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Rangers face Motherwell at Ibrox in the Premiership today as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ligue 1 side Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The loss ended a run of six games without defeat in all competitions, with Steven Gerrard’s team having won five of their last six going into the match.

They now come up against a strong Motherwell outfit who have started the season well. Graham Alexander has led his men to three wins, one draw and one defeat in five league matches thus far.

Gerrard lined up with Joe Aribo out on the right wing against Lyon and the change in personnel did not work in his favour. The former Charlton man gave away possession 12 times, lost seven of his 10 ground duels and only completed one key pass all game.

This is why the Rangers head coach must now drop Aribo in order to unleash ex-Leeds forward Kemar Roofe on Motherwell.

The 28-year-old has already scored two goals from two starts in the Premiership this season and netted 14 goals from 18 starts last term. This shows that he is a proven goalscorer at this level and is a player who can be relied upon in front of goal.

Aside from being a threat with the ball, Gerrard also once said that Roofe is a handful for opponents to deal with when fit due to his exceptional work rate out of possession.

The manager said: “Touch wood he stays fit and if he does then he will be a real handful at this level. He works his socks off, he does everything out of possession that you ask of him, he is clever and bright and he can create and score. He has got the mentality that I really like.”

This shows how the £26k-per-week attacker can be a match-winner for Rangers. He can hassle defenders and force turnovers with his work rate, whilst also providing a regular supply of goals, as shown by his league record for the club. At the end of the day, goals win you games and Roofe has shown that he can score them regularly in the Premiership – making him a potential match-winner for the Gers.

Gerrard must now unleash him against Motherwell and demote Aribo to the bench if he is not going to move him back into central midfield. Hopefully Roofe will be able to showcase his quality and help the Gers to the three points today.

AND in other news, Premier League side are eyeing up swoop for 28y/o Rangers beast

A number of Leeds United supporters have been critical of Stuart Dallas’ first half performance at home to West Ham.

The Whites play host the Hammers in the Premier League this afternoon, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side still looking for their first league win of the season, having drawn three and lost two of their opening five matches.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

Meanwhile, West Ham have started well, sitting eighth in the table and looking a strong outfit with David Moyes at the helm.

However, it was Leeds who broke the deadlock, with Raphinha opening the scoring in the 19th minute at Elland Road.

One player who struggled in the opening 45 minutes was Dallas, however. The 30-year-old had a quiet first half, his main contributing being a wayward shot just after the half-hour mark.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-17/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Leeds fans react to Dallas’ performance against West Ham

These Leeds fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Dallas’ showing.

“There’s something up with Stuart Dallas”

Credit: @allan_howe

“Dallas needs to massively wake his ideas up. A ghost of himself at the moment”

Credit: @C1919W

“What’s happened to Dallas? He’s just not the same guy as last season?”

Credit: @Varneyshairline

“I wonder if the personal issue he suffered a few weeks ago is ongoing?”

Credit: @wasreallynowt

“Does Dallas need a break?”

Credit: @MichaeLukeMusic

“31 – A really nice Leeds move goes right to left then back into the middle for Dallas to shoot. We’ll never mention the shot again. 1-0”

Credit: @GrahamSmyth

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to make a move for an exciting player. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has been linked with a £15m move to Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Newcastle takeover complete

The Magpies are in the money after their recent takeover and they could have a huge amount to spend on new players in January.

It could see Newcastle eventually build in the same manner as Chelsea and Manchester City, turning into one of the most successful teams in the country.

The Latest: Nakamba linked with Newcastle move

According to Football Insider, a source at Newcastle has claimed that the Tynesiders are keen on signing Nakamba, who has made 57 appearances for Villa.

The Magpies want to improve their quality in central midfield and believe that the 27-year-old could be a perfect addition in that respect. A bid of around £15m could be enough to prise the 23-cap Zimbabwe international away from Villa Park.

The Verdict: No great loss for Villa

While Nakamba has been a good performer for Villa – he has the best passing accuracy rate of anyone in the current squad this season and has been hailed as “excellent” by Dean Smith – he hasn’t been a key part of the manager’s plans in recent weeks, making only one Premier League start in 2021/22.

For that reason, he wouldn’t be a huge loss for Villa, with the likes of Douglas Luiz and John McGinn keeping him on the fringes in the Midlands.

Still, it would be preferable to keep hold of Nakamba in terms of squad depth at Villa Park, while selling him to Newcastle also carries the danger of strengthening a Premier League rival.

In other news, some Villa fans lambasted one player’s performance against Arsenal. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are reportedly once again eyeing a move for Manchester United attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard ahead of the transfer deadline [Daily Star].

Spending the second half of 2020/21 on loan in East London, the England international proved to be a smash hit, registering 14 goal contributions in 19 appearances; nine goals and five assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he could be set to link up with the Irons on a permanent deal after new reports emerged over the weekend.

West Ham United are said to be lining up a £15 million bid for his services, whilst also being mindful that he has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford due to the Red Devils’ summer transfer activity [Daily Star].

Loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to discuss these developments – no surprise given the impact the England man made on loan last term.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to West Ham Central over on Twitter, here is what some supporters had to say about the prospect of Lingard coming back to the London Stadium:

“yes £15 million”

Credit: @WhuOllyhx”people saying no really hurts my brain he needs to come home”Credit: @StazyFN

“Surely they accept at this point”

Credit: @oliverrrwhu”That’s about the right price, won’t get many games at Man U, 29 and in the last year of his contract”Credit: @RobF_WHU”Come on then! Lets go”Credit: @Yearaur1273″Let’s goo Won’t be enough but let’s get the ball rolling.”Credit: @whulucas_In other news, West Ham fans blast a poor performance. Find out more here.

Pundit Jamie O’Hara believes that West Ham United could be dragged into a relegation battle in 2021/22, should they choose not to dive further into the transfer market [METRO].

Enjoying a fantastic campaign last time out, West Ham United managed to finish in sixth place and successfully qualified for the Europa League group stage against all odds.

However, their lack of transfer activity has become a concern for fans and pundits alike.

Barely scratching the surface, the Irons have added Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris St-Germain, alongside completing a permanent deal for previous loanee defender Craig Dawson [Transfermarkt].

Speaking to TalkSPORT, relayed by Metro, O’Hara issued a damning verdict on where he believes their trajectory lies this season, stating:

“If they don’t get some players in quickly and strengthen that squad, West Ham are going to be fighting relegation. They’ve got the Europa League as well, they haven’t got a squad, it’s not big enough.”

In light of these comments, no wonder loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to vent their disgust at the former Tottenham man’s claims.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to popular West Ham fan outlet Uber West Ham, here is what some fans had to say about O’Hara’s comments:

“Think on this. O’Hara was sacked from Billericay. He thinks the Moon landings didn’t happen. Doesn’t know who Stalin, Chairman Mao or Genghis Khan were. Yet we are supposed to give his views on football credence? PS: He said the same last year.”

Credit: @Hammers54

“The same jamie ohara that said declan was bang average?”

Credit: @AdamEpsly

“He works for talk sport. They just get former professional footballers looking for media careers to say outrageous stuff”

Credit: @benrahmaww”More drivel by football “genius” Jamie O’Hara. Hilarious.”Credit: @DX7Dreams”He predicted West Ham to finish 19th last year. The bloke is a clown”Credit: @CStevens2109″Who cares”Credit: @RichardWatts1In other news, West Ham United plot a move for a Ligue 1 ace.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds United’s pursuit of Rangers star Ryan Kent in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Last year, Marcelo Bielsa’s side had bids rejected for the former Liverpool winger, and recently The Daily Mirror claimed that “Leeds are also keeping a watching brief on Rangers’ Ryan Kent and he is also someone Bielsa has liked for a long time.”

Hay has now delivered an update on where things stand.

In a Q&A for The Athletic, he said: “At the right price, I’m sure Bielsa would be interested. But Rangers have been talking about £20m and Leeds wouldn’t be keen to stretch to that.

“He likes Kent, we know that. My gut feeling is that Bielsa would prefer Kent or James.”

Fans should be excited

Having had a fine season in the Scottish Premiership last term – Kent scored 13 goals and set up another 15 – it’s no surprise that Hay has claimed Bielsa would very much be interested in doing a deal for the flying winger.

Former Gers striker Kris Boyd has raved about the 24-year-old previously, saying: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Given that Bielsa was interested in signing him last summer too, and ended up having bids rejected for him, suggests that the Leeds manager sees Kent as a key target who could elevate his team.

Bielsa isn’t someone who blindly accepts transfer targets, with Hay also revealing in that Q&A that during their promotion attempts, the club tried to offer him the likes of Glenn Murray and Billy Sharp, but the Argentine turned down those opportunities.

Therefore, the fact Bielsa is keen on signing Kent should have the Whites hierarchy doing their utmost to grant the manager’s wishes. Given his performances with Rangers, the winger would certainly be an exciting signing if Leeds could pull it off.

Meanwhile, Joe Wainman has dropped an exciting Leeds transfer claim…

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on Niels Nkounkou.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Frenchman has signed for Standard Liege on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Nkounkou has played in seven senior games in total over all competitions for the Merseyside club, including an appearance in the 2-1 away win at Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup this campaign (Transfermarkt).

His departure means that Rafa Benitez now only has one senior left-back in his current squad at the moment in Lucas Digne, leaving them awfully short in that area if he were to get injured for a sustained period of time.

Thus, it seems a strange idea to let Nkounkou go without bringing in any cover.

Everton fans on Nkounkou exit

These Toffees fumed as the exit news was confirmed on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘disgraceful’:

“No cover at left-back now… this makes no sense”

Credit: @bighfizzle

“As it stands, we are one injury away from disaster at the back. Gross negligence”

Credit: @LeeFMc83

“Announce Brands contract termination”

Credit: @Adam_1878

“Who’s Digne’s replacement? What disgraceful planning!”

Credit: @ymedeiros13

“BRANDS OUT”

Credit: @efcmidd13

“Complete shambles club is run by amateurs”

Credit: @piers_waters

In other news, find out what confirmed news has Evertonians buzzing here!

QPR goalkeeper Dillon Barnes is a rumoured loan target for League One side Doncaster Rovers, according to the Doncaster Free Press. 

What’s the story?

Barnes has been with QPR since 2019 and is yet to make a senior appearance for the Rs. He’s found regular game time in the QPR first-team hard to come by in recent seasons, and it seems as though he could be heading for a temporary departure this summer.

The shot-stopper is likely to be behind Seny Dieng in the pecking order in Mark Warburton’s side ahead of the 2021/22 league campaign.

Doncaster Rovers have reportedly expressed an interest in signing Barnes on a temporary basis, with the goalkeeper recently featuring in a pre-season friendly for them, as a second-half substitute.

Doncaster boss Richie Wellens has recently revealed that Barnes is on their radar, but wouldn’t be drawn into making a transfer admission on which goalkeeper he’ll pursue a move for at this moment in time.

The ideal move for all parties

Barnes is unlikely to feature for the QPR first-team this term, with the strong performances of Seny Dieng catching the eye, with the likes of West Ham United previously being interested in a deal to sign the 25-year-old.

Barnes has previously been on the books of Fulham and Colchester United, and with a lack of minutes likely to be on the table from Mark Warburton’s side moving forwards, a move to Doncaster Rovers would be the best move for all parties involved.

The League One side need a shot-stopper ahead of the 2021/22 league campaign, and if they can offer Barnes game time, then it’ll be a no-brainer for Donny to make their move for Barnes. Given that he’s already featured in a pre-season friendly for them, they’re clearly keen to get a move over the line in the near future.

QPR goalkeeping coach Gavin Ward has previously issued high praise for Barnes in an interview with the club’s official website, after his arrival was confirmed back in 2019.

“I’ve seen a lot from him, he has got the raw ingredients to become a very good goalkeeper. We have to perfect that now and make him technically as good as he can be.”

Doncaster Rovers are set to get their new league campaign underway on Saturday 7th August, when they take on AFC Wimbledon, and it’ll be interesting to see which player is between the posts for Richie Wellens’ side.

Celtic will have to stump up a significant bid if they are to prise Siriki Dembele away from Peterborough United, warns Barry Fry.

The 24-year-old played a key role as the Posh returned to the Championship with promotion from League One last season.

Dembele has entered the final year of his Peterborough contract and attracted interest from a host of clubs, including Scottish Premiership champions Rangers.

Celtic, who will be looking to regain the title after seeing their nine-year hold on the crown come to an end thanks to their arch-rivals, are also interested in doing business.

Dembele made 45 appearances last season, scoring 12 goals and contributing as many assists.

But Fry, Peterborough’s director of football, insists keeping Dembele on the club’s books in the second tier of English football and then allowing him to leave on a free transfer next summer could prove to be a better option than selling him ahead of a challenging campaign.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Fry said: “He’s a talented boy and just because he’s in his last year, people think we’ll sell. We won’t.

“We’ve got a better chance of retaining our Championship status with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Dembele in our side than not. It’s got to be substantial figures for either of them or we’ll just let Dembele go for nothing in a year.

“If he keeps us up, it’s worth £15million to us. It’s well worth it.”

Solihull Moors striker Kyle Hudlin would give Darren Moore “another option”, says former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer.

The Athletic have hinted at Hudlin becoming a potential target for Wednesday this summer as the club look to bolster their options up front.

At 6 ft 9, Hudlin is believed to be the tallest outfield player in English football right now, so to say he could offer Moore’s side a focal point would be an understatement.

The 21-year-old is currently plying his trade in the National League and is yet to play in the EFL, but Palmer has no doubts about what he could bring to the table for Wednesday.

“I know he’s attracting a lot of interest,” Palmer said in an exclusive interview with TT. “League One or maybe even in the Championship, having that height and that physical presence [can go a long way]. 

“A lot of goals, 90% of goals in football are scored from restarts, corners, free kicks, throw-ins, so it gives you another option.”

At 21, Hudlin obviously has plenty of time to develop and grow, while being at a National League side like Solihull Moors means he probably will not cost that much, so perhaps the English youngster is worth taking a punt on.