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Glasgow Rangers romped to a ruthless 8-0 win over Hamilton at Ibrox as Steven Gerrard’s side restored their nine-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Scott Arfield opened the scoring, Kemar Roofe scored the second goal, before Joe Aribo added the third after his shot was deflected into the back of the net to put the game beyond the Accies. Aribo and Roofe doubled their efforts after the break before substitute Brandon Barker and a brace from James Tavernier secured the victory.

Arfield was immense, Aribo was impressive, but the club captain hit back at his critics in sensational style against Hamilton. Tavernier was often criticised over his defensive frailties last term but has been in fine form for Gerrard’s side so far this season.

Per SofaScore, the 29-year-old received a high statistical rating of 10 for his sublime performance – he won six out of his eight duels overall (75%), took 110 touches of the ball, four shots on target and two shots off target, created one big chance, completed two successful dribble attempts and produced 60 out of 73 passes (82%), whilst he made one clearance and three interceptions, which shows that he contributed defensively as well.

Sky Sports gave him a grade of 9/10, whilst GlasgowLive awarded him with the same score, insisting it was “another day, another afternoon where James Tavernier’s deliveries are causing all sorts of bother.”

Once hailed as a “powerhouse” by the Ibrox boss, Tavernier has scored 12 goals and supplied 9 assists in 20 appearances in all competitions for the Gers this season so far, via Transfermarkt.

As the stats show, the right-back is going from strength to strength as he is the club’s top scorer in the Scottish Premiership, ahead of Ryan Kent, Aribo and Roofe, who have all bagged four goals apiece.

If he can continue his hot streak, he will leave no room for criticism of any kind in the months ahead.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson may have struck gold with Kai Kennedy loan move… 

Aston Villa signed in excess of 15 players last season yet were embroiled in a relegation battle that went down to the final day, so they simply can’t afford to repeat their mistakes this time around…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mirror, Dean Smith is set for another spending spree having replaced sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch with Johan Lange.

It’s claimed that the Villa boss intends to bring in a new striker with Wesley set to miss the start of the 2020/21 campaign and one name on the list is Liverpool outcast Divock Origi.

But only if he’s free to leave Anfield, which may be something he wants to do if he’s to make Belgium’s Euro squad next summer.

Suso-like signing

This is a move that Lange should probably swerve as it has all the hallmarks of being a Suso-like blunder in the shape of Wesley and Mbwana Samatta.

Origi has barely featured this campaign – per WhoScored, he’s provided the Reds with just four goals whilst averaging a mere 0.5 shots and 0.4 dribbles per game.

These figures are considerably worse than the injured Brazillian, who still managed to notch five strikes and even averages more shots (1.7) and dribbles (0.6) each appearance.

The 25-year-old has scored plenty of important goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side, notably during their Champions League-winning run, and as a result has been lauded by teammate Virgil van Dijk as “fantastic” in the past.

Whilst during a rare start against Everton back in December had the German calling him “outstanding” and “impressive”.

Despite this, Villa simply must avoid signing him as its unlikely to be third time lucky in the striker position, particularly as there’s also interest in Ollie Watkins, who at £25m would be an absolute steal considering Smith signed him for Brentford three years ago.

If Lange wants to get off to a smooth start in the Midlands, then he should forget Origi and instead splash out on the Bees talisman.

AND in other news, Smith could land himself a huge upgrade on Trezeguet…

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign one of Europe’s in-demand defenders this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the north London outfit have been handed an opportunity to clinch Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon.

He was speaking to the Last Word On Spurs podcast on Wednesday evening but revealed that the club were yet to engage in talks over a potential deal.

Whilst reports in Spain have suggested that Manchester United have submitted an offer with last season’s loan club Sevilla also keen.

They also claim that he could cost in the region of €25m to €30m – which is around £23m to £26.5m.

Upgrade on Davies

The 23-year-old enjoyed an impressive spell at Sevilla this season which culminated in the La Liga outfit winning the Europa League once again.

Per WhoScored, Reguilon provided three goals and five assists whilst averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.5 dribbles, 1.3 key passes and 1.2 interceptions per game – this suggests that he likes to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

He could be the perfect solution to some of Jose Mourinho’s biggest problems. His side leaked 47 goals last term, the second-most of any top seven side whilst Ben Davies failed to record a single goal or assist.

Spurs’ first-choice left-back also averaged fewer tackles, interceptions and key passes, so there’s no denying that the Spaniard would be a major upgrade to the role.

Reguilon is described as a player that relies on his pace to get up and down the wing as well as someone who likes to beat his man to whip in a cross by FootballBH.

Back in April 2019, Mourinho lauded the Spaniard’s impact in the El Classico, so we know he’s already a huge fan of his.

Daniel Levy should absolutely sanction a move for Reguilon at the reported £23m, he’d be a tenfold improvement down the left flank.

AND in other news, Spurs may live to regret missing out on aggressive £25m marksman…

Tottenham’s reported transfer target Thiago Silva has admitted that he is on the verge of leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Jose Mourinho’s side are eyeing up a free transfer for the Brazilian, with the veteran’s contract at the Parc des Princes coming to an end very soon.

Now, speaking ahead of PSG’s cup final against St Etienne, Silva revealed that whilst he didn’t want to leave the club, a decision on his future has already been made.

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He said: “They asked if I could stay, but it’s not my decision. Now is not the time to talk about this topic. We will have time to talk about it later. I didn’t want to leave, but the decision has already been made. I respect (the decision) and will respect it until the end. There are no further discussions (about my future). Leonardo (the PSG sporting director) has already spoken to the press.”

Burden on the books

A few years ago, Silva moving to Spurs would surely have been seen as a massive coup, but now with him being 35 – he will turn 36 in September – that isn’t really the case.

The Brazilian has suffered numerous niggling injuries over these past few years, and the older he gets, the harder it will become for him to stay clear of it too.

Earning a reported £280k-a-week, picking up Silva’s wages would be a major problem for Daniel Levy and Spurs, Even if he were to take a considerable pay cut, it would still leave him amongst the Lilywhites’ highest earners.

In fact, if he were to take a 50% cut, Silva’s weekly wage of £140k would place him as the joint-third highest earner in the squad, with only Heung-min Son, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Kane to accompany him.

Despite being considered a locker room leader by former French ace Frederic Piquionne, that dressing room presence alone is simply not enough to warrant Spurs shelling out tonne of money on wages, especially given the current financial circumstances.

Levy must steer well clear of making a move.

Liverpool’s rapidly-rising star Curtis Jones has been named the Premier League 2 Player of the Season.

The young Merseyside local scooped the award after an impressive season for Liverpool’s under-23 side. His 14 goal contributions in the reserve league added to an impressive overall campaign tally of 17 goals and seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

Following on from his influential performances for the youth side, Jones was called up to join the senior squad and it seems unlikely he will play for the under-23s again after his achievements. The teenager played a huge role in Liverpool’s FA Cup run this season, netting the only goal of the match against a full-strength Everton side back in January.

His superb strike carried the Reds into the next round, where he also found the back of the net against Shrewsbury Town.

Loads of Liverpool fans have responded to the news and are full of praise for the young trailblazer. However, one fan in particular has taken a swipe at Manchester City, tweeting “don’t let Pep see this”. The comment comes after Pep Guardiola had a negative response to Jordan Henderson winning the Premier League Player of the Season award.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Curtis Jones will be a first team regular next season, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Alfie Whiteman could well play for Tottenham Hotspur against Bayern Munich.

The two sides clash in the Champions League in a dead rubber that is ultimately meaningless.

Spurs are confirmed to be finishing second behind group leaders Bayern and boss Jose Mourinho has already hinted at rotation.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

Star striker Harry Kane will not play, suggesting that Troy Parrott could be included, and there is a chance that Paulo Gazzaniga, who has been installed as the club’s No.1 in the absence of Hugo Lloris, will also be given a rest.

And that could open the door to Whiteman.

The 21-year-old has been on the bench on numerous occasions for the club, notably against Olympiacos earlier this season in the Champions League and against Leicester City, Bournemouth and Burnley in the Premier League.

An England youth international who has won caps at U16, U17, U18 and U19 level, Whiteman is currently playing for Spurs’ U23s.

He has made 27 appearances for the club at youth level and has kept just one clean sheet, conceding 58 times.

In the U18s, he played 10 times and conceded 15 goals, keeping three clean sheets, while he has conceded 11 in four appearances for the U19s in the UEFA Youth League.

Nevertheless, reports have suggested that he is keen on a loan move away from the club in January and this could be a prime opportunity for him to earn that deal.

Keeping a clean sheet against Bayern would be a hell of an addition to his CV and, if Mourinho puts his faith in youth, he could well seize the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has unlocked one man’s consistency at Spurs. 

Everton fans have been left torn by a fresh transfer claim this week.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Toffees is the ‘most likely destination’ of Napoli midfielder Allan this summer as the Brazilian lynchpin could link up with his former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to Goodison Park ever since Ancelotti was appointed back in December.

But it appears as if signing him would divide opinion amongst those in the blue ends of Merseyside with them debating the move on Twitter and Instagram.

Some would love to see him at the club, especially given the injury blow to Jean-Philippe Gbamin last week. The summer signing has played just 135 minutes all season and will now be out for another six months.

@theo_ath02: “Brilliant signing if we can pull it off. Slots into the midfield nicely”

@jakebone15: “Baller”

@paul.scanlan61: “That’s midfield sorted 💙 “

Allan, who is valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, has played just 24 times this campaign where he has averaged three tackles, 0.8 clearances and 0.7 interceptions across Serie A and the Champions League, via WhoScored.

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FranceFootball claim that Napoli could be willing to let him leave for €40m (£35.9m) this summer, but that sort of financial deal isn’t something that many seem to agree with at Goodison Park.

@longmorecolin: “Asking too much for his age as no sell-on fee. Plus wages mega so can’t see it happening.”

@ray.sherry3: “Meh 👍 “

The Toffees’ midfield is arguably their weakest position given how poorly exposed it was in the absence of Andre Gomes this term, so Ancelotti could well do with an addition or two in the role – even more so after Gbamin blow.

Bringing the Brazilian over from his old club makes a ton of sense, it just remains to be seen how the club will operate the transfer market this summer given the potential financial implications post-pandemic.

AND in other news, Everton fans desperate to see former STAR return amid reports…

After a difficult start to the season – it took them seven games to win their first game – Wolves look to be back on track.They are now in the fight for a Europa League place and have not lost a game in their last six in all competitions. Going into their match against Sheffield United and Molineux, they would have been hoping to get one over on a side they are fighting with for a European spot – as surprising as that is considering the Blades are newly promoted.In the end, though, they were only able to pick up a single point, with Matt Doherty levelling proceedings after Lys Mousset’s opener. Still, it keeps them in sixth place in the Premier League.It was a special day for 22-year-old Max Kilman, who was making his first start for the club at centre-back in the Premier League. The club’s supporters were very happy with his display, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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Sunderland are enduring a miserable run of form and some supporters probably wish that Phil Parkinson could make 11 changes to the side which lost at home to Burton.

Several players are underperforming at the moment and it seems that whichever side takes to the field, and in whatever formation, the performance and end result is the same.

There is a distinct lack of cutting edge but also a clear lack of creativity, which is why their performance dipped after falling behind against the Brewers – a fact Parkinson alluded to himself.

That is a big worry, particularly as there aren’t many who can be drafted in to try and fix the issue, and that means the buck may ultimately stop at the manager, with fans already fed up with him 11 games into his tenure.

Sunderland dominated possession against Burton once again with a 59% share of the ball, and therefore if they can add a little creativity or more directness to their play they should be able to improve on the goal front.

That is their biggest issue, with 13 goals scored in 11 games under Parkinson. With that in mind, here is how they should line-up in order to get the better of Gillingham.

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The Gills will be well aware of Sunderland’s approach having played them twice in the FA Cup over the last month, edging a 1-0 win in the replay at Priestfield a few weeks ago.

Despite defeat, the Black Cats seemed to contain their threat well, and but for a slightly fortunate equaliser from Olly Lee they would have progressed in the initial meeting at the Stadium of Light.

That was a rare game in which Aiden McGeady seemed to have the opposition’s number, so Parkinson will hold out hope that he can replicate that display and hand his team a win in the process.

However, for that to happen others will need to perform, and starting Benji Kimpioka for the first time in the league could be an inspired decision in that regard.

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He scored the equaliser against Coventry and has the pace to be a nightmare for full-backs, and with a point to prove he should have the drive and desire to lift the Black Cats, which is what they need in the midst of this poor run of results.

Chris Maguire has disappointed at times this season but his absence was notable on Tuesday, and without Jon McLaughlin between the posts Sunderland lack a little leadership along the backline, and therefore his inclusion could lead to an upturn in performance.

Parkinson currently has to pick from those available to him, which is why it is vital he is given ample opportunity to bring in his own players in January.

It was easy to quickly forget all about other Real Madrid players not named Rodrygo after Los Blancos’ 6-0 demolition of Galatasaray during the week.The young prodigy netted a hat-trick and naturally all the spotlight was on him.Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But there were other players that deserved some praise and one of them was Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane’s veteran striker who bagged a brace himself.

That tally took him to 50 goals in the Champions League for the Galacticos and after the game, he was asked whether he considers himself a club legend at this point.

The humble guy he is, Benzema denied having already achieved such a status as he didn’t want to be compared to some of the greatest strikers that donned the royal white of Real Madrid.

Upon hearing his words, however, many Real fans were impressed by their star’s modest nature and they were quick to call him a legend and an underrated player.

You can see some of their reactions down in the tweets below: