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Southampton are continuing to be linked with a move for Leicester City winger Demarai Gray ahead of the summer, with the 24-year-old set to be available on a free transfer when his contract with Leicester expires in the summer.

Signing the former Birmingham City man could help Ralph Hasenhuttl unleash Ryan Bertrand’s attacking potential in his Southampton side, with the 31-year-old having struggled to form a connection with Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond so far this season.

The former Chelsea man is out of contract at the end of this season but the club are reportedly confident that he will sign a new deal, having been a regular in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side so far this campaign; making 16 appearances in the top-flight.

The left-back’s goal and assist returns have dried up in the past two seasons, whilst Kyle Walker-Peters has shown himself to be dangerous at times this year pushing forward on the right-hand side, which is perhaps due to the connection he has formed with Stuart Armstrong.

Therefore, if the Saints were to bring in Gray on a free transfer in the summer and he were to establish himself in the first-team ahead of Djenepo and Redmond, both of whom having struggled at times this season, then it could allow Bertrand to start providing more of an attacking outlet on the left-hand side.

Although the Leicester City man will have to work on his defensive contribution if he wants to become a regular for Southampton, with WhoScored describing that as one of his weaknesses, they also suggest that he likes to dribble, and his trickery could allow Bertrand the space to overlap on the left-hand side where he could hopefully pick up some assists.

Earlier in his time with Leicester, manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for the 24-year-old, who earns £55k per week with the Foxes, saying:

“He is a big talent and he showed that when he came in.”

Therefore, if Gray can find his feet with Southampton he could be a great addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad and he could well form a partnership with Bertrand.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Carlton Palmer hints Southampton target would “feel loved again” working under Hasenhuttl

Lee Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman have a big job on their hands in January.

It will be up to the duo to negotiate Sunderland through a transfer window which could make or break their promotion bid. So, who should they target?

What’s the word?

Johnson has made it clear that the Mackems need players capable of stretching the play in January.

As a result, we can assume that he will be in the market to sign either some strikers or wingers who can beat their man and score goals.

Where will they target? Well, if William Storey manages to secure a takeover and buy Sunderland from Stewart Donald then he’s already admitted he’ll look at Premier League clubs for loans.

Consequently, The Sunderland Echo have pieced together a list of targets the Black Cats could sign. One player is Liverpool attacker Liam Millar.

In their report, they stated that he may represent an attractive option for the Black Cats and it’s certainly a viable move.

After all, the 21-year-old was linked with the north-east side in 2018 when Jack Ross was in charge at the Stadium of Light. Phil Parkinson also reportedly wanted to bring Millar to Sunderland last summer (Goal, via the 72) so he’s clearly someone the club have been keeping a close eye on.

Bye-bye Grigg

If Sunderland want to sign rapid players in January then Millar certainly fits that definition to perfection.

The youngster has scored five goals in just 14 outings for Liverpool U23s this season through a mixture of playing up top and on the left-wing.

Speaking about the forward in 2018, This is Anfield writer Jack Lusby said: “His finishing is stellar, and his movement on and off the ball make him an excellent option up front or out wide. He can beat a man with ease and has a variety of finishes in his armoury.”

Lusby added: “He’s clearly a big talent.”

That, in a nutshell, is exactly what Johnson requires in January. He’s suggested that he wants a forward capable of getting in behind but that’s a rather damning assessment on Will Grigg.

As far as Sunderland’s current strikers go, he is probably the most nimble. However, he’s failed to score this season and has just eight goals to his name since signing in January 2019.

If Millar does indeed sign on the dotted line next month, it would only be detrimental for Grigg. It doesn’t feel like he’ll ever make it at Sunderland.

Millar, on the other hand, could easily make a difference to Johnson’s team.

AND in other news, Sunderland can fix Johnson’s big issue with swoop for “really lively” beast compared to Andy Cole…

Noel Whelan thinks that Richarlison will be a big miss for Everton versus Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United striker believes that the Brazil international may have been a key player for the Goodison Park faithful in getting all three points at St. James’ Park and also tipped Bernard to come in as his replacement instead of Alex Iwobi:

“Richarlison for me is one that is a massive loss. Iwobi didn’t take his opportunity so Bernard might come in, I think, on that side, linking up play.

“Iwobi, for me, has done nothing since he’s come to Everton and he’s not pushed Richarlison or any of the front three, to be honest with you. If he starts the game, I’ll be very, very surprised, I think it might be an opportunity for somebody else.

“Richarlison is going to be a massive miss.” 

Richarlison is a ‘standout’ player for Everton

Indeed, Richarlison has been and still is a ‘standout’ player for the Merseyside club, and thus could be greatly missed by Carlo Ancelotti’s team against the Magpies as Whelan suggests.

The 23-year old has scored no fewer than 33 goals and made a further eight assists in 86 games in all competitions for the Toffees over the last three consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).

His eye for a goal could have been vital in a tough away game in the top flight, but he will miss the match versus the Toon through suspension following his straight red card against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.

Richarlison has been great so far this season

Indeed, Richarlison has been brilliant so far this season, winning a quite staggering 9.6 of his duels per game in England’s highest division, as well as averaging 3.2 successful dribbles and 2.2 shots per game (Sofascore).

However, he will not be able to carry on his fine form in the versus Newcastle tomorrow afternoon, and as Whelan has claimed, the striker may well turn out to be a huge loss for the Blues.

In other news, find out which EFC transfer target may leave in January here!

Leicester City have been without right-back Ricardo Pereira since he suffered ligament damage against Aston Villa last season. The Portugal international was sidelined in March and much to the delight of fans, he has made his long-awaited return to the pitch.

Pereira took to the grass for the first time in eight months on Monday. He was named as part of Steve Beaglehole’s U23 starting lineup in what would play out to be a 2-1 win over West Ham U23s.

Whilst he may not be ready to return to the physical demands of the Premier League just yet, getting just under an hour of action under his belt is a huge step in the right direction for the defender. He is a player that a lot of former professionals have lauded, including Jamie Carragher who waxed lyrical about how “classy” of a performer he is.

The Foxes were forced to recruit during the summer when Pereira’s injury left them with just James Justin at right-back. Brendan Rodgers and co picked out Timothy Castagne as the 27-year-old’s replacement for the bulk of the new season. However, following his appearance with the reserve league, Pereira could make his return to action quicker than initially expected.

This will certainly be a relief for Rodgers, who is also feeling the strain of key centre-back Caglar Soyuncu’s absence through injury. Having a reliable player back in the team will help steady Leicester’s ship and avoid their decline towards the end of last campaign.

Pereira himself put out a heartfelt Instagram message to thank supporters for standing by him during what will have been one of the most difficult periods of his career. That in itself is a huge boost for both fans and his teammates as he is clearly feeling good about his return.

With focus on training and a few more U23 matches under his belt, the £28.8million-rated workhorse will soon be ready to pick up where he left off last season.

In other news, Andy Robertson’s performance against Leicester City wasn’t as good as you might think…

Leeds United are in a bit of a dire situation at the back.

The Whites have to deal with three injuries to key defensive players with Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips all sidelined at the moment.

This has left Marcelo Bielsa with a sizeable selection headache and a defensive rejig is in order at Elland Road.

We already know that Pascal Struijk is set to move into Kalvin Phillips’ spot at the base of the midfield, while Robin Koch is likely to fill one of the centre-back spots, but the other centre-half position is up for grabs.

One option that the Argentine may want to explore is using Luke Ayling in that role.

Ayling has played centre-back before and he is more experienced than someone like Oliver Casey who would be one of Bielsa’s only other options in that position.

Of course, this leaves another issue at right-back, but that is a problem that can easily be fixed by Jamie Shackleton.

We’ve not seen much of Shackleton this season, with the 21-year-old playing just nine Premier League minutes so far, but he certainly has what it takes to fill in at right-back against Aston Villa.

The youngster has all the physical attributes needed to be a success in the modern full-back role, with Noel Whelan giving him a glowing review after he returned from an injury last year, saying:

“He is very quick, tenacious, really energetic, good on the ball, a real athlete, so his return at such a key point in the season is very welcome.”

He’s a midfielder by trade, but Leeds don’t have another senior right-back behind Ayling and Shackleton has deputised in that role previously.

It may be time for Bielsa to unleash Shackleton and give him a shot at starting in the Premier League. If he shines against a Villa side that have won every game so far this season, it may not be long before he’s a regular starter in the top-flight.

Glasgow Rangers face Willem tonight in the Europa League third qualifying round, and the club will be hoping that they comfortably win the match in order to set up a tie against Galatasaray or Hajduk Split.

Key man Connor Goldson has played 115 times for the Scottish side since signing for £3.06 million from Brighton, per Transfermarkt, and the centre-back has even managed to pick up nine goals along the way.

He has been speaking before the game and the player has high hopes for the Gers and their European campaign this season, suggesting they even improve on their Round of 16 finish last time around.

Speaking to Rangers TV, via the Glasgow Times, the defender said: “It is massive for us. You want to test yourself every week, every year, against the best teams that you can do and, for us, that is getting as far as we can in the Europa League.

“Obviously we had a great journey last year and hopefully we can do just as well, if not more, this year. We feel like we are capable of doing so.

“The desire is there. We need to be in the Europa League for ourselves and for the club.

“The club deserves to be there, it deserves to be a European club. We showed that last year so hopefully we can do it again.”

The 27 year-old, who has captained the side before which shows how trusted and rated he is by the manager, has got lots of faith in his team, and it is easy to see why he is so highly rated by Steven Gerrard at the club.

Last season, the Gers managed to reach the last 16, before losing to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen and it was a great campaign for them. It was also no embarrassment to be knocked out by a side who finished fourth in Germany in 2019/20.

It was the first time the Scottish side had reached this round in a European tournament since 2011, and it is easy to see why Goldson believes they can do it again as the club are progressing and have made some shrewd additions which has made the quality of the squad even better, per Transfermarkt.

It also shows the great mentality that Steven Gerrard has brought and this will definitely be crucial if the club do want to go further in the tournament this season.

Glasgow Rangers fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!

Many Liverpool fans were devastated to discover that goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss this evening’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old shot-stopper has taken a knock in training and is being wrapped in cotton wool by manager Jurgen Klopp for the trip to Villa Park, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

It is not the first time that the Brazilian ‘keeper has taken time off due to fitness concerns. Last season, he missed 11 matches in all competitions after picking up an injury during his side’s first game of the 2019/20 campaign against Norwich City, as per TransferMarkt.

Because of this, Adrian will be expected to step into the fold before the scheduled international break kicks in, the timing of which could be a blessing in disguise for Klopp with one of his key players missing today’s game.

With this in mind, the news about Alisson sparked a wave of comments from fans voicing their concerns about what could happen to the team in the longer-term. Some questioned the Brazil international’s fitness as a whole, with others suggesting that Liverpool should consider investing in a new goalkeeper.

You can see some of the feedback from concerned Kopites here:

Liverpool fans, how badly will your side miss Alisson tonight? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Many Everton fans reacted excitedly to reports that Napoli ace Allan is on his way to Finch Farm to finalise his transfer to the Merseyside club.

In a clip posted by Football Daily on their official Twitter page, the Brazilian international can be seen getting into a vehicle that is reportedly heading to the Toffees’ training ground.

Indeed, Allan would arguably be an upgrade on the current central midfield players available to Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park, as the 29-year old averaged more tackles and key passes than Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes in their respective domestic leagues in the 2019/20 season, as per WhoScored.

With two other midfielders in James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure reportedly very close to joining as well, the Toffees will be looking forward to a new-look midfield come the start of the 2020/21 season.

These Everton supporters loved seeing the footage of Allan, with one fan branding him a ‘beast’:

Evertonians, are you excited by Allan’s impending arrival? Comment below with your views!

Glasgow Rangers have already sold out their home shirt for the 2020/21 in some sizes, according to The Daily Record.

On Wednesday, the Gers released their new kit for the upcoming campaign, which was the first one to be made by new manufacturing partner Castore after their £25m deal was signed off. The anticipation for any new kit is usually palpable – the fact that a new company was making this shirt has only added to that.

The initial numbers have been revealed and, according to one Ibrox insider, some sizes of the shirt have already sold out. Only 50,000 shirts were available on the opening day and, with a retail price of £60 per unit, the club appear to be closing in on a very cool £3m windfall in less than 24 hours.

This is just the latest indication that the Gers supporters cannot wait for the next campaign. Recently, the club has confirmed that 40,000 people have bought season tickets for the new term despite it still not being clear when fans can return to stadiums, while 20,000 have also signed up to their new MyGers membership scheme.

This latest news is just another boost to the club from a financial point of view, but it is something that manager Steven Gerrard will be keeping an eye on. The expectation amongst the supporters is as high as it has ever been in the last few years – he cannot afford to let them down.

Let us know what you think below!

Key Information about Ashton Gate Stadium

Ashton Gate Stadium has been the home of Bristol City Football Club since 1900. It was formerly the home of Bedminster FC before their merge with Bristol South End who previously played at St John’s Lane.

The Championship ground has an all-seater capacity of 27,000 and comprises four famous stands, the Lansdown Stand, the Dolman Stand, the Atyeo Stand, and the South Stand, which unlike the other stands it is not named after a figure who had strong ties with the South West England club.

A history of Ashton Gate Stadium

The four stands were redeveloped during different years since Ashton Gate Stadium opened over 100 years ago. The oldest redeveloped stand was the Doman Stand which was built in 1970 which makes it the oldest stand at the ground. At the time of construction, it had a family enclosed zone which stood in front of the stand; however, this was later rebuilt and converted to seating. The original wooden seats in the upper tier of the stand were replaced with modern plastic seats in 2007, and further enhanced during the summer of 2015 as part of a whole stadium redevelopment.

The stand is named after the former club chairman and president Harry Dolman. The Atyeo Stand is the smallest stand at Ashton Gate Stadium with a capacity of just 4,200, though it was built in 1994 to replace an open terrace. It still contains the old dressing rooms and a gym for players to use in training. This stand is named after Bristol City legend and all-time top goalscorer John Atyeo who played well over 600 games for City, scoring an incredible 351 goals. Atyeo sadly passed away a year before the new stand was opened, and it was subsequently named in his honour. Ahead of the 2017-18 season, the Atyeo Stand was made available to away fans, and it is closed for Rugby Union matches played by Bristol Bears who have ground-shared since 2014.

Bristol City commenced major redevelopment of Ashton Gate Stadium in late 2013, with work being carried out the following spring. This included the demolition of the existing Williams and Wedlock stands, to be replaced with new modern stands (south). In addition to this, the extension of the Dolan stand was permitted as well as a new pitch that was laid to enable shared use with Bristol Bears rugby club. The redevelopment was completed ahead of the 2016-17 season.

Tickets to Watch Bristol City at Ashton Gate Stadium

Adult tickets for members of the Bristol City can purchase a single matchday ticket from £20-32 depending on which stand is desired. Seniors and under-25s can go from £17-29, under-22s from £14-26, under-19s from £10-16, and under-12s for just £5. Adult season tickets for next season range from £366-636, and under-12s can go the entire season for just £55.

Related Links

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Bristol City

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/tickets-memberships/matchday-prices/ – Bristol City Ticket Office