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As per the Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers are in advanced talks to take Fashion Sakala to Ibrox on a free transfer.

Gers close to Sakala signature

The Gers have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, with the Scottish champions even said to be Sakala’s preferred option ahead of French side Lille (Voetbal via Glasgow Live).

It is now being reported that a deal is within touching distance for the striker, who is out of contract at current team KV Oostende this summer (Transfermarkt).

Bargain signing

Sakala has been enjoying a fantastic campaign in Belgium. In 29 games in all competitions, he has managed 13 goals and three assists, taking his career tally to 38 goals and 10 assists at senior level (Transfermarkt). His goals have helped his side climb to fifth in the Jupiler League table – they will no doubt be gutted to lose him on a free transfer.

Toby Sibbick, the Barnsley defender who played alongside Sakala during a loan spell at Oostende earlier this season, described the Zambian as a “quite tricky” player, adding that he “definitely has a big future” and “would be a great addition for Rangers”. (Daily Record)

There had previously been suggestions Alfredo Morelos could leave Ibrox this summer – he said in an interview with Radio Caracol that he dreams of playing in the Premier League – but a recent report from The 4th Official stated the Colombia international wants to stay with the Gers.

Sakala’s arrival would give Steven Gerrard five centre-forward options in that event, so one of Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten would surely have to depart given the enormous level of competition.

In other news, this ace previously compared to Lionel Messi would be interested in a move to Rangers.

Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager is set to take an almighty twist at Parkhead.

That’s because a new name has emerged as a candidate to replace Neil Lennon as manager of the Bhoys.

What’s the word?

We’ve seen a number of names linked with the job including Eddie Howe, Roy Keane and Lucien Favre.

However, none are as stand out or have as much star quality as the latest name to do the rounds.

According to The Sun, Jose Mourinho has entered the race to become the new Celtic boss with the Portuguese ‘ready to go again’.

Mourinho lost his job with Tottenham this week and as a result, is now a free agent.

Whether or not the Hoops would be able to afford his wages is one thing but he’d certainly be an eye-catching appointment.

The 58-year-old is past his best but is one of the most iconic football managers on the planet.

Amazing news

Mourinho has become a modern meme but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a great capture for Celtic.

In fact, it would be one of the most landmark moments for the Bhoys in recent history.

The former Spurs boss has been sacked from his previous three roles with Chelsea, Manchester United and the Lilywhites in rather sad fashion but let us not forget just what this man has achieved.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-lampard-klimala-ajer-gossip” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

He has a win rate of over 63% in his career and has taken home two Champions League trophies and eight league titles across Europe; namely three Premier League triumphs.

Mourinho has been named Manager of the Season in England’s top-flight on three occasions while he was also awarded the gong for FIFA’s best Manager of the Year in 2010.

This is a coach, who despite his recent frailties, has been there and done it all. If you sample some of the best managers to lead a team, he would undoubtedly make the list.

Meanwhile, if there was any coach who can turn around a rather shambolic Celtic, it’s a man dubbed the ‘Special One.’

Forget Howe, forget Keane and Favre; Mourinho is the man the Hoops need.

AND in other news, Worse than Kenny: Celtic star who made just 15 passes should be finished at Paradise…

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has urged the club to join the bidding for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, telling Football FanCast that he is worried about the potential ramifications of Manchester City signing the star.

Haaland has become one of the best strikers in world football during his time at Dortmund.

The Norway international has scored 33 goals in 31 games in all competitions this season and is set to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer.

Reports claim that City are interested in snapping the 20-year-old up, as are Real Madrid, but Gillespie believes that United need to flex their muscles and attempt to snaffle him away from the German club.

Indeed, he believes City signing him would almost guarantee them next season’s Premier League title.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie said: “City are so far ahead at the minute, get Haaland, he’s the hottest property probably in world football at the minute, his stats are incredible.

“I’ve seen him playing for Norway at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland and the two finishes he had were just out of this world. You would break the bank to get somebody like that because if Man City get him, you’ve absolutely no chance of competing to win the league.”

Gillespie believes that Haaland will become available – if he does not go this summer, a clause in his contract activates that means he will be available for £66.6m in 2022, per The Athletic – and that he would be perfect for either Manchester club, sending a message to Ed Woodward to act if the opportunity arises.

He added: “He’s a natural finisher, he’s young as well, and he’s going to come into that Man City team and score a lot of goals because of the players he’d have around him, so I think it’s important that United compete with Man City should he become available.

“I think he will become available with whatever clause he has in his contract but I suppose money talks and whatever’s offered, Dortmund might cash in.

“Certainly, they need to be showing that they are interested in a player like him, and obviously there’s been talk about Haaland before with Man United, that he is one that is on their radar.”

Glasgow Rangers may be out of the Europa League, but their performances in Europe this term has done wonders for Scotland’s coefficient.

Rangers’ silver lining

The Gers were knocked out in the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday after they lost 3-1 to Slavia Prague on aggregate.

While they are no longer in the competition, Scotland are now up to 11th in the coefficient standings and are set to stay there (ESPN, Dale Johnson) – that means the winners of the Scottish Premiership next term are all but guaranteed to have an automatic place in the Champions League from the 21/22 season.

Financially beneficial

This will no doubt be beneficial for the Gers. For a start, if they can win the Premiership again next season, they will avoid the numerous rounds of qualification they have had to go through in recent seasons in European competition, and would therefore be able to enjoy a longer pre-season.

Not only that, though, they could receive a financial boost as a result. All teams in the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition this year picked up at least €15.25m (£13.1m, football-coefficient.eu), and that is without even getting into the money they will receive from from television deals – that sum is only likely to increase in the future.

In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.

Some Liverpool supporters are concerned about Naby Keita representing Guinea during the international break, due to his recent injury record.

The 26-year-old has had a frustrating Reds career to date, never quite managing to hit the heights many expected of him when he arrived.

Keita joined from RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2018 – he actually signed the previous year – with many expecting him to become Liverpool’s star midfielder.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way, however, with the Guinean falling behind the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum in the pecking order.

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While Keita’s performances haven’t always been up to the required standard, injuries are the main thing that have held him back, with constant absences from the team allowing him no rhythm.

When fit, he is an effective player who has proven his worth many times for Liverpool, but his inability to stay injury-free is a stumbling block.

According to RTE, Guinea’s national team have persuaded the Reds to allow Keita to face Mali next Wednesday, sending him back to Merseyside straight after the game.

Liverpool fans react to Keita’s international call-up

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to give their thoughts on the situation.

“Bad feeling about this”

Credit: @justdatguy_

“For once, Keita needs to take responsibility on his Liverpool career and future. The guy can’t get a run of games. Always injured. He should discuss with the national team and sit out these games atleast till end of the season. If he comes back injured, it’s on him this time”

Credit: @Iam_Ram2128

“OMG! If he comes back injured, that should be the end of his Liverpool career tbh”

Credit: @Smartooski

“I swear to god if he comes back with a broken leg”

Credit: @LivyLFC

“Seems obvious what happens next…..”

Credit: @andyj4mes

“If he gets injured from this I think that’s it for Keita with us”

Credit: @A_MKHIZE_SA

“There is Southgate and then there is this other Fool. We literally trying our best to train amd keep Naby Fit and they go and do this everydamn time”

Credit: @pearlserery

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a fresh transfer link with a Premier League midfielder. Read about it here.

With a clash against fellow Premier League new boys Fulham on Friday night, Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has got some very big calls to make over his team selection.

The Argentine made the decision to bring Gjanni Alioski back into the starting line-up against Chelsea after bringing him on as a substitute at half-time in the 2-0 defeat to West Ham the game prior.

But, the 29-year-old delivered a largely forgettable display against Thomas Tuchel’s side, with his 6.6 match rating as per Sofascore being the lowest of any Leeds starter, so he let his manager down, after he’d brought him back into the side.

He was dribbled past three times on the day, with only Stuart Dallas being bypassed more by a Chelsea player. Alioski also struggled to keep hold of the ball, losing possession on 16 occasions, with only two other Leeds teammates conceding more.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leeds, former Whites striker Noel Whelan slammed Alioski for his performance at Elland Road, saying: “Leeds need a natural full-back there that you know can cover most bases, definitely defensively because as much as he gives everything, he is a liability. He’s not the best of defenders.

“I think that’s why you could see a lot going down that left-hand side, really targeting Alioski and you saw that frailty there at times.”

With Fulham just beginning to show signs of life in recent weeks – they beat champions Liverpool at Anfield earlier this month – Leeds will need to ensure they’re defensively sound when they make the trip to face the Cottagers.

It’s exactly why the £55k-a-week earning Alioski should be dropped from the side to face Fulham on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa should urge a move for this Premier League star…

Hugo Lloris’ future at Spurs has been a hot topic of discussion for fans and pundits alike in recent months, especially in January when the 34-year-old was reportedly attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

The French shot-stopper has admitted in the past that he won’t finish his career with Spurs, and with his current contract set to run out at the end of next season, it seems as if Daniel Levy will soon have to begin the search for his successor.

However, he may already have the ideal man to replace Lloris at Spurs in academy graduate Alfie Whiteman, with the Englishman having established himself as Spurs’ third-choice goalkeeper this season.

The 22-year-old is a product of Spurs’ youth academy and made his first team debut for the club earlier in the season when he came on as a late substitute for Joe Hart in a Europa League fixture against Ludogorets.

Mourinho clearly has faith in the youngster, as he was more than willing to send Paulo Gazzaniga out on loan during the winter transfer window, despite the Argentinian featuring a lot last season when Lloris was sidelined through injury.

Hart was perhaps only brought in to increase Spurs’ homegrown quota, and considering he will turn 34 next month, it surely won’t be long until we see Whiteman move ahead of him in the pecking order with the north London club.

The young shot-stopper has been a regular with Spurs’ academy sides in recent years and signed a new contract with the club in 2019, which will keep him there until 2022 at least. He also comes endorsed by ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robison, who told Football Insider last autumn that he has “been impressed with” what he has seen of Whiteman at under-23 level.

Therefore, if Lloris – who reportedly earns £100,000 per week at Spurs – does leave the north London club in the near future, then perhaps it is time the Lilywhites put their faith in Whiteman to step up as his replacement.

After all, he wouldn’t be in and around the first team squad if Mourinho didn’t believe in his ability, so hopefully we will see the youngster get more regular first team opportunities soon, as there seems no reason why he can’t be the man to ultimately replace Lloris at Spurs.

And, in other news… 12 duels won: Spurs beast was superb vs Zagreb; Jose has a big call to make

West Ham have been tipped to test Rangers’ resolve for lockdown rebel Calvin Bassey this summer by former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard named and shamed five players – Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Bongani Zungu, Dapo Mebude and Nathan Patterson – who were allegedly caught breaking lockdown rules at an illegal house party last weekend.

All five find themselves in hot water with the Scottish FA set to launch an investigation into the matter that could mean further sanctions for the aforementioned players, with Zungu and Bassey having only just joined the club in the summer.

Phillips told Football Insider: “I think they will have an eye on the situation.

“West Ham might think to test the water in the summer just in case the club do want to move him on.

“It is a tough one because when you make a mistake everyone jumps on you but Stevie G isn’t daft. I think he will give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I’d presume that he wants to keep Bassey for next season. The last thing you want to do is win the Championship and then get rid of one of your best young player because he has slipped up during the previous season.

“Bassey is a talented player so I would be surprised if Stevie G was to move him on. If anyone was to make an enquiry I think he would squash that straight away.”

Stand firm

Gerrard has shown a ruthless streak when it comes to dealing with those unfortunate souls who have crossed the boundary but he also needs to look at the bigger picture.

Yes, Bassey broke coronavirus protocols. And yes, we might be being just a tad hypocritical – after all, we didn’t afford George Edmundson and Jordan Jones with such comfort and luxury.

Rangers are trying to push on to the next level under Gerrard and the Rangers manager knows he needs his best players around him if they are to take the next step in their development.

On the one hand, Gerrard wants to set a certain precedent about the level of discipline and respect he demands from his players, on the other he will only know too well how selling a young prospect like current Chelsea star Billy Gilmour can cause the club irreparable financial damage in the long-term.

He has even openly admitted how important Bassey is to his future plans for the 54-time Scottish champions, describing him as a “rough diamond” who can be turned into the finished article.

Despite his age, the 21-year-old left-back has settled into life at Ibrox in a rather promising fashion, barring his most recent indiscretion.

Full of energy and tenacity, the young defender has demonstrated an insatiable appetite for work and a fighting spirit. Indeed, he’s extremely effective at winning the ball back for his team, as evident by his one interception per 90 in the Scottish Premiership, that being the sixth-best out of the entire Rangers squad and better than the likes of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander.

Relishing working under Gerrard’s tutelage, Bassey will undoubtedly continue become a key component as Rangers take the next steps towards the next phase of their development.

For all of the above reasons mentioned, therefore, Rangers shouldn’t even begin to entertain such an offer if the opportunity arises.

AND in other news, Latest Rangers off-field drama exposes glaring weakness amid investigation…

According to The Bournemouth Echo, Glasgow Rangers are closing in on the signing of Nnamdi Ofoborh.

What’s the word?

The 21-year-old midfielder has been a bit-part player for Bournemouth this season, playing just five games across all competitions for the Cherries, but has shone on those rare appearances so far.

The Bournemouth Echo claims he has been locked in negotiations with Rangers over a pre-contract agreement ahead of a possible move to Ibrox in the summer.

And now, Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall has confirmed he is “close to agreeing things” with Rangers.

Steven Davis 2.0?

Rangers are pretty well-stocked in their midfield options following the capture of Bongani Zungu during the extended summer transfer window.

Zungu, though, has struggled to make a big impact, as he is yet to start in the Scottish Premiership so far. It might seem harsh but the Bafana-Bafana midfielder will need to do a lot more to firmly establish himself in Steven Gerrard’s plans.

Steven Davis and Ryan Jack have been Gerrard’s go-to options to complement Glen Kamara in his preferred three-man midfield. Whilst Davis has been in exceptional form so far this season, there are still question marks over Jack’s fitness after an injury-stricken campaign.

Suffice to say, Rangers need a quality midfielder to reduce the workload of the likes of Davis and Jack, and signing Ofoborh could be a wise investment for the future.

He may have only made three appearances in the Championship this season but Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is a big admirer of his talents after he made waves with his impressive performances for Wycombe Wanderers.

“Yo Nnamdi, what’s up man? It’s your boy PP,” he said following the Chairboys’ promotion to the Championship. “I heard about you, I just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion to the Championship. I heard about your long journey, in football and outside football. For sure, it’s not easy, it’s difficult what you did.”

“I just want to wish you the best – carry on, keep it up, keep doing what you’re doing man. I’m going to be looking after you, and looking at what you’re doing until you get to the Premier League. Keep it up my G, be together, peace man.”

Like Davis, Ofoborh is predominantly a right-footed player, and the comparisons don’t stop there, either. Last season, the Englishman, described as “reliable”, averaged 1.1 tackles per game, just shy of Davis’ 1.1 per 90 in the Premiership this season so far, via WhoScored.

Whilst he is still at the early stages of his career, his eye-catching performances for Gareth Ainsworth’s side suggest that he has the potential to play at a high level. Given his age, he may not be a regular starter for Rangers, but he’d add depth as a backup option in the midfield.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph transfer blow…

With less than a week left until the January transfer window closes, Leeds United reportedly find themselves in the mix for several new signings. The Championship titleholders are said to be on the hunt for some new defensive options to give them a boost in the second half of the Premier League season.

According to French outlet Foot01, Victor Orta has identified Jordan Amavi as a potential candidate to join Leeds. Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on the left-back, who is into the last six months of his contract with Marseille.

Would Amavi be a good signing for Leeds?

Marcelo Bielsa is currently struggling with defensive frailties as he waits anxiously for summer signing Robin Koch to return from injury. Fellow new recruit Diego Llorente is also out of action and has made just the one appearance for his new club since joining.

Because of this, the Argentinian has been fielding Luke Ayling in the centre of his backline, with Stuart Dallas filling in at right-back. This leaves just Ezgjan Alioski and lesser-seen Leif Davis as Bielsa’s only options on the left-hand side.

The latter still has a lot of time to grow into a potential first team starter, but Leeds signing Amavi could cause seriously problems for Alioski.

The North Macedonia international could easily be elbowed out of the picture if Orta brings the 26-year-old to Elland Road. There will be some tough competition between the two, but if Radrizzani spends upwards of his £9million Transfermarkt value on Amavi, he will likely be expecting to see the new recruit start the majority of games.

This isn’t to say that Alioski will be shipped out of the team, but he will more than likely slip down the pecking order. This would mean that Bielsa finally has some substantial depth to his squad though, which is greatly important in the Premier League.

In other news, Leeds made right decision not to sign Michael Cuisance…