wants to see the match out and put on an extra body to help defensively.

However, it seems possible that Lejeune may miss the rest of the season, meaning that the manager will have to rely on the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez to stay fit in the heart of his defence.

Only time will tell whether Lejeune missing will make any real difference, but his absence could be a real blow for Newcastle.

Geordies, is Lejeune’s injury a major blow to Newcastle? Comment below with your views!

Liverpool are reportedly interested in doing a deal for Genk’s Sander Berge, but it is a move which doesn’t sit well with many of their fans.

The Reds have come up against the midfielder twice this season in the Champions League group stages so Jurgen Klopp has had the opportunity to assess the player, and may have decided that he could be the right fit at Anfield.

Fabinho is set for a spell on the sidelines and is believed to be out for the rest of 2019, and fears of a lack of replacement may motivate the club to try and bring in Berge.

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He is still only 21 so even if he doesn’t get game time straight away there is potential for him to develop, though some supporters feel that the number of midfielders already at the club make his pursuit a pointless endeavour.

Some also point to Marko Grujic being out on loan, and suggest that the first step should be to recall him if the team is light on midfield numbers.

Here is some of the reaction to Liverpool’s interest in the Norway international.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

While things are hotting up in the race for the Championship title, the rumour mill is in full flow with the January transfer window less than a month away.

West Brom are no exception to either as it really is starting to look like them versus Leeds United for the title, and although they are yet to be linked with more than a couple of players, one is of serious interest.

According to 90min, Jarrod Bowen is a potential target for the Baggies, but they’ll face stiff competition from the Premier League and their aforementioned league rivals.

If manager Slaven Bilic is genuinely after the winger, then he could well be onto something huge.

On the Chalkboard

The 22-year-old must be one of the hottest properties in the division right now after 16 goals and three assists in all competitions at Hull City this season.

Though, he’s merely continuing on from a productive few seasons with him totalling 53 goals and 11 assists in 121 appearances for the Tigers – during which he’s played centrally as a number ten, on the other flank and even as a striker, per Transfermarkt.

Aside from his ability to excel in tight spaces, provide assist-churning passes and his clear knack for scoring, Bowen can actually offer West Brom an excellent option defensively.

In the last three seasons at the Yorkshire club, the wide man has averaged 1.2 tackles per game at the very least, while last campaign, he recorded a career-high average of 1.1 interceptions per match, via WhoScored.

This is something that no other winger in the squad can give Bilic – the man in his right-wing role is Matt Phillips, who averages 0.9 tackles and just 0.4 interceptions per game.

Bowen would even strengthen Albion despite the 28-year-old being their top goalscorer this season with seven goals, as he can allow the likes of Nathan Ferguson and Darnell Furlong to bomb on and overlap along the flanks – which is a key factor in Bilic’s tactical system.

As good as Phillips has been this season, a player like Bowen is quite simply a game-changing addition and is one that fits the Baggies down to a tee.

Quickfire Quiz: Premier League experts will get 100%…

In other news, is the Hull City star one of three who West Brom are reportedly after this January?

Although results so far in the current campaign might suggest otherwise, Arsenal’s squad has been valued as the 12th highest globally by Transfermarkt, and these Gunners’ fans have been quick to vent their feelings given the current predicament at the club.

The north London side’s inconsistent start to the 2019/20 season has been compounded by Unai Emery’s dilemma in dealing with Granit Xhaka’s response to being substituted and booed against Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, pressure is seemingly mounting on the Spaniard with the Daily Mirror reporting he has just one month left to save his job.

Transfermarkt cite Nicolas Pepe (£67.5m), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£63m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£63m) as the club’s three most valuable assets in their squad’s value, but the trio will have to start delivering a series of impressive performances to ease the impending pressure on Emery if the former PSG boss is to keep his job at The Emirates.

Following a tweet from Arsenal Fan TV, these are some of the best reactions to Arsenal’s reported squad value.