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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

Liverpool are reportedly considering a move for Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi this month as they look to ease their defensive issues, but he’s not the man Jurgen Klopp needs.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, the German defender is one of three centre-backs the Reds could consider before the transfer window shuts next Monday, while Sunday World report that insiders haven’t ruled out making a move for him before the deadline.

Arsenal are keen to offload the experienced centre-back, as he is out of contract in the summer, so wouldn’t demand a high fee.

Would he be a good signing?

To put it simply, no.

Mustafi hasn’t made a single start in the Premier League this season and has just three substitute appearances to his name, which is even more remarkable when you consider how much the Gunners were struggling earlier in the season.

His five appearances in the Europa League this season resulted in just two clean sheets, with goals conceded against the likes of Dundalk, Molde and Rapid Wien in that time.

Mustafi had a high reputation when he joined the Gunners from Valencia for £35 million but has seen his value and standing in the game rapidly decrease during his time in North London.

Despite being just 28-years-old, it is clear that Mustafi is surplus to requirements in this Arsenal side at the moment, and considering he hasn’t started a game since late December, he would presumably need time to build his match fitness should he arrive at Anfield. That is exactly what Klopp doesn’t need.

Mustafi has also spent time on the sidelines this season with a hamstring injury and has endured a number of problems in previous seasons, so signing another injury-prone centre-back is not the solution for Klopp.

Martin Keown highlighted Mustafi’s error-proneness last year, saying:

“We talked about Mustafi before the game, I sense there’s a fear in this player, and you can smell it.

“You’ve got to put everything out of your mind, I sympathise with Luiz. Mustafi’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Whilst Liverpool are desperate for a centre-back, Mustafi is not the answer, and Klopp would be better served selecting the reliable Jordan Henderson at the back for the rest of the season, than signing the former Valencia man.

And, in other news, Edwards can sign Liverpool’s next VVD in £36m beast; but there’s one snag for Klopp…

After avenging their defeat to St. Mirren last time out, Glasgow Rangers play host to Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Premiership league leaders wasted no time at all to exact their revenge over Saints, and find themselves in a hot streak heading into the clash with Celtic.

Steven Gerrard faces some tough decisions before the second Old Firm derby of the season, namely whether to recall Ryan Kent, while Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack have been ruled out due to injury. Kent’s struggles have been well-documented in recent weeks, with the 24-year-old failing to find the back of the net in each of his past five appearances.

The Light Blues boss opted to snub Kent against St. Mirren after his recent run of form to give him some brief respite and allow him to recharge his batteries.

But if he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders, he simply has to be one of the first names on the team sheet to face Celtic.

There’s no denying the fact that Kent is still one of the biggest creative influences on the flanks – only James Tavernier has contributed to more goals across all competitions than the left winger this season.

He’s levels above the rest in terms of his passing ability – since the start of the season, the former Liverpool academy player has averaged 2.3 key passes per game in the Scottish Premiership, via WhoScored.

It would be a heinous mistake from Gerrard to leave him out from the off, as he underlined his credentials after opening the scoring in the 2-0 victory over their arch rivals in the Old Firm derby in 2019.

The Ibrox boss reserved special praise for Kent after he claimed the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month earlier this season, saying: “Ryan Kent has been top class and hasn’t let any noise affect him, he is scoring goals and looking very dangerous. He is really taking it to opposition teams and he’s settled and enjoying his football.

“Kent deserves to be Player of the Month and has been in sensational form. He has been fantastic to work with.”

Similarly, his former manager Tony Mowbray was equally effusive in his praise for his young charge, adding he has a “fantastic ability to pick the ball up and run our team 60 yards up the pitch.”

If Gerrard does decide to bring Kent back into the fold, he simply has to start against Celtic.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard dealt huge blow as Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield ruled out of Old Firm clash…

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…

Johan Lange can redefine his vision for Aston Villa by ensuring Dean Smith utilises the “immense potential” of Lamare Bogarde, after a successful summer fighting off premier competition for the Netherlands Under 16 international.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Villa were aggressive in the summer market striving to lock up the services of a string of 16-year-olds ahead of the impact Brexit will have on signing youth players.

Premier League clubs will no longer be able to sign players under the age of 18 from overseas clubs as of January 1, while only able to add three aged under 21 this winter and six per season after that.

The new framework has been introduced to help ensure the future competitiveness of the England national side post-Brexit, as the Football Association believe now presents a chance to boost the selection hopes of homegrown players.

Villa sought to get ahead of the restrictions by spending vast time scouting youth talents this year, leading to the eventual additions of Vitesse Arnhem defender Sil Swinkels, St. Patrick’s Aaron O’Reilly and Bogarde from Feyenoord.

Landing Bogarde’s signature was a considerable coop for the Birmingham-based outfit, as the defensive midfielder is now said to have been a target for top-six Premier League duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Redefine Lange’s vision for AVFC

Beating Arsenal and Tottenham to Bogarde’s signature has offered Lange the chance to redefine his vision for Aston Villa by turning the claret and blue side into one future stars look positively on, knowing homegrown talents will soon carry even more importance and value.

Lange has got off to a strong start by edging premier competition for Bogarde this summer but will need to see first-team boss Smith utilise those in the academy for his vision to take place

Smith has so far only awarded 14 minutes of Premier League football to 19-year-old Jacob Ramsey, who is the only player aged under 21 to feature for the Villans in the top-flight thus far this term.

Bogarde is a player academy manager Mark Harrison lauds for his “immense potential”, and has already displayed his emerging brilliance in claret and blue with two goals and an assist in four Premier League U18 appearances before stepping up to the Under 23s.

If he can establish himself in Mark Delaney’s young side, which sits just three points off table-toppers Middlesbrough after nine PL2 fixtures, it will not be long before Bogarde is banging on Smith’s door demanding his senior debut.

AND in other news, Johan Lange and Aston Villa must bite the bullet on one-time £40k-p/w Dean Smith favourite.

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…

West Bromwich Albion had a quiet deadline day with no incomings but they weren’t completely void of at least one transfer saga…

What’s the word?

At one stage on Monday, it seemed that veteran winger Kamil Grosicki was set to depart the Hawthorns for pastures new – the Express & Star’s Joseph Masi claimed the 32-year-old was in talks with Olympiacos over a permanent move.

It would have seen him instantly loaned out to Evangelos Marinakis’ other owned club, Championship outfit Nottingham Forest.

However, it appears that the deal fell through late on with the Polish winger claiming there was “no concrete offer” and he’d stay to fight for his place.

Mistake?

This could turn out to be a massive mistake from all those involved as the former Hull City man is evidently going to find it hard to break into the starting XI.

He’s not even been named on the bench in any of the Baggies’ last three Premier League outings and has only ever started four league games since his £800k January arrival.

At the time, technical director Luke Dowling said: “Look at the ones we did this window, Grosicki – £800,000 for 18 months. We looked at other players and we were quoted a £1m loan fee – on top of their salary. That is where this window can be stupid. To get a player like Grosicki with his experience for that kind of money we were pleased with.”

Well, perhaps they’d have been better off signing one of those ‘costly’ loan targets as the 5 foot 11 wide man is now costing the club by not being involved.

Getting him off the books could have aided their pursuit of Karlan Grant, who the club are struggling to fund a move for with Huddersfield wanting £18m for his signature, according to reports.

It’s thought that the Polish international is among the high earners at the club, taking home around £25k-per-week, which is more than regular starters Darnell Furlong and Semi Ajayi.

Grosicki’s former Hull teammate Jackson Irvine described him as “unplayable” when he’s at his best, adding: “You can’t afford to give him that much space to run in behind” whilst ex-Tigers boss Nigel Adkins dubbed him an “exceptional” winger.

Though Albion have been yet to see that and given his mooted exit throughout the summer, he should have been let go. EFL clubs can sign players for another ten days, so maybe this saga isn’t finished just yet.

AND in other news, West Brom’s forgotten man has been a costly £10.5m mistake…

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…

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!